BIRLA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE, HYDERABAD CAMPUS

TEST-2 (Closed book); 1st semester 2014-15

GENERAL BIOLOGY (BIO F111)
Date: 03.11.14 Total marks: 30 + 30 = 60 Time: 60 min
ID: Name: Section No:
PART A
Note: Write your answers in the space provided. NO MARKS FOR ABBREVIATIONS IN YOUR ANSWERS.

1. You have set up a reaction containing a DNA template (of length n nucleotides), a specific primer (of length
n-x nucleotides), all four un-labelled deoxyribonucleotides (G, A, T and C) and the appropriate enzyme.
Based on your knowledge of how DNA is sequenced, answer the following:
1a. What is the name of the enzyme added to the reaction? 1M

1b. What will be the length(s) of the synthesized DNA molecule(s)? 1M

1c. In the above reaction, if you replaced the four deoxyribonucleotides with the corresponding labelled di- 2M
deoxyribonucleotides, what will be the length(s) of the newly synthesized DNA(s)?

1d. If you included all four deoxyribonucleotides as well as the corresponding labelled di-deoxyribonucleotides, 4M
what will be the lengths of the shortest and the longest newly synthesized DNA molecules?
Shortest fragment :

Longest fragment :

1e. Why do all of the DNA molecules created during sequencing have the same nucleotide sequence at the 2M
starting point?

2. A scientist discovered a microorganism in the hot sulfur springs of Yellowstone National Park in USA. This
organism had no peptidoglycan in its cell wall. It had DNA but no nucleus and grew best at temperatures
around 100oC.
2a. What is the term that describes an organism without a nucleus? 1M

2b. Based on the information provided, to which Domain do you think this microorganism belongs? Give two 3M
reasons for your answer.
Domain:
Reason-1:
Reason-2:
2c. To which extremophile group do you think this microorganism belongs, based on its habitat and its preferred 1M
growth temperature?
3. As a medical investigator with the local police, you want to find out if DNA from a biological tissue sample
(unknown sample) recovered from a crime scene matches that of a suspect, Mr. X. Based on your knowledge
of DNA fingerprinting, you would choose specific regions of DNA from the unknown sample and from Mr. X.
3a. What does this specific region of DNA contain? 2M

3b. What is the name of the process you would utilize to obtain large amounts of this specific DNA for analysis? 1M

3c. What is the name of the technique used to analyse the products you obtained in step b? 1M

3d. What is the principle underlying the technique used in step c? 2M

4. Name the process associated with the following phenomena.

4a. Removal of toxic substances from the environment using living organisms. 1M

4b. Replacement of the nucleus of a vertebrate egg cell with a new nucleus taken from a suitable donor cell. 2M

4c. A treatment alternative that involves replacement/deletion/manipulation of genes. 1M

5. A scientist studying acellular disease-causing agents (also known as pathogens) found the following three
different types of agents, , and , each of which could cause disease in a different host.
5a. Agent was composed purely of single-stranded RNA. When injected into tomato plants caused stunted 1M
growth. It was not harmful to mice and guinea pigs. Based on this information, what kind of pathogen is
Agent ?

5b. On the other hand, Agent was composed purely of protein and was similar to a protein called h found in
the brain of healthy mice. When the protein was injected into healthy mice, it caused shape change and
aggregation of the h protein, leading to brain damage and death of the mouse. Agent was not tested on
any plant for its effect.
5b(i) What kind of a pathogen is Agent ? 1M

5b(ii) What is the name of the process that leads to the changes in h protein? 1M

5c. Agent contained both RNA and protein as its constituents. This agent was specific only to mammary cells
and not to any other cell type. In the mammary cells, the RNA of Agent was converted into DNA to facilitate
its replication. When injected into mammary glands of mice, Agent caused mammary tumours.
5c(i) What kind of a pathogen is Agent ? 1M

5c(ii) What is the name of the enzyme that would convert the RNA of Agent into DNA? 1M
 BIRLA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE, HYDERABAD CAMPUS
TEST-2 (Closed book); 1st semester 2014-15
GENERAL BIOLOGY (BIO F111)
Date: 03.11.14 Total marks: 30 + 30 = 60 Time: 60 min
ID: Name: Section No:
PART B
Note: Write your answers in the space provided. NO MARKS FOR ABBREVIATIONS IN YOUR ANSWERS.
1. In Drosophila, red eye color allele (R) is dominant over white eye allele (r) and normal wings (W) dominant 7M
over the curled wings (w). If a parent fly having red eye & normal wings produces of the offspring having
white eyes & curled wings, give the genotypes for the second parent.
1a.

2a. i) Write down the amino sequence that will be coded by the wild-type RNA sequence and its various mutants.
ii) Name each of the mutation types. Use the genetic code table given with rough worksheet.
RNAsequence Amino acid sequence Mutation type 7M
(i) (ii)
1 Wild-type(normal) AAAUGUCAUAGUGU
2 Mutant
AAAUGCCAUAGUGU
3 Mutant
AAAUGUAAUAGUGU
2b A eukaryotic gene can produce many proteins. Name the process and describe how a single gene produces 3M
many proteins.
3. You have been given a fragment of human DNA containing gene for interferon This fragment has sticky 6M
ends created by EcoR1 digestion. You have a plasmid vector which can be cut with the same restriction
enzyme EcoR1. With the help of a labelled diagram show how you can produce interferon in bacteria.

4. In trisomy patients, abnormal number of chromosome is found instead of normal diploid number.
4a Mention the cause of this defect. 1M

4b Justify whether the defect occurs in the patient or in his/her parent. 3M

4c Fill the chromosome constitution in the boxes given below that leads to trisomy defect. 3M
Parent1 Parent2 Trisomy patient
Cells
Gametes

Rough work
Name:_________________________ ID: __________