Midterm 1 Quizzes

Which characteristic of plant root systems is most responsible for their ability to absorb water and mineral nutrients efficiently? a. A high surface-to-volume ratio b. The thick walls of the parenchyma cells c. The scattered pattern of its vascular tissue d. The presence of a taproot e. The presence of storage structures

a. A high surface-to-volume ratio

What was the origin of all chloroplasts? a. A single cyanobacterium b. A group of green algae c. A group of cyanobacteria d. A single green alga

a. A single cyanobacterium

Which came first in the evolution of the eukaryotic cell? a. Development of a flexible cell surface b. An episode of endosymbiosis c. Increasing complexity of the cytoskeleton d. Loss of the cell wall e. Formation of mitochondria

a. Development of a flexible cell surface

Which of these plants is a vascular plant without seeds? a. Fern b. Hornwort c. Rose d. Moss e. Ginkgo tree

a. Fern

The Northern Casque-headed frog lives in hot desert regions of western Mexico. This frog burrows underground during the day, is active at night, and breeds only during the rainy season. Which statement provides a reason to explain this frog's breeding behavior? a. Fertilization of eggs occurs outside of the female's body. b. Frog larvae are herbivorous, whereas adult frogs are carnivorous. c. Frog eggs provide a source of food for many animals. d. Female frogs lay large numbers of eggs, only a fraction of which develop into adult frogs.

a. Fertilization of eggs occurs outside of the female's body.

Which mineral is a constituent of both proteins and nucleic acids? a. Nitrogen b. Magnesium c. Phosphorus d. Iron e. Potassium

a. Nitrogen

Why are soybeans, a legume, often planted in fields in which corn had been planted the previous year? a. Soybeans add reduced nitrogen to the soil. b. Soybeans can produce reduced sulfur compounds. c. Soybeans produce seeds rich in oils. d. Soybeans carry out photosynthesis more efficiently than corn does. e. Soybeans need less light than corn does.

a. Soybeans add reduced nitrogen to the soil.

Which statement correctly describes the general pattern of the alternation of generations in angiosperms? a. The sporophyte generation (2n) produces spores (n) that produce gametophytes (n) that produce gametes (n) that fuse to produce a new sporophyte (2n). b. The sporophyte generation (2n) produces gametes (n) that produce gametophytes (n) that produce spores (n) that fuse to produce a new sporophyte (2n). c. The sporophyte generation (n) produces gametes (n) that produce gametophytes (2n) that produce spores (2n) that fuse to produce a new sporophyte (n). d. The sporophyte generation (2n) produces spores (2n) that produce gametophytes (2n) that produce gametes (n) that fuse to produce a new sporophyte (2n).

a. The sporophyte generation (2n) produces spores (n) that produce gametophytes (n) that produce gametes (n) that fuse to produce a new sporophyte (2n).

Which characteristic was not necessary in order for plants to colonize land? a. Vascular tissue for moving water throughout the plant b. Development of embryos protected inside other tissues c. The ability to screen ultraviolet radiation d. A waxy cuticle to reduce water loss e. The development of thick spore walls to protect the spores from dehydration

a. Vascular tissue for moving water throughout the plant

A body form with radial symmetry is most likely found in a. a predator that drifts through the ocean. b. an animal that burrows through soil. c. a chordate that is a prey animal. d. an animal that is an herbivore. e. an animal with cephalization.

a. a predator that drifts through the ocean.

The plasma membrane of plant cells a. contains an ATP-dependent proton pump. b. contains a Na+/K+-ATPase. c. does not carry out indirect active transport. d. maintains a positive membrane potential across the membrane. e. makes ATP.

a. contains an ATP-dependent proton pump.

Bilaterally symmetrical animals can be divided into two major groups. These two lineages differ fundamentally in their a. early embryological development. b. modes of reproduction. c. metabolism. d. modes of obtaining and storing energy. e. environmental requirements.

a. early embryological development.

The development of mycorrhizae a. is enhanced by compounds secreted by plant roots. b. involves chemical signaling by the fungus only. c. involves penetration into the symplast of the host plant cells. d. involves chemical signaling by the plant only. e. is independent of host plant gene expression.

a. is enhanced by compounds secreted by plant roots.

