1. What determines whether a gene allele is a risk-increasing versus a risk-decreasing allele?

2. What does it mean when we say that genetic factors influence what dose of a drug will be safest and most effective for you?

3. Imagine someone who has asthma has a direct-to-consumer test that tells him that he has risk- decreasing alleles for asthma in two of his relevant genes. How do you explain the fact that he has asthma, despite having two risk-decreasing alleles in relevant genes?

4. What does it mean to say you have a risk-increasing allele for cancer that has been reported to have 20% penetrance?

5. Why does the test that is used to determine whether a woman who has breast cancer should be prescribed Herceptin or not focus on analyzing the mRNA of the HER2 gene? What does that tell you that a DNA-level analysis would not tell you?

6. Multiple choice—Just give me the letters of your choices—no need for explanation—there may be more than one correct answer. Give me all that are true.
Which of the following is true regarding the effects of mutations in the coding sequence of a gene?

A. they sometimes change the level of activity that every individual molecule of the protein has B. they sometimes change the overall level of activity you have of that protein in your body
C. they sometimes change the rate at which the cell makes that protein

7. Multiple choice—Just give me the letters of your choices—no need for explanation—there may be more than one correct answer. Give me all that are true.
Which of the following is true regarding the effects of mutations in the promoter region of a gene?

A. they sometimes change the level of activity that every individual molecule of the protein has B. they sometimes change the overall level of activity you have of that protein in your body
C. they sometimes change the rate at which the cell makes that protein

Relate the concept of natural selection to the process of evolution. What conditions are necessary for natural selection to result in the evolution of a population?

1. What malfunctioning mechanisms could be contributing to the development of anencephaly?

2. Anencephaly is likely caused by a problem with which of the following? a. Primary neurulation b. Secondary neurulation c. Junctional neurulation

3. Develop a model of anencephaly based upon a problem with alterations in cell polarity.

4. Develop a model of anencephaly based upon a problem with morphogen signaling.

5. Develop a model of anencephaly based upon a problem with cell to cell interactions.

1.  At the Integris hospital, a 5-year old Caucasian male child in good general health and physical condition was presented at the Saturday walk-in clinic by his mother. He was brought in because he had a fever, was cranky and had complained of a sore throat for about 24 hours. On physical examination by the attending resident, the patient had a fever of 39.3C, and he had considerable swelling and drainage of the pharynx and in the conjunctivae. His tonsils were enlarged and coated with a white patchy exudate. He had a red throat and swollen anterior cervical lymph nodes. His ears were clear. His chest sounded clear and he had no additional remarkable findings on routine examination.

a) What would be your presumptive diagnosis for this child? Why?

b) What diagnostic testing would be indicated to follow this exam?

c) What is the most likely treatment for this illness? Why is it important?

d) What factors of this case allowed you to make a presumptive diagnosis?

e) Lastly, are there any preventative advice that you would give to the mother?

An F1 x F1 self gives a 9:7 phenotypic ratio in the F2. What phenotypic ratio would you expect if you test-crossed the F1?

1. Describe the body plans of animals. Include types of symmetry, germinal tissues, body cavities, and protostome vs. deuterostome development.

1. How many cases of COVID-19 are there in the U.S. today (3/26/20)?

1. Scroll down past the histogram to the total # of COVID-19 cases in U.S. by date. How many cases were there on March 1?

1. How many cases were diagnosed in the 25 days between March 1 and March 26?

1. What are three things you can do to avoid getting COVID-19?

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/cases-in-us.html

You have discovered a new transmembrane protein that resides in the ER. The molecular weight of the protein is approximately 100 Kd and it contains a hydrophobic transmembrane domain in middle of the protein amino acid sequence. You want to determine whether the protein is a Type I or Type II transmembrane protein. For the experiment, you are given the following reagents: cDNA construct for the protein, a cell line, a centrifuge, SDS-page apparatus, reagents needed for Western blot analysis and an antibody made against the N-terminus of the protein. Basic biochemicals and enzymes routinely used in cell biology research labs are also available to you. Briefly outline your experimental strategy for determining the topology of the protein and show expected Western blot analysis results if the protein is 1) Type I transmembrane protein or 2) Type II transmembrane protein.

