BIOLOGY 1500; FINAL REVIEW EXAM
GUIDE SET QUESTIONS WITH
COMPLETE ANSWERS
Galapagos finches are birds that live on the Galapagos Islands off the coast of
Ecuador. There are 14 species of Galapagos finch, with several species found on
each of the islands. Evidence suggests that the finches are all descended from a
single species of finch that migrated to the islands between 1 and 5 million years
ago. One of the major changes in the finches is in the sizes and shapes of their
beaks. Beak size and shape are determined by a finch's genes. How did the different
beak types arise on the Galapagos Islands? - ANSWER-*Changes in the finches'
beaks occurred by chance, and when there was a good match between beak
structure and available food, those birds had more offspring.*
The environment does not cause desired mutations to occur. Mutations are random.
If a mutation occurs and it results in a trait that facilitates survival better than in
individuals who don't have that trait, then the mutated form of the gene (i.e. the new
allele) will get passed on a grow in frequency in the population.
Chantelle is interested in whether there is an association between students' college
majors and how much coffee they drink. She surveys the students, dividing them into
humanities majors, social science majors, and STEM majors, and then plots the
average number of cups of coffee consumed per week. Which of the following types
of graph is Chantelle most likely to use to represent the data? - ANSWER-*Bar
graph*
The independent variable here is type of major: humanities, social sciences, or
STEM. This is a categorical variable, i.e. there are three types of majors, rather than
a continuous variable, such as height. When the independent variable is categorical,
a bar graph is the most common choice for representing the data.
You isolate a cell under a microscope and you want to determine whether it is a
prokaryotic or a eukaryotic cell. All of the following are potentially useful questions to
ask EXCEPT: - ANSWER-*Does it have a plasma membrane?*
All cells have a plasma membrane that surrounds the cell and separates it from the
environment. Eukaryotes have a nucleus, mitochondria, and Golgi apparatus;
prokaryotes lack all three. Eukaryotes are typically much larger than
prokaryotes.
When a plant cell produces glucose, the carbon atoms in the glucose molecule have
come from ______ and the energy in the bonds of the glucose molecule has come
from _________. - ANSWER-*CO2, sunlight*
The carbon atoms that make up the glucose at the end of photosynthesis came from
the carbon atoms in CO2. During the light-dependent reactions, solar energy is
stored in ATP; in the light-independent reactions, that energy in the ATP is used to
build the carbohydrate molecules. So, the energy in the glucose has come from the
sunlight. (Note: although it could be argued that the energy in glucose as come from
ATP, since it passed through ATP during the reactions, this option is only available
,when paired with chlorophyll for the first blank, but chlorophyll does not supply the
carbon atoms to the glucose.)
For many decades, census data indicate that 'people who live together before
marriage are more likely to get divorced later on, compared with people who wait
until marriage to move in together.' It is tempting to conclude that 'living together
prior to marriage causes divorce.' Based on your Bio 1500 coursework, however,
which of the following is a likely confounding variable that would invalidate this
conclusion? - ANSWER-a. the personal values of the people involved
This example is from the Panopto video you watched for your Discussion Session.
On average, people with conservative values are less likely to live together before
marriage, AND less likely to see divorce as an acceptable option, compared to
people with liberal values.
Suppose a trait (e.g. body size) has been under stabilizing selection for a long time.
Which of the following statements is FALSE: - ANSWER-d. Larger individuals usually
win, thus the average body size will increase over time.
When a trait is under stabilizing selection, it means that individuals with intermediate
values for the trait have higher fitness than individuals with either low or high values
for the trait. The mean value of the trait therefore remains the same in the
population, although the number of individuals with very low or very high values
decreases in the population. The example from class is human birth weight:
selection acts against babies that are much smaller than average, AND against
babies that are much larger than average.
A species of grasshoppers occurs in the central valley of California as well as on the
surrounding mountains. Individuals living in the valley are significantly larger than
individuals living on the mountains. Some researchers argue that this size difference
is an adaptation (i.e. an evolved trait). Which of the following statements must be
true if this body size difference is an evolved trait? - ANSWER-d. When mountain
and valley individuals are raised in the same environment, mountain individuals still
grow to a smaller size than valley individuals.
Remember that we define evolution from a genetic perspective, as a change in allele
frequencies in a population over time. If the mountain populations have evolved a
smaller body size than the valley populations, then there must be differences in the
genes of the two populations that cause grasshoppers to grow to different sizes. If
this is the case, then raising them all in the same environment will still result in
smaller mountain grasshoppers than
valley grasshoppers. If, on the other hand, mountain grasshoppers are small than
valley grasshoppers because, for example, the growing season is shorter in the
mountains (rather than a genetic difference between the populations), then when you
raise the grasshoppers in the same environment, they will all grow to about the same
size.
Classify the following question in Bloom's taxonomy: "Name the enzymes that are
active during the Citric Acid Cycle." According to Bloom's, this question is at the level
of: - ANSWER-b. remembering
, Classify the following question in Bloom's taxonomy: "Use your knowledge of cellular
processes to explain why organisms that were capable of performing cellular
respiration spread rapidly around the planet following the Great Oxygenation Event."
