BISC 431 EXAM 1 QUESTIONS WITH
COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
Evolution - Answer--the process of change over time that results in new varieties and
species of organisms
-occurs in any self-replicating system in which variation occurs as the result of mutation
and selection and differential fitness is a potential result
-thus over time, all cells and viruses evolve
Phylogeny - Answer--evolutionary relationships between organisms
-relationships can be deduced by comparing genetic information in the different
specimens
-Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) is excellent for determining phylogeny
-all cells have rRNA
-they are rarely transferred between cells
-relationships visualized on a phylogenetic tree
-phylogenetic relationships between bacteria can be deduced by comparing genetic
information
Separating Microbes into Functional Groups - Answer--phototrophs obtain energy from
light
-chemotrophs obtain energy from chemicals
-autotrophs require CO2 as a carbon source
-heterotrophs require an organic nutrient to make organic compounds
Four major Modes of Nutrition - Answer--Photoautotrophy
-Chemoautotrophy
-Photoheterotrophy
-Chemoheterotrophy
Identifying Bacteria Based on Metabolic Capacity - Answer--did a swab and then did a
bunch of metabolic tests to determine if it was a certain organism
-not used in microbial ecology because it won't be able to tell you very much
Classical Taxonomy - Answer--Phylogeny is the evolutionary history of an organism
-taxonomy is the identification, classification, and nomenclature of an organism
-conventional bacterial taxonomy places heavy emphasis on analysis of phenotypic
properties of the organism
Horizontal (Lateral) Gene Transfer - Answer--first recorded by frederick griffith
-later avery, Mcleos, and Mcarty demonstrated DNA was the substance responsible for
bacterial transformation
-
, Evolutionary Analysis: Theoretical Aspects - Answer--certain genes and proteins
provide a good measure of evolutionary change
-comparisons of sequences of these can be used to determine evolutionary
relationships
-universally distributed
-functionally homologous
-some sequences similarity (align-able)
-reflect the phylogenetic distance as a whole (the greater the distance the slower the
change)
-not laterally transferred
Phylogentic Tree - Answer--represents a hypothesis about evolutionary relationships
-each branchpoint represents the diversion of two taxa
-a rooted tree includes a branch to represent the last common ancestor of all taxa in the
tree
-a basal taxon diverges early in the history of a group and originates near the common
ancestor of the group
What We Can and Cannot Learn from Phylogenetic Trees - Answer--phylogenetic trees
show patterns of descent, not phenotypic similarity
-crocodiles are closer to birds than lizards
-phylogenetic trees do not indicate when species evolved or how much change
occurred in a lineage
-if a time bar is not given, don't make assumptions
-it should be assumed that a taxon evolved form the taxon next to it
Applying Phylogenies - Answer--Phylogeny provides important information about similar
characteristics in closely related species
-A phylogeny was used to identify the species of whale from which "whale meat"
originated
Sorting Homology from Analogy - Answer--when constructing a phylogeny, systematists
need to distinguish whether a similarity is the result of homology or analogy
-homology is similarity dure to shared ancestry
-analogy is when a similarity is due to convergent evolution
Outgroups and Ingroups - Answer--an outgroup is a species or group of species that is
closely related to the ingroup, the various species being studies
-the outgroup is a group that has diverged before the ingroup
-characters shared by the outgroup and ingroup are ancestral characters that predate
the divergence of both groups from a common ancestor
-sytematists compare each ingroup species with the outgroup to differentiate between
shared derived and shared ancestral characteristics
COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
Evolution - Answer--the process of change over time that results in new varieties and
species of organisms
-occurs in any self-replicating system in which variation occurs as the result of mutation
and selection and differential fitness is a potential result
-thus over time, all cells and viruses evolve
Phylogeny - Answer--evolutionary relationships between organisms
-relationships can be deduced by comparing genetic information in the different
specimens
-Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) is excellent for determining phylogeny
-all cells have rRNA
-they are rarely transferred between cells
-relationships visualized on a phylogenetic tree
-phylogenetic relationships between bacteria can be deduced by comparing genetic
information
Separating Microbes into Functional Groups - Answer--phototrophs obtain energy from
light
-chemotrophs obtain energy from chemicals
-autotrophs require CO2 as a carbon source
-heterotrophs require an organic nutrient to make organic compounds
Four major Modes of Nutrition - Answer--Photoautotrophy
-Chemoautotrophy
-Photoheterotrophy
-Chemoheterotrophy
Identifying Bacteria Based on Metabolic Capacity - Answer--did a swab and then did a
bunch of metabolic tests to determine if it was a certain organism
-not used in microbial ecology because it won't be able to tell you very much
Classical Taxonomy - Answer--Phylogeny is the evolutionary history of an organism
-taxonomy is the identification, classification, and nomenclature of an organism
-conventional bacterial taxonomy places heavy emphasis on analysis of phenotypic
properties of the organism
Horizontal (Lateral) Gene Transfer - Answer--first recorded by frederick griffith
-later avery, Mcleos, and Mcarty demonstrated DNA was the substance responsible for
bacterial transformation
-
, Evolutionary Analysis: Theoretical Aspects - Answer--certain genes and proteins
provide a good measure of evolutionary change
-comparisons of sequences of these can be used to determine evolutionary
relationships
-universally distributed
-functionally homologous
-some sequences similarity (align-able)
-reflect the phylogenetic distance as a whole (the greater the distance the slower the
change)
-not laterally transferred
Phylogentic Tree - Answer--represents a hypothesis about evolutionary relationships
-each branchpoint represents the diversion of two taxa
-a rooted tree includes a branch to represent the last common ancestor of all taxa in the
tree
-a basal taxon diverges early in the history of a group and originates near the common
ancestor of the group
What We Can and Cannot Learn from Phylogenetic Trees - Answer--phylogenetic trees
show patterns of descent, not phenotypic similarity
-crocodiles are closer to birds than lizards
-phylogenetic trees do not indicate when species evolved or how much change
occurred in a lineage
-if a time bar is not given, don't make assumptions
-it should be assumed that a taxon evolved form the taxon next to it
Applying Phylogenies - Answer--Phylogeny provides important information about similar
characteristics in closely related species
-A phylogeny was used to identify the species of whale from which "whale meat"
originated
Sorting Homology from Analogy - Answer--when constructing a phylogeny, systematists
need to distinguish whether a similarity is the result of homology or analogy
-homology is similarity dure to shared ancestry
-analogy is when a similarity is due to convergent evolution
Outgroups and Ingroups - Answer--an outgroup is a species or group of species that is
closely related to the ingroup, the various species being studies
-the outgroup is a group that has diverged before the ingroup
-characters shared by the outgroup and ingroup are ancestral characters that predate
the divergence of both groups from a common ancestor
-sytematists compare each ingroup species with the outgroup to differentiate between
shared derived and shared ancestral characteristics
