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.
1Distinguish2 marks
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Distinguish between a gene and the genome of an organism.
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Which conclusion did Meselson and Stahl reach from their density-labelling experiment?
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What is the term for the whole of the genetic information of an organism?
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Unlock Question4Outline3 marks
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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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State the conclusion Meselson and Stahl reached about how DNA is replicated.
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What does it mean to say that DNA replication is semi-conservative?
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State the term used for the whole of the genetic information of an organism.
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Which sequence shows the three steps of one PCR cycle in the correct order?
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Which bonds does helicase break to separate the two strands of DNA during replication?
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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 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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During semi-conservative replication, what is the role of each parental (old) strand?
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What is the main purpose of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)?
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By complementary base pairing, which nucleotide will DNA polymerase add opposite a guanine (G) on the template strand?
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What happens during the annealing step of a PCR cycle, carried out at about 55 °C?
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In which direction does DNA polymerase build each new strand?
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An exam asks you to state the role of DNA polymerase.
Which answer scores the mark?
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Which row correctly pairs each enzyme with the bond it acts on during replication?
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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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