CLEP Biology Genetics & Biological Diversity 3 ā Questions and Answers
Question 1: A mutation that changes a codon from one amino acid to a different amino acid is called a:
- Silent mutation
- Nonsense mutation
- Missense mutation (Correct answer)
- Frameshift mutation
Correct answer: Missense mutation
A missense mutation results in a codon that codes for a different amino acid, potentially altering protein function.
Question 2: Which of the following is a characteristic unique to Kingdom Fungi compared to Kingdom Plantae?
- Multicellularity
- Cell walls made of chitin (Correct answer)
- Autotrophic nutrition
- Presence of a nucleus
Correct answer: Cell walls made of chitin
Fungi have cell walls composed of chitin, whereas plant cell walls are made of cellulose.
Question 3: In the Hardy-Weinberg equation pĀ² + 2pq + qĀ² = 1, what does '2pq' represent?
- Frequency of the homozygous dominant genotype
- Frequency of the homozygous recessive genotype
- Frequency of the heterozygous genotype (Correct answer)
- Frequency of the dominant allele
Correct answer: Frequency of the heterozygous genotype
The term 2pq represents the frequency of heterozygous individuals in a population at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium.
Question 4: Which of the following would NOT disrupt Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium?
- Natural selection acting on a trait
- Gene flow between populations
- Random mating in a large population (Correct answer)
- A genetic bottleneck
Correct answer: Random mating in a large population
Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium requires random mating; it is a condition that maintains equilibrium, not one that disrupts it.
Question 5: An organism that obtains energy by oxidizing inorganic compounds such as ammonia or hydrogen sulfide is called a:
- Phototroph
- Chemoautotroph (Correct answer)
- Chemoheterotroph
- Photoautotroph
Correct answer: Chemoautotroph
Chemoautotrophs use energy from oxidizing inorganic compounds and fix carbon dioxide as their carbon source.
Question 6: What type of inheritance pattern is shown when the expression of one gene depends on the presence of a specific allele at a different gene locus?
- Pleiotropy
- Codominance
- Epistasis (Correct answer)
- Linkage
Correct answer: Epistasis
Epistasis occurs when the expression of one gene is masked or modified by an allele at a different locus.
Question 7: Which phylum contains animals with a true coelom, segmented body, and a closed circulatory system?
- Nematoda
- Platyhelminthes
- Annelida (Correct answer)
- Porifera
Correct answer: Annelida
Annelids (segmented worms such as earthworms) have a true coelom, segmented bodies, and a closed circulatory system.
CLEP Biology Genetics & Biological Diversity 3
A mutation that changes a codon from one amino acid to a different amino acid is called a: