Content Benchmark L.12.A.4
Students know several causes and effects of somatic versus sex cell mutations. E/S
Sample Test Questions
1st Item Specification: Describe the difference between sex cells and somatic cells in
an organism.
Depth of Knowledge Level 1
1. Which of the following is NOT a somatic cell?
A. Cheek cell
B. Sperm cell
C. Blood cell
D. Nerve cell
2. Which of the following statement correctly describes a sex cell and somatic cell?
A sex cell is
A. haploid and a somatic cell is haploid.
B. diploid and a somatic cell is diploid.
C. diploid and a somatic cell is haploid.
D. haploid and a somatic cell is diploid.
Depth of Knowledge Level 2
3.
Which process occurs in somatic cells?
A.
B.
4n
2n
2n
2n
2n
2n
2n
n
n
n
n
C.
D.
2n
2n
2n
2n
2n
2n
n
4.
2n
Use the following diagram to answer the following question.
2n
4n
1.
2.
2n
2n
2n
2n
n
n
n
n
2
n
3.
4.
4n
2n
2n
2n
2n
2n
n
2
Which of the above cell processes contribute to genetic diversity?
n
A. 1 and 2
B. 2 and 3
C. 3 and 4
D. 1 and 4
2nd Item Specification: Explain that mutations in sex cells may be passed on to
offspring.
Depth of Knowledge Level 1
5.
Changes in the genetic material in sex cells are mutations that
A. may be transmitted to the next generation.
B. are always eliminated during meiosis.
C. are always sex-linked.
D. cannot affect the organism or its offspring.
6.
A mutation can be passed on to offspring if the mutation takes place in
A. a liver cell.
B. an egg cell.
C. a uterus cell.
D. a skin cell.
Depth of Knowledge Level 2
7. Nondisjunction of sex chromosomes in a human female during meiosis may result
in her son inheriting the disorder represented by
A. XXY
B. XYY
C. XXX
D. YYY
8. A child born with Down Syndrome (Trisomy 21) can have parents without the
disorder. Down Syndrome is caused by
A. three point mutations in the 21st chromosome of an egg or sperm cell.
B. the nondisjunction of chromosome 21 in a somatic cell.
C. three point mutations in the 21st chromosome a somatic cell.
D. the nondisjunction of chromosome 21 in an egg or sperm cell.
3rd Item Specification: Explain that mutations in somatic cells are not passed on to
offspring.
Depth of Knowledge Level 1
9.
Nonlethal mutations in somatic cells
A. are found in egg cells and are passed onto female offspring.
B. are found in sperm cells and are passed onto male offspring.
C. results in the death of the body cell with the mutation.
D. are mutations in body cells and are not passed onto offspring.
10. Genetic mutations that are not passed on to offspring are found in
A. egg cells.
B. sperm cells.
C. somatic cells
D. gamete cells.
Depth of Knowledge Level 2
11. An adult develops melanoma which is a type of skin cancer. The cancer
A. can be passed onto children because the cancer is in a gamete cell.
B. can be passed onto children because the cancer is in a somatic cell.
C. cannot be passed to any children because the cancer is in a gamete cell
D. cannot be passed to any children because the cancer is in a somatic cell.
12. Ionizing radiation can damage DNA molecules. If DNA damage occurs in blood
tissue it
A. can be inherited because the DNA mutation is in a gamete cell.
B. can be inherited because the DNA mutation is in a somatic cell.
C. cannot be inherited because the DNA mutation is in a somatic cell.
D. cannot be inherited because the DNA mutation is in a gamete cell.
4th Item Specification: Explain that environmental factors may cause mutations in
DNA in both somatic cells and sex cells.
Depth of Knowledge Level 1
13. Environmental substances that can cause cancer are called
A. tumors.
B. carcinogens.
C. mutations.
D. poisons.
14. Environmental factors like ultraviolet light, asbestos fibers, and cigarette smoke
are
A. harmless and do not cause lasting cellular damage.
B. only temporarily damaging to cellular DNA.
C. carcinogenic resulting in permanent DNA changes.
D. damaging to only somatic cells and no effect on gametes.
Depth of Knowledge Level 2
15. What is the BEST reason why many societies have banned or dramatically
decreased the production of chemical such as formaldehyde and asbestos? The
chemicals have been linked to
A. increased cellular mutations.
B. causing sterility in lab rats.
C. heavy metal poisoning.
D. uncontrolled meiotic divisions.
16. The graph below shows the 15 most commonly reported environmental factors
that may have caused cancer clusters. A cancer cluster is an area that has a
significantly higher rate of cancer.
(From http://www.ehponline.org/members/2006/9021/9021.html )
Which type of environmental factor is most likely to cause a cancer cluster?
A. Specific chemicals
B. Chemical mixes
C. General exposures
D. Pollution sites
5th Item Specification: Recognize that mutations result from changes in DNA.
Depth of Knowledge Level 1
17. The information below represents a change in a portion of the base sequence in a
DNA molecule.
ATCGAT
X-ray
AACGAT
This change can best be interpreted as a(n)
A. point mutation.
B. Translocation mutation.
C. frameshift mutation.
D. inversion mutation.
18. A gene mutation results from a change in the
A. sequence of nucleotides in RNA.
B. chromosome number in a gamete.
C. sequence of the nucleotides in DNA.
D. chromosome number in a somatic cell.
19. A mutation is defined as
A. a change in an organism’s DNA sequence.
B. the growth of an abnormal tumor.
C. the changing of a cell from one type to another.
D. a way of changing mRNA to proteins.
Depth of Knowledge Level 2
20. Which of the following sequences has a point mutation from TTAGCTACG?
A. AAUCGAUGC
B. TTAGCTACG
C. TTACCTACG
D. AATCGATGC
21. Use the table showing mRNA codons to answer the question below.
(From http://www.safarikscience.org/biologyhome/7_dna/codon_question.png)
The following mRNA sequence codes for the amino acids in a segment of the
gene that codes for normal hemoglobin.
Normal Codons:
GUU – CAC – CUA – ACA – GAA – GAG – AAA
Mutated Sequence:
GUU – CAC – CUA – ACA – GAA – GAC – AAA
A mutation occurred in normal hemoglobin causing a disease called Sickle Cell
Anemia. Which of the following sequences is the result of the mutation?
A. Val – His – Leu – Ala – Pro - Glu – Glu – Lys
B. Val – His – Leu – Thr – Pro – Glu - Asp – Lys
C. Val – Ser – Leu – Thr – Pro – Glu – Glu - Lys
D. Val – Ser – Leu – Thr – Pro – Gly – Glu – Lys
Content Benchmark L.12.A.4
Students know several causes and effects of somatic versus sex cell mutations. E/S
Sample Test Question Answers
1. B, DOK Level 1
2. D, DOK Level 1
3. D, DOK Level 2
4. B, DOK Level 2
5. A, DOK Level 1
6. B, DOK Level 1
7. A, DOK Level 2
8. D, DOK Level 2
9. D, DOK Level 1
10. C, DOK Level 1
11. D, DOK Level 2
12. C, DOK Level 2
13. B, DOK Level 1
14. C, DOK Level 1
15. A, DOK Level 2
16. A, DOK Level 2
17. A, DOK Level 1
18. C, DOK Level 1
19. A, DOK Level 1
20. C, DOK Level 2
21. B, DOK Level 2