Chapter 1: The Science of Biology (BIOL
220)
Models are useful in biological research for which of the following reasons? - ✔ CORRECT
ANSWER ✓✓They may suggest experiments that can be performed to refine or test the model.
They provide a way to organize how we think about a problem.
They can help us see the larger picture by showing how the different components of a complex
system fit together.
Which of the following are limits of reductionism when applied to living systems? - ✔ CORRECT
ANSWER ✓✓Sometimes the components of a living system act differently in isolation than they
do in their normal context.
Sometimes the interactions of many parts lead to emergent properties that cannot be predicted
from the properties of the individual parts.
How is evolution related to natural selection? - ✔ CORRECT ANSWER ✓✓Natural selection is
one mechanism that causes evolution to take place.
According to Darwin, the 14 species of finches on the Galapagos Islands resemble each other
and the finches along the coast of the South American mainland due to which of the following?
- ✔ CORRECT ANSWER ✓✓The finches are descended from a relatively recent (several million
years) common ancestor.
Which of the following sentences best summarizes Darwin's thinking about the mechanism of
evolution? - ✔ CORRECT ANSWER ✓✓Within a population, individuals with certain
,characteristics are more likely to survive and reproduce and as a result the population as a
whole gradually changes over time.
Darwin predicted that scientists should be able to find intermediate, or transitional, [BLANK]
that show links between great groups of organisms (for example between fishes and
amphibians). - ✔ CORRECT ANSWER ✓✓fossils
You compare the genomes of two species and determine some very large differences. This
would suggest that the two species [BLANK]. - ✔ CORRECT ANSWER ✓✓are not very closely
related
If two molecules isolated from different organisms have very similar structures, the most
reasonable hypothesis is which of the following? - ✔ CORRECT ANSWER ✓✓The molecules
perform similar functions.
How is the information stored in DNA used by a cell? - ✔ CORRECT ANSWER ✓✓Direct the
synthesis of cellular components
The collection of all the genetic material (the DNA) in a cell or organism is called the [BLANK]. -
✔ CORRECT ANSWER ✓✓genome
If two molecules isolated from different organisms have very similar structures, the most
reasonable hypothesis is which of the following? - ✔ CORRECT ANSWER ✓✓The molecules
perform similar functions.
Which of the following were the first living organisms on Earth? - ✔ CORRECT ANSWER
✓✓Primitive cells
, How is the information stored in DNA used by a cell? - ✔ CORRECT ANSWER ✓✓Direct the
synthesis of cellular components
Why did Darwin infer that finches on Galápagos islands had undergone evolution by natural
selection? - ✔ CORRECT ANSWER ✓✓Because of the close correspondence between their beaks
and their food.
During their study of medium ground finches, what were the Grants' findings regarding: (1) the
amount of variation in beak depth among medium finches, and (2) the change in average beak
depth from one year to another? - ✔ CORRECT ANSWER ✓✓(1) great variation; (2) predictable
change
How did Peter and Rosemary Grant show that the beak size of finches on Daphne Major is
affected by natural selection? - ✔ CORRECT ANSWER ✓✓In dry years, fewer small seeds were
produced on the island and the average beak size of finches increased.
Artificial selection may result in traits that are [BLANK]. - ✔ CORRECT ANSWER ✓✓desirable
unintended
intended
undesirable
Unintentional selection can be the result of linkage and [BLANK]. - ✔ CORRECT ANSWER
✓✓pleiotropy (the production by a single gene of two or more apparently unrelated effects)
A common criticism of evolution is that selection only produces [BLANK] changes and cannot
produce the variety of [BLANK] documented in the fossil record. - ✔ CORRECT ANSWER
✓✓minor; species
220)
Models are useful in biological research for which of the following reasons? - ✔ CORRECT
ANSWER ✓✓They may suggest experiments that can be performed to refine or test the model.
They provide a way to organize how we think about a problem.
They can help us see the larger picture by showing how the different components of a complex
system fit together.
Which of the following are limits of reductionism when applied to living systems? - ✔ CORRECT
ANSWER ✓✓Sometimes the components of a living system act differently in isolation than they
do in their normal context.
Sometimes the interactions of many parts lead to emergent properties that cannot be predicted
from the properties of the individual parts.
How is evolution related to natural selection? - ✔ CORRECT ANSWER ✓✓Natural selection is
one mechanism that causes evolution to take place.
According to Darwin, the 14 species of finches on the Galapagos Islands resemble each other
and the finches along the coast of the South American mainland due to which of the following?
- ✔ CORRECT ANSWER ✓✓The finches are descended from a relatively recent (several million
years) common ancestor.
Which of the following sentences best summarizes Darwin's thinking about the mechanism of
evolution? - ✔ CORRECT ANSWER ✓✓Within a population, individuals with certain
,characteristics are more likely to survive and reproduce and as a result the population as a
whole gradually changes over time.
Darwin predicted that scientists should be able to find intermediate, or transitional, [BLANK]
that show links between great groups of organisms (for example between fishes and
amphibians). - ✔ CORRECT ANSWER ✓✓fossils
You compare the genomes of two species and determine some very large differences. This
would suggest that the two species [BLANK]. - ✔ CORRECT ANSWER ✓✓are not very closely
related
If two molecules isolated from different organisms have very similar structures, the most
reasonable hypothesis is which of the following? - ✔ CORRECT ANSWER ✓✓The molecules
perform similar functions.
How is the information stored in DNA used by a cell? - ✔ CORRECT ANSWER ✓✓Direct the
synthesis of cellular components
The collection of all the genetic material (the DNA) in a cell or organism is called the [BLANK]. -
✔ CORRECT ANSWER ✓✓genome
If two molecules isolated from different organisms have very similar structures, the most
reasonable hypothesis is which of the following? - ✔ CORRECT ANSWER ✓✓The molecules
perform similar functions.
Which of the following were the first living organisms on Earth? - ✔ CORRECT ANSWER
✓✓Primitive cells
, How is the information stored in DNA used by a cell? - ✔ CORRECT ANSWER ✓✓Direct the
synthesis of cellular components
Why did Darwin infer that finches on Galápagos islands had undergone evolution by natural
selection? - ✔ CORRECT ANSWER ✓✓Because of the close correspondence between their beaks
and their food.
During their study of medium ground finches, what were the Grants' findings regarding: (1) the
amount of variation in beak depth among medium finches, and (2) the change in average beak
depth from one year to another? - ✔ CORRECT ANSWER ✓✓(1) great variation; (2) predictable
change
How did Peter and Rosemary Grant show that the beak size of finches on Daphne Major is
affected by natural selection? - ✔ CORRECT ANSWER ✓✓In dry years, fewer small seeds were
produced on the island and the average beak size of finches increased.
Artificial selection may result in traits that are [BLANK]. - ✔ CORRECT ANSWER ✓✓desirable
unintended
intended
undesirable
Unintentional selection can be the result of linkage and [BLANK]. - ✔ CORRECT ANSWER
✓✓pleiotropy (the production by a single gene of two or more apparently unrelated effects)
A common criticism of evolution is that selection only produces [BLANK] changes and cannot
produce the variety of [BLANK] documented in the fossil record. - ✔ CORRECT ANSWER
✓✓minor; species