According to Bloom's, this question is at the level of: - ANSWER-c. applying
Larger individuals often have advantages that lead to selection for larger body size.
Which of the
following is typically NOT an advantage of being larger than other members of your
species? - ANSWER-a. you are less likely to be killed by a predator
Predation pressure usually favors smaller body size, not larger. Smaller individuals
usually have a higher chance of escaping from predators. In places where predation
pressure is reduced, e.g. for the rats on the Indonesian island where the Hobbit
people lived, the prey animals often evolve a larger body size compared to in
locations where many individuals die of predation.
When people preserve their own vegetables, it is important to heat the sealed jars to
a high enough temperature to kill the bacteria that cause botulism (a form of food
poisoning). The botulism bacteria thrive in sealed food containers in which no
oxygen is present. Based on this information, what can you conclude about these
bacteria? - ANSWER-e. They perform glycolysis, but not the citric acid cycle.
Remember that many single-celled organisms perform glycolysis followed by
fermentation instead of glycolysis followed by the citric acid cycle. Fermentation does
not use oxygen. It produces no ATP. However, cells that rely on fermentation still
obtain 2 ATP per molecule of glucose from glycolysis. For small cells, those 2 ATP
are sufficient. Large cells, like your muscle cells, can survive on those two APT
temporarily.
Which of the following statements about the relationship between Photosynthesis
and Cellular
Respiration is correct: - ANSWER-b. Plants perform photosynthesis as well as
cellular respiration
Plants use photosynthesis to make glucose, and then they use cellular respiration to
convert the energy from the chemical bonds in the glucose into ATP. So, plants
perform both processes. Animals obtain their glucose from food, and therefore
perform only cellular respiration.
Researchers want to test whether high O2 levels in the atmosphere lead to the
evolution of larger body size in insects. They set up two conditions, one 'hyperoxic'
condition with 35% O2 and one control group with 21% O2 (which is the current level
of O2 in the atmosphere). Otherwise, the conditions were identical. They raised fruit
flies in both conditions for 10 generations. They took the 10th generation out of the
two oxygen levels and measured the weight of the fruit flies in the two groups. They
found that the fruit flies under hyperoxic conditions were significantly larger than the
ones under control conditions. The researchers concluded that the fruit flies evolved
a larger body size under hyperoxic conditions. Is this a valid conclusion based on
this experiment? Which of the following statements is the most accurate? -
GUIDE SET QUESTIONS WITH
COMPLETE ANSWERS
Galapagos finches are birds that live on the Galapagos Islands off the coast of
Ecuador. There are 14 species of Galapagos finch, with several species found on
each of the islands. Evidence suggests that the finches are all descended from a
single species of finch that migrated to the islands between 1 and 5 million years
ago. One of the major changes in the finches is in the sizes and shapes of their
beaks. Beak size and shape are determined by a finch's genes. How did the different
beak types arise on the Galapagos Islands? - ANSWER-*Changes in the finches'
beaks occurred by chance, and when there was a good match between beak
structure and available food, those birds had more offspring.*
The environment does not cause desired mutations to occur. Mutations are random.
If a mutation occurs and it results in a trait that facilitates survival better than in
individuals who don't have that trait, then the mutated form of the gene (i.e. the new
allele) will get passed on a grow in frequency in the population.
Chantelle is interested in whether there is an association between students' college
majors and how much coffee they drink. She surveys the students, dividing them into
humanities majors, social science majors, and STEM majors, and then plots the
average number of cups of coffee consumed per week. Which of the following types
of graph is Chantelle most likely to use to represent the data? - ANSWER-*Bar
graph*
The independent variable here is type of major: humanities, social sciences, or
STEM. This is a categorical variable, i.e. there are three types of majors, rather than
a continuous variable, such as height. When the independent variable is categorical,
a bar graph is the most common choice for representing the data.
You isolate a cell under a microscope and you want to determine whether it is a
prokaryotic or a eukaryotic cell. All of the following are potentially useful questions to
ask EXCEPT: - ANSWER-*Does it have a plasma membrane?*
All cells have a plasma membrane that surrounds the cell and separates it from the
environment. Eukaryotes have a nucleus, mitochondria, and Golgi apparatus;
prokaryotes lack all three. Eukaryotes are typically much larger than
prokaryotes.
When a plant cell produces glucose, the carbon atoms in the glucose molecule have
come from ______ and the energy in the bonds of the glucose molecule has come
from _________. - ANSWER-*CO2, sunlight*
The carbon atoms that make up the glucose at the end of photosynthesis came from
the carbon atoms in CO2. During the light-dependent reactions, solar energy is
stored in ATP; in the light-independent reactions, that energy in the ATP is used to
build the carbohydrate molecules. So, the energy in the glucose has come from the
sunlight. (Note: although it could be argued that the energy in glucose as come from
ATP, since it passed through ATP during the reactions, this option is only available
,when paired with chlorophyll for the first blank, but chlorophyll does not supply the
carbon atoms to the glucose.)
