Transposable Elements

What is the enzyme encoded by transposons?

• Reverse Transcriptase

• Transposase

• Retrotransposase

• Transposable polymerase

What is the difference between autonomous and non-autonomous transposable elements?

• Autonomous are copy paste and non-autonomous are cut and paste

• Autonomous encode for an active transposase while non-autonomous encode a non-active transposase enzyme

• Autonomous have an RNA intermediate while non-autonomous do not

• Autonomous can be integrated into genes interrupting them while non-autonomous cannot

Which class of transposable element has an RNA intermediate and is described as copy paste mechanism?

• Class I

• Class II

• Retrotransposons

• DNA Transposons

Where did transposable elements come from?

• Bacteria

• Mutated Reverse Transcriptase

• Indian Corn

• Viruses

Why are transposable elements important for evolution?

• They are a source of potentially useful mutations such as duplications

• They facilitate horizontal gene transfer

• They fuse genes resulting in higher adaptability

• They increase the mutation rate of organisms under times of stress resulting in increased genetic diversity

Tags

NGSS.HS-LS3-2

NGSS.HS-LS4-2

Why are transposable elements not ideal for most gene editing?

• They act too slowly

• Like viruses, they insert at random sites of the genome and are difficult to control

• They are found in all species so they are not specific enough

• Trick question, they are the best mechanism for gene editing