Deck 11: Geobiology: Life Interacts With Earth

Question 1

The process whereby plants create glucose is called

A)metabolism.
B)chemosynthesis.
C)photosynthesis.
D)respiration.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

In which geologic environment would you expect to find halophiles?

A)a mid-ocean ridge
B)an alluvial fan
C)an abyssal plain
D)a playa lake

Answer 2

D

Question 3

The pathway through which a chemical element or molecule moves between the biological and environmental components of an ecosystem is called the

A)biogeochemical cycle.
B)biomicrobial cycle.
C)geometabolic cycle.
D)geosynthesis cycle.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Where would you find layered microbial communities (mats)?

A)tidal flats
B)thermal springs
C)hypersaline lagoons
D)all of the above

Question 5

_________ is another name for single-celled organisms.

A)Autotrophs
B)Microbes
C)Heterotrophs
D)Slime molds

Question 6

Microbes live in

A)air.
B)rocks.
C)soil.
D)air,rocks,and soil.

Question 7

The chemical element that is the fundamental building block of life is=

A)oxygen.
B)carbon.
C)hydrogen.
D)sulfur.

Question 8

Microbial pyrite precipitation plays a key role in which cycle?

A)the iron cycle
B)the hydrogen cycle
C)the sulfur cycle
D)the carbon cycle

Question 9

A mineral commonly found in black shales because of microbial precipitation is

A)quartz.
B)pyrite.
C)calcite.
D)halite.

Question 10

The study of geobiology is defined as

A)the study of ancient life forms on Earth.
B)the study of how organisms influence and are influenced by Earth's environment.
C)the study of Earth's environmental changes throughout time.
D)the study of the organisms lost during mass extinction events.

Question 11

In which geologic environment would you expect to find thermophiles?

A)a mid-ocean ridge
B)an alluvial fan
C)an abyssal plain
D)a playa lake

Question 12

Organisms that produce their own energy are referred to as

A)autotrophs.
B)chemotrophs.
C)phototrophs.
D)heterotrophs.

Question 13

Organisms need which of the following to survive?

A)nutrients
B)water
C)energy
D)all of the above

Question 14

Ecosystems are composed of _________ and ____________ that function in a balanced manner.

A)multicellular organisms; single-celled organisms
B)plants; animals
C)organisms; plants
D)organisms; geologic components

Question 15

Organisms that gain energy from feeding directly or indirectly on producers are referred to as

A)autotrophs.
B)chemotrophs.
C)phototrophs.
D)heterotrophs.

Question 16

The part of the Earth that contains living organisms is called the

A)geosphere.
B)lithosphere.
C)biosphere.
D)stratosphere.

Question 17

Microbes can facilitate mineral growth indirectly by

A)providing a site for minerals to nucleate.
B)increasing the rate of chemical weathering.
C)producing enzymes that cause minerals to grow.
D)decreasing the rate of chemical weathering.

Question 18

The three domains of life are

A)bacteria,eukarya,thermotoga.
B)archaea,eukarya,extremophiles.
C)eukarya,bacteria,archaea.
D)eukarya,microbes,archaea.

Question 19

Microbes that live in environments that would kill any other organism are called

A)thermophiles.
B)extremophiles.
C)slime molds.
D)heterotrophs.

Question 20

A mineral that commonly encrusts microbes living in hot spring environments is

A)pyrite.
B)halite.
C)calcite.
D)magnetite.

Question 21

The Gunflint Formation preserves ________-year-old microfossils similar to modern microbes.

A)3)5-billion
B)2)5-billion
C)2)1-billion
D)1)1-billion

Question 22

The boundaries of the Phanerozoic are marked by the __________ of particular groups of organisms followed by ________ of new groups of organisms.

A)radiation; extinction
B)fossilization; radiation
C)extinction; fossilization
D)extinction; radiation

Question 23

Microbes were the only organisms on Earth from 3.5 billion years ago to

A)1 million years ago.
B)1 billion years ago.
C)2)5 billion years ago.
D)100 million years ago.

Question 24

_________ record the presence of microbial mats during the Archean eon.

A)Stromatolites
B)Thermophiles
C)Laminations
D)Banded iron formations

Question 25

In order for life to originate,plants need __________ for a long enough period.

A)amino acids on the surface
B)oxygen in the atmosphere
C)carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
D)liquid water on the surface

Question 26

The impact site for the giant Cretaceous-Tertiary asteroid is known as the ______ crater.

