BIO 101 POTENTIAL ESSAY QUESTIONS FOR EXAM II
Refer to “Maryland Statewide English Composition “C” Standards for essay writing” for
guidance. You are encouraged to make use of the tutors in the Reading/Writing Center for help
with English composition skills.
1. Explain the advantages of sexual reproduction over asexual reproduction, in terms of
survival of the species. Give examples (Hypothetical or real) to support your
statements.
2. Some individuals harbor a fear of biotechnology. Are their fears warranted? Give at
least one example of a well-founded fear of biotechnology and at least one example
of a way in which biotechnology enhances the quality of life.
3. Two fruit flies are crossed several times, with a total number of offspring of 106
females and 48 males. There is too great a deviation from the expected 1:1 ratio for
chance alone to account for the difference. What other genetic factor(s) could
account for this difference?
4. How is it possible to resemble one grandparent more than the others? Explain your
answer by using an example, hypothetical or real and demonstrate the outcomes using
Punnett Squares.
5. Queen Victoria, ruler of England from 1837 to 1901, was a carrier of hemophilia, a
blood disease caused by a genetic defect. The disease was primarily found only in
males. Why? Diagram a cross between two healthy parents that could result in a son
with hemophilia.
6. Use all of the following terms to construct a paragraph describing the process by
which an organism manifests genetic traits (Hint: include the definitions and/or
functions of the terms. Examples are also welcome):
DNA
genes
protein
enzyme
chemical reaction
product
physical trait