AQA Biology A-Level - Nucleic Acids QP PhysicsAndMathsTutor.

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Q1.
The diagram below shows part of a DNA molecule.

(a) Name the type of bond between:

complementary base pairs ____________________________________

adjacent nucleotides in a DNA strand ____________________________

(2)

(b) The length of a gene is described as the number of nucleotide base pairs it
contains.

Use information in above diagram to calculate the length of a gene

containing 4.38 × 103 base pairs.

Answer _______________ nm
(2)

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Q2.
(a) Complete the table below with ticks ( ✓) to show which elements are found
in the following biological molecules.

Element
Biological molecules
Carbon Nitrogen Oxygen Phosphorus

Galactose

Phospholipid

RNA

Sucrose
(2)

After Watson and Crick proposed the model of DNA structure, scientists
investigated the possible mechanisms for DNA replication.

Two scientists grew a bacterial population, providing them with a nitrogen source
containing only the heavy isotope of nitrogen, 15 N. As soon as all the DNA in this
population contained 15 N, the scientists changed the nitrogen source to one
containing only the lighter isotope of nitrogen, 14 N. They changed the nitrogen
source at 0 hours.

During the investigation, the scientists measured the size of the population of
bacterial cells.

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Figure 1 shows the scientists’ results.

Figure 1

(b) The generation time for a population of bacteria is the time taken for all the
bacteria to divide once by binary fission.

Use Figure 1 and the following equation to calculate the generation time
for this population of bacteria. Give your answer in hours.

Generation time _______________ hours

(2)

At intervals during this investigation, the scientists removed samples of the

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bacterial population, isolated the DNA and measured the density of the DNA.

DNA made using 15 N has a higher density than DNA made using 14 N.

Figure 2 shows the scientists’ results.

Figure 2

There are three possible models of DNA replication.

These models are shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3

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(c) Which of these models, P, Q or R, is supported by the results shown in

Figure 2?

Give the letter and name of the model supported and explain why the
results do not support the other models.

Model _______________

Name ______________________________________________________

Explanation for first

unsupported model __________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

Explanation for second

unsupported model __________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
(3)
(Total 7 marks)

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Q3.
(a) Describe the structure of DNA.

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(5)

Q4.
(a) Describe how a phosphodiester bond is formed between two nucleotides
within a DNA molecule.

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(2)

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(b) The two DNA strands of a particular gene contain 168 guanine bases
between them. The relationship between the numbers of guanine bases
(G), adenine bases (A), thymine bases (T) and cytosine bases (C) in these
two strands of DNA is shown in the following equation.

G = 4(A + T) – C

Use this information and your understanding of DNA structure to calculate

the maximum number of amino acids coded by this gene.

Show your working.

Answer _______________
(2)

(c) Name the protein associated with DNA in a chromosome.

___________________________________________________________
(1)

(d) In the process of semi-conservative DNA replication, the two strands within
a DNA molecule are separated. Each then acts as a template for the
formation of a new complementary strand.

Describe how the separation of strands occurs.

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(2)
(Total 7 marks)

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Q5.
(a) Describe the role of DNA polymerase in the semi-conservative replication
of DNA.

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(2)

Q6.
(a) Name the two scientists who proposed models of the chemical structure of
DNA and of DNA replication.

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(1)

A scientist replicated DNA in a test tube. To do this, he mixed an enzyme with

identical single-stranded DNA fragments and a solution containing DNA
nucleotides.

(b) Name the enzyme used in this DNA replication.

___________________________________________________________
(1)

(c) Use your knowledge of semi-conservative replication of DNA to suggest:

1. the role of the single-stranded DNA fragments ____________________

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2. the role of the DNA nucleotides. _______________________________

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(3)
(Total 5 marks)

Q7.
(a) Draw and label a single DNA nucleotide.

(2)

(b) Give two features of DNA and explain how each one is important in the
semi-conservative replication of DNA.

1. _________________________________________________________

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2. _________________________________________________________

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___________________________________________________________
(2)

(c) Replication of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is different from that of nuclear

DNA.

The replication of the second strand of mtDNA only starts after two-thirds
of the first strand of mtDNA has been copied.

A piece of mtDNA is 16 500 base pairs long and is replicated at a rate of

50 nucleotides per second.

Tick (✓) the box that shows how long it would take to copy this mtDNA.

A 330 seconds

B 440 seconds

C 550 seconds

D 660 seconds

(1)
(Total 5 marks)

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Q8.
(a) Describe the role of two named enzymes in the process of semi-
conservative replication of DNA.

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(3)

(b) Scientists investigated the function of a eukaryotic cell protein called cyclin
A. This protein is thought to be involved with the binding of one of the
enzymes required at the start of DNA replication.

The scientists treated cultures of cells in the following ways.

C – Control cells, untreated
D – Added antibody that binds specifically to cyclin A
E – Added RNA that prevents translation of cyclin A
F – Added RNA that prevents translation of cyclin A and added cyclin A
protein

They then determined the percentage of cells in each culture in which DNA
was replicating.

Their results are shown in the table.

Percentage of cells where

Cell treatment
DNA was replicating
C
91
Control
D
Antibody that binds 11
specifically to cyclin A

E
RNA that prevents translation 10
of cyclin A

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F
RNA that prevents translation
92
of cyclin A and added cyclin
A protein

Suggest explanations for the results in the table.

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(3)
(Total 6 marks)

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AQA Biology A-Level - Nucleic Acids QP PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com

Q9.
The diagram shows part of a DNA molecule.

(a) How many nucleotides are shown in the diagram above?

___________________________________________________________
(1)

(b) Name the type of bond labelled X in the diagram.

___________________________________________________________
(1)

(c) The enzymes DNA helicase and DNA polymerase are involved in DNA
replication.

Describe the function of each of these enzymes.

DNA helicase ________________________________________________

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DNA polymerase _____________________________________________

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(2)

(d) Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is a nucleotide derivative.

Contrast the structures of ATP and a nucleotide found in DNA to give two
differences.

1. _________________________________________________________

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2. _________________________________________________________

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(2)
(Total 6 marks)

Q10.
Figure 1 shows one base pair of a DNA molecule.

Figure 1

(a) Name part F of each nucleotide.

___________________________________________________________
(1)

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(b) Scientists determined that a sample of DNA contained 18% adenine.

What were the percentages of thymine and guanine in this sample of

DNA?

Percentage of thymine

Percentage of guanine

(2)

During replication, the two strands of a DNA molecule separate and each acts as
a template for the production of a new strand.

Figure 2 represents DNA replication.

Figure 2

(c) Name the enzyme shown in Figure 2.

___________________________________________________________
(1)

The arrows in Figure 2 show the directions in which each new DNA strand is
being produced.

(d) Use Figure 1, Figure 2 and your knowledge of enzyme action to explain
why the arrows point in opposite directions.

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___________________________________________________________

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(4)
(Total 8 marks)

Q11.
The following figure represents part of a DNA molecule.

(a) Draw a box around a single nucleotide.

(1)

The table below shows the percentage of bases in each of the strands of a DNA
molecule.

DNA Percentage of each

strand base

A C G T

Strand 1 16

Strand 2 21 34

(b) Complete the table by adding the missing values.

(2)

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(c) During replication, the two DNA strands separate and each acts as a
template for the production of a new strand. As new DNA strands are
produced, nucleotides can only be added in the 5’ to 3’ direction.

Use the figure in part (a) and your knowledge of enzyme action and DNA
replication to explain why new nucleotides can only be added in a 5’ to 3’
direction.

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(4)
(Total 7 marks)

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