Essay Test # 6- Genetics and Inheritance

Test on Monday, April 28

1.  Explain the difference between the following types of inheritance- autosomal dominant and autosomal recessive.

Your answer should include a disorder (with brief explanation) for each type of inheritance and include the specific

definition of each type of inheritance with a punnett square with a predicted phenotype ratio.

2. Two fruitflies are mated for several traits. In one cross a fruit fly with a gray body and red eyes (genotype GgRr) is mated with a

fly with having black body and purple eyes (genotype ggrr). When the mating is actually carried out most of the offspring resemble

the parents but 3% have gray body and purple eyes and 3% have black bodies and red eyes.  The same set of parent flies are mated

but different traits are observed. A graylong winged fly  (GgLl) is mated with back vestigial winged fly. Again the expected values due not

match the actual values. The most of the offspring resemble one parent or the other but there 12% recombinants. This mean there are

12% gray, vestigial and 12% black long winged.

               Explain what type of inheritance is shown the above cross. Why do the actual values differ from the expected mendelian ratios.

               2a. (extra credit) Tests prove conclusively that all three genes are on the same chromosome. Using the data above what

               would be the most likely arrangement of the genes on the chromosome.

3. Write out the genotype for the following individual. A list (or table) with the notation of each trait is fine but some explanation of the trait maybe

necessary for complete understanding.

            A normal woman with 2 hemphiliac brother and  6 affected sisters, a color blind father and a color blind maternal grandparents.

           She is also blood type A but her parent were both type AB. She also is afflicted with achrondroplasia through a spontaneous

           mutation during spermatogensis. She has colored eyes but her mother had blue eyes. Additionally she has very, very light light skin

          (not albinism) and an extra finger on her  right hand (polydactly).

AND...which of the above allows you to conclude that individual is adopted? Please explain your answer with a Punnett square AND text.

4.In fruit flies, the phenotype for eye color is determined by a gene at a particular locus.  R is the dominant allele for Red eyes and

e indicates the recessive allele for white eyes. The cross between a male red eyed fly and a female white eyed

fly produced the following offspring:

The red eyed and white eyed individuals from the F1 generation were then crossed to produce the following offspring:

Determine the genotypes of the original parents and explain you can suppory your answer using the data above.

You may use Punnett squares to enhance your description, but the significance of the Punnett Squares must discussed in your answer.

b. The brown-eyed female in the F1 generation resulted from a mutational change in a gene.Discuss what a gene is on structural level and how a change in a gene could result in a novel phenotype.

Essay Test #5- DNA Replication, Cell Cycle, Mitosis, and Meiosis

Test on Monday, March 3, 2008

 Possible Essay Questions

1. Imagine you are an oncologist and you need to design a chemotherapy cocktail that will help your patient fight cancer.

Choose only two of the following compounds for the treatment. You are required to write a detailed explanation of your choices,

including the mechanism of the drug effects and be able to discuss the side effects in detail with your patient.

Taxol     Busulfan   Etoposide  alpha-Amanitin

2. One homologous pair carries genes Q and R and H. Its homologue contains genes Q and r and h. Draw the pair of

chromosomes in a cell and take the pair through Meiosis I and Meiosis II.  Show how you can produce gametes with new

combinations of genes and explain what makes this possible.

3. Explain the relationship between the following terms: tetrad, homologous pair, sister chromatid, and allele.

4.Compare and contrast the processes of mitosis and meiosis. Include in your discussion how the process of DNA

replication is involved in each as well as brief discussion of how each are part of the cell cycle. Include a brief discussion

of cell types that are involved in each process.

Essay Test #4- Molecular Genetics & Gene Expression

Test on Friday, January 18, 2008

1. Creating concept maps is a very effective method to conceptually and visually organize the

relationship between multiple concepts and ideas.  Concepts maps connect individual ideas

with each other, highlighting its relationship and connections.  See the example below: 

Create a concept map using the following set of key concepts discussed in class. 

The descriptions should be limited to a SINGLE sentence connecting the two concepts. 

There can be multiple arrows pointing to each concept, but ALL listed concepts should be tied

together into a single map. Diagrams are not appropriate answers for this question. The terms

below are NOT listed in any particular order and can be arranged in any order for your answer.

Genome, DNA, nucleus, chromosome, mRNA, tRNA, rRNA, transcription, ribosome, promoter, codon, translation.

2. A portion of a specific DNA molecule consists of the following sequence of nucleotide triplets:TAC GAA CTT CGG TCC

What is the polypeptide that is coded for by this amino acid chain. Describe the steps in the synthesis of this polypeptide.

What would be the effect of a deletion or an addition in one of the DNA nucleotides?What would be the effect of a

substitution in one of the nucleotides?

3. You and your colleagues have recently identified a protein that when found in a mutated form may cause cancer.

You have been able to successfully determine the primary structure of the protein

(the * is the end of the protein corresponding with the stop codon)

  1 mmnvnavyae kcvtpdeavt litsgshlsm gmfaaeppal lnalakrakr geindlrvyc

 61 yetasiagnt ifryelsdyi hlysmvspmd kygyfnfgig ndystriart akklivevnk

121 ymprvhgega aihiseidai venhvpliel pirtavaedi aisqiiaslv pdgaclqmgv

181 galpelicna l*

After determining the protein’s primary structure, your colleagues suggested that they would be able to determine the

entire and continuous DNA sequence that encodes the protein.  You quickly point out that this would probably be

very difficult or even impossible for two different reasons.  What are they?

