WorksheetsTaxonomy, Genetics, and Pedigree Worksheet (Grade 12)
Total questions: 50
Worksheet time: 25mins
In the Linnaean system of classification, which of the following represents the most specific category?
Genus
Species
Family
Order
Which domain consists of prokaryotes that are often found in extreme environments such as hot springs or salt lakes?
Eukarya
Bacteria
Archaea
Protista
According to binomial nomenclature, what is the correct way to write the scientific name for humans?
homo sapiens
Homo Sapiens
Homo sapiens
sapiens Homo
What is the primary basis for modern phylogenetic classification?
Physical appearance
Geographic location
Evolutionary relationships and DNA
Dietary habits
In a cladogram, what does a 'node' represent?
A specific species
The common ancestor of the lineages that branch from it
A trait that has been lost
The environment where the organisms lived
Which kingdom includes multicellular, heterotrophic organisms that absorb nutrients from decomposing organic matter?
Plantae
Animalia
Fungi
Protista
What is the correct order of taxonomic ranks from broadest to most specific?
Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species
Phylum, Kingdom, Order, Class, Family, Genus, Species
Species, Genus, Family, Order, Class, Phylum, Kingdom
Domain, Kingdom, Class, Phylum, Family, Order, Genus, Species
Which of the following is a characteristic of the Kingdom Plantae?
Prokaryotic cell structure
Cell walls made of chitin
Autotrophic nutrition via photosynthesis
Lack of a cell wall
What distinguishes the Domain Eukarya from the Domains Bacteria and Archaea?
The presence of DNA
The presence of a cell membrane
The presence of a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles
The ability to reproduce
Why is the use of common names (like 'jellyfish') often discouraged in scientific studies?
They are too hard to pronounce
They can be misleading and vary by region or language
They are only used for plants
Common names are always in Latin
If an organism has the genotype Aa , it is described as being:
Homozygous dominant
Heterozygous
Homozygous recessive
Phenotypically recessive
Which term refers to the observable physical or physiological traits of an organism?
Genotype
Allele
Phenotype
Gamete
In pea plants, purple flowers (P) are dominant over white flowers (p). What is the phenotype of a plant with the genotype Pp ?
White flowers
Purple flowers
Light purple flowers
Both purple and white flowers
A Punnett square is used to:
Determine the exact DNA sequence of a gene
Predict the possible genetic outcomes of a cross
Count the number of chromosomes in a cell
Identify mutations in the genome
If two heterozygous parents ( Aa×Aa ) are crossed, what is the expected genotypic ratio of the offspring?
3:1
1:2:1
1:1
All Aa
Which of the following is true regarding recessive alleles?
They are only expressed if two copies are present
They are less common in the population than dominant alleles
They always cause genetic diseases
They are 'weaker' versions of the gene
In a test cross, an individual with an unknown genotype expressing a dominant phenotype is crossed with an individual that is:
Homozygous dominant
Heterozygous
Homozygous recessive
Hemizygous
What happens in the case of codominance?
The dominant allele completely masks the recessive allele
The traits blend together to form an intermediate phenotype
Both alleles are expressed equally and distinctly in the phenotype
One allele is lost during development
Human blood type (A, B, AB, O) is an example of:
Single allele inheritance
Multiple alleles and codominance
Polygenic inheritance
Incomplete dominance only
A man with type AB blood and a woman with type O blood have children. What are the possible blood types of their offspring?
AB and O
A and B
Only AB
A, B, AB, and O
In a pedigree chart, what symbol is typically used to represent a male?
Circle
Square
Diamond
Triangle
What does a shaded or darkened symbol in a pedigree represent?
A person who has died
A person who is a carrier
An individual expressing the trait or disorder being studied
The oldest person in the family
If a trait appears in every generation and every affected child has at least one affected parent, the trait is likely:
Autosomal recessive
Autosomal dominant
X-linked recessive
If two unaffected parents have an affected child, what does this suggest about the inheritance of the trait?
