Deck 39: Plant Responses to Internal and External Signals

Question 1

Which of the following statements about plant hormones is False?

A)The growth of plants in nature is probably regulated by a combination of growth-stimulating and growth-inhibiting hormones.
B)Abscisic acid generally promotes growth.
C)Gibberellins stimulate cell enlargement.
D)Cytokinins promote cell division.
E)Ethylene contributes to the aging of plants.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

When growing plants in culture, IAA is used to stimulate cell enlargement. Which plant growth regulator has to now be added to stimulate cell division?

A)ethylene
B)indoleacetic acid
C)gibberellin
D)cytokinin
E)abscisic acid

Answer 2

D

Question 3

The plant hormone involved in aging and ripening of fruit is

A)auxin.
B)ethylene.
C)florigen.
D)abscisic acid.
E)gibberellin.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Evidence for phototropism due to the asymmetric distribution of auxin moving down the stem

A)has not been found in eudicots such as sunflower and radish.
B)has been found in all monocots and most eudicots.
C)has been shown to involve only IAA stimulation of cell elongation on the dark side of the stem.
D)can be demonstrated with unilateral red light, but not blue light.
E)is now thought by most plant scientists not to involve the shoot tip.

Question 5

Negative gravitropism of plant shoots

A)depends upon auxin distribution.
B)depends upon the aggregation of statoliths.
C)results from relatively rapid elongation of some stem cells.
D)A and B only
E)A, B and C

Question 6

The apical bud of a pine tree inhibits the growth of lateral buds through the production of

A)abscisic acid.
B)ethylene.
C)cytokinin.
D)gibberellin.
E)auxin.

Question 7

Which one of the following is not a direct function of either auxin or gibberellin?

A)inducing semescence and ripening
B)producing apical dominance
C)producing positive geotropism of shoots
D)stimulating cell elongation
E)breaking dormancy in seeds

Question 8

All of the following may function in signal transduction in plants except

A)calcium ions.
B)nonrandom mutations.
C)receptor proteins.
D)phytochrome.
E)second messengers.

Question 9

Which of the following is not presently considered a major mechanism whereby hormones control plant development?

A)affecting cell respiration via regulation of the citric acid cycle
B)affecting cell division via the cell cycle
C)affecting cell elongation through acid growth
D)affecting cell differentiation through altered gene activity
E)mediating short-term physiological responses to environmental stimuli

Question 10

We know from the experiments of the past that plants bend toward light because

A)they need sunlight energy for photosynthesis.
B)the sun stimulates stem growth.
C)cell expansion is greater on the dark side of the stem.
D)auxin is inactive on the dark side of the stem.
E)phytochrome stimulates florigen production.

Question 11

A plant seedling bends toward sunlight because

A)auxin migrates to the lower part of the stem due to gravity.
B)there is more auxin on the light side of the stem.
C)auxin is destroyed more quickly on the dark side of the stem.
D)auxin is found in greatest abundance on the dark side of the stem.
E)gibberellins produced at the stem tip cause phototropism.

Question 12

If protein synthesis was blocked in etiolated cells, what would be necessary for the "greening" of these cells?

A)reception of light by phytochrome
B)activation of protein kinase 1 by cAMP
C)activation of protein kinase 2 by Ca2+
D)post-translational modification of existing proteins
E)100 fold decrease in cytosolic Ca++ levels

Question 13

External stimuli would be received most quickly by a plant cell if the receptors for signal transduction were located in the

A)cell membrane.
B)cytoplasmic matrix.
C)endoplasmic reticulum.
D)nuclear membrane.
E)nucleoplasm.

Question 14

Plants growing in a partially dark environment will grow toward light in a response called phototropism. Choose the incorrect statement regarding phototropism.

A)It is caused by a chemical signal.
B)One chemical involved is auxin.
C)Auxin causes a growth increase on one side of the stem.
D)Auxin causes a decrease in growth on the side of the stem exposed to light.
E)Removing the apical meristem prevents phototropism.

