Mendelian Genetics: Learn the Basics of Inheritance

Question 1

According to Mendelian genetics, offspring inherit:

Accepted Answer

Half of their genetic material from each parent.

Answer

All of their genetic material from one parent.

Answer

Equal proportions of genetic material from multiple parents.

Answer

More genetic material from the dominant parent.

Question 2

An allele that is only expressed when two copies are present is called a:

Accepted Answer

Recessive allele

Answer

Dominant allele

Answer

Codominant allele

Answer

Incomplete dominant allele

Question 3

What is the fundamental unit of inheritance that carries genetic information?

Accepted Answer

Gene

Answer

Allele

Answer

Chromosome

Answer

Nucleotide

Question 4

Which term describes a trait that is only expressed when an individual possesses two identical copies of the corresponding gene?

Accepted Answer

Recessive

Answer

Dominant

Answer

Co-dominant

Answer

Incomplete dominant

Question 5

In a dihybrid cross between parents heterozygous for both traits, what phenotypic ratio is expected among the offspring?

Accepted Answer

9:3:3:1

Answer

1:2:1:2

Answer

3:1

Answer

1:1:1:1

Question 6

When two heterozygous individuals are crossed, what is the probability of obtaining offspring with a homozygous dominant genotype?

Accepted Answer

1/4

Answer

1/2

Answer

3/4

Answer

1

Question 7

Which principle of Mendelian genetics states that alleles for different traits separate independently during gamete formation?

Accepted Answer

Law of independent assortment

Answer

Law of segregation

Answer

Law of dominance

Answer

Law of multiple alleles

Question 8

What is the term for a gene located on one of the sex chromosomes?

Accepted Answer

Sex-linked gene

Answer

Autosomal gene

Answer

Recessive gene

Answer

Polygenic gene

Question 9

What term describes a permanent change in the DNA sequence?

Accepted Answer

Mutation

Answer

Gene

Answer

Allele

Answer

Chromosome

Question 10

Which of the following is NOT a type of gene mutation?

Accepted Answer

Epigenetic mutation

Answer

Point mutation

Answer

Frameshift mutation

Answer

Substitution mutation

Question 11

Which of the following terms describes a gene that is carried on the sex chromosomes?

Accepted Answer

Sex-linked

Answer

Autosomal

Answer

Dominant

Answer

Recessive

Question 12

In humans, the gene for eye colour has two alleles: brown and blue. If a person has one brown allele and one blue allele, what is their phenotype?

Accepted Answer

Brown

Answer

Blue

Answer

Green

Answer

Hazel

Question 13

What is the difference between a dominant and a recessive allele?

Accepted Answer

A dominant allele is expressed in all individuals carrying it, while a recessive allele is only expressed in homozygous individuals.

Answer

A recessive allele is expressed in all individuals carrying it, while a dominant allele is only expressed in homozygous individuals.

Answer

There is no difference between dominant and recessive alleles.

Answer

A dominant allele is more common than a recessive allele.

Question 14

Which of the following is an example of a polygenic trait?

Accepted Answer

Height

Answer

Eye colour

Answer

Blood type

Answer

Sex

Question 15

What is the term for the study of the inheritance of traits within populations?

Accepted Answer

Population genetics

Answer

Molecular genetics

Answer

Developmental genetics

Answer

Forensic genetics

Question 16

An allele is:

Accepted Answer

A distinct form of a gene

Answer

A strand of DNA

Answer

A type of protein

Answer

A structural element of a chromosome

Question 17

In an individual with a heterozygous genotype, which allele is not expressed?

Accepted Answer

Recessive

Answer

Dominant

Answer

Both

Answer

Neither

Question 18

What is the likelihood of obtaining a homozygous dominant offspring when crossing two heterozygous parents?

Accepted Answer

25%

Answer

0%

Answer

50%

Answer

75%

Question 19

Which of the following is a feature of recessive alleles?

Accepted Answer

They are only expressed in homozygous individuals

Answer

They are always visible in the phenotype

Answer

They are dominant over dominant alleles

Answer

They are always inherited from both parents

Question 20

What is the term for the physical expression of genes?

Accepted Answer

Phenotype

Answer

Genotype

Answer

Allele

Answer

Genome

Question 21

Which of Mendel's principles states that gene pairs segregate independently during gamete formation?

