AP BIOLOGY Test Booklet
6.8 biotechnology
In a transformation experiment, a sample of E. coli bacteria was mixed with a plasmid containing the gene for resistance
to the antibiotic ampicillin (ampr). Plasmid was not added to a second sample. Samples were plated on nutrient agar
plates, some of which were supplemented with the antibiotic ampicillin. The results of E. coli growth are summarized
below. The shaded area represents extensive growth of bacteria; dots represent individual colonies of bacteria.
1. Plates that have only ampicillin-resistant bacteria growing include which of the following?
(A) I only
(B) III only
(C) IV only
(D) I and II
2. Which of the following best explains why there is no growth on plate II?
(A) The initial E. coli culture was not ampicillin-resistant.
(B) The transformation procedure killed the bacteria.
(C) Nutrient agar inhibits E. coli growth.
(D) The bacteria on the plate were transformed.
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Test Booklet
6.8 biotechnology
In a transformation experiment, a sample of E. coli bacteria was mixed with a plasmid containing the gene for resistance
to the antibiotic ampicillin (ampr). Plasmid was not added to a second sample. Samples were plated on nutrient agar
plates, some of which were supplemented with the antibiotic ampicillin. The results of E. coli growth are summarized
below. The shaded area represents extensive growth of bacteria; dots represent individual colonies of bacteria.
3. Plates I and III were included in the experimental design in order to
(A) demonstrate that the E. coli cultures were viable
(B) demonstrate that the plasmid can lose its ampr gene
(C) demonstrate that the plasmid is needed for E. coli growth
(D) prepare the E. coli for transformation
4. Which of the following statements best explains why there are fewer colonies on plate IV than on plate III?
(A) Plate IV is the positive control.
(B) Not all E. coli cells are successfully transformed.
(C) The bacteria on plate III did not mutate.
(D) The plasmid inhibits E. coli growth.
5. In a second experiment, the plasmid contained the gene for human insulin as well as the ampr gene. Which of the
following plates would have the highest percentage of bacteria that are expected to produce insulin?
(A) I only
(B) III only
(C) IV only
(D) I and III
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Test Booklet
6.8 biotechnology
• Directions: Each qroup of questions below concerns an experimental or laboratory situation or data. In each
case, first study the description of the situation or data. Then choose the one best answer to each question
following it.
A scientist is using an ampicillin-sensitive strain of bacteria that cannot use lactose because it has a nonfunctional gene in
the lac operon. She has two plasmids. One contains a functional copy of the affected gene of the lac operon, and the other
contains the gene for ampicillin resistance. Using restrictions enzymes and DNA ligase, she forms a recombinant plasmid
containing both genes. She then adds a high concentration of the plasmid to a tube of the bacteria in a medium for
bacterial growth that contains glucose as the only energy source. This tube (+) and a control tube (-) with similar bacteria
but no plasmid are both incubated under the appropriate conditions for growth and plasmid uptake. The scientist then
spreads a sample of each bacterial culture (+ and -) on each of the three types of plates indicated below.
6. If no new mutations occur, it would be most reasonable to expect bacterial growth on which of the following plates?
(A) 1 and 2 only
(B) 3 and 4 only
(C) 5 and 6 only
(D) 4, 5, and 6 only
(E) 1, 2, 3, and 4 only
7. If the scientist had forgotten to use DNA ligase during the preparation of the recombinant plasmid, bacterial growth
would most likely have occurred on which of the following?
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(A) 1 and 2 only
(B) 1 and 4 only
(C) 4 and 5 only
(D) 1, 2, and 3 only
(E) 4, 5, and 6 only
8.
If the scientist used the cultures to perform another experiment as shown above, using medium that contained
lactose as the only energy source, growth would most likely occur on which of the following plates?
(A) 10 only
(B) 7 and 8 only
(C) 7 and 9 only
(D) 8 and 10 only
(E) 9 and 10 only
9. Antigens are foreign proteins that invade the systems of organisms. Vaccines function by stimulating an organism’s
immune system to develop antibodies against a particular antigen. Developing a vaccine involves producing an
antigen that can be introduced into the organism being vaccinated and which will trigger an immune response
without causing the disease associated with the antigen. Certain strains of bacteria can be used to produce antigens
used in vaccines.
Which of the following best explains how bacteria can be genetically engineered to produce a desired antigen?
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6.8 biotechnology
(A) The gene coding for the antigen can be inserted into plasmids that can be used to transform the bacteria.
(B) The bacteria need to be exposed to the antigen so they can produce the antibodies.
The of the antigen has to be transcribed in order for the produced to be inserted into the
(C)
bacteria.
(D) The of the antigen has to be translated in order for the protein to be inserted into the bacteria.
For following group of questions first study the description of the situation or data and then choose the one best answer to
each question following it and fill in the corresponding oval on the answer sheet.
