MCAT Topic Focus Biology and Biochemistry

Biology: Electrophoresis and Blotting FSQ Drill

(Questions 1-7)

1. A single plasmid is isolated from bacterial cells. When 4. Northern blotting could be used to explore all of the
the plasmid is digested with a restriction enzyme and then following EXCEPT:
subjected to gel electrophoresis, two bands are observed
on the gel. How many restriction sites for this enzyme are A. Retroviral genome
present in this plasmid? B. Viroid
C. Transcripts
A. 2 D. Bacterial genome
B. 4
C. 1
D. 3 5. Which of the following western blotting techniques
correctly pairs the material used as a probe with the
material being detected?
2. If an electrophoretic gel is placed in reverse, but the DNA
samples are still loaded into the established wells, what A. Labeled nucleic acids are used to detect certain
will happen to the sample? proteins.
B. Labeled nucleic acids are used to detect certain
A. The samples will still run down the gel, but the nucleic acid sequences.
separation will not be as good since they will be C. Labeled antibodies are used to detect certain nucleic
running toward the negative electrode. acid sequences.
B. The samples will run out of the back of the gel D. Labeled antibodies are used to detect certain
towards the positive electrode rather than down the proteins.
length of the gel toward the negative electrode.
C. The samples will separate based on density rather
than weight. 6. Which of the following lab techniques is described by the
D. The samples will not run at all. following steps?

Step 1: Separate DNA fragments on a gel

3. Which of the following statements regarding the Step 2: Transfer fragments to a nitrocellulose filter
separation of proteins via gel electrophoresis is Step 3: Probe the filter for the target DNA sequence with
INCORRECT? hybridized probes

A. Decreasing the percent of polyacrylamide makes the A. Southern blotting

gel less dense and decreases the ability to resolve
small distances between two proteins with similar
molecular weights.
B. Proteins with smaller molecular weights travel more
quickly than those with higher molecular weights
when an electric current is applied.
C. Proteins travel in denatured states through the gel.
D. Proteins migrate to the positive electrode of the gel
apparatus because they become negatively charged
during their preparation for electrophoresis.
B. ELISA
C. Conjugation
D. Radioimmunoassay
7. Each of the following is true EXCEPT:
A. PCR cycles through 3 temperatures: high
temperature for template denaturing, low
temperature for primer annealing and medium
temperature for polymerization.
B. During gel electrophoresis, negative DNA moves
to the positive end of the gel in a size dependent
manner.
C. DNA is probed with DNA or RNA in a northern blot.
D. Proteins are probed with antibodies in a western blot.

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