Unit 7 Lesson 4: High Altitude Living

Question 1

natural selection

Answer 1

the process where organisms better adapted to their environment will survive and produce more offspring

Question 2

These traits are passed down through natural selection. Natural selection is the process where organisms better adapted to their environment will survive better and produce more offspring.. These traits are also known as

Answer 2

adaptations

Question 3

adaptations

Answer 3

biological mechanisms that enable organisms to adapt to new environments

Question 4

Adaptations can be

Answer 4

anatomical (how the organism is built), behavioral, or physiological (how parts of an organism function)

Question 4

Male birds of paradise have a unique behavioral adaptation. Elaboarte

Answer 4

It uses a combination of colorful feathers, piercing sounds, and dancing to attract female birds.

Question 5

1.

Adaptaions in wood frogs

Answer 5

Alaskan wood frogs freeze up to 60 percent of their body, stop breathing, and stop their heart from beating. They thaw out during the spring.

Question 6

adapations in knagaroo rats

Answer 6

The kangaroo rat lives in the desert and doesn’t need to drink water. The kangaroo rat gets the water it needs from the seeds it eats as part of its diet.

Question 7

adapations in african bullfrogs

Answer 7

In the dry season, the African bullfrog burrows underground and creates a cocoon out of mucus. Frogs can live for up to two years until rain softens the cocoon.

Question 8

Adapations in possum

Answer 8

When frightened, the possum “plays dead.” This is an involuntary response when threatened. Possums also release a foul odor when unconscious.

Question 9

When climbing Mount Everest, there is an area known as the “death zone” that climbers hit when they reach about 8000 meters above sea level. In the death zone, the lungs and brain do not get enough oxygen, the risk of stroke and heart attack increases, and judgment is impaired. Those native to the Tibetan plateau have adapted to living at high altitudes with lower oxygen levels and are able to help mountain climbers. How?

Answer 9

s. Tibetans have several genes that allow them to use less oxygen when they are working or exerting energy.

Question 9

allele

Answer 9

one of two or more alternate versions of a gene

Question 10

genotype

Answer 10

the alleles for a certain gene within an individual

Question 11

scientist have studied the genes of the Tibetans what did they find out

Answer 11

Scientist have studied the genes of the Tibetans and found when one version of a gene was expressed, or allele, the people had a 10 percent higher saturation of oxygen. This means their blood contained 10 percent more oxygen than most people.

Question 12

How was the genotype for high oxygen saturation passed down

Answer 12

The study also found that women who have the genotype for high oxygen saturation have more living children and lower death rates, which allows this gene to be passed from parent to offspring more efficiently.

Question 13

The gene that gives those native to the Tibetan plateau the advantage is the

Answer 13

EPAS1 gene.

Question 14

What does the EPAS1 gene do

Answer 14

This gene helps produce hemoglobin, an iron-containing red protein that carries oxygen in the blood.. The EPAS1 gene provides instructions for a protein that plays a role in the body’s ability to adapt to changing oxygen levels. The protein also controls cell division, forming new blood vessels and making new red blood cells.

Question 15

Scientists have compared the genetic makeup of the Tibetan people to those of Han Chinese people who live in the lowlands of Mount Everest. Elaboarate

Answer 15

The two populations split, and Tibetans migrated to the highlands less than 3000 years ago. The scientists concluded that the EPAS1 gene was not prevalent in the Han Chinese population, and the increased abundance in the Tibetan people was a result of natural selection.

Question 16

Describe how natural selection and adaptations are related.

Answer 16

Adaptations result from natural selection. Individuals that have traits that help them survive better tend to reproduce more, which means more offspring in the next generation look like them. This selection process produces individuals with adaptations over time.

Question 17

You are studying a population of mice that have two distinct phenotypes: some mice are white, and some mice are black. At the start of your study, you observe that 75% of the mouse population has white fur and 25% has black fur. Over the course of 30 years, you now observe that the mouse population is 15% white and 85% black. What is the best explanation for such a dramatic shift in the population over time?

