BI 171 - First Exam - 2002

 

Multiple Choice.

Place the letter of the choice that best answers the question on the line to the left.
Two Points Each. NOTE: "e" answers are never the correct answer.

___C___ 1. An element in Column 7 of the Periodic Table will most likely exist in Nature as a(n)

                        a. +1 ion            b. Uncharged atom             c. -1 ion            d. Radioactive atom
                                                    e. Little lump of something-or-other

                        ...it is one shy of the stable full orbital of 8, so it will pick up one electron with
                                its extra negative charge

 

___D___ 2. The most important contribution of a control test is that it provides

                        a. Reproducibility            b. Logic            c. Measurements
                        d. A comparison                    e. Ummm, control?

                        ...that's pretty much its entire purpose - results get compared

 

___B___ 3. Uniformitarianism was a concept formed to explain

                        a. Extinct species                         b. Layers of sedimentary rocks
                        c. Evolution                                 d. Inheritance of traits
   
                                         e. How very long words are invented

                        ...calculating how long it took to make those layers depended
                            on assuming that the processes were steady and worked like
                            they do today

 

___D___ 4. The tendency of asexual reproducers to generate large numbers of offspring is
   
                                                 related to their

                       a. Size                 b. Need for variation            c. Adaptive ability
                       d. All of these                        e. General lack of self-esteem

                        ...you have to be small, it increases variation which increases adaptive
                                ability  (don't automatically assume all of these is always right, though)

 

___D___5. Solution A has a pH of 12. Solution B has a pH of 10. Of the two, Solution A is

                        a. Twice as acidic                                b. 100 times as acidic
                        c. Twice as basic                                 d. 100 times as basic
                                       e. English system, while B is metric system

                        ...each unit jump on the scale is a tenfold change - 2 units is 10 x 10;
                                going up from 7 is getting more basic

 

___B___6. Which of these is a hypothesis?

                        a. The dog looks bigger now than it did earlier
   
                           b. The dog does not like me
   
                           c. The dog is growling
   
                           d. The dog has very white teeth
   
                           e. Why am I still standing here??

                        ...a hypothesis is an explanation or idea.  The rest are observations.

 

___C___7. We know that a horse’s hoof is a version of a fingernail because the two are

                        a. Analogous only                         b. Both analogous and homologous
   
                          c. Homologous only                      d. Neither analogous nor homologous
                                    e. Equally attractive with a peach gloss

                        ...a hoof develops from the same claw-like structures as a nail, making
                            them homologous, but they have very different uses, so they are not
   
                         analogous

 

___B___8. Malthus’ ideas about how populations are controlled, which were used by Darwin
   
                                             when he developed his theories, were originally

                        a. Only about Nature                                         b. Really about humans
   
                         c. Dealt only with gradual changes                      d. All of these
   
                                                         e. Available only online

                        ...he obscured what could have been controversial criticisms about human
                            populations by making "Nature-based" points that could easily be
                            transferred to humans by the readers

 

___D___9. Almost all of the growth areas in current biology-related careers depend on a 
                                        day-to-day basis upon an intimate knowledge of

                        a. Evolution                     b. Ecology                     c. Classification
                        d. Molecules                             e. Various smells and slimes

                        ...it's all about the tiny bits

 

___D___10. The atomic number of any atom or ion matches the number of

                        a. Electrons                                             b. Protons plus neutrons
                        c. Valence electrons                                d. Protons
                                   e. Is this some sort of "pick a number" game?

                        ...protons determine that number and the elemental identity

 

___C___11. What term describes a role in an ecosystem that can be filled by some type of organism?

                        a. Community                 b. Species                    c. Niche
                        d. Variant                                e. Ecosystems have call sheets-?

