1.

If organisms A, B, and C belong to the same class but to different orders, and if
organisms D, E, and F belong to the same order but to different families, which of the
following pairs of organisms would be expected to show the greatest degree of
structural homology?
a. A and B
b. A and C
c. B and D
d. D and F
e. C and F

2. Which kind of DNA should provide the best molecular clock for determining the
evolutionary relatedness of several species whose common ancestor became extinct
billions of years ago?
a. that coding for ribosomal RNA
b. intronic DNA belonging to a gene whose product performs a crucial function
c. paralogous DNA that has lost its function (i.e., no longer codes for functional
gene product)
d. mitochondrial DNA
e. exonic DNA that codes for a noncrucial part of a polypeptide

3. Which curve in the graph below best depicts the way that mutation rate varies over
time in a gene that can serve as a reliable molecular clock?

a. A
b. B
c. All of them
d. D
e. C
4. Which of these illustrates the correct representation of the binomial scientific name
for the African lion?
a. Panthera leo
b. panthera leo
 c. Panthera leo
d. Panthera Leo
e. Panthera leo

5. The correct sequence, from the most to the least comprehensive of the taxonomic
levels listed here is
a. kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species
b. kingdom, phylum, order, class, family, genus, and species
c. phylum, family, class, order, kingdom, genus, and species
d. family, phylum, class, kingdom, order, species, and genus
e. phylum, kingdom, order, class, species, family, and genus

6. Species that are not closely related and that do not share many anatomical
similarities can still be placed together on the same phylogenetic tree by comparing
their
a. plasmids
b. mitochondrial genomes
c. homologous genes that are highly conserved
d. chloroplast genomes
e. homologous genes that are poorly conserved

7. A sex pilus is used to exchange DNA between bacteria during

a. transduction
b. binary fission
c. transformation
d. conjugation

8. Which of these taxa contains species that produce potent toxins that can cause
extensive fish kills, contaminate shellfish, and poison humans?
a. euglenids
b. dinoflagellates
c. red algae
d. golden algae
e. diplomonads

9. Many prokaryotes have accessory rings of DNA called____which of often used as

vectors for genetic engineering.
a. nucleoids
b. fimbriae
c. ribosomes
d. plasmids

10. Which statement about the genomes of prokaryotes is correct?

a. Prokaryotic genomes are diploid throughout most of the cell cycle.
b. Prokaryotic chromosomes are sometimes called plasmids.
c. Prokaryotic cells have multiple chromosomes, ʺpackedʺ with a relatively large
amount of protein.
 d. The prokaryotic chromosome is not contained within a nucleus but, rather, is
found in the nucleoid region.
e. Prokaryotic genomes are composed of linear DNA (that is, DNA exists in the
form of a line with two ends).

11. Endospores____
a. can survive for hundreds of years
b. can not be killed
c. all are correct
d. are means of reproduction

12. Surgical instruments are sterilized by autoclaving so that _____ which form when
conditions are unfavorable, are destroyed.
a. capsules
b. pili
c. endospores
d. plasmids

13. The primary source of genetic variability in prokaryotes is _______

a. transformation
b. mutations
c. transduction
d. conjugation

14. There are ______ basic shapes of bacteria

a. 3
b. 2
c. 4
d. 1

15. Tuberculosis is caused by a bacillus which is _______

a. rod-shaped
b. any shaped
c. helical shaped
d. round

16. The ______ have a number of mechanisms to survive in environments that are high
in salt.
a. methanogens
b. cyanobacteria
c. halophiles
d. thermoacidophiles

17. The chloroplasts of land plants are thought to have been derived according to which
evolutionary sequence?
a. cyanobacteria  green algae  fungi  land plants
b. cyanobacteria  green algae  land plants
 c. cyanobacteria  red algae  green algae  land plants
d. red algae  brown algae  green algae  land plants
e. red algae  cyanobacteria  land plants

18. The physical form of ethylene is

a. gas
b. powder
c. hard solid
d. liquid

19. Biologists have long been aware that the defunct kingdom Protista is paraphyletic.
Which of these statements is both true and consistent with this conclusion?
a. animals, plants, and fungi arose from different protist ancestors.
b. the eukaryotic condition has evolved only once among the protists, and all
eukaryotes are descendants of that first eukaryotic cell.
c. chloroplasts among various protists are similar to those found in prokaryotes.
d. some protists, all animals, and all fungi share a protist common ancestor, but
these protists, animals, and fungi are currently assigned to three different
kingdoms.

