Question 1

Which of these time intervals, based on plant fossils, came last (most recently)?

Accepted Answer

A)  extensive growth of gymnosperm forests 
B)  Silurian-Devonian explosion with fossils of plant lineages containing most of the major morphological innovations 
C)  colonization of land by early liverworts and mosses 
D)  rise and diversification of angiosperms 
E)  carboniferous swamps with giant horsetails and lycophytes 
A)  extensive growth of gymnosperm forests 
B)  Silurian-Devonian explosion with fossils of plant lineages containing most of the major morphological innovations 
C)  colonization of land by early liverworts and mosses 
D)  rise and diversification of angiosperms 
E)  carboniferous swamps with giant horsetails and lycophytes

Question 2

The fruit of the mistletoe, a parasitic angiosperm, is a one-seeded berry. In members of the genus Viscum, the outside of the seed is viscous (sticky), which permits the seed to adhere to surfaces such as the branches of host plants or the beaks of birds. What should be expected of the fruit if the viscosity of Viscum seeds is primarily an adaptation for dispersal rather than an adaptation for infecting host plant tissues? It should _________.

Accepted Answer

A)  be drab in color 
B)  be colored so as to provide it with camouflage 
C)  be nutritious to the dispersing organisms 
D)  secrete enzymes that can digest bark 
E)  contain chemicals that cause birds to fly to the ground and vomit 
A)  be drab in color 
B)  be colored so as to provide it with camouflage 
C)  be nutritious to the dispersing organisms 
D)  secrete enzymes that can digest bark 
E)  contain chemicals that cause birds to fly to the ground and vomit

Question 3

According to the fossil record, plants colonized terrestrial habitats ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  in conjunction with insects that pollinated them 
B)  in conjunction with fungi that helped provide them with nutrients from the soil 
C)  to escape abundant herbivores in the oceans 
D)  only about 150 million years ago 
A)  in conjunction with insects that pollinated them 
B)  in conjunction with fungi that helped provide them with nutrients from the soil 
C)  to escape abundant herbivores in the oceans 
D)  only about 150 million years ago

Question 4

A botanist discovers a new species of plant in a tropical rain forest. After observing its anatomy and life cycle, he notes the following characteristics: flagellated sperm, xylem with tracheids, separate gametophyte and sporophyte generations with the sporophyte dominant, and no seeds. This plant is probably most closely related to ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  mosses 
B)  charophytes (stoneworts) 
C)  ferns 
D)  gymnosperms 
E)  flowering plants 
A)  mosses 
B)  charophytes (stoneworts) 
C)  ferns 
D)  gymnosperms 
E)  flowering plants

Question 5

Use the following information to answer the question(s) below.
Big Bend National Park in Texas is mostly Chihuahuan desert, where rainfall averages about 24 cm per year. Yet, it is not uncommon when hiking in this bone-dry desert to encounter mosses and ferns. One such plant is called "flower of stone." It is not a flowering plant, nor does it produce seeds. Under arid conditions, its leaf-like structures curl up. However, when it rains, it unfurls its leaves, which form a bright green rosette on the desert floor. Consequently, it is sometimes called the "resurrection plant." At first glance, it could be a fern, a true moss, or a spike moss.
-What feature of both true mosses and ferns makes it most surprising that they can survive for many generations in dry deserts?

Accepted Answer

A)  flagellated sperm 
B)  lack of vascular tissues 
C)  lack of true roots 
D)  lack of cuticle 
E)  a gametophyte generation that is dominant 
A)  flagellated sperm 
B)  lack of vascular tissues 
C)  lack of true roots 
D)  lack of cuticle 
E)  a gametophyte generation that is dominant

Question 6

Which of the following is a characteristic of all angiosperms?

Accepted Answer

A)  complete reliance on wind as the pollinating agent 
B)  double internal fertilization 
C)  free-living gametophytes 
D)  carpels that contain microsporangia 
E)  ovules that are not contained within ovaries 
A)  complete reliance on wind as the pollinating agent 
B)  double internal fertilization 
C)  free-living gametophytes 
D)  carpels that contain microsporangia 
E)  ovules that are not contained within ovaries

Question 7

The herbicide 2,4-D affects the metabolism of dicots and kills most of them. What is a common feature of plants that are susceptible to 2,4-D?

