Topic-+Reproduction,+Genes+and+Heredity

Topic: Reproduction, Genes, and Heredity
Below is a list of key ideas related to Reproduction, Genes, and Heredity. For each key idea, you will find a list of sub-ideas, a list of items, results from our field testing, and a list of student misconceptions. After clicking on a tab, click on it again to close the tab.

Genetic information is encoded in DNA molecules.
//Students are expected to know that:// //Boundaries://
 * [|Sub-Ideas]
 * [|Items & Student Performance]
 * [|Misconceptions]
 * 1) Genetic (hereditary) information is the set of instructions that specifies the physical and behavioral characteristics of organisms.
 * 2) Genetic information is found in all living organisms.
 * 3) The instructions that specify the physical and behavioral characteristics of organisms are coded in DNA molecules (not in protein, carbohydrate, or fat molecules).
 * 4) DNA molecules are made up of four different types of subunits called nucleotides that are linked together in long chains.
 * 5) The sequence of subunits in a DNA molecule is what encodes the genetic information.
 * 6) DNA is packaged as chromosomes in the cells of organisms.
 * 7) Each chromosome is made of a single DNA molecule.
 * 8) A gene is one or more segments of a DNA molecule that contributes to one or more particular physical and behavioral characteristics.
 * 9) Each chromosome is made of many different genes.
 * 1) Students are not expected to know the names of the nucleotide subunits.
 * 2) Students are not expected to know that DNA is bound to histones and other proteins in chromosomes.

Percent of students answering correctly (click on the item ID number to view the item and additional data)||~ Item ID Number ||~ Knowledge Being Assessed 6–8 ||~ Grades 9–12 ||~ Select This Item for My Item Bank ||
 * ~ Grades
 * [|RH001001] || [|DNA is the molecule that contains genetic information that is passed from parents to offspring.] || 94% || 96% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2233"]] ||
 * [|RH026004] || [|Both chromosomes and DNA molecules contain genetic information.] || 58% || 72% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2307"]] ||
 * [|RH026001] || [|Both genes and DNA molecules contain hereditary information.] || 59% || 66% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2272"]] ||
 * [|RH014001] || [|The genetic code is the sequence of subunits in a DNA molecule.] || 53% || 70% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2256"]] ||
 * [|RH026003] || [|Both chromosomes and DNA molecules contain hereditary information.] || 51% || 63% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2274"]] ||
 * [|RH026002] || [|Both genes and chromosomes contain hereditary information.] || 48% || 62% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2273"]] ||
 * [|RH046001] || [|DNA molecules are found in humans, butterflies, and trees.] || 46% || 59% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2542"]] ||
 * [|RH024002] || [|Both an organism's physical characteristics and the function of the organism's cells could be affected by the information in the organism's DNA molecules (no specific organism identified).] || 45% || 52% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2270"]] ||
 * [|RH024005] || [|Both a bird's physical characteristics and its behaviors could be affected by the information in the bird's DNA molecules.] || 45% || 50% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2964"]] ||
 * [|RH045001] || [|DNA molecules are found in humans, dogs, and trees.] || 42% || 54% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2298"]] ||
 * [|RH024003] || [|Both a human's physical characteristics and its behaviors could be affected by the information in the DNA molecules in the human.] || 42% || 50% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2962"]] ||
 * [|RH002003] || [|Four different types of nucleotides are used to make DNA molecules, not one, two, or twenty.] || 40% || 52% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2236"]] ||
 * [|RH002002] || [|Four different types of nucleotides are used to make DNA molecules, not one, two, or twenty.] || 38% || 61% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2235"]] ||
 * [|RH024006] || [|Both an insect's physical characteristics and its behaviors could be affected by the information in the DNA molecules in the insect.] || 42% || 49% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2965"]] ||
 * [|RH024004] || [|Both a plant's physical characteristics and its behaviors could be affected by the information in the DNA molecules in the plant.] || 41% || 48% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2963"]] ||
 * [|RH024001] || [|Both an organism's physical characteristics and its behaviors could be affected by the information in the organism's DNA molecules (no specific organism identified).] || 42% || 45% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2269"]] ||
 * [|RH040001] || [|Nucleotides (not amino acids, proteins, or fatty acids) are the subunits that make up DNA molecules.] || 34% || 44% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2293"]] ||
 * [|RH002001] || [|Four different types of nucleotides are used to make DNA molecules, not one, two, or three.] || 28% || 41% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2234"]] ||
 * [|RH041001] || [|Each chromosome is made of a single DNA molecule.] || 26% || 23% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2294"]] ||
 * [|RH027001] || [|Genes are chemical sequences of nucleotides, not the actual expression of characteristics or traits.] || 15% || 19% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2275"]] ||