20. Antibiotics ________

a. only kill the disease-causing bacteria
b. selectively kill viruses
c. should be used whenever someone feels sick
d. selectively kill bacteria

21. Viruses are not susceptible to antibiotics so antibiotics should not be taken when you
have a cold or the flu.
a. True
b. False

22. Which of the following is a problem associated with antibiotic therapy?

a. all are correct
b. the use of antibiotics can prevent natural immunity from occurring
c. people can die if given an antibiotic to which they are allergic
d. misuse of antibiotics increases the number of antibiotic-resistant strains

23. Prokaryotes can escape detection by our immune system if they have a ______
a. plasma membrane
b. cell wall
c. capsule and/or slime layer
d. nucleus

24. The major component of the fungal cell wall is

a. peptidoglycan
b. starch
c. cellulose
 d. chitin

25. Fungi digest food

a. none of the above
b. extracellularly
c. intracellularly
d. both of the above

26. Researchers claim to have found a fungus that spreads over hundred acres.
a. True
b. False

27. Some fungi and bacteria act as _____ and keep chemicals cycling through the
ecosystems.
a. consumer
b. all of the above
c. decomposer
d. producer

28. Fungi are dispersed by ______

a. none of the above
b. insect bome pollen
c. flagellated zygotes
d. windblown spores

29. Which of these items does not necessarily exists in a simple linear relationship with
the number of gene duplication events when placed as the label on the vertical axis
of the graph below?

a. mass of DNA
b. number of genes
c. phenotypic complexity
d. number of DNA base pairs
e. genome size
30. The HIV genome’s reliably high rate of change permits it to serve as a molecular
clock. Which of these features is most responsible for this genome’s high rate of
change?
 a. the lack of proofreading by the enzyme that converts HIV’s RNA genome into a
DNA genome
b. the relatively small number of genes in the genome
c. the genome’s ability to insert itself into the genome of the host
d. the relatively low number of nucleotides in the genome

31. Ichthyosaurs were aquatic dinosaurs. Fossils show us that they had dorsal fins and
tails, as do fish, even though their closest relatives were terrestrial reptiles that had
neither dorsal fins nor aquatic tails. The dorsal fins and tails of ichthyosaurs and fish
are
a. examples of convergent evolution
b. homologous
c. adaptations to a common environment
d. all except homologous
e. all except adaptation

32. Prokaryotes include

a. bacteria and viruses
b. bacteria
c. archaea and viruses
d. viruses
e. bacteria and archaea
f. archaea

33. Which of the following is not characteristic of a prokaryote?

a. plasma membrane
b. DNA
c. nucleus
d. cell wall

34. In prokaryotes, genetic recombination can occur by

a. conjugation and transduction only
b. transduction only
c. transformation and transduction only
d. conjugation, transduction, and transformation

35. Which of the following organelles of eukaryotes originated from prokaryotes

a. mitochondria and nuclei
b. nuclei and chloroplasts
c. mitochondria and chloroplasts
d. cilia and mitochondria
e. mitochondria and cilia

36. An individual mixotroph loses its plastids, yet continues to survive. Which of the
following most likely accounts for its continued survival?
a. It relies on photosystems that float freely in its cytosol.
b. It must have gained extra mitochondria when it lost its plastids
 c. It engulfs organic material by phagocytosis or by an absorption
d. It is protected by a siliceous case
e. It has an endospore

37. Which of these statements about dinoflagellates is false?

a. their walls are composed of cellulose plates
b. their dead cells accumulate on the seafloor and are mined to serve á a filtering
material
c. they possess two flagella
d. many types contain chlorophyll
e. some cause red tides

