Semester 2 Exam Study Guide
Mitosis Vs. Meiosis
1. The cell cycle includes interphase, prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase and
cytokinesis. Answer the questions below that relate to the cell cycle.
a. Which phases of the cell cycle are part of Mitosis (cell division)
b. What is a cell doing during interphase?
c. Why does a cell need to make a copy of its DNA through the process of DNA
replication? Talk about Mitosis in your answer.
d. What would happen if a cell could not go through cytokinesis?
2. Answer Mitosis or Meiosis for each box below.
Divides once
Divides twice
Produces 4 daughter cells
Produces 2 daughter cells
Daughter cells are genetically different
Daughter cells are genetically identical
Produces diploid cells
Produces haploid cells
Produces body cells
Produces gametes (egg & sperm)
Produces cells that have 46 chromosomes
(in humans)
Produces cells that have 23 chromosomes
(in humans)
3. Describe how a gamete (egg or sperm) cell might end up with an incorrect number of
chromosomes (such as in cases with down syndrome). Your answer should include
the type of cell division that creates gametes as well as the stage of that cell division that
separates chromosomes.
4. Label each stage of Mitosis in the green boxes below
5. Crossing over is a process in which chromosomes swap genes to increase the genetic
diversity of the gametes. This process occurs during which phase of meiosis?
6. Your body cells all have different functions and create different proteins due to different
genes being turned on and off (activated and deactivated) during the process of cell
differentiation in early development. Describe the process of cell differentiation. Talk
about stem cells in your answer.
Protein Synthesis
7. Answer the questions below for each cell process.
DNA Replication
Where does this process take place?
What molecule is used as a template?
What molecule is produced?
What are the steps of replication?
DNA Transcription
Where does this process take place?
What molecule is used as a template?
What molecule is produced?
What are the steps of transcription?
Translation
Where does this process take place?
What molecule is used as instructions
What molecule is produced?
What is a codon?
How are codons used in translation?
8. Human DNA is wound up into tightly packed bundles called ___________. Each
chromosome has sections called ______ that code for specific traits and are used as
instructions to produce specific ___________ .
9. Describe what the difference is between mRNA, tRNA, and rRNA.
10. Explain how the arrangement of amino acids allows proteins to perform different jobs in
the body.
11. Use the codon chart below to determine which amino acid would be added to the protein
Codon Amino Acid
AUG
ACA
GGC
AGU
UUA
CAU
CCG
CCA
UUU
UAG
Genetics
12. Define the terms:
Term Definition
Dominant
Recessive
Homozygous
Heterozygous
Genotype
Phenotype
Carrier
Incomplete dominance
Codominance
Sex-linked inheritance
13. Describe what each of the different colored text
areas on the punnett square below represent.
Blue:
Red:
Black:
14. What percentage does each box inside the punnett
square represent?
15. How would a punnett square for a sex-linked trait look different from a normal punnett
square?
16. A woman who has color blindness, which is a sex-linked trait, marries a man who does
not have color blindness. The couple find out they are going to have a baby and the
ultrasound shows that it is going to be a boy. What is the probability that their son will be
color blind?
17. Could the same couple from question 16 go on to have a colorblind daughter? Explain.
18. A pair of quail mate and produce 10 offspring. The mother quail had black feathers and
the father quail had white feathers. If feather color is inherited by incomplete
dominance, what color would you expect the offspring to be?
19. A pair of quail mate and produce 10 offspring. The mother quail had black feathers and
the father quail had white feathers. If feather color is inherited by codominance, what
color would you expect the offspring to be?
20. When the quail chicks from question 18 and 19 hatch, we find that 100% of the chicks
have black feathers like the father. What does this tell you about how feather color is
inherited?
21. Describe how the proteins created during translation in a cell relate to phenotypes?
Evolution
22. How do mutations (Random changes in the DNA) relate to evolution?
23. Describe the process of natural selection.
24. “A peppered moth with light colored wings discovers that soot has changed the color of
trees to be darker. The moth realizes that it can’t blend in anymore and so it changes its
wing color so that it can blend in and survive.” Is this scenario possible? Explain why or
why not.
25. Define the terms
Term Definition
Adaptation
Natural selection
Homologous structure
Analogous structure
Vestigial structure
Fitness
Transition fossil
26. Describe how genetic variation can result from mutations and from sexual reproduction.
27. A modern day species of sloth has a section of DNA that reads: AAC TGA CAC GTA.
Scientists discover DNA for two potential sloth ancestors. Which of these two would be
most closely related to the modern sloth? Explain your answer.
Species A: AAC TGG CAC GTA
Species B: AAG TGG CCC GTA
28. Scientists have multiple lines of physical and molecular/DNA evidence to support
evolution and common ancestry. Describe 3 of these pieces of evidence and explain
how each supports the theory of evolution.
Evidence 1:
Evidence 2:
Evidence 3:
Things to review from semester 1
29. Describe the organelle functions for each of the following; Mitochondria, Chloroplast,
Ribosome, Cell membrane.
30. Describe the processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration.