Exam 1: Biology and the Tree of Life

Starting from the wild mustard Brassica oleracea, breeders have created the strains known as Brussel sprouts, broccoli, kale, and cabbage. Which of the following statements is supported by this observation?

Algae in the genus Caulerpa typically grow to a length of over half a meter and have structures similar to stems, leaves, and roots. Reproduction occurs when adults produce sperm and eggs that fuse to form offspring. Each adult Caulerpa, however, consists of just a single cell. Which of the following statements is true?

Which of the following would not be a good reason for studying SSU RNA to understand the major branches in the evolutionary history of life?

Use the following information when answering the corresponding questions). In 1668, Francesco Redi did a series of experiments on spontaneous generation. He began by putting similar pieces of meat int identical jars. Four jars were left open to the air, and four were sealed. He then did the same experiment with one variation: In sealing four of the jars completely, he covered them with gauze the gauze excluded flies while allowing the meat to be expos to air). In both experiments, he monitored the jars and recorded whether or not maggots young flies) appeared in the meat. -What hypothesis was being tested in the initial experiment with open versus sealed jars?

Use the following information when answering the corresponding questions). In 1668, Francesco Redi did a series of experiments on spontaneous generation. He began by putting similar pieces of meat int identical jars. Four jars were left open to the air, and four were sealed. He then did the same experiment with one variation: In sealing four of the jars completely, he covered them with gauze the gauze excluded flies while allowing the meat to be expos to air). In both experiments, he monitored the jars and recorded whether or not maggots young flies) appeared in the meat. -Why was it important that Redi replicate each treatment four times in each experiment?

Which of the following is the best example of a heritable variation?

Why did the five- kingdom system of classification fall out of favor?

Many phylogenetic trees are based on DNA sequence similarities. What is the practical result of this similarity?

On the tree of life, branches that lead to several groups of green algae branch off from the one that leads to land plants. Which one of the following statements is correct?

Environments all over the world are changing as a result of global warming. Could this influence natural selection?

Which of the following best reflects a phylogenetic conclusion regarding chimpanzees and baboons?

Which of the following describes the flow of genetic information in cells according to the central dogma?

On the tree of life, the branch leading to animals is closer to fungi than it is to the branch leading to land plants. Which of the following statements is correct?

Recall the experiment on ant navigation. To run a controlled experiment, what parameters were held constant for the test group of 75 ants?

The "heat" in chili peppers is due to a molecule called capsaicin. Suppose you breed only the hottest chili peppers over many generations-predict the characteristics of the resulting individuals.

The structure of double helical DNA

Why was it important that researchers use large sample sizes?

Use the following information when answering the corresponding questions). In 1668, Francesco Redi did a series of experiments on spontaneous generation. He began by putting similar pieces of meat int identical jars. Four jars were left open to the air, and four were sealed. He then did the same experiment with one variation: In sealing four of the jars completely, he covered them with gauze the gauze excluded flies while allowing the meat to be expos to air). In both experiments, he monitored the jars and recorded whether or not maggots young flies) appeared in the meat. -In both experiments, flies appeared in all of the open jars and only in the open jars. Which one of the following statements is correct?

Which statement about spontaneous generation is FALSE?

Use the following information when answering the corresponding questions). In 1668, Francesco Redi did a series of experiments on spontaneous generation. He began by putting similar pieces of meat int identical jars. Four jars were left open to the air, and four were sealed. He then did the same experiment with one variation: In sealing four of the jars completely, he covered them with gauze the gauze excluded flies while allowing the meat to be expos to air). In both experiments, he monitored the jars and recorded whether or not maggots young flies) appeared in the meat. -Fireflies are nocturnal beetles that emit flashes of light to attract mates. A scientist studying the firefly population over the past 5 years observes that the firefly population has declined significantly as the area that she has been studying has become more developed more buildings). The scientist proposes a series of hypotheses to explain the decline. Which of her hypotheses is most likely to be correct?