From 10 weeks into pregnancy, a woman can decide to have a non-invasive prenatal test that detects fetal aneuploidies - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 6 - 2019 - Paper 1
Question 6
From 10 weeks into pregnancy, a woman can decide to have a non-invasive prenatal test that detects fetal aneuploidies. A blood sample is taken from the woman for the... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:From 10 weeks into pregnancy, a woman can decide to have a non-invasive prenatal test that detects fetal aneuploidies - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 6 - 2019 - Paper 1
Step 1
i. What does aneuploidy refer to?
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Answer
Aneuploidy refers to an abnormal number of chromosomes in a cell. This can manifest as either an excess or a deficiency in the number of chromosomes, deviating from the normal diploid number.
Step 2
ii. What would scientists examine in the woman’s blood sample?
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Scientists would examine the blood sample for fetal DNA or chromosomes, which could be analyzed to detect any chromosomal abnormalities, including aneuploidies.
Step 3
Describe two different types of block mutations.
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Duplications: This occurs when a segment of a chromosome is copied and added to the chromosome. For example, if a segment GAG is duplicated, the sequence would change from AUG GUG CAC CUG ACU CCU GAG to AUG GUG CAC CUG ACU CCU GAG GAG.
Deletions: This type of mutation involves the loss of a segment of a chromosome, leading to potential gene loss. For example, if the segment CAC is deleted, the sequence would become AUG GUG CUG ACU CCU GAG.
