BIO 20 EXAM 1 ESSAY QUESTIONS: Four of these essay questions will be on the exam and you will choose
to write on three out of the four. Each of the three questions will be worth 10 exam points.
1.
A) State the names of the two types of the Earth’s crust, state which one is denser, and state the location on
Earth that the denser crust tends to be.
B) Describe how the sea floor spreads over time by describing the roles of mid-ocean ridges and trenches.
C) Explain why such a high number of earthquakes and volcanoes are located in the western region of the
Pacific Ocean.
2.
A) State the three areas that make up the continental margin. Where on the margin is each area located? Which
area is the most biologically rich (has the highest amount of living organisms)? Which area consists of
canyons that channel sediment? Which area is where sediment accumulates?
B) Describe where the abyssal plain is located and what it generally looks like.
3.
Describe the basic characteristics of the 3 states of water. To do this, describe:
1) which state of water has the fastest moving water molecules and which has the slowest.
2) which state has the highest number of hydrogen bonds and which has the lowest and why that is.
3) and which state has the highest density and which has the lowest and why that is.
4.
Explain why water can absorb a lot of heat without greatly increasing in temperature and why it takes a long
period of cold weather before a body of water freezes. Your answer should:
1) Explain how added heat affects hydrogen bonds when water is changing states.
2) Explain how hydrogen bonds allow water to absorb heat without greatly affecting its temperature
3) Explain how the number of hydrogen bonds in water affects its ability to maintain a constant temperature.
4) Explain why this property of water is especially important to marine organisms.
5. A) State the color of light that reaches the deepest depths and the color that reaches only the shallowest depths.
Also explain why many deep water organisms are red.
B) Explain how and why pressure changes with ocean depth. Also, describe how pressure changes affect marine
organisms.
6. A) Define what gyres are.
B) Describe how gyres are produced by describing:
1) how winds are produced and how they are affected by the Coriolis Effect.
2) how surface currents are produced and how they are affected by the Coriolis Effect.
C) Explain why surface temperature is higher on the western sides of the ocean basins.
7. A) Explain how tsunamis are produced and how rogue waves are produced.
B) State where tsunamis and where rogue waves do the most damage. (ex. near or far from land?)
C) Explain whether tsunamis or rogue waves tend to be more deadly and destructive and explain why.
8. A) Describe how high and low tides are produced on earth.
B) Explain what spring tides and neap tides are by stating for each:
1) the location of the moon and the sun and how that affects the strength of their gravitational pulls on the
water.
2) what type of tidal range occurs.
3) and what type of moon occurs.
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9. A) Give a brief physical description of the grunion and state where on our planet they are generally found.
B) Describe how grunion use the tides and discuss why using the tides may be an advantage for them.
C) State whether corals spawn during spring or neap tides and explain why they spawn during that particular
type of tide.
10. Describe how fuel is made from solar energy and how this fuel is then used to make organic matter (living
material). Your answer should briefly describe the inputs and outputs of photosynthesis and cellular
respiration.
11. Describe the different ways that organisms deal with changes in salinity. Your answer should describe how
osmoconformers and osmoregulators deal with salinity changes. Also, give one specific example of an
osmoregulator and describe how it deals with salinity changes.
12. Describe the different ways that organisms deal with temperature. Your answer should describe how the body
temperature and activity levels of ectotherms and endotherms are affected by external temperature change.
Also, state an advantage and disadvantage of being an ectotherm and state an advantage and disadvantage of
being an endotherm.
13. Describe the difference between asexual and sexual reproduction. State an advantage and disadvantage of
asexual reproduction. State an advantage and disadvantage of sexual reproduction.