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IGCSE Biology: Inheritance — Practice Questions & Answers
IGCSE Biology inheritance made clear: chromosomes, genes and DNA, mitosis and meiosis, monohybrid crosses, codominance and ABO blood groups, and sex linkage.
1189 practice questions available for this topic — here are 10 with full answers and explanations.
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Practice questions with answers
1
Multiple choice · Easy
What is a gene?
A length of DNA that codes for a protein
A complete chromosome
A whole molecule of protein
The nucleus of a cell
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Why A gene is a length of DNA that codes for a protein and is a unit of inheritance.
2
Multiple choice · Easy
What is an allele?
An alternative form of a gene
A type of chromosome
A sex cell
A protein molecule
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Why An allele is one of two or more alternative forms of a gene.
3
Multiple choice · Easy
In which part of a cell are chromosomes found?
The nucleus
The cytoplasm
The cell membrane
The mitochondria
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Why Chromosomes are located in the nucleus of the cell.
4
Multiple choice · Easy
How many chromosomes are there in a normal human body cell?
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Why A normal human body cell contains 46 chromosomes (23 pairs).
5
Multiple choice · Easy
Which type of cell division produces two genetically identical daughter cells?
Mitosis
Meiosis
Fertilisation
Pollination
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Why Mitosis produces two genetically identical diploid daughter cells.
6
Multiple choice · Easy
What is a dominant allele?
An allele that is expressed if it is present
An allele only expressed when two copies are present
An allele found only on the X chromosome
An allele that never affects the phenotype
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Why A dominant allele is expressed if it is present, even in a heterozygous individual.
7
Multiple choice · Easy
Which sex chromosomes does a normal human male have?
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Why A human male has one X and one Y sex chromosome (XY).
8
Multiple choice · Easy
What name is given to the chemical that makes up the genetic material of a cell?
DNA
Protein
Glucose
Lipid
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Why DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is the molecule that makes up the genetic material.
9
Multiple choice · Medium
An organism with the genotype Bb is best described as
heterozygous
homozygous dominant
homozygous recessive
haploid
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Why Having two different alleles for a gene (Bb) means the organism is heterozygous.
10
Multiple choice · Medium
Why does meiosis produce cells with half the number of chromosomes?
So that the diploid number is restored at fertilisation
So that the cells can carry out respiration
So that the cells are genetically identical
So that the cells become larger
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Why Meiosis halves the chromosome number so that fertilisation restores the diploid number.
Key terms in Inheritance
Inheritance: The passing on of genetic information from parents to offspring, from one generation to the next.
Chromosome: A thread-like structure found in the cell nucleus, made of a coiled DNA molecule, that carries the genes.
Gene: A length of DNA that codes for the production of a particular protein, acting as a unit of inheritance.
Allele: A different version (form) of a particular gene.
DNA: Deoxyribonucleic acid, the chemical that makes up genes and chromosomes and stores genetic information.
DNA structure: DNA is a double helix made of two strands, each strand being a chain of bases attached to a sugar-phosphate backbone.
Double helix: The twisted, two-stranded ladder shape of the DNA molecule.
Base (nitrogenous base): One of the four chemical units (A, T, C, G) whose order along DNA forms the genetic code.
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