BIO 150 EXAM 1 UTK MAMANTOV 2026 EXAM
PREPARATION PACK KEY CELL BIOLOGY AND
GENETICS CONCEPTS WITH SAMPLE
QUESTIONS
◉ What is the secondary structure of DNA. Answer: The secondary
structure of DNA is an antiparallel double helix.
◉ Explain the key results of the Hershey-Chase experiment. Answer:
They wanted to figure out whether genes were made of DNA or
proteins. They found out that DNA was present (no proteins). DNA
contains all the information for life's complexity.
◉ What is complementary base pairing and how does it influence
the structure of DNA?. Answer: A+T and C+G. It determines how the
double helix is formed.
◉ Explain how DNA is directional based on its structure.. Answer:
Monomers connect to create polymers that makeup the backbone of
the sugar-phosphate connection. Those connections occur when the
3 prime carbon atom connect with the phosphate group through the
process of condensation ending in the linkage of the 2 monomers
and creating a phosphodiester linkage. This link makes up DNA's
backbone and creates directionality and develops structure.
,◉ Which end of a DNA strand are new nucleotides added to?.
Answer: 3'
◉ Why are nucleotides added to 3' end?. Answer: The
phosphodiester linkages can be created and can't be attached to
nucleotides to phosphate by themself.
◉ Which direction are nucleotides added?. Answer: 5' to 3'
◉ Which molecules make up a DNA molecule?. Answer: A nitrogen-
containing region known as a nitrogenous base, a carbon-based
sugar molecule called deoxyribose, and a phosphorus-containing
region known as a phosphate group attached to the sugar molecule.
◉ What types of bonds help DNA maintain its structure?. Answer:
Covalent bonds are made to connect the bases, sugar, and phosphate
groups together. Hydrogen bonds connect the complementary bases
together (A+T and G+C).
◉ What is semi-conservative replication?. Answer: Semiconservative
replication refers to how new strands of DNA have one strand of
new DNA and one strand of parental DNA.
,◉ What enzyme is responsible for adding new base pairs to the DNA
molecule?. Answer: DNA Polymerase
◉ Explain the process of transcription. Answer: This is the process
of turning DNA into RNA. When you are given the DNA strand, find
the matching nucleotides (bases) that compose the RNA strand.
Remember, for RNA, C=G and A=U.
EX: AGCTTCAGTAAGC -> UCGAAGUCAUUCG
◉ Explain the process of translation. Answer: Translation is the
process of turning RNA into a protein. Look for the codons in the
RNA, and it can help to section the codons. Then, compare each
codon to the codon chart to determine the amino acid.
Remember that this occurs in the Ribosome!
◉ What are the key features of the genetic code?. Answer: 1.
Redundant: most amino acids are coded for by more than one codon
2. Unambiguous: a given codon never codes for more than one
amino acid
3. Non-overlapping: once the ribosome locks onto the start codon,
the reading frame is established, and the ribosome reads each
separate codon
, 4. (Nearly) universal: all codons specify the same amino acids in all
organisms 3 based paired can only be translated into 1 amino acid
based off of genetic code (nucleotide order; ex: AUG can only turn
into Methionine.
◉ Explain how DNA sequence determines an organism's genotype
and identify how genotype is linked to phenotype. Answer:
Genotype is stored in the DNA. Through the steps of the central
dogma (gene expression) you can get the proteins from the
genotype. These proteins affect the phenotype.
◉ What are the 4 types of point mutations?. Answer: silent,
missense, nonsense, frameshift
◉ How do silent point mutations influence phenotype?. Answer:
There is a change in nucleotide sequence that does not change the
amino acid specified by a codon
◉ How do missense point mutations influence phenotype?. Answer:
There is a change in nucleotide sequence that changes the amino
acid specified by codon.
◉ How do nonsense point mutations influence phenotype?. Answer:
There is a change in nucleotide sequence that results in an early stop
codon.
PREPARATION PACK KEY CELL BIOLOGY AND
GENETICS CONCEPTS WITH SAMPLE
QUESTIONS
◉ What is the secondary structure of DNA. Answer: The secondary
structure of DNA is an antiparallel double helix.
◉ Explain the key results of the Hershey-Chase experiment. Answer:
They wanted to figure out whether genes were made of DNA or
proteins. They found out that DNA was present (no proteins). DNA
contains all the information for life's complexity.
◉ What is complementary base pairing and how does it influence
the structure of DNA?. Answer: A+T and C+G. It determines how the
double helix is formed.
◉ Explain how DNA is directional based on its structure.. Answer:
Monomers connect to create polymers that makeup the backbone of
the sugar-phosphate connection. Those connections occur when the
3 prime carbon atom connect with the phosphate group through the
process of condensation ending in the linkage of the 2 monomers
and creating a phosphodiester linkage. This link makes up DNA's
backbone and creates directionality and develops structure.
,◉ Which end of a DNA strand are new nucleotides added to?.
Answer: 3'
◉ Why are nucleotides added to 3' end?. Answer: The
phosphodiester linkages can be created and can't be attached to
nucleotides to phosphate by themself.
◉ Which direction are nucleotides added?. Answer: 5' to 3'
◉ Which molecules make up a DNA molecule?. Answer: A nitrogen-
containing region known as a nitrogenous base, a carbon-based
sugar molecule called deoxyribose, and a phosphorus-containing
region known as a phosphate group attached to the sugar molecule.
◉ What types of bonds help DNA maintain its structure?. Answer:
Covalent bonds are made to connect the bases, sugar, and phosphate
groups together. Hydrogen bonds connect the complementary bases
together (A+T and G+C).
◉ What is semi-conservative replication?. Answer: Semiconservative
replication refers to how new strands of DNA have one strand of
new DNA and one strand of parental DNA.
,◉ What enzyme is responsible for adding new base pairs to the DNA
molecule?. Answer: DNA Polymerase
◉ Explain the process of transcription. Answer: This is the process
of turning DNA into RNA. When you are given the DNA strand, find
the matching nucleotides (bases) that compose the RNA strand.
Remember, for RNA, C=G and A=U.
EX: AGCTTCAGTAAGC -> UCGAAGUCAUUCG
◉ Explain the process of translation. Answer: Translation is the
process of turning RNA into a protein. Look for the codons in the
RNA, and it can help to section the codons. Then, compare each
codon to the codon chart to determine the amino acid.
Remember that this occurs in the Ribosome!
◉ What are the key features of the genetic code?. Answer: 1.
Redundant: most amino acids are coded for by more than one codon
2. Unambiguous: a given codon never codes for more than one
amino acid
3. Non-overlapping: once the ribosome locks onto the start codon,
the reading frame is established, and the ribosome reads each
separate codon
, 4. (Nearly) universal: all codons specify the same amino acids in all
organisms 3 based paired can only be translated into 1 amino acid
based off of genetic code (nucleotide order; ex: AUG can only turn
into Methionine.
◉ Explain how DNA sequence determines an organism's genotype
and identify how genotype is linked to phenotype. Answer:
Genotype is stored in the DNA. Through the steps of the central
dogma (gene expression) you can get the proteins from the
genotype. These proteins affect the phenotype.
◉ What are the 4 types of point mutations?. Answer: silent,
missense, nonsense, frameshift
◉ How do silent point mutations influence phenotype?. Answer:
There is a change in nucleotide sequence that does not change the
amino acid specified by a codon
◉ How do missense point mutations influence phenotype?. Answer:
There is a change in nucleotide sequence that changes the amino
acid specified by codon.
◉ How do nonsense point mutations influence phenotype?. Answer:
There is a change in nucleotide sequence that results in an early stop
codon.
