TRB BT Assistant - Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering Online Test (MCQ Quiz)

1. What is the fundamental unit of heredity?

A) Chromosome B) Gene C) Allele D) Genome

2. Which molecule carries the genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth, and reproduction of all known organisms and many viruses?

A) Ribonucleic acid (RNA) B) Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) C) Protein D) Adenosine triphosphate (ATP)

3. What are the four nucleotide bases found in DNA?

A) Adenine, Guanine, Cytosine, Uracil B) Adenine, Guanine, Cytosine, Thymine C) Adenine, Guanine, Uracil, Thymine D) Cytosine, Guanine, Uracil, Thymine

4. Which base pairs with Adenine (A) in DNA?

A) Guanine (G) B) Cytosine (C) C) Thymine (T) D) Uracil (U)

5. Which base pairs with Guanine (G) in DNA?

A) Adenine (A) B) Cytosine (C) C) Thymine (T) D) Uracil (U)

6. In RNA, which base pairs with Adenine (A)?

A) Guanine (G) B) Cytosine (C) C) Thymine (T) D) Uracil (U)

7. The process of synthesizing RNA from a DNA template is called:

A) Replication B) Translation C) Transcription D) Reverse transcription

8. The process of synthesizing protein from an mRNA template is called:

A) Replication B) Translation C) Transcription D) Gene expression

9. What is the name of the enzyme that synthesizes DNA during replication?

A) RNA polymerase B) DNA ligase C) DNA polymerase D) Reverse transcriptase

10. What is the name of the enzyme that synthesizes RNA during transcription?

A) DNA polymerase B) RNA ligase C) RNA polymerase D) Topoisomerase

11. What is a segment of DNA that codes for a functional product, usually a protein?

A) Exon B) Intron C) Gene D) Promoter

12. What are the non-coding regions within a gene that are removed during RNA splicing?

A) Exons B) Introns C) Codons D) Anticodons

13. What are the coding regions within a gene that are expressed in the final mRNA molecule?

A) Introns B) Promoters C) Exons D) Terminators

14. The genetic code is read in triplets of nucleotides called:

A) Anticodons B) Codons C) Genes D) Alleles

15. How many possible codons are there in the genetic code?

A) 16 B) 32 C) 64 D) 128

16. Which codon typically signals the start of protein synthesis?

A) UAA B) UAG C) UGA D) AUG

17. What is the primary function of transfer RNA (tRNA)?

A) Carrying genetic information from DNA to ribosomes B) Catalyzing protein synthesis C) Transporting specific amino acids to the ribosome D) Forming the structural component of ribosomes

18. What is the primary function of messenger RNA (mRNA)?

A) Transporting amino acids to the ribosome B) Carrying the genetic code from DNA to the ribosome C) Catalyzing peptide bond formation D) Forming part of the ribosome structure

19. What is the primary function of ribosomal RNA (rRNA)?

A) Carrying genetic information B) Transporting amino acids C) Catalyzing peptide bond formation and forming ribosome structure D) Regulating gene expression

20. The process by which a cell makes an identical copy of its DNA is called:

A) Transcription B) Translation C) Replication D) Mutation

21. What is a change in the DNA sequence called?

A) Replication B) Transcription C) Translation D) Mutation

22. Which type of mutation involves the substitution of a single nucleotide base?

A) Insertion B) Deletion C) Point mutation D) Frameshift mutation

23. A mutation that alters the reading frame of the mRNA sequence is called a:

A) Silent mutation B) Missense mutation C) Nonsense mutation D) Frameshift mutation

24. What is genetic engineering?

A) The study of genes and heredity B) The direct manipulation of an organism's genes using biotechnology C) The process of DNA replication D) The study of protein synthesis

