Unit 9 Exam Possible FRQs

Possible Free Response Questions

Background: One of the following questions will be on your unit 9 exam. It is in your best interest to prepare by writing out an answer and discussing the questions beforehand!

Respond to the following question using complete sentences. Complete answers will demonstrate a nuanced understanding of the topic and use specific vocabulary referenced in the unit. Review the following rubric before you craft your response to understand how your response will be assessed.

Rubric:

Exceeding-10 pts / Meeting-8.5 pts / Approaching-7 pts / Developing-5.5 pts
Uses complete sentences.
Demonstrates a detailed understanding of the topic by using vocabulary learned in this unit. / Uses complete sentences.
Demonstrates a complete understanding of the topic, and does not show any misconceptions. / Demonstrates a basic understanding of the topic,
and/or may have
misconceptions. / Demonstrates a lack of understanding of the concept, and/or has major
misconceptions.

Possible FRQs:

1. In 1981, a stray black cat with unusual rounded, curled-back ears was adopted by a family in Lakewood, California. Hundreds of descendants of this cat have since been born, and cat fanciers hope to develop the “curl” cat into a show breed. The curl allele is apparently dominant and autosomal (carried on an autosome). Suppose you owned the first curl cat and wanted to breed it to develop a true-breeding variety. Describe tests that would determine whether the curl gene is dominant or recessive and whether it is autosomal or sex-linked. Explain why you think your tests would be conclusive. Describe a test to determine that a cat is true-breeding.

2. Inheritance can be represented visually via a Punnett Square and a Pedigree.

a. Describe how a Punnett Square and a Pedigree can be used for different purposes. What is the benefit of using each?

b. Draw the picture to the right on your answer document. Identify the scientific name for this picture and any information you can gather from this picture.

c. Harmful traits are most frequently recessive in their inheritance patterns. Explain why this is.

3. Gregor Mendel proposed his laws of genetics prior to our understanding of DNA. He proposed the laws of independent assortment and segregation of alleles before the details of mitosis and meiosis were known. Explain how Mendel’s work represented these two laws and how we observe these laws in the stages of meiosis.