ANSWER KEY

Section 1: Multiple Choice Answers

1. D) Meiosis
2. A) 46
3. C) Phenotype
4. D) Gregor Mendel
5. B) Nucleotides
6. B) A with T, C with G
7. D) DNA helicase
8. B) The passing of genetic material from parents to offspring
9. C) Diploid
10. D) Adenine and Guanine
11. D) 50%
12. C) 3:1
13. D) All pink (blend)
14. B) Mice died and live S bacteria were found in their blood
15. D) 4
16. D) 50%
17. C) The DNA only
18. D) Heterozygous
19. C) All roan (red and white patches)
20. C) It adds new complementary nucleotides to each template strand
21. B) Meiosis keeps the chromosome number constant across generations by halving it before fertilization
restores it
22. C) DNA is the genetic material
23. D) Type AB
24. B) 5'-TAGCAT-3'
25. C) The daughter inherited the recessive allele from both her carrier mother (X^H X^h) and her hemophilic
father (X^h Y)
26. B) The base pairing rules (A-T, C-G) structurally require equal amounts of complementary bases
27. B) The tall allele is dominant and completely masks the short allele in F1
28. C) Each new DNA molecule has one original strand and one new complementary strand
29. B) Males have only one X chromosome, so a single recessive allele on the X is enough to express the disorder
30. C) Each gamete receives a unique combination of chromosomes and alleles due to independent assortment
and crossing over

Section 2: True or False Answers

1. FALSE — Somatic cells are produced by mitosis.
2. TRUE
3. FALSE — Adenine pairs with thymine; cytosine pairs with guanine.
4. FALSE — It gives probabilities, not exact outcomes.
5. TRUE
6. FALSE — Sulfur tagged the protein coat; phosphorus tagged the DNA.
7. TRUE
8. TRUE
9. FALSE — In co-dominance both traits appear separately; in incomplete dominance a blended trait appears.
10. FALSE — Avery proved the transforming principle was DNA, not protein.

Section 3: Matching Answers

1. E → E. Unzips the double helix by breaking hydrogen bonds
2. F → F. Bonds newly added nucleotides together to form the new strand
3. I → I. Joins the fragments of the lagging strand (seals nicks)
4. H → H. Cell division that produces 4 haploid daughter cells
5. J → J. Cell division that produces 2 genetically identical diploid daughter cells
6. G → G. One of the alternative forms of a gene
7. C → C. Observable/physical traits of an organism
8. D → D. A = T and C = G in amount
9. B → B. A virus that infects bacteria; used in Hershey-Chase experiment
10. A → A. Prevents supercoiling/tangling of DNA strands during replication

Section 4: Short Answer Model Answers

1. List the three components that make up a single DNA nucleotide.
A phosphate group, a deoxyribose sugar, and a nitrogenous base.
2. Define the term 'gene' and explain its relationship to chromosomes and DNA.
A gene is a segment of DNA that carries instructions for a specific trait. Genes are located on chromosomes,
which are long molecules of DNA.
3. Explain the difference between complete dominance and incomplete dominance, giving one example of
each.
In complete dominance the dominant allele completely masks the recessive allele (e.g., red tulip Rr looks
fully red). In incomplete dominance neither allele dominates; the heterozygote shows a blended phenotype
(e.g., red × white snapdragon produces pink offspring).
4. Describe Griffith's experiment and state his conclusion.
Griffith injected mice with: (1) live S bacteria → mice died; (2) live R bacteria → mice lived; (3) heat-killed S
bacteria → mice lived; (4) heat-killed S + live R bacteria → mice died and live S bacteria were found. He
concluded a 'transforming principle' transferred from dead S bacteria to live R bacteria, converting them
into lethal S bacteria.
5. Using Punnett square logic, determine the genotypic ratio expected when two heterozygous (Bb)
individuals are crossed. Show your work.
Cross: Bb × Bb → BB : Bb : bb = 1 : 2 : 1 (genotypic ratio). Phenotypic ratio = 3 dominant : 1 recessive.
6. Why are males more commonly affected by sex-linked disorders such as color blindness and hemophilia?
Males have only one X chromosome (XY). A single recessive allele on their X chromosome is sufficient to
express the disorder because there is no second X to mask it. Females (XX) need two copies of the recessive
allele to be affected, making them much less likely to show the disorder.
7. How did the Hershey-Chase experiment provide stronger evidence for DNA as the genetic material
compared to Avery's experiment?
Avery used chemical purification to show that DNA caused transformation, but skeptics claimed the extract
might still contain traces of protein. Hershey and Chase used radioactive labels (35S for protein, 32P for
DNA) on bacteriophages to directly track which molecule entered bacteria. Only 32P (DNA) was found inside
bacteria, providing clear, direct evidence that DNA — not protein — is the genetic material.
8. Explain how meiosis contributes to genetic variation in offspring.
Meiosis produces gametes that are genetically unique because: (1) independent assortment randomly
distributes maternal and paternal chromosomes into daughter cells; (2) crossing over during prophase I
exchanges genetic material between homologous chromosomes. Each gamete therefore has a unique
combination of alleles, making every offspring genetically distinct from parents and siblings.
9. A DNA sample shows 30% adenine. Using Chargaff's rules, determine the percentages of the other three
bases. Explain your reasoning.
By Chargaff's rules A = T, so T = 30%. Total A+T = 60%, leaving 40% for C+G. Since C = G, each is 20%.
Summary: A = 30%, T = 30%, G = 20%, C = 20%.
10. Compare and contrast mitosis and meiosis in terms of: (a) starting cell, (b) number of divisions, (c) number
and ploidy of daughter cells, and (d) purpose in the body.
(a) Both start from a diploid (2n) cell. (b) Mitosis = 1 division; Meiosis = 2 divisions. (c) Mitosis → 2 diploid
(2n) genetically identical cells; Meiosis → 4 haploid (n) genetically unique cells. (d) Mitosis produces somatic
body cells for growth and repair; Meiosis produces gametes (sperm/eggs) for sexual reproduction.