AP®︎ Biology: Topic 6.7 Practice Test
Prepare for your quiz, test, or the AP exam with focused practice questions on Topic 6.7 of AP Biology – Mutations.
Questions List
Topic 6.7
Question 1 Easy
This question tests the following: IST-2.E.1
What is a genotype?
What You’re Being Tested On:
Explore the learning objectives taken directly from the College Board’s AP® Biology Curriculum. Ensure you’re prepared for the exact topics covered on the AP® exam, in-class tests, and quizzes, and gain confidence in your mastery of the material.
Topic 6.7: Mutations
Learning Objective: 6.7.A
Describe the various types of mutation.
Essential Knowledge: 6.7.A.1
Alterations in a DNA sequence are mutations that can cause changes in the type or amount of the protein produced and the consequent phenotype. DNA mutations can be beneficial, detrimental, or neutral based on the effect or the lack of effect they have on the resulting nucleic acid or protein and the phenotypes that are conferred by the protein. i. Point mutations occur when one nucleotide has been substituted for a different nucleotide. ii. Frameshift mutations occur when one or more nucleotides are inserted or deleted, causing the reading frame to be shifted. iii. Nonsense mutations occur when there is a point mutation that causes a premature stop. iv. Silent mutations occur when the change in the nucleotide sequence has no effect on the amino acid sequence. Exclusion: Knowledge of specific mutations and their effects is beyond the scope of the AP Exam. Illustrative examples: Mutations in the CFTR gene disrupt ion transport and result in cystic fibrosis; Mutations in the MC1R gene give adaptive melanism in pocket mice.
Learning Objective: 6.7.B
Explain how changes in genotype may result in changes in phenotype.
Essential Knowledge: 6.7.B.1
Errors in DNA replication or DNA repair mechanisms as well as external factors, including radiation and reactive chemicals, can cause random mutations in the DNA. i. Whether a mutation is beneficial, detrimental, or neutral depends on the environmental context. ii. Mutations are a source of genetic variation.
Essential Knowledge: 6.7.B.2
Errors in mitosis or meiosis can result in changes in phenotype. i. Changes in chromosome number resulting from nondisjunction often result in new phenotypes caused by triploidy (aneuploidy). ii. Changes in chromosome number often result in disorders with developmental limitations. iii. Alterations in chromosome structure lead to genetic disorders. Exclusion: Knowledge of specific disorders related to changes in chromosome number is beyond the scope of the AP Exam.
Learning Objective: 6.7.C
Explain how alterations in DNA sequences contribute to variation that can be subject to natural selection.
Essential Knowledge: 6.7.C.1
Changes in genotype may affect phenotypes that are subject to natural selection. Genetic changes that enhance survival and reproduction can be selected for by environmental conditions. i. The horizontal acquisitions of genetic information in prokaryotes via transformation (uptake of DNA), transduction (viral transmission of genetic information), conjugation (cell-to-cell transfer of DNA), and transposition (movement of DNA segments within and between DNA molecules) increase genetic variation. ii. Related viruses can recombine genetic information if they infect the same host cell. iii. Reproductive processes that increase genetic variation are evolutionarily conserved and are shared by various organisms. Illustrative examples: Sickle cell anemia.
