BIOL 204 Book Questions Test One - Flashcards

question

What is the appropriate term for an interacting group of individuals of a single type occupying a defined area?

answer

population

question

With evolution as the core theme of biology, we can explain traits shared by organisms as evidence of __________ and traits that differ among organisms as evidence of __________.

answer

descent from a common ancestor; adaptation thru natural selection

question

Feedback regulation includes __________.

answer

both negative feedback where pathway shuts down and positive feedback where the pathway speeds up

question

Which of the following is an attribute of living things?

answer

must be able to evolve and adapt

question

The information in a gene that directs the production of a cellular product is gene expression. The correct sequence for the transfer of information from a gene to a function protein is __________.

answer

transcription, translation, protein folding

question

The genetic material within cells is called __________ and is organized into structures called __________.

answer

DNA; chromosomes

question

A nonlinear, realistic model of the scientific process is called the process of science. The core activity of this process is __________.

answer

forming and testing hypotheses

question

What is the molecule that can account for both the unity and the diversity of life?

answer

DNA

question

A hypothesis must be testable and falsifiable to be scientifically valid. Being testable and falsifiable means that __________.

answer

some conceivable observation or experiment could reveal whether a given hypothesis is incorrect

question

Some properties and processes that are associated with life include all of the following except _____________.

answer

reductionism

question

The use of energy by living organisms __________.

answer

involves chemical cycling from light energy from the sun for the production of chemical energy in food to the decomposition and returning of chemicals to the cycle

question

Which series of terms is in the correct sequence of biological organization, from the simplest to the most complex?

answer

Cell, tissue, organ, population, community

question

The two main forms of cells are __________ cells.

answer

prokaryotic and eukaryotic

question

Using models that represented camouflaged and non-camouflaged mice, Hoekstra and her students tested the hypothesis that coloration of beach and inland mice provides camouflage that protects them from predation. Regardless of whether the models were placed in the beach or the inland habitat, the camouflaged model always acted as the __________ group.

answer

control

question

How is the information encoded in DNA actually used by organisms?

answer

info in DNA is transcribed to RNA and then translated into protein

question

Regulation of molecules within an organism in response to a changing level of chemicals and the ability to self-regulate is called __________.

answer

feedback regulation

question

The energy used by most organisms for metabolism and growth ultimately comes from __________.

answer

the sun

question

The fundamental organizing principle of biology and core theme is __________.

answer

evolution

question

The best method for determining whether bean plants require sodium is to __________.

answer

grow beans with and w/o sodium

question

The process that directs the manufacture of a cell product from a gene is called __________.

answer

gene expression

question

Natural selection tends to act at which of the following levels?

answer

population

question

Which of the following statements best describes what is meant by "emergence"?

answer

The whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

question

Which of the following observations and inferences led Charles Darwin to his theory of natural selection as a mechanism for evolution?

answer

Darwin synthesized his theory of natural selection from all of the listed observations and inferences.

question

Some properties and processes that are associated with life include all of the following except _____________.

answer

reductionism

question

Which of the following statements is most clearly inductively derived?

answer

If the animals observed require organic molecules as nutrients, then it can be concluded that all animals require organic molecules as nutrients.

question

Which of the following is the smallest unit of organization that can perform all activities required for life?

answer

cell

question

The concept of "descent with modification" was proposed by __________.

answer

Darwin

question

the three domains of life are

answer

bacteria, archaea, eukarya

question

The region that transitions between a river and the sea is called a(n) __________.

answer

estuary

question

The movement of individuals or gametes away from their areas of origin or from centers of high population density is called _________.

answer

dispersal

question

Cattle egrets, originally only found in Africa and southwestern Europe, can now be found in North America, due to which of the following?

answer

dispersal

question

In a rather infamous case of species transplantation, starlings were introduced into North America from Europe in 1890 by an eccentric Shakespeare fan. Though the actual range of starlings was originally in the eastern hemisphere, it is clear that North America was part of its __________ range.

answer

potential

question

An immature frog (a tadpole) lives in a pond or lake. However, the adult frog possesses special adaptations that permit it to survive in a terrestrial environment. These special adaptations __________.

answer

help prevent the adult frog's body from drying out

question

A large stone or log that shelters animals from extreme temperatures and moisture is called a(n) _________.

answer

microclimate

question

Terrestrial biomes include all of the following regions except the _________ region.

answer

limnetic

question

The term that describes a lake that is nutrient-rich and oxygen-poor is __________.

answer

eutrophic

question

The region that is characterized by a vast realm of open, blue water is called the _________ zone.

answer

oceanic pelagic

question

Bodies of water tend to moderate climate because __________.

answer

the hydrogen bonding in water gives it a high specific heat

question

Why are many of the world's deserts located at latitudes between 30°N and 30°S?

