Chapter 1: Biology and the Tree of Life Flashcards
Which description of an organism includes characteristics shared by all living things?
a) obtains food from outside sources; has cells; has a population that evolves
b) is made up of cells; carries out reproduction; processes genetic and environmental information
c) breathes oxygen; is unicellular; processes genetic information
d) is made up of cells; depends on water to carry out functions; reproduces sexually
b) is made up of cells; carries out reproduction; processes genetic and environmental information
Who invented the first known microscope?
a) Anton van Leeuwenhoek
b) Robert Hooke
c) Louis Pasteur
d) Rudolph Virchow
b) Robert Hooke
The cell theory, once proven and accepted, put to rest which popular theory that prevailed during the eighteenth and half of the nineteenth century?
a) germ theory of disease
b) common ancestry theory
c) theory of spontaneous generation
d) creationism theory
c) theory of spontaneous generation
Pasteur’s experiment with the swan-necked flask supported the all-cells-from-cells hypothesis by demonstrating that _____.
a) microorganisms grow only in a broth exposed to a source of preexisting cells
b) microorganisms grow in a broth unless the broth is sealed off from the air
c) microorganisms grow in a broth after it has been boiled
d) bacteria, but not fungi, can grow in broth
a) microorganisms grow only in a broth exposed to a source of preexisting cells
Land features and climates change over time. In order to survive in changing environments, an organism must change or adapt. Adaptation takes place over a period of generations through the process of _____.
a) artificial selection
b) catastrophism
c) heritability
d) natural selection
d) natural selection
The theory of evolution claims that _____.
a) the gene pool or genetic makeup of a species remains unchanged over generations
b) All species are descended from a common ancestor.
c) many species arose independently
d) Features that enhance survival of an organism are randomly distributed among organisms within a population and randomly passed from generation to generation.
b) All species are descended from a common ancestor.
A group of individuals of the same species living in the same area at the same time constitutes a _____.
a) phylum
b) genus
c) community
d) population
d) population
Which man has the highest evolutionary fitness?
a) a man who dies at age 20 after fathering five healthy children
b) a man who dies at age 104 but does not father any children
c) a man who dies at age 50 after fathering three healthy children
d) a man who dies at age 90 after fathering four healthy children
a) a man who dies at age 20 after fathering five healthy children
By definition, traits that are _____ are passed from one generation to the next.
a) heritable
b) acquired
c) prokaryotic
d) profitable
a) heritable
Which of the following conditions is necessary for natural selection to occur?
a) Humans select which individuals mate.
b) Random mating must occur.
c) The population must be large.
d) Individuals within a population vary in their characteristics.
d) Individuals within a population vary in their characteristics.
How are fitness and adaptation important to natural selection?
a) Adaptations can either increase or decrease an individual’s fitness.
b) All organisms possessing adaptations to new situations tend to be more fit, or healthier, which makes them more able to reproduce.
c) Individuals with adaptations have a higher fitness, so they are more likely to reproduce and pass those traits to their offspring.
d) Adaptations affect the success of individuals, which in turn affects fitness and natural selection in populations.
c) Individuals with adaptations have a higher fitness, so they are more likely to reproduce and pass those traits to their offspring.
Taxonomy attempts to describe the _____, or historical relationships, among organisms.
a) adaptation
b) phylogeny
c) differences
d) natural selection
b) phylogeny
Linnaeus’ taxonomic system specifies a unique name for each organism. The first part of the name is the organism’s _____, and the second part is its _____.
a) genus; taxon
b) genus; species
c) phylum; genus
d) species; phylum
b) genus; species
Which of the following statements best describes the difference between prokaryotes and eukaryotes?
a) Prokaryotic cells and eukaryotic cells differ only in their size.
b) Prokaryotes include only plants; eukaryotes include all other organisms.
c) Eukaryotic cells have a membrane-bound nucleus; prokaryotic cells do not.
d) Most eukaryotes are unicellular; most prokaryotes are multicellular.
c) Eukaryotic cells have a membrane-bound nucleus; prokaryotic cells do not.
rRNA sequences are useful for understanding phylogeny because _____.
a) the sequences vary widely among all organisms
b) the sequences are similar in closely related organisms and less similar in less closely related organisms
c) not all organisms have rRNA, indicating that organisms with rRNA are closely related
d) the sequences clearly indicate where lineages of organisms belong on the tree of life
b) the sequences are similar in closely related organisms and less similar in less closely related organisms
