1. What is the relationship between DNA and chromosomes? In 1 sentence

Question

2. What are the inputs and outputs of mitosis? What is the purpose of mitosis? In 1 sentence
3. What occurs during interphase in the eukaryotic cell cycle? Why are these checkpoints important? In 1 sentence
4. What are the inputs/outputs of meiosis? What types of cells does meiosis form? In 1 sentence
5. Define the following type of mutations. In 1 sentence each:
Insertion:
Deletion:
Substitution:
Frameshift:
Viable Error:
6. What is the difference between a mutation that happens in a somatic (body) cell and a sex cell (gamete?) In 1 sentence
7. How do the following increase genetic variation? What process do these occur in? In 1 sentence each:
Crossing Over:
Law of Independent Assortment:
8. What is the difference between sexual and asexual reproduction? In 1 sentence
9. What is polygenic inheritance? Also give an example. In 1 sentence
10. What is the bottleneck effect? In 1 sentence
11. What is epigenetics? In 1 sentence
12. 42. Two cats, one male and one female, have both have one dominant and one recessive of the allele for for fur color. Brown fur is dominant (B), and spotted fur is recessive (b). Complete a Punnett Square and fill in the probabilities of the genotypes and phenotypes.
Genotypes: Homozygous Recessive, Homozygous Dominant, Heterozygous
Phenotypes: Brown Fur, Spotted Fur

Answer 1

1. DNA is the molecular substance that contains genetic information, while chromosomes are structures made of DNA and protein that organize and package this genetic material within the nucleus of a cell.

2. The inputs of mitosis include one parent cell with duplicated chromosomes, and the outputs are two genetically identical daughter cells; the purpose of mitosis is to facilitate growth, repair, and asexual reproduction in organisms.

3. During interphase, the eukaryotic cell cycle involves cell growth, DNA replication, and preparation for mitosis, while checkpoints are crucial for ensuring the cell cycle progresses correctly and that any DNA damage is repaired before division occurs.

4. The inputs of meiosis include one diploid parent cell, and the outputs are four haploid gametes; meiosis forms sperm and egg cells, which are used in sexual reproduction.

• Insertion: A mutation that involves the addition of one or more nucleotide bases into the DNA sequence.
• Deletion: A mutation that entails the loss of one or more nucleotide bases from the DNA sequence.
• Substitution: A mutation where one nucleotide base is replaced by another in the DNA sequence.
• Frameshift: A mutation caused by insertions or deletions that shift the reading frame of the genetic code, altering all subsequent amino acids.
• Viable Error: A genetic mutation that leads to a change which does not significantly impact the organism's fitness or viability.

6. A mutation in a somatic cell affects only that individual and cannot be passed to offspring, whereas a mutation in a sex cell (gamete) can be inherited and affect subsequent generations.

• Crossing Over: During meiosis, homologous chromosomes exchange segments of genetic material, leading to increased genetic diversity among offspring.
• Law of Independent Assortment: This principle states that the alleles for different traits segregate independently during gamete formation, resulting in a variety of genetic combinations.

8. Sexual reproduction involves the combination of genetic material from two parents, leading to genetically diverse offspring, while asexual reproduction involves a single organism producing offspring identical to itself.

9. Polygenic inheritance is a type of non-Mendelian inheritance where multiple genes contribute to a single trait, such as human skin color, which is influenced by several different genes.

10. The bottleneck effect occurs when a population's size is significantly reduced due to environmental events, leading to a loss of genetic diversity and a decrease in the adaptive potential of the surviving population.

11. Epigenetics is the study of heritable changes in gene expression that do not involve changes to the DNA sequence itself, often influenced by environmental factors and experiences.

12. The Punnett Square for two heterozygous (Bb) cats would show the following probabilities:

• Genotypes:

  • Homozygous Dominant (BB): 25%
  • Heterozygous (Bb): 50%
  • Homozygous Recessive (bb): 25%

• Phenotypes:

  • Brown Fur: 75%
  • Spotted Fur: 25%