DNA and Biotechnology Practice Test

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• What is the purpose of making cells competent?
• In many bacterial expression vectors, what is the role of the T7 promoter and lac operator?
• Which statement describes the process of creating a transgenic organism?
• Which term describes a form of technology that uses living organisms, usually genes, to modify products, or to develop other microorganisms?
• Which of the following is NOT a typical consideration when designing PCR primers?
• Okazaki fragments are best described as:
• How is transcription initiated in eukaryotes, and what are the roles of promoters, transcription factors, and enhancers?
• What is the role of primase in DNA replication?
• Which statement best describes how lactose and glucose regulate the lac operon in E. coli, including the roles of the lac repressor and CAP-CAMP?
• Where does translation occur and what is the genetic code?
• Which phase of the cell cycle involves DNA synthesis?
• How is genetic engineering used in agriculture?
• What term describes regions where replication begins by loading helicase?
• Why does replication occur?
• What is a reporter gene and why is GFP frequently used?
• Which statement about the function of bioinformatics in DNA biotechnology is most accurate?
• What is a gene?
• In CRISPR guide RNA design, why is GC content considered?
• Which statement about DNA methylation and histone acetylation is accurate?
• What strategies exist to minimize CRISPR off-target editing?
• Name a common diagnostic application of PCR.
• Which enzyme removes RNA primers and replaces them with DNA during replication?
• Which scientist used X-ray crystallography to determine the helical shape of DNA?
• What is the procedure used to separate and analyze DNA fragments by applying an electric field to a gel?
• What is the function of the 5' cap and 3' poly-A tail in mRNA processing?
• One environmental benefit commonly associated with GMO crops is:
• What is a plasmid and why is it used in cloning?
• What does the chain of custody refer to in forensic DNA analysis?
• What promoter elements define bacterial transcription initiation and which sigma factor recognizes them?
• Which statement best describes the role of DNA in a cell?
• What sugar is in the backbone of DNA?
• Which statement best represents the Central Dogma?
• How does Agrobacterium-mediated transformation introduce foreign DNA into plant genomes?
• Which statement describes a transgenic organism specifically engineered to produce human insulin?
• Where does translation occur?
• What are the main features of translation initiation and the roles of the ribosome A, P, and E sites?
• DNA polymerase synthesizes new DNA in which direction relative to the template strand?
• Which condition leads to inactivation of the lac repressor and transcription of lac operon genes?
• Which technology can profile gene expression across thousands of genes at once?
• What are point mutations and insertions/deletions (indels)?
• What makes up the backbone (sides) of a DNA molecule?
• What are major ethical considerations in biotechnology and how are GMO regulations usually structured?
• Which components make up the backbone of DNA?
• Which statement correctly describes the function of telomerase?
• What is the shape of DNA?
• Plasmid copy number mainly affects which aspect in bacterial expression systems?
• Recombinant DNA is DNA produced by which process?
• Describe the anti-parallel orientation of double-stranded DNA and the significance of 5' to 3' directionality for synthesis.
• Which RNA processing step removes introns from pre-mRNA in eukaryotic cells?
• Cross-species pollination could spread herbicide resistance genes, creating:
• How is DNA technology used in forensics?
• What features must a cloning vector have to enable gene cloning and propagation in bacteria?
• In the lac operon, which statement accurately captures the roles of LacI and CAP in transcription regulation?
• Which statement correctly describes the direction of DNA synthesis by DNA polymerase?
• How is replication fidelity maintained and what repair systems correct errors after replication?
• Explain the difference between the leading and lagging strands during DNA replication and the role of Okazaki fragments.
• RNA interference operates by which mechanism?
• What are the key steps in producing recombinant human insulin in bacteria?
• Which group modeled and published the structure of DNA?
• Which enzyme relieves strain in the double helix by preventing supercoiling ahead of the replication fork?
• Name a common PCR inhibitor and a general mitigation strategy.
• What is the laboratory technique called that amplifies DNA in vitro by incubating with primers, DNA polymerase, and nucleotides?
• Which statement best contrasts Sanger sequencing with next-generation sequencing?
• How does CRISPR-Cas9 generate targeted genome edits?
• What is a major advantage of immobilized enzymes in industrial biocatalysis?
• Which feature enables a plasmid to be replicated and propagated in bacterial cells?
• Restriction enzymes cut DNA at specific sequences called what?
• What key processing steps convert a primary transcript into mature eukaryotic mRNA?
• How does CRISPR-Cas9 achieve targeted genome editing and what is the role of the PAM sequence?
• What is the function of origins of replication?
• If a DNA molecule contains 20% thymine, what percentage of guanine would it contain?
• What is a major ethical concern with genome editing in humans?
• What is the term for the pairing of complementary bases in DNA?
• Which base pairs with Thymine?
• What is a nucleotide?
• Which statement best defines a GMO?
• During PCR, what is the typical temperature used for the extension step with a DNA polymerase?
• Which enzyme relieves torsional strain ahead of the replication fork?
• If the PAM sequence is mutated, what is the likely effect on Cas9-mediated cutting?