Frequency of selecting a misconception||~ Misconception ID Number 6–8 ||~ Grades 9–12 || Frequency of selecting a misconception was calculated by dividing the total number of times a misconception was chosen by the number of times it could have been chosen, averaged over the number of students answering the questions within this particular idea.
 * ~ Student Misconception ||~ Grades
 * [|RHM045] || [|Genes are traits (Marbach-Ad, 2001).] || 64% || 57% ||
 * [|RHM008] || [|A gene and the expression of the gene as a characteristic or trait are the same thing (Lewis & Kattman, 2004).] || 64% || 57% ||
 * [|RHM105] || [|There are some types of organisms that do not have DNA (See Lewis & Wood-Robinson, 2000; Banet & Ayuso, 2000).] || 56% || 44% ||
 * [|RHM093] || [|The information in the DNA molecules of a plant does not affect the behaviors of the plant (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 46% || 42% ||
 * [|RHM092] || [|The information in the DNA molecules of an insect does not affect the behaviors of the insect (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 44% || 40% ||
 * [|RHM091] || [|The information in the DNA molecules of a bird does not affect the behaviors of the bird (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 41% || 39% ||
 * [|RHM085] || [|The information in the DNA molecules of an organism does not affect the the organism's behaviors (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 40% || 41% ||
 * [|RHM090] || [|The information in the DNA molecules of a human does not affect the behaviors of the human (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 41% || 39% ||
 * [|RHM097] || [|Amino acids are the subunits that make up DNA (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 38% || 34% ||
 * [|RHM048] || [|Only animals have DNA; plants and mushrooms do not have DNA (Banet & Ayuso, 2000).] || 40% || 30% ||
 * [|RHM083] || [|The information in the DNA molecules of an organism does not affect the functions of an organism's cells (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 36% || 34% ||
 * [|RHM095] || [|Two types of nucleotides make up DNA molecules (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 35% || 30% ||
 * [|RHM047] || [|Each DNA molecule is made of more than one chromosome (Marbach-Ad, 2001).] || 31% || 34% ||
 * [|RHM046] || [|Each chromosome is made of more than one DNA molecule (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 31% || 33% ||
 * [|RHM102] || [|Chromosomes do not contain genetic/hereditary information (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 34% || 24% ||
 * [|RHM084] || [|The information in the DNA molecules of an organism does not affect the physical characteristics of the organism (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 28% || 23% ||
 * [|RHM088] || [|The information in the DNA molecules of an insect does not affect the physical characteristics of the insect (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 28% || 20% ||
 * [|RHM086] || [|The information in the DNA molecules of a human does not affect the physical characteristics of the human (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 28% || 17% ||
 * [|RHM089] || [|The information in the DNA molecules of a plant does not affect the physical characteristics of the plant (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 26% || 19% ||
 * [|RHM103] || [|DNA molecules do not contain genetic/hereditary information (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 25% || 20% ||
 * [|RHM096] || [|Three types of nucleotides make up DNA molecules (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 25% || 18% ||
 * [|RHM087] || [|The information in the DNA molecules of a bird does not affect the physical characteristics of the bird (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 23% || 18% ||
 * [|RHM094] || [|The genetic code is the number of subunits in DNA molecules -- not the sequence (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 26% || 14% ||
 * [|RHM104] || [|Genes do not contain genetic/hereditary information (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 22% || 16% ||
 * [|RHM098] || [|Twenty types of nucleotides make up DNA molecules (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 16% || 9% ||
 * [|RHM099] || [|Genes are sequences of amino acids (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 12% || 15% ||
 * [|RHM049] || [|Only 'higher' animals have DNA; many invertebrates do not have DNA (Banet & Ayuso, 2000).] || 15% || 10% ||
 * [|RHM007] || [|Genes are proteins (Marbach-Ad, 2001).] || 9% || 9% ||

