Biology 1001A Practice Final Exam Questions 2023

Multiple-Choice and Short Answer Questions.

1. The free-living flatworm Macrostomum lignano is a model organism for evolutionary

and developmental biology studies. Below is a karyotype of the flatworm.

Which of the following statements is correct?

1. The flatworm is a 2n=10 organism.

2. During G1 phase, the haploid cells of the flatworm will have 40 telomeres.
3. During G2 phase, the flatworm will have 4 copies of the genome.
4. During prophase, the flatworm will have 10 homologous pairs of
chromosomes.

A. 1, 2 and 3
B. 1 and 3
C. 2 and 4
D. 4 only
E. All of 1, 2, 3 and 4 are correct.

2. Which of the following statements about “inheritance of sameness” and “inheritance of difference” is
correct?

1. DNA slippage can contribute to inheritance of difference.

2. Complimentary base pairing contributes to inheritance of sameness.
3. Tautomers can contribute to inheritance of difference.
4. Proofreading contributes to inheritance of sameness.

A. 1, 2 and 3
B. 1 and 3
C. 2 and 4
D. 4 only
E. All of 1, 2, 3 and 4 are correct.\
3. Luccas and Amelia have a daughter with the unusual karyotype of 45, X. That is, she has only
one X chromosome instead of the usual two. The X chromosome that she has is normal.

Where could an error in meiosis have occurred that would have given rise to a
daughter with only one X chromosome?

1. Non-disjunction in Lucas during Meiosis I

2. Non-disjunction in Amelia during Meiosis I
3. Non-disjunction in Lucas during Meiosis II
4. Non-disjunction in Amelia during Meiosis II

A. 1, 2 and 3
B. 1 and 3
C. 2 and 4
D. 4 only
E. E. All of 1, 2, 3 and 4 are correct.

4. The figure below depicts a animal cell undergoing anaphase. Which of the
following statements about this cell undergoing anaphase is correct?

5. During this anaphase stage, the cell has 8 chromosomes.

6. It could be anaphase II of a 2n=8 animal.
7. The division of this cell will lead to the reduction of the genome size.
8. It could be mitosis of 2n=8 animal.

A. 1, 2 and 3
B. 1 and 3
C. 2 and 4
D. 4 only
E. All of 1, 2, 3 and 4 are correct.

5. Nicotiana tabacum (tobacco) is a diploid plant species frequently used in genetic

engineering. The C-value for Nicotiana is 4.5 gigabases (Gb). (1Gb = 1 billion base
pairs)

How much DNA would there be in a Nicotiana sporophyte cell during prophase of
mitosis?

A. 2.25 Gb
B. 4.5 Gb
C. 9.0 Gb
D. 18.0 Gb
6. Which set of axis labels would be best suited to this graph?

A. y-axis “n-value”;
x-axis “Phases of mitotic cell cycle”
B. y-axis “Ploidy”;
x-axis “Phases of meiotic cell cycle”
C. y-axis “Coefficient of C”;
x-axis “Phases of meiotic cell cycle”
D. y-axis “Coefficient of C”;
x-axis “Phases of mitotic cell cycle.
_________________________________________________________________________________

7. The diagram below summarizes the action of two independently assorting genes
involved in the production of hypothetical pigments. Gene A converts blue to red and
Gene B codes for a product that blocks the action of Gene A. Homozygous recessive
alleles for both genes are non-functional.

What will be the phenotypic distribution from a cross of AaBb x AaBb?

A. 13 Blue : 3 Red
B. 9 Blue : 7 Red
C. 12 Blue :4 Red
D. 15 Blue :1 Red
_________________________________________________________________________________
8. . The replication bubble shown has a number of RNA primers (blue) bound to the two strands of the
unwound double helix. In some areas of the replication bubble, new DNA (red) has begun to be
synthesized.

Which of the following statements is correct?

1. DNA polymerase III will extend DNA at the location indicated by arrow B.
2. The enzyme ligase will be needed at the location indicated by arrow D.
3. DNA polymerase I will begin adding bases at the location indicated by arrow C.
4. Arrows A and D are both pointing to a 3’ end of RNA.

A. 1, 2 and 3
B. 1 and 3
C. 2 and 4
D. 4 only
E. All of 1, 2, 3 and 4 are correct.
9. The “C Value Paradox” has perplexed genome scientists for decades. Which of the
following questions best summarizes this enigma?

A. Why do some cells of a given organism have 1C of DNA while other cells have 2C
or even 4C?
B. Why do most prokaryotes have higher C values than some eukaryotes?
C. Why do some species have dramatically different C-values than other species?
D. Why is the C value of a species not related to the number of chromosomes in its
karyotype?

10. Which of the following statements regarding evolution is true?

A. Organisms are always getting better through evolution.

B. Evolution results in distinct species that can always be clearly recognized.
C. Evolution anticipates future changes in the environment and allows organisms to
adapt accordingly.
D. Humans can influence the evolution of other organisms.

