Chapter 1 Book questions

In a single season, a large virginia oyster can release 500 million eggs. However, only a small fraction of those eggs will become adult oysters. Which statement about Charles Darwin’s concept of natural selection best explains this observation?

• Nature selects the biggest offspring to survive

• Nature selects the best adapted offspring to survive

• Most oyster eggs are heavily affected by rising ocean temperatures

• Most oyster eggs are weak and likely to disintegrate

Brewer’s yeast (Saccaromyces cerevisiae) is single celled, eukaryotic, and makes a living by absorbing food that has been digested extra-cellularly. Into which kingdom should yeast be classified?

• Kingdom Plantae

• Kingdom Eukarya

• Kingdom Bacteria

• Kingdom Fungi

Phytoplankton in the ocean consists of free floating, photosynthetic organisms, which trophic level would be most directly affected by an oil spill damaging phytoplankton?

• Producer

• Decomposer

• Consumer

• Heat energy releasers

Homeostatic mechanisms help organisms maintain constant cellular conditions. Which is NOT an example of homeostasis?

• A leaf becomes scorched by too much sunlight

• A single-celled organism pumps out excess water

• A human sweats on a hot day

• A sea bird uses salt glands to remove excess salt from its body

Every multicellular organism starts out in life as a single cell. That cell has a set of DNA that will be copied into every new cell, so that all cells have the same DNA. However, different cells of a multicellular organism look different and perform different functions. What is responsible for these differences?

• As cells divide, they mutate and develop new traits, different from their parent cells

• Cells destroy unnecessary DNA in different cells

• Different sections of DNA are turned on in different cells.

• Differences in temperature change the expression of DNA in different cells

Living things respond to the environment through a combination of activities referred to as behavior. Which items are examples of behavior?

• A leaf turning to follow the sun

• A prairie dog darting into its burrow when it hears warning calls

• A photosynthetic protist swims toward sunlight

• All of the above

Biologists have observed different levels of organization within the hierarchy of life. Which description best summarizes the difference between the level referred to as a population and that of a community?

• Populations are larger than communities

• Populations contain members of only one species

• Communities are only found in terrestrial settings

• Communities are long lasting, while populations are temporary.

Using representations and models of biological processes is essential in trying to understand complex phenomena that occur in living things. Which items are examples of representations or models?

• A three dimensional model of DNA

• A computer video depicting cell division

• A flow chart describing the steps of photosynthesis

• All of the above