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Chapter 2 Biological Foundations: Heredity, Prenatal Development, and Birth
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. How many chromosomes are found in the organism that results from the union of a sperm cell
and an egg cell?
a. 22 c. 44
b. 23 d. 46
ANS: D DIF: Easy REF: In the Beginning: 23 Pairs of Chromosomes
OBJ: Mechanisms of heredity MSC: Factual
2. Kathleen and Alphonse are expecting their first child, and are having a pleasant conversation
about the sex of the baby. Kathleen says, “Well, as long as all of the chromosomes are X,
we’ll be having a girl!” Which of the following would be the best answer for Alphonse to
give?
a. “That isn’t exactly right, since it is an XY chromosomal pattern that produces a
female baby.”
b. “Actually, it is only one pair of chromosomes that determines the sex of the baby.”
c. “It is not the chromosomes, but the genes that make up the chromosomes that
determine whether we’ll have a son or a daughter.”
d. “Since we are only in the second month of the pregnancy, we still have six months
to go before the sex of the baby will be determined by the 15th and 16th pairs of
chromosomes.”
ANS: B DIF: Moderate REF: In the Beginning: 23 Pairs of Chromosomes
OBJ: Mechanisms of heredity MSC: Application
3. When looking through a microscope at an entire set of human male chromosomes, how would
you be able to differentiate an autosome pair from a sex chromosome pair?
a. The sex chromosome pair would be about 10 times larger than the autosome pair.
b. The circular-shaped cells would be the autosomes and the square shapes would be
the sex chromosomes.
c. There would be three cells in the autosome “pair” and two cells in the sex
chromosome “pair.”
d. The shape of the sex chromosomes would differ, whereas each autosome pair
would look identical.
ANS: D DIF: Difficult REF: In the Beginning: 23 Pairs of Chromosomes
OBJ: Mechanisms of heredity MSC: Conceptual
4. How many of the pairs of chromosomes in normal human cells are considered autosomes?
a. 1 c. 22
b. 12 d. 46
ANS: C DIF: Moderate REF: In the Beginning: 23 Pairs of Chromosomes
OBJ: Mechanisms of heredity MSC: Factual
5. Which of the following is NOT one of the chemical compounds that makes up a strand of
DNA?
a. depranine c. thymine
b. adenine d. cytocine
ANS: A DIF: Difficult REF: In the Beginning: 23 Pairs of Chromosomes
OBJ: Mechanisms of heredity MSC: Factual
6. How is it that DNA “knows” which specific amino acids, proteins, or enzymes to create?
a. The number of chromosomes that makes up the DNA strand determines this
outcome.
b. The length of the DNA strand, determined by the number of genes on the strand,
produces the specific outcome.
c. The combination of XX and XY chromosomes in the DNA strand determines this
outcome.
d. The order in which the four nucleotide bases occur in the DNA strand results in the
specific production outcomes.
ANS: D DIF: Difficult REF: In the Beginning: 23 Pairs of Chromosomes
OBJ: Mechanisms of heredity MSC: Conceptual
7. Kimberley is having a discussion with her friend Aasta about the genetic determinants of
development. They cannot come to an agreement on what the functional units of heredity are.
If they asked you to help them figure this out, what would you say?
a. The most functional units of heredity are chromosomes.
b. The most functional units of heredity are genes.
c. The most functional units of heredity are ribosomes.
d. The most functional units of heredity are nucleotides.
ANS: B DIF: Moderate REF: In the Beginning: 23 Pairs of Chromosomes
OBJ: Mechanisms of heredity MSC: Application
8. When Chester is conceived by his parents, he has the genetic instructions to grow up to be
6’1’’ tall. During his childhood, however, he develops a digestive illness that significantly
limits the amount of food he can eat, and he regularly fails to get enough vitamins in his diet.
As a result, he grows up to be 5’11’’ tall. In this example, a height of 6’1’’ is Chester’s
________ and a height of 5’11’’ is Chester’s ________.
a. phenotype; genotype c. nucleotype; chromotype
b. chromotype; nucleotype d. genotype; phenotype
ANS: D DIF: Easy REF: In the Beginning: 23 Pairs of Chromosomes
OBJ: Mechanisms of heredity MSC: Application
9. Genotype is to phenotype as
a. homozygous is to heterozygous.
b. nurture is to nature.
c. DNA is to RNA.
d. genetic pattern is to physical, behavioral, and psychological features.
ANS: D DIF: Difficult REF: In the Beginning: 23 Pairs of Chromosomes
OBJ: Mechanisms of heredity MSC: Conceptual
10. Kendrie suffers from sickle cell anemia. She is not just a carrier of the illness, but she actually
has the disease itself. Which of the following best describes Kendrie’s red blood cell alleles?
a. heterozygous c. homozygous
b. genotypical d. phenotypical
ANS: C DIF: Difficult REF: In the Beginning: 23 Pairs of Chromosomes
OBJ: Mechanisms of heredity MSC: Application
11. When you learned to speak English, you may have learned the following saying: “When two
vowels go walking, the first does the talking.” If we were to apply this rule to heterozygous
genes, we would be most accurate if we said, “When two genes go walking, the ________ one
does the talking.”
a. masked c. dominant
b. recessive d. typical
ANS: C DIF: Moderate REF: In the Beginning: 23 Pairs of Chromosomes
OBJ: Mechanisms of heredity MSC: Application
12. Which type of allele is ignored when found in a heterozygous gene pair?
a. masked c. typical
b. dominant d. recessive
ANS: D DIF: Moderate REF: In the Beginning: 23 Pairs of Chromosomes
OBJ: Mechanisms of heredity MSC: Factual
13. Maricella was born several days ago, and her pediatrician has observed that she has almondshaped eyes and a fold over her eyelids. In addition, her head, neck, and nose are smaller than
other babies of her birth weight. With which of the following conditions would Maricella
most likely be diagnosed?
a. Down syndrome c. Kleinfelter’s syndrome
b. Turner’s syndrome d. Phenylketonuria
ANS: A DIF: Difficult REF: In the Beginning: 23 Pairs of Chromosomes
OBJ: Mechanisms of heredity MSC: Application
14. Maricella was born several days ago, and her pediatrician has observed that she has almondshaped eyes and a fold over her eyelids. In addition, her head, neck, and nose are smaller than
other babies of her birth weight. It is most likely that Maricella has an extra of the _____ pair
of chromosomes.
a. 4
th c. 17th
b. 9
th d. 21st
ANS: D DIF: Difficult REF: In the Beginning: 23 Pairs of Chromosomes
OBJ: Mechanisms of heredity MSC: Application
15. Which maternal characteristic is most strongly associated with giving birth to a baby with
Down syndrome?
a. low levels of intelligence in the mother
b. consumption of alcohol during pregnancy
c. higher maternal age
d. exposure to lead or mercury by the baby immediately after birth
ANS: C DIF: Moderate REF: In the Beginning: 23 Pairs of Chromosomes
OBJ: Mechanisms of heredity MSC: Factual
16. Which of the following statements supports the proposition that the presence of an X
chromosome appears to be necessary for life?
a. X-chromosomal genotypes are expressed as consistent phenotypes at a rate of
around 85%, while Y-chromosomal genotypes are expressed as consistent
phenotypes at a rate of only about 15%.
b. The X chromosomes are expressed far earlier in the prenatal period than the Y
chromosomes.
c. There are no chromosomal disorders wherein a person has only Y chromosomes.
d. Most of the lethal chromosomal disorders, including Tay-Sachs disease and cystic
fibrosis, are located on the Y chromosome.
ANS: C DIF: Difficult REF: In the Beginning: 23 Pairs of Chromosomes
OBJ: Mechanisms of heredity MSC: Conceptual
17. Traits that are “either/or” phenotypes (e.g., being color blind or not being color blind, having
a blood clotting disorder or not having a blood clotting disorder) are usually controlled by
________ genes.
a. polymorphic c. multiple
b. mutated d. single
ANS: D DIF: Difficult REF: In the Beginning: 23 Pairs of Chromosomes
OBJ: Heredity, environment, and development MSC: Factual
18. If a physician informed you that your speech disorder was the result of problems on
chromosomes 4, 7, and 15, you would rightly conclude that the disorder is always classifiable
as
a. recessive. c. dominant.
b. polygenic. d. sex-linked.
ANS: B DIF: Moderate REF: In the Beginning: 23 Pairs of Chromosomes
OBJ: Heredity, environment, and development MSC: Application
19. When many genes work together to determine a characteristic, there may be a large range of
phenotypes that are expressed. Why is this?
a. Because each allele of the genes may be differently structured, leaving a large
variety of outcomes.
b. Because there are many combinations of dominant and recessive genes that can
lead to various levels of the characteristic being expressed.
c. Because each gene is contributed to by a different chromosome, bringing more
phenotypical variety into the characteristic.
d. Because the genes all work to “cancel” each other out, leaving only one “odd”
gene to express the phenotype.
