ESTUDYR
C190 Module 4 – Biodiversity, Evolution & Disease (WGU)
Non-specific defences
ANSWER = Defenses that are always present and are the same for all organisms, e.g: skin,
blood clotting, inflammation, mucous membranes and expulsive reflexes.
Opsonins
ANSWER = Chemicals that bind to and tag foreign cells, making them easily recognisable to
phagocytes.
Passive immunity
ANSWER = Resistance in an organism acquired via the transfer of antibodies. It provides short-
term immunity as no memory cells are produced.
Pathogen
ANSWER = A disease-causing microorganism. Includes bacteria, viruses, fungi and protoctista.
Penicillin
ANSWER = The first conventional, effective and safe antibiotic derived from the mould
Penicillium chrysogenum. It was discovered by Alexander Flemming.
Personalised medicine
ANSWER = A form of medical care that enables doctors to provide healthcare that is
customised to an individual's genotype.
Phagocytes
ANSWER = Specialised white blood cells that engulf and destroy pathogens. There are two
types: neutrophils and macrophages.
Phagocytosis
ANSWER = The process by which phagocytes engulf and destroy pathogens.
,ESTUDYR
1. What is classification?
A) The study of ecosystems
B) The organization of organisms into groups ⭐
C) A type of sampling method
D) A process of natural selection
Rationale: Classification arranges organisms based on shared characteristics to make
identification and study easier.
2. What does a community refer to?
A) A single species in a habitat
B) All populations of different species living together in a habitat ⭐
C) Only endangered species in an ecosystem
D) The abiotic factors in a habitat
Rationale: A community includes all interacting populations within a specific area.
3. Conservation is defined as:
A) The study of genetic variation
B) The maintenance of ecosystems and biodiversity by humans ⭐
C) Natural selection of advantageous traits
D) Population sampling techniques
Rationale: Conservation involves human intervention to preserve ecosystems, species, and
genetic diversity.
4. Continuous variation occurs when:
A) A characteristic can only take certain values
B) A characteristic can have any value within a given range ⭐
C) Traits are inherited from only one parent
D) Variation is caused exclusively by the environment
Rationale: Examples include height, mass, or heart rate, which vary gradually without discrete
categories.
5. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is:
A) A genetic testing method
B) A treaty promoting sustainable use and maintenance of biodiversity ⭐
C) A type of ex situ conservation
D) A taxonomic classification system
Rationale: CBD is one of three Rio Conventions focused on protecting biodiversity globally.
6. CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) regulates:
A) Wildlife trade within a country
B) Trade of plants and wild animals across international borders ⭐
, ESTUDYR
C) Genetic modification of crops
D) Sampling of endangered species
Rationale: CITES ensures that international trade does not threaten species survival.
7. Convergent evolution is:
A) The process by which unrelated species evolve similar traits due to similar selection
pressures ⭐
B) Evolution within the same species
C) Genetic drift over time
D) Loss of species in an ecosystem
Rationale: Different species may develop analogous structures in response to comparable
environmental challenges.
8. The Countryside Stewardship Scheme (CSS) in England (1991–2014) aimed to:
A) Provide genetic biodiversity data
B) Give financial incentives to farmers to enhance and conserve the environment ⭐
C) Promote monoculture farming
D) Restrict access to public land
Rationale: CSS encouraged sustainable land management practices before being replaced by
the Environmental Stewardship Scheme (ESS).
9. Discontinuous variation occurs when:
A) Traits vary gradually across a range
B) A characteristic can only take certain values ⭐
C) Evolution is convergent
D) Allele frequencies remain constant
Rationale: Examples include blood groups, sex, or eye color—distinct categories with no
intermediates.
10. The highest taxonomic rank in the three-domain system is:
A) Kingdom
B) Phylum
C) Domain ⭐
D) Class
Rationale: Domains include Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukaryota, representing the broadest
grouping of life.
11. Evolution is defined as:
A) Short-term environmental changes
B) Gradual change in allele frequencies within a population over time ⭐
C) Random extinction events
D) Seasonal variations in species richness
Rationale: Evolution occurs through mechanisms like natural selection, genetic drift, and gene
flow.
C190 Module 4 – Biodiversity, Evolution & Disease (WGU)
Non-specific defences
ANSWER = Defenses that are always present and are the same for all organisms, e.g: skin,
blood clotting, inflammation, mucous membranes and expulsive reflexes.
Opsonins
ANSWER = Chemicals that bind to and tag foreign cells, making them easily recognisable to
phagocytes.
Passive immunity
ANSWER = Resistance in an organism acquired via the transfer of antibodies. It provides short-
term immunity as no memory cells are produced.
Pathogen
ANSWER = A disease-causing microorganism. Includes bacteria, viruses, fungi and protoctista.
Penicillin
ANSWER = The first conventional, effective and safe antibiotic derived from the mould
Penicillium chrysogenum. It was discovered by Alexander Flemming.
Personalised medicine
ANSWER = A form of medical care that enables doctors to provide healthcare that is
customised to an individual's genotype.
Phagocytes
ANSWER = Specialised white blood cells that engulf and destroy pathogens. There are two
types: neutrophils and macrophages.
Phagocytosis
ANSWER = The process by which phagocytes engulf and destroy pathogens.
,ESTUDYR
1. What is classification?
A) The study of ecosystems
B) The organization of organisms into groups ⭐
C) A type of sampling method
D) A process of natural selection
Rationale: Classification arranges organisms based on shared characteristics to make
identification and study easier.
2. What does a community refer to?
A) A single species in a habitat
B) All populations of different species living together in a habitat ⭐
C) Only endangered species in an ecosystem
D) The abiotic factors in a habitat
Rationale: A community includes all interacting populations within a specific area.
3. Conservation is defined as:
A) The study of genetic variation
B) The maintenance of ecosystems and biodiversity by humans ⭐
C) Natural selection of advantageous traits
D) Population sampling techniques
Rationale: Conservation involves human intervention to preserve ecosystems, species, and
genetic diversity.
4. Continuous variation occurs when:
A) A characteristic can only take certain values
B) A characteristic can have any value within a given range ⭐
C) Traits are inherited from only one parent
D) Variation is caused exclusively by the environment
Rationale: Examples include height, mass, or heart rate, which vary gradually without discrete
categories.
5. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is:
A) A genetic testing method
B) A treaty promoting sustainable use and maintenance of biodiversity ⭐
C) A type of ex situ conservation
D) A taxonomic classification system
Rationale: CBD is one of three Rio Conventions focused on protecting biodiversity globally.
6. CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) regulates:
A) Wildlife trade within a country
B) Trade of plants and wild animals across international borders ⭐
, ESTUDYR
C) Genetic modification of crops
D) Sampling of endangered species
Rationale: CITES ensures that international trade does not threaten species survival.
7. Convergent evolution is:
A) The process by which unrelated species evolve similar traits due to similar selection
pressures ⭐
B) Evolution within the same species
C) Genetic drift over time
D) Loss of species in an ecosystem
Rationale: Different species may develop analogous structures in response to comparable
environmental challenges.
8. The Countryside Stewardship Scheme (CSS) in England (1991–2014) aimed to:
A) Provide genetic biodiversity data
B) Give financial incentives to farmers to enhance and conserve the environment ⭐
C) Promote monoculture farming
D) Restrict access to public land
Rationale: CSS encouraged sustainable land management practices before being replaced by
the Environmental Stewardship Scheme (ESS).
9. Discontinuous variation occurs when:
A) Traits vary gradually across a range
B) A characteristic can only take certain values ⭐
C) Evolution is convergent
D) Allele frequencies remain constant
Rationale: Examples include blood groups, sex, or eye color—distinct categories with no
intermediates.
10. The highest taxonomic rank in the three-domain system is:
A) Kingdom
B) Phylum
C) Domain ⭐
D) Class
Rationale: Domains include Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukaryota, representing the broadest
grouping of life.
11. Evolution is defined as:
A) Short-term environmental changes
B) Gradual change in allele frequencies within a population over time ⭐
C) Random extinction events
D) Seasonal variations in species richness
Rationale: Evolution occurs through mechanisms like natural selection, genetic drift, and gene
flow.
