Biology

Genetics and Evolutionary Biology

1,123 Questions

Genetics and evolutionary biology explain how traits are passed from parents to offspring and how species change over time. Key concepts include genetic drift, inbreeding, and heredity. This topic is fundamental for the biology section of many competitive tests.

Heredity and traitsGenetic variations and driftInbreeding conceptsEvolutionary mechanisms

Genetics and Evolutionary Biology Questions

Multiple choice

Phenomenon of industrial melanism demonstrates:

  1. reproductive isolation

  2. genetic isolation

  3. natural selection

  4. geographical isolation

  5. none of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Industrial melanism, like the famous peppered moth case, shows how natural selection works. Darker moths had better survival in polluted, soot-covered areas while lighter moths were more visible to predators.

Multiple choice

Interdependent genes with related functions form

  1. a coadapted gene complex

  2. an inversion

  3. a fitness set

  4. a super mutation
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

A coadapted gene complex refers to a set of interdependent genes with related functions that have evolved together to work in a coordinated manner. These genes often influence the same trait or set of traits and their effects are interconnected. The other options are incorrect: an inversion is a chromosomal rearrangement, a fitness set refers to possible combinations of traits, and super mutation is not a standard genetic term.

Multiple choice

The genetic constitution of an organism is

  1. phenotype

  2. gene

  3. genotype

  4. variation
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Genotype refers to the genetic constitution of an organism - the complete set of genes it carries. Phenotype is the observable expression of genes. A gene is a single unit of heredity, and variation refers to differences between organisms, not the genetic constitution itself.

Multiple choice

A group of inbreeding individuals forms a

  1. community

  2. species

  3. ecosystem

  4. population

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

A species is defined as a group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring. This emphasizes reproductive compatibility within the group. Communities contain multiple species, populations are location-based groups, and ecosystems include abiotic factors.

Multiple choice

A mutant gene or frequency of a character in a population is expected to increase, if the phenotype or its gene is

  1. suitably selected

  2. recessive

  3. dominant

  4. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

According to the principles of natural selection, a gene or trait will increase in frequency within a population if it provides a reproductive or survival advantage. Such traits are 'suitably selected' by the environment, regardless of whether they are dominant or recessive.

Multiple choice

Which of the following pairs is NOT correctly matched?

  1. Genome : Complete set of chromosomal and extrachromosomal genes of an organisms

  2. Proteomics : Study of all the proteins coded by the genome

  3. Proteome : Entire complement of proteins expressed by a cell, organism or tissue type

  4. Functional genomics : Study of sequencing of genomic DNA

  5. Gene pool : Total genetic diversity found within a population or a species
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The study of sequencing of genomic DNA is called structural genomics. Functional genomics is the study of gene expression, regulation and phenotype production.

Multiple choice

Though cross breeding, to an extent, has increased the milk production, the true genetic characteristics of these native breeds have been lost. What is the most critical completion of the passage?

  1. The cross breeds are hardy and resistant to disease by nature.

  2. Yet the dream of white revolution is far away.

  3. A number of common breeds are gradually becoming extinct.

  4. Though cross breeds are robust and have good milk yield, they are not suitable as draft animals.

  5. Artificial insemination has played havoc with the native breeds.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
E Correct answer
Explanation

True genetic characteristics of native breeds find continuation in the given option. The option concludes the argument.

Multiple choice

Directions: The following question consist of a set of four statements. One or more of the statements may have an error of grammar or syntax. Select the statement(s) having the error.

A. One of the first points which strikes us is that individuals of the same variety of our older cultivated plants and animals generally differ more from each other than do the individuals of any variety in a state of nature. B. This great variability is due to our domestic productions having been raised under conditions of life not so uniform as those to which the parent species had been exposed under nature. C. Organic beings must be exposed during several generations to new conditions to cause any great amount of variation. D. When the organisation has once begun to vary, it generally continues varying for many generations.

  1. A, B & C

  2. A, B & D

  3. B, C & D

  4. D, C & A

  5. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

One of many in A should use 'that strike'. The correct correlative conjunction in B should be 'as uniform as'. Placement error in D. 'Once' should be placed immediately after 'when'.