1. What is genetics?
Genetics is a division or biology that deals with the study of heredity and the rules governing it (TheMedicalDictionary.com).
2. Do inherited traits only include physical traits that we can see? If not, what are some other types of inherited traits?
Inherited traits include more than just physical traits. Other non physical traits that are inherited as such as behavioral traits, intelligence, tongue rolling, handedness, hand clasping PTC tasting and other observable human characteristics (Stark et al ).
3. What is bioethics?
4. Explain how the DNA molecule carries information.
Genetic information in DNA is encoded in genes. Each gene carries a specific sequence of DNA nucleotides which encode for specific protein (Lehninger, Nelson and Cox).
5. How do DNA, genes, chromosomes, and genomes relate to one another?
Chromosomes are structures of condensed DNA that can be observed during cell division at microscopic level. DNA is made up of the nucleotides adenine, guanine, cytosine and thymine. A gene is a sequence of these nucleotides which is read to produce mRNA. A genome is the whole set of an organisms DNA.
6. Explain how a gene can exist in more than one form.
Genes can exist in more than one form because there are two different forms for any single gene.
7. Distinguish between Mendelian and multifactorial traits.
Mendlian traits are controlled wholly by a single gene while multifactorial genes are influenced by the environment.
8. Explain how gene expression underlies formation of the human body.
Genes contain genetic information that encode for all features of the human body. Therefore by translating DNA to mRNA to protein, the human body is formed and shaped.
9. Distinguish between genotype and phenotype.
Genotype is the genes an organism possesses while phenotype is the physical characteristic as a result of the translation of genes.
10. How can comparing DNA sequences reveal evolutionary relationships?
DNA sequences have been used to show shared ancestry for populations and species. This utilizes molecular evidence and compares nuclear DNA across populations.
11. What is DNA profiling? What are some uses of DNA profiling?
DNA profiling is the use of DNA characteristics in identification. It is commonly used in forensics as an identification technique. It can also be used in anthropology and archeological studies.
12. How can inheriting certain gene variants raise the risk of developing an illness without actually causing it?
When gene variants for illness exist in the genome but are not expressed, they do not cause illness. However these traits are hereditary and may be expressed in future generations.
13. How are single-gene diseases different from other types of diseases?
Single gene diseases are unique in the sense that they are caused by a specific gene.
14. How do gene expression profiling and exome sequencing help us to better understand health and disease?
Both gene expression and exome sequencing enable us to better understand genetic variations that result in disease. Through comparison it becomes easier to identify disease causing genes and come up with management regiments.
15. What is metagenomics?
Metagenomics is the study of genetic material that has been obtained from environmental samples.
16. How is the discovery of bacterial genes and genomes pertinent to human health?
The discovery of bacterial genes and genomes enables the modification of human treatments to a variety of diseases. Bacteria can be used to transfer genetic information into human genome and these studies pose a great potential for managing genetic disease. (The Scientist Magazine)
17. Why is it important to understand the functions of cell?
Understanding the functions of a cell helps to understand how cells work in healthy conditions and in diseased conditions.
18. About how many different types of cells are found in the human body?
There exist approximately 200 different types of cells in the human body.
19. How do diploid cells differ from haploid cells?
Diploid cells differ from haploid cells in chromosome composition, cell division and growth rate.
Diploid cells have two complete sets of chromosomes while haploid cells contain half the number of chromosomes as a diploid. Diploid cells reproduce through mitosis while haploid cells reproduce through meiosis.
20. Distinguish between a somatic cell and a germ cell.
21. What are the major macromolecules found in cells?22. What are organelles? Describe the function (role) of the following organelles:Nucleus:Rough Endoplasmic reticulum (ER):Ribosomes:Smooth ER:Golgi apparatus:Lysosomes:Mitochondria:23. In addition to serving as the outer covering of the cell, what are some other functions of the plasma membrane?24. What is the cytoskeleton? What role does it play in the cell?25. What are mitosis and apoptosis? Why must they be in balance?26. Describe the phases of the cell cycle and of mitosis.27. How is the cell cycle controlled? What happens when the cell cycle becomes uncontrolled?28. Describe stem cells. How do stem cells differ from progenitor cells?29. What happens during cell differentiation?30. Distinguish between embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, and adult stem cells? 31. What are some applications of stem cells in health care?32. What is the human microbiome? How does the microbiome affect our health?33. Do we all have the same microbiome? What factors affect the microbiome?
Works cited
TheMedicalDictionary.com,. "Genetics". N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Feb. 2016.
Anderson, Peggy. "Center For Ethics And Humanities In The Life Sciences - Michigan State
Lehninger, Albert L, David L Nelson, and Michael M Cox. Principles Of Biochemistry. New
York, NY: Worth Publishers, 1993. Print.
Genomes, Bacterial et al. "Bacterial DNA In Human Genomes | The Scientist Magazine®". The
Scientist. N.p., 2013. Web. 21 Feb. 2016.