The overall size that unicellular microbial eukaryotes can achieve is limited primarily by their a. surface area-to-volume ratio. b. chloroplasts. c. mitochondria. d. energy-producing potential. e. metabolism.

a. surface area-to-volume ratio.

Which feature is found in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes? a. A nucleus b. A system for generating ATP c. Peptidoglycan in cell walls d. A Golgi apparatus e. Formylmethionine tRNA

b. A system for generating ATP

Which feature is found in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes? a. A nucleus b. A system for generating ATP c. Peptidoglycan in cell walls d. A Golgi apparatus e. Formylmethionine tRNA

b. A system for generating ATP

According to the current model of fluid flow in xylem, what creates the force that moves water from the roots to the leaves? a. Differences in water potential between roots and leaves b. An increase in water tension in leaves c. Cellular pumps in leaves d. An increase in root pressure

b. An increase in water tension in leaves

Which observation supports the claim that the lophophore either evolved more than once or was lost in many lophotrochozoans? a. Only some lophotrochozoans pass through a ciliated larval stage during their development. b. Not all lophotrochozoans use a ring of ciliated tentacles for food collection and gas exchange. c. Mollusks are the only lophotrochozoans that do not have a wormlike body form. d. No lophotrochozoans undergo molting during growth.

b. Not all lophotrochozoans use a ring of ciliated tentacles for food collection and gas exchange.

Refer to the figure. Morphologically, archaea differ from bacteria because they lack peptidoglycan molecules in their cell walls. Archaea differ from eukarya because they lack membrane-bound nuclei. What can be concluded about when these two features evolved along the phylogenetic tree shown in the figure? a. Peptidoglycan evolved sometime between points 1 and 2, and membrane-bound nuclei evolved sometime between points 2 and 3 b. Peptidoglycan evolved sometimes after point 2, and membrane-bound nuclei evolved sometime after point 3 c. Peptidoglycan evolved sometime between points 1 and 2, and membrane-bound nuclei evolved sometime before point 3 d. Peptidoglycan evolved sometime after point 3, and membrane-bound nuclei evolved sometime between points 2 and 3

b. Peptidoglycan evolved sometimes after point 2, and membrane-bound nuclei evolved sometime after point 3

How does primary growth differ from secondary growth in plants? a. Primary growth rates vary by season; secondary growth rates do not. b. Primary growth results in height changes; secondary growth results in width changes. c. Primary growth involves cell division of meristematic tissue; secondary growth does not. d. Primary growth occurs in stems, branches, and roots; secondary growth only occurs in stems.

b. Primary growth results in height changes; secondary growth results in width changes.

Scientists grew several generations of barley plants in hydroponic solutions containing different concentrations of Ni2+ and determined that Ni2+ was an essential micronutrient. They then germinated seeds from those plants in a nickel-free solution. What is the most likely reason that germination was successful in the nickel-free solution? a. Seeds evolved to grow independent of Ni2+. b. Seeds took up sufficient Ni2+ from their parent plants for germination. c. Seeds do not require Ni2+ to germinate and grow. d. Ni2+ was present as a contaminant in the hydroponic solutions. e. Seeds took up Ni2+ from their parent plants but used it up before they could germinate.

b. Seeds took up sufficient Ni2+ from their parent plants for germination.

Which set of terms represents a haploid/diploid pair? a. Sperm/egg b. Spore/sporophyte c. Gamete/gametophyte d. Sporophyte/zygote

b. Spore/sporophyte

Which was not an essential step in the evolution of eukaryotic cells? a. The development of a cytoskeleton b. The development of the first ribosomes for protein translation c. The development of a nuclear envelope d. The development of a flexible cell surface e. The endosymbiotic acquisition of certain organelles

b. The development of the first ribosomes for protein translation

A land plant may be most reliably distinguished from green algae by which characteristic? a. Branched apical growth b. The presence of an embryo protected by parent tissue c. Chlorophyll type d. Storage of photosynthetic products as starch in chloroplasts e. The presence of roots

b. The presence of an embryo protected by parent tissue

Which statement about the organisms shown in the table is true? a. They are all multicellular organisms. b. They all share a common protist-like ancestor. c. They all share the same rRNA sequences. d. They all evolved at the same time.

b. They all share a common protist-like ancestor.

