Take the Garvan Quiz

How much do you know about your genes and biology?

Test your knowledge and complete the quiz below.

Your support could help change the future of medicine.
You could also win 1 of 5 beautifully framed Garvan cell images.

Good Luck!

Prize
Prize

This beautiful photograph was taken by Dr Kharen Doyle from the Garvan Institute and is titled Neurosphere. The image depicts neural stem cells growing as a ‘ball’ of cells that will undergo neurogenesis (give birth to neurons).

Enjoy the quiz and share your details with us for your chance to win one of five of these unique and beautiful images.

Prize

This beautiful photograph was taken by Dr Kharen Doyle from the Garvan Institute and is titled Neurosphere. The image depicts neural stem cells growing as a ‘ball’ of cells that will undergo neurogenesis (give birth to neurons).

Enjoy the quiz and share your details with us for your chance to win one of five of these unique and beautiful images.

Back to Form

1If you stretched out all the DNA from one human cell, how far would it go

2 metres of DNA, consisting of more than 6,000 million DNA bases or letters, is tightly coiled up inside each of your cells.

Genes – the DNA sections that carry the information to build our cells and bodies and keep them functioning – are a major focus of the research at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research.


2What percentage of fruit fly genes are similar to human genes

Approximately 70% of fruit fly genes have a corresponding gene in humans therefore researchers can use fruit flies to help identify the genetic components of disease. Other animal models used include zebra fish and mouse.


3What is brown fat

Garvan scientist Dr Paul Lee has been involved in this new field of research, which is turning up some startling findings. Our bodies house two types of fat cells – white fat cells that store energy and brown fat cells that actually burn energy to create heat. By stimulating brown fat cells with hormones in the laboratory, we’ve been able to kick-start their fat-burning activities. This could lead to a new treatment for obesity.


4What is a genome

The human genome, which carries the entire set of instructions to make and operate a human body, is made up of about 6,000 million DNA bases or building blocks. Clinical genomics is a rapidly evolving field focused on the use of genomic sequencing information in patient diagnosis and treatment. Garvan has recently required sequencing machines that can ‘read’ an entire genome in a matter of days for around $1600.


5Which four letters are used in describing the DNA sequence

DNA is shaped like a twisted ladder. DNA information is encoded in the order of the chemicals known as 'bases' along each strand: Adenine, Guanine, Cytosine, Thymine. These are usually referred to as A, G, C and T. The specific order of the As, Cs, Ts, and Gs encodes the information that the cell reads to make different molecules that keep it functioning.


6What are 'killer' T-cells

A cytotoxic T-cell (also known as a Killer T-cell) is a type of white blood cell that kills cancer cells, cells that are infected, particularly with viruses, or cells that are damaged in other ways.

Most Killer T-cells can recognise a specific antigen, a molecule capable of stimulating an immune response, and often produced by cancer cells or viruses.


7What is junk DNA

’Junk DNA’ is a term that has been used to describe everything apart from the protein-coding sections of the genome (the genes). These days, ‘junk’ or non-coding DNA is thought to carry much more information than was previously thought; particularly DNA segments involved in regulating which genes are turned on and off.