BIMM 110 Molecular Basis of Human Disease

TA: George Chen gtchen@ucsd.edu

OH: Tu 12:30-1:30 Sierra Summit or by appointment
Section: W 4:00-4:50 Center 203

Problem Set 6
Announcements:
• Section this week will go over problem sets 5 and 6
• This problem set covers lecture 11

1. Mitochondria are used to track the evolution of human populations through maternal
lineages. What would one use to track the evolution of human populations through paternal
lineages? Does this mean that all Homo sapiens are descended from only two original
individuals? Why or why not?

2. List three reasons for why mitochondrial DNA is a “hotspot” for genetic mutation.

3. If a researcher was studying the inheritance of a genetic disease and did not know that it was
mitochondrial, what may he or she conclude about the disease's inheritance from a pedigree
analysis?

4. What is the molecular basis of MERRF and its physiological effect?

5. How is heteroplasmy associated with penetrance?