Table of Contents
Key Genetics Concepts Exam Guide: Mendelian Patterns Evolutionary Forces
Essential genetics principles include inheritance patterns, gene expression, genetic drift, natural selection, DNA replication, and mutation—not physics or metabolism—for comprehensive biology study and certification success.
Question
Which of the following are key principles of genetics relevant in biology?
A. Inheritance patterns and gene expression.
B. Genetic drift and natural selection.
C. The laws of motion and gravity.
D. Photosynthesis and cellular respiration.
E. DNA replication and mutation.
Answer
A. Inheritance patterns and gene expression.
B. Genetic drift and natural selection.
C. The laws of motion and gravity.
E. DNA replication and mutation.
Explanation
Key genetics principles central to biology encompass inheritance patterns like Mendel’s laws of segregation and independent assortment, alongside gene expression mechanisms governing how DNA sequences translate into functional RNAs and proteins via transcription factors and epigenetics. Genetic drift—random allele frequency fluctuations strongest in small populations—and natural selection—non-random survival/reproduction favoring adaptive traits—drive microevolution alongside gene flow and mutation, explaining biodiversity and adaptation. DNA replication ensures precise genetic copying during cell division through semiconservative mechanisms involving helicases, polymerases, and proofreading, while mutations (substitutions, insertions, deletions) introduce heritable variation fueling evolution, though most are neutral or deleterious and repaired by cellular machinery. Physics laws (C) and metabolic processes like photosynthesis/respiration (D) belong to separate disciplines, not genetics core tenets.