The trait is dominant
The trait is recessive
The trait is Y-linked
It is not a genetic trait
In a pedigree, a horizontal line connecting a square and a circle represents:
Siblings
A mating or marriage
Identical twins
A move to a different generation
If a trait primarily affects males and often skips generations, it is most likely:
Autosomal dominant
X-linked recessive
X-linked dominant
Mitochondrial
On a pedigree, Roman numerals (I, II, III) are used to label:
Individual people
Generations
The number of children
The severity of the disease
A half-shaded symbol in a pedigree usually identifies:
A dominant individual
An obligate carrier of a recessive trait
An individual with an unknown phenotype
A spontaneous mutation
In an X-linked recessive pedigree, an affected female MUST have:
An affected mother
An affected father
Only affected sons
Affected sisters
Which of the following would rule out a trait being X-linked recessive?
A father passing the trait to his son
A mother passing the trait to her son
An affected female having an affected son
Two affected parents having an affected child
The wing of a bat and the arm of a human are examples of:
Analogous structures
Homologous structures
Vestigial structures
Convergent evolution
Analogous structures are evidence of:
Common ancestry
Convergent evolution
Genetic mutations
Divergent evolution
The wings of a butterfly and the wings of a bird are:
Homologous
Analogous
Vestigial
Embryological
What defines a structure as 'homologous'?
Similarity in function but not origin
Similarity in origin and structure, regardless of function
The structure is no longer used by the organism
The structure only appears in embryos
The streamlined bodies of sharks (fish) and dolphins (mammals) are an example of:
Homology
Analogy resulting from convergent evolution
Divergent evolution
Coevolution
A vestigial structure, like the human tailbone or whale pelvic bones, is:
An analogous structure for balance
A homologous structure that has lost its original function
A newly evolved trait for a new environment
Evidence of convergent evolution
Which of the following would provide the strongest evidence that two structures are homologous?
They are used for the same task
They look identical from the outside
They develop from the same embryonic tissues
They are both found in aquatic animals
Divergent evolution leads to:
Analogous structures
Homologous structures
Extinction of all ancestral traits
Identical DNA sequences in unrelated species
Which of the following pairs are analogous?
Cat leg and Whale flipper
Cactus spine and Rose thorn
Bird wing and Bat wing bones
Human appendix and Rabbit caecum
Why do homologous structures help scientists build phylogenetic trees?
They show how environment changes organisms
They reflect shared genetic heritage and common ancestry
They prove that evolution is a fast process
They allow scientists to ignore DNA evidence
What is recombinant DNA?
DNA that has been mutated by UV light
DNA that contains genes from two or more different sources
DNA that has been replicated during mitosis
DNA found only in mitochondria
Which molecular 'scissors' are used to cut DNA at specific sequences?
DNA Ligase
Restriction Enzymes
Polymerase
Helicase
A small, circular piece of DNA found in bacteria that is often used as a vector in genetic engineering is called a:
Chromosome
Plasmid
Centromere
Ribosome
What is the function of DNA ligase in the creation of recombinant DNA?
To cut the target gene out of the genome
To seal the gaps between DNA fragments by forming covalent bonds
To separate DNA strands for sequencing
To identify which bacteria took up the plasmid
Which process involves introducing recombinant DNA into a host cell, such as a bacterium?
Transcription
Transformation
Translation
Transpiration
What are 'sticky ends' in recombinant DNA technology?
The ends of DNA after being heated
Single-stranded DNA overhangs created by restriction enzymes
The phosphate groups at the 5' end of DNA
DNA that is bound to proteins
What is a common medical application of recombinant DNA technology?
Treating viral infections with antibiotics
Production of human insulin by E. coli bacteria
Manual heart surgery
Gel electrophoresis is a technique used to:
Insert DNA into a nucleus
Separate DNA fragments based on their size
Mutate DNA sequences
Synthesize new proteins
Why are selectable markers, such as antibiotic resistance genes, included in plasmids?
To make the bacteria stronger
To identify which bacteria successfully took up the recombinant plasmid
To help the DNA replicate faster
To prevent the plasmid from leaving the cell
The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is often used alongside recombinant DNA techniques to:
Cut DNA into pieces
Amplify (make many copies of) a specific DNA sequence
Change the sequence of a gene
View the DNA under a microscope
