Genome mapping and DNA technologyIB MYP Biology: Flashcards

Exam questions on Genome mapping and DNA technology

1. The Human Genome Project was an international research programme in which scientists from several countries worked together between 1990 and 2003 to find the order of the bases in human DNA. It showed that humans have about 20 000 genes, and the results were made available free to researchers around the world.
   Outline two ways in which knowing the sequence of the human genome can help medicine.2 marks
2. Police in Dubai find blood on a window at the scene of a burglary. A forensic scientist extracts DNA from the blood, cuts it into fragments with enzymes and separates the fragments by size using gel electrophoresis. This produces a pattern of bands, called a DNA profile. The profile is compared with profiles from two suspects. The bands of Suspect 1 match the pattern from the blood, but the bands of Suspect 2 do not.
   Explain why the DNA match does not prove that Suspect 1 committed the burglary.2 marks
3. A paternity test is carried out on a girl, her mother, and two men (Man A and Man B) who each say they are the girl's father. The girl's DNA profile has six bands. Four of her bands match bands in her mother's profile. The other two bands do not match her mother. Both of these two bands are found in the profile of Man A. Only one of them is found in the profile of Man B.
   Describe how these results are used to decide which man is the girl's father.3 marks