38. A snail–like, coiled, porous test (shell) of calcium carbonate is characteristic of which
group?
a. foraminiferans
b. amoebas
c. ciliates
d. diatoms
e. radiolarians

39. Protists belong to which of the following domains?

a. all of them
b. archaea
c. eukarya
d. bacteria

40. Protists are in a different domain from bacteria because

a. bacteria decompose protists
b. protists have a membrane-bounded nucleus which bacterial cells lack
c. protists are photosynthetic
d. protists eat bacteria

41. What makes certain red algae appear red?

a. they lack chlorophyll
b. they live in warm coastal waters
c. they possess pigments that reflect red
d. they use red light for photosynthesis

42. All protists are

a. monophyletic
b. symbionts
c. eukaryotic
d. autotrophic
e. unicellular

43. Which of the following can block ethylene response

 a. silver thiosulfate
b. sunlight
c. heat treatment
d. all of the mentioned

44. Which is not the precursor of ethylene

a. ethrel
b. nucleotide
c. ethephon
d. methionine

45. Which tissue is lignified?

a. collenchyma
b. parenchyma
c. sclerenchyma
d. cambium

46. Prokaryotes at deep-sea vents that support the growth of the whole community
are______
a. photoheterotrophs
b. chemoheterotrophs
c. chemoautotrophs
d. photoautotrophs

47. Protists and bacteria are grouped into different domains because
a. protists eat bacteria
b. bacteria are not made of cells
c. protists have a membrane-bounded nucleus, which bacterial cells lack
d. bacteria decompose protists
e. protists are photosynthetic

48. Protists are alike in that all are

a. unicellular
b. eukaryotic
c. symbionts
d. monophyletic
e. autotrophic

49. Which of the following is not the role of ethylene?

a. induce senescence
b. fruit ripening
c. apical dominance
d. increase cellular respiration

50. Which of the following is not climacteric fruit?

a. tomato
b. banana
 c. grapes
d. apple

51. Which character helps you to distinguish fungi like protists from fungi?
a. the absence of a nucleus in their cells
b. the absence of chitin in their cell wall
c. the absence of mitochondrial in their cells
d. the absence of plasma membrane

52. The strongest evidence for the endosymbiotic origin of eukaryotic organelles is the
similarity between extant prokaryotes and which of the following?
a. nuclei and chloroplasts
b. mitochondria and chloroplasts
c. cilia and mitochondria
d. mitochondria and nuclei
e. mitochondria and cilia

53. Which organisms represent the common ancestor of all photosynthetic plastids
found in eukaryotes?
a. autotrophic euglenids
b. diatoms
c. dinoflagellates
d. red algae
e. cyanobacteria

54. Which of these statements about dinoflagellates is false?

a. They possess two flagella.
b. Some cause red tides.
c. Their walls are composed of cellulose plates.
d. Many types contain chlorophyll.
e. Their dead cells accumulate on the seafloor and are mined to serve as a
filtering material.

55. Green algae often differ from land plants in that some green algae
a. are heterotrophs.
b. are unicellular.
c. have plastids.
d. have cell walls containing cellulose.

56. Which of the following are not correct about the differences between a monocot
and a dicot
a. flower parts in threes and multiples of three – flower parts in fours or fives and
multiples of four of five
b. leaf veins form a parallel pattern – leaf veins form a net pattern
c. root phloem occurs between arms of xylem – root xylem and phloem occur in
the ring
d. two cotyledons in seed – one cotyledon in seed
57. Which of the following tissue help plants grow continuously throughout their entire
lives
a. ground tissue
b. dermal tissue
c. vascular tissue
d. meristem tissue

58. Which of the following is the ground tissue?

a. phloem and xylem
b. sclerenchyma and parenchyma
c. epidermal cell
d. cambium

59. Which of the following cells belong to vascular tissue?

a. parenchyma
b. epidermal cell
c. sclerenchyma
d. tracheid cell

60. A researcher wants to determine the genetic relatedness of several breeds of dogs
(Canis familiaris). The researcher should compare homologous sequences of____
that are known to be______.
a. carbohydrates; poorly conserved
b. fatty acids; highly conserved
c. lipids; poorly conserved
d. proteins or nucleic acids; poorly conserved
e. amino acids; highly conserved

61. Which of the following types of cells utilize deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) as their
genetic material but do not have their DNA encased within a nuclear envelope?
a. animals
b. plant
c. archaea
d. fungi
e. protists

62. The best evidence for not classifying the slime molds as fungi come from slime
moldsʹ
a. DNA sequences.
b. nutritional modes.
c. choice of habitats.
d. physical appearance.
e. reproductive methods.
63. A certain unicellular eukaryote has a siliceous (glasslike) shell and autotrophic
nutrition. To which group does it belong?
a. dinoflagellates
b. diatoms
c. brown algae
d. radiolarians

64. You are given the task of designing an aquatic protist that is a primary producer. It
cannot swim on its own, yet must stay in well-lit surface waters. It must be resistant
to physical damage from wave action. It should be most similar to a(n)
a. diatom.
b. dinoflagellate.
c. apicomplexan.
d. red alga.
e. radiolarian.

65. Which kind of DNA should provide the best molecular clock for determining the
evolutionary relatedness of several species whose common ancestor became extinct
billions of years ago?
a. that coding for ribosomal RNA
b. intronic DNA belonging to a gene whose product performs a crucial function
c. paralogous DNA that has lost its function (i.e., no longer codes for functional
gene product)
d. mitochondrial DNA
e. exonic DNA that codes for a noncrucial part of a polypeptide

66. Similar to most amoebozoans, the forams, and the radiolarians also have
pseudopods, as do the white blood cells of animals. If one were to erect a taxon that
included all organisms that have cells with pseudopods, what would be true of such
a taxon?
a. It would be polyphyletic.
b. It would be paraphyletic.
c. It would be monophyletic.
d. It would include all eukaryotes.

67. Which of the following was not a challenge for the survival of the first land plants?
a. sources of water
b. sperm transfer
c. desiccation
d. animal predation
e. absorbing enough light

68. The vegetative (nutritionally active) bodies of most fungi are

a. composed of hyphae.
b. referred to as a mycelium.
c. usually underground.
 d. A and B only
e. A, B, and C

69. Among sac fungi, which of these correctly distinguishes ascospores from conidia?
a. ascospores are diploid, conidia are haploid
b. ascospores are produced only by meiosis, conidia are produced only by mitosis
c. ascospores have undergone genetic recombination during their production,
conidia have not
d. ascospores are larger, conidia are smaller
e. ascospores will germinate into haploid hyphae, and conidia will germinate into
diploid hyphae

70. The following are all adaptations to life on land except

a. cellulose.
b. cuticles.
c. tracheids.
d. reduced gametophyte generation.
e. seeds.

71. The following characteristics all helped seedless plants become better adapted to
land except
a. a dominant gametophyte.
b. vascular tissue.
c. a waxy cuticle.
d. stomata on leaves.

72. If all fungi in an environment that performs decomposition were to suddenly die,
then which group of organisms should benefit most, due to the fact that their fungal
competitors have been removed?
a. plants
b. protists
c. prokaryotes
d. animals
e. mutualistic fungi

73. If a bacterium regenerates from an endospore that did not possess any of the
plasmids that were contained in its original parent cell, the regenerated bacterium
will probably
a. lack antibiotic-resistant genes.
b. lack a cell wall.
c. lack a chromosome.
d. lose base pairs from its chromosome.
e. be unable to survive in its normal environment.

74. A taxon, all of whose members have the same common ancestor, is
a. paraphyletic.
b. polyphyletic.
 c. Monophyletic
d. A, B, and C are correct

75. Not present in all bacteria, this structure enables those that possess it to germinate
after exposure to harsh conditions, such as boiling:
a. endospore
b. sex pilus
c. flagellum
d. cell wall
e. capsule

76. Which of the following is a structure that permits conjugation to occur?

a. endospore
b. sex pilus
c. flagellum
d. cell wall
e. capsule

77. When a mycelium infiltrates an unexploited source of dead organic matter, what is
most likely to appear within the food source soon thereafter?
a. mycelia
b. fruiting body
c. fungal enzymes
d. increased oxygen levels
e. larger bacterial population

78. The structural integrity of bacteria is to peptidoglycan as the structural integrity of

plant spores is to
a. lignin.
b. cellulose.
c. secondary compounds.
d. sporopollenin.

79. Substances protect plants from desiccation

a. tracheids and phloem
b. secondary compounds
c. cuticle
d. alternation of generations

80. Substances protect plants from predators

a. tracheids and phloem
b. secondary compounds
c. cuticle
d. alternation of generations

81. Transport of water, minerals, and nutrients

a. xylem and phloem
 b. secondary compounds
c. cuticle
d. alternation of generations

82. Chemicals, secreted by soil fungi, that inhibit the growth of bacteria, are known as
a. antibodies.
b. endotoxins.
c. histamine.
d. antigens.
e. antibiotics.

83. Lichens are symbiotic associations of fungi and

a. mosses.
b. cyanobacteria.
c. green algae.
d. either A or B
e. either B or C

84. In both lichens and mycorrhizae, what does the fungal partner provide to its
photosynthetic partner?
a. carbohydrates
b. fixed nitrogen
c. antibiotics
d. water and minerals
e. protection from harmful UV

85. The symbiotic associations involving roots and soil fungi are considered
a. parasitic.
b. mutualistic.
c. commensal.
d. harmful to the plant partner.
e. the beginning stages of the formation of soil.
86. What is the primary role of a mushroomʹ s underground mycelium?
a. absorbing nutrients
b. anchoring
c. sexual reproduction
d. asexual reproduction
e. protection

87. What do fungi and insects have in common?

a. Both groups are commonly coenocytic.
b. The haploid state is dominant in both groups.
c. Both groups are predominantly heterotrophs that ingest their food.
d. The protective coats of both groups are made of chitin.
e. Both groups have cell walls.
88. The most recent common ancestor of all land plants was probably similar to modern-
day members of which group?
a. green algae
b. red algae
c. brown algae
d. angiosperms

89. When pathogenic fungi are found growing on the roots of grape vines, grape farmers
sometimes respond by covering the ground around their vines with plastic sheeting
and pumping a gaseous fungicide into the soil. The most important concern of grape
farmers who engage in this practice should be that the
a. fungicide might also kill the native yeasts residing on the surfaces of the
grapes.
b. fungicide is not also harmful to insect pests.
c. lichens growing on the vinesʹ branches are not harmed.
d. fungicide might also kill mycorrhizae.
e. sheeting is transparent so that photosynthesis can continue.

90. If Penicillium typically secretes penicillin without disturbing the lichen relationship in
which it is engaged, then what must have been true about its partner?
a. It should have lacked peptidoglycan in its cell wall.
b. It was probably a red alga.
c. It was probably a member of the domain Bacteria.
d. It was probably a heterotrophic prokaryote.
e. It was probably infected by bacteriophage.

91. The common housefly belongs to all of the following taxa. Assuming you had access
to textbooks or other scientific literature, knowing which of the following should
provide you with the most specific information about the common housefly?
a. genus Musca
b. order Diptera
c. family Muscidae
d. phylum Arthropoda
e. genus Musca

92. Orchid seeds are tiny, with virtually no endosperm and with minuscule cotyledons. If
such seeds are deposited in a dark, moist environment then which of these
represents the most likely means by which fungi might assist in seed germination,
given what the seeds lack?
a. by transferring some chloroplasts to the embryo in each seed
b. by providing the seeds with water and minerals
c. by providing the embryos with some of the organic nutrients they have
absorbed
d. by strengthening the seed coat that surrounds each seed

93. Dozens of potato varieties exist, differing from each other in potato – tuber size, skin
color, flesh color, and shape. One might construct a classification of potatoes based
 on these morphological traits. Which of these criticisms of such a classification
scheme is most likely to come from an adherent of the PhyloCode method of
classification?
a. The most accurate phylogenetic code is that of Linnaeus. Classify potatoes based
on Linnaean principles not according to their color.
b. Flower color is a better classification criterion because below-ground tubers can
be influenced by minerals in the soil as much as by their genes.
c. A more useful classification would codify potatoes based on the texture and
flavor of their flesh because this is what humans are concerned with.
d. The only biologically valid classification of potato varieties is one that accurately
reflects genetic and evolutionary relatedness.

94. Which mutation should least require realignment of homologous regions of a gene
that is common to several related species?
a. 3- base insertion
b. 1-base substitution
c. 4- base insertion
d. 1-base deletion
e. 3-base deletion

95. The four-chambered hearts of birds and the four-chambered hearts of mammals
evolved independently of each other. If one were unaware of this independence,
then one might logically conclude that
a. the birds were the first to evolve a 4- chambered heart.
b. birds and mammals are more distantly related than is the case.
c. early mammals possessed feathers.
d. the common ancestor of birds and mammals had a four-chambered heart.
e. birds and mammals should be placed in the same family.
96. If all mycorrhizae were somehow disrupted, then which of the following would be
true?
a. There would be fewer infectious diseases.
b. We would not have any antibiotics.
c. There would be no mushrooms for pizza.
d. Most vascular plants would be stunted in their growth.
e. Cheeses like blue cheese or Roquefort would not exist.

97. How are the vascular plants that are involved in mycorrhizae and the photosynthetic
cells that are involved in lichens alike?
a. They provide organic nutrients to fungal partners.
b. They secrete acids that keep the fungal partner from growing too quickly.
c. They are in intimate associations with chytrids.
d. They are digested by fungal enzymes while still alive.
e. They contain endosymbiotic fungi.

98. Phylogenetic hypotheses (such as those represented by phylogenetic trees) are

strongest when
 a. they are based on amino acid sequences from homologous proteins, as long as
the genes that code for such proteins contain no introns.
b. each clade is defined by a single derived character.
c. they are supported by more than one kind of evidence, such as when fossil
evidence corroborates molecular evidence.
d. they are accepted by the foremost authorities in the field, especially if they
have won Nobel Prizes.
e. they are based on a single DNA sequence that seems to be a shared derived
sequence.

99. Concerning growth in genome size over evolutionary time, which of these does not
belong with the others?
a. orthologous genes
b. gene duplications
c. paralogous genes
d. gene families

100. Jams, jellies, preserves, honey, and other foodstuffs with a high sugar content
hardly ever become contaminated by bacteria, even when the food containers are
left open at room temperature. This is because bacteria that encounter such an
environment
a. undergo death by plasmolysis.
b. are unable to metabolize the glucose or fructose, and thus starve to death.
c. undergo death by lysis.
d. are obligate anaerobes.
e. are unable to swim through these thick and viscous materials.

101. Nucleic acid sequences that undergo few changes over the course of
evolutionary time are said to be conserved. Conserved sequences of nucleic acids
a. are found in the least crucial portions of proteins.
b. include all mitochondrial DNA.
c. are abundant in ribosomes.
d. are proportionately more common in eukaryotic introns than in eukaryotic
exons.
e. comprise a larger proportion of pre-mRNA (immature mRNA) than of mature
mRNA.

102. Paralogous genes that have lost the function of coding for a functional gene
product are known as ʺ pseudogenes. ʺ Which of these is a valid prediction regarding
the fate of pseudogenes over evolutionary time?
a. They will be preserved by natural selection.
b. They will be highly conserved.
c. They will ultimately regain their original function.
d. They will be transformed into orthologous genes.
e. They will have relatively high mutation rates.
103. Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells generally have which of the following
features in common?
a. a membrane-bounded nucleus
b. a cell wall made of cellulose
c. Ribosomes
d. linear chromosomes made of DNA and protein

104. The thermoacidophile, Sulfolobus acidocaldarius lacks peptidoglycan. What is

likely to be true of this species?
1. It is a bacterium.
2. It is an archaean.
3. The optimal pH of its enzymes will lie above pH 7.
4. The optimal pH of its enzymes will lie below pH 7.
5. It could inhabit certain hydrothermal springs.
6. It could inhabit alkaline hot springs.
a. 1, 3, and 6
b. 2, 4, and 6
c. 2, 4, and 5
d. 1, 3, and 5
e. 1, 4, and 5

105. A fish that had been salt-cured subsequently develops a reddish color. You
suspect that the fish has been contaminated by the extreme halophile,
Halobacterium. Which of these features of cells removed from the surface of the
fish, if confirmed, would support your suspicion?
1. the presence of the same photosynthetic pigments found in cyanobacteria
2. cell walls that lack peptidoglycan
3. cells that are isotonic to conditions on the surface of the fish
4. the presence of very large numbers of ion pumps in its plasma membrane
a. 2, 5
b. 1, 4
c. 1, 3
d. 3, 4
e. 2, 3, 4

106. Mycoplasmas are bacteria that lack cell walls. On the basis of this structural
feature, which statement concerning mycoplasmas should be true?
a. They are gram-negative.
b. They are subject to lysis in hypotonic conditions.
c. They lack a cell membrane as well.
d. They undergo ready fossilization in sedimentary rock.
e. They possess typical prokaryotic flagella.

107. Which is the bacterial structure that acts as a selective barrier, allowing
nutrients to enter the cell and wastes to leave the cell?
a. plasma membrane
b. capsule
 c. cell wall
d. nucleoid region
e. Sex pili

108. Which statement about bacterial cell walls is false?

a. Bacterial cell walls differ in molecular composition from plant cell walls.
b. Cell walls prevent cells from bursting in hypotonic environments.
c. Cell walls prevent cells from dying in hypertonic conditions.
d. Bacterial cell walls are similar in function to the cell walls of many protists,
fungi, and plants.
e. Cell walls provide the cell with a degree of physical protection from the
environment.

109. Which of these is the most common compound in the cell walls of gram-
positive bacteria?
a. cellulose
b. polysaccharide
c. lignin
d. peptidoglycan
e. protein

110. Penicillin is an antibiotic that inhibits enzymes from catalyzing the synthesis
of peptidoglycan, so which prokaryotes should be most vulnerable to inhibition by
penicillin?
a. mycoplasmas
b. gram-positive bacteria
c. archaea
d. gram-negative bacteria
e. endospore- bearing bacteria
111. Typically, mutations that modify the active site of an enzyme are more likely
to be harmful than mutations that affect other parts of the enzyme. A hypothetical
enzyme consists of four domains (A—D), and the amino acid sequences of these four
domains have been determined in five related species. Given the proportion of
amino acid homologies among the five species at each of the four domains, which
domain probably contains the active site?
Domain Percentage of Homologous Amino Acids
a. 32%
b. 8%
c. 78%
d. 45%

112. A phylogenetic tree constructed using sequence differences in mitochondrial

DNA would be most valid for discerning the evolutionary relatedness of
a. archaeans and bacteria.
b. fungi and animals.
c. African elephants.
d. sharks and dolphins
 e. mosses and ferns.

113. The lakes of northern Minnesota are home to many similar species of
damselflies of the genus Enallagma that have apparently undergone speciation from
ancestral stock since the last glacial retreat about 10,000 years ago. Sequencing
which of the following would probably be most useful in sorting out evolutionary
relationships among these closely related species?
a. nuclear DNA
b. mitochondrial DNA
c. small nuclear RNA
d. ribosomal RNA
e. amino acids in proteins

114. In a hypothetical situation, the genes for sex pilus construction and
tetracycline resistance are located together on the same plasmid within a particular
bacterium. If this bacterium readily performs conjugation involving a copy of this
plasmid, then the result should be
a. a transformed bacterium.
b. the rapid spread of tetracycline resistance to other bacteria in that habitat.
c. the subsequent loss of tetracycline resistance from this bacterium.
d. the production of endospores among the bacteriumʹ s progeny.
e. the temporary possession by this bacterium of a completely diploid genome.