Accepted Answer

A)  branching leaf veins 
B)  flower parts in threes 
C)  one cotyledon in the seed 
D)  vascular tissue scattered throughout the stem 
A)  branching leaf veins 
B)  flower parts in threes 
C)  one cotyledon in the seed 
D)  vascular tissue scattered throughout the stem

Question 8

In the process of alternation of generations, the ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  sporophyte is haploid and produces gametes 
B)  sporophyte is diploid and produces spores 
C)  gametophyte is haploid and produces spores 
D)  gametophyte is diploid and produces gametes 
E)  spores unite to form a zygote 
A)  sporophyte is haploid and produces gametes 
B)  sporophyte is diploid and produces spores 
C)  gametophyte is haploid and produces spores 
D)  gametophyte is diploid and produces gametes 
E)  spores unite to form a zygote

Question 9

About 450 million years ago, the terrestrial landscape on Earth would have ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  looked very similar to that of today, with flowers, grasses, shrubs, and trees 
B)  been completely bare rock, with little pools that contained bacteria and cyanobacteria 
C)  been covered with tall forests in swamps that became today's coal 
D)  had non-vascular green plants similar to liverworts forming green mats on rock 
A)  looked very similar to that of today, with flowers, grasses, shrubs, and trees 
B)  been completely bare rock, with little pools that contained bacteria and cyanobacteria 
C)  been covered with tall forests in swamps that became today's coal 
D)  had non-vascular green plants similar to liverworts forming green mats on rock

Question 10

What evidence do paleobotanists look for that indicates the movement of plants from water to land?

Accepted Answer

A)  waxy cuticle to decrease evaporation from leaves 
B)  loss of structures that produce spores 
C)  sporopollenin to inhibit evaporation from leaves 
D)  remnants of chloroplasts from photosynthesizing cells 
A)  waxy cuticle to decrease evaporation from leaves 
B)  loss of structures that produce spores 
C)  sporopollenin to inhibit evaporation from leaves 
D)  remnants of chloroplasts from photosynthesizing cells

Question 11

In terms of alternation of generations, the internal parts of the pollen grains of seed-producing plants are most similar to a ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  moss sporophyte 
B)  moss gametophyte bearing both male and female gametangia 
C)  fern sporophyte 
D)  hermaphroditic fern gametophyte 
E)  fern gametophyte bearing only antheridia 
A)  moss sporophyte 
B)  moss gametophyte bearing both male and female gametangia 
C)  fern sporophyte 
D)  hermaphroditic fern gametophyte 
E)  fern gametophyte bearing only antheridia

Question 12

The most direct ancestors of land plants were probably ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  kelp (brown alga) that formed large beds near the shorelines 
B)  green algae 
C)  photosynthesizing prokaryotes (cyanobacteria) 
D)  liverworts and mosses 
A)  kelp (brown alga) that formed large beds near the shorelines 
B)  green algae 
C)  photosynthesizing prokaryotes (cyanobacteria) 
D)  liverworts and mosses

Question 13

If a fern gametophyte has both male and female gametangia on the same plant, then it ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  belongs to a species that is homosporous 
B)  must be diploid 
C)  has lost the need for a sporophyte generation 
D)  has antheridia and archegonia combined into a single sex organ 
E)  is actually not a fern, because fern gametophytes are always either male or female 
A)  belongs to a species that is homosporous 
B)  must be diploid 
C)  has lost the need for a sporophyte generation 
D)  has antheridia and archegonia combined into a single sex organ 
E)  is actually not a fern, because fern gametophytes are always either male or female

Question 14

You find a green organism in a pond near your house and believe it is a plant, not an alga. The mystery organism is most likely a plant and not an alga if it ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  contains chloroplasts 
B)  is multicellular 
C)  is surrounded by a cuticle 
D)  does not contain vascular tissue 
E)  has cell walls that are comprised largely of cellulose 
A)  contains chloroplasts 
B)  is multicellular 
C)  is surrounded by a cuticle 
D)  does not contain vascular tissue 
E)  has cell walls that are comprised largely of cellulose

Question 15

Which of the following occurs in vascular land plants but not charophytes (stoneworts)?

Accepted Answer

A)  sporopollenin 
B)  lignin 
C)  chlorophyll a 
D)  cellulose 
E)  chlorophyll b 
A)  sporopollenin 
B)  lignin 
C)  chlorophyll a 
D)  cellulose 
E)  chlorophyll b

Question 16

Most moss gametophytes do not have a cuticle and are 1-2 cells thick. What does this imply about moss gametophytes and their structure?

Accepted Answer

A)  They use stomata for gas-exchange regulation. 
B)  They can easily lose water to, and absorb water from, the atmosphere. 
C)  Photosynthesis occurs throughout the entire gametophyte surface. 
D)  They have branching veins in their leaves. 
A)  They use stomata for gas-exchange regulation. 
B)  They can easily lose water to, and absorb water from, the atmosphere. 
C)  Photosynthesis occurs throughout the entire gametophyte surface. 
D)  They have branching veins in their leaves.