Any Parts answered are greatly appreciated

1. *A PKA value was not provided*

Consider the following peptide, with the sequence in 1-letter code:

CHART. (amino acids: Cytesine, Histidine, Alanine, Arginine, and Theorine, respectively.)

How many chiral atoms (in total) does this peptide contain?

b) If you have a solution containing 1.2 mmol CHART, how many mmol of NaOH will you need to completely titrate this peptide?

c) What is the pI of the peptide CHART?

d) At which pH will CHART have an average net charge of +1.5?

e) Which amino acid side chains in CHART will be H-bond acceptors at pH 8?

f ) Which amino acid side chains in CHART will be H-bond donors at pH 10?

1. How does the structure of mosses, liverworts, and hornworts explain their small size? In what way does their life cycle still depend on the presence of a water film?

1. What accounts for the unusual properties of the heart of a shrew? In other words, why is the shrew’s heart unusually large with an unusually slow heart rate?
2. What are the three general components of a circulatory system? Describe the functions of a cardiovascular system.
3. What are the limitations of Diffusion?
4. Describe the 3 main types of pumping structures in animal circulatory systems?
5. Distinguish between open and closed circulatory systems. Is the distinction between open and closed circulatory systems always clear? Distinguish among interstitial fluids, blood, lymph, and hemolymph.
6. Compare and contrast hemocytes found in insects and vertebrates.
7. Describe composition and functions of plasma?
8. Describe functions of the five types of leukocytes?
9. Describe the structure and function of erythrocytes?
10. Describe the structure and function of platelets?
11. How do sponges, cnidarians, and flatworms manage without a circulatory system?
12. Describe the circulatory system of an oligochaete?
13. Compare and contrast the circulatory system of a bivalve and a cephalopod?
14. Compare and contrast the structure and function of the circulatory systems of a branchiopod crustacean and a decapod crustacean?
15. Describe the five common features of crustacean heart?
16. How is the hear of Daphnia magnus different than the typical crustacean heart?
17. Describe the structure and function of the insect circulatory system.
18. Do all animals have a circulatory system? (explain)
19. Closed circulatory systems are usually found in high active organisms with high demands for oxygen or in those living in oxygen limited environments. What is the main exception to this general rule? (explain)

What is the relationship between the Reproductive Rate (R₀) and the proportion of susceptible individuals that become infected with a disease? Is there a value below which almost no one becomes infected?

Industrial Melanism

The peppered moth, Biston betularia, is a speckled moth that rests on tree trunks during the day, where it avoids predation by blending with the bark of trees (an example of cryptic coloration). At the turn of the century, moth collectors in Great Britain collected primarily light forms of this moth (light with dark speckles) and only occasionally recorded rare dark forms. With the advent of the Industrial Revolution and increased pollution, light-colored lichens on the trees died, resulting in strong positive selection for dark moths resting on the now dark bark. The dark moth increased in frequency. However, in unpolluted regions, the light moth continued to occur in high frequencies. (This is an example of the relative nature of selective advantage, depending on the environment.)

Color is controlled by a single gene with two allelic forms, dark and light.   Pigment production is completely dominant, and the lack of pigment is recessive.   We use the letters A and a for these alleles.

1. If this population met the assumptions for Hardy Weinberg Equilibrium predict the genotypic frequencies for the next generation.
2. Now, assume that pollution has become a significant factor and that in this new population 50% of the light moths but only 10% of the dark moths are eaten (natural selection). How many moths would be left for each phenotype? What would be the p and q values of the population after predation? (Assume both genotypes for the dominant phenotype are eaten equally)