A)K-T
B)Chicxulub
C)Mayan
D)Iridium

Question 27

Photosynthesis became an important metabolic process approximately _____ years ago.

A)3)5 billion
B)2)7 billion
C)2)5 billion
D)1)1 billion

Question 28

Sedimentary features that form from the interaction of microbes with their environment are called

A)nodules.
B)stromatolites.
C)branching columns.
D)laminations.

Question 29

When organisms are no longer able to adapt to environmental changes they

A)radiate.
B)habituate.
C)evolve.
D)become extinct.

Question 30

A rise in ocean temperatures can cause ______ to be released from ocean sediments,which can accelerate global warming.

A)carbon dioxide
B)sulfur dioxide
C)methane
D)oxygen

Question 31

The marked rise in oxygen in Earth's atmosphere coincides with the first appearance of _________ in the rock record.

A)banded iron formation
B)red beds
C)eukaryotic algae
D)both B and C

Question 32

The mass extinction event at the Paleocene-Eocene boundary is related to

A)global warming.
B)global cooling.
C)an asteroid impact.
D)ozone depletion.

Question 33

Photosynthesis arose in a group of bacteria known as

A)cyanobacteria.
B)heterobacteria.
C)photobacteria.
D)chemobacteria.

Question 34

Stanley Miller's experiments to explore life-building chemical reactions that took place on the primitive Earth were able to generate

A)DNA.
B)amino acids.
C)chromosomes.
D)single-celled microbes.

Question 35

Clay layers enriched in _______ found in the rock record at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary provide evidence of an asteroid impact.

A)uranium
B)potassium
C)iridium
D)plutonium

Question 36

The search for extraterrestrial life is a branch of science known as

A)microbiology.
B)astrobiology.
C)Martian biology.
D)solarbiology.

Question 37

___________ is the process whereby animals change and adapt to new environments.

A)Adaptive explosion
B)Natural selection
C)Radiation
D)Evolution

Question 38

The radiation of life at the beginning of the Phanerozoic eon is known as the

A)Cambrian adaptation.
B)Precambrian radiation.
C)Cambrian explosion.
D)Precambrian adaptation.

Question 39

Sedimentary rocks composed of alternating layers of magnetite,hematite,and chert are called

A)layered iron formations.
B)magnetic-silica formations.
C)silica-iron formations.
D)banded iron formations.

Question 40

The initial rise of oxygen in the Earth's atmosphere is linked to

A)photosynthesis.
B)outgassing of volcanoes.
C)chemosynthesis.
D)cyanobacteria.

Question 41

Microbes are important on Earth because

A)they regulate geologic processes such as weathering.
B)they produce gases such as oxygen and carbon dioxide.
C)they facilitate the precipitation of minerals.
D)they do all of the above.

Question 42

During respiration glucose combines with ________ to produce water and ________ and energy.

A)oxygen; carbon dioxide
B)carbon dioxide; oxygen
C)carbon; methane
D)methane; hydrogen

Question 43

Molecules of ____________ are thought to have combined on the primitive Earth to form amino acids.

A)methane,oxygen,and water
B)water,ammonia,and methane
C)water,ammonia,and carbon dioxide
D)carbon dioxide,water,and methane

Question 44

What type of microbes would you expect to find in the hot springs of Yellowstone?

A)anerobes
B)acidophiles
C)halophiles
D)thermophiles

Question 45

Humans are

A)photoautotrophs.
B)photoheterotrophs.
C)chemoauthotrophs.
D)chemoheterotrophs.

Question 46

Given the surface waters on Mars were likely very acidic,scientists surmise that the organisms that could have survived would likely be

A)extremophiles.
B)thermophiles.
C)autotrophs.
D)heterotrophs.

Question 47

How many major mass extinction events have taken place in the Phanerozoic eon?

A)three
B)six
C)five
D)one

Question 48

The second major rise in oxygen in Earth's atmosphere around 580 Ma was caused by

A)the radiation of multicellular photosynthetic organisms.
B)the erosion of red beds.
C)global volcanic activity.
D)something that scientists are still uncertain about.

Question 49

The first hominids appeared _________ years ago.

A)50 million
B)70 million
C)5 million
D)0)2 million

Question 50

During metabolism water combines with ________ to produce glucose and ________.

A)oxygen; carbon dioxide
B)carbon dioxide; oxygen
C)carbon; methane
D)methane; hydrogen

Question 51

Scientists believe that early Earth's atmosphere was devoid of oxygen because of the existence of ________ at that time.

