Past Year Questions Chapter 7: Mutation

2006/2007
PSPM
1. FIGURE 1 shows the normal sequence of an mRNA and its corresponding translated amino
acid.

FIGURE 1

The mRNA codons for some amino acids are listed below:

ACA – threonine (thr) GAA – glutamic acid (glu)

AAA – lysine (lys) CAA – glutamine (gln)
AAG – lysine (lys) CAU – histidine (his)
GAU – aspartic acid (asp) AAC – asparagines (asn)
GAC – aspartic acid (asp) AUC – isoleucine (ile)

(a) What is the sequence of the normal template DNA strand? [1 mark]
3’---TAC CTT TTT GTT CTA GTA--- 5’
(at least one terminal must be labeled)

(b) Frequent exposure of the normal gene to radiation can lead to mutation, thus resulting in
the production of a mutant mRNA. What is the amino acid sequence if:

i. Uracil in the fifth codon is replaced by Cytosine? [1 mark]

……met – glu – lys – glu / gln –asp – his ……..

ii. Guanine in the second codon is deleted? [1 mark]

……met – lys – asn – lys – ile…….

(c) State the type of mutation in b(i) and b(ii), and what are their effects.
i. Mutant b(i): [2 marks]
Type : Base substitution // Silent mutation
Effect : None

ii. Mutant b(ii) : [2 marks]

Type : Base deletion // Frameshift mutation
Effect : The amino acid sequence changes from the point of
Mutation.

(d) State TWO examples of mutagen [1 mark]

Ultra violet (UV) radiation/ Gamma ray/ X-ray/ colchicines/ ethidium
bromide
(Any TWO)

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Past Year Questions Chapter 7: Mutation

(e) What type of mutation causes: [2 marks]

i. Sickle cell anaemia
substitution

ii. Thalassaemia
Deletion

2007/2008
UPS
2. FIGURE 2 shows a karyotype of an individual suffering from genetic disorder.

FIGURE 2

(b) i. How many chromosomes are found in the somatic cells of this [1 mark]
individual?
47

ii. Name the genetic disorder caused by the chromosomal alteration as [1 mark]
shown in FIGURE 2.
Down syndrome

iii. Describe the chromosomal events which cause this genetic disorder. [3 marks]
- Non-disjunction of chromosome 21 during anaphase I/
anaphase II of oogenesis.
- The gamete formed has 23+1/ n+1 chromosomes/ extra 1
chromosome at number 21.
- If fertilized by a normal sperm, the zygote has 47 chromosomes/
three chromosomes at chromosome number 21.

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Past Year Questions Chapter 7: Mutation

2008/2009
UPS
3. FIGURE 3 shows types of gene mutation.

FIGURE 4

FIGURE 3

i. Name the type of gene mutation A and B. [2 marks]

A : Base substitution
B : Base deletion

ii. Between gene mutation A and B, which is more lethal? Give your [2 marks]
reason.
B
- It causes a shift in reading frame/ frameshift
- The genes to be read in three wrong base groups starting from
the point of mutation.
- Changes in codons results in changes of amino acid sequence
- Different polypeptides are produced
(Any ONE)

iii. Give an example of disease caused by gene mutation. [1 mark]

Sickle cell anaemia

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Past Year Questions Chapter 7: Mutation

2009/2010
UPS
4. FIGURE 4 shows a hybridization process between plant P and Q.

FIGURE 4

(a) i. Determine the sterile hybrid plant and the fertile hybrid plant. [2 marks]
Sterile hybrid plant : Plant Q
Fertile hybrid plant : Plant S

ii. Name process A. [1 mark]

Chromosome doubling/ chromosome duplication/ allopolyploidy/
polyploidy

iii. State the chromosome number for the fertile hybrid plant. [1 mark]
2n = 28 chromosomes

(b) List TWO differences between Down syndrome and Cri-du-chat syndrome [2 marks]
in terms of chromosomal characteristic.

Down syndrome Cri-du-chat syndrome

i. Changes in chromosome Changes in chromosome
number // Chromosomal structure // Chromosome
number abnormalities aberration
ii. Involves non-disjunction Involves deletion of
of chromosomes chromosome parts/ loss of
chromosome segment
iii. Involves chromosome Involves chromosome
number 21 number 5
iv. 47 chromosomes/ 2n+1/ 46 chromosomes/ 2n
trisomy

2010/2011
UPS
5. In the 19th century, only S.maritima (2n=60) could be found in Britain. After 40 years,
S.alterniflora (2n=62) from America was introduced and interbred with S.maritima to form
sterile hybrid, S.townsendii. 15 years later, a new generation of S.townsendii has evolved into
fertile species, S.anglica.

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Past Year Questions Chapter 7: Mutation

i. What type of euploidy occured in the statement above? [1 mark]

Allopolyploidy

ii. State the chromosome number of S.townsendii. [1 mark]

n+n=61

iii. Explain why S.townsendii was sterile. [2 marks]

- No homologous chromosomes for meiosis // No synapsis occur
- Therefore no gametes were produced // No viable gametes/
meiosis cannot occur.

iv. How can the sterile hybrid S.townsendii be bred? [1 mark]

Vegetative propagation // Asexual reproduction

2012/2013
PSPM
6. FIGURE 5 shows two types of abnormal meiotic division.

