Deck 14: Life, Death and Evolution

Question 1

Where do the salts in the ocean come from? How does this affect the chemistry of both the ocean water and the atmosphere?

Answer 1

The salts in the ocean mainly come from the weathering of rocks on the Earth's surface. As rainwater and rivers flow over rocks, they dissolve and carry away small amounts of salts, which eventually end up in the ocean. Other sources of salts include volcanic eruptions, hydrothermal vents, and underwater geysers.

The presence of these salts affects the chemistry of both the ocean water and the atmosphere. In the ocean, the salts contribute to the overall salinity, which affects the density and circulation of the water. This, in turn, influences the distribution of heat and nutrients around the world, impacting marine life and ecosystems. The salts also play a role in the pH level of the ocean, affecting the ability of organisms to build shells and skeletons.

In the atmosphere, the salts in the ocean water can also impact the chemistry of the air and the formation of clouds. Sea spray, which contains salts, can act as nuclei for cloud droplets, affecting the formation and properties of clouds. Additionally, the release of certain gases from the ocean, such as dimethyl sulfide, can lead to the formation of aerosols, which can impact climate and weather patterns.

Overall, the presence of salts in the ocean has far-reaching effects on the chemistry of both the ocean water and the atmosphere, influencing various natural processes and ecosystems on Earth.

Question 2

Describe how changes in the biosphere have affected the atmosphere, and explain how changes in the atmosphere have affected the biosphere. In your discussion, describe how photosynthesis lead the way to the animal migration from water to land.

Answer 2

Changes in the biosphere, such as deforestation and increased industrialization, have led to an increase in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This has contributed to global warming and climate change, leading to more frequent and severe natural disasters, shifts in ecosystems, and changes in weather patterns. Additionally, changes in the biosphere, such as the extinction of certain plant and animal species, have also affected the atmosphere by disrupting the balance of gases and nutrients.

On the other hand, changes in the atmosphere, such as air pollution and ozone depletion, have negatively impacted the biosphere. Air pollution from industrial activities and vehicle emissions has led to respiratory diseases and other health issues in both humans and animals. Ozone depletion has also resulted in increased exposure to harmful UV radiation, affecting the health and survival of plant and animal species.

Photosynthesis played a crucial role in the migration of animals from water to land. As plants began to photosynthesize and produce oxygen, it led to an increase in atmospheric oxygen levels. This allowed for the development of aerobic respiration in early organisms, encouraging them to move from water to land in search of new food sources and habitats. Over time, this transition led to the evolution of land-dwelling animals and the development of diverse terrestrial ecosystems. Overall, changes in the biosphere and atmosphere have had significant impacts on each other, shaping the Earth's environment and the evolution of life.

Question 3

___________ essential properties differentiate living organisms from nonliving matter.

Answer 3

Four

Question 4

One crucial characteristic of life is __________ , which refers to the entire set of chemical reactions by which an organism derives energy for life processes.

Question 5

Organisms that derive food energy by feeding on other organisms are called __________ .

Question 6

___________ study the fossilized remains of ancient plants and animals.

Question 7

__________ cells are generally small and comparatively simple in structure.

Question 8

__________ cells are generally large and comparatively complex in structure.

Question 9

Among the many remarkable aspects of the origin and history of life on Earth is that life originated as much as ____________ years ago.

Question 10

During the __________ Eon, there was no free oxygen in the Earth's atmosphere.

Question 11

Evolution is achieved through the process of __________ selection, in which individuals that are well adapted to their environment survive and are reproductively successful.

Question 12

An organism's genetic sequence can also change through __________ , which happens spontaneously during the passage of genes from parents to offspring and can also be caused by environmental factors.

Question 13

The most ancient fossils that have been found so far are __________ years old.

Question 14

During a relatively short period of Earth history, termed the __________ radiation, the pace of evolution increased dramatically.

Question 15

The __________ Period was the first of the six periods in the Paleozoic Era.

Question 16

The earliest plants, of which mosses and leafy liverworts are modern examples, lacked _________ .

Question 17

Despite their limitations, the __________ ruled the land for many millions of years during the Devonian Period.

