MCAT Biology : Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, and Genetics

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for MCAT Biology

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Example Questions

Example Question #41 : Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, And Genetics

Consider a plant with the following characteristics.

Round leaves (R) are dominant to pointed leaves (r).

White flowers (W) are dominant to pink flowers (w),

Plants heterozygous for both traits are crossed.

What is the probabilty of obtaining a plant that is heterozygous for both traits?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

A plant heterozygous for both traits possesses the genotype WwRr. Consider the Punnett Square and determine the frequency of such an event.

Punnett_square_11

You should be familiar with the ratios represented in a dihybrid cross: 9:3:3:1. There will be nine inidividuals with both dominant traits (pointed leaves and white flowers), three individuals dominant for one trait (round leaves and pink flowers), three individuals dominant for the other trait (pointed leaves and white flowers), and only one individual recessive for both traits (pointed leaves and pink flowers). In this case, we are looking at a subcategory of the plants dominant for both traits. Four of these nine will be heterozygous for both traits.

Example Question #1106 : Mcat Biological Sciences

Consider a plant with the following characteristics.

Round leaves (R) are dominant to pointed leaves (r).

White flowers (W) are dominant to pink flowers (w).

Plants heterozygous for both traits are crossed.

What is the probability of obtaining a plant that is homozygous for both traits?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Plants homozygous for both traits have the following genotypes: WWRR, WWrr, wwRR, and wwrr. Consider the Punnett Square and calculate the frequency.

Punnett_square_12

Each of the described genotypes will occur only once in the Punnett square, leading to a probability of .

You should be familiar with the ratios represented in a dihybrid cross: 9:3:3:1. There will be nine inidividuals with both dominant traits (pointed leaves and white flowers), three individuals dominant for one trait (round leaves and pink flowers), three individuals dominant for the other trait (pointed leaves and white flowers), and only one individual recessive for both traits (pointed leaves and pink flowers).

Example Question #1084 : Biology

Pea plants have two independently assorted genes that code for seed shape (round or wrinkled) and seed color (yellow or green), respectively. A researcher crosses two pea plants and observes that all F1 offspring have the same phenotype: round shape and yellow seeds. He then performs a test cross with an F1 offspring and observes four different phenotypes in a 1:1:1:1 ratio. Based on this information the researcher concludes the genotypes of the parents.

Which of the following is true regarding the P generation?

Possible Answers:

Both parents are homozygotes

Both parents are heterozygotes

One parent is homozygous dominant and the other is heterozygous

The genotypes can’t be determined without more information

Correct answer:

Both parents are homozygotes

Explanation:

The best way to solve this problem is by systematically analyzing the possible genotypes for the parent generation and by eliminating the improbable genotypes. To solve for the parents’ genotypes you need to look at the F1 and F2 generations.

As described in the passage the F1 generation only exhibits one phenotype: round and yellow. Round and yellow are dominant alleles because you get four different phenotypes when you test cross (cross them with homozygous recessive individuals) a plant from the F1 generation. The F1 generation could be either homozygous dominant or heterozygous for both traits, since they exhibit the dominant alleles.

If F1 offspring were all homozygous dominant then you would only observe dominant traits in F2 offspring. The F1 offspring must be heterozygous for both traits in order to produce the observed ratios in the F2 generation.

F1 test cross: AaBb x aabb

F2 generation: AaBbAabbaaBb, and aabb

Since all F1 offspring are heterozygous, we only have one possible combination of parents: homozygous dominant and homozygous recessive.

P generation: AABB x aabb

F1 outcome: all AaBb (observed)

The best answer is that both parents are homozygotes.

Example Question #42 : Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, And Genetics

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is an X-linked recessive genetic disorder, resulting in the loss of the dystrophin protein. In healthy muscle, dystrophin localizes to the sarcolemma and helps anchor the muscle fiber to the basal lamina. The loss of this protein results in progressive muscle weakness, and eventually death.

In the muscle fibers, the effects of the disease can be exacerbated by auto-immune interference. Weakness of the sarcolemma leads to damage and tears in the membrane. The body’s immune system recognizes the damage and attempts to repair it. However, since the damage exists as a chronic condition, leukocytes begin to present the damaged protein fragments as antigens, stimulating a targeted attack on the damaged parts of the muscle fiber. The attack causes inflammation, fibrosis, and necrosis, further weakening the muscle.

Studies have shown that despite the severe pathology of the muscle fibers, the innervation of the muscle is unaffected.

A young girl is diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, and her mother is pregnant with a baby boy. Which of the following must be true?

Possible Answers:

Her father had the disease

Her brother will have the disease

Her mother had the disease

Her father's father had the disease

Her father's mother was a carrier

Correct answer:

Her father had the disease

Explanation:

The passage tells us that the disease gene is X-linked and recessive. If the young girl has the disease, then she must have a double recessive genotype, meaning that both of her parents have at least one recessive gene. Her mother must either be a carrier, or have the disease, but we cannot conclude one over the other. Her father must have the disease, since he only has one copy of the X-chromosome. He received his Y chromosome from his father, so we cannot make any judgments about the father's father. He received his X chromosome from his mother, meaning that she must have been a carrier or had the disease. As far as the unborn brother is concerned, he has a 50% chance of getting the disease if the mother is a carrier, and 100% if she has the disease.