                        ...just matching the definition to the term

 

___B___12. The first concept to challenge a widely-accepted interpretation of the Bible was

                        a. Genetics                 b. Extinction                c. Uniformitarianism 
                        d. Evolution                        e. Serpents are really cuddly

                        ...finding fossil animals that obviously weren't around any more
                            (by "first," it means first on this list - there were earlier challenges)

    

___A___13. Isotopes of an element vary due to

                        a. Neutron number             b. Proton number                c. Electron number
                        d. How the atoms are arranged            e. Different upbringing

                        ...just part of the definition

 

___A___14. A saturated version of a molecule would differ how from the unsaturated version?
   
                                     The saturated version would have

                        a. More hydrogens                             b. More double bonds
                        c. More covalent bonds                     d. Fewer hydrogens
   
                                                     e. A certain je ne sais quoi

                        ...it has as many atoms as it can carry - hydrogens where double bonds
                                could potentially be

 

___A___15. A two-atom stable molecule has a double bond in it. The participating elements
                                      should be

                        a. Both from Column 6
   
                          b. One from Column 6, one from Column 2
                        c. Both from Column 2
                        d. One from Column 7, one from Column 1
   
                          e. Very happy with each other

                        ...so each atom is stable from borrowing two electrons (the bonds) from
                                the other - each must have six electrons (8=stable)

 

___B___16. Quantitative data is preferred over qualitative data because it

                             a. Is the only type that can be collected in biology
   
                          b. Can be mathematically manipulated easier
   
                          c. Is the only type that can be reproduced
   
                          d. Can be used in a bigger study group
   
                          e. People really like those "n"-containing words much better

                        ...you can do stuff with numbers that qualitative / subjective data won't
                                allow for analysis

 

___D___17. Which best fits the terms?

                             a. Individuals have genomes, populations have genes, species have gene pools
   
                          b. Individuals have gene pools, populations have genomes, species have genes
   
                          c. Individuals and populations have gene pools, species have genomes
   
                          d. Individuals have genes, populations have gene pools, species have genomes
   
                          e. Denim must be quite popular in BiologyLand

                        ...a series of definitions

 

___C___18. Evolutionary rates are most likely to be

                        a. Slow and gradual    
                        b. Punctuated    
                        c. Patterned after environmental changes
                        d. Dictated by what the ultimate goal of the changes are
   
                          e. As difficult to understand as changes in the stock market

                        ...evolution is keyed to conditions - fast changes in environments spur
                            quicker evolutionary rates

 

 

Short Answer. 

Pick NINE questions to answer in the spaces provided.
NOTE
: if you answer MORE than nine, only the first nine will be corrected.
Four Points each. Partial credit is possible.

1. LaMarck had an idea, other than about passing on acquired characteristics, that still affects attitudes toward evolution today. What was it?

      ...the "drive toward perfection," the idea that evolution makes things better, that it's headed in a particular direction (and you get what you need when your need it)

 

2. Why did Avogadro come up with his Number? What’s it supposed to represent?

      ...when chemists used mole numbers based on atomic numbers, how many particle were involved?  The number represents that (notice you don't have to remember the actual number here, just know what it's supposed to be conceptually)

 

 

3. Briefly explain why ionic bonds rarely are found in biological compounds.

      ...ionic compounds usually dissociate in water - and living things are full of water.

 

 

4. Define confounding factors without using the words "confound" or "factor".

      ...things that influence the results of an experiment but which are not the experimental variables

 

 

5. What are two aspects of viruses that might indicate that they are not "officially" aliveThere are more than two...

No metabolism outside of host
Do not interact with environment.
Often not cellular.
No growth & development.

6. Briefly explain why Hydrogen bonds can vary widely in strength. (What causes this?)

      ...the attraction here is between partial changes, which vary widely in strength themselves

 

 

7. Place in order so each contains the groups that follow (Largest to Smallest): Community, Ecosystem, Individual, Population.
1.  ECOSYSTEM 2.  COMMUNITY 3.  POPULATION 4.  INDIVIDUAL
8. Give the general terms for the specific parts of this reaction:
                                                               LIGHT
         C6H12O6       +        O2                 ---------->               H2O        +                 CO2

        Reactants or Substrates           Contributor                         Products

9. The two most critical aspects that make a hypothesis legitimately scientific.
Should be predictive

 

Should be testable
10. For peer review:


How it       Produces quality control

helps

science:

How it      Can be resistant to new ideas,
can
hurt           slowing progress
science:
11. Briefly explain why evaporation is a cooling process.

