Question 1

Light energy from the sun is trapped by bacteria in organisms called primary producers.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Light energy from the sun is trapped...

Question 2

The aphotic zone is the upper layer of the ocean where there is enough light for photosynthesis and vision.

Accepted Answer

The aphotic zone is the deeper part of the ocean where sunlight does not penetrate, making it impossible for photosynthesis to occur.

Question 3

Life on Earth exhibits unity and diversity: diversity because Earth may house as many as 100 million different species or living organisms, and unity because all species share the same underlying mechanism for capturing and storing energy.

Accepted Answer

Life on Earth shows diversity in the vast number of species and unity in the shared biological processes, such as cellular respiration and photosynthesis, for energy capture and storage.

Question 4

Primary productivity measures the grams of carbon bound into organic material per square meter of ocean surface area per year.

Accepted Answer

Primary productivity is indeed measured as the amount of carbon fixed into organic material per unit area per year, often expressed in grams of carbon per square meter per year.

Question 5

Where in the ocean is oxygen most plentiful?

Accepted Answer

The euphotic zone is the upper layer of the ocean where sunlight penetrates, allowing photosynthesis to occur, which produces oxygen.

Question 6

An important part of Darwinian natural selection is that traits must be inheritable.

Accepted Answer

For natural selection to occur, advantageous traits must be passed down to subsequent generations, which requires that these traits be inheritable.

Question 7

A tuna is an example of a top consumer.

Accepted Answer

Tuna are apex predators in their marine environments, meaning they are at the top of the food chain and consume other fish and marine organisms.

Question 8

When carbon dioxide dissolves in water, the water becomes slightly more .

Accepted Answer

When carbon dioxide dissolves in water, it forms carbonic acid, which lowers the pH of the water, making it more acidic.

Question 9

Hydrogen sulfide is a high-energy molecule that can be used to make carbohydrates through the process of chemosynthesis.

Accepted Answer

Hydrogen sulfide is used by certain microorganisms in chemosynthesis to produce carbohydrates, serving as an energy source in environments lacking sunlight.

Question 10

Mammals and birds and some larger, faster fishes are "cold-blooded", or ectothermic.

Accepted Answer

Mammals and birds are "warm-blooded", or endothermic, meaning they regulate their body temperature internally. Some fish can be ectothermic, but not all larger or faster fish are cold-blooded.

Question 11

Why is the pH of ocean water more acidic in deep water?

Accepted Answer

In deep ocean water, more carbon dioxide is present due to the decomposition of organic matter, which increases the acidity by forming carbonic acid.

Question 12

All other factors being equal, a greater quantity of gas can dissolve in seawater.

Accepted Answer

Cold water can dissolve more gas than warm water because gas solubility increases as temperature decreases.

Question 13

Most marine organisms have an internal temperature very close to that of their surroundings. They are known as organisms.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Most marine organisms have an internal temperature...

Question 14

Asteroids hitting Earth can result in mass extinctions.

Accepted Answer

Asteroids hitting Earth can cause significant environmental changes, such as blocking sunlight and altering climate, which can lead to mass extinctions, as evidenced by the event that contributed to the extinction of the dinosaurs.

Question 15

Living matter cannot function without energy, the capacity to reproduce.

Accepted Answer

Living matter requires energy to function, but reproduction is not a necessary function for the survival of an individual organism, though it is essential for the continuation of a species.

Question 16

The scientific name of an organism includes the genus and species name.

Accepted Answer

The scientific name of an organism is composed of two parts: the genus name and the species name, following the binomial nomenclature system.

Question 17

Two species that both have the ability to fly must have evolved from a common ancestor.

Accepted Answer

Convergent evolution can lead to similar traits, like the ability to fly, in unrelated species due to similar environmental pressures, not necessarily a common ancestor.

Question 18

Marine organisms are limited in terms of where in the ocean they can live because of the enormous amount of pressure in the deep sea.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Marine organisms are limited in terms of...

Question 19

Bacteria and Archaea are both domains of very small single-celled organisms that lack distinct compartments within their cells.

Accepted Answer

Both Bacteria and Archaea are prokaryotes, meaning they do not have membrane-bound organelles or a nucleus, distinguishing them from eukaryotic cells.

Question 20

Nitrogen and phosphorous can be depleted by photosynthetic organisms during times of high productivity.

Accepted Answer

Photosynthetic organisms, such as algae and plants, consume nitrogen and phosphorus for growth, leading to depletion of these nutrients in the environment during periods of high productivity.

Quiz 9: Life in the Ocean