A forensic scientist finds a tiny amount of blood at a crime scene. To get enough DNA for a DNA fingerprinting analysis, the scientist needs to make millions of copies of the specific DNA sequence. What technique would the scientist use to quickly amplify the small amount of DNA?

A human liver cell and a human nerve cell both contain the same complete set of DNA. However, the liver cell produces proteins for metabolism and detoxification, while the nerve cell produces proteins for transmitting signals. What is the benefit of this differential gene expression between these two cell types?

Where do the processes of gene expression occur in a human cell?

In a forensics lab, a small DNA sample is obtained from a crime scene and amplified. To identify the suspect, the amplified DNA is cut into fragments of different sizes and separated based on their length. Which technique is used to separate the fragments?

Reverse transcription challenges the original, simplified central dogma. What is the key molecule that is created during reverse transcription, and how does it fit into the overall flow of genetic information?

A scientist wants to cut a specific gene out of a human chromosome so that it can be inserted into a plasmid. What type of enzyme should the scientist use to precisely cut the DNA at specific recognition sites?

Consider what you have learned in Unit 4 of this class. Please pick a single topic, e.g., a single learning objective we have covered. This might be something you found especially interesting, something you initially struggled with but then learned well, something you are especially confident of and perhaps wished was covered more thoroughly on this test, or anything else you want from this content, except please do not pick one of the topics already discussed in the essay questions (i.e., do not re-discuss the essay questions you already answered). For this topic: Identify the topic Explain the topic and why it is important Write a single multiple choice question addressing this topic Your answer should be a paragraph of at least 4-5 sentences. Please do not just list out names of multiple topics, or just tell me that you found a topic to be really interesting. You may tell me you found this topic especially interesting, but you must demonstrate that you learned about and understand this topic by explaining it clearly. Note that there is not a single answer to this question, this is your chance to demonstrate good knowledge of any topic of your choosing from your work in this unit!

The central dogma of molecular biology describes the flow of genetic information in a cell. Which of the following best summarizes the process of how genetic information in a chromosome is ultimately used to build a protein?

During the process of translation in a ribosome, the mRNA sequence is read in a specific way to determine the amino acid sequence of a protein. How is the mRNA sequence read?

A new form of gene therapy uses CRISPR-Cas9 technology to edit a patient’s DNA to repair a defective gene. What is a major advantage of using CRISPR over older gene therapy methods that use viral vectors to add a gene?