Deck 2: Biology, Genetics, and Evolution

Question 1

The smallest working units in biological classificatory systems that are reproductively isolated populations or groups of populations capable of interbreeding to produce fertile offspring are called:

A)genus.
B)genes.
C)species.
D)genome.
E)genetic code.

Answer 1

species.

Question 2

The hand of a human and the wing of a bat are__________________structures,while the wings of birds and butterflies are structures.

A)analogous;homologous
B)homologous;analogous
C)kingdom;phylum
D)suborder;subfamily
E)higher order;lower order

Answer 2

homologous;analogous

Question 3

Why did the U.S.government begin genetic testing among Africans seeking asylum in the country in 2008?

A)They tested those individuals seeking asylum on the basis of family reunification in order to guarantee they were genetically related.
B)They tested those seeking asylum for illnesses and genetic traits that might be harmful if introduced into the U.S.population.
C)Because their status as political prisoners was being used to gain entrance,the U.S.government sought to clear them from any felonies in their home countries before granting admission.
D)They performed genetic tests and collected DNA so that these individuals could be documented in case of future fraud committed while citizens of the U.S.
E)They began this testing in order to contribute to a worldwide data bank on human evolution.

Answer 3

They tested those individuals seeking asylum on the basis of family reunification in order to guarantee they were genetically related.

Question 4

Which statement best expresses the major difference between mitosis and meiosis?

A)Mitosis is cell division in animals;meiosis is cell division in humans.
B)Mitosis is the process by which a single cell with X number of chromosomes divides into two cells,each with the same number of chromosomes;meiosis is the process by which a single cell with X number of chromosomes goes through two stages of division,producing four new cells each with X/2 (half the original number)of chromosomes.
C)Mitosis is the process by which chromosomes are divided;meiosis is the process by which DNA is divided.
D)Mitosis is the process by which cells divide into four different sets of genetic information (called codons);meiosis is the process by which cells are joined together and multiplied to create growth and development.
E)Mitosis and meiosis are both types of cell division in which a single cell with X number of chromosomes divides into two cells,each with one half of the original chromosomes;mitosis is associated with the creation of sex cells that determine the sex of the offspring,and meiosis is associated with cell growth and development.

Question 5

The three base sequence of a gene that specifies production of an amino acid is the:

A)condom.
B)DNA.
C)codon.
D)alleles.
E)ribosome.

Question 6

How do scientific accounts and creation stories differ from each other?

A)Evolution is true,and creation stories are not.
B)Evolution,unlike creation stories,explains how life forms became diverse.
C)Scientific accounts focus on testable ideas,and creation stories do not.
D)Creation stories are based on religion,and scientific accounts are based on ideology.
E)These two accounts do not differ from each other;they are simply two different stories.

Question 7

Modern taxonomy,or the science of classification,is based on:

A)body structure and growth.
B)body structure and function.
C)body structure,growth,and function.
D)body structure,function,and sequence of bodily growth.
E)body structure,growth,function,protein structure,and genetic material.

Question 8

The theory of uniformitarianism argued that:

A)changes on Earth are caused by gradual processes over time.
B)all life forms came from a single-celled organism.
C)change has occurred quickly and catastrophically to all life forms and physical substances.
D)both physical Earth and all its lifeforms were created by God and exist exactly as they were formed.
E)mutation occurred at regular intervals and could account for the diversity that exists today.

Question 9

Which of the following statements about protein in the body is not correct?

A)Proteins generate energy.
B)Proteins fight disease.
C)Proteins digest food.
D)Proteins form hair.
E)Proteins do not carry oxygen.

Question 10

If you have a chromosome pair on which the alleles for a single gene are identical (for example,if you have the genotype AA for blood type in the ABO system),this pair is described as:

A)hetrazygous.
B)anthropomorphic.
C)heterozygous.
D)homozygous.
E)genotypic.

Question 11

What is a karyotype?

A)It is an array of chromosomes from inside the nucleus of one cell.
B)It is similar to DNA,but it transmits messages from one cell to another.
C)It is an alternate form of a gene.
D)It is a protein that initiates and directs chemical reactions in the cell.
E)It is the complete structure sequence of DNA for the entire species.

Question 12

Which of the following has figured most prominently in human evolutionary studies?

A)RNA
B)Mitochondrial DNA
C)Regular DNA
D)Chromatids
E)Karyotins

Question 13

Gregor Mendel's law of independent assortment argues that:

A)pairs of genes separate during reproduction and are passed on to the next generations without being altered (they remain distinct).
B)different genetic traits are inherited as separate qualities (they are not dependent on each other).
C)inheritance is particulate and not blended (they come in pairs and are passed intact).
D)heredity occurs only during meiosis (mitosis is not associated with heredity).
E)genes are exchanged between parents at the moment of conception.

Question 14

To say that the allele for type A blood is dominant to that of type O means an individual whose blood type genes are heterozygous,with one A and one O allele,will have what type of blood?

A)O
B)A
C)AO
D)AB
E)OO

Question 15

Which scientist proposed that an organism's behavior could bring about changes in its anatomy? This was called the inheritance of acquired characteristics.

