Practice Exam 1
Below are sample questions from your book (all the answers are in the back). These are not necessarily
indicative of the specific material or types of questions that Dr. Raich will ask on the exam. Remember,
he wants you to be able to apply our knowledge of the material learned in class and from the book and
part of that comes from understanding the significance, application, and importance of that
information. Good luck!!
Text Chapters Covered: 1, section 4.2, 4.4, and 4.5 of chapter 4, 26, 27, 28
1. The endosymbiosis hypothesis explaining the evolution of eukaryotic cells is supported by
a. DNA-sequencing analysis comparing bacterial genomes, mitochondria genomes, and
eukaryotic nuclear genomes
b. Naturally occurring examples of endosymbiotic relationships between bacterial cells and
eukaryotic cells
c. The presence of DNA in mitochondria and chloroplasts
d. All of the above
e. A and B only
2. Which of the following is the correct order of the taxa used to classify organisms?
a. Kingdom, domain, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species
b. Domain, kingdom, class, phylum, order, family, genus, species
c. Domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, order, genus, species
d. Domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species
e. Kingdom, domain, phylum, order, class, family, species, genus
3. A taxon composed of all species derived from a common ancestor is referred to as
a. A phylum
b. A monophyletic group or clade
c. A genus
d. An out-group
e. All of the above
4. The goal of modern taxonomy is to
a. Classify all organisms based on morphological similarities
b. Classify all organisms in monophyletic groups
c. Classify all organisms based solely on genetic similarities
d. Determine the evolutionary relationships between similar species
e. None of the above
5. Cyanobacteria play what ecological role?
a. Producers
b. Consumers
c. Decomposers
d. Parasites
e. None of the above
6. By means of what process do populations of bacteria or archaea increase their size?
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
a. Mitosis
b. Meiosis
c. Conjugation
d. Transduction
e. None of the above
By what means to bacterial cells acquire new DNA?
a. By conjugation, the mating of 2 cells of the same bacterial species
b. By transduction, the injection of viral DNA into bacterial cells
c. By transformation, the uptake of DNA from the environment
d. All of the above
e. None of the above
Genetic diversity is maintained in bacterial populations by all of the following except
a. Binary fission
b. Mutation
c. Transformation
d. Transduction
e. Conjugation
A bacterial species that becomes resistant to certain antibiotics may have acquired the
resistance genes from another bacterial species. The phenomenon of acquiring genes from
another organism without being the off spring of that organism is known as
a. Hybridization
b. Integration
c. Horizontal gene transfer
d. Vertical gene transfer
e. Competence
The process where living organisms maintain a relatively stable internal condition is
a. Adaptation
b. Evolution
c. Metabolism
d. Homeostasis
e. Development
Populations of organisms change over the course of many generations. Many of these changes
result in increased survival and reproduction. This phenomenon is
a. Evolution
b. Homeostasis
c. Development
d. Genetics
e. Metabolism
Which of the following would be an example of horizontal gene transfer?
a. The transmission of an eye color gene from father to daughter
b. The transmission of a mutant gene causing cystic fibrosis from father to daughter
c. The transmission of a gene conferring pathogenicity from one bacterial species to another
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
d. The transmission of a gene conferring antibiotic resistance from a mother cell to its 2
daughter cells
e. All of the above
The complete genetic makeup of an organism is called
a. The genus
b. The genome
c. The proteome
d. The genotype
e. The phenotype
A proposed explanation for a natural phenomenon is
a. A theory
b. A law
c. A prediction
d. A hypothesis
e. An assay
The cell doctrine states
a. All living things are composed of cells
b. Cells are the smallest units of living organisms
c. New cells come from pre-existing cells by cell division
d. All of the above
e. A and b only
The branch points or nodes in a phylogenetic tree depict which of the following?
a. Anagenesis
b. Cladogenesis
c. Horizontal gene transfer
d. A and b only
e. B and c only
Which of the following characteristics is not shared by prokaryotes and eukaryotes?
a. DNA is the genetic material
b. Messenger RNA encodes the information to produce proteins
c. All cells are surrounded by a plasma membrane
d. The cytoplasm is compartmentalized into organelles
Which of the following features is common to prokaryotic cells?
a. A nucleus, featuring a nuclear envelope with pores
b. Mitochondria
c. Plasma membrane
d. Mitotic spindle
19. In science, a theory should
a. be equated with knowledge.
b. be supported by a substantial body of evidence.
c. provide the ability to make many correct predictions.
d. all of the above.
e. b and c only.
20. What is the purpose of using a control in scientific experiments?
a. A control allows the researcher to practice the experiment first before actually conducting
it.
b. A researcher can compare the results in the experimental group and control group to
determine if a single variable is causing a particular outcome in the experimental group.
c. A control provides the framework for the entire experiment so the researcher can recall the
procedures that should be conducted.
d. A control allows the researcher to conduct other experimental changes without disturbing
the original experiment.
e. All of the above are correct.
21. The study of biological diversity based on evolutionary relationships is
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
paleontology.
evolution.
systematics.
ontogeny.
both a and b.
22. The evolutionary history of a species is its
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
ontogeny.
taxonomy.
evolution.
phylogeny.
embryology
23. What is unusual about mixotrophs?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
They have no plastids, but they occur mixed in communities with autotrophs.
They have mixed heterotrophic and autotrophic nutrition.
Their cells contain a mixture of red and green plastids.
Their cells contain a mixture of haploid and diploid nuclei.
They consume a mixed diet of algae.
24. What are the two alternate hosts of the malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
humans and ticks
ticks and mosquitoes
humans and Anopheles mosquitoes
humans and all types of mosquitoes
sporophytes and gametophytes