Arthropods are the most numerous animals on Earth. These traits were all part of their success except a. waterproofing by chitin. b. a standard number of appendages across all major taxa. c. a rigid exoskeleton. d. jointed appendages. e. specialization of different appendages.

b. a standard number of appendages across all major taxa.

The ancestor of the animal clade was probably a(n) a. ctenophore. b. colonial flagellated protist. c. triploblastic acoelomate with spiral cleavage. d. amoeba. e. ciliated protist.

b. colonial flagellated protist.

A major event in plant evolution was the primary endosymbiosis of a _______, which led directly to the origin of _______. a. chloroplast; mitochondria b. cyanobacterium; chloroplasts c. cyanobacterium; tracheids d. sporopollenin; cyanobacterium e. mitochondrion; alternation of generations

b. cyanobacterium; chloroplasts

During the evolution of early life on Earth, increasing concentrations of oxygen in the atmosphere were advantageous to a. prokaryotes containing chloroplasts. b. eukaryotes containing mitochondria. c. eukaryotes containing chloroplasts. d. prokaryotes containing mitochondria. e. both prokaryotes with chloroplasts and eukaryotes with chloroplasts.

b. eukaryotes containing mitochondria.

Groups with a great deal of lateral gene transfer should be _______ than groups that have little lateral gene transfer. a. less likely to live in extreme environments b. more difficult to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships for c. more likely to be Gram-positive d. easier to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships for e. less likely to be Gram-positive

b. more difficult to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships for

Endodermal cells differ from other root cells in that endodermal cells a. lack a symplast region. b. prevent the apoplastic movement of water and ions. c. are completely surrounded by a waxy layer. d. are nonselective with regard to solute uptake. e. have a high rate of water transport.

b. prevent the apoplastic movement of water and ions.

You have discovered a new plant species that is a woody tree with a taproot. When it flowers, it is likely that the flower parts will be in multiples of a. 3 or 5. b. 2 or 3. c. 4 or 5. d. 3 or 7. e. 3 or 4.

c. 4 or 5.

Which phrase could be used in a description of secondary endosymbiosis? a. A prokaryote engulfing a eukaryote b. A eukaryote engulfing a prokaryote c. A eukaryote engulfing a eukaryote d. A prokaryote engulfing a prokaryote

c. A eukaryote engulfing a eukaryote

Nitrate and sulfate tend to be leached out of soil much more readily than potassium and magnesium. What is the reason for this? a. Anions bind to sand rather than clay particles, making them more likely to leach out. b. Anions leach out because they cannot be taken up by plant roots. c. Anions are not retained by clay particles the way cations are. d. Plants need anions in lower concentrations than they need cations. e. Cations bind less strongly to clay particles than anions do

c. Anions are not retained by clay particles the way cations are.

Which trait would be most closely associated with high levels of mobility? a. A cuticle b. Germ layers c. Cephalization d. A body cavity e. Incomplete metamorphosis

c. Cephalization

Which substance is a plant micronutrient? a. Nitrogen b. Potassium c. Copper d. Phosphorus e. Sulfur

c. Copper

Which structure is not a part of the sporophyte generation? a. Flower b. Anther c. Egg d. Leaf

c. Egg

You are a consultant to a biotech company that plans to develop a technique involving bacterial enzymes. During this technique, high heat is required. You would recommend enzymes from which bacteria for this technique? a. Cyanobacteria b. Chlamydias c. Hyperthermophilic bacteria d. Low-GC Gram-positives e. High-GC Gram-positives

c. Hyperthermophilic bacteria

You are a consultant to a biotech company that plans to develop a technique involving bacterial enzymes. During this technique, high heat is required. You would recommend enzymes from which bacteria for this technique? a. Cyanobacteria b. Chlamydias c. Hyperthermophilic bacteria d. Low-GC Gram-positives e. High-GC Gram-positives

c. Hyperthermophilic bacteria

Where does meiosis take place in the moss life cycle? a. In the spores after being released by the sporophyte b. In the archegonium of the gametophyte generation c. In the sporangium at the time of spore formation d. In the antheridia and archegonia of the gametophyte generation

