Evolution Test Practice Quiz

What evidence supports the idea that early cells used RNA instead of DNA?

• RNA's ability to form proteins

• RNA's ability to catalyze its own replication

• RNA's ability to store energy

• RNA's ability to transport nutrients

What does the acronym LUCA stand for in the context of evolutionary biology?

• Last Universal Common Ancestor

• Least Uncommon Cellular Ancestor

• Latest Universal Cellular Ancestor

• Last Uncommon Common Ancestor

What is LUCA a reference to in terms of life on Earth?

• The first life on Earth

• The most recent common ancestor for all life

• The first eukaryotic cell

• The first prokaryotic cell

What benefit did the prokaryotes provide to the host cell in the endosymbiotic relationship?

• Genetic diversity

• Photosynthesis or aerobic respiration

• Structural support

• Protein synthesis

Which cellular structures are mentioned as forming through membrane infolding in eukaryotic evolution?

• Ribosomes and lysosomes

• Golgi apparatus and vacuoles

• Endoplasmic reticulum and nucleus

• Cell wall and chloroplasts

Which of the following is a similarity between mitochondria, chloroplasts, and prokaryotes that supports the endosymbiotic theory?

• They have linear DNA.

• They divide by mitosis.

• Their inner membranes resemble eukaryotic cell membranes.

• They have circular DNA.

What type of protein synthesis system do mitochondria and chloroplasts possess?

• They rely on the host cell's ribosomes.

• They have their own system similar to eukaryotes.

• They have their own system similar to prokaryotes.

• They do not synthesize proteins.

Which type of mutations are inherited?

• Mutations in somatic cells

• Mutations in gametes or germline cells

• Mutations in skin cells

• Mutations in muscle cells

What are beneficial mutations called?

• Maladaptations

• Adaptations

• Neutral changes

• Genetic disorders

What is a molecular clock used for?

• To measure the age of fossils

• To compare the evolution of biological molecules

• To determine the speed of light

• To track the movement of tectonic plates