BICD 100 - Midterm #1 Study Guide
questions and answers graded A+
Genetics - correct answer ✔✔ The branch of biology concerned with the study of heredity and
variation.
Haploid(n) vs. Diploid(2n) - correct answer ✔✔ Haploid cells have n chromosomes, while diploid
cells have 2n chromosomes. Chromosomes in diploid cells are in pairs and are called
homologous chromosomes.
Forms of Cell Division - correct answer ✔✔ Mitosis and meiosis. Mitosis = exact cell replication
and cell division, where goes from 2n --> 2n. Meiosis = formation of gametes, so goes from 2n --
> n.
Chromosomal Theory of Inheritance - correct answer ✔✔ Inherited traits are controlled by
genes residing on chromosomes faithfully transmitted through gametes, maintaining genetic
continuity from generation to generation.
Alleles - correct answer ✔✔ Different versions of a gene. A mutation can produce new and
unique versions of a gene that can lead to unique phenotypes.
Genotype vs. Phenotype - correct answer ✔✔ An organism's genotype is the set of genes that it
carries. An organism's phenotype is all of its observable characteristics. Genotype --> Phenotype
Central Dogma - correct answer ✔✔ Goes from DNA (process of transcription) --> messenger
RNA that binds to ribosome (process of translation) --> protein. mRNA contains nucleotide
triplets that each represent a code for a specific amino acid. Protein assembly/transcription is
helped by transfer RNA (tRNA).
, Enzymes - correct answer ✔✔ Catalysts for chemical reactions in living things.
Restriction Enzymes - correct answer ✔✔ Used by bacteria to cut and inactivate the DNA of
invading viruses, could cut any organism's DNA.
Model Organisms - correct answer ✔✔ Organisms with well-characterized genetics that begin
being used for the study of basic biological processes. Some include fruit fly (drosophilia), mice,
etc.
Meiosis - correct answer ✔✔ Special type of cell division that leads into daughter cells. Meiosis
is part of a special type of cell division that leads to production of sex cells: gates or spores.
Gametes are all haploid (n). When not undergoing division, genetic material making up
chromosomes uncoils into diffuse into network in nucleus. n chromosomal structures line up
along the metaphase plate for Meiosis I and Meiosis II.
Chromosome - correct answer ✔✔ A threadlike, gene-carrying structure found in the nucleus.
Each chromosome consists of one very long DNA molecule and associated proteins. Contains a
constricted region called the centromere (which establishes general appearance).
Chromosomes = metacentric (in the middle), submetacentric (p arm < q arm), acrocentric (p
arm << q arm), telocentric (no p arm).
Karyotype - correct answer ✔✔ A display of the chromosome pairs of a cell arranged by size and
shape.
Genome - correct answer ✔✔ The genetic information contained in a haploid set of
chromosomes = genome. A locus is the location on a gene.
Sex-determining chromosomes - correct answer ✔✔ X and Y chromosomes that act like
homologous chromosomes but are not actually the same - the Y chromosome is significantly
smaller, so it does not contain the same amount of info.
questions and answers graded A+
Genetics - correct answer ✔✔ The branch of biology concerned with the study of heredity and
variation.
Haploid(n) vs. Diploid(2n) - correct answer ✔✔ Haploid cells have n chromosomes, while diploid
cells have 2n chromosomes. Chromosomes in diploid cells are in pairs and are called
homologous chromosomes.
Forms of Cell Division - correct answer ✔✔ Mitosis and meiosis. Mitosis = exact cell replication
and cell division, where goes from 2n --> 2n. Meiosis = formation of gametes, so goes from 2n --
> n.
Chromosomal Theory of Inheritance - correct answer ✔✔ Inherited traits are controlled by
genes residing on chromosomes faithfully transmitted through gametes, maintaining genetic
continuity from generation to generation.
Alleles - correct answer ✔✔ Different versions of a gene. A mutation can produce new and
unique versions of a gene that can lead to unique phenotypes.
Genotype vs. Phenotype - correct answer ✔✔ An organism's genotype is the set of genes that it
carries. An organism's phenotype is all of its observable characteristics. Genotype --> Phenotype
Central Dogma - correct answer ✔✔ Goes from DNA (process of transcription) --> messenger
RNA that binds to ribosome (process of translation) --> protein. mRNA contains nucleotide
triplets that each represent a code for a specific amino acid. Protein assembly/transcription is
helped by transfer RNA (tRNA).
, Enzymes - correct answer ✔✔ Catalysts for chemical reactions in living things.
Restriction Enzymes - correct answer ✔✔ Used by bacteria to cut and inactivate the DNA of
invading viruses, could cut any organism's DNA.
Model Organisms - correct answer ✔✔ Organisms with well-characterized genetics that begin
being used for the study of basic biological processes. Some include fruit fly (drosophilia), mice,
etc.
Meiosis - correct answer ✔✔ Special type of cell division that leads into daughter cells. Meiosis
is part of a special type of cell division that leads to production of sex cells: gates or spores.
Gametes are all haploid (n). When not undergoing division, genetic material making up
chromosomes uncoils into diffuse into network in nucleus. n chromosomal structures line up
along the metaphase plate for Meiosis I and Meiosis II.
Chromosome - correct answer ✔✔ A threadlike, gene-carrying structure found in the nucleus.
Each chromosome consists of one very long DNA molecule and associated proteins. Contains a
constricted region called the centromere (which establishes general appearance).
Chromosomes = metacentric (in the middle), submetacentric (p arm < q arm), acrocentric (p
arm << q arm), telocentric (no p arm).
Karyotype - correct answer ✔✔ A display of the chromosome pairs of a cell arranged by size and
shape.
Genome - correct answer ✔✔ The genetic information contained in a haploid set of
chromosomes = genome. A locus is the location on a gene.
Sex-determining chromosomes - correct answer ✔✔ X and Y chromosomes that act like
homologous chromosomes but are not actually the same - the Y chromosome is significantly
smaller, so it does not contain the same amount of info.
