Introduction to Genetics

What is the passing of traits from parent to offspring?

• heredity

• genetics

• crossing

• cloning

What is the scientific study of heredity; in other words, what is the study of how traits, including disorders, are passed from parent to offspring through DNA?

• genetics

• heredity

• crossing

• inheritance

What is somatic cloning?

• Using a body cell from an organism to create a genetically identical offspring

• Splitting a fertilized egg to make a genetically identical offspring

• Resurrecting an extinct species

• Selecting or altering genes so that an offspring has desired characteristics

What is de-extinction?

• Using a body cell from an organism to create a genetically identical offspring

• Splitting a fertilized egg to make a genetically identical offspring

• Resurrecting an extinct species

• Selecting or altering genes so that an offspring has desired characteristics

Answer explanation

Some people hope wooly mammoths can be brought back. It is unlikely, however, that a cell with enough intact DNA will be found.

What is a designer baby?

• Using a body cell from an organism to create a genetically identical offspring

• Splitting a fertilized egg to make a genetically identical offspring

• A baby that is very fashionable

• A baby that has had particular genes selected or altered so that it has desired characteristics

What was the name of the first mammal who was cloned from an adult somatic cell?

• Dolly

• Baaaaa

• CC

• Elvis

Answer explanation

She was cloned in 1996. She lived for almost seven years. She is on display at a museum in Scotland.

Who was Gregor Mendel?

• A monk who studied heredity.

• A geneticist who first cloned a mammal.

• A scientist who discovered DNA.

Answer explanation

He discovered much of what we know about how traits are passed from parent to offspring.

When Mendel crossed purebred tall pea plants with purebred short pea plants, he got all tall offspring. Why?

• Tall was dominant over short.

• Tall was recessive.

• Short was dominant over tall.

• Medium was recessive.

Mendel found that purple was dominant over white flowers. What color were the offspring of purebred purple and white offspring?

• All offspring were purple.

• Some offspring were purple and some were white.

• All offspring were white.

• All of the offspring were lavender.

What are the segments of DNA that code for a specific trait?

• genes

• alleles

• chromsomes

• spindle fibers

Answer explanation

Humans have about 25,000 genes that code for everything from eye color to leg length.