For many decades, census data indicate that 'people who live together before
marriage are more likely to get divorced later on, compared with people who wait
until marriage to move in together.' It is tempting to conclude that 'living together
prior to marriage causes divorce.' Based on your Bio 1500 coursework, however,
which of the following is a likely confounding variable that would invalidate this
conclusion? - ANSWER-a. the personal values of the people involved
This example is from the Panopto video you watched for your Discussion Session.
On average, people with conservative values are less likely to live together before
marriage, AND less likely to see divorce as an acceptable option, compared to
people with liberal values.
Suppose a trait (e.g. body size) has been under stabilizing selection for a long time.
Which of the following statements is FALSE: - ANSWER-d. Larger individuals usually
win, thus the average body size will increase over time.
When a trait is under stabilizing selection, it means that individuals with intermediate
values for the trait have higher fitness than individuals with either low or high values
for the trait. The mean value of the trait therefore remains the same in the
population, although the number of individuals with very low or very high values
decreases in the population. The example from class is human birth weight:
selection acts against babies that are much smaller than average, AND against
babies that are much larger than average.
A species of grasshoppers occurs in the central valley of California as well as on the
surrounding mountains. Individuals living in the valley are significantly larger than
individuals living on the mountains. Some researchers argue that this size difference
is an adaptation (i.e. an evolved trait). Which of the following statements must be
true if this body size difference is an evolved trait? - ANSWER-d. When mountain
and valley individuals are raised in the same environment, mountain individuals still
grow to a smaller size than valley individuals.
Remember that we define evolution from a genetic perspective, as a change in allele
frequencies in a population over time. If the mountain populations have evolved a
smaller body size than the valley populations, then there must be differences in the
genes of the two populations that cause grasshoppers to grow to different sizes. If
this is the case, then raising them all in the same environment will still result in
smaller mountain grasshoppers than
valley grasshoppers. If, on the other hand, mountain grasshoppers are small than
valley grasshoppers because, for example, the growing season is shorter in the
mountains (rather than a genetic difference between the populations), then when you
raise the grasshoppers in the same environment, they will all grow to about the same
size.
Classify the following question in Bloom's taxonomy: "Name the enzymes that are
active during the Citric Acid Cycle." According to Bloom's, this question is at the level
of: - ANSWER-b. remembering
, Classify the following question in Bloom's taxonomy: "Use your knowledge of cellular
processes to explain why organisms that were capable of performing cellular
respiration spread rapidly around the planet following the Great Oxygenation Event."
According to Bloom's, this question is at the level of: - ANSWER-c. applying
Larger individuals often have advantages that lead to selection for larger body size.
Which of the
following is typically NOT an advantage of being larger than other members of your
species? - ANSWER-a. you are less likely to be killed by a predator
Predation pressure usually favors smaller body size, not larger. Smaller individuals
usually have a higher chance of escaping from predators. In places where predation
pressure is reduced, e.g. for the rats on the Indonesian island where the Hobbit
people lived, the prey animals often evolve a larger body size compared to in
locations where many individuals die of predation.
When people preserve their own vegetables, it is important to heat the sealed jars to
a high enough temperature to kill the bacteria that cause botulism (a form of food
poisoning). The botulism bacteria thrive in sealed food containers in which no
oxygen is present. Based on this information, what can you conclude about these
bacteria? - ANSWER-e. They perform glycolysis, but not the citric acid cycle.
Remember that many single-celled organisms perform glycolysis followed by
fermentation instead of glycolysis followed by the citric acid cycle. Fermentation does
not use oxygen. It produces no ATP. However, cells that rely on fermentation still
obtain 2 ATP per molecule of glucose from glycolysis. For small cells, those 2 ATP
are sufficient. Large cells, like your muscle cells, can survive on those two APT
temporarily.
Which of the following statements about the relationship between Photosynthesis
and Cellular
Respiration is correct: - ANSWER-b. Plants perform photosynthesis as well as
cellular respiration
Plants use photosynthesis to make glucose, and then they use cellular respiration to
convert the energy from the chemical bonds in the glucose into ATP. So, plants
perform both processes. Animals obtain their glucose from food, and therefore
perform only cellular respiration.
Researchers want to test whether high O2 levels in the atmosphere lead to the
evolution of larger body size in insects. They set up two conditions, one 'hyperoxic'
condition with 35% O2 and one control group with 21% O2 (which is the current level
of O2 in the atmosphere). Otherwise, the conditions were identical. They raised fruit
flies in both conditions for 10 generations. They took the 10th generation out of the
two oxygen levels and measured the weight of the fruit flies in the two groups. They
found that the fruit flies under hyperoxic conditions were significantly larger than the
ones under control conditions. The researchers concluded that the fruit flies evolved
a larger body size under hyperoxic conditions. Is this a valid conclusion based on
this experiment? Which of the following statements is the most accurate? -
