Wildlife Disease Ecology 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 changes in gene expression without changes to the DNA sequence (B) The study of genetic mutations (C) The study of genetic recombination (D) The study of genetic engineering 2. Which of the following is NOT an epigenetic mechanism? (A) DNA methylation (B) Histone acetylation (C) RNA splicing (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 modifies the DNA sequence (C) It removes methyl groups from DNA (D) It regulates gene expression by adding methyl groups to cytosine bases 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 methyltransferase (B) DNA ligase (C) DNA polymerase (D) RNA polymerase 6. What is the function of non-coding RNAs in epigenetics? (A) They regulate gene expression by binding to DNA or RNA (B) They code for proteins (C) They catalyze DNA replication (D) They are involved in DNA repair 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) Genetics only (B) Environmental factors only (C) Both genetics and environmental factors (D) Diet only 9. Inheritance of epigenetic changes: (A) Can occur through both maternal and paternal lines (B) Can only occur through the paternal line (C) Can only occur through the maternal line (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 methylation (B) Histone acetylation (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) Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) (C) Small interfering RNA (siRNA) (D) Transfer RNA (tRNA) 13. How do epigenetic changes affect gene expression? (A) By altering the DNA sequence (B) By changing the order of nucleotides in mRNA (C) By increasing the rate of transcription (D) By modifying the structure of chromatin 14. Which of the following environmental factors can influence epigenetic changes? (A) All of the above (B) Stress (C) Exposure to toxins (D) Diet 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 repair DNA damage (D) To unwind DNA for transcription 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) Agricultural improvement (C) Space exploration (D) Forensic analysis 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 replication (B) Histone phosphorylation (C) Non-coding RNA regulation (D) DNA methylation 21. How do epigenetic changes influence cell differentiation? (A) By preventing cells from differentiating (B) By inhibiting expression of genes required for differentiation (C) By promoting expression of genes required for differentiation (D) By altering the DNA sequence 22. What is the role of chromatin modification in X-chromosome inactivation? (A) To prevent X-chromosome inactivation (B) To silence one X-chromosome in female mammals (C) To activate the X-chromosome (D) To promote X-chromosome replication 23. Which of the following is NOT a mechanism by which non-coding RNAs regulate gene expression? (A) Histone modification (B) mRNA degradation (C) Transcriptional interference (D) Alternative splicing 24. What is the function of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs)? (A) To silence transposable elements (B) To promote gene expression (C) To modify histone proteins (D) To inhibit gene expression by degrading target mRNAs 25. What is the primary role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs)? (A) To regulate gene expression by binding to DNA (B) To act as templates for protein synthesis (C) To catalyze chemical reactions (D) To modulate chromatin structure and gene expression 26. Which of the following is NOT an example of epigenetic reprogramming? (A) Embryonic development (B) Somatic cell nuclear transfer (C) Induced pluripotent stem cell generation (D) Mitosis 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 affecting activity of epigenetic enzymes (D) By promoting DNA replication 28. What is the role of genomic imprinting in epigenetics? (A) To silence one copy of a gene depending on parental origin (B) To promote expression of imprinted genes (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 modify histone proteins (C) To silence expression of target genes (D) To repair DNA damage 30. How do epigenetic changes contribute to aging? (A) By altering gene expression patterns (B) By promoting DNA repair (C) By preventing cellular senescence (D) By increasing telomere length 31. Which is NOT an example of epigenetic regulation in plants? (A) DNA methylation (B) Telomere shortening (C) Non-coding RNA regulation (D) Histone modification 32. How do epigenetic changes influence behavior? (A) By altering DNA sequence (B) By modulating neurotransmitter levels (C) By promoting synaptic plasticity (D) By regulating gene expression in response to environment 33. What is the role of histone methylation in gene silencing? (A) Adds acetyl groups (B) Removes acetyl groups (C) Removes methyl groups (D) Adds methyl groups → closed chromatin 34. What is the role of chromatin remodeling in gene expression? (A) Condense chromatin (B) Synthesize DNA (C) Add methyl groups (D) Unwind chromatin for transcription 35. How does environmental stress affect epigenetic modifications? (A) Alters histone modifications and DNA methylation (B) Causes DNA mutations (C) Enhances DNA replication (D) Inhibits gene expression 36. What is the role of DNA methyltransferases? (A) Remove methyl groups from DNA (B) Synthesize RNA (C) Modify histones (D) Add methyl groups to DNA 37. How do histone modifications affect gene expression? (A) Change DNA sequence (B) Remove non-coding RNAs (C) Influence DNA accessibility (D) Alter ribosomes 38. What is the significance of epigenetic memory in cell differentiation? (A) Prevent differentiation (B) Induce mutations (C) Maintain gene expression patterns across divisions (D) Promote random expression 39. How do epigenetic changes contribute to cancer? (A) Cause mutations in oncogenes (B) Enhance immune response (C) Prevent DNA replication (D) Alter expression of growth/apoptosis genes 40. What is the primary function of DNA demethylation in development? (A) Remove methyl groups and activate genes (B) Add methyl groups (C) Modify histone proteins (D) Repair DNA