answer

Dry air, originating at the equator, descends toward Earth's surface between 30°N latitude and 30°S latitude.

question

An ecologist might conduct research to answer which of the following questions?

answer

How do tapeworms adapt to life in the human intestine?

question

A thermocline is a ____________.

answer

narrow layer of abrupt temperature change in most lakes and the ocean

question

North American and African desert plants have similar features but different evolutionary paths due to __________.

answer

convergent evolution

question

After nutrient enrichment from sewage contamination, a lake often becomes inhospitable to fish. Why?

answer

Nutrient input to the lake causes the explosive growth of algae and cyanobacterial populations. Decomposition of dead algae and cyanobacteria by bacteria results in the depletion of oxygen in the water, which leads to the death of fish.

question

Which choice below describes a feature of grassland that explains why its remnants are concentrated in arid regions of North America and central Asia?

answer

The soil is fertile and most grassland has been converted to farmland.

question

Communities that exist in the aphotic zone ultimately depend on food manufactured by chemoautotrophic bacteria or ___________.

answer

algae and cyanobacteria that live in the photic zone

question

Zonation in aquatic zones includes all of the following except the ________ zone.

answer

detritus

question

Temperature, precipitation, sunlight, and wind are the major components of __________.

answer

climate

question

Below the photic zone of the ocean, __________.

answer

food chains are detritus-based

question

A population that grows rapidly at first and then levels off at carrying capacity can be modeled __________.

answer

by a logistic equation

question

The concept that summarizes the aggregate land and water area required by each person to produce all resources he or she needs and absorb all waste he or she produces is called the _________.

answer

ecological footprint

question

What absolutely essential resource is likely to limit the carrying capacity of Earth for humans?

answer

water

question

Organisms that live in a homogenous abiotic environment and cooperate to avoid being eaten would likely show a(n) __________ pattern of dispersion.

answer

clumped

question

Although there are organisms whose life histories fall somewhere between iteroparity and semelparity, life history always represents a trade-off. Why is this?

answer

the energy cost of reproduction is high, so there are not enough resources to reproduce often, produce many offspring, and take care of them

question

Chimpanzees have a relatively low birth rate. They care for their young, and most chimps live a long life. The chimp survivorship curve would look like ___________.

answer

a relatively flat line that drops steeply at the end

question

__________ is reproduction where adults produce offspring over many years.

answer

Iteroparity

question

An antagonistic social interaction used to defend a bounded physical space is called __________.

answer

territoriality

question

The difference between density and dispersion is that __________.

answer

density is the number of individuals of a population in a unit area whereas dispersion is the pattern of spacing of individuals of the population

question

Fluctuations in the numbers of individuals in a population from year to year are called _________.

answer

population dynamics

question

A particular environmental change causes the deaths of 25 individuals in a herd of 100 wild horses, and it kills 50 individuals in a herd of 200 horses. In this case, the growth of a wild horse population is most likely limited by __________. (Assume that the two herds are found in territories of equal size.)

answer

a density-independent factor

question

Life history traits that are favored at high population densities are known as _________.

answer

k-selection

question

The selective pressures of having a large brood of offspring to care for, as in the kestrel experiment, _________.

answer

lower the survival rates of the parents

question

A population that is growing logistically __________.

answer

grows fastest at an intermediate population density

question

An oak tree produces thousands of acorns, but very few grow into mature oak trees. The oak tree exhibits a __________ survivorship curve.

answer

Type III

question

Mechanisms of density-dependent selection includes all of the following except _______.

answer

the size of the brood

question

A survivorship curve that represents high death rates for the young is a ________ curve.

answer

Type III

question

_________ describes an organism that reproduces once in its lifetime.

answer

semelparity

question

A newly mated queen ant founds a nest in an unoccupied patch of suitable habitat. Assuming that no disasters strike the nest, which of the following types of equations is likely to best describe the population growth of the new colony?

answer

logistic

question

Herring gulls fiercely defend the areas around their nests in cliff-top breeding colonies. Within the colony they would show a __________ dispersion pattern.

answer

uniform

question

The maximum population size that a particular environment can sustain is called the _________.

answer

carrying capacity

question

Life history traits that are favored in uncrowded environments are known as _________.

answer

r-selection

question

A group of individuals of a single species living in the same general area is called a _________.

answer

population

question

No population can grow indefinitely. The ultimate size of any population is limited by __________.

answer

carrying capacity of its environment

question

The difference between immigration and emigration is that _________.

answer

immigration is influx of new from other areas; emigration is movement away from a population

question

A graph that plots the numbers of individuals who are alive at particular ages is called _________.

answer

survivorship curve

question

Life tables typically follow the fate of a cohort, a __________.