FIGURE 5

(a) Name the phenomenon that causes this type of abnormality. [1 mark]
Non(-)disjunction

(b) State the type of gamete cells produced by Z in FIGURE 5. [3 marks]

n+1
n–1
n

(c) Aneuploid individual will be produced when any abnormal gamete is [4 marks]
fertilized by a normal gamete. Name the aneuploid conditions and explain
how they are produced.
- Trisomy
- n+1 gamete fertilized by normal gamete (dependent to Trisomy)
- Monosomy

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Past Year Questions Chapter 7: Mutation

- n - 1 gamete fertilized by normal/ n gamete (dependent to

Monosomy)

(d) Name TWO syndromes that can result from the type of abnormality in (c) [2 marks]
involving the sex chromosomes in human.
Turner/ XO (syndrome) // Klinefelter/ XXY (syndrome) // XXX/ triplo
X (syndrome)

2013/2014
PSPM
7. FIGURE 6 shows a type of mutation.

FIGURE 6

(a) State the type of mutation in FIGURE 6. [1 mark]

Chromosome number alteration // Aneuploidy

(b) What is the phenomenon that causes the mutation in FIGURE 6? [1 mark]
Non-disjunction

(c) Identify cell division stage where mutation occurs in B and C. [2 marks]
B : Anaphase I/ meiosis I
C : Anaphase II/ meiosis II

(d) Name a syndrome resulting from a gamete with an extra chromosome 21 is [3 marks]
fertilized by a normal sperm. List TWO physical symptoms of this
syndrome.
Down/ Down’s syndrome
- Fold of skin above the eye
- Short stature // Short finger
- Protruding furrow tongue
Any TWO
- Round/ broad face and slanted eye
- Flattened nose
- Small/ irregular teeth

(e) i. Give TWO conditions when the whole set of chromosome failed to [2 marks]
separate during cell division.
- Autopolyploidy
- Allopolyploidy

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Past Year Questions Chapter 7: Mutation

ii. Why this phenomenon rarely found in animal? [1 mark]

Death of gamete during early development

2015/2016
PSPM
8. TABLE 1 shows the summary of the result of abnormalities that occur during gametogenesis.

Individual Sperm Egg Zygote Genetic disorder

I A B XO R
II C D E Klinefelter syndrome
III F G YO -
TABLE 1
(a) What causes the abnormalities shown in TABLE 1? [1 mark]
Non-disjunction // Homologous chromosomes/ sister chromatids fail to
separate.

(b) What is the genotype represented by E? [1 mark]

XXY

(c) Name genetic disorder R. [1 mark]

Turner syndrome

(d) i. Explain how the zygote with genotype YO is produced. [2 marks]

- The ovum produced does not carry any sex/ X chromosome //
Abnormal female gamete with genotype 22+0.
- The abnormal ovum is fertilised by a sperm carrying the Y
chromosome.

ii. What would happen to the zygote with genotype YO? [1 mark]
(Zygote) fails to develop // Dies // Non-viable // Fatal

(e) Give TWO differences between the individual with genetic disorder R and [4 marks]
the individual with Klinefelter syndrome.
- The genotype of R is XO while Klinefelter syndrome is XXY. 2/0
- R is female while Klinefelter syndrome is male. 2/0 Any 2
- R is an example of monosomy/ 2n-1 while Klinefelter syndrome is an 2/0
example of trisomy/ 2n+1.

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Past Year Questions Chapter 7: Mutation

2016/2017
PSPM
9. (a) FIGURE 7 shows types of small scale mutations that affect mRNA and amino acid
sequences.

FIGURE 7

i. Identify gene mutations I, II and III. [3 marks]

I : Missense mutation // Base Substitution

II : Nonsense mutation // Base Substitution
III : Frameshift mutation // Base insertion

ii. Among mutations I, II and III, which is the least severe? Give a reason. [2 marks]
Mutation I (don’t accept missense mutation)
It only changes one amino acid // change only one codon

iii. Give TWO differences between mutation I and mutation III. [2 marks]

Mutation I Mutation III

Involve one codon //
Involve one amino acids
Involve base substitution // Does
not involves frameshift mutation
Less severe
Involve many codons //
Involve many amino acids //
Involves all codon/ amino acid
start from the point of mutation
Involves base insertion //
Involves frameshift mutation
More severe

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Past Year Questions Chapter 7: Mutation

(b) FIGURE 8 shows normal and mutation sequences of haemoglobin.

FIGURE 8

i. Name the disease caused by the mutation in FIGURE 8. [1 mark]

Sickle cell anaemia/ anemia

ii. The heterozygous gene for mutated haemoglobin above is resistant to [2 marks]
malaria. Give your reasons.
The body destroys the sickle red blood cells rapidly
Plasmodium/ malaria parasites cannot thrive/ survive in abnormal/
sickle cell haemoglobin/ HbS

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