Molecular biology - Exam
  • 1. Molecular biology is a branch of biology that focuses on the study of biological processes at the molecular level, particularly the interactions between various systems within a cell, including the interactions between DNA, RNA, and proteins. It involves the study of the structure and function of molecules essential to life, such as nucleic acids and proteins, and how they regulate various biological processes. Molecular biology plays a crucial role in understanding genetics, gene expression, cell signaling, and many other fundamental biological processes. Researchers in this field utilize a variety of techniques to investigate these molecular mechanisms, including genomics, proteomics, and bioinformatics, leading to significant advancements in our understanding of life at a molecular level.

    Which of the following describes the structure of DNA?
A) Triple helix
B) Single strand
C) Double helix
D) Circular
  • 2. What is the role of mRNA in protein synthesis?
A) Carries genetic information from DNA to the ribosome
B) Replicates DNA
C) Stabilizes the genetic information
D) Translates proteins into genetic code
  • 3. What is a codon?
A) An enzyme in the nucleus
B) A protein subunit
C) A three-nucleotide sequence in mRNA that codes for a specific amino acid
D) A segment of DNA that regulates gene expression
  • 4. Which of the following organelles is responsible for cellular respiration?
A) Endoplasmic reticulum
B) Nucleus
C) Golgi apparatus
D) Mitochondria
  • 5. What is a plasmid?
A) Large protein structure in the cell membrane
B) Small RNA molecule involved in protein synthesis
C) Circular DNA molecule found in bacteria that can replicate independently
D) Segment of chromosomal DNA
  • 6. Which technique is used to determine the sequence of nucleotides in a DNA molecule?
A) Gene cloning
B) Gel electrophoresis
C) DNA sequencing
D) PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction)
  • 7. What is the function of tRNA in protein synthesis?
A) Stabilizes the genetic code
B) Transfers amino acids to the ribosome
C) Connects mRNA and ribosomes
D) Transcribes DNA
  • 8. What is the process by which a protein is made from mRNA called?
A) Mutation
B) Transcription
C) Replication
D) Translation
  • 9. Which enzyme is responsible for unwinding the DNA double helix during replication?
A) Helicase
B) Ligase
C) DNA polymerase
D) Topoisomerase
  • 10. Who first used the term 'molecular biology'?
A) Rosalind Franklin
B) The English physicist William Astbury
C) James Watson
D) Francis Crick
  • 11. In which year was the double helix model of DNA first described?
A) 1953
B) 1962
C) 1945
D) 1869
  • 12. Who were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1962 for proposing a model of the structure of DNA?
A) William Astbury, Rosalind Franklin, and James Watson
B) Gregor Mendel, Friedrich Miescher, and Phoebus Levene
C) James Watson, Francis Crick, and Maurice Wilkins
D) Rosalind Franklin, Erwin Chargaff, and Max Perutz
  • 13. What did Gregor Mendel pioneer in 1866?
A) The double helix model of DNA
B) Chargaff's rule
C) The laws of inheritance through studies on pea plants
D) The discovery of DNA structure
  • 14. Who proposed the 'polynucleotide model' of DNA in 1919?
A) James Watson
B) Phoebus Levene
C) Erwin Chargaff
D) Francis Crick
  • 15. Which disciplines does molecular biology rely on?
A) Biology, geology, and meteorology
B) Genetics, biochemistry, physics, mathematics, and computer science (bioinformatics)
C) Physics, chemistry, and astronomy
D) Chemistry, engineering, and philosophy
  • 16. Who conducted the experiment that discovered genetic transformation?
A) James Watson
B) Francis Crick
C) Frederick Griffith
D) Gregor Mendel
  • 17. In what year did Frederick Griffith conduct his experiment on pneumococcus bacteria?
A) 1944
B) 1905
C) 1928
D) 1953
  • 18. What is the term for gene transfer occurring in members of the same generation?
A) Genetic recombination
B) Horizontal gene transfer (HGT)
C) Mutation
D) Vertical gene transfer
  • 19. Why is the smooth strain of pneumococcus bacteria virulent?
A) It lacks genetic material.
B) It has a rough colony appearance.
C) Its polysaccharide capsule prevents recognition by the host's immune system.
D) It produces toxins that kill the host.
  • 20. How is the target DNA analyzed for probe presence in ASO techniques?
A) Using mass spectrometry.
B) By measuring pH changes.
C) Via radioactivity or fluorescence.
D) Through electron microscopy.
  • 21. Which technique can be used to introduce mutations into specific bases of DNA?
A) Site-directed mutagenesis using PCR
B) Transfection
C) Transformation
D) Gel electrophoresis
  • 22. At what wavelength does Coomassie Blue shift when it binds to protein in an acidic solution?
