Biochemistry - RNA Processing and Translation - MCAT Practice Questions

What is the process in eukaryotic cells where primary transcript RNA is converted into mature RNA?

A. Transcription
B. Translation
C. Post-transcriptional modification
D. DNA replication

What are the regions of a gene that code for proteins and ultimately exit the nucleus?

A. Introns
B. Exons
C. Promoters
D. Terminators

What are the segments of a DNA or RNA molecule which do not code for proteins and are cut out of the primary transcript?

A. Exons
B. Introns
C. Telomeres
D. Codons

What is the regulated process that results in a single gene coding for multiple proteins by selectively including or excluding certain segments of RNA?

A. Gene amplification
B. Alternative splicing
C. Post-translational modification
D. RNA interference

What is the primary function of the 5' cap and poly-A tail on mature mRNA?

A. To initiate transcription
B. To facilitate DNA replication
C. To protect mRNA for translation
D. To signal termination

Where does translation (protein synthesis) primarily occur in the cell?

A. Nucleus
B. Mitochondria
C. Cytoplasm, at the ribosomes
D. Endoplasmic reticulum

What carries amino acids to the polypeptide chain as the mRNA is moved through the ribosome one codon at a time?

A. mRNA
B. rRNA
C. tRNAs
D. Release factors

In prokaryotic translation, which sequence does the 30S ribosome subunit attach to and scan for a start codon?

A. Poly-A tail
B. Shine-Delgarno sequence
C. Promoter region
D. Operon

What is a polycistronic gene, which is characteristic of prokaryotic mRNA?

A. A segment that codes for only one protein
B. A segment that encodes several proteins
C. A gene with multiple introns
D. A gene that undergoes alternative splicing

The three steps in translation, in their correct order, are:

A. Splicing, Capping, Tailing
B. Replication, Transcription, Translation
C. Initiation, Elongation, Termination
D. A-site, P-site, E-site

In translation elongation, the new tRNA enters the ribosome at which site?

A. P site
B. E site
C. A site
D. 5' cap

In translation, what will occur when the codon in the A site is a stop codon?

A. Elongation
B. Translocation
C. Initiation
D. Termination

What are modifications that occur to a protein after it has been fully formed in translation?

A. Alternative splicing
B. Post-translational modifications (PTMs)
C. Post-transcriptional modifications
D. Reverse translation

How many chromosome(s) do prokaryotes typically have?

A. Multiple linear chromosomes
B. One circular chromosome
C. No chromosomes, only plasmids
D. Two circular chromosomes

What is one half of a duplicated chromosome, where one is an identical copy of the other?

A. Chromatin
B. Chromatid
C. Centromere
D. Histone

A Svedberg (S) unit is a measure of:

A. Molecular weight
B. Sedimentation time
C. Hydrogen bond strength
D. Polypeptide chain length

What is the approximate Svedberg unit (S) for a complete prokaryotic ribosome?

A. 80 S
B. 40 S
C. 70 S
D. 60 S

What is the approximate Svedberg unit (S) for a complete eukaryotic ribosome?

A. 70 S
B. 50 S
C. 30 S
D. 80 S

What is a deoxyribonucleic acid molecule with part or all of the genetic material of an organism?

A. Plasmid
B. Nucleosome
C. Chromosome
D. Ribosome

In the ribosome, the correct order of sites a tRNA moves through before leaving is:

A. P-A-E
B. A-P-E
C. E-A-P
D. A-E-P