answer

group of individuals who are the same age

question

Assuming that r has a positive value, in the formula dN/dt = rmaxN (K - N)/K, the factor rN tends to cause the population to __________.

answer

grow increasingly rapidly

question

Which of the following would most likely be an example of a density-independent factor limiting population growth?

answer

daily temp extremes

question

A group of populations of different species living close enough to interact is called a __________.

answer

biological community

question

A diagram of the trophic relationships of a community showing who eats whom is called a(n) __________.

answer

food web

question

Under which of the following circumstances would interspecific competition be most obvious?

answer

when a nonnative organism is introduced to a community

question

Certain species of acacia trees in Central and South America have hollow thorns that house stinging ants, which attack anything that touches the tree. The ants feed on nutrients produced by the acacias. This is an example of __________.

answer

mutualism

question

Succession of communities occurs because __________.

answer

each existing community changes the environment

question

Commensalism is ________.

answer

an interaction between species that benefits one of the species but neither harms nor helps the other species

question

Plants ________ to protect themselves from herbivores.

answer

use chemical toxins

question

What happens to the number of species in a community as the area of that community increases?

answer

the number of species in the community increases

question

The poison-arrow frogs Dendrobates of tropical America are all brightly colored and have very similar patterns. Although each species is distasteful to predators and all possess toxic skin secretions, some of the species live quite separate from the others. The adaptive relationship among these species is best termed __________.

answer

Mullerian mimicry

question

Flounder is a type of fish that looks like the seafloor. This is an example of __________.

answer

cryptic coloration

question

The sum of a species' use of the biotic and abiotic resources in its environment is called __________.

answer

ecological niche

question

Similar species can coexist in a community by using _________.

answer

resource partitioning

question

Examples of defensive adaptations include all of the following except ________.

answer

predation

question

In an area where soil has not yet formed, called primary succession, the life-forms that are first found are _________.

answer

prokaryotes and protists

question

In the North Pacific, sea otters are keystone predators. A reduction in their numbers has resulted in what changes in the marine community?

answer

Decreased community diversity

question

A zoonotic pathogen is _________.

answer

transferred to humans from animals

question

What is the key difference between a dominant species and a keystone species?

answer

dominant species are most abundant, keystone species exert control through important roles or niches

question

The flower fly resembles a honeybee, but the flower fly has no stinger. This is an example of __________.

answer

Batesian mimicry

question

Facilitation is _________.

answer

an interaction where species have positive effects on the reproduction and survival of other species without necessarily living in the direct and intimate contact of symbiosis

question

The relationship between an organism and individuals of other species in a community involves _________.

answer

interspecific interactions

question

When interspecific competition has an outcome called competitive exclusion, _________.

answer

the inferior competitor will be eliminated

question

Bioremediation is a process that _________.

answer

uses organisms to detoxify polluted ecosystems

question

The biggest difference between the flow of energy and the flow of chemical nutrients in an ecosystem is that __________.

answer

nutrients are recycled but energy is not

question

The direct product of nitrogen fixation is __________.

answer

NH3

question

Increased rates of decomposition occur in ________ ecosystems.

answer

tropical

question

The percentage of energy stored in assimilated food that is not used for respiration is the _________.

answer

production efficiency

question

The phosphorus cycle lacks a(n) __________ component.

answer

atmospheric

question

Deforestation of a watershed _______.

answer

dramatically increases the flow of water and minerals out of the watershed

question

Primary producers are _________.

answer

autotrophs

question

Biological augmentation is a process that _________.

answer

uses organisms to add essential materials to a degraded ecosystem

question

A measure of the total primary production in an ecosystem is called the _________.

answer

gross primary production

question

The global hydrologic cycle supports a net flow of atmospheric water vapor __________.

answer

from oceans to land

question

An example of restoration ecology is ________.

answer

restoring seaweed and seagrass beds of fish and shellfish nurseries

question

A measure of production that is calculated by subtracting autotrophic respiration from all primary production in an ecosystem is called _________.

answer

net primary production

question

Which of the following statements is true?

answer

over oceans, evaporation exceeds precipitation

question

The law of conservation of mass is important in ecology because _________.

answer

it allows scientists to determine the gain or loss of a chemical element in an ecosystem

question

Eutrophication in lakes is frequently the direct result of __________.

answer

nutrient enrichment such as nitrate and phosphate runoffs from land

question

A study of metabolic rates in a terrestrial community showed that the energy released by respiration exceeded the energy captured in photosynthesis. Which of the following situations is most likely?

answer

community biomass is decreasing

question

In an ecosystem, all incoming energy will eventually be __________.

answer

dissipated into space as heat

question

The percentage of production transferred from one trophic level to the next-higher level is called ________.

answer

trophic efficiency

question

Local conditions such as heavy rainfall or the removal of plants may limit the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, or calcium available to a particular ecosystem, but the amount of carbon available to the system is seldom a problem. Why?

