Chapter 15 – Genes and How They Work
• Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the
process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a
more desirable result?
68. The mutation responsible for Huntington’s disease is a
69. How would a large chromosomal inversion affect the expression of a gene if the gene is
located between the two break points but no breaks occur within the gene?
Chapter 15 – Genes and How They Work
70. How does DNA polymerase differ from RNA polymerase?
71. A scientist makes three artificial mRNA strands:
(x) 5′ AAAUUUAAAUUUAAAUUUAAAUUUAAA 3′
(y) 5′ UUUCCCUUUCCCUUUCCCUUUCCCUUU 3′
(z) 5′ AUAUAUAUAUAUAUAUAUAUAUAUAU 3′
When he analyzes the polypeptides produced, he finds that:
x produces a polypeptide that is 50% phenylalanine and 50%lysine.
y produces a polypeptide that is 50% phenylalanine and 50% proline.
z produces a polypeptide that is 50% isoleucine and 50% tyrosine.
Based on these results only, the best conclusion to make is that
Chapter 15 – Genes and How They Work
Clarify Question
• What is the key concept addressed by the question?
• What type of thinking is required?
• What key words does the question contain and what do they mean?
Gather Content
• What do you already know about the genetic code?
Consider Possibilities
• Consider the different answer options. Which can you rule out?
Choose Answer
• Given what you now know, what information and/or problem solving approach is most
likely to produce the correct answer?
Reflect on Process
• Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the
Chapter 15 – Genes and How They Work
process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a
more desirable result?
72. A bacterial cell has a nonsense mutation that prevents it from producing a
functional sigma subunit for RNA polymerase. Inability to synthesize a functional sigma
subunit would have the most direct effect on
Chapter 15 – Genes and How They Work
Clarify Question
• What is the key concept addressed by the question?
• What type of thinking is required?
• What key words does the question contain and what do they mean?
Gather Content
• What do you already know about RNA polymerase?
Consider Possibilities
• Consider the different answer options. Which can you rule out?
Choose Answer
• Given what you now know, what information and/or problem solving approach is most
Reflect on Process
• Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the
process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a
more desirable result?
Chapter 15 – Genes and How They Work
73. What is the best way to describe our current understanding of the one-gene/one-
polypeptide hypothesis?
74. You are attempting to synthesize rRNA in a test tube using DNA isolated from mouse
cells. In addition to the template DNA, ribonucleotides, and the necessary transcription
factors, you should also add _________ to the test tube.
Chapter 15 – Genes and How They Work
Clarify Question
• What is the key concept addressed by the question?
• What type of thinking is required?
• What key words does the question contain and what do they mean?
Gather Content
• What do you already know about RNA polymerases?
Consider Possibilities
• Consider the different answer options. Which can you rule out?
Choose Answer
Chapter 15 – Genes and How They Work
• Given what you now know, what information and/or problem solving approach is most
likely to produce the correct answer?
Reflect on Process
• Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the
process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a
more desirable result?
75. You are studying an individual with very low levels of insulin in her blood. Further
analysis indicates that cells of her pancreas are producing normal levels of this protein, but it
is accumulating in the cytoplasm rather than being secreted from the cells. Which hypothesis
makes the most sense to explain this observation?
Chapter 15 – Genes and How They Work
Clarify Question
• What is the key concept addressed by the question?
• What type of thinking is required?
• What key words does the question contain and what do they mean?
Gather Content
• What do you already know about transcription and translation?
Consider Possibilities
• Consider the different answer options. Which can you rule out?
Choose Answer
• Given what you now know, what information and/or problem solving approach is most
likely to produce the correct answer?
Chapter 15 – Genes and How They Work
Reflect on Process
• Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the
process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a
more desirable result?
76. A gene that codes for a protein was removed from a eukaryotic cell and inserted into a
prokaryotic cell. Although the gene was successfully transcribed and translated, it produced a
different protein than it produced in the eukaryotic cell. What is the most likely explanation?
Chapter 15 – Genes and How They Work
Clarify Question
• What is the key concept addressed by the question?
• What type of thinking is required?
• What key words does the question contain and what do they mean?
Gather Content
• What do you already know about transcription and translation?
Consider Possibilities
• Consider the different answer options. Which can you rule out?
Chapter 15 – Genes and How They Work
Choose Answer
• Given what you now know, what information and/or problem solving approach is most
likely to produce the correct answer?
Reflect on Process
• Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the
process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a
more desirable result?
Numeric Response Questions
77. If the genetic code were read in groups of two bases, how many different codons would
be possible? (Enter your answer as a numeral not a word, e.g. enter 5 not “five”.)
Chapter 15 – Genes and How They Work
Clarify Question
• What is the key concept addressed by the question?
• What type of thinking is required?
• What key words does the question contain and what do they mean?
Gather Content
• What do you already know about the genetic code?
Consider Possibilities
• What other information is related to the question? Which information is most useful?
Choose Answer
• Given what you now know, what information and/or problem solving approach is most
likely to produce the correct answer?
Reflect on Process
• Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the
process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a
more desirable result?
Chapter 15 – Genes and How They Work
78. You are excited because your lab is studying the first microorganisms retrieved from
Mars! Interestingly, their genetic material consists of a single-stranded nucleic acid with six
different nitrogenous bases. Like organisms from Earth, segments of the nucleic acid contain
the code for making proteins. If the genetic code in these organisms was read in groups of 2
bases instead of 3, what is the maximum number of amino acids that could be coded for
assuming that only one codon functioned as a stop codon? (Enter your answer as a numeral
not a word, e.g. enter 17 not seventeen.)
Chapter 15 – Genes and How They Work
Clarify Question
• What is the key concept addressed by the question?
• What key words does the question contain and what do they mean?
Gather Content
• What do you already know about the genetic code?
Consider Possibilities
• What other information is related to the question? Which information is most useful?
Choose Answer
Chapter 15 – Genes and How They Work
• Given what you now know, what information and/or problem solving approach is most
likely to produce the correct answer?
Reflect on Process
• Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the
process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a
more desirable result?
79. Analysis of a bacterial gene indicates that 24% of the nucleotides in the coding strand
contain the base A, 18% contain the base T, 26% contain the base G, and 32% contain the
base C. What percent of the nucleotides in the mRNA transcribed from this gene will contain
the base U? (Enter your answer as a number only without the percent sign, e.g. enter 5
not5%.)
Chapter 15 – Genes and How They Work
Clarify Question
• What is the key concept addressed by the question?
• What type of thinking is required?
• What key words does the question contain and what do they mean?
Gather Content
Consider Possibilities
• What other information is related to the question? Which information is most useful?
Choose Answer
• Given what you now know, what information and/or problem solving approach is most
likely to produce the correct answer?
Reflect on Process
• Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the
process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a
more desirable result?