Anti-evolutionary thinkers sometimes argue that natural selection could not produce a
complex structure like the vertebrate eye. They claim that all of the parts of the eye
must have arisen at once, asking why natural selection would favor the development of
part of an eye that is not yet capable of forming a focused image. Which of the
following statements is consistent with a survey of eye structure in the molluscs?
A) The argument has a great deal of merit. Only full-blown image-forming eyes are
present in modern organisms.
B) There are many intermediate stages of eye complexity that fulfill different adaptive
functions.
C) The vertebrate eye is the ancestral form, and other types of organisms have
degenerate eyes that have lost most of their original structure and function.
D) The vertebrate eye works in a way that is completely different from the eyes found
in molluscs and other invertebrates.
The envelope of a mumps virus
A) helps the virus enter the cell.
B) is coded by host genes.
C) helps the virus insert its DNA into the host cell genome.
D) accounts for viral resistance to antibiotics.
By far the largest number of extant fish species on Earth have
A) a cartilaginous skeleton.
B) rasping tongues to enhance their parasitic behavior.
C) an operculum and swim bladder.
D) high economic importance for their skin, which can be made into faux leather.
A physician sees a new patient who is 25 years old. The patient reports that she has
been experiencing recurrent ear, nose, and throat infections since she was about 5 years
old. The infections last for long periods of time and are difficult to treat. The physician
suspects that the patient may have
A) an autoimmune disorder.
B) an allergic reaction.
C) an immunodeficiency disorder.
D) abnormal levels of allergens.
Which part of this diagram of the human brain depicts the cerebellum?
A) part A
B) part B
C) part C
D) part D
Which of the following cells has the greatest surface-to-volume ratio?
A) bacterium
B) human red blood cell
C) human muscle cell
D) ostrich egg
High-fructose corn syrup is made from corn. The main carbohydrate in corn is a
polysaccharide called
A) fructose.
B) starch.
C) hydrocarbon.
D) cellulose.
Camouflage typically evolves as a result of
A) predation.
B) interspecific competition.
C) mutualism.
D) herbivory.
Which of the following is a type of connective tissue?
A) plasma
B) adipose tissue
C) epithelial tissue
D) muscle tissue
When DNA molecule “A” is cut with the restriction enzyme EcoRI, it is cut into four
pieces. When DNA molecule “B,” which is exactly identical to DNA molecule “A”
except for the presence of one SNP, is cut with EcoRI, it is cut into three pieces. What is
the best explanation for this observation?
A) The SNP occurs in all EcoRI restriction sites in DNA molecule “B.”
B) The SNP occurs in a single EcoRI restriction site in DNA molecule “B.”
C) Not enough EcoRI was used to cut DNA molecule “B.”
D) An excess of EcoRI was used to cut DNA molecule “A.”
In the lab, you use a special balloon that is permeable to water but not sucrose to make
an “artificial cell.” The balloon is filled with a solution of 20% sucrose and 80% water
and is immersed in a beaker containing a solution of 40% sucrose and 60% water.
Which of the following will occur?
A) Water will leave the balloon.
B) Water will enter the balloon.
C) Sucrose will leave the balloon.
D) Sucrose will enter the balloon.
In plants, the process of photosynthesis produces glucose (C6H12O6) and oxygen from
carbon dioxide and water. Which of the following statements about photosynthesis is
true?
A) All of the carbon atoms from the carbon dioxide atoms are found in glucose.
B) More atoms are present at the beginning than at the end.
C) More carbon dioxide is released from the plant than is absorbed.
D) Water is synthesized by the plant from H2 and O2.
Which part of a bone contains mostly stored fat?
A) red bone marrow
B) fibrous connective tissue
C) spongy bone
D) yellow bone marrow
Which of the following statements is false?
A) Stalks of celery are the petioles of the plant.
B) White potatoes are modified plant roots.
C) A carrot is an example of a taproot.
D) The layers of an onion are actually modified leaves.
Independent orientation of chromosomes at metaphase I and random fertilization are
most like
A) shuffling cards and dealing out hands of poker.
B) cutting up a pie into eight even-sized slices.
C) alphabetizing files in a filing cabinet.
D) pairing up similar socks after washing your clothes.
As a scientist employed by the FDA, you’ve been asked to sit on a panel to evaluate a
pharmaceutical company’s application for approval of a new weight loss drug called Fat
Away. The company has submitted a report summarizing the results of their animal and
human testing. In the report, it was noted that Fat Away works by affecting the electron
transport chain. It decreases the synthesis of ATP by making the mitochondrial
membrane permeable to H+, which allows H+ to leak from the intermembrane space to
the mitochondrial matrix. This effect leads to weight loss.