25. Which enzyme is commonly used to cut DNA at specific recognition sites in genetic engineering?

A) DNA polymerase B) Ligase C) Restriction enzyme D) Reverse transcriptase

26. What is the process of inserting foreign DNA into a host cell called?

A) Transformation B) Transduction C) Conjugation D) Recombination

27. A small, circular, extrachromosomal DNA molecule found in bacteria, often used in genetic engineering, is called a:

A) Chromosome B) Plasmid C) Genome D) Gene

28. What is the process of joining DNA fragments together using an enzyme?

A) Restriction B) Ligation C) Replication D) Transcription

29. What is recombinant DNA?

A) DNA that has undergone mutation B) DNA from a single organism C) DNA that has been formed artificially by combining constituents from different organisms D) DNA that is found only in prokaryotes

30. The technique used to amplify specific segments of DNA is known as:

A) Gel electrophoresis B) Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) C) DNA sequencing D) Southern blotting

31. What is the primary application of PCR in molecular biology?

A) Joining DNA fragments B) Cutting DNA at specific sites C) Amplifying small quantities of DNA D) Separating DNA fragments by size

32. What is the process of determining the precise sequence of nucleotides within a DNA molecule?

A) Gene cloning B) DNA sequencing C) Gene silencing D) Gene mapping

33. Which technology allows for the modification of genes in living organisms to change their characteristics?

A) Fermentation B) Bioremediation C) Genetic modification D) Photosynthesis

34. What is a genetically modified organism (GMO)?

A) An organism that reproduces sexually B) An organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques C) An organism that produces antibiotics D) An organism that lives in extreme environments

35. Which of the following is a common application of genetic engineering in agriculture?

A) Increasing crop yield B) Enhancing nutritional value C) Improving resistance to pests and diseases D) All of the above

36. What is gene therapy?

A) A method to increase gene expression B) A technique for gene sequencing C) An experimental treatment that aims to treat or cure disease by modifying a person's genes D) A process of gene replication

37. CRISPR-Cas9 is a revolutionary technology primarily used for:

A) DNA replication B) Protein synthesis C) Gene editing D) RNA splicing

38. What does the 'Cas9' component in the CRISPR-Cas9 system do?

A) Guides the complex to a specific DNA sequence B) Cuts DNA at a targeted location C) Synthesizes new DNA D) Transcribes RNA

39. What is the role of guide RNA (gRNA) in the CRISPR-Cas9 system?

A) To cut DNA B) To repair DNA breaks C) To direct the Cas9 enzyme to the target DNA sequence D) To produce mRNA

40. Which of the following is a potential ethical concern related to genetic engineering?

A) Increased food production B) Development of new medicines C) Unforeseen ecological impacts D) Improved crop resilience

41. What is the term for the complete set of genes or genetic material present in a cell or organism?

A) Genome B) Proteome C) Transcriptome D) Karyotype

42. The process where genes are transferred from one generation to the next is called:

A) Mutation B) Recombination C) Heredity D) Epigenetics

43. What is the study of the structure and function of proteins?

A) Genomics B) Transcriptomics C) Proteomics D) Metabolomics

44. Which molecule is responsible for carrying genetic information from the nucleus to the cytoplasm in eukaryotic cells?

A) DNA B) mRNA C) rRNA D) tRNA

45. What is the term for a segment of DNA that does not code for proteins but can regulate gene expression?

A) Exon B) Intron C) Regulatory DNA D) Codon

46. What is the main goal of DNA fingerprinting?

A) To determine the sequence of a gene B) To identify unique patterns of DNA for forensic or diagnostic purposes C) To amplify DNA D) To synthesize proteins

47. Which of the following is a type of RNA that plays a role in regulating gene expression by silencing mRNA molecules?

A) mRNA B) rRNA C) tRNA D) siRNA (small interfering RNA)

48. The process of modifying the expression of genes without altering the underlying DNA sequence is known as:

A) Genetic engineering B) Gene therapy C) Epigenetics D) Recombinant DNA technology

49. What is the primary role of a promoter region in a gene?

A) To terminate transcription B) To signal the start of transcription C) To code for amino acids D) To bind to tRNA

50. In the context of molecular biology, what does 'gene expression' refer to?

A) The process of DNA replication B) The process of synthesizing RNA from DNA and then protein from RNA C) The process of DNA mutation D) The process of DNA repair

Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering - Online Test

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