1 Genes

Answers

Page 8 Data-based question: Crime-scene detective

1. No—they are all different.
2. The DNA is from the person who committed the crimes because the bands are
not present in victims’ DNA (samples a or c) but were present on the bodies of
the victims (samples b, d and e).
3. The suspect did not commit the crimes because the two bands in
their profile were not found in the samples taken from the bodies
of the victims.
4.  Check DNA databases to try to find an individual whose DNA
gives the same two extra bands as in samples taken from the
bodies of the victims
 Take DNA samples from all people living in the area where the crime was
committed and analyze them to see whether any of them contain these two
bands
 Release the prime suspect

Page 9 Data-based question: Cryptology

1. 43 = 64
2. a) 23 = 8
b) 28 = 256
3.  All the codes use groups of symbols
 Morse and computer code have two different symbols whereas the genetic
code has four
 Computer and genetic codes have a constant number of symbols in each
code word (codons and bytes) whereas Morse code has a variable number
4.  Linear B has far more symbols than the genetic code
 Experiments could be done to investigate the genetic code
but not Linear B
 Far more researchers worked on the genetic code than Linear B because it
was more important

Page 11 Activity: Modeling DNA replication with zippers

1.  Zippers and DNA both have two strands
 The strands can be separated in both zippers and DNA
 The strands have directionality in both zippers and DNA
2.  There is a sequence of teeth on each strand of a zipper, which is similar to
the sequence of bases on a strand of DNA but all the teeth are the same
whereas DNA has four different bases
 The teeth on the two strands alternate in a zipper whereas they match up
to form base pairs in DNA
 The teeth have the same directionality on the two strands of a zipper but
opposite directionality in DNA

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3. Many different ways of modeling the structure of DNA have been devised and
can easily be found on the internet. For example, paper cut out models, small
candies such as jelly babies with candy ribbons and cocktail sticks, recycled
materials such as drink cans and plastic bottles.

Page 14 Activity: Gene locations

Genes are locations are listed in a set order:
 first, the numbered chromosome, for example, chromosome 17
 second, which chromosome arm (either the shorter arm, which is p, or the longer
arm, which is q)
 then the numbered band along the arm, for example 1
 and finally, the numbered position within a band, for example 2.
The location of GH could therefore be given as 17q1.2
1. Insulin: 11p15.5
2. Myoglobin: 22q12.3
3. Rhodopsin: 3q22.1
4. Factor VIII: Xq2.8

Page 18 How much of our identity do we inherit from our parents?

1. Examples include:
Inherited—lobed ears, eye color, natural hair color
Environmental—scars, muscle strength, hair length/style
Inherited and environmental—behavior, weight/BMI, athletic ability
2. Identical twins come from one fertilized egg that splits. Their DNA is the same
when the egg splits, so any variation can be attributed to environmental
causes. If identical twins are raised in different environments, scientists can
compare physiological or genetic changes in the twins caused by
environmental factors.
3. By looking at data for both types of twins in a population, scientists hope to
identify whether traits or diseases are inheritable or not. For example, if a
particular disease usually develops in both identical twins, it is thought to be
inheritable, whereas if a particular disease usually occurs in only one twin
(identical or not), the disease is thought to be caused by environmental factors.
There is much debate about how reliable twin studies are for determining
“inheritability”. This is because some diseases are affected by both inherited
genes and environmental factors and it is possible identical twins could share
more of the same environment or lifestyle factors than non-identical twins do.

Page 20 What is a designer baby?

These are discussion questions—there are no right and wrong answers.

2 © Oxford University Press 2019

 Summative assessment
Criterion A: Genes in humans and tobacco plants
1. B 3. B 5. C
2. C 4. A

Criteria B and C: Does smoking cause visible changes to our skin?

6. There are various possible procedures. One possibility is described here:
 get photos of identical twins where one is a smoker but the other
is not
 get as many pairs of photos as possible
 arrange the photos side by side but randomize whether the smoker is on
the left or right in each case
 keep a record of which twin is the smoker but remove this identification
from the photos
 ask a volunteer to identify the smoker in each pair of photos
 make sure you don’t know which the smoker is to avoid revealing it by
your behavior (double blind trial)
 count how many times the volunteer was right in picking
the smoker
 repeat with as many volunteers as possible
 work out an average result
 if the smoker is identified correctly in more than half the twins, there is
evidence for the hypothesis
 the higher the proportion of correct identifications, the stronger the
evidence
 the higher the number of pairs and the number of volunteers, the
stronger the evidence

Criteria A and C: Is smoking behavior influenced more by genes

or environment?
7. 1993–1995 2009–2010
men 50.1% 22.8%
women 39.5% 22.4%

8. Pie charts or stacked column graphs are suitable, but graphs where individual
points have been plotted (scatter graphs) are unsuitable.
 suitable choice of graph or chart
 values plotted correctly, scales on axes are correct, legend for scales are
appropriate, suitable key
9. a) Percentage of men and women who had smoked became lower; larger
drop in men but from a higher percentage so percentage of smokers
became very similar in men and women.
b) Due to environment; too short a time for genes to have
changed enough.

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 c) The twins could be tested for genes of interest to see if they are linked
with smoking behavior; non-identical pairs of twins reared in the same
environment where one was a smoker and the other was not could be
tested to find differences in their genes.
10. a) i) Identical twins are more similar, as percentages who show the
same smoking behaviour are higher than non-identical twin
percentages and percentage with different smoking behaviour
are lower.
ii) Genes influence smoking behaviour because identical twins have
the same genes and there are differences between the genes of
non-identical twins.
b) i) No significant difference with identical twins, but
non-identical twins reared together are more similar
than non-identical twins reared apart.
ii) Environment increases the influence that genetic differences
have on smoking behaviour.
c) Genes have a bigger effect because the differences between identical
and non-identical twins are bigger than the differences between reared
together and reared apart; but a combination of genes and
environment has the biggest influence of all.

Criterion D: How does smoking cause bladder cancer?

11. a) Answers should be clear, concise and contain correct scientific
terminology. Answer could include the following points:
 smoke inhaled
 cigarette / tobacco smoke contains carcinogens / chemicals that
cause cancer
 carcinogens absorbed in the lungs
 transported by the blood
 filtered out of the blood by the kidneys
 dissolved in urine
 urine is stored in the bladder
 carcinogens are in contact with the bladder wall
 diffuse into cells in the bladder wall
 cause mutations in DNA of bladder wall cells
b) Sources should include:
 the authors
 the title of book / article / website
 page numbers
 date of publication
c) Statements should be:
 as concise as possible so no more than a few words
 as clear as possible without any technical terms that might not be
understood
 based on evidence rather than on exaggeration
or doubtful claims
 likely to discourage smokers from continuing to harm their health
by smoking

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