Important Short Questions Chapter # 20 CHROMOSOMES AND DNA
1. Differentiate between chromosome and nucleosome
Ans:
Chromosome Nucleosome
Chromosome is vehicle by which hereditary The fundamental packaging unit of
information id physically transmitted from eukaryotic chromosome; a complex of DNA
one generation to the next and Histone proteins
In eukaryotes each chromosome consists of Double helical DNA coiled around eight
a single linear DNA molecule and associated molecules of histones
proteins
2. How many chromosomes are found in Ferns and frogs?
Ans: there are more than 500 pairs of chromosomes in ferns and 26 chromosomes in frog.
3. How many chromosomes are found in penicillium and mosquitoes?
Ans: there are 1 pair of chromosomes in penicillium and 6 chromosomes in mosquito.
4. What is karyotype? Give its importance.
Ans: Karyotype: The particular array of chromosomes that an individual possesses is called
karyotype.
Importance: Karyotype shows marked differences among species and sometimes even among
individuals of the same species.
5. Give various types of chromosomes depending upon the location of the centromere.
Ans: Chromosomes have different types on the basis of position of centromere as under:
Telocentric: In this type, the centromere is present at the end of chromatids.
Acrocentric: In this type the centromere is present near the end of chromatids
Submetacentric: In this type the centromere is present near the middle of chromatids.
Metacentric: In this type the centromere is present in the middle of chromatid.
(Diagram from Book)
6. What is heterochromatin and euchromatin?
Heterochromatin Euchromatin
Highly condensed portion of chromosomes The portion of chromosomes other than
heterochromatin
It remains permanently condensed It only condensed at the time of cell division
It is present in an open configuration and its
Its gene can never be expressed gene can be expressed
7. How do histone and DNA interact with each other in nucleosomes?
Ans: Histones are positively charged (due to the abundance of amino acids, arginine, and
Lysine), thus they are strongly attracted to the negatively charged phosphate groups of the
DNA.
8. Give the composition of chromosomes.
Chromosomes are composed of DNA and protein. Most are about 40% DNA and 60% protein.
A significant amount of RNA is also associated with chromosomes.
9. Chromosomal theory of inheritance
Chromosomal theory of inheritance was first formulated by the American Walter Sutton in
1902. Some postulates of it are as under:
i. The Hereditary material must reside within the nuclei of the gametes.
ii. Chromosomes segregate during meiosis in a manner similar to that exhibited by the
elements of Mendel’s model.
iii. Gametes have only one copy of each pair of homologous chromosomes, diploid
individuals have two copies.
iv. During meiosis, each pair of homologous chromosomes orients or the metaphase
independent of any other pair.
10. What is the contribution of Karl Correns to genetics?
Karl Correns, a German geneticist in 1900 suggested that chromosomes orient or the
metaphase independent of any other pair.
11. What is Transformation? In which bacterium it was discovered?
Transformation is the transfer of genetic material from one cell to another and can alter the
genetic makeup of the recipient cell. The transformation was discovered in Streptococcus
pneumoniae
12. What is the difference between the rough and smooth types of bacteria?
Smooth (S) Type Rough (R) Type
Smooth or S-type is an encapsulated and Rough or R-type is a non-capsulated and
virulent type of bacteria non-virulent type of bacteria
Normal pathogenic form of this bacterium The mutant forms lack an enzyme that
forms smooth colonies on a culture dish. So, manufactures the polysaccharide coat. They
it is called smooth or S-type form rough colonies. So they are called R-
form
13. Prove that DNA is the heredity material.
The first scientists to prove that DNA is a genetic material were Alfred Hershey and Martha
Chase in 1952.
They performed experiments with bacteriophages (T2).
After ensuring that all viruses had been removed from the surface of the cells, the researchers
observed that infection with P32-labeled viruses (but not the S35-labeled viruses) resulted in
radioactive bacteria. This demonstrated that DNA was the material that contained genetic
instructions
14. Give the structure of a typical nucleotide.
Ans: in a nucleotide nitrogenous base is attached to carbon number 1 of a pentose sugar and a
phosphate group is attached to carbon number 5 of the sugar. In addition, a free hydroxyl group
is attached to carbon number 3 of pentose sugar.
15. Define nucleotide and nucleoside.
Ans: Nucleotide: nucleic acids are made up of repeating units called nucleotide. A nucleotide
contains three main components
i. Phosphate group (PO43-)
ii. Five-carbon sugar, Ribose or deoxyribose
iii. Nitrogen-containing bases
Nucleoside: a nucleoside contains two main components
i. Five-carbon sugar, Ribose, or deoxyribose
ii. Nitrogenous base; Adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine, or uracil
16. Write the structural formula of dinucleotide.
Ans: Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP) has formula C21H29N7O17P3.
17. Differentiate between pyrimidines and purines.
Pyrimidines Rough (R) Type
Pyrimidines are single ringed nitrogenous Purines are double ringed nitrogenous bases
bases present in nucleotides of nucleic acids. present in nucleotides of nucleic acids.
These are three kinds of nitrogenous bases These are of two kinds i.e., adenine and
i.e., Cytocine, thymine and uracil. guanine
18. What is semi-conservative replication?
Ans: in semi-conservative replication, the two strands of the duplex separate each acting as a
model, along which new nucleotides are arranged thus giving rise to new duplexes. In this
process by separation of two strands, the primary structure has been conserved, whereas the
secondary structure has been disrupted.
19. Give three types of replication processes.
Ans:
i. Semi-conservative Replication
ii. Conservative Replication
iii. Dispersive Replication
20. Differentiate between leading and lagging strands.
Ans:
Leading strands Lagging strands
Leading strand, which elongates toward the Lagging strand, which elongates away from
replication fork, is built up simply by adding the replication fork, is synthesized
nucleotides continuously to its growing 3’ discontinuously as a series of short
end. segments, called Okazaki fragments, that are
later connected
21. Why DNA replication cannot be complete without DNA helicase?
Ans: DNA helicases catalyze the disruption of the hydrogen bonds that hold the two strands
of double-stranded DNA together. This energy requiring unbinding reaction results in the
formation of the single-stranded DNA required as a template or reaction intermediate in DNA
replication.
22. Name important enzymes involved in DNA replication.
Ans: Enzymes in DNA Replication: Following are importantEnzymes in DNA Replication:
Following are important enzymes involved in DNA replication:
i. DNA Polymerase I
ii. DNA Polymerase II
iii. DNA Polymerase III
iv. Helicase
v. Primase
vi. DNA Ligase
23. How many DNA polymerases are found? Write down their names.
There are three types of DNA Polymerases are found:
I. DNA Polymerase I
II. DNA Polymerase II
III. DNA Polymerase III
24. What happens after second round of replication in Meselson and Stahl experiment?
Ans: After the second round of replication in Meselson-Stahl experiments, two density
classes of DNA were observed, one intermediate and one equal to that of N14-DNA.