BIOLOGY 111 UPDATED EXAM SCRIPT QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔Photosynthesis - ✔✔multi-step process that requires specific wavelengths of visible
sunlight, carbon dioxide (which is low in energy), and water as substrates
✔✔Photosynthesis releases - ✔✔oxygen and produces glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate
(GA3P), as well as simple carbohydrate molecules (high in energy) that can then be
converted into glucose, sucrose, or any of dozens of other sugar molecules
✔✔two major classes of photosynthetic pigments found in plants and algae -
✔✔Chlorophylls and carotenoids
✔✔Chlamydomonas reinhardtii - ✔✔single-celled green alga which has been studied to
produce biopharmaceuticals and also as a clean source of hydrogen fuel.
✔✔DNA - ✔✔Genetic blueprint
instructions that govern the development of an organism
✔✔genes that reside in just 1-2% of human DNA - ✔✔traits such as hair color, hair
texture, skin color, eye color, etc.
✔✔coding region - ✔✔provides the instructions for proteins that determine these
features
1-2% of DNA
✔✔non-coding - ✔✔other 98-99% of human DNA
used in forensics to catch criminals
✔✔short-tandem repeats (STRs) - ✔✔used to differentiate one person from another; in
non-coding DNA
5% to 20% of people share the same DNA profile at any one STR site
15 STR regions are used in DNA profiling, and the probability of two people matching
STRs in all 15 regions is extremely low (except identical twins)
✔✔DNA profile - ✔✔Multiple STR regions from each DNA sample are amplified by
Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
separated by gel electrophoresis based upon STR size
STRs are tagged with fluorescent dyes that allow visualization of the banding pattern
that can easily be compared to others.
✔✔STR sequencing - ✔✔Assume that the odds of two people sharing STR patterns at
any given STR region is 5% (0.05). Given this, the probability of two people with
matching STR patterns at multiple regions are as follows:
, Probability of STRs matching at 2 regions is - 0.05 x 0.05
Probability of STRs matching at 3 regions is - 0.05 x 0.05 x 0.05 etc.
This is an oversimplified concept, but it will help you understand the logic of using
multiple STR regions for analysis.
✔✔DNA polymerase enzyme - ✔✔which has been purified from bacterial cells, is used
to catalyze the PCR reaction
✔✔Put the steps of PCR in order - ✔✔1. Assemble reaction with template DNA and
master mix.
2. Denature
3. Anneal
4. Extend
✔✔When you arrive at lab, you need to be wearing [a] shoes. When it is time to start
experiments, you must wear [b] and, to keep you safe, they must remain over your [c]
while [d] in the lab is doing experiments. - ✔✔When you arrive at lab, you need to be
wearing close-toed shoes. When it is time to start experiments, you must wear goggles
and, to keep you safe, they must remain over your eyes while anyone in the lab is doing
experiments.
✔✔Match the function to the name of the lab equipment. - ✔✔Centrifuge- Spins at a
high speed to separate things by density (denser stuff moves lower in the tube).
Thermocycler- Can be programmed to keep samples/reactions at specific temperatures
for specific lengths of time.
Micropipette- Measures and transfers very specific, usually small, volumes of fluid
accurately.
Chelex beads- Bind metal ions so they can be removed from the sample.
✔✔Match the definitions with the PCR terminology. - ✔✔Denaturation- The DNA
template is heated so the strands separate.
Annealing- The reaction is cooled so the primers can stick to the DNA template.
Extension- The temperature is changed to the ideal temperature for Taq polymerase to
build (synthesize) a new strand based on the template.
Thermocycler- The machine that controls the temperature of the reaction and has been
programmed to move through the heating and cooling steps.
✔✔Why do the cheek cells need to be lysed before setting up PCR? - ✔✔Lysing breaks
open the cells so the DNA is accessible.
✔✔Match the PCR component with its definition - ✔✔DNA template- The original DNA
that you want to copy using PCR.
Primers- Small sections of DNA that match ends of the template so it can be copied.
ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔Photosynthesis - ✔✔multi-step process that requires specific wavelengths of visible
sunlight, carbon dioxide (which is low in energy), and water as substrates
✔✔Photosynthesis releases - ✔✔oxygen and produces glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate
(GA3P), as well as simple carbohydrate molecules (high in energy) that can then be
converted into glucose, sucrose, or any of dozens of other sugar molecules
✔✔two major classes of photosynthetic pigments found in plants and algae -
✔✔Chlorophylls and carotenoids
✔✔Chlamydomonas reinhardtii - ✔✔single-celled green alga which has been studied to
produce biopharmaceuticals and also as a clean source of hydrogen fuel.
✔✔DNA - ✔✔Genetic blueprint
instructions that govern the development of an organism
✔✔genes that reside in just 1-2% of human DNA - ✔✔traits such as hair color, hair
texture, skin color, eye color, etc.
✔✔coding region - ✔✔provides the instructions for proteins that determine these
features
1-2% of DNA
✔✔non-coding - ✔✔other 98-99% of human DNA
used in forensics to catch criminals
✔✔short-tandem repeats (STRs) - ✔✔used to differentiate one person from another; in
non-coding DNA
5% to 20% of people share the same DNA profile at any one STR site
15 STR regions are used in DNA profiling, and the probability of two people matching
STRs in all 15 regions is extremely low (except identical twins)
✔✔DNA profile - ✔✔Multiple STR regions from each DNA sample are amplified by
Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
separated by gel electrophoresis based upon STR size
STRs are tagged with fluorescent dyes that allow visualization of the banding pattern
that can easily be compared to others.
✔✔STR sequencing - ✔✔Assume that the odds of two people sharing STR patterns at
any given STR region is 5% (0.05). Given this, the probability of two people with
matching STR patterns at multiple regions are as follows:
, Probability of STRs matching at 2 regions is - 0.05 x 0.05
Probability of STRs matching at 3 regions is - 0.05 x 0.05 x 0.05 etc.
This is an oversimplified concept, but it will help you understand the logic of using
multiple STR regions for analysis.
✔✔DNA polymerase enzyme - ✔✔which has been purified from bacterial cells, is used
to catalyze the PCR reaction
✔✔Put the steps of PCR in order - ✔✔1. Assemble reaction with template DNA and
master mix.
2. Denature
3. Anneal
4. Extend
✔✔When you arrive at lab, you need to be wearing [a] shoes. When it is time to start
experiments, you must wear [b] and, to keep you safe, they must remain over your [c]
while [d] in the lab is doing experiments. - ✔✔When you arrive at lab, you need to be
wearing close-toed shoes. When it is time to start experiments, you must wear goggles
and, to keep you safe, they must remain over your eyes while anyone in the lab is doing
experiments.
✔✔Match the function to the name of the lab equipment. - ✔✔Centrifuge- Spins at a
high speed to separate things by density (denser stuff moves lower in the tube).
Thermocycler- Can be programmed to keep samples/reactions at specific temperatures
for specific lengths of time.
Micropipette- Measures and transfers very specific, usually small, volumes of fluid
accurately.
Chelex beads- Bind metal ions so they can be removed from the sample.
✔✔Match the definitions with the PCR terminology. - ✔✔Denaturation- The DNA
template is heated so the strands separate.
Annealing- The reaction is cooled so the primers can stick to the DNA template.
Extension- The temperature is changed to the ideal temperature for Taq polymerase to
build (synthesize) a new strand based on the template.
Thermocycler- The machine that controls the temperature of the reaction and has been
programmed to move through the heating and cooling steps.
✔✔Why do the cheek cells need to be lysed before setting up PCR? - ✔✔Lysing breaks
open the cells so the DNA is accessible.
✔✔Match the PCR component with its definition - ✔✔DNA template- The original DNA
that you want to copy using PCR.
Primers- Small sections of DNA that match ends of the template so it can be copied.
