QUESTIONS: (True/False or Yes/No)

1. DNA codes for RNA which codes for proteins such as hemoglobin.
2. The amino acid sequence in human hemoglobin is invariant.
3. A mistake in the replication of a codon may prevent any offspring from surviving.
4. Heme groups are porcelain rings.
5. The oxygen in a heme group attracts iron molecules into the blood.
6. Alpha-chains, beta-chains and heme groups form a hemoglobin molecule.
7. Whenever we say "genetic code" we mean the relationship between codons and proteins.
8. Some codons do not code for any amino acid.
9. Two genes for the same protein never exist on the same chromosome.
10. The bigger the gene, the more likely are the chances of mutation.

QUESTIONS: (Multiple Choice)

1. A gene to put together just two amino acids would be at least _____ codons long.
a. 6
b. 5
c. 4
d. 3
e. 2
2. If you had more than one gene for a single protein you would...
a. make twice as much of that protein.
b. suffer twice as many genetic mutations.
c. be protected against deadly mutations.
d. leave one inactive and use the other.
e. a, b, c
3. The DNA codon TTA is a terminator codon. Which amino acid is coded by the codon CTG ?
a. Arginine
b. Lysine
c. Glutamic acid
d. Glutamine
e. Histidine
4. Knowing a codon specifies a single amino acid allows us to generate amino acid sequences once we know the sequence of the DNA bases. Why doesn't this process work well in reverse? (That is if we know the amino acid why can't we know the exact DNA codon?)
a. because codons are unstable.
b. several amino acids derive from the same codon.
c. DNA sometimes gets 'knotted'.
d. only animals with red blood have hemoglobin.
e. several codons specify the same amino acids.
5. Why does it help to know the sequence of amino acids in a protein or the sequence of codons in a strand of DNA?
a. we can understand the effects of changes in the sequence.
b. we can synthesize compounds as we need them.
c. we can repair 'broken' sequences.
d. all of the above.
e. none of the above.

QUESTIONS: (Essay)

1. Describe the sequence of events needed to go from a DNA strand to a protein.
2. What are some of the differences in inheritance patterns for single gene traits versus multiple gene traits.
3. Sometimes changing one or two amino acids in a hemoglobin molecule does not effect its ability to carry oxygen. Explain this.
4. Why would many animals other than humans rely upon hemoglobin for oxygen transport?
5. If we can write a computed program to determine DNA or amino acid sequences, we can also build a machine to produce these sequences as proteins or synthetic DNA. What are some of the social and medical consequences of the use of such a machine?