BIO 20: FINAL EXAM STUDY GUIDE
Final exam point breakdown: 100 pts will cover all of the previous material & remaining student presentation
questions (scantron & essay questions)
50 pts will cover the new material (scantron questions)
150 pts total
The new material exam questions will be all scantron questions: multiple choice, matching and true/false (25
ques. @ 2 pts each)
The previous material exam questions and remaining student presentation question will be given as follows:
1) Scantron questions: multiple choice, matching and true/false (38 ques. @ 2 pts each) &
2) 4 essay questions (6 pts each)
The following information is what you should be familiar with in order to answer the scantron questions:
Information covered by Exam 1:
1. Locate the different sections of the sea floor and know general characteristics of each section
2. General characteristics of the three states of water
3. Different types of tides
4. The two ways organisms deal with salinity changes
5. The two ways organisms deal with temperature
Information covered by Exam 2:
1. General characteristics of cyanobacteria, diatoms, and dinoflagellates
2. General seaweed structure and function of these structures
3. General characteristics of the three seaweed phyla
4. General characteristics of the three types of land plants that are found in the marine environment
5. General characteristics of animal phyla (only to the phylum level)
Information covered by Exam 3:
1. General characteristics of the three classes of fishes
2. The life history, fertilization, and early development strategies of fishes
3. General characteristics of the three classes of vertebrates that we discussed
4. General characteristics of the four orders of marine mammals
5. Differences between the two groups of cetaceans
Information covered by Exam 4:
1. General characteristics of the different marine habitats that we discussed (be able to differentiate among the
different habitats)
2. General adaptations that organisms in each marine habitat tend to have
3. Physical and biological differences among the three zones of the intertidal habitat
I will choose 4 of the following previous material essay questions for the final exam (6 points each):
EXAM 1 ESSAYS:
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 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.
3. A) Describe how high and low tides are produced on earth.
B) Explain what spring tides and neap tides are by explaining when they occur, what type of tidal range occurs,
and what type of moon occurs.
4. Describe the difference between asexual and sexual reproduction. State an advantage and disadvantage of
asexual reproduction. State an advantage and disadvantage of sexual reproduction.
EXAM 2 ESSAYS:
1. A) State the subphylum that falls under the Phylum Chordata and includes tunicates (sea squirts).
B) Explain why animals in this specific subphylum fall under Phylum Chordata.
2. A) State the largest phylum of animals.
B) List two unique characteristics that distinguish this phylum from other phyla.
C) State the subphylum within this phylum that includes those that are adapted to live in water.
D) Lastly, list two animals that fall within this subphylum.
EXAM 3 ESSAYS:
1. A. Describe how warning, cryptic, and disruptive coloration each work in fishes.
B. Describe what countershading on a fish is, where a fish with countershading would most likely live and
why this type of coloration is advantageous when in this type of environment.
2. A. Describe three reasons, that we discussed, describing why predator/prey interactions are necessary to have
in a community.
B. Give an example of a predator in a marine community that we discussed. And describe the cascading
effects that occur when the predator is present versus no longer present in the community.
3. A. Name and describe the three types of symbiosis that interacting organisms display.
B. Name and describe the two outcomes of competition.
EXAM 4 ESSAYS:
1. List three problems that rocky intertidal organisms deal with in this habitat and describe one specific way
(adaptation) that organisms deal with the problems that you listed (1 adaptation per problem).
2. Describe three physical characteristics that influence kelp communities and three that influence coral reef
communities.
3. A. State in general where the epipelagic is located in the ocean
B. List two problems that epipelagic organisms deal with in this habitat and describe two specific ways
(adaptations) that organisms deal with the problems that you listed (2 adaptations per problem).
C. Describe what vertical migration of epipelagic organisms is and why many use this method.
4. Describe what El Niño is and why it occurs. Also, state three effects that El Nino has on weather and ocean
conditions.