Question 18

__________ is the permanent disappearance of a species, and is widespread over the duration of Earth's history.

Question 19

Analysis of the fossil record shows evidence for at least __________ major mass extinctions.

Question 20

The extinction of the dinosaurs occurred about __________ years ago.

Question 21

Metabolism is the set of chemical reactions by which an organism derives energy for life processes.

Question 22

In a multi-cell organism, reproduction occurs by cell division.

Question 23

Polymerization absorbs energy; therefore, growth in living organisms requires a source of energy, which is acquired through metabolism.

Question 24

Living organisms do not have the potential to adapt and to develop into new life forms, or species.

Question 25

A cell is a complex grouping of chemical compounds enclosed by a membrane.

Question 26

Some of the ecosystems (but not all) in a particular geographic region form an ecozone.

Question 27

There are six-kingdoms in the system of taxonomic classification.

Question 28

During the Hadean Eon, there was ample free oxygen available in the atmosphere to support life.

Question 29

Earth is the only planet on which we have confirmed the existence of life.

Question 30

Life contributed to the chemical evolution of the Earth system through the buildup of oxygen and sequestration of carbon.

Question 31

Speciation requires that a population be reproductively immersed within other groups of the same species.

Question 32

The most ancient known fossils are 4.6 billion years old, found in rocks from the Archean Eon.

Question 33

About 1.4 billion years ago, the aerobic eukaryotes emerged.

Question 34

The 600 million year old Ediacaran fauna is one of the oldest animal fossils.

Question 35

Most of the major modern groups of marine organisms emerged during the Archean Eon.

Question 36

One of the requirements for multicellular organisms to survive on land is a means for exchanging gases with air.

Question 37

The first land plants were seed-bearing.

Question 38

The Neanderthals disappeared about 30,000 years ago and were replaced by the first members of our own species, Homo sapiens.

Question 39

The oxygenation of the atmosphere by early photosynthetic organisms was a major environmental change that provided many new opportunities for diversification.

Question 40

About 99% of the species that have lived on Earth are now extinct.

Question 41

Speciation nearly always requires some form of

A) Natural selection.
B) Mutation.
C) Isolation.
D) All of these.

Question 42

The organisms that convert energy into food are called

A) Autotrophs.
B) Heterotrophs.
C) Primary Consumers.
D) None of these.

Question 43

Speciation

A) Is generally the result of mass extinctions.
B) Is a process by which populations of one species diverge genetically and produce one or more new species.
C) Generally takes millions upon millions of year to occur.
D) Is generally the result of two different species being breed together.

Question 44

Which of the following is not a true statement?

A) Plate tectonics and weathering can destroy fossils.
B) Relatively speaking, few organisms have been preserved in the fossil record.
C) Animals with hard parts are preserved more easily that animals with only soft parts.
D) None of these. All are true statements.

Question 45

Natural selection can be best defined as

A) The strong overtaking the weak.
B) Enhanced survival of those organisms with favorable traits.
C) Differential rates of population decay.
D) Differential rates of reproduction.

Question 46

When did free oxygen begin to accumulate in the Earth's atmosphere?

A) When respiration began.
B) During the period of heavy bombardment.
C) When photosynthesis began.
D) After the first volcanic eruptions over 4 billion years ago.

Question 47

Viruses have some characteristics of living things. In fact, they are considered somewhere between living and non-living. What is one of the "living" characteristics?

A) The contain genetic material.
B) They reproduce without the need for other organisms.
C) They contain chlorophyll.
D) They have the ability to metabolize.

Question 48

DNA consists of two chainlike molecules called biopolymers. What are the structural units that are stacked together in the DNA molecule called?

A) Fatty acids.
B) Amino acids.
C) Nucleotides.
D) Carbohydrates.

Question 49

The concept that species have changed over long periods of time is known as

A) Mutation.
B) Evolution.
C) Metabolism.
D) Alteration.

Question 50

Mutations can be considered as one of the components of evolution because they

A) Contribute to new variations in organisms.
B) Are generally related to the environment of origin.
C) Are generally beneficial to the organism.
D) None of these.

Question 51

Which process provides the majority of oxygen found in Earth's atmosphere?

