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Molecular biology - Exam
Contributed by: Skelton
  • 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) Double helix
B) Circular
C) Single strand
D) Triple helix
  • 2. What is the role of mRNA in protein synthesis?
A) Replicates DNA
B) Translates proteins into genetic code
C) Stabilizes the genetic information
D) Carries genetic information from DNA to the ribosome
  • 3. What is a codon?
A) A protein subunit
B) An enzyme in the nucleus
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) Golgi apparatus
C) Mitochondria
D) Nucleus
  • 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) DNA sequencing
B) Gene cloning
C) PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction)
D) Gel electrophoresis
  • 7. What is the function of tRNA in protein synthesis?
A) Transfers amino acids to the ribosome
B) Stabilizes the genetic code
C) Transcribes DNA
D) Connects mRNA and ribosomes
  • 8. What is the process by which a protein is made from mRNA called?
A) Replication
B) Translation
C) Mutation
D) Transcription
  • 9. Which enzyme is responsible for unwinding the DNA double helix during replication?
A) Helicase
B) Topoisomerase
C) DNA polymerase
D) Ligase
  • 10. Who first used the term 'molecular biology'?
A) Francis Crick
B) James Watson
C) Rosalind Franklin
D) The English physicist William Astbury
  • 11. In which year was the double helix model of DNA first described?
A) 1962
B) 1953
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) Rosalind Franklin, Erwin Chargaff, and Max Perutz
B) James Watson, Francis Crick, and Maurice Wilkins
C) William Astbury, Rosalind Franklin, and James Watson
D) Gregor Mendel, Friedrich Miescher, and Phoebus Levene
  • 13. What did Gregor Mendel pioneer in 1866?
A) The laws of inheritance through studies on pea plants
B) The double helix model of DNA
C) Chargaff's rule
D) The discovery of DNA structure
  • 14. Who proposed the 'polynucleotide model' of DNA in 1919?
A) Francis Crick
B) Erwin Chargaff
C) Phoebus Levene
D) James Watson
  • 15. Which disciplines does molecular biology rely on?
A) Biology, geology, and meteorology
B) Genetics, biochemistry, physics, mathematics, and computer science (bioinformatics)
C) Chemistry, engineering, and philosophy
D) Physics, chemistry, and astronomy
  • 16. Who conducted the experiment that discovered genetic transformation?
A) Frederick Griffith
B) Francis Crick
C) James Watson
D) Gregor Mendel
  • 17. In what year did Frederick Griffith conduct his experiment on pneumococcus bacteria?
A) 1944
B) 1905
C) 1953
D) 1928
  • 18. What is the term for gene transfer occurring in members of the same generation?
A) Horizontal gene transfer (HGT)
B) Mutation
C) Genetic recombination
D) Vertical gene transfer
  • 19. Why is the smooth strain of pneumococcus bacteria virulent?
A) It has a rough colony appearance.
B) Its polysaccharide capsule prevents recognition by the host's immune system.
C) It produces toxins that kill the host.
D) It lacks genetic material.
  • 20. How is the target DNA analyzed for probe presence in ASO techniques?
A) Using mass spectrometry.
B) Via radioactivity or fluorescence.
C) Through electron microscopy.
D) By measuring pH changes.
  • 21. Which technique can be used to introduce mutations into specific bases of DNA?
A) Gel electrophoresis
B) Site-directed mutagenesis using PCR
C) Transfection
D) Transformation
  • 22. At what wavelength does Coomassie Blue shift when it binds to protein in an acidic solution?
A) 595 nm
B) 620 nm
C) 465 nm
D) 700 nm
  • 23. Which technique involves introducing DNA into bacterial cells via cell-cell contact?
A) Transformation
B) Conjugation
C) Transduction
D) Transfection
  • 24. What is the typical length range of probes used in ASO techniques?
A) 30–40 nucleotides.
B) 50–100 nucleotides.