Question 15

After some time, the tip of a plant that has been forced into a horizontal position grows upward. This phenomenon is related to

A)light.
B)whether the plant is in the northern or southern hemisphere.
C)gibberellin production by stems.
D)auxin production in roots.
E)auxin movement toward the lower side of the stem.

Question 16

According to modern ideas about phototropism in plants,

A)light causes auxin to accumulate on the shaded side of a plant stem.
B)auxin stimulates elongation of plant stem cells.
C)auxin is produced by the tip of the coleoptile and moves downward.
D)A and B only
E)A, B and C

Question 17

Charles and Francis Darwin concluded from their experiments on phototropism by grass seedlings that the part of the seedling that detects the direction of light is the

A)tip of the coleoptile.
B)part of the coleoptile that bends during the response.
C)base of the coleoptile.
D)cotyledon.
E)phytochrome in the leaves.

Question 18

Which of these conclusions is supported by the research of both Went and Charles and Francis Darwin on shoot responses to light?

A)When shoots are exposed to light, a chemical substance migrates toward the light.
B)Agar contains a chemical substance that mimics a plant hormone.
C)A chemical substance involved in shoot bending is produced in shoot tips.
D)Once shoot tips have been cut, normal growth cannot be induced.
E)Light stimulates the synthesis of a plant hormone that responds to light.

Question 19

What would happen if the secondary messenger cGMP was blocked in the de-etiolation pathway?

A)Specific protein kinase 1 would be activated, and greening would occur.
B)Ca2+ channels would not open, and no greening would occur.
C)Ca2+ channels could open, and specific protein kinase 2 could still be produced.
D)No transcription of genes that function in de-etiolation would occur.
E)Transcription of de-etiolation genes in the nucleus would not be affected.

Question 20

The ripening of fruit and the dropping of leaves and fruit are principally controlled by

A)auxins
B)cytokinins
C)indole acetic acid
D)ethylene
E)carbon dioxide concentration (in air)

Question 21

Buds and sprouts often form on tree stumps. Which of the following hormones would you expect to stimulate their formation?

A)auxin
B)cytokinins
C)abscisic acid
D)ethylene
E)gibberellins

Question 22

This experiment suggests that the unknown amount of gibberellin in the experimental plant (B)is approximately

A)zero.
B)0)01 μg/mL.
C)0)1 μg/mL.
D)1)0 μg/mL.
E)equal to the amount of gibberellin in the shortest plant.

Question 23

Which plant hormones might be used to enhance stem elongation and fruit growth?

A)brassinosteroids and oligosaccharides
B)auxins and gibberellins
C)abscisic acid and phytochrome
D)ethylene and cytokinins
E)phytochrome and flowering hormone

Question 24

Auxins (IAA)in plants are known to affect all of the following phenomena except

A)geotropism of shoots.
B)maintenance of dormancy.
C)phototropism of shoots.
D)inhibition of lateral buds.
E)fruit development.

Question 25

How does indoleacetic acid affect fruit development?

A)preventing pollination
B)inhibiting formation of the ovule
C)promoting gene expression in cambial tissue
D)promoting rapid growth of the ovary
E)inducing the formation of brassinosteroids

Question 26

Which of the following has not been established as an aspect of auxin's role in cell elongation?

A)Auxin instigates a loosening of cell wall fibers.
B)Auxin increases the quantity of cytoplasm in the cell.
C)Through auxin activity, vacuoles increase in size.
D)Auxin activity permits an increase in turgor pressure.
E)Auxin stimulates proton pumps.

Question 27

Figure 39.1
The heavy line in Figure 39.1 illustrates the relationship between auxin concentration and cell growth in stem tissues. If the same range of concentrations were applied to lateral buds, what curve would probably be produced?

A)I
B)II
C)III
D)II and III
E)either I or III

Question 28

According to the acid growth hypothesis, auxin works by

A)dissolving sieve plates, permitting more rapid transport of nutrients.
B)dissolving the cell membranes temporarily, permitting cells that were on the verge of dividing to divide more rapidly.
C)changing the pH within the cell, which would permit the electron transport chain to operate more efficiently.
D)increasing wall plasticity and allowing the affected cell walls to elongate.
E)greatly increasing the rate of deposition of cell wall material.

