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Worksheets

Genetics & Heredity

Total questions: 40

Worksheet time: 42mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

In the cells of most organisms, genetic information is contained (located) in the:

a)

cell wall

b)

nucleus

c)

ribosome

d)

mitochondria

2.

Which of the following best organizes how geneticist breakdown genetic information, from the largest structure to smallest structure?

a)

DNA, nucleus, cells

b)

nucleus, cells, DNA

c)

cells, DNA, nucleus

d)

cells, nucleus, DNA

3.

If one parent has two dominant alleles and the other parent has two recessive alleles, which statement most likely describes the offspring?

a)

The offspring have two recessive alleles.

b)

The offspring have two dominant alleles.

c)

The offspring display the recessive phenotype.

d)

The offspring display the dominant phenotype.

4.

Offspring that are the result (cause) of sexual reproduction have

a)

traits from both parents.

b)

traits only from the mother.

c)

traits only from the father

d)

traits from neither parent

5.

A trait can be determined (decided) by:

a)

one gene

b)

multiple genes

c)

the environment

d)

all of the following are true

6.

Which of the following is an example of asexual reproduction?

a)

a fish releases sperm which unites with an egg of another fish

b)

a worm is split in two; each half grows back into a complete worm

c)

a gray cat is the offspring of a black cat and a white cat

d)

flowers from two different plants are mated to produce a seed

7.

The offspring of asexual reproduction is identical (same) to the parent except in the case of:

a)

a clone

b)

a genetic mutation

c)

fertilization

d)

multi-cellular organism

8.

Where is the genetic material for all living organisms located?

a)

in the chromosomes of each cell

b)

in the vacuoles of each cell

c)

in the cytoplasm of each cell

d)

in the mitochondria of each cell

9.

An organism that has been cloned

a)

has none of the characteristics of the parent.

b)

has characteristics that are a combination of the parent and the grandparent.

c)

has the same characteristics as the parent.

d)

none of these

10.

Which statement explains the difference between dominant and recessive traits?

a)

Dominant traits are observable traits that mask the recessive form of a trait, while recessive traits are masked by the dominant trait.

b)

Dominant traits are masked by the recessive trait, while recessive traits are observable traits that mask the dominant form of a trait.

c)

Dominant traits provide the genetic description of an organism, while recessive traits describe the way the organism looks and behaves.

d)

Dominant traits describe the way the organism looks and behaves, while recessive traits provide the genetic description of an organism.

11.

The offspring of asexual reproduction receives (gets):

a)

genetic material from one parent

b)

genetic material from two parents

c)

genetic material from an outside source

d)

none of the above

12.

A scientist noticed that all the offspring of the yeast fungus are identical (same) to the parent. However (but), the offspring of a cat all look different. What most likely caused this to occur?

a)

yeast produced offspring through asexual reproduction, while the cat produced offspring through sexual reproduction.

b)

yeast produced offspring through sexual reproduction, while the cat produced offspring through asexual reproduction.

c)

both yeast and cat produced offspring through asexual reproduction.

d)

both yeast and cat produced offspring through sexual reproduction.

13.

How does mitosis compare (different) to meiosis?

a)

mitosis produces two identical daughter cells, while meiosis produces sex cells with half the genetic information.

b)

mitosis produces sex cells with half the genetic information, while meiosis produces two identical daughter cells.

c)

mitosis only occurs in single-celled organisms, while meiosis only occurs in animals.

d)

mitosis only occurs in animals, while meiosis only occurs in single-celled organisms.

14.

Asexual reproduction occurs (happens) in humans in that

a)

all body cells reproduce this way.

b)

all body cells reproduce this way except sex cells.

c)

sex cells divide this way.

d)

ONLY brain cells reproduce this way.

15.

What is the process called when body cells are copied with half the number of chromosomes at the end of this cell division cycle to create sex cells?

a)

division

b)

meiosis

c)

cloning

d)

heredity

16.

Scientists often use other organisms to study genetics. Pea plants are sometimes chosen because:

a)

they grow quickly

b)

they cause disease

c)

they do not have cells

d)

they do not reproduce

17.

Assume that a genetic trait is represented by the letter "a." Which of the following would most likely be used to represent the recessive condition that IS expressed (seen)?

a)

AA

b)

Aa

c)

aa

d)

none of the above

18.

In the table shown, the empty square should be filled in as:

a)

RR

b)

Rr

c)

rr

d)

RRrr

19.

The dominant condition (trait) of this characteristic is represented by:

a)

RR, Rr, and rr

b)

RR and Rr

c)

RR and rr

d)

Rr and rr

20.

