Albino Cats

Question

A group of students is investigating gene mutations. They learn about a mutation that causes albino traits in house cats. The image shows the physical appearance and 4 codons of a DNA sequence of a cat with the albino mutation and a cat without the albino mutation.

The house cat with an albino mutation has a white physical appearance, and the DNA sequence for it is CCT-CCT-CTG-CTG. The house cat without an albino mutation has a brown physical appearance, and the DNA sequence for it is CCC-TCC-TCT-GCT.

Multiple Choice Question
How did the mutation affect the albino cat?

A.
The mutation changed the structure of the genes, which changed the structure of the proteins. This change affected the location of the genes, which caused the cat to have albino traits.

B.
The mutation changed the structure of the genes, which changed the structure of the proteins. This change affected the function of the proteins, which caused the cat to have albino traits.

C.
The mutation changed the structure of the proteins, which changed the structure of the chromosomes. This change affected the location of the genes, which caused the cat to have albino traits.

D.
The mutation changed the structure of the proteins, which changed the structure of the chromosomes. This change affected the function of the proteins, which caused the cat to have albino traits.

Answer 1

The most appropriate answer to the question regarding how the mutation affected the albino cat is:

B. The mutation changed the structure of the genes, which changed the structure of the proteins. This change affected the function of the proteins, which caused the cat to have albino traits.

This option correctly describes the typical process of how a mutation in the DNA sequence can lead to changes in the resulting proteins and their functions, which ultimately results in observable traits such as the albino coloration in the cat. The DNA sequence of the albino cat differs at specific codons compared to the non-albino cat, indicating that the mutation likely altered protein structure and function, leading to the albino phenotype.