BIOL 351
BIOL351 / BIOL 351 Module 5 (Latest Update )
Pharmacology | Questions & Answers | Grade A | 100% Correct
- Portage Learning.
Question 1
A nurse is educating a community health class about scientific theories that explain
changes in populations over time. The nurse explains that the theory describing changes
in the characteristics of organisms over time due to environmental pressures is known
as:
A. Biogeography
B. Natural Selection
C. Evolution
D. Adaptation
CORRECT ANSWER: C. Evolution
Rationale: Evolution is the scientific theory that explains how populations of organisms
change over generations through genetic variation and environmental selection
pressures, leading to diversity of life.
BIOL 351
, 2
BIOL 351
Question 2
When discussing the spread of infectious diseases globally, a nurse references the study
of where species live now and where their ancestors lived historically. This field of study
is known as:
A. Epidemiology
B. Phylogeny
C. Biogeography
D. Taxonomy
CORRECT ANSWER: C. Biogeography
Rationale: Biogeography is the study of the geographic distribution of species and their
ancestors, which can inform understanding of disease vector origins and population
migrations affecting public health.
Question 3
A nurse is reviewing evidence for common ancestry in a biology class. The nurse explains
that anatomical and molecular homologies, according to evolutionary theory, should:
A. Show random variation with no predictable pattern.
B. Produce similar patterns of evolutionary relatedness.
C. Be identical across all vertebrate species.
D. Only be present in fossilized remains.
BIOL 351
, 3
BIOL 351
CORRECT ANSWER: B. Produce similar patterns of evolutionary relatedness.
Rationale: Homologous structures and molecular sequences (like DNA) provide
evidence for common descent, showing predictable, nested patterns of relatedness
among species.
Question 4
A nurse is explaining genetic similarities between species to a patient interested in
pharmacogenomics. The nurse states that evidence from molecular biology supports
evolutionary theory by showing that:
A. All organisms have identical DNA sequences.
B. Closely related organisms have more similar DNA and proteins.
C. Molecular evidence contradicts the fossil record.
D. DNA similarity is unrelated to species relatedness.
CORRECT ANSWER: B. Closely related organisms have more similar DNA and proteins.
Rationale: The degree of similarity in DNA and protein sequences correlates with
evolutionary relatedness; closer relatives share a higher percentage of genetic material,
which is foundational for understanding comparative biology and drug metabolism
across species.
Question 5
A nurse is discussing selective breeding with a patient who has a guide dog. The process
BIOL 351
, 4
BIOL 351
used by breeders to promote specific traits by choosing which individuals to breed is
called:
A. Natural Selection
B. Genetic Drift
C. Artificial Selection
D. Adaptive Radiation
CORRECT ANSWER: C. Artificial Selection
Rationale: Artificial selection is the human-directed process of breeding organisms with
desired traits, analogous to natural selection but driven by human choice rather than
environmental pressures.
Question 6
In a discussion about health outcomes, a nurse describes a patient's "fitness" in an
evolutionary context. The term refers to:
A. The patient's physical strength and endurance.
B. How well the organism survives and reproduces in its environment.
C. The genetic purity of the individual.
D. Resistance to all known diseases.
CORRECT ANSWER: B. How well the organism survives and reproduces in its
environment.
BIOL 351