Among (for) the offspring, what is the ratio of dominant to recessive for this trait?

a)

3:1

b)

1:3

c)

2:2

d)

1:2

21.

In some plants, tall (T) is dominant over short (t). What is the genotype for a short plant?

a)

Tt

b)

tt

c)

TT

d)

tT

22.

Which is the expected outcome of combining the DNA of two parents during sexual reproduction?

a)

cloning

b)

mitosis

c)

binary fission

d)

genetic variation

23.

This Punnett square shows a cross between a black cow (Bb) and a white cow (bb).
What phenotypes result from this cross?

a)

100% black cows

b)

100% white cows

c)

75% black cows; 25% white cows

d)

50% black cows; 50% white cows

24.

One of the first people to study patterns of heredity scientifically was:

a)

Mary-Claire King

b)

Robert Hooke

c)

Antoine Madan

d)

Gregor Mendel

25.

Two parents are both carriers for a genetic trait that is based on only one recessive allele. This means that their offspring: (Make a Punnett square to find the answer.)

a)

cannot have the trait

b)

will all be carriers for the trait

c)

has a 25% chance of inheriting the trait

d)

has a 50% chance of inheriting the trait

26.

In which form of reproduction does a new organism grow on the body of its parent, making copies of cells through mitosis?

a)

budding

b)

cloning

c)

fission

d)

regeneration

27.

The Punnett square below shows a cross between two plants that produce wrinkled peas. What percent of the offspring would also produce wrinkled peas?

a)

25%

b)

50%

c)

75%

d)

100%

28.

What is a phenotype?

a)

the way an organism feels

b)

a group of five alleles

c)

a dominant gene

d)

the physical expression of a genotype

29.

Two forms of a gene, one from each parent, are called

a)

alleles

b)

phenotypes

c)

albinism

d)

genes

30.

What is heredity?

a)

traits passing from offspring to parents

b)

traits passing from parents to offspring

c)

plants that are cross-pollinated

d)

the ratio of dominant to recessive traits

31.

What is a trait?

a)

different forms of meiosis

b)

different forms of a pedigree

c)

different forms of chromatids

d)

different forms of a characteristic or quality

32.

Why does meiosis produce a greater variation in offspring than mitosis?

a)

The parent cells do not split.

b)

The parent cells split, creating identical daughter cells.

c)

The daughter cells receive genetic material from one parent cell.

d)

The daughter cells receive genetic material from both parent cells.

33.
  1. In plants, the trait for tall plants (T) is dominant over the trait for short plants (t). This Punnett square shows a cross between two heterozygous parent plants.

What is the probability that an offspring will be tall?

a)

25%

b)

50%

c)

75%

d)

100%

34.

Which statement about genes is NOT true?

a)

All copies of every gene are always identical.

b)

Each gene has a specific place on a chromosome.

c)

Traits are passed from parent to offspring through genes.

d)

A gene contains information about specific characteristics and traits.

35.

A plant with red flowers is crossed with a second plant with red flowers, producing plants with white flowers and plants with red flowers. Through which process were the offspring plants most likely produced?

a)

mitosis

b)

budding

c)

sexual reproduction

d)

asexual reproduction

36.

Tall (T) is dominant to short (t) for plant height. If 25% of the offspring are short, what are the genotypes of the parents?

a)

Tt x Tt

b)

TT x TT

c)

Tt x TT

d)

tt x tt

37.

Which scenario is an example of a physical characteristic of an organism that was influenced by environmental factors?

a)

The black cat’s eyes were a bright green color.

b)

The pumpkin seeds were relatively flat and white.

c)

A baby was born with ten fingers and ten toes.

d)

The bark of a tree was scarred after a beaver gnawed it.

38.

In humans, the allele for having a widow’s peak is dominant to having a straight hairline. Many people do not like the widow’s peak, so they shave it off. Will this affect their offspring?

a)

No. Shaving the widow’s peak does not change their genotype, so the allele can still be passed on to offspring.

b)

No. Their offspring will have a widow’s peak if they inherit both recessive alleles from the parents.

c)

Yes. There is no chance that the offspring will be born with a widow’s peak because the parents destroyed the trait.

d)

Yes. Offspring born with a widow’s peak will have a smaller peak because the allele was damaged.

39.

Parents are exposed to hazardous chemicals. How might this affect their future offspring?

a)

The offspring could have red hair.

b)

The chemicals could make the parents more fertile.

c)

The offspring could inherit damaged DNA from the parents.

d)

The chemicals could make the parents sick before they have offspring.

40.

Air pollution can influence a person’s quality of life. Which BEST identifies the influence of air pollution?

a)

It is a behavior influence.

b)

It is a genetic influence.

c)

It is an environmental influence.

d)

It is a dietary influence.