11. In ground hogs, the size of their ears is the result of a gene with two alleles, E
(dominant for large ears) and e (recessive for small ears). For the ground hog
population of Eastern Canada, the genotype frequencies have stayed consistent
for many, many generations as follows: 4 % of individuals have the genotype
EE, 32 % are Ee, and 64 % are ee.

Based on this information, which of the following scenarios has most likely
occurred in this ground hog population over the past 20 years?

A. Despite several summers with extreme heat, this ground hog population has
not gone through a genetic bottleneck.
B. Male ground hogs with small ears have preferred to mate with females that
also have small ears.
C. Ground hogs from Western Canada with small ears have likely crossed the
Rocky Mountains and mated with this population of Eastern ground hogs.
D. Selection has acted in favour of ground hogs with small ears.
12. A gene in a population has 2 alleles, G and H. Over several generations, the
frequency of allele G has changed according to the plot below. What are the
relative fitnesses of each genotype that would explain these changes in the
frequency of allele G?

A. WGG < WGH > WHH

B. WGG < WGH = WHH
C. WGG > WGH < WHH
D. WGG = WGH > WHH

13. A species of snail, Littorina fabalis, exists with different shell colours - brown and
orange. Although snails of all colours have the same relative fitness, brown
males only mate with orange females; and brown females only mate with orange
males.

Which of the following terms best describes this situation?

1. Sexual selection
2. Inbreeding
3. Heterozygote advantage
4. Disassortative mating

A. 1, 2 and 3
B. 1 and 3
C. 2 and 4
D. 4 only
E. All of 1, 2, 3 and 4 are correct.
14. Based on the information provided for each organism, which organism would
most likely be considered a distinct species based on the biological species
concept?

A. Broccoli. Broccoli are edible green plants in the cabbage family, along with
cauliflower, brussel sprouts, and kale. Broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts
and kale are closely related cultivars and can easily interbreed producing new
foods such as kalettes and broccoflower.
B. Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Pseudomonas aeruginosa are known as a common
species of bacteria and many strains can cause disease in plants and animals,
including humans. The genes shared by all strains of Pseudomonas
aeruginosa are on average 95 % similar in sequence, but many genes in a
genome are not found in all strains and are exchanged with other bacteria.
C. Bottom-dwelling three-spined stickleback (a type of fish). Bottom-dwelling
populations eat different foods and are bigger than populations that swim in
the water. The bottom-dwelling populations produce viable offspring with
populations that swim, but do not mate in the wild due to assortative mating
based on size and different breeding behaviours.
D. All of these organisms would be considered a distinct species based on the
biological species concept.

15. There are over 20 species of bushbabies living in Africa, each with distinctly
shaped genitalia. Bushbabies sometimes try to mate with an individual from a
different species, but their genitalia do not fit together.

Which type of reproductive isolating mechanism is being described?

A. Hybrid inviability
B. Gametic isolation
C. Hybrid breakdown
D. Behavioral isolation
E. Mechanical isolation

16. During allopatric speciation, which of the following reproductive isolating

mechanisms could evolve?

A. Gametic isolation
B. Ecological isolation
C. Hybrid sterility
D. Temporal isolation
E. All of the options are mechanisms that could evolve.
 17. Of the organisms in the evolutionary tree below, dandelion, spruce tree, tulip,
cactus are all land plants. Based on this information and the evolutionary tree
below, which of the following statements is false.

A. Spruce trees are equally related to dandelions and tulips.

B. Amoeba are equally related to tulips and green algae.
C. Tulips are more closely related to cacti than to red algae.
D. Red algae are more closely related to land plants than to green algae.

18 The subfamily Amygdaloideae is a monophyletic group that consists of all the descendants of
the most recent common ancestor of apple and peach. Which taxa on this tree are NOT in
Amygdaloideae?
A. Cherry
B. Strawberry and rose
C. Almond and cherry
D. Cherry, strawberry, and rose
E. Pear, almond, cherry, strawberry, and
rose
 19. Fossil evidence shows that one hundred thousand years ago, the ancestors of modern
humans lived alongside other intelligent, human-like creatures (Neanderthals and
Denisovans). DNA sequencing has provided evidence that Neanderthals and Denisovans
likely interbred with ancestral human populations. Which of the following statements could
be used to successfully argue that Humans, Neanderthals, and Denisovans are the same
species based on the phylogenetic species concept?

A. Humans, Neanderthals, and Denisovans overlapped in their geographic

distributions, and probably interacted frequently with one another.
B. The presence of Neanderthal sequences in the genomes of existing humans
indicates that hybrids were likely viable.
C. The physical features of Denisovans were more similar to Humans and
Neanderthals than to any other hominin.
D. Humans, Neanderthals, and Denisovans share a more recent common
ancestor with each other than with any other species.
_________________________________________________________________________________

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

Empidid flies are diploid organisms, with 2n = 6. Their sex is determined by the standard XY chromosomes (similar
to humans). The phenotype of a modified, enlarged foot in empidid flies is associated with a single gene called
‘modfeet’, at which there are two possible alleles (D and d). The modfeet gene is found on chromosome 2, and is
linked with an eye colour gene (at which there are two alleles with red eyes (R) dominant over white eyes (r)). The
flies have another gene on chromosome 1 which controls wing shape (Twisted (T) is dominant to straight (t) wings).
None of these genes are sex-linked.