You predict that a side effect of Fat Away will be
A) increased production of NADH.
B) increased production of pyruvate.
C) increased production of lactate.
D) increased body temperature.
The enzyme that converts information stored in RNA to information stored in DNA is
A) DNA ligase.
B) reverse transcriptase.
C) a restriction enzyme.
D) RNA polymerase.
If A is dominant to a and B is dominant to b, what is the expected phenotypic ratio of
the cross AaBb x AaBb?
A) 16:0:0:0
B) 8:4:2:2
C) 1:1:1:1
D) 9:3:3:1
A physical or chemical agent that changes the nucleotide sequence of DNA is called
a(n)
A) terminator.
B) transposon.
C) mutagen.
D) anticodon.
Which of the following organisms contain the polysaccharide chitin?
A) animals and plants
B) plants and bacteria
C) fungi and insects
D) insects and plants
A 20-foot-tall tree that seemed to have stopped growing was cut down by the forester
who had planted it 43 years earlier, who was concerned that it might be diseased.
Measurements over the past 10 years had shown that the tree’s height varied only 2 or 3
inches each year, some years with a height increase and some years with a height
decrease. Other data indicated that the tree had 41 rings of similar width and had
produced similar numbers of nuts every year for the last 30 years. Based on these data,
which conclusion was most likely a part of the forester’s report on the tree’s health?
A) All growth in this tree stopped 10 years ago.
B) This was a healthy tree that had reached its mature height but otherwise continued
normal growth.
C) Overactivity of the tree’s apical meristems likely caused the stunted growth.
D) The tree did not grow taller because it was putting all of its energy production into
nut production.
Which of the following attaches the forelimbs to the axial skeleton in a human?
A) pectoral girdle
B) pelvic girdle
C) vertebra
D) appendicular skeleton
Which of the following would be additional evidence that one of the functions of skin is
the synthesis of vitamin D?
A) Vitamin D levels are higher in people who take supplements, such as multivitamins.
B) Vitamin D levels are lower in people who wear sunscreen.
C) Cancer rates are higher in people with more sun exposure.
D) People living in the tropics are vitamin D deficient.
As ice melts,
A) hydrogen bonds are broken.
B) water molecules become less tightly packed.
C) the water becomes less dense.
D) heat is released.
Which of the following statements best summarizes the difference between ectothermic
and endothermic organisms?
A) Ectotherms are warm-blooded, but endotherms are cold-blooded.
B) Endotherms are warm-blooded, but ectotherms are cold-blooded.
C) Endotherms control their temperature, but ectotherms have no control over their
temperature.
D) Ectotherms absorb external heat, but endotherms use metabolic heat to maintain a
warm, steady body temperature.
RNA interference (RNAi) can be used by
A) researchers to induce the production of more mRNA.
B) researchers to artificially turn on gene expression.
C) viruses to stop the production of new proteins.
D) cells to prevent infections from double-stranded RNA viruses.
The mechanism that “breaks” the linkage between linked genes is
A) pleiotropy.
B) codominance.
C) independent assortment.
D) crossing over.
Metabolic activities that involve “burning” carbohydrates release energy. When our
bodies “burn” carbohydrates, what are we doing?
A) transferring some energy from the carbohydrate molecule to other molecules and
releasing lower energy food molecules into the alimentary canal
B) breaking down food molecules into smaller molecules such as simple sugars that
have more energy than the original food molecule and can be used in the cell more
easily
C) transferring energy from the bonds in food molecules to molecules that make that
energy more readily available (like ATP) and releasing simple low-energy molecules
(like CO2 and H2O) to the environment
D) breaking down carbohydrate molecules to smaller components that are then used to
build larger molecules that the body needs
Which of the following statements about the reproductive system of human females is
true?
A) In human females, eggs develop within the uterus.
B) The corpus luteum secretes progesterone, which helps maintain the uterine lining
during pregnancy.
C) After nine months of development, an embryo is called a fetus.
D) The cervix is an important structure of sexual arousal.
Your friend is complaining of middle back pain. She also says that she hurts the most
near her spine. What part of her back may have been injured?
A) cervical vertebrae
B) sacral vertebrae
C) lumbar vertebrae
D) thoracic vertebrae
The Monterey pine and the Bishop’s pine inhabit some of the same areas of central
California. The Monterey pine releases pollen in February, while the Bishop’s pine does
so in April. This is an example of ________ isolation.
A) postzygotic
B) temporal
C) habitat
D) mechanical