Biology

Molecular Genetics

851 Questions

Molecular genetics explores the mechanisms of genetic information transfer, including DNA replication, transcription, and translation. It is a core component of biology syllabi. These concepts frequently appear in general science sections of major competitive exams.

DNA replicationTranscription processTranslation processRNA typesCentral dogma

Molecular Genetics Questions

Multiple choice expression of gene inherited changes biology

RNA polymerase which is on the promoter, moves to the structural genes to transcribe them. However, it happens when

  1. RNA polymerase shifts first to regulator gene.

  2. Inducer binds to structural genes.

  3. There is repressor on the operator.

  4. There is no repressor on the operator.

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

The promoter is a DNA segment that serves to initiate transcription of a particular gene. They are present upstream near the transcription start sites of genes. Regulator gene regulates the expression of structural genes by its protein product that is mostly transcription factors, also termed as the repressor. The operator is a DNA sequence present between the promoter region and the first coding gene. This operator region serves as a repressor protein binding site. The repressor binds to operator region which is located just upstream the binding site of the RNA polymerase and hence, prevent the binding and transcription; this makes option C incorrect. Regulator gene serves to regulate the expression of structural genes via repressor; it does not provide the binding site for RNA polymerase; option A is wrong. The inducer is a molecule that binds to repressor to prevent its binding to operator region and thereby, facilitates gene expression; option B is incorrect.

Multiple choice expression of gene inherited changes biology

A specific nucleotide sequence to which RNA polymerase attaches to initiate transcription of mRNA, is the sequence of which gene?

  1. Promoter gene

  2. Structural gene

  3. Operon

  4. Regulator gene

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

In genetics, a promoter is a region of DNA that initiates transcription of a particular gene. Promoters are located near the transcription start sites of genes, on the same strand and upstream on the DNA (towards the 5' region of the sense strand).

Multiple choice expression of gene inherited changes biology

Where are regulatory genes located?

  1. Along with the structural genes

  2. In between operator and the structural genes

  3. In the middle of structural genes

  4. Upstream of transcription sites

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

The gene that codes for any RNA/protein product which does not serve as regulatory protein is known as structural genes. The operator is a DNA sequence present between the promoter region and the first coding gene. The operator region serves as the repressor protein binding site. The promoter is a DNA segment that serves to initiate transcription of a particular gene. They are present upstream near the transcription start sites of genes in between the operator and structural gene. The regulatory gene regulates the expression of structural genes by its protein products that are mostly transcription factors. It is not the part of an operon, which means that it is present upstream or downstream the structural genes but not in between; the Regulatory gene is present upstream the operator gene. Thus, the correct answer option D.

Multiple choice expression of gene inherited changes biology

In eukaryotes transcription occurs in

  1. Cytoplasm

  2. Nucleus

  3. Cytosol

  4. Matrix

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

In eukaryotic cells, the DNA is contained within the nucleus, which is where the process of transcription (DNA to RNA) occurs. Translation then takes place in the cytoplasm.

Multiple choice expression of gene inherited changes biology

In processing of eukaryotic hnRNA during protein-synthesis tailing involvesof RNA

  1. Addition of adenylate residues at 3' end

  2. Addition of methyl guanosine triphosphate at 3' end

  3. Addition of methyl guanosine triphosphate 5' end

  4. Removal of introns

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

During the processing of eukaryotic hnRNA, tailing (polyadenylation) involves the addition of a long chain of adenylate residues (poly-A tail) to the 3' end of the transcript to protect it and aid in export.

Multiple choice expression of gene inherited changes biology

The enzyme peptidyl transferase of prokaryotes resides in 

  1. 50 S ribosome

  2. 30 S ribosome

  3. 40 S ribosome

  4. 60 S ribosome

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

In prokaryotes, the peptidyl transferase activity, which catalyzes the formation of peptide bonds during translation, is an intrinsic function of the 23S rRNA component of the 50S ribosomal subunit.

Multiple choice expression of gene inherited changes biology

In eukaryotes, which of the following genes synthesise heterogeneous nuclear RNA 

  1. Holandric genes

  2. Split genes

  3. A-genes

  4. Z-genes

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

Split genes are genes that contain introns, which are transcribed into hnRNA (pre-mRNA) and subsequently removed during RNA splicing to produce mature mRNA.