Every body cell of an individual organism (with a few exceptions) contains an identical set of DNA molecules and, therefore, contains identical genetic information.
//Students are expected to know that:// //Boundaries://
 * [|Sub-Ideas]
 * [|Items & Student Performance]
 * [|Misconceptions]
 * 1) DNA molecules are smaller than cells and, therefore, can fit inside cells.
 * 2) DNA, and the chromosomes and genes that are made of DNA, are located inside almost all types of cells in the body.
 * 3) Every body cell (not a sex cell) that contains DNA in a multi-cellular organism contains identical DNA molecules to every other body cell because every body cell is descended from a single fertilized egg cell, and the DNA in each cell is duplicated every time a cell divides.
 * 4) In all organisms, whenever a single body cell forms two body cells, the resulting body cells each contain the same number of DNA molecules (and, therefore, the same number of chromosomes) as the original body cell.
 * 5) Each DNA molecule in a body cell is a member of a pair of DNA molecules. With the exception of the sex-determining DNA molecules, the two DNA molecules that make up a pair contain instructions affecting the same traits. The two DNA molecules making up a pair contain similar sequences of subunits and are similar in length.
 * 6) One member of each pair of DNA molecules contains genetic information from the mother and the other member of the pair contains genetic information from the father.
 * 1) Students are not expected to know that some cells in the body may not have an identical set of DNA molecules, because some cells may have DNA that has mutated.
 * 2) Students are not expected to know that some cells in the body (e.g. red blood cells) do not have DNA..
 * 3) Students are not expected to know specifically where in a cell the DNA is located (e.g., nucleus, mitochondria).
 * 4) Students are not expected to know anything about DNA in viruses, bacteria, plasmids, or polyploidy.

Percent of students answering correctly (click on the item ID number to view the item and additional data)||~ Item ID Number ||~ Knowledge Being Assessed 6–8 ||~ Grades 9–12 ||~ Select This Item for My Item Bank ||
 * ~ Grades
 * [|RH003001] || [|DNA molecules are found inside all types of cells in an animal's body.] || 55% || 67% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2239"]] ||
 * [|RH004002] || [|The correct order from smallest to largest is: atom, chromosome, cell.] || 43% || 56% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2242"]] ||
 * [|RH003002] || [|Chromosomes are located inside all types of cells in an animal's body.] || 44% || 50% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2241"]] ||
 * [|RH004001] || [|The correct order from smallest to largest is: atom, DNA molecule, cell.] || 42% || 51% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2240"]] ||
 * [|RH011001] || [|Brain cells and skin cells both contain DNA molecules, which contain the same genetic information.] || 40% || 54% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2252"]] ||
 * [|RH035004] || [|A new skin cell of a cow contains the same number of chromosomes as the existing skin cells.] || 33% || 56% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2566"]] ||
 * [|RH035003] || [|A new skin cell of a cow contains the same number of DNA molecules as the existing skin cells.] || 31% || 58% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2565"]] ||
 * [|RH018003] || [|DNA molecules in skin cells contain information about both skin color and eye color.] || 37% || 39% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2559"]] ||
 * [|RH036004] || [|The cells of a leaf and the cells of a flower contain the same genetic information.] || 31% || 41% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2557"]] ||
 * [|RH036003] || [|The DNA molecules in the cells of a plant’s leaves and its in flowers is the same.] || 29% || 40% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2556"]] ||
 * [|RH018004] || [|DNA molecules in muscle cells also contain information about both skin color and eye color.] || 32% || 32% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2560"]] ||
 * [|RH011002] || [|Brain cells and skin cells contain the same genetic information.] || 27% || 38% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2253"]] ||
 * [|RH039002] || [|When a muscle cell of a chimpanzee divides, the new muscle cells contain the same number of chromosomes as the original muscle cell.] || 25% || 35% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2567"]] ||
 * [|RH012001] || [|The genetic information that affects eye color is found in all the different kinds of body cells.] || 22% || 31% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2254"]] ||
 * [|RH013002] || [|The sequence of subunits in the DNA of a stomach cell in a mouse is the same as the sequence of subunits in the DNA of other cells in the mouse’s body.] || 21% || 31% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2558"]] ||