A)volcanic eruptions
B)plate tectonics
C)oceans
D)amino acids

Question 52

Which chemical compound makes up 50 percent to 95 percent of most living organisms?

A)carbon dioxide
B)methane
C)water
D)oxygen

Question 53

Of the following,humans are most related to

A)cyano-bacteria.
B)methano-bacterium.
C)slime molds.
D)halobacterium.

Question 54

Modern stromatolites are typically found in what sedimentary environment?

A)deep-marine
B)highly saline lagoons
C)alluvial
D)intertidal zone

Question 55

________ is a mineral found on the surface of Mars that indicates that the surface waters were very acidic.

A)Hematite
B)Pyrite
C)Jarosite
D)Iron-oxide

Question 56

Organisms can reduce global warming by

A)producing carbon dioxide and methane.
B)producing oxygen.
C)consuming oxygen.
D)consuming carbon dioxide and methane.

Question 57

How many domains of life did the universal ancestor produce?

A)one
B)two
C)three
D)four

Question 58

Cynaobacteria are an example of

A)photoautotrophs.
B)photoheterotrophs.
C)chemoauthotrophs.
D)chemoheterotrophs.

Question 59

The distance from a star where a planet can sustain liquid water at the surface is known as the

A)water zone.
B)critical zone.
C)habitable zone.
D)bio zone.

Question 60

Halophiles differ from thermophiles in that

A)halophiles thrive in high-salinity environments and thermophiles thrive in anoxic environments.
B)halophiles thrive in acidic environments and thermophiles thrive in high-temperature environments.
C)halophiles thrive in high-temperature environments and thermophiles thrive in highly acidic environments.
D)halophiles thrive in high-salinity environments and thermophiles thrive in high-temperature environments.

Question 61

What type of extremophiles are likely to thrive in oxygen deprived environments?

A)acidophiles
B)thermophiles
C)halophiles
D)anerobes

Question 62

What is the one finding or assumption that could cast doubt on the role of stromatolites in the early evolution of life on Earth?

A)They form in aquatic environments .
B)They are one of the most commonly preserved sedimentary features in Precambrian time.
C)They come in different shapes (sheets and domes).
D)The interaction between microorganism and minerals and sediments is poorly understood.

Question 63

The fact that Miller,in his experiments to explore the origin of life,was able to generate amino acids in an anoxic setting suggests that early Earth had no

A)oceans.
B)crust.
C)atmosphere.
D)atmospheric oxygen.

Question 64

Acidophiles are extremophiles that a tolerance for high

A)salinity.
B)acidity.
C)temperature.
D)oxygen content.

Question 65

Ecosystems are characterized by the exchange of _________ and ____________ between their organisms and their environments.

A)energy; matter
B)plants; animals
C)fluids; solids
D)minerals; rocks

Question 66

Miller,in his experiments to explore the origin of early life on Earth,was able to generate amino acids even in the absence of

A)water.
B)methane.
C)ammonia.
D)oxygen.

Question 67

Dense concentrations of microorganisms that cover surfaces are called

A)bioslime.
B)biofilms.
C)biocoatings.
D)biomats.

Question 68

Halophiles are _____ with a tolerance for high______.

A)thermophiles; salinity
B)extremophiles; acidity
C)acidophiles; temperature
D)extremeophiles; salinity

Question 69

What significant geobiological event took place 542 Ma ago?

A)largest mass extinction in Earth's history
B)the first appearance of Homo sapiens
C)the mass extinction of the dinosaurs
D)the Cambrian explosion

Question 70

What are chemofossils?

A)chemically treated fossil remains
B)chemical remains of fossils
C)minerals made by organisms
D)organic molecules produced by microorganism that resist weathering

Question 71

Miller's experimental findings that early planetary material could have contained amino acids were later borne out by the study of

A)stromatolites.
B)microbes.
C)meterorites.
D)lunar rocks.

Question 72

What type of extremophiles are likely to thrive in saline lakes?

A)acidophiles
B)thermophiles
C)halophiles
D)anerobes

Question 73

Cyanobacteria are _____ who get their energy from the ______ and carbon from ______.

A)chemoautotroph; chemicals; organic compounds
B)photoheterotroph; Sun; carbon dioxide
C)photoautotroph; chemicals; organic compounds
D)photoautotroph; Sun; carbon dioxide

Question 74

Ecosystems are characterized by the exchange of energy and matter between their ;_________ and ____________.

A)air; water
B)plants; animals
C)fluids; solids
D)organisms; environments