Genetics Assessment

Thank you for taking the time to answer and rate these assessment questions. Above each question, we have listed a course learning goal, so you can get a better idea of where we feel each question fits into a genetics course curriculum. After you answer each assessment question, please rate its quality by answering 3 follow up questions.

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    Learning goal: Students should be able to analyze phenotypic data and deduce possible modes of inheritance (e.g., dominant, recessive, autosomal, X-linked, cytoplasmic) from family histories.
  1. An inherited disease that primarily affects women and not men is likely to be caused by:
    not answered
    a) a mutation in a gene on the X chromosome
    b) a mutation in a gene on a non-sex chromosome (autosome)
    c) Without additional information, either answer (a) or (b) is possible
    1. How well does this question test student achievement of the learning goal?
      not answered
      a) Well
      b) Could be improved
      c) Not well
    2. Is the information given in this question scientifically accurate?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Not completely
      c) No
    3. Is this question written clearly and precisely?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Could be improved
      c) No
    4. Please make any additional comments or suggestions about this question here:


    Learning goal: Students should be able to compare different types of mutations and describe how each can affect genes, mRNAs, and proteins.
  2. A single DNA nucleotide change of an A to a T occurs and is copied during replication. Is this change necessarily a mutation?
    not answered
    a) Yes, it is a change in the DNA sequence.
    b) Yes, if the nucleotide change occurs in a gamete (sperm or egg cell); otherwise no.
    c) Yes, if the nucleotide change occurs in the coding part of a gene; otherwise no.
    d) Yes, if the nucleotide change occurs in the coding part of a gene and alters the amino acid sequence of a protein; otherwise no.
    e) No, A and T are so similar that they can substitute for each other.
    1. How well does this question test student achievement of the learning goal?
      not answered
      a) Well
      b) Could be improved
      c) Not well
    2. Is the information given in this question scientifically accurate?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Not completely
      c) No
    3. Is this question written clearly and precisely?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Could be improved
      c) No
    4. Please make any additional comments or suggestions about this question here:


    Learning goal: Students should be able to describe the processes that can influence the frequency of alleles in a population.
  3. An isolated population of prairie dogs has longer than average teeth. As a result they can eat more grass with less effort and are better able to survive. The mutation that resulted in the prairie dogs developing longer teeth:
    not answered
    a) allowed the teeth to grow longer in each generation until they reached optimal length for eating grass.
    b) arose in many members of the population at the same time.
    c) happened by chance.
    d) occurred to help the prairie dogs eat grass.
    1. How well does this question test student achievement of the learning goal?
      not answered
      a) Well
      b) Could be improved
      c) Not well
    2. Is the information given in this question scientifically accurate?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Not completely
      c) No
    3. Is this question written clearly and precisely?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Could be improved
      c) No
    4. Please make any additional comments or suggestions about this question here:


    Learning goal: Students should be able to extract information about genes, alleles, and gene functions from genetic crosses and human pedigree analysis.
  4. In a population of genetically identical mice, you isolate two independent mutant lines in which all of the animals have epileptic seizures. In both lines, you know that the epileptic seizures are due to a single DNA nucleotide mutation. You cross a mutant mouse from one line to a mutant mouse from the second line and find out that none of the offspring undergo spontaneous seizures. From this experiment you would conclude that the two mutant lines of mice:
    not answered
    a) have mutations in the same gene.
    b) have mutations in two different genes.
    c) could have mutations in either the same gene or different genes; you would need more information to decide.
    1. How well does this question test student achievement of the learning goal?
      not answered
      a) Well
      b) Could be improved
      c) Not well
    2. Is the information given in this question scientifically accurate?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Not completely
      c) No
    3. Is this question written clearly and precisely?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Could be improved
      c) No
    4. Please make any additional comments or suggestions about this question here:


    Use the following mRNA codon key as needed to answer the next two questions:
    GCC Alanine
    AAUAsparagine
    CCU Proline
    GGA Glycine
    UGG Tryptophan
    UGA "Stop" (no amino acid)
    GAA Glutamic Acid
    GAG Glutamic Acid
    AGG Arginine
    CCC Proline
    CAU Histidine

    Learning goal: Students should be able to compare different types of mutations and describe how each can affect genes, mRNA and proteins.
  5. The following DNA sequence (coding strand) occurs near the middle of the coding region of a gene:

    DNA
    50556065
    5'--- A A T G A
    A
    T G G G
    A
    G C C T
    G
    A A G G
    A
    G ---3'


    Note that the coding strand of DNA has the same sequence as the corresponding mRNA, except that there are U's in the mRNA where there are T's in the DNA. The first triplet of nucleotides AAU (underlined) is in frame encoding Asparagine.

