Chapter 21 Reading Guide - Genomes and Their Evolution

  1. The Human Genome Project sequenced the entire human genome utilizing a three stage approach. Draw and explain the three stages.
  2. Craig Venter used an approach termed the whole genome shotgun approach. Explain how this concept can be used to sequence genomes.
  3. What is a metagenome? How is metagenomics being used?
  4. Bioinformatics is the application of statistics and computer science to the field of molecular biology. Describe four important examples of information that is available through bioinformatics.
  5. What is the goal of scientists who study proteomics?
  6. How might a human gene microarray chip be of medical importance?
  7. How do prokaryotic genomes of the two domains Bacteria and Archaea compare to eukaryotic genomes?
  8. What relationship if any does a comparison of eukaryotic genomes indicate? Explain your response.
  9. How are humans able to successfully compete in nature even though they have about the same number of genes as the nematode worm C. elegans?
  10. What relationship does Chart 21.1 in our text indicate for gene density comparisons between prokaryotes and eukaryotes?
  11. Define pseudogene and repetitive DNA
  12. What are transposable elements and what percentage of our genomes is made of them?
  13. Make a pie chart of the types of DNA sequences in the human genome (use Fig 21.7)
  14. What is the difference between a “copy and paste” transposon and a “cut and paste” transposon?
  15. Retrotransposons move by means of an RNA intermediate. Use 21.1 to draw and label how this sequence works.
  16. What is the role of reverse transcriptase? How might retroviruses be related to retrotransposons?
  17. Transposons and retrotransposons comprise 20-50% of most mammalian genomes. What possible function might they have?
  18. What are short tandem repeats (STRs) and why are Earl Washington and the Innocence Project interested in them?
  19. How is fetal hemoglobin different from adult hemoglobin? What is the selective advantage of these different B-globin genes?
  20. Describe how the chromosome banding pattern may explain why there are different haploid chromosomes numbers for humans and chimpanzees.
  21. What is the evolutionary significance of the relationship between the genes on human chromosome 16 and those same blocks of genes on mousechromosomes 7, 8, 16, and 17?
  22. Using the concept of protein domain in youranswer, explain how exon shuffling can lead to new proteins with novel functions.
  23. Transposable elements contribute to genome evolution in several ways. Describe three.
  24. When comparing genomes, we find that the more ______in sequence the genes and genomes of two specie re, the more closely related those species are in their ______history.
  25. What does it mean to say that a gene is highly conserved?
  26. What are three genes that are evolving much faster in humans than chimpanzees?
  27. What is evo-devo and how does it relate to understanding the evolution of genomes?
  28. Explain what a homeobox is and describe its functions.