Chapter 2
41. 42. As described in your textbook, a(n) _______________ is a portion of the DNA
molecule containing several base pairs that directs the production of a particular protein.
a. genome
b. codon
c. enzyme
d. gene
e. virus
42. A particular kind of protein within a DNA molecule that initiates and directs a chemical
reaction is known as a(n) _______________.
a. virus
b. enzyme
c. bacteria
d. platelet
e. antioxidant
43. Most DNA molecules, as pointed out in your textbook, do not float freely about in our
bodies, but are organized in structures called _______________ found in the nucleus of
each cell.
a. ribosomes
b. enzymes
c. proteins
d. chromosomes
e. genes
44. _______________avoided the most contentious question of human origins, limiting his
commentary to “ much light will be thrown on the origin of man and history.”
a. Desmond Morris
b. Ashley Montague
c. Charles Darwin
d. Herbert Wallace
e. Gregor Mendel
45. _______________ proposed a “flower clock” that could show the time of day according
to whether blossoms of particular species were open or shut.
a. Carolus Linneaus
b. Louis S. B. Leakey
c. Jane Goodall
d. Jennifer Thompson
e. Ruth Benedict
46. Which of the following represents how anthropologists study diversity of human
populations?
a. Anthropologists study clines, or the continuous gradation in the frequency of a trait
or allele over space.
b. Anthropologists are lobbying for federal soft monies that encourage them to establish
specific research agendas.
c. Anthropologists study the potentially destructive effects of the genetics revolution.
d. Anthropologists study health care issues.
e. none of the above
47. Which of the following forces works most directly to keep infant size matched to the size
of the human birth canal?
a. founder´s effect
b. stabilizing selection
c. genetic directionality
d. law of segregation
e. homologies
48. The three base sequence of a gene that specifies production of an amino acid.
a. condom
b. DNA
c. codon
d. alleles
e. ribosome
49. Which of the following is not one of the evolutionary forces that account for change in
the genetic composition of populations?
a. the genetic code
b. natural selection
c. gene flow
d. genetic drift
e. mutation
50. The specific portions of DNA molecules that direct the synthesis of the protein molecules
that make up all living organisms is/are known as _______________.
a. plasmas
b. chromosomes
c. ribosomes
d. hemoglobin
e. genes
51. _______________ are the smallest working unit in biological classificatory systems.
a. Generas
b. Species
c. Genes
d. Chromosomes
e. Enzymes
52. Environmental factors may increase the rate at which mutations occurs. These factors
would include which of the following?
a. certain dyes
b. antibiotics
c. chemicals in the preservation of food
d. radiation
e. All of the above factors increase the rate at which mutations occur.
53. In evolutionary terms _______________ is important because it keeps populations from
developing into separate species.
a. founder’s effect
b. transcription
c. gene flow
d. mitosis
e. adaptation
54. Human produced mutagens, such as pollutants, preservatives, cigarette smoke, radiation,
and some medicines, increasingly threaten people in industrial societies. According to the
text, the positive side of mutation appears in
a. X-Men
b. falciparum malaria
c. hemoglobin S
d. enzyme flow
e. independent assortment
Chapter 2
TRUE/FALSE
W 1. DNA was discovered by Charles Darwin.
W 2. Chromosomes are long strands of DNA combined with protein that can be seen under the
microscope in the cell nucleus.
W 3. You can always tell a person’s genotype from their phenotype.
W 4. In Charles Darwin’s library a copy of Mendel’s journal was found with evidence that it
had never been read.
W 5. With new discoveries, taxonomic categories have to be redrawn, but only after scientists
agree in their acceptance of a particular category.
6. Gene flow always occurs between populations of related organisms.
7. If five campers from Albany are killed in a chance avalanche, this event will have less
impact on the gene pool than if five food foragers from a band of 30 are killed in a
chance mudslide.
8. Charles Darwin was actually one of a number of scholars of the 19th century who were
thinking about evolution.
9. According to your textbook, Mendel discovered that inheritance is particulate, rather than
blending.
10. Genetic and fossil studies have shown that humans are more closely related to orangutans
and gibbons than they are to African apes (chimps, bonobos, and gorillas).
Genetics and Evolution
11. Your textbook states clearly that DNA molecules float freely around our bodies in a
chaotic and disorganized manner.
