Animal Epigenetics MCQS January 8, 2026April 6, 2024 by u930973931_answers 40 min Score: 0 Attempted: 0/40 Subscribe 1. What is epigenetics? (A) The study of genetic mutations (B) The study of changes in gene expression without changes to the DNA sequence (C) The study of genetic recombination (D) The study of genetic engineering 2. Which of the following is NOT an epigenetic mechanism? (A) RNA splicing (B) Histone acetylation (C) DNA methylation (D) Non-coding RNA regulation 3. What is the role of DNA methylation in epigenetics? (A) It adds methyl groups to histone proteins (B) It regulates gene expression by adding methyl groups to cytosine bases (C) It modifies the DNA sequence (D) It removes methyl groups from DNA 4. Histone acetylation involves: (A) Removing methyl groups from histone proteins (B) Adding methyl groups to histone proteins (C) Removing acetyl groups from histone proteins (D) Adding acetyl groups to histone proteins 5. Which enzyme is responsible for DNA methylation? (A) DNA polymerase (B) DNA methyltransferase (C) DNA ligase (D) RNA polymerase 6. What is the function of non-coding RNAs in epigenetics? (A) They code for proteins (B) They are involved in DNA repair (C) They catalyze DNA replication (D) They regulate gene expression by binding to DNA or RNA 7. Which of the following is NOT an example of an epigenetic change? (A) Histone modification (B) DNA methylation (C) DNA mutation (D) Non-coding RNA regulation 8. Epigenetic changes can be influenced by: (A) Both genetics and environmental factors (B) Environmental factors only (C) Genetics only (D) Diet only 9. Inheritance of epigenetic changes: (A) Can only occur through the maternal line (B) Can only occur through the paternal line (C) Can occur through both maternal and paternal lines (D) Cannot occur 10. Which of the following is NOT a potential consequence of aberrant epigenetic regulation? (A) Cancer (B) Neurological disorders (C) Single-gene disorders (D) Cardiovascular diseases 11. What is the term for the modification of histone proteins that results in a more compact chromatin structure? (A) Histone acetylation (B) Histone methylation (C) Histone phosphorylation (D) Histone ubiquitination 12. Which of the following is NOT a type of non-coding RNA involved in epigenetic regulation? (A) microRNA (miRNA) (B) Small interfering RNA (siRNA) (C) Transfer RNA (tRNA) (D) Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) 13. How do epigenetic changes affect gene expression? (A) By altering the DNA sequence (B) By modifying the structure of chromatin (C) By changing the order of nucleotides in mRNA (D) By increasing the rate of transcription 14. Which of the following environmental factors can influence epigenetic changes? (A) Diet (B) Stress (C) Exposure to toxins (D) All of the above 15. What is the function of chromatin remodeling complexes in epigenetics? (A) To add methyl groups to DNA (B) To modify histone proteins (C) To unwind DNA for transcription (D) To repair DNA damage 16. What is the role of histone deacetylases (HDACs) in epigenetics? (A) To remove acetyl groups from histone proteins (B) To add acetyl groups to histone proteins (C) To remove methyl groups from DNA (D) To add methyl groups to histone proteins 17. Which of the following is NOT a potential application of epigenetics? (A) Cancer therapy (B) Space exploration (C) Forensic analysis (D) Agricultural improvement 18. What is the significance of epigenetic changes in development? (A) They determine the genetic code of an organism (B) They prevent mutations from occurring (C) They regulate the expression of genes required for development (D) They encode information about an organism's environment 19. What is the function of DNA demethylases? (A) To add methyl groups to DNA (B) To add acetyl groups to histone proteins (C) To remove methyl groups from DNA (D) To remove acetyl groups from histone proteins 20. Which of the following is NOT a type of epigenetic modification? (A) DNA methylation (B) DNA replication (C) Non-coding RNA regulation (D) Histone phosphorylation 21. How do epigenetic changes influence cell differentiation? (A) By preventing cells from differentiating (B) By altering the DNA sequence (C) By inhibiting the expression of genes required for differentiation (D) By promoting the expression of genes required for differentiation 22. What is the role of chromatin modification in X-chromosome inactivation? (A) To prevent X-chromosome inactivation (B) To activate the X-chromosome (C) To promote X-chromosome replication (D) To silence one X-chromosome in female mammals 23. Which of the following is NOT a mechanism by which non-coding RNAs regulate gene expression? (A) mRNA degradation (B) Alternative splicing (C) Transcriptional interference (D) Histone modification 24. What is the function of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) in epigenetics? (A) To inhibit gene expression by targeting mRNAs for degradation (B) To promote gene expression (C) To modify histone proteins (D) To silence transposable elements 25. What is the primary role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in epigenetics? (A) To regulate gene expression by binding DNA (B) To act as templates for protein synthesis (C) To modulate chromatin structure and gene expression (D) To catalyze chemical reactions 26. Which of the following is NOT an example of epigenetic reprogramming? (A) Embryonic development (B) Somatic cell nuclear transfer (C) Mitosis (D) Induced pluripotent stem cell generation 27. How do environmental factors such as diet influence epigenetic changes? (A) By altering the DNA sequence (B) By directly modifying histone proteins (C) By promoting DNA replication (D) By affecting the activity of epigenetic enzymes 28. What is the role of genomic imprinting in epigenetics? (A) To promote gene expression (B) To silence one copy of a gene depending on parental origin (C) To prevent DNA replication (D) To repair DNA damage 29. What is the function of microRNAs (miRNAs) in epigenetics? (A) To promote expression of target genes (B) To repair DNA (C) To modify histones (D) To silence expression of target genes 30. How do epigenetic changes contribute to aging? (A) By preventing cellular senescence (B) By promoting DNA repair (C) By altering gene expression patterns (D) By increasing telomere length 31. Which of the following is NOT an example of epigenetic regulation in plants? (A) DNA methylation (B) Histone modification (C) Telomere shortening (D) Non-coding RNA regulation 32. How do epigenetic changes influence behavior? (A) By directly altering the DNA sequence (B) By modulating neurotransmitter levels (C) By promoting synaptic plasticity (D) By regulating gene expression in response to stimuli 33. What is the role of histone methylation in gene silencing? (A) Adds methyl groups to histones → closed chromatin state (B) Removes acetyl groups from histones (C) Adds acetyl groups to histones (D) Removes methyl groups 34. What is the role of chromatin remodeling in gene expression? (A) To condense chromatin (B) To synthesize new DNA (C) To add methyl groups to DNA (D) To unwind chromatin for transcription 35. How does environmental stress affect epigenetic modifications? (A) By causing DNA mutations (B) By inhibiting gene expression (C) By enhancing DNA replication (D) By altering histone modifications and DNA methylation patterns 36. What is the role of DNA methyltransferases in epigenetics? (A) To remove methyl groups (B) To add methyl groups (C) To modify histones (D) To synthesize RNA 37. How do histone modifications affect gene expression? (A) Change DNA sequence (B) Alter ribosomes (C) Remove non-coding RNAs (D) Influence DNA accessibility for transcription 38. What is the significance of epigenetic memory in cell differentiation? (A) Prevents differentiation (B) Promotes random gene expression (C) Induces mutations (D) Maintains gene expression patterns across divisions 39. How do epigenetic changes contribute to cancer development? (A) By causing mutations (B) By altering expression of genes controlling growth/apoptosis (C) By preventing DNA replication (D) By enhancing immune response 40. What is the primary function of DNA demethylation in development? (A) Add methyl groups (B) Remove methyl groups → activate gene expression (C) Modify histones (D) Repair DNA