AP®︎ Biology: Topic 6.3 Practice Test
Prepare for your quiz, test, or the AP exam with focused practice questions on Topic 6.3 of AP Biology – Transcription and RNA Processing.
Questions List
Topic 6.3
Question 1 Easy
This question tests the following: IST-1.N.1
What is the primary role of mRNA?
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 6.3: Transcription and RNA Processing
Learning Objective: 6.3.A
Describe the mechanisms by which genetic information flows from DNA to RNA to protein.
Essential Knowledge: 6.3.A.1
The sequence of the RNA bases, together with the structure of the RNA molecule, determines RNA function. i. Messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules carry information from DNA in the nucleus to the ribosome in the cytoplasm. ii. Distinct transfer RNA (tRNA) molecules bind specific amino acids and have anticodon sequences that base pair with the codons of mRNA. tRNA is recruited to the ribosome during translation to generate the primary peptide sequence based on the mRNA sequence. iii. Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) molecules are functional building blocks of ribosomes.
Essential Knowledge: 6.3.A.2
RNA polymerases use a single template strand of DNA to direct the inclusion of bases in the newly formed RNA molecule. This process is known as transcription.
Essential Knowledge: 6.3.A.3
The enzyme RNA polymerase synthesizes mRNA molecules in the 5’ to 3’ direction by reading the template DNA strand in the 3’ to 5’ direction.
Essential Knowledge: 6.3.A.4
In eukaryotic cells the mRNA transcript undergoes a series of enzyme-mediated modifications. i. The addition of a poly-A tail makes mRNA more stable. ii. The addition of a GTP cap helps with ribosomal recognition. iii. The excision of introns, along with the splicing and retention of exons, generates different versions of the resulting mature mRNA molecule. This process is known as alternative splicing.