Question 29

Which of the following hormones would be most useful in promoting the rooting of plant cuttings?

A)oligosaccharins
B)abscisic acid
C)cytokinins
D)gibberellins
E)auxins

Question 30

Why might animal hormones function differently from plant hormones?

A)Animals move rapidly away from negative stimuli, and most plants don't.
B)Plant cells have a cell wall that blocks passage of many hormones.
C)Plants must have more precise timing of their reproductive activities.
D)Plants are much more variable in their morphology and development than animals.
E)Both A and D are correct.

Question 31

Oat seedlings are sometimes used to study auxins because

A)they are a readily accessible monocot, and auxins affect only monocots.
B)they have a stiff coleoptile.
C)they green rapidly in the light.
D)their coleoptile exhibits a strong positive phototropism.
E)monocots inactivate synthetic auxins.

Question 32

Cells elongate in response to auxin. All of the following are part of the acid growth hypothesis except

A)Auxin stimulates proton pumps in cell membranes.
B)Lowered pH results in the breakage of cross-links between cellulose microfibrils.
C)The wall fabric becomes looser (more plastic).
D)Auxin-activated proton pumps stimulate cell division in meristems.
E)The turgor pressure of the cell exceeds the restraining pressure of the loosened cell wall, and the cell takes up water and elongates.

Question 33

The synthesis of which of the following hormones would be a logical first choice in an attempt to produce normal growth in mutant dwarf plants?

A)indoleacetic acid
B)cytokinin
C)gibberellin
D)abscisic acid
E)ethylene

Question 34

The results of this experiment, shown on the left of the graph (area

A), may be used toA)show that these plants can live without gibberellin.
B)show that gibberellin is necessary in positive gravitropism.
C)show that taller plants with more gibberellin produce fruit (pods).
D)show a correlation between plant height and gibberellin concentration.
E)study phytoalexins in plants.

Question 35

Which plant hormone(s)is (are)most closely associated with cell division?

A)ethylene
B)cytokinin
C)abscisic acid
D)phytochrome
E)brassinosteroids

Question 36

Auxin triggers the acidification of cell walls that results in rapid growth, but also stimulates sustained, long-term cell elongation. What best explains how auxin brings about this dual growth response?

A)Auxin binds to different receptors in different cells.
B)Different concentrations of auxin have different effects.
C)Auxin causes second messengers to activate both proton pumps and certain genes.
D)The dual effects are due to two different auxins.
E)Other antagonistic hormones modify auxin's effects.

Question 37

Plant growth regulators can be characterized by all of the following except that they

A)may act by altering gene expression.
B)have a multiplicity of effects.
C)function independently of other hormones.
D)control plant growth and development.
E)affect division, elongation, and differentiation of cells.

Question 38

Plant hormones can have different effects at different concentrations. This explains how

A)some plants are long-day plants and others are short-day plants.
B)signal transduction pathways in plants are different from those in animals.
C)plant genes recognize pathogen genes.
D)auxin can stimulate cell elongation in apical meristems, yet will inhibit the growth of axillary buds.
E)they really don't fit the definition of "hormone."

Question 39

Plant hormones produce their effects by

A)altering the expression of genes.
B)modifying the permeability of the plasma membrane.
C)modifying the structure of the nuclear envelope membrane.
D)both A and B
E)B and C only

Question 40

Why do coleoptiles grow toward light?

A)Auxin is destroyed by light.
B)Gibberellins are destroyed by light.
C)Auxin synthesis is stimulated in the dark.
D)Auxin moves away from the light to the shady side.
E)Gibberellins move away from the light to the shady side.

Question 41

Both red and blue light are involved in

A)stem elongation.
B)photoperiodism.
C)positive phototropism.
D)tracking seasons.
E)all of the above

Question 42

One effect of gibberellins is to stimulate cereal seeds to produce

A)RuBP carboxylase.
B)lipids.
C)abscisic acid.
D)starch.
E)amylase.

