Mitosis and Meiosis Study Questions-Chapters 12 and 13
1. How can there be 46 chromosomes in a human cell at metaphase and also 46
chromosomes in each daughter cell?
2. Describe the events in each stage of the cell cycle (G1, S, G2, M). Draw the diagram in fig.
12.5.
3. From what material is the mitotic spindle thought to be made? (i.e. From where in the cell is
it taken?) Where is it organized?
4. What is the function of kinetochore microtubules and nonkinetochore microtubules?
5. Distinguish between mitosis and cytokinesis. How is cytokinesis different in plants and
animals?
6. Read page 226 and see figure 12.11, then explain cell division in prokaryotes. How do
prokaryotic chromosomes and their means of separation differ from eukaryotic chromosomes?
7. What is the G0 phase? What is its function? What is a restriction point?
8. Describe regulation of the cell cycle. Include in your description protein kinases, cyclins, MPF.
9. Describe the density-dependent inhibition.
10. Normal human cells have pieces of DNA called telomeres. These telomeres tend to shorten
a little with each cell division, and then when telomeres are gone, the cell line dies. Telomeres
of cancerous cells do not shorten. Read about cancerous cell division and explain the other
unusual characteristics of these cells.
11. List the stages of meiosis and briefly describe the principle events in each phase.
12. Independent assortment alone allows for approximately 8 million different genetic between
tow gametes. What is this event? Draw four cells at Anaphase I, each with four pairs of
chromosomes, one color for maternal chromosomes and another color for paternal. Make sure
that each of the eight cells ends up different than the rest. Making specific stripes and size
differences between your chromosomes will make this task easier.
13. Describe the methods box on page 250. Why is this technique important?
14. Why is crossing over important? Draw two pairs of homologous chromosomes before and
after crossing over. (Make them different colors.)
Bonus: Science and Technology #2, page 237.
Genetics & DNA Study Questions AP Biology
Set 1 (Chapter 14): due:
1. Briefly define the following terms in your own words: homologous chromosome pair,
haploid, diploid, allele, homozygous, heterozygous, genotype, phenotype, test cross,
incomplete dominance, codominance, epistasis, pleiotrophy
2. Assuming parents are each homozygous, one recessively, one dominantly, for all traits,
use Punnett squares to predict the results of a monohybrid cross and a dihybrid cross.
State the phenotypic and genotypic ratios of the F1 and F2 generations.
3. Starting with a male who has a sex-linked trait, like hemophilia, and a female who does
not have the trait and is not a carrier, use Punnett squares to show the genotypic ratios
of the F1 and F2 generations, then state phenotypes for both F1 and F2.
4. Explain how a testcross can determine if a dominant phenotype is homozygous or
heterozygous.
Bonus: p. 237, challenge question #2, science tech & society #2
Set 2 (Chapter 14): due:
1. Describe what is meant by the law of segregation and the law of independent assortment.
2. Relate the law of independent assortment and the law of segregation to genetic variation
of gametes that arise in the process of meiosis.
3. Explain how the phenotypic expression of the heterozygote is affected by complete
dominance, incomplete dominance, and codominance.
4. Explain how the different types of fetal testing and newborn screening can be used in
genetic screening and counseling.
Bonus: Read pages 266-268 in your text, then answer bonus p.261 science tech & society
#1, # 3.
Set 3 (Chapter 15): due:
1. Define gene linkage and explain why linkage interferes with independent assortment.
2. Distinguish between parent and recombinant phenotypes.
3. Define a linkage map and explain how crossing over can unlink genes.
4. Describe sex determination in humans and in one type of creature in which it is very
different.
5. Explain why a recessive sex-linked gene is always expressed in human males.
6. Distinguish among nondisjunction, deletions, duplications, inversions, and translocations
in chromosomal abnormalities.
7. How can mitochondria be used to trace human ancestry?
Bonus: p. 280, science tech & society: #1, #2.
Set 4 (Chapter 16) due:
1. Describe characteristics of a bacteriophage virus and explain how they reproduce.
2. What is bacterial transformation? Using the information on page 306, including fig. 16.2.,
give characteristics of a bacterial plasmid.
3. How did viral replication enable scientists to prove that DNA was heritable material?
4. Briefly define the following characteristics belonging to DNA: double stranded,
nucleotides, base-pairing, antiparallelism, 5’ vs. 3’ strand, phosphodiester bonds,
hydrogen bonds, purine, pyrimidine.
5. Discuss how enzymes such as helicase topoisomerases, primase, DNA polymerase and
ligase are involved in the replication of DNA.
6. What is an Okazaki fragment?
7. What is the purpose of a primer in DNA replication?
Bonus: p 280, science tech & society: #3, p 350 science tech & society #2
Set 5 (Chapter 17): due:
1. How is RNA related to DNA and what is its purpose?
2. Describe how mRNA is produced in the process of protein synthesis.
3. Explain the process of protein synthesis by using the terms: transcription, translation,
mRNA, tRNA, rRNA, ribosome, P and A sites on ribosome, codon, genetic code, initiator
codon, anticodon, amino acid, stop codon, peptide bond.
4. Describe how mRNA is modified in the nucleus (splicing of introns, GTP and poly A tail
addition)
5. Looking at page 330, figure 17.5, explain what is meant by the genetic code having
redundancy without ambiguity.
6. Define an open reading frame. How might it be involved in mutagenesis?
7. How is the genetic code structured to keep the rate of mutations down?
Bonus: Read about cancer, p 373-377, and answer science tech & society #2, p. 323;
challenge quest. #2
Set 6 (mostly chapter 18, unless otherwise specified): due:
1. Refer back to page 333 in chapter 17. Using figure 17.8 and the adjacent paragraphs,
explain how the following are related: transcription factors, transcription initiation complex,
and TATA box.
2. Describe the different levels of chromatin packing. Define histones.
3. Summarize fig. 18.6.
4. What is the purpose of histone acetylation?
5. Compare histone methylation and DNA methylation.
6. Explain how transcription activators and repressors function.
7. How are related genes on different chromosomes activated simultaneously?
8. In what ways can one stretch of DNA code for many different protein functions?
9. How can genes evolve?
Bonus: p 395, science tech & society #1, #3
Set 7 (Chapter 21): due:
* Write 15 thought-provoking questions that span this chapter.
Bonus: read section 20.4, write responses to each section (forensic, environmental,
agricultural, ethical....)