• When you have too little DNA and need more for research or forensic investigations, PCR is useful. Which option best describes this use?
• If a DNA molecule contains 20% thymine, how much adenine would it contain?
• Which statement correctly defines complementary strands?
• Differentiate a gene knockout from a knock-in allele and give a use case for each.
• What is the basic unit of DNA, and what are the four nucleotides and their complementary base pairs?
• Which statement best describes common strategies for delivering therapeutic genes and their safety concerns?
• What does DNA ligase do in cloning?
• State the central dogma of molecular biology.
• What type of bonds hold the nitrogenous bases together across the two DNA strands?
• Which description correctly defines the leading strand during DNA replication?
• Why are Okazaki fragments necessary?
• What is the general workflow of RT-PCR when detecting RNA viruses?
• How does the absence of lactose affect lac operon expression?
• What base pairing pattern is observed in the DNA double helix?
• If thymine is 30%, what percent adenine would the DNA contain?
• In genetic engineering, a vector is:
• How does magnesium ion concentration affect PCR specificity and yield?
• After CRISPR-Cas9 creates a double-strand break, what is a likely outcome during cellular repair?
• Which enzyme is required to transcribe from a T7 promoter in common bacterial expression strains?
• Okazaki fragments are small fragments of DNA produced on which strand during DNA replication, and are later joined by ligase to form a continuous strand?
• Which statement best describes a key advantage of next-generation sequencing over Sanger sequencing?
• What is the name of the rule that states A pairs with T and C pairs with G?
• What are the typical primer length and the main steps of a PCR cycle?
• What best describes base pairing in DNA?
• What feature of expression vectors allows turning on protein production only when an inducer is present?
• Which statement best describes how STR data are used to identify individuals?
• What are common CRISPR delivery methods, and what are the trade-offs of plasmid-based vs ribonucleoprotein (RNP) delivery?
• DNA stands for what phrase?
• Which technique is used to produce many copies of a DNA fragment quickly?
• What does a DNA microarray measure?
• Which product is produced by the transgenic goats?
• Distinguish leading and lagging strand synthesis.
• What is a plasmid?
• How can a frameshift mutation affect protein coding?
• Name one mechanism of gene regulation in eukaryotes.
• Which type of DNA lesion is primarily repaired by nucleotide excision repair?
• Which components make up a DNA nucleotide?
• Gel electrophoresis separates DNA fragments primarily by what property?
• What is the primary difference between a cloning vector and an expression vector?
• What are the common regulatory steps GMOs undergo?
• What are key ethical considerations in editing human embryos and what regulatory concerns exist?
• Which enzyme seals the gaps between Okazaki fragments?
• In semiconservative replication, what is the relationship between the two strands in each daughter DNA molecule?
• GM crops can reduce use of broad-spectrum chemical herbicides. Which option best states this?
• Which enzyme connects two fragments of DNA to make a single fragment?
• In forensic DNA analysis, the DNA from the crime scene is compared to which to determine a match?
• In a eukaryotic cell, where is DNA located?
• An immobilized enzyme is characterized by which statement?
• In semi-conservative replication, what is the composition of each daughter DNA molecule?
• Which component of an expression vector is used to select for cells that have taken up the plasmid?
• According to Chargaff's Rule, which base pairing is correct?
• Which statement about primer melting temperature (Tm) is true in PCR primer design?
• How does DNA polymerase ensure fidelity during replication?
• Which description correctly defines the lagging strand during DNA replication?
• What is the chemical backbone of DNA and which bases pair with which?
• Name two classes of compounds that inhibit DNA replication or transcription, and give an example of each.
• AZT is an example of which class of compounds used to terminate DNA synthesis?
• What is the role of gel electrophoresis in genetic analysis?
• What does DNA contain?
• What are off-target effects in genome editing and why are they a concern?
• A major benefit of transgenic organisms is the ability to harvest medicines from bacteria; such as insulin production. Which option best describes this benefit?
• Which base pairing is correct in DNA?
• Which proteins keep the DNA strands separated so they do not bind back together?
• Where does transcription occur in eukaryotic cells?
• PCR is used to?
• In cloning workflows, transformation applies to bacteria, whereas transfection applies to which cells?
• What is the purpose of resuspending DNA at the end of a DNA extraction protocol?
• Which RNA processing steps occur in eukaryotes after transcription?
• How does Sanger sequencing determine DNA sequence, and what is the role of ddNTPs?
• In metagenomic genome assembly from environmental samples, what is a major challenge?
• Bt corn contains genes from which organism that produces insecticidal proteins?
• What does the origin of replication in a plasmid enable?
• State the central dogma of molecular biology and name a common exception.
• Name an application of biotechnology in medicine.
• If a DNA molecule contains 20% thymine, what percent would cytosine contain?
• What are key considerations when designing PCR primers?
• Which statement about high-copy versus low-copy plasmids is true?
• Which of the following is a medical use of transgenic organisms?
• Why is the genetic code described as degenerate, and what does the wobble hypothesis propose?
