Question 1

What capability did the development of a vascular system provide?

Accepted Answer

The development of a vascular system provided greater efficiency for both nutrient transport and structural support in plants.

Question 2

Examine the evolutionary tree pictured below. 
One prediction based on the arrangement of ciliates in the illustration is that the DNA of

Accepted Answer

The evolutionary tree shows that diatoms and water molds are in the same group, suggesting that they share a more recent common ancestor than with other protists. This would indicate that they are more similar to one another than any other protist. The illustration does not provide information to support choices A or C.

Question 3

What resources do plants use to produce the sugar molecules that their cells use for fuel?

Accepted Answer

Plants use carbon dioxide and water, as well as light energy from the sun, to produce sugar molecules through the process of photosynthesis. The sugar molecules serve as a source of fuel for the plant's cells. Nitrogen, oxygen, and iron are important nutrients for plants, but they are not directly involved in the process of producing sugar molecules through photosynthesis. Water and pond scum are not the only resources plants use to produce sugar molecules.

Question 4

The most ancient of the Eukarya are

Accepted Answer

The most ancient of the Eukarya are the Protista, which are a diverse group of unicellular, colonial or multicellular organisms that do not fit into any other kingdom. Fungi, Animalia and Plantae are all more derived and evolved than the Protista.

Question 5

Mitochondria, the energy-processing organelles in eukaryotic cells, have their own DNA, separate from that of the cell's nucleus. Which of the following choices best explains the presence of mitochondria in eukaryotic cells?

Accepted Answer

The presence of mitochondria in eukaryotic cells is explained by the endosymbiotic theory, which suggests that an ancestral prokaryote engulfed and retained a separate energy-processing prokaryotic cell that eventually evolved into the mitochondria we see today. This theory is supported by the fact that mitochondria have their own DNA, similar to that of prokaryotes, and have other prokaryotic-like characteristics.

Question 6

No single characteristic is sufficient to describe a kingdom, for example, plants and some bacteria share in common

Accepted Answer

Plants and some bacteria share the ability to photosynthesize. Therefore, this characteristic is not sufficient to describe a kingdom as it does not distinguish between plants and some bacteria.

Question 7

Life on earth appears to have began in the water; the first organisms believed to colonize land were

Accepted Answer

Plants are believed to be the first organisms to colonize land, as they evolved from aquatic ancestors and adapted to terrestrial environments.

Question 8

What best explains why bacteria can reproduce so much more rapidly than an organism like a mushroom?

Accepted Answer

Bacteria reproduce asexually through binary fission, which is a faster process than the sexual reproduction of mushrooms that requires the meeting of compatible mating types.

Question 9

Protists display the earliest version of sexual reproduction, whereby

Accepted Answer

Protists reproduce sexually by the fusion of gametes, which are specialized reproductive cells. This is the earliest form of sexual reproduction, and it occurs in many different types of protists, including algae and protozoa. The fusion of gametes produces a single, genetically diverse offspring. This is different from asexual reproduction, where an individual simply divides in half to produce two genetically identical offspring. Choices A, B, and D are incorrect as they don't describe the mechanism of sexual reproduction in protists.

Question 10

Cells carry out many chemical processes, some of which produce toxic by-products. If you were designing a cell from known components, which of the following would provide the best method of protecting the cell from its own toxic by-products while allowing it to complete the chemical reactions necessary for life?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Cells carry out many chemical processes, some...

Question 11

Protists may superficially resemble organisms in the other kingdoms; one exception is the kingdom _____, whose members do not resemble protists in any way.

Accepted Answer

Bacteria are prokaryotic organisms, which are fundamentally different from protists that are eukaryotic. Protists can resemble fungi, plants, or animals in some aspects, but they do not resemble bacteria.

Question 12

Resolving the relationship between the various kingdoms has been challenging because species often resemble one another; for example, the _______ contain some organisms that are animal-like and others that are plant-like.

Accepted Answer

The kingdom Protista contains a wide range of organisms that can exhibit animal-like, plant-like, or fungi-like characteristics. This makes it challenging to distinguish between the different kingdoms and categorize organisms accordingly.

Question 13

The kingdom Protista is quite diverse and the relationship between its various members is unclear. The best method of clarifying those relationships will require that biologists

Accepted Answer

Creating an evolutionary tree using comparative DNA data would provide the most accurate and comprehensive understanding of the relationship between members of the diverse kingdom Protista. This method would allow biologists to analyze genetic similarities and differences, leading to a clearer understanding of evolutionary relatedness between these organisms. Removing the kingdom from Eukarya and placing it in its own domain would not necessarily clarify relationships within the kingdom, as the organisms may still be quite diverse. Matching traits with a common ancestor would also not be as effective as analyzing genetic data. Separating eukaryotic and prokaryotic protists is already done, but this does not address the relationships between the different groups of eukaryotic protists.

Question 14

The inset in the figure below shows halobacterium, an archaean that lives in environments with very high salinities. 
What hypothesis can explain the extreme habitats of the archaeans?

Accepted Answer

The answer of The inset in the figure below shows...

Question 15

The main body of a fungus is known as the

Accepted Answer

The main body of a fungus is known as the mycelium.

Question 16

Although exceptions exist, reproduction in most eukaryotes involves

Accepted Answer

Most eukaryotes reproduce sexually, which involves the fusion of gametes from two individuals to combine their DNA and form a new genetically diverse organism. Some exceptions do exist, such as asexual reproduction through cell division or self-fertilization. However, the majority of eukaryotic reproduction involves the involvement of two individuals in the process.

Question 17

The first plant group to develop seeds was the

Accepted Answer

Gymnosperms were the first group of plants to develop seeds. Mosses and ferns reproduce by spores, while angiosperms evolved later than gymnosperms.

Question 18

Although costly to produce, the large number of plants producing fruit attest to its success as an adaptation; in what way is fruit production helpful?

Accepted Answer

Fruit production is helpful because consumers eating fruits also eat seeds that, when not digested, can be deposited far from the parent plant, aiding in seed dispersal.

Question 19

The kingdom Plantae consists of four major groups; the _____ are believed to have been the first to appear.

Accepted Answer

Mosses are believed to have been the first to appear in the kingdom Plantae.

Question 20

Speculate on the diversity of life on Earth if plants had never evolved.

Accepted Answer

All of the statements are reasonable hypotheses. Without plants, there would be a significant decrease in the amount of oxygen produced through photosynthesis, which could potentially limit the evolution and survival of large multicellular consumers like animals. Protists, which can derive their energy by consuming bacteria, could be expected to be common since they evolved before plants. Without the presence of plants, the diversity of bacterial life would also likely be reduced.

Quiz 3: Major Groups of Living Organisms