The diagram below illustrates the results of electrophoresis of DNA sequences obtained from a family of two adults and
three children, and amplified using PCR. The bands represent short repeating sequences of variable length. Results for
another female (X) are included for comparison.
10. The banding patterns of the DNA fragments reveal that
(A) child 1 and child 2 cannot be biological siblings
(B) child 1 and child 3 probably look like the mother
(C) the mother cannot be the biological parent of all three children
(D) the mother’s DNA has the same DNA sequence as the father’s DNA
(E) child 2 and child 3 inherited all of their DNA from the father
11. Which of the following is the best explanation for the fragment pattern for individual X ?
(A) She has only one member of this chromosome pair.
(B) She has only one living parent.
(C) She is homozygous for this particular DNA fragment.
(D) She is the mother’s child from another marriage.
(E) She is not related to any member of the family being tested.
12. Gel electrophoresis can be used to directly determine which of the following?
(A) The amino acid sequence of a protein
(B) The number of base pairs in a fragment of
(C) The organelle in a cell toward which a protein moves after its initial synthesis
(D) Whether one allele of a gene is more subject to genetic drift than are other alleles of the same gene
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13.
Samples of DNA were isolated from four different individuals and each sample was digested by the same restriction
enzymes. Gel electrophoresis was used to separate the resulting DNA fragments and the results are shown above.
These data best support which of the following hypotheses?
(A) Individual 1 is the offspring of 2 and 3.
(B) Individual 1 is the offspring of 3 and 4.
(C) Individual 2 is the offspring of 1 and 3.
(D) Individual 2 is the offspring of 1 and 4.
(E) Individual 3 is the offspring of 1 and 4.
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6.8 biotechnology
14. Students subjected three samples of five different molecules to gel electrophoresis as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1. Gel electrophoresis of three prepared samples
Which of the following statements best explains the pattern seen on the gel with regard to the size and charge of
molecules and ?
(A) Molecules and are positively charged, and molecule is smaller than molecule .
(B) Molecules and are positively charged, and molecule is larger than molecule .
(C) Molecules and are negatively charged, and molecule is smaller than molecule .
(D) Molecules and are negatively charged, and molecule is larger than molecule .
15. Genetic engineering techniques can be used when analyzing and manipulating and . Scientists used gel
electrophoresis to study transcription of gene and discovered that strands of three different lengths are
consistently produced.
Which of the following explanations best accounts for this experimental result?
(A) Gel electrophoresis can only be used with (not ), so experimental results are not interpretable.
(B) polymerase consistently makes the same errors during transcription of gene .
(C) Gene is mutated, so polymerase does not always transcribe the correct sequence.
(D) Pre- of gene is subject to alternative splicing, so three sequences are possible.
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16. is a technique used to copy a target sequence. Researchers often use polymerase from Thermus
aquaticus, a bacteria species that lives around hydrothermal vents.
Which of the following best explains why the polymerase from the species T. aquaticus is often used for ?
(A) T. aquaticus polymerase has an optimal temperature of .
(B) T. aquaticus polymerase does not denature at high temperatures.
(C) T. aquaticus polymerase can be used more than once without degrading.
(D) T. aquaticus polymerase adds nucleotides to both the and ends of .
• Directions: This group of questions consists of five lettered headings followed by a list of phrases or sentences.
For each phrase or sentence, select the one heading to which it is most closely related. Each heading may be used
once, more than once, or not at all.
(A) Transcription
(B) Translation
(C) Transformation
(D) Replication
(E) Reverse transcription
17. Process in which naked DNA is taken up by a bacterial or yeast cell
(A) A
(B) B
(C) C
(D) D
(E) E
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18. Researchers studying the bacterium Escherichia coli split a population of the bacteria into two samples. Sample
was transformed with a plasmid containing a gene that makes the bacteria resistant to the antibiotic kanamycin.
Sample was transformed with a plasmid lacking the antibiotic resistance gene. A portion of each sample was then
added to growth plates containing just nutrients or growth plates containing nutrients and kanamycin.
After being allowed to grow for hours at , the number of colonies on each growth plate was counted (Table
1).
TABLE 1. BACTERIAL GROWTH FOLLOWING TRANSFORMATION WITH OR
WITHOUT THE KANAMYCIN RESISTANCE GENE
Plate Transforming Plasmid Contains Kanamycin
Growth Media Results
# Resistance Gene
Too many colonies to
No Nutrient only
count (lawn)
Too many colonies to
Yes Nutrient only
count (lawn)
Nutrient with
No No colonies observed
antibiotic
Nutrient with
Yes colonies observed
antibiotic
Which of the following claims is best supported by the data in Table 1 ?
(A) The transformation procedure killed all the bacteria that were added to plate .
(B) More bacteria on plates and were successfully transformed than on any other plate.
(C) None of the bacteria on plate were successfully transformed with the kanamycin resistance gene.
(D) Only the bacteria that were successfully transformed with the kanamycin resistance gene grew on plate .
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