Frequency of selecting a misconception||~ Misconception ID Number 6–8 ||~ Grades 9–12 || Frequency of selecting a misconception was calculated by dividing the total number of times a misconception was chosen by the number of times it could have been chosen, averaged over the number of students answering the questions within this particular idea.
 * ~ Student Misconception ||~ Grades
 * [|RHM116] || [|The different cell types (skin, muscle, cartilage, etc.) found in a given individual’s body contain different DNA (see Hackling & Treagust, 1984).] || 61% || 55% ||
 * [|RHM020] || [|Each cell contains only the specific genetic information required for its function (Banet & Ayuso, 1999; Lewis & Kattman, 2004; Lewis et al., 2000a).] || 42% || 44% ||
 * [|RHM019] || [|Chromosomes and/or genes do not occur in all types of cells (Banet & Ayuso, 1999).] || 43% || 42% ||
 * [|RHM109] || [|The different cell types (skin, muscle, cartilage, etc.) found in a given individual’s body contain different genetic information (See Hackling & Treagust, 1984).] || 44% || 37% ||
 * [|RHM111] || [|The cells found in different parts of an individual plant (flower, leaf, stem, root, etc.) contain different genetic information (see Hackling & Treagust, 1984 for a similar statement about animals).] || 43% || 38% ||
 * [|RHM114] || [|The cells found in different parts of an individual plant (flower, leaf, stem, root, etc.) contain different DNA molecules (see Hackling & Treagust, 1984 for a similar statement about animals).] || 38% || 34% ||
 * [|RHM115] || [|Genetic information exists in the body part it controls but not in other places in the body (see Venville et al., 2005).] || 36% || 33% ||
 * [|RHM021] || [|Chromosomes are divided up at each cell division, such that when a single body cell forms two body cells, the resulting cells each contain fewer chromosomes than the original cell (Lewis & Wood-Robinson, 2000).] || 36% || 33% ||
 * [|RHM057] || [|A cell is smaller than DNA (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 30% || 28% ||
 * [|RHM050] || [|Chromosomes are located inside sex cells but not inside any other types of cells in an animal's body (Banet & Ayuso, 2000).] || 26% || 32% ||
 * [|RHM058] || [|Cells are smaller than chromosomes (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 31% || 25% ||
 * [|RHM110] || [|Not all types of cells contain genetic information (see Banet & Ayuso, 1999).] || 28% || 23% ||
 * [|RHM113] || [|Not all types of cells contain DNA molecules (see Banet & Ayuso, 1999).] || 19% || 14% ||
 * [|RHM052] || [|DNA is located inside sex cells but not inside any other types of cells in the body (Banet & Ayuso, 2000).] || 16% || 12% ||
 * [|RHM053] || [|DNA is located inside blood cells but not inside any other types of cells in an animal's body (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.; Venville et al., 2005).] || 17% || 11% ||
 * [|RHM051] || [|Chromosomes are located inside blood cells but not inside any other types of cells in an animal's body (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 16% || 10% ||
 * [|RHM048] || [|Only animals have DNA; plants and mushrooms do not have DNA (Banet & Ayuso, 2000).] || 13% || 11% ||
 * [|RHM112] || [|Only the cells of animals contain genetic information; the cells of plants and mushrooms do not contain genetic information (see Banet & Ayuso, 2000).] || 10% || 8% ||
 * [|RHM107] || [|Human brain cells do not contain DNA molecules (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 9% || 5% ||
 * [|RHM108] || [|Human skin cells do not contain DNA molecules (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 6% || 4% ||