      ...only the fastest / hottest molecules can break free of the liquid, leaving what's behind cooler

 

12. How did the concept of artificial selection fit into Darwin’s theories?

      ...he had seen a process by which a selection of breeders could change the basic type of the organism

 
13. What is an isomer?

      ...molecule with same atoms but different arrangement as another molecule

 

 

14. Briefly describe what happens during an ecological invasion. Use proper terms.

      ...a species from another ecosystem gets introduced and disrupts the new ecosystem by competing with the local inhabitants of their niche

 

 

15. What exactly is it about anecdotal evidence that makes it scientifically unreliable? This will be an explanation, not a definition.

      ...there's just not enough of it, it's too susceptible to chance

 

 

Long Answer. 

Select and answer completely any four of the following questions.
Note:
if you answer more than four, only the first four will be corrected.
Seven Points Each. Partial credit is possible.

1. Describe how, step-by-step according to Darwin’s Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection, a change in the environment "produces" a change in a resident species. There is no "set" number of steps, so don’t assume that from the number of lines below.

...individuals in the species better suited to the changed environment more often survive, reproduce, and pass on traits suited to this new environment...

...over time, the typical individual in the group reflects traits that suit the changed environment...

...the changes may be dramatic enough that the new group may be considered a new species


2. Determine from bonding properties what each of the atoms (Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen) is in the molecule and put the symbol in the box
Haven't figured out yet how to put these up here...

       ...in such a diagram, the number of bonds an atom has tells which atom it is, in the order HONC - 1 bond = Hydrogen, 2 = Oxygen, 3 = Nitrogen, 4 = Carbon

 

3. For sexual reproduction
Basic         
definition:     
                         
Offspring are a genetic mix from 2 sources
Advantage
over Asexual
Reproduction:
Produces much greater variety and adaptability in small groups
Evolutionary
Strategy for
Success:
Although possible with single "parents," separate genders increase variation potential even more
4. For the five Kingdoms identified in the textbook, give the name and the enough characteristics to clearly differentiate that Kingdom from all of the others.  This is now SIX Kingdoms.
MONERA

 

Prokaryotes, bacteria, widely distributed.
ARCHAEA

 

Prokaryotes, limited to extreme environments.
PROTISTA

 

Eukaryotes, unicellular or many very similar cells.
PLANTAE

 

Eukaryotes, multicellular, photosynthetic.
ANIMALIA

 

Eukaryotes, multicellular, food digested internally.
FUNGI

 

Eukaryotes, multicellular, food absorbed through surface.
5. According to your textbook, living things can be seen as representing four major themes. What are they?
Genetic Systems using DNA.

 

Dynamic Units, using & transforming energy (metabolism) in cells.

 

Interact with environment - sense & response.

 

Evolve.

 

6. For three different properties of water:
Property: How produced on molecular level:
 COHESION

 

Bipolarity attracts water molecules to each other.
ADHESION

 

Bipolarity attracts water molecules to many ions and molecules.
EXPANSION on FREEZING

 

Charge repulsion in close quarters pushes molecules apart as cold produces greater density, until expanded crystal structure forms.
HEATS / COOLS SLOWLY Heat must break cohesion before molecules significantly speed up;  molecule interactions do not release heat quickly.
DISSOLVES MANY THINGS Related to adhesion - bipolarity allows formation of hydration shells, which holds many ions & molecules floating.
7. This question is a bit backwards. Based upon the Hardy-Weinberg Principle, what are four things that will produce evolutionary change?
Natural Selection
Sexual Selection
Migration of groups members
Mutations
Small Group Size

NO KEY FOR BONUS QUESTIONS. 

Answer as many or as few as you wish. You can't lose points on the rest of the exam by getting these wrong. Partial credit is possible.

What’s a post-doc? Three Points.

 

 

Briefly describe any single study from the Mark of Cain handout. Four Points

 

 

What are the two definitions of vestigial? Two Points Each.

 

 

What happened to Wallace’s first major collection of field specimens? Three Points.

 

 

As a naturalist, Darwin investigated what type of organism in England? Three Points.

 

 

How can a trait be inherited if it is not genetic? Three Points.

 

 

How is water an example of emergent properties? Three Points

 

 

What is the second (non-radioactivity) meaning of half-life in Biology? Three Points.

 

 

What is a common role for Sulfur in a protein molecule? Three Points.

 

 

What is the historical progression of definitions for organic chemistry? Four Points.

 

 

 
 

Copyright 2003, Michael McDarby

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