answer

Many nutrients come from the soil, but carbon comes from the air.

question

What is the main abiotic reservoir for elements involved in local biogeochemical cycles, such as calcium and phosphorus?

answer

soil

question

Detritivores are _________.

answer

heterotrophs

question

Most of the sunlight that reaches Earth __________.

answer

is not captured for use by living things

question

A measure of the total biomass accumulation during a given period of time is called the _________.

answer

net ecosystem production

question

How do iron levels affect phytoplankton populations in a marine ecosystem?

answer

Iron stimulates the growth of cyanobacteria, which convert atmospheric N2 to nitrogenous minerals, stimulating the growth of phytoplankton.

question

Important biogeochemical cycles in ecosystems include all of the following except the ________ cycle.

answer

potassium

question

The amount of chemical energy in a consumer's food that is converted to its own new biomass over a period of time is called __________.

answer

secondary production

question

Which of the following is an ecosystem?

answer

all of the organisms living in your aquarium and the abiotic factors with which they interact

question

The main decomposers in an ecosystem are __________.

answer

fungi and prokaryotes

question

In a working ecosystem such as the arctic tundra, all of the following exist except _______.

answer

a reduction in the competition for resources

question

The natural human connection to nature and other forms of life is called __________.

answer

biophilia

question

Scientists from Russia and Japan are attempting to resurrect the extinct woolly mammoth __________.

answer

by using bone marrow

question

Which of the following is thought to be a possible consequence of rising CO2 levels?

answer

Increased vegetative productivity

question

One of the most impressive models of sustainable development can be seen in the __________.

answer

Costa Rican zoned reserves

question

Mining and forestry result in _________.

answer

habitat loss

question

Loss of "flying foxes" would impact ecosystem diversity because ________.

answer

these bats are important pollinators and seed dispersers in the Pacific Islands and their loss would harm plant diversity

question

The reason for the decline of the greater prairie chicken in Illinois was _________.

answer

a decrease in fertility due to lack of genetic diversity in the population

question

A small population that inbreeds may ________.

answer

be drawn into extinction vortex

question

The branch of biology that is important in controlling overharvesting is _________.

answer

molecular biology

question

An exotic species is a(n) _________.

answer

introduced species

question

Which statement below describes a finding of researchers who studied the decline of red-cockaded woodpeckers?

answer

Individuals generally have a better chance of reproducing by remaining behind than by dispersing and excavating homes in new territories.

question

An example of investing in ecosystem services is _________.

answer

the $1 billion that New York City invested to buy land and restore the Catskill Mountains

question

Mark Shaffer, of Duke University, studied grizzly bears in Yellowstone National Park to determine this threatened species' _________.

answer

minimal viable population

question

What did the researchers do that caused red-cockaded woodpeckers to form new breeding groups at new sites?

answer

Constructed nesting cavities at new sites

question

The technique called polymerase chain reaction (PCR) uses a polymerase from _________.

answer

Thermus aquaticus

question

The three levels of biodiversity in the correct order are _________ diversity.

answer

genetic, species, and community/ecosystem

question

The rosy periwinkle from Madagascar is important because _________.

answer

it contains alkaloids that inhibit cancer cell growth

question

An endangered species is one that ________.

answer

is in danger of extinction

question

Ozone is __________.

answer

beneficial in the upper atmosphere

question

How do climatologists estimate past atmospheric CO2 concentrations?

answer

Climatologists measure the CO2 concentrations in air bubbles trapped in glacial ice.

question

The greatest cause of extinction of species today is __________.

answer

habitat alteration

question

A relatively small area with numerous endemic species and a large number of endangered or threatened species is called a _________.

answer

biodiversity hot spot

question

The science that integrates all aspects of biology is called _________.

answer

conservation biology

question

__________ are the most affected by toxic compounds in the environment because __________.

answer

Top-level carnivores; the biomass at any given trophic level is produced from a larger biomass ingested at the level below

question

What Central American country is a world leader in zoned reserves?

answer

Costa Rica

question

Connections between habitat fragments are referred to as __________.

answer

movement corridors

question

Which of the following groups is most severely threatened with extinction?

answer

Amphibians

question

The destruction of the ozone layer is most directly linked to __________.

answer

release of CFCs into atmosphere

question

What is one viable solution to help increase the effective size and genetic variation in the grizzly bear population in Yellowstone National Park?

answer

Conservation biologists could introduce just two new bears each decade from another population.

question

Crop pollination, water purification, and moderation of weather extremes are just a few examples of __________.

answer

ecosystem services

BIOL 204 Book Questions Test One – Flashcards

Unlock all answers in this set

Haven't found what you were looking for?

Search for samples, answers to your questions and flashcards