Accepted Answer

Law of Independent Assortment

Answer

Law of Segregation

Answer

Law of Probability

Answer

Law of Dominance

Question 22

An individual who has two identical copies of a gene is described as:

Accepted Answer

Homozygous

Answer

Heterozygous

Answer

Dominant

Answer

Recessive

Question 23

Which trait is influenced by the interaction of multiple genes?

Accepted Answer

Height

Answer

Skin color

Answer

Eye shape

Answer

Hair length

Question 24

In incomplete dominance, what is the appearance of heterozygous offspring?

Accepted Answer

A blend of the two homozygous parent appearances

Answer

Identical to one homozygous parent

Answer

Exactly halfway between the two homozygous parent appearances

Answer

Unpredictable and varies among individuals

Question 25

In Mendelian genetics, how does the principle of independent assortment contribute to genetic variation within a population?

Accepted Answer

Independent assortment leads to a wider range of possible genotypes and phenotypes within a population.

Answer

Independent assortment ensures that alleles for different genes are inherited together.

Answer

Independent assortment increases the chances of obtaining offspring with desired traits.

Answer

Independent assortment ensures that each offspring receives an equal number of chromosomes from both parents.

Question 26

What is the fundamental unit of inheritance?

Accepted Answer

Gene

Answer

Chromosome

Answer

Cell

Answer

Protein

Question 27

Which term describes an allele whose effect is masked when paired with a dominant allele?

Accepted Answer

Recessive

Answer

Dominant

Answer

Co-dominant

Answer

Incomplete dominant

Question 28

In an individual with a heterozygous genotype, the phenotype will be:

Accepted Answer

The combination of both dominant and recessive traits

Answer

Always dominant

Answer

Always recessive

Answer

Dominant if the dominant allele is inherited from the mother

Question 29

Which genotype represents a homozygous dominant individual?

Accepted Answer

AA

Answer

Aa

Answer

aa

Answer

aA

Question 30

What is the probability of obtaining an offspring with a dominant phenotype from a cross between two heterozygous parents?

Accepted Answer

0.50

Answer

0.25

Answer

0.75

Answer

1.00

Question 31

Which of the following is NOT a principle of Mendelian genetics?

Accepted Answer

Acquired traits can be inherited.

Answer

Genes are inherited independently.

Answer

Traits are determined by dominant and recessive alleles.

Answer

Offspring inherit half of their genes from each parent.

Question 32

What is the term for an individual that has two identical alleles for a particular gene?

Accepted Answer

Homozygous

Answer

Heterozygous

Answer

Dominant

Answer

Recessive

Question 33

A Punnett square is used to:

Accepted Answer

Predict the probability of offspring genotypes

Answer

Determine the sex of an offspring

Answer

Calculate the height of an offspring

Answer

Identify the dominant allele in a population

Question 34

In Mendelian genetics, which term refers to the trait that is expressed in the phenotype when both dominant and recessive alleles are present?

Accepted Answer

Codominant

Answer

Dominant

Answer

Recessive

Answer

Homozygous

Question 35

What is the term used to describe the genetic makeup of an organism?

Accepted Answer

Genotype

Answer

Phenotype

Answer

Homozygous

Answer

Heterozygous

Question 36

Which of the following is NOT a possible genotype for an organism with two different alleles for a particular gene?

Accepted Answer

Codominant

Answer

Homozygous dominant

Answer

Heterozygous

Answer

Homozygous recessive

Question 37

In a monohybrid cross, what is the term for the offspring that inherit two identical alleles for a particular gene?

Accepted Answer

Homozygous dominant

Answer

Heterozygous

Answer

Homozygous recessive

Answer

Codominant

Question 38

How does codominance differ from incomplete dominance in terms of phenotypic expression?

Accepted Answer

In codominance, both alleles are fully expressed, while in incomplete dominance, the alleles blend together.

Answer

In codominance, both alleles are dominant, while in incomplete dominance, both alleles are recessive.

Answer

In codominance, the genotypic ratio is 3:1, while in incomplete dominance, it is 1:2:1.

Answer

Codominance is more common in animals, while incomplete dominance is more common in plants.

Question 39

Which of the following is NOT an application of genetic engineering?

Accepted Answer

Studying the evolution of species

Answer

Producing genetically modified crops

Answer

Treating genetic diseases

Answer

Creating new breeds of animals

Question 40

How does genetic recombination contribute to genetic diversity within a population?

Accepted Answer

It creates new allele combinations by rearranging genetic material during meiosis.

Answer

It ensures all offspring inherit identical genetic material from both parents.