A) Respiration.
B) Photosynthesis.
C) Fermentation.
D) Dehydration.

Question 52

All of Earth's water, land, and atmosphere that contains and supports life is known as

A) The cryosphere.
B) The hydrosphere.
C) The biosphere.
D) The lithosphere.

Question 53

Which era was dominated by the dinosaurs?

A) Cenozoic.
B) Mesozoic.
C) Paleozoic.
D) Precambrian.

Question 54

In which era do we see the earliest fossils?

A) Paleozoic.
B) Mesozoic.
C) Cenozoic.
D) Precambrian.

Question 55

The boundaries between what divisions on the geologic time scale coincide with major changes in the dominate species of life on Earth at that given time?

A) Eons.
B) Epochs.
C) Eras.

Question 56

In which era do we see human evolution?

A) Cenozoic.
B) Mesozoic.
C) Paleozoic.
D) Precambrian.

Question 57

In which era do land plants appear?

A) Mesozoic.
B) Cenozoic.
C) Paleozoic.
D) Precambrian.

Question 58

The site of the origin of life on Earth could have possibly been

A) In the core of continents.
B) Near the surface of the ocean.
C) Near deep-sea vents.
D) On the top of a mountain.

Question 59

From what scientists presently know, the earliest cellular life forms on Earth were

A) Viruses.
B) One-celled organisms.
C) Multi-celled organisms.
D) Bacteria.

Question 60

Which of the following gases is least likely to have existed in Earth's early, primordial atmosphere?

A) Nitrogen.
B) Oxygen.
C) Water vapor.
D) Carbon dioxide.

Question 61

About how long have bacteria lived on Earth?

A) 1 billion years
B) 4.5 billion years.
C) 2.5 billion years.
D) 3.5 billion years.

Question 62

The oldest fossils found on Earth date back to the

A) Archean.
B) Phanerozoic.
C) Proterozoic.
D) Cambrian.

Question 63

Which of the following formed first?

A) Eukaryotic cells.
B) Prokaryotic cells.

Question 64

What type of events are typically seen in the fossil record?

A) Structural changes.
B) Speciation.
C) Extinction.
D) All of these.

Question 65

It is believed that the first primate consistently to use stone tools was

A) Homo habilis.
B) Homo sapiens.
C) Australopithecus.
D) Neanderthals.

Question 66

Of the six kingdoms now recognized

A) Two are for prokaryotes and four are for eukaryotes.
B) Four are for prokaryotes and two are for eukaryotes.
C) Three are for prokaryotes and three are for eukaryotes.
D) One is for prokaryotes and five are for eukaryotes.

Question 67

Select the correct list from smallest to largest:

A) Organisms, Ecosystems, Communities, Biosphere.
B) Organisms, Communities, Ecosystems, Biosphere.
C) Ecosystems, Organisms, Communities, Biosphere.
D) Ecosystems, Organisms, Biosphere, Communities.

Question 68

The random loss of alleles in a population is called

A) Mutation.
B) Genetic drift.
C) Natural selection.
D) Gene movement.

Question 69

Where do stromatolites form?

A) Hydrothermal vents.
B) Cold, deep seas.
C) Anaerobic lakes.
D) Warm, shallow seas.

Question 70

Which of the following groups of organisms became the dominant land plant at the end of the Cretaceous Period?

A) Algae.
B) Gymnosperms.
C) Fungi.
D) Angiosperms.

Question 71

The concept that simple organic molecules could form spontaneously from simpler inorganic materials was first proposed by

A) Watson.
B) Darwin.
C) Miller and Urey.
D) Malthus.

Question 72

The hypothesis that suggests that life formed near the Earth's surface in pools of water is called

A) The Primordial Soup Hypothesis.
B) The Black Smoker Hypothesis.
C) The Panspermia Hypothesis.

Question 73

The hypothesis that suggests that life formed near submarine hot springs (deep sea hydrothermal vents) is called

A) The Panspermia Hypothesis.
B) The Black Smoker Hypothesis.
C) The Primordial Soup Hypothesis.

Question 74

Neanderthals disappeared about

A) 1 million years ago.
B) 100,000 years ago.
C) 5,000 years ago.
D) 30,000 years ago.