biology MCQs

1

What is the term for a DNA molecule that contains DNA from two different sources?

A

Cloned DNA

B

Recombinant DNA

C

Parental DNA

D

Bacterial DNA

2

Which of the following is required to act as a 'molecular scissor' to cut a gene of interest?

A

DNA Ligase

B

DNA Polymerase

C

Restriction Endonuclease

D

Reverse Transcriptase

3

A common method of getting a gene is to synthesize it from messenger RNA using which enzyme?

A

DNA Polymerase

B

Helicase

C

RNA Polymerase

D

Reverse Transcriptase

4

What are the single-stranded complementary ends of DNA molecules created by restriction enzymes called?

A

Blunt ends

B

Sharp ends

C

Sticky ends

D

Coded ends

5

Who first isolated a restriction enzyme in 1970?

A

Kary B. Mullis

B

Hamilton O. Smith

C

F.C. Steward

D

James Watson

6

Restriction enzymes cut DNA at specific sites known as what type of sequences?

A

Random sequences

B

Tandem repeats

C

Promoter sequences

D

Palindromic sequences

7

What is a common type of vector used in recombinant DNA technology, discovered in E. coli?

A

Virus

B

Plasmid

C

Chromosome

D

Prion

8

The enzyme used to seal the foreign DNA into the vector is called?

A

DNA ligase

B

Helicase

C

Restriction enzyme

D

Primase

9

Bacterial cells can be made more permeable to take up recombinant plasmids by treating them with what?

A

Sodium chloride

B

Calcium chloride

C

Potassium iodide

D

Sucrose solution

10

What is a collection of bacterial or bacteriophage clones containing all the genes of an organism called?

A

Gene bank

B

DNA file

C

Genomic library

D

Genetic archive

11

A single-stranded nucleotide sequence that is radioactive or fluorescent and used to find a specific gene is called a?

A

Marker

B

Primer

C

Tracer

D

Probe

12

The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was developed by whom in 1983?

A

Hamilton O. Smith

B

Gottlieb Haberlandt

C

Kary B. Mullis

D

Theodore M. Klein

13

What thermostable enzyme, extracted from a bacterium living in hot springs, is used in PCR?

A

EcoRI

B

DNA ligase

C

Taq polymerase

D

Reverse transcriptase

14

The bacterium Thermus aquaticus, the source of Taq polymerase, lives in what environment?

A

Arctic ice

B

Deep sea vents

C

Hot springs

D

Dry deserts

15

What process separates DNA fragments based on their size using an electric field?

A

Centrifugation

B

Chromatography

C

Gel electrophoresis

D

Distillation

16

What does RFLP stand for in the context of DNA analysis?

A

Random Fragment Length Polymorphism

B

Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism

C

Repetitive Fragment Linkage Polymorphism

D

Real-time Fragment Ligation Polymorphism

17

Which of these is a major application of DNA fingerprinting?

A

Producing vaccines

B

Diagnosing viral infections

C

Creating antibiotics

D

Blood typing

18

One of the primary goals of the Human Genome Project was to construct a __________ of the human genome.

A

physical model

B

protein map

C

genetic map

D

metabolic map

19

Organisms that have a foreign gene inserted into them are called?

A

Mutants

B

Hybrids

C

Transgenic organisms

D

Clones

20

Large vats used to reproduce transgenic bacteria to obtain a protein product are called?

A

Fermenters

B

Bioreactors

C

Incubators

D

Sterilizers

21

Frost-minus bacteria were created to protect plants from what?

A

Insect damage

B

Fungal infections

C

Ice crystal formation

D

Drought

22

The ability of bacteria to extract metals from low-grade sources, which can be enhanced by genetic engineering, is called?

A

Bioleaching

B

Bioremediation

C

Biofiltration

D

Bio-extraction

23

Plant cells that have had their cell wall removed are called?

A

Protoplasts

B

Callus

C

Embryos

D

Meristems

24

The weed 'mouse-eared cress' has been engineered to produce what biodegradable substance?

A

Nylon

B

Polyhydroxy-butyrate

C

Cellulose

D

Lignin

25

The use of transgenic farm animals to produce pharmaceuticals is known as?