Question 43

In legumes, it has been shown that "sleep" movements are correlated with

A)positive thigmotropisms.
B)rhythmic opening and closing of K+ channels in motor cell membranes.
C)senescence (the aging process in plants).
D)flowering and fruit development.
E)ABA-stimulated closing of guard cells caused by loss of K+.

Question 44

Incandescent light bulbs, which have high output of red light, are least effective in promoting

A)photosynthesis.
B)seed germination.
C)phototropism.
D)flowering.
E)entrainment of circadian rhythms.

Question 45

Most plants close their stomata at night. What color of light would be most effective in promoting stomatal opening in the middle of the night?

A)red
B)far-red
C)blue
D)red followed by far-red
E)far-red followed by blue

Question 46

If you were shipping green bananas to a supermarket thousands of miles away, which of the following chemicals would you want to eliminate from the plants' environment?

A)CO2
B)cytokinins
C)ethylene
D)auxin
E)gibberellic acids

Question 47

Biological clocks cause organisms to perform daily activities on a regular basis. Which of the following is a False statement about this kind of "circadian rhythm"?

A)It may have the same signal transduction pathway in all organisms.
B)It must be reset on a daily basis.
C)It may help to cause photoperiodic responses.
D)Once set, it is independent of external signals.
E)The exact mechanism of biological clocks remains unknown.

Question 48

A flash of red light followed by a flash of far-red light given during the middle of the night to a short-day plant will likely

A)cause increased flower production.
B)have no effect upon flowering.
C)inhibit flowering.
D)stimulate flowering.
E)convert florigen to the active form.

Question 49

Many plants flower in response to day-length cues. Which statement concerning flowering is False?

A)As a rule, short-day plants flower in the spring or fall.
B)As a rule, long-day plants flower in the summer.
C)Long-day plants flower in response to long days, not short nights.
D)Flowering in day-neutral plants is not influenced by day length.
E)Flowering in short-day plants is controlled by photochrome.

Question 50

Seed packets give a recommended planting depth for the enclosed seeds. The most likely reason some seeds are to be covered with only 1/4 inch of soil is that the

A)seedlings do not produce a hypocotyl.
B)seedlings do not have an etiolation response.
C)seeds require light to germinate.
D)seeds require a higher temperature to germinate.
E)seeds are very sensitive to waterlogging.

Question 51

Ethylene, as an example of a plant hormone, may have multiple effects on a plant, depending on all of the following except the

A)site of action within the plant.
B)developmental stage of the plant.
C)concentration of ethylene.
D)altered chemical structure of ethylene from a gas to a liquid.
E)readiness of cell membrane receptors for the ethylene.

Question 52

Which of the following does not reduce the level of the Pfr form of phytochrome?

A)exposure to far-red light
B)exposure to red light
C)long dark period
D)destruction of phytochrome
E)synthesis of phosphorylating enzymes

Question 53

Auxin is responsible for all of the following plant growth responses except

A)phototropism.
B)formation of adventitious roots.
C)apical dominance.
D)the detection of photoperiod.
E)cell elongation.

Question 54

We tend to think of plants as immobile when, in fact, they can move in many ways. All of the following are movements plants can accomplish except

A)growth movements up or down in response to gravity.
B)folding and unfolding of leaves using muscle-like tissues.
C)growth movements toward or away from light.
D)changes in plant growth form in response to wind or touch.
E)rapid responses using action potentials similar to those found in the nervous tissue of animals.

Question 55

The houseplants in a windowless room with only fluorescent lights begin to grow tall and leggy. Which of the following treatments would promote more normal growth?

A)Leave the lights on at night as well as during the day.
B)Add additional fluorescent tubes to increase the light output.
C)Add some incandescent bulbs to increase the amount of red light.
D)Set a timer to turn on the lights for 5 minutes during the night.
E)Turn off the lights for 5 minutes during the day.

Question 56

The biological clock controlling circadian rhythms must ultimately

A)depend on environmental cues.
B)affect gene transcription.
C)stabilize on a 24-hour cycle.
D)speed up or slow down with increasing or decreasing temperature.
E)do all of the above.

Question 57

Which of the following is currently the most powerful method of research on plant hormones?