A) 620 nm
B) 595 nm
C) 465 nm
D) 700 nm
  • 23. Which technique involves introducing DNA into bacterial cells via cell-cell contact?
A) Conjugation
B) Transfection
C) Transduction
D) Transformation
  • 24. What is the typical length range of probes used in ASO techniques?
A) 30–40 nucleotides.
B) 20–25 nucleotides.
C) 50–100 nucleotides.
D) 5–10 nucleotides.
  • 25. What apparatus was famously used in the Hershey–Chase experiment?
A) Kitchen blender
B) Spectrophotometer
C) Centrifuge
D) Microscope
  • 26. What type of DNA replication was supported by the Meselson–Stahl experiment?
A) Conservative replication
B) Dispersive replication
C) Semiconservative replication
D) Non-conservative replication
  • 27. Which technique involves using antibodies to detect specific proteins?
A) Western blotting
B) Microarrays
C) Eastern blotting
D) Northern blotting
  • 28. Which technique is used to amplify a specific DNA sequence in predetermined ways?
A) Gel electrophoresis
B) Molecular cloning
C) Transfection
D) Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
  • 29. Which process describes how bacteriophages transfer DNA to bacteria?
A) Replication
B) Transformation
C) Conjugation
D) Transduction
  • 30. Which technique involves introducing DNA into eukaryotic cells by physical or chemical means?
A) Transformation
B) Transfection
C) Conjugation
D) Transduction
  • 31. Which method can be used to amplify RNA sequences?
A) Standard PCR
B) Molecular cloning
C) Reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR)
D) Gel electrophoresis
  • 32. Which type of antigen do different subtypes of S and R bacteria produce?
A) The same type
B) Different types
C) Only one common type
D) No antigens
  • 33. What is the typical size of spots on a DNA microarray?
A) ~50 micrometre diameter
B) ~500 micrometre diameter
C) ~100 micrometre diameter
D) ~200 micrometre diameter
  • 34. Which type of gel electrophoresis separates proteins based on size and electric charge?
A) 2D gel electrophoresis
B) SDS-PAGE
C) Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis
D) Agarose gel electrophoresis
  • 35. What role does biophysics play in molecular biology?
A) Using computer science techniques.
B) Focusing on chemical substances in living organisms.
C) Predicting genetic mutations.
D) Studying biomolecules 'from the ground up'.
  • 36. In the Hershey–Chase experiment, which element was used to label DNA?
A) Radioactive carbon
B) Radioactive sulfur
C) Radioactive hydrogen
D) Radioactive phosphorus
  • 37. What dye is utilized in the Bradford protein assay?
A) SYBR Green
B) Ethidium bromide
C) Methylene blue
D) Coomassie Brilliant Blue G-250
  • 38. What organism was used to demonstrate transformation in Griffith's experiment?
A) Streptococcus pneumoniae
B) Escherichia coli
C) Bacteriophage
D) Salmonella typhimurium
  • 39. What is the most common material used for fabricating microarrays?
A) Silicon chips
B) Nylon membranes
C) Nitrocellulose
D) Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)
  • 40. Which technique allows for quantitative measurement of DNA or RNA molecules?
A) Gel electrophoresis
B) Molecular cloning
C) Standard PCR
D) Quantitative PCR
  • 41. What substance can interfere with the Bradford assay?
A) Magnesium chloride
B) Strong alkaline buffering agents such as sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)
C) Proteins
D) Ethanol
  • 42. What is used to transfer DNA samples onto a membrane in Southern blotting?
A) Capillary action
B) Chromatography
C) Electrophoresis
D) Centrifugation
  • 43. What decade was molecular cloning first developed?
A) 1970s
B) 1990s
C) 1960s
D) 1980s
  • 44. What was the method used to determine DNA size before rate sedimentation in sucrose gradients?
A) Chromatography.
B) X-ray crystallography.
C) Gel electrophoresis.
D) Viscometry.
  • 45. Who developed the Bradford assay?
A) Edwin Southern
B) Kary Mullis
C) Patricia Thomas
D) Marion M. Bradford
  • 46. Which technique is used to study when and how much gene expression is occurring?
A) Microarrays
B) Eastern blotting
C) Northern blotting
D) Western blotting
  • 47. What is a common visualization technique used in western blotting?
A) Microarray spot analysis.
B) RNA electrophoresis.
C) Chemiluminescence
D) DNA hybridization.
  • 48. What is the primary difference between northern and western blotting?
A) Northern blotting uses antibodies, while western blotting does not.
B) Northern blotting is used for gene expression profiling.
C) Western blotting detects post-translational modifications.
D) Northern blotting analyzes RNA, while western blotting analyzes proteins.
  • 49. What type of membrane is commonly used in western blotting for protein transfer?
A) Nylon
B) Nitrocellulose
C) Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)
D) Silicon chips
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