Prepare for the Foundations of Biology Exam 1. Dive into key biological concepts with multiple choice questions, hints, and explanations. Ace the exam with our efficient study methods!

Multiple Choice

Which option best summarizes the central dogma?

The idea being tested is the flow of genetic information: DNA is used to make RNA, and RNA is used to make proteins. In transcription, a DNA sequence is copied into a complementary RNA molecule. In translation, that RNA serves as a template to assemble amino acids into a polypeptide, which folds into a functional protein. The statement that DNA is transcribed into RNA, which is translated into a polypeptide fits this two-step flow exactly, so it’s the best description of how information moves from genes to functional products. The other options misstate the direction of information flow or what becomes the final product (for example, replication copies DNA, reverse transcription would be DNA from RNA, and translation produces a polypeptide—not a lipid).

The idea being tested is the flow of genetic information: DNA is used to make RNA, and RNA is used to make proteins. In transcription, a DNA sequence is copied into a complementary RNA molecule. In translation, that RNA serves as a template to assemble amino acids into a polypeptide, which folds into a functional protein. The statement that DNA is transcribed into RNA, which is translated into a polypeptide fits this two-step flow exactly, so it’s the best description of how information moves from genes to functional products. The other options misstate the direction of information flow or what becomes the final product (for example, replication copies DNA, reverse transcription would be DNA from RNA, and translation produces a polypeptide—not a lipid).