• What proteins coordinate mismatch repair in bacteria and what is the outcome of this repair?
• In forensic DNA profiling, what is capillary electrophoresis used for?
• How can biotechnology accelerate vaccine development?
• Which temperature is used for denaturation in PCR?
• What are sticky ends and blunt ends, and why are sticky ends often preferred for cloning?
• What genetic markers are commonly used in forensic DNA fingerprinting and how are they analyzed?
• Which base pairs with Guanine?
• Name the main enzymes involved in bacterial DNA replication and briefly state their roles.
• GM crops might have unforeseen effects on:
• How does DNA packaging into chromatin regulate access for transcription?
• Name the lac operon concept and how it regulates gene expression in E. coli.
• Which molecule contains the genetic code that determines the sequence of amino acids in proteins?
• Which term describes the technology that includes the process of manipulating genetic material to achieve desirable functions not occurring naturally?
• Which base pairs with Cytosine?
• Distinguish transformation and transfection.
• Which sequence describes the flow of genetic information?
• Which statement correctly summarizes Chargaff's rule?
• Which statement best describes how chromatin remodeling influences transcription?
• What is a transgenic organism?
• Okazaki fragments are produced on the lagging strand during DNA replication. Which statement is true?
• In retroviruses, which statement describes how RNA is converted to DNA and what happens after integration?
• Which sequence of steps correctly describes a standard DNA extraction protocol from cultured cells?
• What is the role of bioinformatics in DNA biotechnology?
• Name and briefly describe two major base damage repair pathways.
• In RT-PCR, what is the role of reverse transcriptase?
• What is the role of DNA primase in replication?
• What does semi-conservative replication mean?
• Which statement best describes how RNA interference regulates gene expression?
• PCR can be used to identify SARS-CoV-2 by detecting its genetic material.
• Base pairing across the two DNA strands forms what?
• Which statement best describes semiconservative replication?
• A potential health risk of GM crops is:
• Which statement best differentiates biotechnology from genetic engineering?
• What is the purpose of a BLAST search and what outputs would you evaluate?
• What is the goal of gene therapy?
• What is the purpose of T4 DNA ligase in cloning, and what is meant by making cells competent for transformation?
• What is the purpose of gel electrophoresis?
• Enzyme that cuts DNA at a specific sequence of nucleotides is called?
• What type of bond holds the nitrogenous bases together within the DNA double helix?
• Outline the typical workflow for generating DNA evidence from a crime scene, including sample handling and analysis.
• Which term describes DNA produced by combining DNA from different sources?
• What is DNA methylation and how does it influence gene expression?
• What is the typical outcome of Agrobacterium-mediated transformation in plants?
• Sanger sequencing utilizes chain-terminating dideoxynucleotides. Which statement correctly describes its limitation?
• Which four bases are found in DNA?
• Name one DNA repair pathway and its purpose.
• Which feature does an expression vector have that makes it suitable for protein production?
• Which epigenetic modification is commonly associated with gene activation in eukaryotes?
• Nitrogenous bases in DNA are responsible for what?
• What are the key principles of next-generation sequencing and how does it differ from Sanger sequencing?
• If you run a PCR product on a 1% agarose gel with a ladder and observe a single clear band at 900 bp, what does this indicate?
• Which statement best describes the principle behind gel electrophoresis?
• In gel electrophoresis, what is the purpose of a DNA ladder?
• What enzyme unzips DNA by breaking hydrogen bonds between the two strands?
• Genomic imprinting affects gene expression in a development context. Which statement best describes imprinting?
• What is the Ct value in quantitative PCR and how does it relate to starting template amount?
• Which enzyme joins individual nucleotides to replicate a DNA molecule and proofreads?
• What is the Kozak sequence and why is it important?
• How does plasmid origin influence copy number and why does that matter for protein expression?
• What is the role of restriction endonucleases in cloning?
• Which statement best defines bioremediation?
• Which enzyme seals nicks between Okazaki fragments on the lagging strand?
• DNA replication is defined as?
• What is the role of tRNA in translation?
• Which base pairs with Adenine?
• Which enzyme synthesizes a new DNA strand by adding nucleotides to the template during replication?
• What is the replication fork?
• Which enzyme unwinds the DNA double helix during replication and what energy source does it use?
• After cloning, colony PCR is used for which purpose?
• Golden rice is engineered to address deficiency of which nutrient?
• How does agarose concentration influence the separation of DNA fragments in gel electrophoresis?
• GM crops may lead to higher food yields and better nutrition.
• Which type of genetic markers are commonly used in human DNA profiling for forensics?
• Which DNA fragment bands moved faster and farther in a gel electrophoresis?
• Name one ethical consideration in biotechnology research.
• Which option correctly describes reverse transcriptase activity in RT-PCR workflows?
• Which statement best describes the central dogma with exceptions?
• Golden rice is engineered to produce and store which nutrient in the grain?
• What problem do telomeres solve and which enzyme extends them?
• What is metagenomics and what challenges are associated with assembling genomes from environmental samples?
• Which factor influences guide RNA design for CRISPR-Cas9?