ANS: B DIF: Difficult REF: In the Beginning: 23 Pairs of Chromosomes
OBJ: Heredity, environment, and development MSC: Conceptual
20. David and Katie have always been close. In fact, they are so close that they shared the womb
when their mother was pregnant with them. Given the information that you have already been
given in this question, which of the following can you state conclusively?
a. David and Katie are monozygotic twins.
b. David and Katie are conjoined twins.
c. David and Katie are dizygotic twins.
d. David and Katie share 25% of their genotype.
ANS: C DIF: Difficult REF: In the Beginning: 23 Pairs of Chromosomes
OBJ: Heredity, environment, and development MSC: Application
21. Monozygotic is to ________ as dizygotic is to ________.
a. heterozygous; homozygous c. homozygous; heterozygous
b. identical; fraternal d. fraternal; identical
ANS: B DIF: Easy REF: In the Beginning: 23 Pairs of Chromosomes
OBJ: Heredity, environment, and development MSC: Conceptual
22. Which of the following circumstances would indicate the greatest level of heritability of a
trait?
a. Francois performs as well in school as the siblings with whom he was raised, even
though he was adopted and is not genetically related to them.
b. D’artagnan prefers to watch movies on television, while his parents prefer to watch
movies at a movie theater.
c. Luigi and his siblings are all about the same height.
d. Mario’s results on a personality test are far more similar to his biological parents
than they are to his adopted parents.
ANS: D DIF: Moderate REF: In the Beginning: 23 Pairs of Chromosomes
OBJ: Heredity, environment, and development MSC: Application
23. Which of the following properties is widely accepted with regard to the relationship between
genes and behaviors?
a. Genes actually change and break down as we age, which is why our actions change
so dramatically as we get older.
b. Environmental influences typically make children within the family very similar to
each other.
c. Genes cannot influence the kind of environment to which a person is exposed.
d. Heredity and environment interact dynamically throughout development.
ANS: D DIF: Moderate REF: In the Beginning: 23 Pairs of Chromosomes
OBJ: Heredity, environment, and development MSC: Factual
24. The concept that genotypes are not the only things that control traits involves the fact that
a. dizygotic twins are virtually genetically identical while fraternal twins are not.
b. each genotype can produce a variety of phenotypes, depending on the environment
in which a person lives.
c. recessive genes are more commonly expressed than dominant genes, especially in
cases of polygenic inheritance.
d. the environment has little impact on behavior, as has been demonstrated in the
results of the nature-nurture question.
ANS: B DIF: Difficult REF: In the Beginning: 23 Pairs of Chromosomes
OBJ: Heredity, environment, and development MSC: Conceptual
25. The fact that a person with phenylketonuria can essentially mute the effects of their disease by
controlling their dietary intake of a specific amino acid is an example of which of the
following principles?
a. Heredity and the environment interact dynamically throughout development.
b. Genes can influence the environment to which a person is exposed.
c. Development is multidirectional in its nature.
d. Environmental influences typically make children within a family different.
ANS: A DIF: Difficult REF: In the Beginning: 23 Pairs of Chromosomes
OBJ: Heredity, environment, and development MSC: Conceptual
26. Marvin has an exceptional amount of skill in athletics. Specifically, he is an extraordinary
hockey player. Throughout his life he has chosen circumstances where he would be exposed
to peers who also enjoyed hockey, and this has helped him develop opportunities to develop
his talent. Marvin has been engaging in
a. genotyping. c. niche-picking.
b. phenotyping. d. heritizing.
ANS: C DIF: Easy REF: In the Beginning: 23 Pairs of Chromosomes
OBJ: Heredity, environment, and development MSC: Application
27. ________ refers to the process of deliberately seeking environments that fit one’s heredity.
a. Niche-picking c. Base-rating
b. Context-selection d. Polygenic inheritance
ANS: A DIF: Easy REF: In the Beginning: 23 Pairs of Chromosomes
OBJ: Heredity, environment, and development MSC: Factual
28. Jack and Jill are twins. Because he is a boy, Jack’s parents encourage him to run. However,
they discourage Jill from engaging in athletic activity. As a result, Jack is much faster at
running up a hill than Jill. The difference in Jack and Jill’s behavior is best explained by
a. nonshared environmental influences. c. polygenetic effects.
b. active gene-environment relations. d. niche-picking.
ANS: A DIF: Moderate REF: In the Beginning: 23 Pairs of Chromosomes
OBJ: Heredity, environment, and development MSC: Application
29. Although identical twins share 100% of their genetic code and are often similar, they are
never truly “identical.” Which of the following explains these differences?
a. heterozygous chromosomal deviations c. post-natal genetic mutations
b. active gene-environment relationships d. nonshared environmental influences
ANS: D DIF: Moderate REF: In the Beginning: 23 Pairs of Chromosomes
OBJ: Heredity, environment, and development MSC: Conceptual
30. Larry and Ira are brothers who are two years apart in age. Larry went to one public school for
his grade school years, but before Ira could go to that school the district underwent a rezoning.
