Lesson 3.4.2.1

3.4.2.1 Transcription and mRNA Quiz: AQA Biology, Unit 4

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 3.4.2.1, Transcription and mRNA: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA Biology (7402), Unit 4: Genetic information, variation and relationships, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What is the genome of a cell?

    • The complete set of genes in the cell.
    • The complete set of organelles, such as mitochondria, present in the cell.
    • The complete set of proteins that the cell is able to produce at any time.
    • The complete set of lipids that form the membranes of the cell.

  2. What is the proteome of a cell?

    • The complete set of genes that the cell contains in its nucleus and organelles.
    • The complete set of carbohydrates that the cell is able to store as glycogen.
    • The full range of proteins that the cell is able to produce.
    • The complete set of mRNA molecules that are present in the cytoplasm at one moment.

  3. Which molecule carries the copy of a gene's base sequence from the nucleus to the ribosome?

    • Ribosomal RNA (rRNA)
    • Messenger RNA (mRNA)
    • Transfer RNA (tRNA)
    • Histone protein

  4. What is the role of transfer RNA (tRNA) in protein synthesis?

    • It carries a specific amino acid and has an anticodon that pairs with a codon on mRNA.
    • It forms the large and small subunits of the ribosome, which join the amino acids together.
    • It removes introns from pre-mRNA in the nucleus before the mRNA leaves to the cytoplasm.
    • It carries a copy of the gene from the nucleus and joins amino acids into polypeptides.

  5. What is the role of RNA polymerase in transcription?

    • It joins amino acids together to form polypeptides on the ribosome.
    • It separates the two DNA strands and then destroys the DNA after transcription.
    • It removes introns from the pre-mRNA after the mRNA has left the nucleus.
    • It joins mRNA nucleotides together, using the DNA template strand.

  6. Which statement describes transcription in prokaryotes?

    • Transcription produces pre-mRNA, which must be spliced before translation can occur.
    • Transcription produces tRNA, which carries the amino acids to the ribosome for translation.
    • Transcription directly produces mRNA from DNA, which can then be translated.
    • Transcription produces polypeptides directly, so no translation step is needed afterwards.

  7. Which statement describes transcription in eukaryotes?

    • tRNA is produced first, and then exons are removed by splicing to form mRNA.
    • mRNA is produced directly without any intron removal, as in prokaryotes.
    • Pre-mRNA is produced first, and then introns are removed by splicing to form mRNA.
    • Pre-mRNA is produced by the ribosome, which then splices the introns out.

  8. Why is mRNA described as a copy of the gene rather than the gene itself?

    • It is a single-stranded copy of one gene's base sequence and does not contain the DNA double helix.
    • It is a double-stranded copy of the entire genome, which includes all the histones.
    • It is a copy of the tRNA that carries amino acids to the ribosome for translation.
    • It is identical to the gene in every way, including its double helix and its locus.

  9. A eukaryotic gene contains two exons and one intron. What is the length of the mRNA relative to the pre-mRNA?

    • The mRNA is longer, because the intron is added to the pre-mRNA during splicing.
    • The mRNA is the same length, because splicing only changes the order of the exons.
    • The mRNA is longer, because splicing adds a new exon to the end of the sequence.
    • The mRNA is shorter, because the intron is removed by splicing.

  10. A researcher finds that mRNA contains sequences that are not present in the final protein. What is the most likely explanation?

    • These sequences are introns, which were removed from pre-mRNA by splicing in a eukaryotic cell.
    • These sequences are codons, which were not translated because they are never read by a ribosome.
    • These sequences are histones, which were attached to the mRNA during transcription in the nucleus.
    • These sequences are tRNA molecules, which were carried in the mRNA to the ribosome for use.

  11. Which statement describes the structure of mRNA compared with DNA?

    • mRNA is single-stranded and contains uracil in place of thymine.
    • mRNA is single-stranded and contains thymine in place of uracil.
    • mRNA is double-stranded and contains thymine in place of uracil.
    • mRNA is double-stranded and contains uracil in place of thymine.

  12. A researcher uses a drug that blocks RNA polymerase. Which process would be most directly stopped?

    • Formation of the amino acids that are carried by tRNA to the ribosome.
    • Translation of mRNA into polypeptides on the ribosomes in the cytoplasm.
    • Replication of the DNA by the enzyme DNA polymerase during interphase.
    • Transcription of DNA into mRNA in the nucleus.

  13. A student states that transcription produces a polypeptide directly. Evaluate this claim.

    • The claim is partly right, because transcription produces a polypeptide only in prokaryotes.
    • The claim is right, because transcription produces tRNA that is already joined into a polypeptide.
    • The claim is wrong, because transcription produces RNA, and translation then makes the polypeptide on a ribosome.
    • The claim is right, because transcription joins amino acids into a polypeptide at the DNA template.

  14. In a eukaryotic cell, where does transcription take place?

    • In the ribosome, where the amino acids are joined together.
    • In the lysosome, where the proteins are digested after synthesis.
    • In the nucleus, where the DNA is located.
    • In the Golgi apparatus, where the polypeptides are modified.

  15. Which feature of a gene is removed from the pre-mRNA before the mRNA leaves the nucleus?

    • Codons
    • Anticodons
    • Introns
    • Exons

  16. Why does the same DNA sequence not always produce the same mRNA in every cell type?

    • Every cell converts DNA into the same mRNA, but the ribosomes change it afterwards.
    • Different cells express different genes, and splicing can differ between cells.
    • Every cell uses the same mRNA sequence because the DNA is identical in all cells of the body.
    • Cells use plasmids to change the mRNA sequence, so each cell type produces a different one.

  17. What is the main difference between the genome and the proteome of a cell?

    • The genome and the proteome are identical in every cell, because both contain the same molecules at all times.
    • The genome is made of protein, whereas the proteome is made of DNA that is copied during transcription.
    • The genome is found in the cytoplasm, whereas the proteome is found only inside the nucleus of the cell.
    • The genome is essentially the same in nearly every cell of an organism, whereas the proteome varies between cell types.

  18. Which nitrogenous base is found in RNA but not in DNA?

    • Thymine
    • Cytosine
    • Adenine
    • Uracil

  19. Why is transcription in prokaryotes followed more quickly by translation than in eukaryotes?

    • Prokaryotic mRNA is made in the cytoplasm, where the ribosomes are already attached to it.
    • Prokaryotic DNA is copied twice during transcription, which doubles the rate of translation.
    • Prokaryotic RNA polymerase makes polypeptides directly, so translation is not needed at all.
    • Prokaryotic mRNA needs no splicing, so it can be translated as soon as it is made.

  20. The template strand is written 3'-GGC-5'. What is the mRNA sequence written 5' to 3'?

    • 5'-CCG-3'
    • 5'-GGC-3'
    • 3'-CCG-5'
    • 5'-CGG-3'

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