A

Gene therapy

B

Animal husbandry

C

Gene pharming

D

Molecular farming

26

Antithrombin III, used for preventing blood clots, is being produced by a herd of transgenic what?

A

Cows

B

Sheep

C

Goats

D

Pigs

27

The first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell, a sheep, was named?

A

Molly

B

Polly

C

Dolly

D

Holly

28

In what year did scientists at the Roslin Institute announce the successful cloning of a sheep?

A

1983

B

1997

C

2001

D

2005

29

What is the insertion of genetic material into human cells for the treatment of a disorder called?

A

Vaccination

B

Chemotherapy

C

Gene therapy

D

Immunotherapy

30

Ex-vivo gene therapy for SCID involves correcting the gene for which enzyme?

A

Catalase

B

Amylase

C

Adenosine deaminase (ADA)

D

Lipase

31

In an in-vivo therapy attempt for cystic fibrosis, the corrective gene is delivered using what microscopic vesicles?

A

Micelles

B

Liposomes

C

Endosomes

D

Peroxisomes

32

The concept that each plant cell has the full genetic potential of the organism is called?

A

Plasticity

B

Pluripotency

C

Totipotency

D

Differentiation

33

In 1958, F.C. Steward grew a complete carrot plant from a tiny piece of what tissue?

A

Xylem

B

Phloem

C

Epidermis

D

Meristem

34

What is the name for an undifferentiated group of cells that forms in tissue culture?

A

Callus

B

Embryo

C

Protoplast

D

Organoid

35

The commercial method of producing thousands of identical seedlings in a limited space is called?

A

Micropropagation

B

Grafting

C

Layering

D

Cuttings

36

What is the advantage of using meristem culture for plant propagation?

A

It produces larger fruits

B

The plants are virus-free

C

It is the fastest method

D

The plants are drought-resistant

37

A technique where mature anthers are cultured to produce haploid plants is called?

A

Anther culture

B

Pollen culture

C

Stamen culture

D

Ovule culture

38

The bacterium often used as a vector to introduce foreign DNA into plant cells is?

A

Escherichia coli

B

Thermus aquaticus

C

Bacillus thuringiensis

D

Agrobacterium

39

The device that bombards a plant callus with DNA-coated microscopic metal particles is called a?

A

Gene gun

B

Particle accelerator

C

Particle gun

D

Microneedle

40

Salt-tolerant Arabidopsis was created by cloning a gene for a channel protein that transports Na+ into the?

A

Cell wall

B

Cytoplasm

C

Mitochondria

D

Vacuole

41

To improve productivity in rice, Japanese scientists are attempting to introduce which photosynthetic cycle?

A

C2 cycle

B

C3 cycle

C

C4 cycle

D

CAM cycle

42

In recombinant DNA technology, what does a vector do?

A

Cuts the DNA

B

Carries the gene of interest

C

Synthesizes the gene

D

Expresses the protein

43

What is the main purpose of PCR?

A

To sequence DNA

B

To amplify DNA

C

To cut DNA

D

To ligate DNA

44

Gene therapy for familial hypercholesterolemia targets cells in which organ?

A

Heart

B

Kidney

C

Liver

D

Lungs

45

What substance in coconut milk was discovered to be a plant hormone (cytokinin) essential for tissue culture?

A

Auxin

B

Gibberellin

C

Cytokinin

D

Abscisic acid

46

Which of the following has been engineered into corn and cotton to make them pest-resistant?

A

A viral gene

B

An insect toxin gene

C

An antifungal gene

D

A herbicide gene

47

Which of these is a goal for genetically engineering transgenic animals?

A

Produce larger animals

B

Produce new species

C

Create exotic pets

D

Decrease genetic diversity

48

What is the first step in DNA fingerprinting?

A

Running a gel

B

Using a probe

C

Treating DNA with restriction enzymes

D

Amplifying with PCR

49

In Sanger's method of DNA sequencing, what is used to terminate DNA synthesis at different sites?

A

Regular nucleotides

B

Dideoxyribonucleoside triphosphates

C

Primers

D

DNA polymerase

50

In what year was the entire human genome sequence published?

A

1990

B

1999

C