A)comparing of photoperiodic responses
B)comparing tropisms with turgor movements
C)subjecting plants to unusual stresses
D)studying phytochromes
E)analyzing mutant plants

Question 58

A short-day plant will flower only when

A)days are shorter than nights.
B)days are shorter than a certain critical value.
C)nights are shorter than a certain critical value.
D)nights are longer than a certain critical value.
E)days and nights are of equal length.

Question 59

In attempting to make a seed break dormancy, one logically could treat it with

A)IAA.
B)2, 4-D.
C)CO2.
D)gibberellins.
E)abscisic acid.

Question 60

Plants often use changes in day length (photoperiod)to trigger events such as dormancy and flowering. It is logical that plants have evolved this mechanism because photoperiod changes

A)are more predictable than air temperature changes.
B)alter the amount of energy available to the plant.
C)are modified by soil temperature changes.
D)can reset the biological clock.
E)are correlated with moisture availability.

Question 61

A long-day plant will flower if

A)the duration of continuous light exceeds a critical length.
B)the duration of continuous light is less than a critical length.
C)the duration of continuous darkness exceeds a critical length.
D)the duration of continuous darkness is less than a critical length.
E)it is kept in continuous far-red light.

Question 62

Which of the following watering regimens will be most effective at keeping a lawn green during the hot, dry summer months?

A)daily sprinkling to soak the soil to 0.5 inch
B)sprinkling every other day to soak the soil to 1.0 inch
C)sprinkling every third day to soak the soil to 2.0 inches
D)A or B would be equally effective.
E)A, B or C would be equally effective.

Question 63

Plants that have their flowering inhibited by being exposed to bright lights at night are

A)day-neutral plants.
B)short-night plants.
C)devoid of phytochrome.
D)short-day plants.
E)long-day plants.

Question 64

Regarding positive gravitropism exhibited by plant roots,

A)it is mediated by auxin as for phototropism.
B)it depends on more rapid elongation of some cells than other cells.
C)gravity causes auxins to accumulate on the lower side of roots.
D)the phenomenon depends upon inhibition of cell elongation of certain root cells by auxins.
E)All of the above are correct.

Question 65

Plant cells begin synthesizing large quantities of heat-shock proteins

A)after the induction of chaperone proteins.
B)in response to the lack of CO2 following the closing of stomata by ethylene.
C)when desert plants are quickly removed from high temperatures.
D)when they are subjected to moist heat (steam)followed by electric shock.
E)when the air around species from temperate regions is above 40°C.

Question 66

All of the following are responses of plants to cold stress except

A)the production of a specific solute "plant antifreeze" that reduces water loss.
B)excluding ice crystals from the interior walls.
C)conversion of the fluid mosaic cell membrane to a solid mosaic one.
D)an alteration of membrane lipids so that the membranes remain flexible.
E)increasing the proportion of unsaturated fatty acids in the membranes.

Question 67

A botanist discovers a plant that lacks the ability to form starch grains in root cells, yet the roots still grow downward. This evidence refutes the long-standing hypothesis that

A)falling statoliths trigger gravitropism.
B)starch accumulation triggers the negative phototropic response of roots.
C)starch grains block the acid growth response in roots.
D)starch is converted to auxin, which causes the downward bending in roots.
E)starch and downward movement are necessary for thigmotropism.

Question 68

In extremely cold regions, woody species may survive freezing temperatures by

A)emptying water from the vacuoles to prevent freezing.
B)decreasing the numbers of phospholipids in cell membranes.
C)decreasing the fluidity of all cellular membranes.
D)producing canavanine as a natural antifreeze.
E)increasing cytoplasmic levels of specific solute concentrations, such as sugars.

Question 69

Most scientists agree that global warming is underway; thus it is important to know how plants respond to heat stress. Which of the following is an immediate short-term response of plants to heat stress?

A)the production of heat-shock carbohydrates unique to each plant
B)the production of heat-shock proteins like those of other organisms
C)the opening of stomata to increase evaporational heat loss
D)their evolution into more xerophytic plants
E)all of the above

Question 70

What does a short-day plant need in order to flower?

