Name…….…………………………………………… Comb……….……Expected mark…….

P530/1
BIOLOGY
Paper 1
(Theory)
Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education
S.5 BIOLOGY -TOPICAL TEST
NUCLEIC ACIDS
2 Hours
INSTRUCTIONS
❖ Attempt all questions.
❖ Answers to section B must be written in the space provided.
❖ Be precise and present answers logically.
For section A indicate the right answers in the answer grid below.
1 11 21
2 12 22
3 13 23
4 14 24
5 15 25
6 16 26
7 17 27
8 18 28
9 19 29
10 20 30
SECTION A (30 marks)
1. Which one of the following activates nucleotides during DNA replication?
A. Helicase enzyme
B. Extra phosphate groups attached to nucleotides.
C. DNA polymerase enzymes
D. Introns
2. Which one of the following catalyses unwinding of the DNA double helix
during DNA replication?
A. DNA polymerase C. DNA ligase
B. Helicase D. Exonuclease

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3. Which one of the following is a precise definition of a gene?
A. Piece of DNA that codes for a protein
B. The DNA code for a polypeptide.
C. Piece of DNA that codes for a specific amino acid
D. The DNA code for a polypeptide.
4. The enzyme that catalyse synthesis of a short RNA sequences that serve as
start point for DNA synthesis is known as
A. Exonuclease C. Primase
B. Helicase D. Ligase
5. Which one of the following enzymes catalyse removal of all RNA primers
from newly formed strand of DNA?
A. Exonuclease C. Helicase
B. Primase D. Ligase
6. Which one of the following is a type of RNA polymerase enzyme?
A. DNA polymerase C. Primase
B. RNA ligase D. Helicase
7. Which of the following best describes nonsense triplets? Triplets that
A. do not code for any known amino acid
B. code for non-essential amino acids
C. code for very few amino acids
D. do not recognize anticodons on tRNA.
8. Which one of the following amino acids is found at the start of all newly formed
polypeptides?
A. Alanine C. Glycine
B. Methionine D. Cysteine
9. The following are non-sense codons except
A. UGA C. AUG
B. UAG D. UAA
10. Which one of the following types of RNA is the smallest?
A. Messenger RNA C. Chromosomal RNA
B. Ribosomal RNA D. Transfer RNA

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11. The sections of a gene that code for a specific protein are called
A. Introns C. Polysomes
B. Exons D. Codons
12. The protein complex that removes introns from a newly formed mRNA
molecule is called
A. Spliceosome C. Nucleosome
B. Exosome D. Nuclease
13.Which one of the following is synthesized by genes present on the DNAfound in the
nucleolar organiser region?
A. tRNA B. mRNA C. rRNA D. cRNA
14. which one of the following structures of a protein is directly determined by
DNA?
A. Tertiary B. Quaternary C. Secondary D. Primary
15. Presence of large amounts of DNA in a cell, indicates presence of
A. Replication problem C. Packaging problem
B. Transport problem D. Usage problem
16. Which one of the following catalyse linking of DNA nucleotides during
replication?
A. DNA polymerase C. Helicase
B. DNA ligase D. DNA nuclease
17. The structure formed when DNA helix combines with groups of eight histone molecules is
known as
A. Nucleosome B. Chromatin C. Codon D. Gene
18. Which of the following triplets of bases codes for methionine?
A. AUG B. UAG C. UGA D. ATG
19. Which one of the following molecules is formed by transcription?
A. tRNA B. mRNA C. protein D. amino acid
20. The chromosomes of eukaryotic cells are made up of;
A. DNA and Chromatin
B. DNA only
C. DNA and histones
D. DNA, histones and chromosomal RNA
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21. Which of the following describes a solenoid fibre?
A. Nucleosomes and DNA strands linking them closely, closely packed.
B. Nucleosomes and histones proteins closely packed together.
C. DNA helix with histone proteins closely packed together.
D. Chromosomes condensed during cell division.
22. A polysome is a structure formed during translation between
A. ribosomes and tRNA C. mRNA and tRNA
B. Ribosomes and mRNA D. tRNA and polypeptide
23. The advantage of formation of a polysome during translation is
A. Allows copying of mRNA bases into tRNA bases
B. Allows several polypeptides to be synthesized at the same time.
C. Allows sequence synthesis of proteins
D. Allows one protein to be synthesis at the same time.
24. Which one of the following pairs of amino acids are coded for by a single codon?
A. Tryptophan and alanine C. Methionine and valine
B. Glycine and alanine D. Methionine and tryptophan
25. Which one of the following is the most abundant type of RNA?
A. Messenger RNA C. Transfer RNA
B. Ribosomal RNA D. Chromosomal RNA
26. Which one of the following is a start codon?
A. AUG B. UAG C. UGA D. ATG
27. The DNA of eukaryotic genes is longer than its corresponding DNA because,
A. Immediately after mRNA is made, exons are added on DNA
B. Immediately after transcription mRNA folds and shorten
C. Immediately after mRNA is made certain sections of the molecule are cut out.
D. Immediately after transcription, introns are added to mRNA.
28. The chromosomes of eukaryotic cells are composed of,
A. DNA and histones
B. DNA and chromatins
C. DNA only
D. DNA and chromosomal RNA
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29. The structure formed when histone proteins bonded to a DNA molecule is known as
A. Chromatin C. Codon
B. DNA-RNA complex D. Anticodon
30. The sequence of bases that will be produced as a result of transcription of a DNA molecule
CGACCCCAG.
A. GCTGGGGTC C. UUACCCCAG
B. GCUGGGGUC D. CGACCGGAC
SECTION B (70 MARKS)
31. (a) Define the term gene? (01 marks)
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(b) Distinguish between continuous and discontinuous replication. (04 marks)

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(c) State the role of the following during protein synthesis.

(i) Ribosomes. (02 marks)
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(ii) tRNA. (03 marks)

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32. (a) Give the meaning of the following. (01 mark each)
(i) Codon
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(ii) Nonsense codon
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(iii) Introns
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(iv) Exons
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(v) Cistron
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(vi) splicing.

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(b) State the areas where each of the following is located in an animal cell.

(i) DNA. (02 marks)

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(ii) RNA.

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(c) Apart from tRNA, identify two other types of RNA found in a cell. (02 marks)

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33. (a) Describe the structure of transfer RNA. (03 marks)

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(b) Suggest reasons why the number of purines is equal to the number of pyrimidines in a DNA
molecule. (03 marks)

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(c) How is tRNA molecule adapted to its function? (04 marks)

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34. (a) Explain the essential role of DNA in organisms. (03 marks)

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(b) How is DNA structurally different from RNA? (03 marks)

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(c) Describe how DNA molecule is adapted to its functions. (04 marks)

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35. Write short notes on the following;

a) Conservative replication. (03 marks)

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b) Semi-conservative replication. (04 marks)

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c) Dispersive replication. (03 marks)

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36. (a) Define the term genetic code (01 mark)

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(b) Name any two stop codons you know. (01 marks)

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(c) Describe the features of a genetic code. (05 marks)

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(d) Describe the process of amino acid activation. (03 marks)

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37. (a) Distinguish between replication and transcription as applied to DNA. (03 marks)

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(b) State the three components of DNA and RNA. (03 marks)

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(c) In the space below show how a nucleotide can be formed from the above components.

(04 marks)

END

IT’S POSSIBLE

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