Genetics and Verbs

When asked to "identify" in a scientific context, a student should:

• Write a detailed explanation

• Recognize or name something specific

• Compare multiple concepts

• Provide a complex analysis

The shape of DNA is best described as a:

• Straight line

• Circular structure

• Double helix

• Triangular formation

Which cognitive verb requires linking cause and effect?

• Identify

• Describe

• Explain

• Compare

Why can siblings from the same parents look different?

• They have identical genes

• Genes mix and reorganize during meiosis

• Parents always produce identical children

• Genes mix and reorganize during mitosis

During mitosis, daughter cells are:

• Always unique

• Genetically different

• Identical to the parent cell

• Reduced in chromosome number

Meiosis produces gametes that are:

• Diploid and identical

• Haploid and unique

• Identical to parent cells

• Completely random

The primary role of DNA is to:

• Fill the nucleus

• Create cell membranes

• Store genetic instructions

• Generate energy

When comparing processes in science, a student should:

• Ignore differences

• Focus only on similarities

• Note both similarities and differences

• Provide a single perspective

Genetic knowledge could potentially improve health by:

• Erasing DNA

• Identifying disease risks

• Eliminating all genetic variations

• Completely preventing disease

An "explain chain" in scientific reasoning helps to:

• Complicate explanations

• Organize cause and effect

• Eliminate complex ideas

• Reduce scientific understanding