Ira, therefore, ended up going to a different school with less-qualified teachers and fewer
resources. As a result, Larry tended to perform much better in school than Ira did. This
example demonstrates the influence of
a. active gene-environment relationships c. nonshared environmental influences
b. niche-picking d. asynchronous environmental
genotypes
ANS: C DIF: Difficult REF: In the Beginning: 23 Pairs of Chromosomes
OBJ: Heredity, environment, and development MSC: Application
31. The time between conception and birth is called the ________ period.
a. prenatal c. postnatal
b. neonatal d. teratogenic
ANS: A DIF: Easy REF: From Conception to Birth
OBJ: Period of the zygote MSC: Factual
32. Which of the following is the correct order of the stages of pregnancy?
a. period of the embryo, period of the fetus, period of the zygote
b. period of the zygote, period of the embryo, period of the fetus
c. period of the fetus, period of the zygote, period of the embryo
d. period of the embryo, period of the zygote, period of the fetus
ANS: B DIF: Moderate REF: From Conception to Birth
OBJ: Period of the zygote MSC: Factual
33. Out of the 200–500 million sperm cells that are released during an ejaculation, only ________
complete the short journey up the Fallopian tubes to where an egg is waiting to be fertilized.
a. half c. a few hundred
b. one d. a few thousand
ANS: C DIF: Difficult REF: From Conception to Birth
OBJ: Period of the zygote MSC: Factual
34. Jeanette and her husband Eric have recently engaged in sexual intercourse. After this activity
was completed, an egg in Jeanette’s Fallopian tube was fertilized by a sperm cell that was
released by Eric. The result is a(n) ________, which marks the beginning of pregnancy.
a. zygote c. fetus
b. embryo d. blastocyst
ANS: A DIF: Moderate REF: From Conception to Birth
OBJ: Period of the zygote MSC: Application
35. Despite the fact that a human female has a normal pregnancy duration (or gestational period)
of 38 weeks, people often refer to pregnancy as a 40-week event. Why is this?
a. Because the heightened influence of teratogens in the world today has actually
extended the duration of pregnancy from conception to delivery.
b. Because pregnancy usually begins two weeks after a woman’s menstrual period,
and that is the time from which the beginning of pregnancy is measured.
c. Because the duration of pregnancy actually gets longer as a woman ages, and it
ranges from 38 to 42 weeks. 40 weeks is the average, so that is what people say.
d. Because physicians want to allow for a two-week “window” at the end of the
pregnancy so that women do not become concerned if they have not delivered by
the end of the 38th week.
ANS: B DIF: Moderate REF: From Conception to Birth
OBJ: Period of the zygote MSC: Conceptual
36. Which of the following structures eventually develops into a baby?
a. the amniotic sac c. the trophoblast
b. the germ disc d. the blastocyst
ANS: B DIF: Difficult REF: From Conception to Birth
OBJ: Period of the zygote MSC: Factual
37. Pregnant Patty’s body is currently experiencing the event that triggers hormonal changes that
will prevent further menstruation. This event is called
a. implantation. c. dilation.
b. conception. d. effacement.
ANS: A DIF: Moderate REF: From Conception to Birth
OBJ: Period of the zygote MSC: Application
38. Lucy is currently expecting her first child, and she is talking to her friend Dale, who does not
have any children of his own. Dale knows very little about human development, and asks
Lucy how the food she eats gets to the developing child. Lucy smiles and shakes her head,
before saying,
a. The uterus is responsible for doing all of that. Why do you think that is where the
baby grows?
b. The germ disc separates me from the child, but has a small hole in it that allows
vitamins and nutrients to get to the child.
c. The umbilicus is responsible for taking food out of my system and delivering it
directly into the baby’s stomach.
d. There is a structure called the placenta that helps my body exchange nutrients and
waste with the baby.