Answer 17

The environment changed, making black fur an adaptation. This could be caused by changes in soil composition, but the change in environment made it less likely for mice with black fur to be seen and eaten by predators while white mice were more likely to be eaten. Because of this, black mice were more likely to produce offspring while white mice were less likely to produce offspring in this new environment, resulting in more black mice in the next generation.

Question 18

What are some ways that those who are native to the Tibetan plateau have adapted to living in higher altitudes?

Answer 18

The adaptations that can be found in this population include being able to survive low oxygen conditions better, carrying a gene that allows 10 percent more saturation of oxygen, and having a higher birth rate for women with high oxygen saturation.

Question 19

How has the EPAS1 gene demonstrated natural selection in the population?

Answer 19

The gene is not found in the population that the Tibetan people split from 3000 years ago who now live in the lowlands of the mountains. This is evidence that the gene is a result of natural selection and the population adapted to living in higher altitudes.

Question 20

hemoglobin

Answer 20

an iron-containing red protein that is responsible for transporting oxygen in the blood of vertebrates

Question 21

Scientists studied the genes of populations of people in the Andes to look for any traits that have helped them live in high altitudes.Lindo then compared their genetics to the population from the Tibetan plateau to see if they had the same genes for hemoglobin. Lindo was not able to find a similar adaptation in the populations from the Andes. What ada[atoons do people of the andes have that correlates to oxygne

Answer 21

Part of their heart was larger, and this helps with blood flow and can send more oxygen around the body. In other populations, having part of their hearts larger can cause health issues such as pulmonary hypertension. Pulmonary hypertension is a type of high blood pressure. However, in the Andes, this adaptation allows for stronger blood flow and better oxygenation at high altitudes.

Question 22

The people living in the Andes were also able to digest starches, like potatoes, differently during times of stress. This is possible because of a gene called .

Answer 22

MGAM

Question 23

MGAM

Answer 23

Andean settlers shifted from meat-based diets to high starchy diets after they started farming, which shows the Andean settlers adapted to their new lifestyle. There is also a higher amount of amylase, the enzyme that breaks down starches, like those in potatoes, in their saliva.

Question 24

Compare and contrast the native populations of highlanders from the Tibetan plateau and those of the Andes mountains.

Answer 24

Those native to the Tibetan plateau have a more efficient form of hemoglobin in their blood and they are able to utilize the oxygen that is available at high altitudes. This means they can survive in areas that have less oxygen. Those native to the Andes have enlarged parts of the heart that allows more blood flow to the lungs to pick up oxygen and a gene that helps in the digestion of starches that is common in their diets.

Question 25

Describe some of the adaptations that have helped the Andean highlanders survive the harsh climates of the Andes mountains.

Answer 25

Studying the genetic makeup of the populations, scientists have found that the native highlanders have an adaptation for allowing more blood flow into the lungs for more oxygen and a gene that helps in the digestion of starches.

Question 26

A student states that enlarged heart ventricles are not an adaptation and can lead to pulmonary hypertension. Is this statement correct? If so, can the statement be made stronger. If the statement is not correct, what is the correct statement?

Answer 26

The statement is not completely correct. There is an adaptation that is found in the genetic makeup of those who are native to the high elevations of the Andes mountains. An enlarged right ventricle for them improves the blood flow to the lungs for more oxygen. Therefore, the statement would be stronger if the student states that this trait only becomes advantageous under certain circumstances, which suggests that adaptations are specific to their environment.

Question 27

Describe what you think would happen if a population of Andeans moved and settled in an area near sea level.

Answer 27

Since enlarged hearts can cause high blood pressure, this trait that was an adaptation at high altitudes now becomes a health issue. It is very likely that this will make it harder for individuals with larger hearts to survive and reproduce. Therefore, over time, the population may lose this trait.