Nearly all health conditions have some genetic or genomic component.
Correct Answer
True
True. Genetic and genomic factors contribute to almost every condition, including leading causes of death such as heart disease, cancer and stroke.
Category: Genetics and Genomics
Question 2
The DNA sequences of any two people are mostly different from each other.
Correct Answer
False
False. The genomes of any two people are nearly identical; small variations account for differences in traits, drug response and disease risk.
Category: Genetics and Genomics
Question 3
A chromosomal condition results from an abnormal number or structure of chromosomes rather than from a single gene mutation.
Correct Answer
True
True. Chromosomal conditions such as Down syndrome and Turner syndrome involve whole chromosomes or large parts of them, unlike genetic conditions caused by one gene.
Category: Chromosomal Conditions
Question 4
Y-linked traits are passed only from fathers to sons.
Correct Answer
True
True. Only males carry a Y chromosome, so Y-linked traits pass exclusively from father to son.
Category: Inheritance Patterns
Question 5
Common diseases such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes result from many genes interacting with diet, activity and other environmental factors.
Correct Answer
True
True. These are complex, or multifactorial, diseases in which several genes with small effects combine with environment and lifestyle.
Category: Genetics and Genomics
Question 6
Frameshift mutations usually leave the function of the resulting protein unchanged.
Correct Answer
False
False. A frameshift shifts the reading frame so every following amino acid changes, often creating an early stop signal, and the protein is nearly always nonfunctional.
Category: Mutations
Question 7
A silent mutation changes the amino acid sequence of the protein.
Correct Answer
False
False. A silent mutation changes a DNA base but still codes for the same amino acid, so the protein is unchanged.
Category: Mutations
Question 8
Radiation, tobacco smoke, certain viruses and toxic chemicals can cause DNA mutations.
Correct Answer
True
True. Mutations can be induced by environmental exposures like these or can arise spontaneously from errors during DNA replication.
Category: Mutations
Question 9
People with a family history of Huntington disease are typically offered genetic counseling to help them decide whether to be tested.
Correct Answer
True
True. Because Huntington disease is fatal and has no cure, counseling helps people weigh the benefits and burdens of learning their status before testing.
Category: Genetic Testing
Question 10
A population screening program is justified even when no acceptable treatment exists for the condition.
Correct Answer
False
False. A screening program should target a condition for which an acceptable, readily available treatment exists, and the system must be able to provide follow-up diagnosis and care.
Category: Genetic Testing
Question 11
Linkage analysis can identify a disease-linked chromosome using DNA from the patient alone.
Correct Answer
False
False. Linkage analysis is an indirect method that requires testing many family members; direct diagnosis is the approach that uses only the patient's own DNA.
Category: Genetic Testing
Question 12
Under GINA, health insurers may require genetic testing before deciding a person's coverage.
Correct Answer
False
False. Title I of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act forbids health insurers from requiring genetic testing or using genetic information to decide eligibility for coverage.
Category: Ethical and Legal Issues
Question 13
All nurses, not only genetics specialists, are expected to take a family history and identify patients who may benefit from genetic counseling.
Correct Answer
True
True. Essential genetic and genomic competencies apply to every nurse, including collecting a family history, recognizing risk factors, making referrals and educating patients.
Category: Family History and Risk
Question 14
Genetic variation is the only factor that explains differences in how people respond to the same drug.
Correct Answer
False
False. Genetics accounts for part of the variation in drug response, but age, other illnesses, other drugs, diet and environment also contribute.
Category: Precision Health
Question 15
Nurses should recognize how their own values and beliefs about genetic testing may affect the care they give.
Correct Answer
True
True. Ethical competencies for nurses include examining personal attitudes and values so they support, rather than steer, patients' informed decisions.
Category: Ethical and Legal Issues
Question 16
In the tiered consent model for genome-wide association research, participants can choose whether, how and with whom their data are shared.
Correct Answer
True
True. Tiered consent gives participants the most control over data release, unlike traditional consent, which includes public release, and binary consent, which offers a simple choice to withhold it.
Category: Ethical and Legal Issues
Question 17
Risk-reduction measures such as a healthy lifestyle and recommended screenings are advised only for patients at high genetic risk.
Correct Answer
False
False. Healthy lifestyle habits, immunizations, avoiding tobacco, seat belt use and age-appropriate screenings are recommended for everyone, whatever their genetic risk level.
Category: Family History and Risk
Question 18
Genetic testing can identify people with familial hypercholesterolemia before they develop symptoms.
Correct Answer
True
True. Testing for mutations in genes that control cholesterol handling can find people at high risk early, so treatment can begin before cardiovascular disease develops.
Category: Family History and Risk
Question 19
Tay-Sachs disease is inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern.
Correct Answer
False
False. Tay-Sachs disease is autosomal recessive; a child must inherit the allele from both carrier parents to be affected.
Category: Inheritance Patterns
Question 20
A beneficial mutation tends to become less common in a population over time.
Correct Answer
False
False. A mutation that improves survival or reproduction tends to become more common over generations, as with the CCR5 deletion that protects against HIV.
Category: Mutations