A)Charles Darwin
B)Gregor Mendel
C)Carolus Linnaeus
D)Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
E)Sir Charles Lyell

Question 16

Genes are portions of molecules of long strands of which form chromosomes,or:

A)codons.
B)DNA.
C)RNA.
D)ribosomes.
E)transcriptions.

Question 17

The molecular basis of a gene was not known until:

A)observed in a microscope by the Austrian monk,Gregor Mendel.
B)deduced rather than observed by the naturalist,Charles Darwin.
C)discovered during the 20th century when the electron microscope was invented.
D)observed in the sex cells of eels by Sigmund Freud.
E)deduced rather than observed by Gregor Mendel as a result of his experiments with garden peas.

Question 18

A particular kind of protein within a DNA molecule that initiates and directs a chemical reaction is known as a(n):

A)virus.
B)enzyme.
C)bacteria.
D)platelet.
E)antioxidant.

Question 19

All of the following are part of the theory of natural selection except:

A)all species display a range of variation,and some variations are more favorable than others.
B)organisms face a "struggle for existence" within their environments.
C)all species can expand and exceed their means of subsistence.
D)nature selects the most advantageous variations.
E)individuals with better adaptation will more selectively reproduce,favoring less offspring that are better cared for.

Question 20

All of the following are characteristics of scientific thought regarding the theory of evolution except:

A)it is developed on a molecular basis.
B)it applies to groups of individuals.
C)it uses testable ideas.
D)it does not come out of a vacuum,but,instead,is part of a unified way of understanding life.
E)it does not account for the diversity of life.

Question 21

All of the following statements about sickle-cell anemia are correct except:

A)it came to the attention of geneticists when it was observed that most North Americans who suffer from it are of African ancestry.
B)it was traced to abnormalities in populations that live in a clearly defined belt across tropical Central Africa.
C)it is notable in areas where high rates of deadly form of malaria is common.
D)because it is a disease of adaptation,it can never be brought under control or eradicated.
E)heterozygous individuals suffer few negative consequences except under stress or low oxygen.

Question 22

Sister chromatids have most directly to do with:

A)eradicating protein.
B)cell replication.
C)no longer function in modern humans.
D)explaining gene transmission.
E)how Darwin finally explained evolution.

Question 23

The study of inheritance in individuals tells us about how genes can be combined and recombined through sexual reproduction,but to see how species change over time as natural selection favors some combinations over others,we need to look at:

A)two individuals.
B)populations.
C)gene flow.
D)genetic drift.
E)directional selection.

Question 24

The physical characteristics of a person are known as the:

A)genotype.
B)phenotype
C)polygenetic type.
D)genome.
E)chromatid.

Question 25

The U.S.government found that Africans seeking asylum on the basis of family reunification had committed fraud in 80% of the tested cases.What is the best possible explanation for this high degree of dissonance between what the individual said and what the genetic test showed?

A)Africans seeking political asylum rarely tell the truth.
B)Genetic tests in 2008 were not as advanced as they are today.
C)The definition of family is different from one culture to another.
D)Those officials doing the genetic tests were not fully qualified.
E)Family and relationship never show up in genetic tests.

Question 26

The "paradox of the 98% genetic similarity with chimpanzees" is based on all of the following except:

A)genetic evolution involves much more than simply sequencing the four bases of DNA.
B)all multicellular life on Earth is related to each other.
C)because of the limited number of possible sequences that exists,any random species will match at least 25% of the time.
D)genetic comparison ignores qualitative differences.
E)in statistical DNA comparison there is a larger margin of error between closer species.

Question 27

Despite the usefulness of a large brain in a cultural environment,the size of the human brain has not increased significantly for the last 200,000 years.This is an example of:

A)directional selection.
B)stabilizing selection.
C)convergent evolution.
D)divergent evolution.
E)isolating mechanism.

Question 28

Physical traits such as height,skin color,or liability to disease are controlled by multiple genes.This is called:

A)dominant genes.
B)recessive genes.
C)polygenetic inheritance.
D)hemoglobin.
E)dominant recession.

Question 29

There are four evolutionary forces.Which of the following is not one of these?

A)Gene flow
B)Genetic drift
C)Mutation
D)Translation
E)Natural selection

Question 30

Which of the following statements about mutation is correct?

A)The rate at which mutations occur in populations is constant.
B)Mutation does not contribute to the variability of a gene pool.
C)All mutations are harmful.
D)All mutations are caused by environmental factors external to the body,such as chemicals in food or X rays.
E)The only mutations of evolutionary significance are those which occur in sex cells.

Question 31

Ultimately,all natural selection is measured in terms of:

A)homozygous communities.
B)the heterozygous communities.
C)the gene pool.
D)mutations.
E)reproductive success.

Question 32

Adaptation is best described as all of the following except:

A)a series of beneficial adjustments to the environment.
B)not an active process but rather the outcome of natural selection.
C)the way humans make beneficial adjustments to their environment through culture as well as biology.
D)a result of gene flow and genetic drift.
E)occurring through natural selection at the genetic level.

Question 33

What is the evolutionary value of studying clines?