For now, consider just the modfeet gene. Individuals who have the DD genotype have both feet enlarged, individuals
who are Dd have one foot enlarged (which foot is random and not controlled by the modfeet locus), and individuals
who are dd have non-enlarged feet.

1. A population of empidid flies has an initial allele frequency for D of 0.3. What are the expected genotype
frequencies for this population of emphidid flies,assuming it is at Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium?

expected
genotype
frequency
DD
Dd
dd
2. On the graph below, the grey line, labeled “D – no selection”, shows that the frequency for this allele does not
change over time if the population stays in Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium. On the graph, the dotted line indicates
fixation, that is, allele frequency of 1.

a) The population is under selection, however, which is favouring individuals with the same sized feet. On the
same set of axes below, draw a curve indicating the predicted change in the frequency of the D allele over many,
many generations. Label this curve “D”.
b) Draw a second curve of the predicted change in the frequency of the d allele in this population due to selection
favouring individuals with the same sized feet. Label this curve “d”.

1
0.
Allele 8
frequency 0.
6
0. D – no
4 selection
0.
2
0
Time (generations)
Use the information about genes and alleles in empidid flies on the previous page for this question.

You are investigating the inheritance of the foot modification during meiosis of the empidid flies. As part of your
research, you collected cells from a one foot enlarged, white-eyed, male empidid fly with straight wings.

The drawing below illustrates one of your collected cells in anaphase I of meiosis (assume that meiosis has and
will proceed normally, i.e. with no errors).

3. On the drawing below, clearly identify and label the following items:
 the locations of the three genes (modfeet, eye colour, wing shape). Use ‘bands’ or lines on the chromosomes
to indicate the locations of the genes.
 the locations for all alleles this individual has, using letters (e.g. T or t, etc.) to indicate the allele
 the autosomal chromosomes (be specific whether they are chromosome 1 or 2)
 the sex chromosomes (be specific about whether they are X and/or Y)
To increase their mating success, male empidid flies will give prey items (i.e. the captured flies of other species as
nuptial gifts to females. These nuptial gifts often lead to reversed sex-roles, such that females compete for the
attention of choosy males.

4. What type of selection has occurred to have evolved this kind of behaviour in males?

5. Under what condition would we expect the females of a species to be the choosy sex, rather than the males?

6. The size (C-value) of the red panda genome is 2.3 gigabases (billion bases) in length. How much DNA is in a
germ cell of a red panda that is in prophase II of meiosis?

7. Below is an image of the cell cycle.

a) Using an arrow, label all the checkpoint locations. [Note: In addition to pointing with an arrow, you must also
write down the names of the checkpoints].

b) During which checkpoint(s) would you see the least amount of DNA in a normal liver cell of a frog.

c) Choose one checkpoint and indicate any one protein that plays an important role in regulating that checkpoint.

8. Below is an image of the last replication bubble on a chromosome. The 5’ end is labeled. Draw and label the
following components on the replication bubble:

a) Draw and label the exact location of the origin of replication (Ori)
b) Draw and label the location of any 2 primers.
c) Pretend this is DNA from a stem cell that has active telomerase. Indicate with an arrow where this active
telomerase would act and label it ‘telomerase’.
9. Below is an evolutionary tree of red pandas, giant pandas and other animals.

Do red pandas and giant pandas form a monophyletic group? Explain your reasoning.

10. Red pandas and giant pandas both have a pseudothumb, essentially a 6th digit in the paws. Explain the
evolutionary history of pseudothumbs in red pandas and giant pandas based on the evolutionary tree above.

11. The giant panda is an endangered species, with approximately 1500 individuals living in the wild, and their
population has been threatened by habitat loss and poaching. But prior to modern human threats, the giant panda
population suffered an earlier catastrophic decline 43, 000 years ago.

a) What type of evolutionary force acted on the giant panda population 43, 000 years ago?

b) Name two likely consequences on the genetic diversity of giant pandas due to this catastrophic decline in
population size.
12 a. A major limiting factor for both plants and animals to expand their geographic distribution
is_____________________________________________________.

b. The Anthropocene era is considered to have started ________________.

c. Indirect water use in the production of goods and services by manufacturers is called
________________water.

13 a. Give three resources that may result in either intra or interspecific competition.

b. Give an example of a mutualistic interaction.

c. Tape worms are parasites that have a ___________________________.

d. A wasp that lays its eggs in a caterpillar is a______________________..

e. Name three types of adaptations that reduce the impact of natural enemies.

f. Name three benefits of the herd effect.

g. What role does aposematic colouration serve?

h. How does the cucumber mosaic virus manipulate the host plant to improve viral transmission?

End of Practice Final Exam

All the best!