Answer

It only occurs in plants and not in animals.

Question 41

In a genetic cross between two heterozygous individuals (Aa), what is the probability of obtaining an offspring with the homozygous recessive genotype (aa)?

Accepted Answer

0.25

Answer

0.5

Answer

1.0

Answer

0.75

Question 42

What is the observable trait or characteristic resulting from an individual's genotype and environmental influences called?

Accepted Answer

Phenotype

Answer

Allele

Answer

Genotype

Answer

Genome

Question 43

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a monohybrid cross?

Accepted Answer

Involves multiple genes

Answer

Analyzes the inheritance of a single trait

Answer

Involves only one gene

Answer

Results in a specific phenotypic ratio

Question 44

What is the probability of inheriting a dominant allele from a heterozygous parent?

Accepted Answer

0.5

Answer

1.0

Answer

0.75

Answer

0.25

Question 45

Which of the following is an example of a sex-linked trait?

Accepted Answer

Hemophilia

Answer

Eye color

Answer

Blood type

Answer

Height

Question 46

Which of the following genotypes represents an individual homozygous recessive for a trait controlled by a single gene?

Accepted Answer

aa

Answer

Aa

Answer

AA

Answer

aA

Question 47

What is the term for the different versions of a gene that occupy the same locus on homologous chromosomes?

Accepted Answer

Alleles

Answer

Dominant alleles

Answer

Heterozygous alleles

Answer

Homozygous alleles

Question 48

Which of the following is an example of a trait that exhibits incomplete dominance?

Accepted Answer

Flower color in snapdragons

Answer

Eye color in humans

Answer

Blood type in humans

Answer

Height in peas

Question 49

In pea plants, the allele for tall stems is dominant (T), while the allele for short stems is recessive (t). Which of the following genotypes would result in a homozygous dominant phenotype for stem height?

Accepted Answer

TT

Answer

tt

Answer

Tt

Answer

Tt

Question 50

If a true-breeding black mouse (BB) is crossed with a white mouse (bb), what is the predicted genotype of their offspring?

Accepted Answer

Bb

Answer

BB

Answer

bb

Answer

Rr

Question 51

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a Punnett square?

Accepted Answer

It only shows the possible offspring genotypes.

Answer

It can be used to determine the genotype of an individual with a dominant phenotype.

Answer

It takes into account the genotypes of both parents.

Answer

It is used to predict the probability of different offspring phenotypes.

Question 52

In pea plants, the allele for purple flowers (P) is dominant to the allele for white flowers (p). If a pea plant with purple flowers and an unknown genotype is crossed with a plant with white flowers, what is the probability that their offspring will have white flowers?

Accepted Answer

50%

Answer

0%

Answer

25%

Answer

100%

Question 53

Which of the following describes the process by which genetic material is passed from parents to offspring?

Accepted Answer

Inheritance

Answer

Natural selection

Answer

Adaptation

Answer

Evolution

Question 54

What is the difference between a homozygous genotype and a heterozygous genotype?

Accepted Answer

A homozygous genotype has two identical alleles, while a heterozygous genotype has two different alleles.

Answer

A homozygous genotype is recessive, while a heterozygous genotype is dominant.

Answer

A homozygous genotype is dominant, while a heterozygous genotype is recessive.

Question 55

In humans, brown eyes (B) are dominant to blue eyes (b). If two brown-eyed parents have a child with blue eyes, what is the most likely explanation?

Accepted Answer

Both parents are heterozygous for eye color.

Answer

One parent is heterozygous and the other is homozygous recessive.

Answer

Both parents are homozygous recessive.

Answer

One parent is homozygous dominant and the other is homozygous recessive.

Question 56

Which of the following is a key concept in Mendelian genetics?

Accepted Answer

Genes are inherited in discrete units.

Answer

Traits are blended together during inheritance.

Answer

Acquired characteristics can be inherited.

Answer

All offspring inherit an equal number of genes from each parent.

Question 57

A test cross is used to determine:

Accepted Answer

The genotype of an individual with a dominant phenotype.

Answer

The phenotype of an individual with a recessive genotype.

Answer

The probability of two individuals producing offspring with a specific trait.

Question 58

Mendel's Law of Independent Assortment states that:

Accepted Answer

Allele pairs for different traits segregate independently during gamete formation.

Answer

The inheritance of one trait influences the inheritance of another trait.

Answer

Alleles for different traits are always inherited together.