The only thing we can say with 100% certainty is that the father has the disease.

Example Question #41 : Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, And Genetics

A botanist sees that when he breeds a plants with blue flowers with a plant with red flowers, the resulting generation are plants that all have a 1 : 1 ratio of blue : red flowers. He knows that the two parents are homozygous for the trait of color. What phenomenon most likely explains the 1 : 1 ratio in the filial generation?

Possible Answers:

Codominance

Penetrance

Expressivity

Independent assortment

Incomplete dominance

Correct answer:

Codominance

Explanation:

Codominance occurs when each allele for a certain gene isn't completely dominant over the other, so both are expressed. We see both fully blue and fully red flowers on each plant, so codominance fits our situation in this question. Incomplete dominance would be the correct answer if the filial plants had flowers that were a combination of blue and red, so they would be purple. Expressivity is the term for when a trait is expressed to different degrees in a population, like some plants having flowers that are more blue than others. Penetrance is when only a certain percentage of the population expresses the trait at all.

Example Question #32 : Mendel And Inheritance Patterns

In a dihybrid cross, what fraction of offspring will display both recessive phenotypes?

Possible Answers:

1/2

1/8

1/16

1/32

1/4

Correct answer:

1/16

Explanation:

The correct answer is 1/16. A dihybrid cross results in a phenotypic ratio of 9:3:3:1. The 1 in the ratio is indicative of the double recessive phenotype, with a homozygous recessive genotype for both traits. Thus, only 1/16 of the offspring will display both recessive phenotypes.

Example Question #41 : Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, And Genetics

The pattern of inheritance of Syndrome V has been documented in a family. According to the pedigree shown below, which mode of inheritance cannot explain the pattern?

Pedigree

Possible Answers:

Sex-linked dominant

Autosomal dominant

Autosomal recessive

Sex-linked recessive

Correct answer:

Sex-linked dominant

Explanation:

This problem asks you to use concepts of inheritance and Mendelian genetics. The best approach to this problem is to rule out possiblities rather than to find the actual mode of inheritance, as the latter can be a much more difficult and time-consuming process. First off, we know that Y-linked inheritance could not explain this pattern because we see that in generation 1 (G1), the male is affected. If he is affected, all of his sons (who inherit his Y chromosome) would also be affected. There is one son in G2 who is not. Similarly, dominant X-linked inheritance could not explain this pattern; recall that the daughters inherit two copies of the X chromosome, and one is always inactivated. Were the trait X-linked dominant, then the girls of generation 3 (G3) would be affected, having received a copy of the affected gene from their father. Revisiting all other options, we see that any of the remaining inheritance patterns could possibly explain what we see.

Example Question #31 : Mendel And Inheritance Patterns

A man with type A– blood and a woman with type AB+ blood have a child. Which blood type is impossible for that child to have?

Possible Answers:

AB+

A-

A+

B+

O-

Correct answer:

O-

Explanation:

Blood type is inherited as a codominant trait and relies on alleles for blood antibodies as well as Rh (Rhesus) factor. The father's blood type is A–, so he has no Rh factor and must be either AA or AO. The mother must be AB with an Rh factor.

Father possibilities: A-A- or A-O-

Mother possibilities: A-B+ or A+B- or A+B+

Based on these possibilities, we cannot conclude if the child will be positive or negative for Rh factor; however, since the mother has no allele for O blood type, we can conclude that the child cannot have O type blood. The child could receive AA, AO, BO, or AB.

Example Question #44 : Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, And Genetics

One example of genetic codominance is blood typing; the A and B alleles are both dominant to the O allele. An individual's blood type is O only if they are homozygous for the O allele. A types can result from either AA or AO combinations, and B blood types work in a similar way. Which parental combination has no chance of producing offspring with a blood type of A?

Possible Answers:

A phenotypically B father and a phenotypically A mother

An AB mother and a father who is homozygous for the B allele

Two parents who are both AB

An AB father and an O mother

Correct answer:

An AB mother and a father who is homozygous for the B allele

Explanation:

The results of blood typing crosses can be calculated in the same way as those of traditional crosses: with Punnett squares. If we put the AB (maternal) genotype along one side of the square and the BB (paternal) genotype along the other, we see that only two genotypes are present in the offspring. 50% will be AB and 50% will be BB (a blood type of B); therefore, A is not one of the blood types present in the offspring, so this is our answer.

All of the other answer choices have a possibility of producing A type offspring.

Example Question #41 : Genetics

In fruit flies, white eyes are produced by a dominant X-linked mutation, with the wild-type being red-eyed. If a white-eyed male is mated with a red-eyed female, what will be the phenotype of the resulting offspring?

Possible Answers:

All the males will have white eyes

All the females will have white eyes

Half the females will have white eyes

Half the males will have white eyes

All offspring will have red eyes

Correct answer:

All the females will have white eyes

Explanation:

We can depict the parental genotypes by using to signify the dominant white-eye allele and to signify the recessive red-eye allele.

The mother would have genotype since she has red eyes. The father would have genotype since he has white eyes.

We can see that the possible genotype for offspring will be either for a daughter or for a son. Any daughters must inherit the X-chromosome from both parents, and must therefore inherit a white-eye allele from the father. We can conclude that all daughters will have white eyes.

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