Exam 13: Prospecting for Biological Gold: Biodiversity and Classification

A book is being publicized that purports to provide proof that aliens from another planet brought life to Earth. The proof they show are strange fossils of multicellular organisms that look like no animal you have ever seen. These "aliens" are an example of

How could a molecule from plants that blocks the connection between nerves and muscles be useful as a pharmaceutical?

How do fungi obtain nutrients?

What is the adaptive value of natural antibiotic production for fungi?

What is the result of adaptive radiation?

The first antibiotic, discovered as a result of a laboratory accident, was ________.

Scientists can compare the relationships between all modern species by examining a gene that performs a similar function in species from all kingdoms. What does this one gene encode?

There are a number of sites, around the world, that have been made uninhabitable because of chemical pollution in the soil. Which group of organisms might have useful biological tools for breaking down these toxic compounds?

An organism is described that can live in very high temperature water. This organism is most likely a member of the

The Cambrian explosion is a period in Earth's history when what significant event occurred?

Both algae and plants have the ability to perform ________.

What were the Ediacaran fauna?