Genetic information in the form of DNA molecules is transferred from parents to offspring during reproduction.
//Students are expected to know that:// //Boundaries://
 * [|Sub-Ideas]
 * [|Items & Student Performance]
 * [|Misconceptions]
 * 1) In sexually reproducing organisms, only half of the genetic information of each parent is passed to each of its offspring.
 * 2) During sexual reproduction, parents produce specialized cells called sex cells (e.g., eggs, sperm, pollen) that contain half as many DNA molecules (and, therefore, chromosomes) as are found in the other cells of the organism (body cells).
 * 3) A sex cell from one parent merges with a sex cell from the other parent in a process called fertilization, and the fertilized egg cell has twice as many DNA molecules as the sex cell and the same number of DNA molecules (and, therefore, chromosomes) as the body cells of each parent.
 * 4) The offspring that develop from the single cell that was formed from the combination of the two sex cells have traits of both parents because they have DNA from both parents.
 * 5) In sexually reproducing organisms, traits that are acquired during the lifetime of an organism and affect its body cells (e.g. due to injuries, malnutrition, mutation, weight training) cannot be passed from parent to offspring. Only changes in the DNA of the sex cells of an organism can be inherited by offspring.
 * 6) In asexually reproducing organisms (uni-cellular or multi-cellular), all of the inherited genetic information comes from one parent cell. The offspring’s DNA molecules (and therefore the offspring’s genes and chromosomes) contain the same information as the DNA molecules of the parent.
 * 7) Following asexual reproduction, the genetic information contained in the DNA molecules in the resulting cells is the same as the genetic information in the DNA molecules of the original cell.
 * 8) In both sexually and asexually reproducing organisms, there is no other mechanism by which genetic information is passed to offspring other than by the transfer of DNA.
 * 1) Students are not expected to know that sexual reproduction can involve self-fertilization by a single parent having both male and female sex cells.
 * 2) Students are not expected to know that the amount of genetic material in a sex cell is not exactly half of that found in a body cell due to differences in the sizes of the different sex chromosomes and/or the transmission of the entire mitochondrial DNA molecule.
 * 3) Students are not expected to know that environmental factors interact with DNA at the molecular level to affect the genetic information that is expressed.