C) 20–25 nucleotides.
D) 5–10 nucleotides.
  • 25. What apparatus was famously used in the Hershey–Chase experiment?
A) Spectrophotometer
B) Centrifuge
C) Kitchen blender
D) Microscope
  • 26. What type of DNA replication was supported by the Meselson–Stahl experiment?
A) Semiconservative replication
B) Dispersive replication
C) Non-conservative replication
D) Conservative replication
  • 27. Which technique involves using antibodies to detect specific proteins?
A) Microarrays
B) Western blotting
C) Eastern blotting
D) Northern blotting
  • 28. Which technique is used to amplify a specific DNA sequence in predetermined ways?
A) Transfection
B) Gel electrophoresis
C) Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
D) Molecular cloning
  • 29. Which process describes how bacteriophages transfer DNA to bacteria?
A) Transduction
B) Conjugation
C) Transformation
D) Replication
  • 30. Which technique involves introducing DNA into eukaryotic cells by physical or chemical means?
A) Transfection
B) Transduction
C) Conjugation
D) Transformation
  • 31. Which method can be used to amplify RNA sequences?
A) Gel electrophoresis
B) Reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR)
C) Standard PCR
D) Molecular cloning
  • 32. Which type of antigen do different subtypes of S and R bacteria produce?
A) Different types
B) No antigens
C) The same type
D) Only one common type
  • 33. What is the typical size of spots on a DNA microarray?
A) ~500 micrometre diameter
B) ~100 micrometre diameter
C) ~200 micrometre diameter
D) ~50 micrometre diameter
  • 34. Which type of gel electrophoresis separates proteins based on size and electric charge?
A) SDS-PAGE
B) Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis
C) 2D gel electrophoresis
D) Agarose gel electrophoresis
  • 35. What role does biophysics play in molecular biology?
A) Studying biomolecules 'from the ground up'.
B) Predicting genetic mutations.
C) Focusing on chemical substances in living organisms.
D) Using computer science techniques.
  • 36. In the Hershey–Chase experiment, which element was used to label DNA?
A) Radioactive phosphorus
B) Radioactive hydrogen
C) Radioactive carbon
D) Radioactive sulfur
  • 37. What dye is utilized in the Bradford protein assay?
A) SYBR Green
B) Coomassie Brilliant Blue G-250
C) Methylene blue
D) Ethidium bromide
  • 38. What organism was used to demonstrate transformation in Griffith's experiment?
A) Salmonella typhimurium
B) Escherichia coli
C) Bacteriophage
D) Streptococcus pneumoniae
  • 39. What is the most common material used for fabricating microarrays?
A) Nitrocellulose
B) Silicon chips
C) Nylon membranes
D) Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)
  • 40. Which technique allows for quantitative measurement of DNA or RNA molecules?
A) Standard PCR
B) Gel electrophoresis
C) Molecular cloning
D) Quantitative PCR
  • 41. What substance can interfere with the Bradford assay?
A) Ethanol
B) Magnesium chloride
C) Strong alkaline buffering agents such as sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)
D) Proteins
  • 42. What is used to transfer DNA samples onto a membrane in Southern blotting?
A) Electrophoresis
B) Capillary action
C) Centrifugation
D) Chromatography
  • 43. What decade was molecular cloning first developed?
A) 1960s
B) 1980s
C) 1990s
D) 1970s
  • 44. What was the method used to determine DNA size before rate sedimentation in sucrose gradients?
A) Gel electrophoresis.
B) X-ray crystallography.
C) Viscometry.
D) Chromatography.
  • 45. Who developed the Bradford assay?
A) Marion M. Bradford
B) Patricia Thomas
C) Kary Mullis
D) Edwin Southern
  • 46. Which technique is used to study when and how much gene expression is occurring?
A) Northern blotting
B) Microarrays
C) Eastern 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) Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)
B) Nylon
C) Silicon chips
D) Nitrocellulose
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