Taxonomy and Virus

A team of students encounters an unknown organism in a field while conducting a biodiversity study. Some students think the organism is a plant, while others think it is a fungus. Which question should the students investigate to classify the organism correctly?

• Is there a cell wall around the cells of the organism?

• Does the organism perform photosynthesis?

• Is there nervous tissue present in the organism?

• Does the organism reproduce sexually?

A student produces a labeled drawing of a virus for a presentation. The student states that the capsid has a function similar to the nuclear membrane found in animal cells. Which of these describes the similar functions of capsids and nuclear membranes?

• Both transport proteins throughout the structures.

• Both provide energy for activities in the structures.

• Both protect genetic information for the structures.

• Both code for the proteins needed for reproduction of the structures.

Many tree frog populations are threatened due to habitat loss. In an effort to promote conservation, tree frogs may be bred in captivity. A zoo acquired male and female tree frogs from two different populations. In the zoo, the tree frogs were able to successfully mate within their own population, but breeding attempts between the two populations were unsuccessful. Based on this information, which statement correctly describes the relationship between the two populations of tree frogs?

• They are in the same species but different kingdoms.

• They are in the same class but different phyla.

• They are in the same family but different orders.

• They are in the same genus but different species.

Which of these components are found in the cells of ALL living organisms?

• Estrogen and testosterone

• Hemoglobin and lymphocytes

• Cytosine and guanine

• Cellulose and chlorophyll

In 1898 Friedrich Loeffler and Paul Frosch found evidence that the cause of the highly contagious hoof-and-mouth disease in livestock was a microscopic infectious particle. It was discovered that this particle requires a host cell to reproduce. Which pathogen is most likely responsible for causing hoof-and-mouth disease in livestock?

• A bacterium, because it is contagious

• A fungus, because it infects livestock

• A protist, because it is microscopic

• A virus, because it requires a host cell to reproduce

What characteristic is shared by all members of the animal kingdom?

• Ability to perform photosynthesis

• Presence of a cell wall

• Being multicellular and heterotrophic

• Having a fixed shape and size

In the 1880s, Louis Pasteur developed a method of weakening viruses. The weakened viruses could be injected into healthy individuals. How is this method effective in fighting viral diseases?

• The immune system develops antibodies in response to the weakened viruses.

• The weakened viruses attach to unaffected viruses in the host and interrupt the viral reproductive cycle.

• The rate of genetic mutation in the host is decreased due to the introduction of weakened viruses.

• Weakened viruses are unable to enter the host organism.

If two organisms are in the same phylum, they must also be in the same:

• class

• species

• family

• kingdom

What are common features found in both protists and animals?

• Eukaryotic characteristics
• Cell wall made of chitin
• Photosynthetic characteristics
• Unicellular structure

The gray squirrel, Eastern fox squirrel, and red squirrel are all different species of squirrels. Why is having a scientific name for each species of an organism important?

• To prevent existing named organisms from having their names changed as they become extinct

• To keep the classification system from being altered as new organisms are discovered

• To allow organisms to be placed in many classification levels at the same time

• To standardize the naming and organization of organisms to avoid confusion