St.

Joseph’s International Catholic College

Grade 12 Biology Test:
25 Marks
Module 6: Genetic Change:

Name: ____________________________________________ Class: ______ Date: 21st May 2021

Part A: Multiple Choice Questions (1 mark each): Write the letter of the most correct answer in the boxes.

1. Identify which feature of cancer cells makes them different from normal cells.
A. Cancer cells are unable to synthesise DNA.
B. Cancer cells are arrested in S phase of cell cycle.
C. Cancer cells continue to divide even when they are tightly packed together.
D. Cancer cells are always in M phase of the cell cycle.

2. The use of embryonic stem cells has attracted much attention in the scientific world and in the media.
Pluripotent stem cells are taken from embryos. They can be stimulated to become any type of cell in
the body. This technology has led to ethical questions because:
A. differentiated stem cells have no practical use outside the laboratory
B. stem cells must be taken from two-week-old embryos that have been removed from the uterus
C. there is no source of embryonic stem cells other than from aborted fetuses
D. stem cells are from excess embryos produced in the IVF process

3. A nonsense mutation is a mutation which:

A. Swaps an amino acid with another
B. Generates a stop codon in the sequence
C. Adds a codon to an RNA transcript
D. Deletes sections of RNA

4. Select the answer that would be most likely to result in polyploidy:

A. gamete with n number of chromosomes
B. a gametic cell with 2n number of chromosomes
C. a sperm or ovum with n number of chromosomes
D. a somatic cell with 2n number of chromosomes

5. Identify the two methods commonly used for inserting transgenic plasmids in the bacterial
transformation process:
A. vector transfer and microinjection C. heat shock and electrolysis
B. PCR and co-culture D. heat shock and electroporation
Science Department Grade 12 Biology Test

6. Ionizing radiation is a high-energy form of radiation which can cause ions or free radicals to form.
Which of the following correctly describes the action that free radicals can have on DNA?
A. Cause oxidative damage from stealing electrons from DNA molecules
B. Release compounds which interfere with transcription processes
C. Cleave DNA strands
D. Prevents DNA polymerase activity

7. The bread mould, Neurospora crassa, normally produces its own amino acids from raw materials
through a system of enzymes.

If a mutation occurred in gene B, the bread mould would still produce arginine if supplied with:
A. Citrulline C. Enzyme C
B. Ornithine D. Raw materials

8. Artificial embryo twinning is a technique used for:

A. whole organism cloning by in vitro separation of an early stage embryo into two
B. human IVF programs to provide twins for the parents
C. tissue culture of endangered plant species
D. somatic cell nuclear transfer research to create identical clones of valuable livestock

9. Which description describes a recombinant protein?

A. has a structure that has been denatured then restored
B. contains polypeptides from different types of proteins
C. copied multiple times using PCR technology
D. expressed from DNA that has a gene inserted from a different species

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Science Department Grade 12 Biology Test

Use the following diagram to answer Questions 10–11.

The diagram shows how CRISPR/Cas9 can be used as a new tool for genetic engineering. This technology has
dramatically improved scientists’ ability to successfully modify genomes.

10. What type of structure must Cas9 be?

A. Enzyme C. Ribosome
B. mRNA D. tRNA

11. Scientists have been able to use biotechnology to ‘cut and paste’ DNA for decades.
Why would the new CRISPR/Cas9 technology have improved the scientists’ success in cutting DNA of
specific genes?
A. Cas9 is able to combine with specific DNA.
B. Cas9 has an active site that cuts target DNA.
C. gRNA has the same nucleotides as the target DNA.
D. gRNA has nucleotides complementary to the target DNA

12. Which description describes a recombinant protein?

A. has a structure that has been denatured then restored
B. contains polypeptides from different types of proteins
C. copied multiple times using PCR technology
D. expressed from DNA that has a gene inserted from a different species

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Science Department Grade 12 Biology Test
Part B: Answer the questions as required.
13. Consider the data illustrating a normal DNA triplet and two different mutations set out below.

Normal Mutation X Mutation Y

DNA strand C T T C T G C T C
mRNA G A A G A C G A G
Amino acid Glu Asp Glu

Use the data to highlight the differences between a silent and missense mutation. Identify what kind of
mutation is X and Y representing. (3)
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14. Outline the three stages of polymerase chain reaction can be used to amplify DNA sequences. (6)
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15. DNA can be inserted into bacterial plasmids to produce recombinant DNA.
The diagrams below show a bacterial plasmid in its original form and the recombinant plasmid after a
desired gene, X, has been spliced into a particular position. Plasmids are incorporated into bacterial
hosts. (4)
Explain how gene A and gene B could be
monitored to determine which bacterial
hosts have successfully incorporated the
desired recombinant DNA.

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End of Test

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