Percent of students answering correctly (click on the item ID number to view the item and additional data)||~ Item ID Number ||~ Knowledge Being Assessed 6–8 ||~ Grades 9–12 ||~ Select This Item for My Item Bank ||
 * ~ Grades
 * [|RH025002] || [|Eye color of offspring often resembles the eye color of parents because molecules that contain information for specifying eye color are passed from parents to offspring during reproduction.] || 62% || 78% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2564"]] ||
 * [|RH059001] || [|If a cat gets its ears torn off in a fight and then has kittens later, it will have no effect on the ears of any of the kittens.] || 60% || 74% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2555"]] ||
 * [|RH038001] || [|If a mouse loses its tail in a mousetrap and has babies later, there will be no effect on the tails of the baby mice.] || 58% || 67% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2291"]] ||
 * [|RH034002] || [|A sex cell of an organism contains half as many DNA molecules as a fertilized egg cell of that organism.] || 56% || 64% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2572"]] ||
 * [|RH053001] || [|An unfertilized egg cell contains half as many DNA molecules as a fertilized egg cell.] || 54% || 62% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2549"]] ||
 * [|RH033002] || [|If the skin cells of a mouse each contain 40 chromosomes, the sperm cells of a mouse contain 20 chromosomes.] || 50% || 61% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2571"]] ||
 * [|RH052001] || [|There are half as many DNA molecules in an unfertilized egg cell as in a fertilized egg cell.] || 54% || 57% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2548"]] ||
 * [|RH006003] || [|If the sex cells in mice contain 20 chromosomes, then the fertilized egg cell of a mouse contains 40 chromosomes.] || 53% || 53% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2573"]] ||
 * [|RH058001] || [|Children inherit half of the DNA in each of their cells from one parent, and half from the other parent.] || 45% || 55% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2554"]] ||
 * [|RH005005] || [|In sexually reproducing organisms, such as humans, half of the chromosomes contain genetic information from one parent and half from the other parent.] || 44% || 57% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2575"]] ||
 * [|RH055001] || [|In sexually reproducing organisms such as humans, half of a child's DNA comes from each of the parents.] || 44% || 58% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2551"]] ||
 * [|RH049001] || [|Sea anemones can reproduce asexually, and when they do, all of the offspring's DNA is the same as the DNA in its one parent.] || 46% || 50% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2545"]] ||
 * [|RH005004] || [|In sexually reproducing organisms such as humans, half of the genetic information comes from each of the parents.] || 44% || 51% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2574"]] ||
 * [|RH054001] || [|If the sex cells of a mouse contain 20 chromosomes, then the fertilized egg of a mouse must contain 40 chromosomes.] || 45% || 49% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2550"]] ||
 * [|RH051001] || [|In asexually reproducing organisms, all of an offspring's DNA is identical to its parent's DNA.] || 35% || 53% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2547"]] ||
 * [|RH010002] || [|In organisms that reproduce without the combining of two cells, all of the information in the parent's DNA molecules is passed to its offspring.] || 35% || 47% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2568"]] ||
 * [|RH031002] || [|In organisms that reproduce without the combining of two cells, the information in the DNA molecules of parents and offspring is identical.] || 33% || 48% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2569"]] ||
 * [|RH050001] || [|In plants that reproduce asexually, all of the parent's DNA is passed to its offspring.] || 33% || 51% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2546"]] ||
 * [|RH047001] || [|In sexually reproducing organisms such as humans, 50% of the DNA in each of the daughter's body cells is from her father.] || 30% || 47% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2543"]] ||
 * [|RH032002] || [|In sexually reproducing organisms, such as humans, the sex cells contain half the number of DNA molecules as other cells in the human's body.] || 32% || 41% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2570"]] ||
 * [|RH009002] || [|A skin cell of an organism contains the same genetic information as the fertilized egg cell of that organism.] || 30% || 38% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2563"]] ||
 * [|RH008004] || [|In sexually reproducing organisms such as humans, all of the daughter's body cells contain some genetic information from her mother.] || 22% || 29% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2562"]] ||
 * [|RH008003] || [|In sexually reproducing organisms such as humans, all of the son's body cells contain some genetic information from his mother.] || 19% || 25% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2561"]] ||
 * [|RH048001] || [|100% of a son's body cells contain some DNA from his mother.] || 12% || 22% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2544"]] ||
 * [|RH007002] || [|If a mutation occurs to a DNA molecule in an organism's skin cell before the organism reproduces, none of the organism's offspring will have the mutation.] || 12% || 16% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2576"]] ||

