Objectives

Quiz 1:

1. Be able to draw and label a diagram of the molecular structure of DNA, showing the relationships between the six essential molecules that make up DNA: deoxyribose, phosphate, adenine, cytosine, guanine, thymine.

2. Apply knowledge of complementary base pairing to predict a DNA strand sequence given information about the other DNA strand.

3. Understand the relationship between DNA, nucleotide, gene, chromosome, chromatin, and genome.

4. Be able to describe and reenact the process of DNA replication, including the roles of different enzymes in the process, an explanation of how it is semiconservative in nature, and why it produces identical copies of DNA.

5. Identify which structural feature of DNA that allows it to be easily replicated, and which structural feature of DNA varies from organism to organism.

Quiz 2:

6. Distinguish between prokaryotes and eukaryotes.

7. Distinguish between how prokaryotic cells divide (binary fission) vs eukaryotic cells (mitotic division).

8. Describe the reasons for and control of cell division.

9. Describe the major stages of the cell cycle (G1, S, G2, M), including the stages of mitosis (prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase) and cytokinesis.

10. Distinguish between homologous chromosomes and sister chromatids, and identify cell organelles involved in cell division.

Vocabulary

Quiz 1:

Adenine

Base Pair

Chargaff's Rule

Chromatin

Chromosome

Complementary

Cytosine

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)

Deoxyribose

DNA Polymerase

Double Helix

Franklin

Gene

Genome

Guanine

Helicase

Nucleic Acid

Nucleotide

Phosphate

Purine

Pyramidine

Replication

Semiconservative

Thymine

Watson and Crick

Quiz 2:

Anaphase

Asexual reproduction

Cancer

Cell cycle

Cell plate

Centriole or Centrosome

Centromere

Chromatin

Cleavage

Cyclin

Cytokinesis

Daughter cell

Equator (of a cell)

Eukaryote / Eukaryotic cell

Histone

Homologous chromosomes

G0

G1 (Gap 1)

G2 (Gap 2)

Interphase

Metaphase

Metaphase Plate / Mitotic Plate / Equator

Mitosis

Pole (of a cell)

Prokaryote / Prokaryotic cell

Prophase

S (Synthesis)

Sister chromatids

Spindle / Spindle fiber

Telophase

Textbook Reference

Quiz 1:

6.1: DNA is a polymer of nucleotides

6.2: During DNA replication, a cell duplicates its chromosomes

Quiz 2:

5.1: Cell division provides for reproduction, growth, and repair

5.2: Chromosomes are associations of DNA and protein

5.3: Cells have regular cycles of growth and division

5.4: During mitosis, the nucleus of the cell divides

5.5: During cytokinesis, the cell is split in two

6.11: Loss of gene expression control can result in cancer

6.12: Cancer is caused by out-of-control cell growth

Relevant Files

Sample MCAS Questions

Quiz 1:

1. Which of the following features of DNA is most important in determining the phenotype (traits) of an organism?

A. The direction of the helical twist

B. The number of deoxyribose sugars

C. The sequence of nitrogenous bases

D. The strength of the hydrogen bonds

2. In a eukaryotic cell, which of the following processes directly involves DNA?

A. translation

B. cellular respiration

C. active transport of ions

D. replication of chromosomes

3. Which of the following statements best describes a DNA molecule?

A. It is a double helix.

B. It contains the sugar ribose.

C. It is composed of amino acids.

D. It contains the nitrogenous base uracil.

4. In 1950, Erwin Chargaff and colleagues examined the chemical composition of DNA and demonstrated that the amount of adenine always equals that of thymine, and the amount of guanine always equals that of cytosine. This observation became known as Chargaff's rule.

a. Based on current knowledge of the structure of DNA, explain the basis of Chargaff's rule.

b. The diagram below represents a single-stranded segment of DNA. In your Student Answer Booklet, write the complementary DNA strand that would form from this strand during replication. Use the letters A, C, G, and T to designate the bases: A = adenine, C = cytosine, G = guanine, T = thymine.

A-T-G-C-T

c. Why is Chargaff's rule so important to DNA's ability to replicate itself accurately?

5. Which of the following describes DNA replication in eukaryotic cells?

A. A copy of the DNA is made in the nucleus.

B. A molecule of RNA is produced from the DNA.

C. Each strand of DNA is combined with a strand of RNA.

D. Each strand of DNA is separated into a new chromosome.

6. A portion of one strand of a DNA molecule has the sequence shown below.

ACCTGAAGG

Assuming there are no mutations in this portion of the DNA, what is the corresponding sequence on the complementary DNA strand?

A. ACCTGAAGG

B. GTTCAGGAA

C. TGGACTTCC

D. UGGACUUCC

7. Which of the following units are repeatedly joined together to form a strand of DNA?

A. amino acids

B. fatty acids

C. nucleotides

D. polysaccharides

8. In a molecule of double-stranded DNA, the amount of adenine present is always equal to the amount of

A. cytosine.

B. guanine.

C. thymine.

D. uracil.

Quiz 2:

9. The diagram below provides information about a carrot cell.

A carrot cell contains 18 chromosomes. Which of the following diagrams correctly illustrates the number of chromosomes in new cells produced in mitosis?  The diagrams shown are, in order, A, B, C, and D.

10. In the synthesis phase (S phase) of the cell cycle, a body cell copies its DNA. This DNA replication occurs in preparation for which of the following processes?

A. Cellular respiration

B. Facilitated diffusion

C. Mitosis

D. Translation

11. The illustration below represents a cell that is entering mitosis. The cell shown in the illustration has recently completed the synthesis phase (S phase) of the cell cycle and is in prophase of mitosis.

a. Identify one function of mitosis.

b. What happened in this cell during the S phase in preparation for division. Describe the evidence that supports your answer.

c. Draw the end products that will be formed when this cell completes mitosis.

12. Lung cancer cells do not respond to the signals that regulate the growth of normal lung cells. Which of the following processes is not appropriately regulated in the cancerous cells?

A. fertilization

B. meiosis

C. mitosis

D. transpiration

13. The diagram below shows the cell cycle.

Which of the following activities occurs in the G1 phase?

A. growth of the cell

B. replication of the DNA

C. formation of the mitotic spindle

D. breakdown of the nuclear membrane

14. Hydras are organisms that can reproduce by forming buds. The buds detach and form new organisms that are genetically identical to the parent organism. A parent hydra with one bud is shown in the diagram below.

Which process is directly responsible for the formation of the bud on the hydra?

A. Meiosis

B. Mitosis

C. Fertilization

D. Osmosis

15. Different types of cells in the human body go through mitosis at different rates. Which of the following best explains why skin cells would frequently go through mitosis?

A. Skin cells contain molecules of DNA.

B. Skin cells have large numbers of sensory nerve receptors.

C. Skin cells constantly need to produce antibodies to fight off infections.

D. Skin cells constantly need to be replaced or repaired.

ANSWERS

1. C

2. D

3. A

4. See sample answers here. Those that received a score of 4 were of the highest quality.

5. A

6. C

7. C

8. C

9. B (18 -> 18 and 18)

10. C

11. See sample work here.

12. C

13.A

14. B

15. D