    mRNA
    50556065
    5'--- A A U G A
    A
    U G G G
    A
    G C C U
    G
    A A G G
    A
    G ---3'

    Which of the following DNA mutations is almost certain to result in a shorter than normal mRNA?
    not answered
    a) A → G at position 50.
    b) G → A at position 53.
    c) C → A at position 58.
    d) None of the above.
    1. How well does this question test student achievement of the learning goal?
      not answered
      a) Well
      b) Could be improved
      c) Not well
    2. Is the information given in this question scientifically accurate?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Not completely
      c) No
    3. Is this question written clearly and precisely?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Could be improved
      c) No
    4. Please make any additional comments or suggestions about this question here:


    Learning Goal: Students should be able to compare different types of mutations and describe how each can affect genes, mRNA and proteins.
  6. For the same DNA sequence, which of the following DNA mutations is almost certain to result in a shorter than normal protein?
    not answered
    a) T → C at position 59.
    b) A → G at position 61.
    c) Insertion of a G after the G at position 54.
    d) None of the above.
    1. How well does this question test student achievement of the learning goal?
      not answered
      a) Well
      b) Could be improved
      c) Not well
    2. Is the information given in this question scientifically accurate?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Not completely
      c) No
    3. Is this question written clearly and precisely?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Could be improved
      c) No
    4. Please make any additional comments or suggestions about this question here:


    Learning Goal: Students should be able to describe the mechanisms by which an organism's genome is passed on to the next generation.
    Learning Goal: Students should be able to cite examples of gene dosage variation in humans, and explain why it affects phenotype.
  7. A man and a woman, neither of whom is colorblind, have a daughter who has only one sex chromosome (normal females inherit an X chromosome from each parent and so are XX; this daughter inherited an X from only one parent, and so is XO). The daughter also has the recessive disease X-linked colorblindness. How did the daughter inherit these problems from the egg her mother produced and the sperm her father produced?
    not answered
    a) The egg lacked one sex chromosome and contributed a mutant gene that caused the colorblindness.
    b) The sperm lacked one sex chromosome and contributed a mutant gene that caused the colorblindness.
    c) The egg lacked one sex chromosome and the sperm contributed a mutant gene that caused the colorblindness.
    d) The sperm lacked one sex chromosome and the egg contributed a mutant gene that caused the colorblindness.
    1. How well does this question test student achievement of the learning goal?
      not answered
      a) Well
      b) Could be improved
      c) Not well
    2. Is the information given in this question scientifically accurate?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Not completely
      c) No
    3. Is this question written clearly and precisely?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Could be improved
      c) No
    4. Please make any additional comments or suggestions about this question here:


    Learning Goal: Students should be able to describe the mechanisms by which an organism's genome is passed on to the next generation.
  8. A young man develops skin cancer that does not spread to any other tissues; the mutation responsible for the cancer arose in a single skin cell. If he and his wife (who does not have skin cancer) subsequently have children, which of the following statements is most correct?
    not answered
    a) All the man's children will inherit the mutation responsible for skin cancer.
    b) All the man's children will inherit the mutation responsible for skin cancer if the mutation is dominant.
    c) Some of the man's children may inherit the mutation responsible for skin cancer depending on which of his chromosomes they inherit.
    d) None of the man's children will inherit the mutation responsible for skin cancer.
    1. How well does this question test student achievement of the learning goal?
      not answered
      a) Well
      b) Could be improved
      c) Not well
    2. Is the information given in this question scientifically accurate?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Not completely
      c) No
    3. Is this question written clearly and precisely?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Could be improved
      c) No
    4. Please make any additional comments or suggestions about this question here:


    Learning Goal: Students should be able to describe the molecular anatomy of genes and genomes.
  9. Which of the following cells contains a gene that specifies eye color?
    not answered
    a) Cells in the eye.
    b) Cells in the heart.
    c) Gametes (sperm and egg).
    d) Cells in the eye and gametes.
    e) All of the above.
    1. How well does this question test student achievement of the learning goal?
      not answered
      a) Well
      b) Could be improved
      c) Not well
    2. Is the information given in this question scientifically accurate?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Not completely
      c) No
    3. Is this question written clearly and precisely?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Could be improved
      c) No
    4. Please make any additional comments or suggestions about this question here:


    Learning Goal: Students should be able to describe the molecular anatomy of genes and genomes.
  10. The MLH1 gene is important in colorectal cancer. This gene is located on chromosome 3, and four different gene variants (alleles) of the gene have been identified in humans. The maximum number of alleles an individual can have is:
    not answered
    a) 1
    b) 2
    c) 3
    d) 4
    1. How well does this question test student achievement of the learning goal?
      not answered
      a) Well
      b) Could be improved
      c) Not well
    2. Is the information given in this question scientifically accurate?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Not completely
      c) No
    3. Is this question written clearly and precisely?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Could be improved
      c) No
    4. Please make any additional comments or suggestions about this question here:


    Learning Goal: Students should be able to analyze phenotypic data and deduce possible modes of inheritance (e.g., dominant, recessive, autosomal, X-linked, cytoplasmic) from family histories.
  11. This pedigree shows a family afflicted with a rare genetic disease (circles represent females, squares represent males, and individuals with filled symbols have the disease; assume that any people who marry into the family are not carriers for the disease). This disease is most likely inherited in a(n) __________________ manner:

    not answered
    a) autosomal dominant
    b) autosomal recessive
    c) X-linked dominant
    d) X-linked recessive
    1. How well does this question test student achievement of the learning goal?
      not answered
      a) Well
      b) Could be improved
      c) Not well
    2. Is the information given in this question scientifically accurate?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Not completely
      c) No
    3. Is this question written clearly and precisely?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Could be improved
      c) No
    4. Please make any additional comments or suggestions about this question here:


    Learning Goal: Students should be able to describe the processes that can influence the frequency of alleles in a population.
  12. A population of buffaloes is isolated such that no new buffaloes can come into their territory. Which of the following is primarily responsible for new alleles in this population?
    not answered
    a) Reassortment of chromosomes during the process of creating sperm or eggs.
    b) Mutations in cells that will become sperm or eggs.
    c) Changes in the environment that favor some buffalo traits over others.
    d) Random mating between the buffaloes in the population
    1. How well does this question test student achievement of the learning goal?
      not answered
      a) Well
      b) Could be improved
      c) Not well
    2. Is the information given in this question scientifically accurate?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Not completely
      c) No
    3. Is this question written clearly and precisely?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Could be improved
      c) No
    4. Please make any additional comments or suggestions about this question here:


    Learning Goal: Students should be able to analyze phenotypic data and deduce possible modes of inheritance (e.g., dominant, recessive, autosomal, X-linked, cytoplasmic) from family histories.
  13. Below is a pedigree of a family in which all the people in generation II are dead (indicated with a slash) because of political unrest in their country. Circles represent females, squares represent males. Which children in generation III could be traced to the grandmother in this pedigree by using only mitochondrial DNA sequences?



    not answered
    a) A and D
    b) B and C
    c) A, B, and C
    d) B, C, and E
    e) A, B, C, D, and E
    1. How well does this question test student achievement of the learning goal?
      not answered
      a) Well
      b) Could be improved
      c) Not well
    2. Is the information given in this question scientifically accurate?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Not completely
      c) No
    3. Is this question written clearly and precisely?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Could be improved
      c) No
    4. Please make any additional comments or suggestions about this question here:


    Learning Goal: Students should be able to extract information about genes, alleles, and gene functions from genetic crosses and human pedigree analysis.
  14. Cystic fibrosis in humans is caused by mutations in a single gene and is inherited as a completely recessive trait. A normal couple has two children. The first child has cystic fibrosis, and the second child is unaffected. What is the probability that the second child is a carrier (heterozygous) for the disease?
    not answered
    a) 1/4
    b) 1/2
    c) 2/3
    d) 3/4
    e) 1
    1. How well does this question test student achievement of the learning goal?
      not answered
      a) Well
      b) Could be improved
      c) Not well
    2. Is the information given in this question scientifically accurate?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Not completely
      c) No
    3. Is this question written clearly and precisely?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Could be improved
      c) No
    4. Please make any additional comments or suggestions about this question here:


    Learning goal: Students should be able to describe the molecular anatomy of genes and genomes.
  15. Mutations in the breast cancer gene (BRCA1) increase the risk of breast cancer for women. BRCA1 is a:
    not answered
    a) gene found in all humans.
    b) gene found only in women.
    c) gene found only in women with breast cancer.
    d) gene found only in families that are susceptible to breast cancer.
    1. How well does this question test student achievement of the learning goal?
      not answered
      a) Well
      b) Could be improved
      c) Not well
    2. Is the information given in this question scientifically accurate?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Not completely
      c) No
    3. Is this question written clearly and precisely?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Could be improved
      c) No
    4. Please make any additional comments or suggestions about this question here:


    Learning Goal: Students should be able to cite examples of gene dosage variation in humans, and explain why it affects phenotype.
  16. In the cells of all human females, one X chromosome is inactivated. The opsin1 gene is only on the X chromosome, and mutations in this gene cause the recessive trait of colorblindness. Most women who have one mutant opsin1 gene and one normal opsin1 gene (they are heterozygous) can still see color. What is the most likely explanation for this finding?
    not answered
    a) The X chromosome with the opsin1 mutation is more likely to be inactivated because it contains a mutation.
    b) Any mutations in the opsin1 gene on the active X chromosome can be corrected through genetic exchange (recombination) with the inactive X chromosome.
    c) Both the normal and the mutant opsin1 gene are active in every eye cell, so the mutant opsin1 gene does not affect their ability to see color.
    d) Some eye cells will have an active mutant opsin1 gene and some will have an active normal opsin1 gene; the cells with an active normal opsin1 gene will allow females to see color.
    1. How well does this question test student achievement of the learning goal?
      not answered
      a) Well
      b) Could be improved
      c) Not well
    2. Is the information given in this question scientifically accurate?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Not completely
      c) No
    3. Is this question written clearly and precisely?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Could be improved
      c) No
    4. Please make any additional comments or suggestions about this question here:


    Learning Goal: Students should be able to describe the mechanisms by which an organism's genome is passed on to the next generation.
  17. In the cell below there are four chromosomes on which are shown the locations of two different genes. F and f represent two different alleles of one gene, and Q and q represent two different alleles of another gene. If this cell divided to produce sperm, what are all the possible genotypes of the sperm?



    not answered
    a) F, f, Q, q
    b) Ff, Ff, Qq, Qq
    c) FQ, fq, Fq, fQ
    d) Ff, Qq, FQ, fq, Fq, fQ
    1. How well does this question test student achievement of the learning goal?
      not answered
      a) Well
      b) Could be improved
      c) Not well
    2. Is the information given in this question scientifically accurate?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Not completely
      c) No
    3. Is this question written clearly and precisely?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Could be improved
      c) No
    4. Please make any additional comments or suggestions about this question here:


    Learning Goal: Students should be able to extract information about genes, alleles, and gene functions from genetic crosses and human pedigree analysis.
  18. You have two plant populations:



    You cross a plant from population 1 to population 2 and get:



    Using capital letters to represent a dominant allele of a gene, lower case letters to represent a recessive allele of a gene, F/f to represent alleles of the gene for flower color, and L/l to represent alleles of the gene for leaf color, the genetic makeup of the offspring (shown above) that have white flowers and black leaves is:
    not answered
    a) FFLL
    b) FfLl
    c) ffLL
    d) FFll
    1. How well does this question test student achievement of the learning goal?
      not answered
      a) Well
      b) Could be improved
      c) Not well
    2. Is the information given in this question scientifically accurate?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Not completely
      c) No
    3. Is this question written clearly and precisely?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Could be improved
      c) No
    4. Please make any additional comments or suggestions about this question here:


    Learning Goal: Students should be able to describe the steps that are taken to determine the molecular identity of a human gene that can mutate to cause a disease.
  19. Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy is an autosomal disease that causes muscle degeneration in humans. You think you have identified the gene that when mutated is responsible for this disorder. Which of the following approaches would provide the most definitive evidence that you have identified the correct gene?
    not answered
    a) Calculating the frequency of different alleles of this gene in a population with an abnormally high level of limb-girdle muscular dystrophy.
    b) Showing that the gene you identified is active in muscle cells.
    c) Sequencing DNA from several different families and showing that a mutation is present in the gene of affected individuals but not healthy individuals.
    d) Using a fluorescent DNA label to show that the gene you identified is on an autosome.
    1. How well does this question test student achievement of the learning goal?
      not answered
      a) Well
      b) Could be improved
      c) Not well
    2. Is the information given in this question scientifically accurate?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Not completely
      c) No
    3. Is this question written clearly and precisely?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Could be improved
      c) No
    4. Please make any additional comments or suggestions about this question here:


    Learning Goal: Students should be able to justify the value of studying genetics in organisms other than humans.
  20. You have identified a previously unknown human gene that appears to have a role in autism. It is similar enough in DNA sequence to a known mouse gene that you believe the two genes may be evolutionarily related. You determine and compare the DNA sequences, the predicted mRNA sequences, and the predicted amino acid sequences corresponding to the two genes. You would expect to find the greatest sequence similarity from comparisons of the two:
    not answered
    a) DNA sequences.
    b) mRNA sequences.
    c) amino acid sequences.
    d) All three comparisons are likely to show the same degree of sequence similarity.
    1. How well does this question test student achievement of the learning goal?
      not answered
      a) Well
      b) Could be improved
      c) Not well
    2. Is the information given in this question scientifically accurate?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Not completely
      c) No
    3. Is this question written clearly and precisely?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Could be improved
      c) No
    4. Please make any additional comments or suggestions about this question here:


    Learning Goal: Students should be able to extract information about genes, alleles, and gene functions from genetic crosses and human pedigree analysis.
  21. Three genes located on the same chromosome show the following recombination frequencies with each other:
    Genes H and I 20% recombinants
    Genes H and J 5% recombinants
    Genes I and J 15% recombinants

    From these recombination measurements, the order of these genes on the chromosome is probably:
    not answered
    a) HIJ or JIH
    b) HJI or IJH
    c) IHJ or JHI
    1. How well does this question test student achievement of the learning goal?
      not answered
      a) Well
      b) Could be improved
      c) Not well
    2. Is the information given in this question scientifically accurate?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Not completely
      c) No
    3. Is this question written clearly and precisely?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Could be improved
      c) No
    4. Please make any additional comments or suggestions about this question here:


    Learning Goal: Student should be able to explain the molecular basis at the protein level for allele types with different genetic behaviors.
  22. Suppose you are studying a human genetic trait caused by a dominant mutation in a previously uncharacterized gene. When you isolate and compare the function of the mutant protein to the corresponding normal wild-type protein, you can expect to find that the mutant protein has:
    not answered
    a) no function.
    b) increased function.
    c) decreased function.
    d) a new function.
    e) Without additional information, any one of answers (a) through (d) could be true.
    1. How well does this question test student achievement of the learning goal?
      not answered
      a) Well
      b) Could be improved
      c) Not well
    2. Is the information given in this question scientifically accurate?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Not completely
      c) No
    3. Is this question written clearly and precisely?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Could be improved
      c) No
    4. Please make any additional comments or suggestions about this question here:


    Learning Goal: Students should be able to describe the mechanisms by which an organism's genome is passed on to the next generation.
  23. Two different genes are located on the same autosomal chromosome pair in rabbits. A particular female rabbit is heterozygous for alleles of both these genes, with the alleles arranged as shown in the diagram below. Scientists know that the two genes are on the same chromosome, but do not know their exact position, as indicated with a dashed line.



    Suppose this female mates with a male rabbit in which the same chromosome pair looks like this:



    Under what conditions would their offspring have a chromosome pair that looks like this:



    not answered
    a) Because the R & E and r & e alleles are linked, you would not find such offspring.
    b) Because of the random assortment of chromosomes during cell division to make sperm or eggs, you would commonly find such offspring.
    c) The further away the two genes are from each other, the more likely you are to find such offspring.
    d) The closer together the two genes are to each other, the more likely you are to find such offspring.
    1. How well does this question test student achievement of the learning goal?
      not answered
      a) Well
      b) Could be improved
      c) Not well
    2. Is the information given in this question scientifically accurate?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Not completely
      c) No
    3. Is this question written clearly and precisely?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Could be improved
      c) No
    4. Please make any additional comments or suggestions about this question here:


    Learning Goal: Students should be able to describe the molecular anatomy of genes and genomes.
  24. Cells in the king crab have 104 pairs of chromosomes. You have discovered a new, similar looking species of crab that you call the prince crab, which has only 100 pairs of chromosomes in its cells. From this finding, you can conclude that:
    not answered
    a) the king crab has a larger genome than the prince crab.
    b) the king crab has more genes than the prince crab.
    c) the king crab evolved from the prince crab.
    d) all of the above
    e) none of the above
    1. How well does this question test student achievement of the learning goal?
      not answered
      a) Well
      b) Could be improved
      c) Not well
    2. Is the information given in this question scientifically accurate?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Not completely
      c) No
    3. Is this question written clearly and precisely?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Could be improved
      c) No
    4. Please make any additional comments or suggestions about this question here:


    Learning Goal: Students should be able to describe the mechanisms by which an organism's genome is passed on to the next generation.
  25. Suppose there are two genes on two different chromosomes, one called D and the other called G. An individual has the genotype GgDd (capital letters to represent a dominant allele of a gene, lower case letters to represent a recessive allele of a gene). Which of the following drawings correctly shows cells in this individual during meiosis I (after DNA replication, but before cell division)?

    not answered
    a)
    b)
    c)
    d)
    1. How well does this question test student achievement of the learning goal?
      not answered
      a) Well
      b) Could be improved
      c) Not well
    2. Is the information given in this questions scientifically accurate?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Not completely
      c) No
    3. Is this question written clearly and precisely?
      not answered
      a) Yes
      b) Could be improved
      c) No
    4. Please make any additional comments or suggestions about this question here:


.....

Thank you for taking the time to answer these assessment questions.