A)a burst of red light in the middle of the night
B)a burst of far-red light in the middle of the night
C)a day that is longer than a certain length
D)a night that is longer than a certain length
E)a higher ratio of Pr to Pfr.

Question 71

You are part of a desert plant research team trying to discover crops that will be productive in arid climates. You discover a plant that produces a guard cell hormone under water-deficit conditions. Most likely the hormone is

A)ABA.
B)GA.
C)IAA.
D)2, 4-D.
E)salicylic acid.

Question 72

In nature, poinsettias bloom in early March. Research has shown that the flowering process is triggered three months before blooming occurs. In order to make poinsettias bloom in December, florists change the length of the light-dark cycle in September. Given the information and clues above, which of the following is a False statement about poinsettias?

A)They are short-day plants.
B)They require a light period shorter than some set maximum.
C)They require a longer dark period than is available in September.
D)The dark period can be interrupted without affecting flowering.
E)They will flower even if there are brief periods of dark during the daytime.

Question 73

If the range of a species of plants expands to a higher latitude, which of the following processes is the most likely to be modified by natural selection?

A)circadian rhythm
B)photoperiodic response
C)phototropic response
D)biological clock
E)thigmomorphogenesis

Question 74

A botanist exposed two groups of the same plant species to two photoperiods-one with 14 hours of light and 10 hours of dark and the other with 10 hours of light and 14 hours of dark. Under the first set of conditions, the plants flowered, but they failed to flower under the second set of conditions. Which of the following conclusions would be consistent with these results?

A)The critical night length is 14 hours.
B)The plants are short-day plants.
C)The critical day length is 10 hours.
D)The plants can convert phytochrome to florigen.
E)The plants flower in the spring.

Question 75

What do results of research on gravitropic responses of roots and stems show?

A)Different tissues have the same response to auxin.
B)The effect of a plant hormone can depend on the tissue.
C)Some responses of plants require no hormones at all.
D)Light is required for the gravitropic response.
E)Cytokinin can only function in the presence of auxin.

Question 76

Vines in tropical rain forests must grow toward large trees before being able to grow toward the sun. To reach a large tree, the most useful kind of growth movement for a tropical vine presumably would be the opposite of

A)positive thigmotropism.
B)positive phototropism.
C)positive gravitropism.
D)sleep movements.
E)circadian rhythms.

Question 77

Classic experiments suggested that a floral stimulus Florigen could move across a graft from an induced plant to a noninduced plant and trigger flowering. Recent evidence using Arabidopsis has recently shown that florigen is probably

A)a phytochrome molecule that is activated by red light.
B)a protein that is synthesized in leaves and travels to the shoot apical meristem and initiates flowering.
C)a membrane signal that travels through the symplast from leaves to buds.
D)a second messenger that induces Ca++ ions to change membrane potential.
E)a transcription factor that controls the activation of florigen specific genes.

Question 78

If you wanted to genetically engineer a plant to be more resistant to drought, increasing amounts of which of the following hormones might be a good first attempt?

A)abscisic acid
B)brassinosteroids
C)gibberellins
D)cytokinins
E)auxin

Question 79

If a short-day plant has a critical night length of 15 hours, then which of the following 24-hour cycles will prevent flowering?

A)8 hours light/16 hours dark
B)4 hours light/20 hours dark
C)6 hours light/2 hours dark/light flash/16 hours dark
D)8 hours light/8 hours dark/light flash/8 hours dark
E)2 hours light/20 hours dark/2 hours light

Question 80

Bald cypress and Loblolly pine are both gymnosperm trees native to the southern United States. The cypress grows in swamps; the pine grows in sandy soil. How do you think their anatomies differ?

A)There are larger intercellular spaces in the roots of the cypress than in the roots of the pine.
B)Water-conducting cells are larger in the stems of the cypress than in the stems of the pine.
C)The springwood and summerwood are more distinct in the cypress.
D)There is less parenchyma in the roots of the cypress than in the pine roots.
E)There are no major anatomical differences between these species because they're both gymnosperms.