As you continue your research, you find a protein that functions very similarly in two other tissue samples. 

Interested to see if these proteins are similar in structure or not, you quickly determine their primary sequences as well:

You carefully analyze and compare the primary structures of the three proteins and notice obvious similarities

but you find that they are not identical. 

    1 mmnvnavyae kcvtpdeavt litsgshlsm gmfaafitgi eralirqgie ssgrkivnyv              

   61 psnfhqatrl laddigidtf ihtvspmdky gyfnfgignd ystriartak klivevnkym

  121 prvhgegaai hiseidaive nhvplielpi rtavaediai sqiiaslvpd gaclqmgvga

  181 lpelicnal*

     1 mmnvnavyae kcvtpdeavt litsgshlsm gmfaaeppal lnalakrakr geindlrvyc

    61 yetasiagnt ifryelsdyi hlysmfitgi eralirqgie ssgrkivnyv psnfhqatrl

   121 laddigidtf ihthiseida ivenhvplie lpirtavaed iaisqiiasl vpdgaclqmg

   181 vgalpelicn al*

You report your findings to your colleagues.  They immediately suggest that the three proteins must be encoded

by three separate genes that belong to a single gene family (a closely related set of genes with similar structure

and function).  They suggest that some mechanism regulates these genes so that just one is expressed in the

different types of tissues you analyzed. 

You quickly provide another explanation based on your understanding of gene regulation in eukaryotic organisms. 

What is this alternate explanation?  Describe the possible relationship between these three proteins by highlighting

their similarities leading to your conclusion.  Draw a simple schematic of the gene(s) encoding these proteins

to support your answer.

4. Given the following results from your transformation plates:

Plate 1 (LB only/+ plasmid)- lawn growth

Plate 2 (LB only/- plasmid- lawn growth

Plate 3 (LB/AMP/+ plasmid)- no growth

Plate 4 (LB/Amp/-plasmid)-no growth

Plate 5 (LB/AMP/ARA/+ plasmid)- colony growth

Plate 6 (LB/Amp/ARA/- plasmid- no growth

Draw a plasmid that would work given the above results. Label the regions of your plasmid carefully and include

text to explain what different areas on your plasmid represent.

Essay Test #3- Cellular Energetics

Test- Monday, December 10- Choose two out of three for inclass essay.

1. Membranes are important structural features of cells and vital for the process of cellular respiration and

photosynthesis. The proteins embedded in membrane as well as the properties of selectively permeable

are of considerable importance to the processes of cellular energetics. Thoroughly describe the role of

membranes in the synthesis of ATP in either cellular respiration or photosynthesis.

2. The results below are measurements of cumulative oxygen consumption by germinating peas in different temperatures.

Time (minutes)                                   0      10       20       30       40

22o C Germinating Seeds                  0.0     8.8     16.0     23.7    32.0

10o C Germinating Seeds                  0.0     2.9     6.2       9.4      12.5

a. Plot the results for the germinating seeds at 22o C and 10o C. Construct your graph carefully.

b. Calculate the rate of oxygen consumption for the germinating seeds at 22o C, using the time interval

between 10 and 20 minutes.

c. Explain the difference in oxgen consumption between the peas in different environment 1) germinating

seeds at 22o C and at 10o C.

3. Trace the path of a carbon dioxide molecule from the point at which it enters a plant to its incorporation

into a glucose molecule. Include leaf anatomy and biochemical pathways in your discussion of each type of plant.

Essay test #2- Cell Structure and Dynamics

1. Describe the fluid-mosaic model of a plasma membrane. Discuss the role of the membrane in the

movement of materials through by each of the following processes. a. Active Transport b. Passive Transport

2. A laboratory assistant prepared solutions of 0.8 M, 0.6 M, 0.4 M, and 0.2 M sucrose, but forgot to label them.

After realizing the error, the assistant randomly labeled the flasks containing these four unknown solutions

as flask A, flask B, flask C, and flask D.

Design an experiment that the assistant could use to determine which of the flasks contains each of the four

unknown solutions. Include in your answer (a) a description of how you would set up and perform the experiment;

(b) the results you would expect from your experiment; and (c) an explanation of those results based on the

principles involved.

3. Plant and animal cells are very similar; however, there are several key differences. Yet these cells are

very different from prokaryotic (archea and eubacteria- or regular bacteria) cells. Explain how all cells are

basically structurally related and how they are related to each other through evolution. Contrast the prokaryote

cell model to the eukaryotic cell model and finally discuss the divergence of plant and animal cells structure

and function.

4. Penicillin is a well known antibiotic that is widely used to treat many bacterial infections. This chemical is

essentially a poison to the bacterial cell. Research the mode of action of the antibiotic penicillin and explain

how the chemical can stop bacteria yet cause no harm to you.

Essay Test #1- Biochemistry

1. You have overheard your parents discussing your Dad's high cholesterol. His doctor has recommended that he go on the drug Lipitor to help

manage the cholesterol. You walked in to the kitchen as your you hear your father say "I don't understand what it means when the doctor says I have have I high cholesterol.

I eat right and excersise. I wish someone would explain to me what it really means when I have high cholesterol and explain exactly how Lipitor works to control it.

You chime in that you can!

Explain what cholesterol is, its role in the body, and what are the possible causes of high cholesterol. (life style and dietary). What are the health concerns for someone with "high cholesterol'?

Research Lipitor and try to discover is mechanism of action.