115. Assuming that each of these possesses a cell wall, which prokaryotes should
be expected to be most strongly resistant to plasmolysis in hypertonic
environments?
a. extreme halophiles
b. extreme thermophiles
c. methanogens
d. cyanobacteria
e. nitrogen-fixing bacteria that live in root nodules

116. In a bacterium that possesses antibiotic resistance and the potential to

persist through very adverse conditions, such as freezing, drying, or high
temperatures, DNA should be located within, or be part of, which structures?
1. nucleoid region
2. flagellum
3. endospore
4. fimbriae
5. plasmids
a. 1 only
b. 1 and 4
c. 1 and 5
d. 1, 3, and 5
e. 2, 4, and 5
117. Which two structures play direct roles in permitting bacteria to adhere to
each other or other surfaces?
1. capsules
2. endospores
3. fimbriae
4. plasmids
5. flagella
a. 1 and 2
b. 1 and 3
c. 2 and 3
d. 3 and 4
e. 3 and 5

118. Which of the following is an important source of endotoxin in gram-negative

species?
a. endospore
b. sex pilus
c. Outer membrane
d. cell wall
e. capsule

119. If this structure connects the cytoplasm of two bacteria, one of these cells
may gain new genetic material:
a. endospore
b. sex pilus
c. flagellum
d. cell wall
e. capsule

120. Which of the following contains a copy of the chromosome, along with a
small amount of dehydrated cytoplasm, within a tough wall?
a. endospore
b. sex pilus
c. flagellum
d. cell wall
e. capsule

121.
1. autotroph
2. heterotroph
3. phototroph
4. Chemotroph
an organism that obtains its energy from chemicals
a. 1 only
b. 2 only
c. 3 only
d. 4 only
 e. 1 and 4

122. Prokaryotic ribosomes differ from those present in the eukaryotic cytosol.
Because of this, which of the following is correct?
a. Some selective antibiotics can block the protein synthesis of bacteria without
effects on protein synthesis in the eukaryotic host.
b. Eukaryotes did not evolve from prokaryotes.
c. Translation can occur at the same time as transcription in eukaryotes but not
in prokaryotes.
d. Some antibiotics can block the synthesis of peptidoglycan in the walls of
bacteria.
e. Prokaryotes are able to use a much greater variety of molecules as food
sources than can eukaryotes.

123.
1. autotroph
2. heterotroph
3. phototroph
4. Chemotroph
an organism that obtains both carbon and energy by ingesting prey
a. 1 only
b. 4 only
c. 1 and 3
d. 2 and 4
e. 1, 3, and 4

124. Which of the following are responsible for many human diseases?
a. photoautotrophs
b. photoheterotrophs
c. chemoautotrophs
d. chemoheterotrophs that perform decomposition
e. parasitic chemoheterotrophs

125. Cyanobacteria are

a. photoautotrophs.
b. photoheterotrophs.
c. chemoautotrophs.
d. chemoheterotrophs that perform decomposition.
e. parasitic chemoheterotrophs.

126. Given that the enzymes that catalyze nitrogen fixation are inhibited by
oxygen, what are two ʺ strategiesʺ that nitrogen-fixing prokaryotes might use to
protect these enzymes from oxygen?
1. couple them with photosystem II (the photosystem that splits water
molecules)
2. package them in membranes that are impermeable to all gases
3. be obligated anaerobes
 4. be strict aerobes
5. package these enzymes in specialized cells or compartments that inhibit
oxygen entry
a. 1 and 4
b. 2 and 4
c. 2 and 5
d. 3 and 4
e. 3 and 5

127. Mitochondria are thought to be the descendants of certain alpha-

proteobacteria. They are, however, no longer able to lead independent lives because
most genes originally present on their chromosome have moved to the nuclear
genome. Which phenomenon accounts for the movement of these genes?
a. horizontal gene transfer
b. binary fission
c. alternative gene splicing
d. meiosis
e. plasmolysis

128. Which of the following traits do archaeans and bacteria share?

1. composition of the cell wall
2. presence of plasma membrane
3. lack of a nuclear envelope
4. identical rRNA sequences
a. 1 only
b. 3 only
c. 1 and 3
d. 2 and 3
e. 2 and 4