12. Humans are anthropoids.
13. Gregor Mendel’s findings on the basic laws of heredity were published in 1866 in a
respected, scientific journal and immediately the scientific community recognized the
significance of his findings.
14. Natural selection is often thought of as “survival of the fittest,” a phrase coined and used
by Darwin.
15. Even two unrelated genetic sequences will be 25 percent identical.
16. French scientist Rosalind Franklin pioneered work in DNA sequencing in 1955.
17. Over generations, the relative proportions of alleles in a population changes according to
the varying reproductive success of individuals with that population. So, by definition, it
can be said that individuals with more reproductive success are better adapted to their
environment.
18. Humans are the only species that has perfect DNA repair, thus when mutations arise they
are fixed immediately so that the species can continue to evolve.
19. Recent studies have shown that stress is not a factor in causing an increase in mutation
rates in humans.
20. Natural selection promotes change, and it is a stabilizing factor.
Chapter 2
46
MATCHING
Match the scientist with his contribution to the field of anthropology.
a. discovered how evolution worked
b. devised a system to classify living things
c. independently came up with the idea of how evolution worked.
d. experimented with garden peas to determine how various traits are passed from one generation
to the next.
e. although a pillar of 19th century British science, he failed to develop an acceptable theory of
evolution
1. ______ Thomas Henry Huxley
2. ______ Gregor Mendel
3. ______ Alfred Russell Wallace
4. ______ Charles Darwin.
5. ______ Carl von Linnẻ
Match the key term with its definition.
a. organized structures in the nucleus of each cell
b. possessing identical alleles for a specific gene
c. forms of genes located on paired chromosomes and the code for different versions of the same
trait
d. a particular kind of protein that initiates and directs chemical reaction
e. the cellular structure where translation of the directions found in codons into proteins occurs
f. the complete sequence of DNA
1. ______ enzyme
2. ______ genome
3. ______ ribosomes
4. ______ chromosomes
5. ______ alleles
6. ______ homozygous
Genetics and Evolution
SHORT ANSWER
1. When was the molecular basis of the gene known and how has our conception of genes
changed over time?
2. What do mitosis and meiosis have to do with growing and maintaining good health?
3. What does the Hardy-Weinberg Principle demonstrate and what is its relevance for the
study of evolution?
4. Why is mutation considered to be the ultimate source of evolutionary change?
5. What is the classification of humans?
6. Why is “natural selection” often thought of as “survival of the fittest”?
7. What does DNA stand for?
8. How many chromosomes are characteristic of human cells?
9. What is gene flow and what is its role in evolution?
10. How did Gregor Mendel contribute to our understanding of evolution?
11. From an evolutionary perspective, explain why sex is so popular among humans.
48
12. What is the relationship between random mutations and evolution?
13. Provide an example of Mendel’s “law of segregation.”
14. Why do characteristics controlled by multiple genes show a continuous range of variation
in their phenotype expression?
15. What characteristics define the hominid family?
16. Why is an understanding of the mechanics of heredity important to an understanding of
how evolution works?
17. Why is gene flow important in the evolutionary process?
18. What is the importance of knowing that humans, chimpanzees and the banana share a
remote common ancestry?
ESSAY
1. Describe the significance of sickle-cell for our understanding of evolution and the role of
culture in adaptation.
2. Describe stabilizing selection and critique the traditional assumption that the evolution of
life forms is characterized by steady progress.
3. Explain the difference between analogies and homologies and give specific examples of
each.
Genetics and Evolution
4. Explain the statement that evolution must be understood at the level of the population
rather than at the level of the individual.
5. What are the elements of evolution illustrated in the unusually large size of a kiwi egg?
6. Understanding how evolution works requires an understanding of the mechanics of
heredity, because heritable variation constitutes the raw material for evolution. Describe
the molecular level of the mechanics of heredity.
7. What evolutionary forces account for change in the genetic composition of populations?
How have the changes affected populations over time?
8. What are ethical, legal, and social implications of genetic research and new genetic
technology?
9. Explain the relationship between the origin of the discipline of biology, the theory of
evolution and the cultural changes in Europe during the early 19th century.
10. Define the Hardy-Weinberg principle and explain why it is significant in explaining
evolution.