Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Chapter 4 Questions
Chapter 4 Questions
1 questions-
2.Analyze How might a reduction in species diversity affect the other three
components of biodiversity? A reduction in species diversity might affect the
other three components of biodiversity because then the genetic diversity
will be less because there will be less diverse species in an ecosystem and
environment. Certain organisms would not be able to grow or multiply.
3.Synthesize In your own words, explain why scientists believe that threats
to amphibians present a warning about a number of environmental threats to
Earth’s biodiversity. Refer to the Case Study. Scientists believe that threats
to amphibians present a warning about a number of environmental threats to
Earth’s biodiversity because amphibians usually feed off of other animals.
This would warn us that the Earth’s biodiversity is being affected because of
the loss of food.
4.3 questions-
3.Recall What are the two limits of natural selection?Two limits of natural
selection are Genetics and constraints.
4.Evaluate Charles Darwin said, “It is not the strongest of the species that
survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”
Explain what Darwin meant by this statement. Charles Darwin meant that it
doesn't matter how smart an organism is or how strong it is. It is how well
that organism adapts to change in an environment.
Crosscutting Concepts
5.Cause and Effect The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claims
overuse of antibiotics leads to antibiotic resistance in bacteria. How does this
happen and what might be the consequences to human health? The Bacteria
might become antibiotic resistant due to overuse because the bacteria might
have adapted to the antibiotics and found a way to kill the antibiotics. The
bacteria could have gotten used to it and be immune to it as well. THis could
affect human health because it could make you even more sick and the
disease could spread faster.
4.4 questions-
1.Explain What are three possible outcomes for species when rapid
environmental changes occur? When rapid environmental changes occur,
species would become more exposed to extinction, the populations would
either decrease or increase, and more diversity through species.
2.Compare and Contrast How are the results of artificial selection and
genetic engineering alike and different? Artificial selection and genetic
engineering differ because genetic engineering actually changes the genes in
a plant or animal while artificial selection does so by breeding selective
plants and animals. They both allow humans to change so that it is better
suited for human needs.
Crosscutting Concepts
4.Stability and Change Describe how the balance between speciation and
extinction determines Earth’s biodiversity and what happens when extinction
outpaces speciation. The balance between specification and extinction
determines Earth’s biodiversity because it dictates the rate at which new
species arise and are lost. If extinction outpaces specification, we would not
have many new species living.