A)It allows scientists to witness the development of a new species.
B)It helps scientists understand the phenomenon of adaptation.
C)It helps scientists understand mutation rates over time.
D)It allows scientists to study gradual change over time.
E)It is the only mechanisms for understanding how species become extinct.

Question 34

Generation after generation,the bullfrogs in a farm pond look much alike,have the same cells,and exhibit the same behavior when breeding.This appearance of stability is linked primarily to:

A)microevolution.
B)the gene pool.
C)a dominant allele.
D)a recessive allele.
E)a genotype.

Question 35

Which of the following situations is likely to result in genetic drift?

A)A volcanic eruption on a small island that wipes out half the population of 100 iguanas
B)A tidal wave that destroys 50 homes in a seaside community of 3 million people
C)A political order that results in the purposeful,selective killing of all people with red hair
D)A disease kills large numbers of a stable population
E)Two or more groups are reunited after generations of separation

Question 36

A chance creation of a new allele is called:

A)mutation.
B)meiosis.
C)genotype.
D)genetic drift.
E)directional selection.

Question 37

The ultimate source of evolutionary change is:

A)polygenetic inheritance.
B)genetic drift.
C)founder effect.
D)a recessive gene.
E)mutation.

Question 38

Chance fluctuations of allele frequencies in the gene pool of a population:

A)come about due to random events at the population level.
B)illustrate the operation of polygenes.
C)illustrate the phenomenon of incomplete dominance of the allele for normal hemoglobin.
D)come about due to random events at the individual level.
E)indicate that the species is endangered.

Question 39

When two species accumulate differences over time,gradually becoming ever more distinct,this is an example of:

A)cladogenesis.
B)anagenesis.
C)clinogenesis.
D)parvogenesis.
E)gene flow.

Question 40

What technique do anthropologists use to analyze genetic differences between humans and apes?

A)Comparative anatomy
B)Mutational projection analysis
C)DNA sequencing
D)Evolutionary comparisons
E)Linear evolution analysis

Question 41

Darwin could not explain the mechanism of heredity from one generation to another.

Question 42

Natural selection is often thought of as "survival of the fittest," a phrase coined and used by Darwin.

Question 43

Even two unrelated genetic sequences will be 25 percent identical.

Question 44

Both creation stories and evolution strive to account for the diversity of life on Earth.

Question 45

Barring errors in replication,cells divide meiotically to form identical daughter cells.

Question 46

Carolus Linnaeus based his classificatory system on body structure and function.

Question 47

Natural selection promotes change,and it is a stabilizing factor.

Question 48

Punctuated equilibrium is a sustained directional shift in a population's average characteristics.

Question 49

Gene flow always occurs between populations of related organisms.

Question 50

Microevolution is changes in allelic frequencies in populations.

Question 51

Chromosomes are long strands of DNA combined with protein that can be seen under the microscope in the cell nucleus.

Question 52

You can always tell a person's genotype from their phenotype.

Question 53

Certain traits have three or more allelic forms.One example of this is hemoglobin.

Question 54

Over generations,the relative proportions of alleles in a population changes according to the varying reproductive success of individuals with that population.So,by definition,it can be said that individuals with more reproductive success are better adapted to their environment.

Question 55

French scientist Rosalind Franklin pioneered work in DNA sequencing in 1955.

Question 56

Clinal analysis allows anthropologists to study how populations have adapted regionally.

Question 57

Monkeys are anthropoids,but humans are not.

Question 58

If five campers from Albany are killed in a chance avalanche,this event will have less impact on the gene pool than if five food foragers from a band of 30 are killed in a chance mudslide.

Question 59

Analogous structures arise in similar fashion and pass through similar stages before differentiating.

Question 60

Evolution explains the diversity of life by using hypotheses.

Question 61

Distinguish among cladogenesis,anagenesis,and punctuated equilibrium.

Question 62

Why is natural selection often thought of as "survival of the fittest"?

Question 63

Provide an example of Mendel's "law of segregation."

Question 64

What is DNA?

Question 65

Describe the function of a sister chromatid.

Question 66

Describe the role of DNA and RNA in the process of translation.

Question 67

When was the molecular basis of the gene known,and how has our conception of genes changed over time?

Question 68

Why is mutation considered to be the ultimate source of evolutionary change?

Question 69

What is the importance of knowing that humans,chimpanzees,and the banana share a remote common ancestry?

Question 70

How did Lamarck's and Lyell's theories contribute to the development of Darwin's theory of evolution?

Question 71

Why do characteristics controlled by multiple genes show a continuous range of variation in their phenotype expression?

Question 72

Why is an understanding of the mechanics of heredity important to an understanding of how evolution works?

Question 73

What do mitosis and meiosis have to do with growing and maintaining good health?

Question 74

Distinguish between analogous and homologous structures.

Question 75

What is the relationship between random mutations and evolution?

Question 76

What is gene flow,and what is its role in evolution?

Question 77

Describe how humans are classified taxonomically.

Question 78

Describe how sickle-cell anemia is an environmental adaptation.

Question 79

How do each of the four evolutionary forces contribute to diversity of life on Earth?

Question 80

What is stabilizing selection? Give an example of this.