Transcription & Translation MCAT Practice Questions
12 board-style MCAT questions in Biological & Biochemical Foundations (B/B). Each question shows the correct answer; create a free account for the full explanation and adaptive practice.
- MCAT · medium1. A mutation in the sequence encoding the anticodon loop of a transfer RNA results in a tRNA that can no longer bind to the elongation factor EF-Tu (in prokaryotes) or eEF1A (in e…
- MCAT · medium2. A 34-year-old woman with a family history of breast cancer undergoes genetic testing and is found to carry a BRCA1 mutation. Researchers studying her lymphocytes observe that a…
- MCAT · medium3. A researcher observes that a point mutation in the promoter region of a bacterial gene reduces transcription by 80%. The mutation alters a critical nucleotide within the -10 box…
- MCAT · medium4. A patient presents with mutations in both copies of the POLR2A gene, which encodes the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II. Mutations reduce the enzyme's catalytic activity by…
- MCAT · medium5. A molecular biologist investigates ribosomal frameshifting during translation of a viral gene. The viral mRNA contains a slippery sequence (GGGUUUU) followed immediately by an R…
- MCAT · medium6. A 34-year-old man with a history of recurrent infections and developmental delay undergoes genetic testing. A mutation is identified in the gene encoding guanylyltransferase (ca…
- MCAT · medium7. A clinician observes a patient with a mutation in the mitochondrial gene encoding 12S rRNA. This rRNA is a structural component of the 12S subunit, a key element of the mitochon…
- MCAT · medium8. A 34-year-old woman with a history of recurrent infections and progressive neurological decline presents with cognitive impairment and ataxia. Genetic testing reveals a novel mu…
- MCAT · medium9. A geneticist studies a patient with a mutation in the TATA-binding protein (TBP), a core component of the general transcription factor TFIID in eukaryotes. The mutation reduces…
- MCAT · medium10. A viral infection is observed to disrupt eukaryotic translation initiation by cleaving eIF4G, a component of the translation initiation complex. eIF4G normally bridges eIF4E (wh…
- MCAT · medium11. A 34-year-old man presents with developmental delay, intellectual disability, and recurrent infections. Genetic testing reveals a mutation in the CDK9 gene, which encodes a cata…
- MCAT · medium12. A 3-year-old boy presents with developmental delay, failure to thrive, and progressive neurological deterioration. Genetic sequencing identifies a homozygous missense mutation i…