c. In the sporangium at the time of spore formation

Morphologically, archaea differ from bacteria because they lack peptidoglycan molecules in their cell walls. Archaea differ from eukarya because they lack membrane-bound nuclei. What can be concluded about when these two features evolved along the phylogenetic tree shown in the figure? a. Peptidoglycans evolved sometime between points 1 and 2, and membrane-bound nuclei evolved sometime between points 2 and 3. b. Peptidoglycans evolved sometime after point 2, and membrane-bound nuclei evolved sometime after point 3. c. Peptidoglycans evolved sometime between points 1 and 2, and membrane-bound nuclei evolved sometime before point 3. d. Peptidoglycans evolved sometime after point 3, and membrane-bound nuclei evolved sometime between points 2 and 3.

c. Peptidoglycans evolved sometime between points 1 and 2, and membrane-bound nuclei evolved sometime before point 3.

Which feature distinguishes protostomes from deuterostomes? a. Anterior brain b. Presence of mesoderm in embryonic development c. Position of blastopore in embryo d. Body plan symmetry

c. Position of blastopore in embryo

Which statement about the pressure flow model of fluid flow in phloem is true? a. Fluid can flow in any direction from an area of low pressure to an area of high pressure. b. Pressure is exerted on fluid in phloem by changes in water volume due to evaporation from stomata. c. Sucrose concentrations determine the direction of the fluid flow. d. Fluid always flows in a downward direction from high pressure to low pressure.

c. Sucrose concentrations determine the direction of the fluid flow.

If a plant's stomata were temporarily inhibited from opening during the daytime, how would this affect the plant? a. The plant would be unable to perform photosynthesis but would use macronutrients from the soil to contribute to the growth of the plant body. b. The plant would be unable to obtain O2, and the cells would suffocate because they could not perform cellular respiration. c. The plant would be unable to obtain CO2 to generate photosynthate and would not have the materials needed to add to the plant body. d. The plant would continue to perform photosynthesis and generate photosynthate to store for later use. e. The plant would be unable to perform cellular respiration, and cells would become starved for energy.

c. The plant would be unable to obtain CO2 to generate photosynthate and would not have the materials needed to add to the plant body.

Which statement regarding vascular plants is true? a. The earliest vascular plants had roots. b. The first vascular plants were aquatic. c. The tracheid is the principal water-conducting element of the xylem in nearly all vascular plants except the angiosperms. d. It is believed that vascular plants evolved from multiple evolutionary events. e. The evolution of the seed made the evolution of vessels possible.

c. The tracheid is the principal water-conducting element of the xylem in nearly all vascular plants except the angiosperms.

Which statement about ctenophores is true? a. They have all the same Hox genes that are found in other eumetazoans. b. They are asymmetric. c. They have a complete gut. d. They have complex life cycles. e. They are triploblastic.

c. They have a complete gut.

A gardener removes the terminal buds on a group of chrysanthemums but leaves all axillary buds intact. How is this likely to affect the plants? a. Their growth will accelerate. b. They will become taller and spindly. c. They will become shorter and bushier. d. Their growth will slow down. e. They will die.

c. They will become shorter and bushier.

In a diagram of a leaf, the outermost layer of cells would be the a. spongy mesophyll. b. palisade mesophyll. c. epidermis. d. cuticle. e. bundle sheath.

c. epidermis.

Because all animals must take in nutrients from their environment and digest their food internally, the term applied to the nutritional mode of animals is a. photoautotrophic. b. phagocytic. c. heterotrophic. d. photoheterotrophic. e. chemoautotrophic.

c. heterotrophic.

Meristems are a. major sites of photosynthesis. b. only present at the shoot apex. c. the location at which cell division takes place throughout the life of a plant. d. supporting tissues. e. dead cells.

c. the location at which cell division takes place throughout the life of a plant.

