DNA Trivia Trivia Quiz

Answer: Deoxyribonucleic Acid

DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the chemical term for this molecule. Interestingly, here in the UK this was one of the higher questions on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" (if I remember correctly it was £64,000). As a biologist you can imagine I was jumping up and down in the living room, much to my parents' annoyance!

Answer: Pus

Work on finding the 'molecule of life' involved a massive convergence of medical knowledge, chemistry, virology and biology. It was Swiss Physician Friedrich Miescher who observed small structures in the pus (Leukocytes) in discarded bandages. He called this nuclein, as it was isolated in the nuclei of the cells, today better known as heterochromatin. Miescher in fact characterised it chemically as a novel molecule which probably had a role in cell division, that was not a known protein.

Answer: Phosphorus

The basic components of DNA are the Nitrogenous bases (Adenine, Thymine, Cytosine and Guanine) arranged in the interior of a double helix of sugar-phosphates (the 'backbone'). Sugars contain hydrogen, oxygen and carbon. Phosphate groups link up these sugars, and the all the nucleotide bases contain nitrogen as well.

Answer: Crick in a Cambridge Pub

The pub in Cambridge where Crick announced this is called the Eagle (I've been there and its very nice!) he announced this openly to patrons on February 28, 1953. The "Nature" paper was co-Authored by Watson and Crick, and was published shortly afterwards. I have credited all the people who contributed to this work (Apart from Rosalind Franklin, who had died by the time of the award decision, they all received the Nobel Prize for it as well).

Answer: Mutation

Mutation to DNA can be the result of chemical effects (for example by free radicals and base analogs) via radiation (UV and gamma rays) or by natural causes (DNA 'mistakes' during replication). This mutation can lead to cancers and other diseases but is also essential for evolution.

Answer: Thiamine

The T base in DNA is called thymine, whereas thiamine is actually Vitamin B1. This is probably one of the most common errors I come across with undergraduates.

Answer: Red blood cell

Ripe red blood cells have no DNA, having lost all their organelles (the structures inside the cell, like the nucleus and mitochonria). However, birds and reptiles, as well as several other species, have nucleated red blood cells and these contain DNA.

Answer: C-value paradox

The vast amount of your DNA is made up of non-coding elements and repeats. These repeats are in fact what are used to differentiate you uniquely in the lab, so called genetic fingerprinting. Amazingly it is a humble Japanese plant, called Paris Japonica, that has the most DNA known for any species.

The C-value paradox is a common term that more recently has been renamed the C-value enigma which defines several key points as opposed to a more generalized term.

Answer: Polymerase Chain Reaction

PCR was invented by Kary Mullis in 1983. This method is used in biology laboratories all around the world for diagnosing diseases, gene cloning, gene expression analysis, genotyping and many more applications. It is probably the most important advance in genetic science since the discovery of DNA itself.

Answer: Prion

Prion proteins are thought to be responsible for 'Mad Cow Disease' or in humans, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). They are not thought to have any DNA or RNA required for replication; however this is still at this point controversial in some circles.