Frequency of selecting a misconception||~ Misconception ID Number 6–8 ||~ Grades 9–12 || Frequency of selecting a misconception was calculated by dividing the total number of times a misconception was chosen by the number of times it could have been chosen, averaged over the number of students answering the questions within this particular idea.
 * ~ Student Misconception ||~ Grades
 * [|RHM126] || [|In sexually reproducing organisms, half of the organism's body cells contain DNA from the mother and half contain DNA from the father.] || 45% || 50% ||
 * [|RHM040] || [|Some characteristics of an offspring are determined by the parents' environmentally acquired characteristics (Lawson, 1988).] || 41% || 30% ||
 * [|RHM033] || [|Each parent contributes genetic information for certain characteristics and not others (e.g. a child has his father's nose and his mother's eyes) (Clough & Wood-Robinson, 1985).] || 34% || 25% ||
 * [|RHM125] || [|The genetic information in a fertilized egg is divided up among different cells as they divide during development (see Banet & Ayuso, 1999).] || 29% || 28% ||
 * [|RHM015] || [|The timing of the occurrence of an environmentally induced characteristic will affect whether the characteristic is transmitted to offspring (Kargbo et al., 1980).] || 29% || 24% ||
 * [|RHM123] || [|In asexually reproducing organisms, half of the parent's DNA is passed to its offspring.] || 30% || 22% ||
 * [|RHM081] || [|In asexual reproduction, half of the offspring's DNA is the same as the DNA in its one parent (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 29% || 22% ||
 * [|RHM117] || [|The specialized cells used for sexual reproduction contain the same number of DNA molecules as the other cells of the body (see Lewis et al., 2000).] || 23% || 22% ||
 * [|RHM120] || [|A fertilized sex cell has the same number of chromosomes as an unfertilized sex cell (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 21% || 24% ||
 * [|RHM082] || [|In asexual reproduction, the amount of DNA in an offspring that is identical to the DNA in its parent varies from offspring to offspring (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 25% || 18% ||
 * [|RHM124] || [|Genetic information is inherited from the same-sex parent (i.e. daughters get their DNA from their mother, and sons get their DNA from their father) (see Clough & Wood-Robinson, 1985; Kargbo et al., 1980).] || 23% || 15% ||
 * [|RHM119] || [|The specialized cells used for sexual reproduction contain the same number of chromosomes as the other cells of the body (see Lewis et al., 2000).] || 20% || 19% ||
 * [|RHM118] || [|A fertilized egg cell contains the same number of DNA molecules as an unfertilized egg cell.] || 18% || 16% ||
 * [|RHM023] || [|How old an organism is when it acquires an environmentally induced characteristic will affect whether the characteristic is passed on to its offspring (e.g. If a father lost a finger as a child he will pass the missing-finger trait to his children, but if he lost his finger as an adult he will not pass the missing-finger trait to his children) (Kargbo et al., 1980).] || 11% || 11% ||
 * [|RHM002] || [|Offspring resemble parents because trait-bearing "particles" are transferred from parents to offspring during reproduction, e.g. particles of blue for blue eyes (Lewis & Kattman, 2004).] || 13% || 7% ||
 * [|RHM012] || [|In sexually reproducing organisms, genetic information or traits are inherited from only one parent (Clough & Wood-Robinson, 1985; Kargbo et al., 1980).] || 10% || 10% ||
 * [|RHM121] || [|Genetic information is inherited from the same-sex parent (i.e. daughters get their chromosomes from their mother, and sons get their chromosomes from their father) (see Clough & Wood-Robinson, 1985; Kargbo et al., 1980).] || 12% || 7% ||
 * [|RHM013] || [|Genetic information or traits are inherited from the same-sex parent (i.e. daughters get their mother's DNA and sons get their father's DNA) (Clough & Wood-Robinson, 1985; Kargbo et al., 1980).] || 11% || 7% ||
 * [|RHM122] || [|In sexually reproducing organisms, DNA is inherited from only one parent (see Clough & Wood-Robinson, 1985; Kargbo et al., 1980).] || 8% || 9% ||

DNA molecules provide the cells with instructions for assembling protein molecules from amino acids.
//Students are expected to know that:// //Boundaries://
 * [|Sub-Ideas]
 * [|Items & Student Performance]
 * [|Misconceptions]
 * 1) Protein molecules are made up of amino acid subunits linked together in a specific sequence.
 * 2) DNA molecules provide instructions for linking and ordering amino acids to form protein molecules.
 * 3) Each sequence of three nucleotides in a molecule of DNA codes for an amino acid.
 * 4) The set of nucleotides in a DNA molecule that provide instructions for assembling a particular protein molecule from amino acids is called a gene.
 * 5) 20 different types of amino acids are used to make protein molecules.
 * 6) A change to the sequence of nucleotides in a gene within a molecule of DNA can alter the protein that is produced.
 * 7) Changes to the sequence of nucleotides in a molecule of DNA can come from insertions, deletions, or substitutions of one or more nucleotide subunits in a DNA molecule.
 * 8) Changes to the sequence of nucleotides in a molecule of DNA are called mutations.
 * 1) Students are not expected to know the terms: transcription, translation, messenger RNA, transfer RNA, codons, or anticodons.