Which would you expect to increase the rate of water transport in a plant? a. Blockage of the stomata b. The removal of leaves and a seal of the excision sites c. An increase in humidity d. A rise in temperature

d. A rise in temperature

According to genetic evidence, two main lines of descent emerged from the last universal common ancestor. One of these lines gave rise to the a. Bacteria and Eukarya b. Eukarya, Bacteria, and Archaea c. Bacteria and Archaea d. Archaea and Eukarya

d. Archaea and Eukarya

Why were ribosomal RNA molecules (rRNA) so important in showing the relationships between organisms in the three domains? a. Because rRNA would likely have been moved between organisms via lateral gene transfer b. Because rRNA is found in only two of the domains and not in the third c. Because rRNA is easily purified from cells d. Because rRNA is basic to all cells and its sequence reveals phylogenetic information

d. Because rRNA is basic to all cells and its sequence reveals phylogenetic information

Why were ribosomal RNA molecules (rRNA) so important in showing the relationships between organisms in the three domains? a. Because rRNA would likely have been moved between organisms via lateral gene transfer b. Because rRNA is found in only two of the domains and not in the third c. Because rRNA is easily purified from cells d. Because rRNA is basic to all cells and its sequence reveals phylogenetic information

d. Because rRNA is basic to all cells and its sequence reveals phylogenetic information

Clostridium and Escherichia are both well-known genera of rod-shaped bacteria, but they are classified into different groups based on the distribution of peptidoglycan in their cell walls. If E. coli stains red during a Gram stain test, then we know that Clostridium, by contrast, is a. Gram-negative. b. one of the archaea. c. a eukaryote. d. Gram-positive. e. a spirochete.

d. Gram-positive.

Clostridium and Escherichia are both well-known genera of rod-shaped bacteria, but they are classified into different groups based on the distribution of peptidoglycan in their cell walls. If E. coli stains red during a Gram stain test, then we know that Clostridium, by contrast, is a. Gram-negative. b. one of the archaea. c. a eukaryote. d. Gram-positive. e. a spirochete.

d. Gram-positive.

Which are not monophyletic? a. Red algae b. Plants c. Diplomonads d. Microbial eukaryotes e. Animals

d. Microbial eukaryotes

Which are examples of source and sink cells in a plant? a. Source: immature leaf; sink: root b. Source: flower; sink: mature leaf c. Source: flower; sink: fruit d. Source: mature leaf; sink: fruit

d. Source: mature leaf; sink: fruit

What structures allow water vapor to escape the leaves of a plant? a. Mesophyll cells b. Leaf veins c. Cell walls d. Stomata

d. Stomata

How might the use of inorganic fertilizer to grow crops for biofuel be considered counterproductive? a. Compared to organic fertilizer, inorganic fertilizer requires additional processing by bacteria to become available for plant absorption and would limit the rate of biofuel production. b. The chemical composition of inorganic fertilizer cannot be adjusted to meet the needs of the biofuel crop plants. c. The fuel produced by a crop plant using inorganic fertilizer would be inferior in quality compared to fuel produced by a plant using organic fertilizer. d. The energy input required to create the fertilizer is not offset by the amount of energy manufactured into fuel by the plant. e. The source of the inorganic fertilizer is humus from the previous year and no longer contains the nutrients needed by the crop plants

d. The energy input required to create the fertilizer is not offset by the amount of energy manufactured into fuel by the plant.

What would a biologist look for in order to determine whether a chloroplast in a cell evolved as the result of primary endosymbiosis or secondary endosymbiosis? a. The size of the chloroplast b. The presence of chloroplast DNA c. The number of chloroplasts in a single cell d. The number of membranes in the chloroplast

d. The number of membranes in the chloroplast

What information provides the best evidence that a gene has been involved in a lateral gene transfer event? a. The gene plays a role in the construction of cell walls. b. The gene has a high GC content. c. The gene has a low GC content. d. The phylogeny reconstructed from the gene is very different from that reconstructed from most other genes. e. The phylogeny reconstructed from the gene is similar to that reconstructed from most other genes.

d. The phylogeny reconstructed from the gene is very different from that reconstructed from most other genes.

What information provides the best evidence that a gene has been involved in a lateral gene transfer event? a. The gene plays a role in the construction of cell walls. b. The gene has a high GC content. c. The gene has a low GC content. d. The phylogeny reconstructed from the gene is very different from that reconstructed from most other genes. e. The phylogeny reconstructed from the gene is similar to that reconstructed from most other genes.

d. The phylogeny reconstructed from the gene is very different from that reconstructed from most other genes.