Multiple choice expression of gene inherited changes biology

The smallest unit of DNA capable of coding for the synthesis of a polypeptide is the ___________.

  1. Operon

  2. Promoter

  3. Cistron

  4. Replicon

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

A cistron is defined as the functional unit of DNA that codes for a specific polypeptide chain. An operon is a cluster of genes, a promoter is a regulatory region, and a replicon is a unit of replication.

Multiple choice expression of gene inherited changes biology

In eukaryotes, removal of RNA polymerase III from nucleoplasm will affect transcription of  

  1. mRNA

  2. hnRNA

  3. tRNA

  4. 5.8 S rRNA

  5. 18 S rRNA

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

In eukaryotes, RNA polymerase III is responsible for transcribing small RNAs, including tRNA and 5S rRNA. Therefore, its removal would specifically affect the transcription of tRNA.

Multiple choice expression of gene inherited changes biology

In Prokaryotes, the predominant site for control of gene expression is 

  1. Transcriptional intimation

  2. Processing level

  3. Transfer of mRNA from nucleus to the cytoplasm

  4. Translation initiation

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation
Regulation of gene expression refers to a very broad term that may occur at various levels. In prokaryotes, control of the rate of transcriptional initiation is the predominant site for control of gene expression. 
Considering that gene expression results in the formation of a polypeptide, it can be regulated at several levels. In eukaryotes, the regulation could be exerted at
(i) transcriptional level (formation of primary transcript),
(ii) processing level (regulation of splicing),
(iii) transport of mRNA from the nucleus to the cytoplasm,
(iv) translational level.

So, the correct option is 'Transcriptional intimation'.

Multiple choice expression of gene inherited changes biology

Choose the correct answer from the alternatives given :
Control of gene expression takes place at the level of

  1. DNA-replication

  2. Transcription

  3. Translation

  4. None of the above.

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

Regulation of gene expression refers to a very broad term that may occur at various levels. In eukaryotes the gene expression can be regulated at transcriptional level, processing level, transport of mRNA from nucleus to the cytoplasm, and translational level whereas in prokaryotes, control of the rate of transcriptional initiation is the predominant site for control of gene expression.

So, the correct answer is 'Transcription and Translation'.

Multiple choice expression of gene inherited changes biology

When Tryptophan is present

  1. repressor is unable to bind to the operator

  2. transcription of structural genes occurs

  3. repressor is able to bind to the operator

  4. both (a) and (b)

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

The Trp operon is an example of a repressible operon; it is on unless turned off by a repressor protein. The repressor protein is synthesized by trpR. While the repressor protein is always present in the cell, it is synthesized in an inactive form. When a corepressor is present, in this case, tryptophan, it binds to the repressor protein in an allosteric site. This changes the conformation of the protein such that it can bind to the operator and block transcription by preventing the binding of RNA polymerase to the promoter. In this way, the cell saves energy by not producing tryptophan when it is already present.

So, the correct option is 'repressor is able to bind to the operator'.

Multiple choice zoology structure of chromosome, cell cycle and cell division structure of dna nucleic acid heredity and inheritance

Histone proteins are associated with

  1. DNA

  2. mRNA

  3. rRNA

  4. snRNA

  5. tRNA

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

Nucleosomes are fundamental organizational units of chromatin which appear as “beads-on-a-string” arrangement. Here beads represent complexes of histones and DNA. Each bead contains a core of histone octamer: two copies each of H2A, H2B, H3, and H4; out of 200 bp DNA, 146 bp DNA is bound tightly around the histone core and the remainder serve as linker DNA between nucleosomal beads. The H1 histone associates with the linker DNA to pack adjacent nucleosomes together and forms a compact 30-nm chromatin fiber. Thus, the correct answer is A.

Multiple choice zoology structure of chromosome, cell cycle and cell division structure of dna nucleic acid heredity and inheritance

Major and minor grooves can be seen in

  1. Polypeptide

  2. RNA

  3. DNA

  4. Chromatin

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation
DNA has the double helical structure where the two strands are tightly coiled over each other. B- DNA has right-handed helix with the major and minor groove. The diameter of the DNA is 20 A$^o$. The number of base pairs in one turn is 10 and the distance between base pairs is 3.4 A$^o$. At major grooves, the base pairs are far apart while at minor groove the base pairs are closer. Major grooves have base pairs at a distance the DNA binding protein can easily interact with the bases.
So, the correct answer is option A.