ANS: D DIF: Easy REF: From Conception to Birth
OBJ: Period of the zygote MSC: Application
39. Once a zygote implants itself in the uterine lining, it officially becomes a(n) ________.
a. embryo c. fetus
b. baby d. germ disc
ANS: A DIF: Moderate REF: From Conception to Birth
OBJ: Period of the embryo MSC: Factual
40. Brad and Angelina take their daughter Anniston to the zoo, and are looking at a bunch of
different animals. Anniston, who has recently been learning about human development, sees a
________ and says, “Mommy, Daddy! That looks just like a human embryo in its third week
of development!”
a. spider c. aardvark
b. salamander d. prairie dog
ANS: B DIF: Difficult REF: From Conception to Birth
OBJ: Period of the embryo MSC: Application
41. According to the weatherman on the local news, the outside temperature today will reach 102
degrees, with a possible heat index of 110 degrees. Thankfully for Quanetta, who is pregnant
with her second child, the ________ will maintain a constant temperature for her unborn
baby.
a. uterus c. umbilical cord
b. amniotic fluid d. placenta
ANS: B DIF: Moderate REF: From Conception to BirthOBJ: Period of the embryo MSC: Application
42. The ________ is a structure that contains veins and arteries and connects a developing child to
the placenta.
a. umbilical cord c. germ disc
b. amnion d. blastocyst
ANS: A DIF: Easy REF: From Conception to Birth
OBJ: Period of the embryo MSC: Factual
43. Of the three prenatal stages of development which is by far the longest?
a. the period of the zygote c. the period of the fetus
b. the period of the embryo d. the period of the neonate
ANS: C DIF: Moderate REF: From Conception to Birth
OBJ: Period of the fetus MSC: Factual
44. Mel is at the obstetrician’s office with his girlfriend Denise, who is pregnant with their child.
They have just started the ninth week of the pregnancy, and the doctor explains to them that
the unborn child’s brain has developed distinct structures and is already beginning to regulate
certain body functions. Based on what you know about prenatal development, you know that
the period of the ________ has just begun.
a. zygote c. umbilicus
b. embryo d. fetus
ANS: D DIF: Moderate REF: From Conception to Birth
OBJ: Period of the fetus MSC: Application
45. Marsha’s doctor informs her that her child is just entering the longest period of prenatal
development. About how long has Marsha been carrying her unborn child?
a. 1 day c. 9 weeks
b. 3 weeks d. 28 weeks
ANS: C DIF: Moderate REF: From Conception to Birth
OBJ: Period of the fetus MSC: Application
46. Why is it that 22 weeks is considered the earliest “age of viability” for an unborn child?
a. Because this is the age by which the child’s systems are functioning well enough
to potentially sustain life outside of the mother’s body.
b. Because it is not until this age that the unborn child’s brain begins developing.
c. Because this is the age when the child’s sex is determined, and when appropriate
genitals begin to form.
d. Because this is the age after which teratogens can no longer impact the baby.
ANS: A DIF: Difficult REF: From Conception to Birth
OBJ: Period of the fetus MSC: Conceptual
47. The age of ________ is defined as the age at which a fetus can survive if it must be born
because most of its bodily systems function adequately. It typically occurs 22 to 28 weeks into
the pregnancy.
a. zygotic intent c. plasticity
b. viability d. continuity
ANS: B DIF: Easy REF: From Conception to Birth
OBJ: Period of the fetus MSC: Factual
48. Which of the following types of sensory input are most salient to a fetus?
a. visual input c. olfactory input
b. tactile input d. auditory input
ANS: D DIF: Moderate REF: From Conception to Birth
OBJ: Period of the fetus MSC: Factual
49. Which of the following is NOT one of the general risk factors identified by your textbook for
pregnant women and their babies?
a. nutrition c. drugs
b. the mother’s age d. stress
ANS: C DIF: Moderate REF: Influences on Prenatal Development
OBJ: General risk factors MSC: Factual
50. Charlotte has just found out that she is pregnant, and she is thrilled about the news. She is
concerned, however, because although she knows that her weight and body will change over
the next several months, she wants those changes to be healthy. Which of the following advice
should you give?
a. Your child will need more and more as she develops, so there is no amount of
weight gain that is unhealthy during pregnancy.
b. You should increase your food intake by 10% to 20% to meet the needs of
the baby.
c. You are truly eating for two now, so you should be eating twice as much
as normal.
d. As long as you take prenatal vitamins every day, there is no real need for you to
eat more than usual.
ANS: B DIF: Moderate REF: Influences on Prenatal Development
OBJ: General risk factors MSC: Factual
51. A pregnant woman not getting enough healthy food, vitamins, and nutrients may put her baby
at risk for all but which of the following?
a. premature birth
b. effects to the child’s nervous system
c. increased risk of later life eating disorders
d. vulnerability to illness
ANS: C DIF: Difficult REF: Influences on Prenatal Development
OBJ: General risk factors MSC: Factual
52. Maternal stress is most likely to negatively impact a developing embryo/fetus when that stress
is
a. intermittent and extreme. c. prolonged and extreme.
b. intermittent and moderate. d. prolonged and moderate.
ANS: C DIF: Easy REF: Influences on Prenatal Development
OBJ: General risk factors MSC: Conceptual