Tree: 1. 2. 3. Annual rings: 10. 15. 7. How would the position of the vascular cambium in these three core samples compare? a. The vascular cambium would be in different positions relative to the stem center in all three cases, with increasing distances from tree 1 to 2 to 3. b. The vascular cambium would be in different positions relative to the stem center in all three cases, with increasing distances from tree 2 to 1 to 3. c. The vascular cambium would be in the same position relative to the stem center in all three trees. d. The vascular cambium would be in different positions relative to the stem center in all three cases, with increasing distances from tree 3 to 1 to 2.

d. The vascular cambium would be in different positions relative to the stem center in all three cases, with increasing distances from tree 3 to 1 to 2.

Which statement about prokaryotes is true? a. They comprise a single domain. b. Nearly all of them are pathogenic. c. They all use the same mechanism for deriving energy from the environment. d. They are the most numerous organisms on Earth. e. They all live in extreme environments.

d. They are the most numerous organisms on Earth.

A student views a cross section of a plant stem under a microscope. She decides that the plant must be a monocot because its vascular tissue a. contains phloem but not xylem. b. has vascular bundles arranged in a circle. c. contains xylem but not phloem. d. has vascular bundles scattered throughout. e. is arranged in vascular bundles.

d. has vascular bundles scattered throughout.

The sporophyte generation a. includes from the production of spores, through the adult multicellular haploid plant stage, to the production of gametes. b. produces gametes. c. is dependent on the gametophyte generation in vascular plants. d. includes from the zygote formation through the adult diploid plant stage. e. is the dominant generation in nonvascular plants.

d. includes from the zygote formation through the adult diploid plant stage.

A plant wilts when a. its average cell pressure potential is positive. b. water moves into the vacuole. c. the stomata are closed. d. its average cell pressure potential is zero. e. there is excess water in the soil.

d. its average cell pressure potential is zero.

The three major vegetative (nonsexual) organs of flowering plants are a. stems, flowers, and seeds. b. stems, leaves, and flowers. c. leaves, flowers, and seeds. d. roots, stems, and leaves. e. roots, stems, and flowers.

d. roots, stems, and leaves.

In a leaf, you would expect to find tracheids in the a. mesophyll layers. b. stomata. c. epidermis. d. veins. e. cuticle.

d. veins.

Which is not a component of prokaryotic cells? a. Ribosomes b. RNA polymerase c. Circular DNA d. RNA e. A membrane-enclosed nucleus

e. A membrane-enclosed nucleus

Which is not a component of prokaryotic cells? a. Ribosomes b. RNA polymerase c. Circular DNA d. RNA e. A membrane-enclosed nucleus

e. A membrane-enclosed nucleus

A flexible cell membrane makes which possible for protists? a. Development of a nucleus b. Development of endoplasmic reticulum c. Cytoskeletal evolution d. Ability to maintain osmotic balance in hypotonic conditions e. Endocytosis

e. Endocytosis

Which statement regarding osmosis is correct? a. It is the movement of solutes across a semipermeable membrane. b. It requires a direct input of energy. c. It is the movement ofwater across a membrane from high solute concentration to low solute concentration. d. It is facilitated in plant cells by pressure potential (turgor pressure). e. It is the movement of water across a membrane from low solute concentration to high solute concentration.

e. It is the movement of water across a membrane from low solute concentration to high solute concentration.

Which process would be least affected if a root cell experienced a reduction in ATP supply? a. The transport of Cl- ions through a symport protein b. The direction of ion flow into and out of the cell c. The movement of K+ ions through a potassium channel d. The pumping of protons to the outside of the cell e. The movement of water into the cortex

e. The movement of water into the cortex

The industrial production of nitrogen-containing fertilizer is currently limited by the a. limited supply of N2 gas. b. inability to insert nitrogenase genes into plants. c. lack of nitrogenase for the industrial process. d. need to exclude free oxygen in the process. e. large amount of energy required.

e. large amount of energy required.

Plants, most of which are autotrophs, acquire carbon from a. water. b. the soil. c. carbon-fixing prokaryotes. d. the sun. e. the air.

e. the air.