Unit 4: Continuity and Change
Topic 4.1: DNA Replication Questions
Practice 20 exam-style questions for IB Biology Topic 4.1. Review the question stems below, then unlock the full Question Bank to access markschemes, model answers, and AI grading.
1State1 mark
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State the term used for the whole of the genetic information of an organism.
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What is the main purpose of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)?
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What is the term for the whole of the genetic information of an organism?
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Modern genetics often refers to the complete genetic information of an organism.
State the term used for the whole of an organism's genetic information, and outline how it relates to genes and chromosomes.
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Which enzyme unwinds and unzips the DNA double helix at the start of replication?
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State the role of DNA polymerase in DNA replication.
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Which conclusion did Meselson and Stahl reach from their density-labelling experiment?
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Which sequence shows the three steps of one PCR cycle in the correct order?
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State the conclusion Meselson and Stahl reached about how DNA is replicated.
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State one reason why the enzyme Taq polymerase is suitable for use in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
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Which bonds does helicase break to separate the two strands of DNA during replication?
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Distinguish between a gene and the genome of an organism.
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What does it mean to say that DNA replication is semi-conservative?
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During semi-conservative replication, what is the role of each parental (old) strand?
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Which statement correctly describes the genome of an organism?
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Unlock Question16Outline4 marks
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DNA replication requires the enzymes helicase and DNA polymerase.
Outline the roles of these two enzymes during DNA replication, including the type of bond that each one acts on.
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Describe the method Meselson and Stahl used to investigate how DNA is replicated.
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Why is the heat-stable enzyme Taq polymerase used in PCR rather than an ordinary DNA polymerase?
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Describe the three steps of one PCR cycle, naming each step and the approximate temperature used.
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Which row correctly pairs each enzyme with the bond it acts on during replication?
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