Percent of students answering correctly (click on the item ID number to view the item and additional data)||~ Item ID Number ||~ Knowledge Being Assessed 6–8 ||~ Grades 9–12 ||~ Select This Item for My Item Bank ||
 * ~ Grades
 * [|RH020002] || [|DNA provides information for both the types and sequence of amino acids that make up a protein molecule.] || 43% || 61% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2959"]] ||
 * [|RH019002] || [|The way DNA and proteins are related is that DNA provides information for making proteins.] || 45% || 57% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2958"]] ||
 * [|RH017001] || [|Proteins are made in an organism by linking amino acids together.] || 38% || 59% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2260"]] ||
 * [|RH037002] || [|To make proteins in its cells, an animal needs amino acids and instructions for assembling them.] || 34% || 57% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2961"]] ||
 * [|RH042002] || [|A code indicates which smaller subunits get linked together to form proteins in an organism.] || 31% || 52% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2960"]] ||
 * [|RH021001] || [|Proteins are made up of amino acids.] || 34% || 39% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2264"]] ||
 * [|RH044001] || [|Three nucleotides are needed to code for one amino acid, not one, four, or twenty.] || 33% || 35% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2297"]] ||
 * [|RH015002] || [|The information in DNA molecules provides instructions for assembling amino acids into protein molecules.] || 24% || 35% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2258"]] ||
 * [|RH016001] || [|DNA is the molecule that provides information for making proteins in an organism, not enzymes, amino acids, or other protein molecules.] || 24% || 26% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2259"]] ||
 * [|RH028001] || [|There are 20 different types of amino acids that are used to make protein molecules, not one, three, or four.] || 16% || 18% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2276"]] ||
 * [|RH015003] || [|The information in genes provides instructions for assembling amino acids into protein molecules.] || 14% || 20% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2957"]] ||

Frequency of selecting a misconception||~ Misconception ID Number 6–8 ||~ Grades 9–12 || Frequency of selecting a misconception was calculated by dividing the total number of times a misconception was chosen by the number of times it could have been chosen, averaged over the number of students answering the questions within this particular idea.
 * ~ Student Misconception ||~ Grades
 * [|RHM128] || [|Amino acids provide instructions for making proteins in an organism (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 36% || 44% ||
 * [|RHM101] || [|Four types of amino acids are used to make protein molecules (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 37% || 43% ||
 * [|RHM065] || [|The information in genes provides instructions for rearranging DNA into traits (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 40% || 33% ||
 * [|RHM064] || [|The information in DNA molecules provides instructions for rearranging genes into traits (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 41% || 29% ||
 * [|RHM063] || [|Four nucleotides are needed to code for one amino acid (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 32% || 35% ||
 * [|RHM100] || [|Three types of amino acids are used to make protein molecules (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 35% || 27% ||
 * [|RHM066] || [|The information in genes provides instructions for assembling chromosomes into DNA (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 31% || 31% ||
 * [|RHM062] || [|DNA is made of amino acids (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 29% || 29% ||
 * [|RHM129] || [|Enzymes provide information for making proteins in an organism (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 26% || 24% ||
 * [|RHM127] || [|An organism makes proteins from individual carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen atoms (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 29% || 19% ||
 * [|RHM009] || [|DNA is made of protein (Marbach-Ad, 2001).] || 20% || 17% ||
 * [|RHM010] || [|Proteins are composed of DNA or genes (Marbach-Ad, 2001).] || 19% || 15% ||
 * [|RHM044] || [|Organisms eat proteins; they do not make them (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 21% || 10% ||

The protein molecules an organism makes affect the organism’s physical traits, physiology, and behaviors.

 * [|Sub-Ideas]
 * [|Items & Student Performance]
 * [|Misconceptions]