evolution exam ACTUAL UPDATED
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
Evolution - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Change in allele frequency over generations.
Microbial Evolution - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Genetic changes in microorganisms
(bacteria, fungi, viruses, archaea) over time, allowing adaptation to new environments or
selective pressures.
Mutation - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Random change in DNA sequence that can lead to
new traits; example: antibiotic resistance in bacteria.
Natural Selection - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Environment "selects" microbes with
advantageous traits; only resistant bacteria survive antibiotic treatment
Horizontal Gene Transfer (HGT) - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅DNA moves between
organisms not by inheritance; example: plasmids carrying antibiotic-resistance genes
spreading in hospitals.
Genetic Drift - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Random changes in gene frequency, especially in
small populations; some traits become common by chance.
Adaptation - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Long-term adjustment to stress or environment;
example: bacteria adapting to heavy metals or nanoparticles.
Fitness (Absolute, W) - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Measure of how well an organism
reproduces; example: Wₓ = 6 offspring, Wᵧ = 3 offspring → X has higher reproductive
success.
Relative Fitness (Wₓ/Wᵧ) - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Compares fitness of two genotypes;
example: Wₓ/Wᵧ = 6/3 = 2, meaning X produces twice as many offspring as Y.
Selection Coefficient (S) - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Difference in fitness between two
genotypes; S = Wₓ - Wᵧ.
, Genetic Variation - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Differences in DNA among individuals;
sources include mutation, HGT, and recombination.
Positive Microbial Interaction - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Interaction where both species
benefit; examples: mutualism, commensalism, protocooperation.
Negative Microbial Interaction - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Interaction where one species
is harmed; examples: competition, parasitism, ammensalism, predation.
Mutualism - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Both species benefit; examples: clownfish & sea
anemone, humans & intestinal E. coli.
Lenski Long-Term Evolution Experiment (LTEE) - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Real-time
observation of evolution in E. coli; studied adaptation, mutation rates, and faster growth.
Who: Richard Lenski
Year: 1988
Silver Nanoparticle Tolerance Experiment - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Bacteria evolved
tolerance to silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) after 250 generations; indicated microbial
adaptation under stress.
Coculture vs. Monoculture Microbial Evolution - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Compared
microbes grown alone vs. with another species (Dv & Mm); cocultures adapted to syntrophy
with faster growth and more mutations.
Who: Alexandre, R.T. Figueiredo, and Rolf Kümmerli
Year: 2020
Breqseq Tool - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Tool for analyzing bacterial genome sequencing
data; tracks SNPs, insertions, deletions, substitutions across generations.
Who: Barrick lab
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
Evolution - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Change in allele frequency over generations.
Microbial Evolution - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Genetic changes in microorganisms
(bacteria, fungi, viruses, archaea) over time, allowing adaptation to new environments or
selective pressures.
Mutation - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Random change in DNA sequence that can lead to
new traits; example: antibiotic resistance in bacteria.
Natural Selection - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Environment "selects" microbes with
advantageous traits; only resistant bacteria survive antibiotic treatment
Horizontal Gene Transfer (HGT) - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅DNA moves between
organisms not by inheritance; example: plasmids carrying antibiotic-resistance genes
spreading in hospitals.
Genetic Drift - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Random changes in gene frequency, especially in
small populations; some traits become common by chance.
Adaptation - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Long-term adjustment to stress or environment;
example: bacteria adapting to heavy metals or nanoparticles.
Fitness (Absolute, W) - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Measure of how well an organism
reproduces; example: Wₓ = 6 offspring, Wᵧ = 3 offspring → X has higher reproductive
success.
Relative Fitness (Wₓ/Wᵧ) - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Compares fitness of two genotypes;
example: Wₓ/Wᵧ = 6/3 = 2, meaning X produces twice as many offspring as Y.
Selection Coefficient (S) - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Difference in fitness between two
genotypes; S = Wₓ - Wᵧ.
, Genetic Variation - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Differences in DNA among individuals;
sources include mutation, HGT, and recombination.
Positive Microbial Interaction - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Interaction where both species
benefit; examples: mutualism, commensalism, protocooperation.
Negative Microbial Interaction - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Interaction where one species
is harmed; examples: competition, parasitism, ammensalism, predation.
Mutualism - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Both species benefit; examples: clownfish & sea
anemone, humans & intestinal E. coli.
Lenski Long-Term Evolution Experiment (LTEE) - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Real-time
observation of evolution in E. coli; studied adaptation, mutation rates, and faster growth.
Who: Richard Lenski
Year: 1988
Silver Nanoparticle Tolerance Experiment - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Bacteria evolved
tolerance to silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) after 250 generations; indicated microbial
adaptation under stress.
Coculture vs. Monoculture Microbial Evolution - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Compared
microbes grown alone vs. with another species (Dv & Mm); cocultures adapted to syntrophy
with faster growth and more mutations.
Who: Alexandre, R.T. Figueiredo, and Rolf Kümmerli
Year: 2020
Breqseq Tool - CORRECT ANSWERS✅✅Tool for analyzing bacterial genome sequencing
data; tracks SNPs, insertions, deletions, substitutions across generations.
Who: Barrick lab