Question 17

Arrange the following in the correct sequence, from earliest to most recent, in which these plant traits originated.
1) sporophyte dominance, gametophyte independence
2) sporophyte dominance, gametophyte dependence
3) gametophyte dominance, sporophyte dependence

Accepted Answer

A)  1 → 2 → 3 
B)  2 → 3 → 1 
C)  2 → 1 → 3 
D)  3 → 2 → 1 
E)  3 → 1 → 2 
A)  1 → 2 → 3 
B)  2 → 3 → 1 
C)  2 → 1 → 3 
D)  3 → 2 → 1 
E)  3 → 1 → 2

Question 18

Use the following description to answer the question(s) below.
Cycads, a mostly tropical phylum of gymnosperms, evolved about 300 million years ago and were dominant forms during the Age of the Dinosaurs. Though their sperm are flagellated, their ovules are pollinated by beetles. These beetles get nutrition by eating pollen and microsporophyll tissue and shelter within the male cones (they are dioecious). Upon visiting megasporophylls on nearby female plants, which become attractively aromatic and warm (but are not palatable), the beetles transfer pollen to the exposed ovules. Cycad megasporophyll tissues synthesize neurotoxins, some of which is transferred to the seeds, that are effective against most animals, including humans.
-Which feature of cycads distinguishes them from most other gymnosperms?
I. They have exposed ovules.
II. They have flagellated sperm.
III. They are pollinated by animals.

Accepted Answer

A)  I only 
B)  II only 
C)  III only 
D)  II and III 
E)  I, II, and III 
A)  I only 
B)  II only 
C)  III only 
D)  II and III 
E)  I, II, and III

Question 19

Angiosperms are the most successful terrestrial plants. Which of the following features is unique to them and helps account for their success?

Accepted Answer

A)  wind pollination 
B)  dominant gametophytes 
C)  fruits enclosing seeds 
D)  embryos enclosed within seed coats 
E)  sperm cells without flagella 
A)  wind pollination 
B)  dominant gametophytes 
C)  fruits enclosing seeds 
D)  embryos enclosed within seed coats 
E)  sperm cells without flagella

Question 20

Which of the following was a challenge to the survival of the first land plants?

Accepted Answer

A)  too much sunlight 
B)  a shortage of carbon dioxide 
C)  desiccation 
D)  animal predation 
A)  too much sunlight 
B)  a shortage of carbon dioxide 
C)  desiccation 
D)  animal predation

Exam 28: Green Algae and Land Plants

Which of these time intervals, based on plant fossils, came last (most recently)?

According to the fossil record, plants colonized terrestrial habitats ________.

Which of the following is a characteristic of all angiosperms?

The herbicide 2,4-D affects the metabolism of dicots and kills most of them. What is a common feature of plants that are susceptible to 2,4-D?

In the process of alternation of generations, the ________.

About 450 million years ago, the terrestrial landscape on Earth would have ________.

What evidence do paleobotanists look for that indicates the movement of plants from water to land?

In terms of alternation of generations, the internal parts of the pollen grains of seed-producing plants are most similar to a ________.

The most direct ancestors of land plants were probably ________.

If a fern gametophyte has both male and female gametangia on the same plant, then it ________.

You find a green organism in a pond near your house and believe it is a plant, not an alga. The mystery organism is most likely a plant and not an alga if it ________.

Which of the following occurs in vascular land plants but not charophytes (stoneworts)?

Most moss gametophytes do not have a cuticle and are 1-2 cells thick. What does this imply about moss gametophytes and their structure?

Arrange the following in the correct sequence, from earliest to most recent, in which these plant traits originated. 1) sporophyte dominance, gametophyte independence 2) sporophyte dominance, gametophyte dependence 3) gametophyte dominance, sporophyte dependence

Angiosperms are the most successful terrestrial plants. Which of the following features is unique to them and helps account for their success?

Which of the following was a challenge to the survival of the first land plants?

Biology and the Tree of Life

Water and Carbon: the Chemical Basis of Life

Protein Structure and Function

Nucleic Acids and the Rna World

An Introduction to Carbohydrates

Ecosystems and Global Ecology

Lipids, Membranes, and the First Cells

Inside the Cell

Energy and Enzymes: an Introduction to Metabolism

Cellular Respiration and Fermentation

Photosynthesis

Cellcell Interactions

The Cell Cycle

Meiosis

Mendel and the Gene

Dna and the Gene: Synthesis and Repair

How Genes Work

Transcription, Rna Processing, and Translation

Control of Gene Expression in Bacteria

Control of Gene Expression in Eukaryotes

The Molecular Revolution: Biotechnology and Beyond

Genes, Development, and Evolution

Evolution by Natural Selection

Evolutionary Processes

Speciation

Phylogenies and the History of Life

Bacteria and Archaea

Protists

Fungi

An Introduction to Animals

Protostome Animals

Deuterostome Animals

Viruses

Plant Form and Function

Water and Sugar Transport in Plants

Plant Nutrition

Plant Sensory Systems, Signals, and Responses

Plant Reproduction and Development

Animal Form and Function

Water and Electrolyte Balance in Animals

Animal Nutrition

Gas Exchange and Circulation

Animal Nervous Systems

Animal Sensory Systems

Animal Movement

Chemical Signals in Animals

Animal Reproduction and Development

The Immune System in Animals

An Introduction to Ecology

Behavioral Ecology

Population Ecology

Community Ecology

Biodiversity and Conservation Biology

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