Exam 26: The Colonization of Land by Plants and Fungi

Arrange the following structures from largest to smallest, assuming that they belong to two generations of the same angiosperm. 1. ovary 2) ovule 3) egg 4) carpel 5) embryo sac

According to our current knowledge of plant evolution, which group of organisms should feature mitosis most similar to that of land plants?

A researcher took water in which a Jl population had been thriving, filtered the water to remove all bacterial cells, and then applied the water to the skins of adult amphibians to see if there would subsequently be a reduced infection rate by Bd when frog skins were inoculated with Bd. For which of the following hypotheses is the procedure described a potential test?

The same bees that pollinate the flowers of the Brazil nut trees pollinate orchids, which are epiphytes (in other words, plants that grow on other plants); however, orchids cannot grow on Brazil nut trees. These observations explain

Which of the following flower parts develops into the pulp of a fleshy fruit?

Which of the following are structures of angiosperm gametophytes?

Big Bend National Park in Texas is mostly Chihuahuan desert, where rainfall averages about 10 inches 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 leaflike 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. -Which of the following features is most important in order for true mosses and ferns to survive and reproduce in the desert?

What adaptations should one expect of the seed coats of angiosperm species whose seeds are dispersed by frugivorous (fruit-eating) animals, as opposed to angiosperm species whose seeds are dispersed by other means? 1. The exterior of the seed coat should have barbs or hooks. 2) The seed coat should contain secondary compounds that irritate the lining of the animal's mouth. 3) The seed coat should be able to withstand low pH's. 4) The seed coat, upon its complete digestion, should provide vitamins or nutrients to animals. 5) The seed coat should be resistant to the animals' digestive enzymes.

Figure 26.2 depicts the outline of a large fairy ring that has appeared overnight in an open meadow, as viewed from above. The fairy ring represents the furthest advance of this mycelium through the soil. Locations A-D are all 0.5 meters below the soil surface. Responses may be used once, more than once, or not at all. Figure 26.2 -At which location should one find the lowest concentration of fungal enzymes, assuming that the enzymes do not diffuse far from their source, and that no other fungi are present in this habitat?

Which description does not apply equally well to both sexual and asexual spores?

Which of the following statements correctly describes a portion of the pine life cycle?

Which of the following statements is true of the pine life cycle?

Which group is noted for the independence of gametophyte and sporophyte generations from each other?

When pathogenic fungi are found growing on the roots of grape vines, grape farmers sometimes respond by covering the ground around their vines with plastic sheeting and pumping a gaseous fungicide into the soil. The most important concern of grape farmers who engage in this practice should be that the

The next few questions refer to the following description. The 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 (they eat pollen) and shelter from the microsporophylls. Upon visiting megasporophylls, the beetles transfer pollen to the exposed ovules. In cycads, pollen cones and seed cones are borne on different plants. Cycads synthesize neurotoxins, especially in the seeds, that are effective against most animals, including humans. -Which feature of cycads makes them similar to many angiosperms? 1. They have exposed ovules. 2) They have flagellated sperm. 3) They are pollinated by animals.

Plasmogamy can directly result in which of the following? 1. cells with a single haploid nucleus 2) heterokaryotic cells 3) dikaryotic cells 4) cells with two diploid nuclei

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

For several decades now, amphibian species worldwide have been in decline. A significant proportion of the decline seems to be due to the spread of the chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). Chytrid sporangia reside within the epidermal cells of infected animals, animals that consequently show areas of sloughed skin. They can also be lethargic, which is expressed through failure to hide and failure to flee. The infection cycle typically takes four to five days, at the end of which zoospores are released from sporangia into the environment. In some amphibian species, mortality rates approach 100%; other species seem able to survive the infection. -If Bd cannot grow properly at temperatures above 28°C (82°F), then, assuming the amphibians can survive, in which time or place should the chytrid infection proceed most rapidly? 1. cooler months 2) warmer months 3) lower altitudes 4) higher altitudes

The microsporidian, Brachiola gambiae, parasitizes the mosquito, Anopheles gambiae. Adult female mosquitoes must take blood meals in order for their eggs to develop, and it is while they take blood that they transmit malarial parasites to humans. Male mosquitoes drink flower nectar. If humans are to safely and effectively use Brachiola gambiae as a biological control to reduce human deaths from malaria, then how many of the following statements should be true? 1. Brachiola should kill the mosquitoes before the malarial parasite they carry reaches maturity. 2) The microsporidian should not be harmful to other insects. 3) Microsporidians should infect mosquito larvae, rather than mosquito adults. 4) The subsequent decline in anopheline mosquitoes should not significantly disrupt human food resources or other food webs. 5) Brachiola must be harmful to male mosquitoes, but not to female mosquitoes.

The Brazil nut tree, Bertholletia excels (n = 17), is native to tropical rain forests of South America. It is a hardwood tree that can grow to over 50 meters tall, is a source of high-quality lumber, and is a favorite nesting site for harpy eagles. As the rainy season ends, tough-walled fruits, each containing 8-25 seeds (Brazil nuts), fall to the forest floor. Brazil nuts are composed primarily of endosperm. About $50 million worth of nuts are harvested each year. Scientists have discovered that the pale yellow flowers of Brazil nut trees cannot fertilize themselves and admit only female orchid bees as pollinators. The agouti (Dasyprocta spp.), a cat-sized rodent, is the only animal with teeth strong enough to crack the hard wall of Brazil nut fruits. It typically eats some of the seeds, buries others, and leaves still others inside the fruit, which moisture can now enter. The uneaten seeds may subsequently germinate. -Animals that consume Brazil nuts are deriving nutrition mostly from tissue whose nuclei have how many chromosomes?