Answers to study questions

Introduction

1. A B

2. A B C D

3. A B C D

4. A B E

5. Among many possible answers:

Insects are inexpensive to maintain in laboratories

Insects reproduce rapidly, allowing many generations and large sample sizes in short periods of time.

Insects do not evoke the moral considerations that necessarily come to mind with use of mammals, particularly humans, in science.

Insects are easily manipulated because they cannot "object" to a treatment

6. Among many possible answers:

Humans have a "mind of their own" and may not follow orders concerning treatment.

Doing experiments with humans is often morally objectionable.

Mammals are very expensive to maintain in the laboratory, requiring large amounts of space and effort.

Mammals reproduce relatively slowly, so it is difficult to achieve large sample sizes in short periods of time.

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Evolution

1. B C

2.

  • genetic variation yielding
  • phenotypic variation that causes
  • differences in survival, reproduction, etc.

  •  

     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

    3. A, C, D

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    Osmosis and diffusion

    1.  B, lower in solute concentration than the cell

    2.  Being very small and therefore having a high surface area:volume ratio, diffusion and osmosis are very effective at moving solutes and water  between an arthropod and its environment.  Water loss, therefore, is a serious problem for terrestrial arthropods.  A waxy coating, impermiable to water, would greatly slow down the loss of water.

    3.  You would expect them to be small, as diffusion of solutes from the body fluids into the organs would be efficient only over short distances.

    4.  There are a lot of possible answers to this question.  email me or talk to me if you want to know if you are on the right track.

    5.  All decrease with increasing body size except running speed, which is not a function of body size and is therefore unaffected.

       


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    Evolutionary patterns
    1.  Our understanding of the evolutionary relationships among the different bacteria is rudamentary.  This results in a "poorly resolved" or bushy tree.

    2.   The Hemichordata (acorn worms and pterogranchs) are the sister group (most closely related group) to the sea urchins, star fish, and other Echinodermata.

    3.  The Filicopsida (ferns) are the living group most closely related to the seed plants (Spermatopsida).

    4.  In my opinion, the close evolutionary relationship between fungi and animals is most surprising;  until very recently, the fungi were assumed to be more closely related to the plants.  Note that there is no single right answer to this question!

    5.  The trees shown (there are three of them) are all models of the possible evolutionary relationships among these three groups.  Note that there are three groups, and thus three possible relationships - and all three have been postulated.  For this reason, the evolutionary relationships presented at the top of the page are represented as a "bush".  No one is sure at this time which two of the three groups are more closely related to each other.

    6.  Look at page 485 in the text for these answers.  Good examples (that are simpler to remember) would include:
    Archaea vs. Bacteria:  chemistry of the cell membrane
    Archaea and Eukarya:  transcription of RNA to  proteins is similar;  chemistry of proteins associated with DNA is similar
    Archaea vs. Eukarya:  shape of chromasome (circular in Archaea, linear in Eukarya).

    7.  These trees are two alternative models.  The other parts of the scientific method that are present include:
    Goal - to understand relationships among bacteria, Archaea, Eularyotes
    Models - these trees
    Data - similarities and differences in DNA (small subunit RNA genes) and similarities and differences in morphology
    Evaluation - each of these data sets would cause us to support one tree and reject the other
    Revision - no revisions are presented in the text
    Protista

    1.  Diffusion and osmosis are effective means of transporting molecules only over short distances.  The complexity of eukaryotic cells such as protista includes organelles that specialize in moving nutrients and waste products into, within, and out of the cell eliminating the reliance on diffusion and osmosis.  Therefore, these cells can be much larger in size.

    2.  Colonial protistans are made of cells that, if separated, can survive individually.  The cells composing a multicellular organism cannot survive long if separated from other cells because some degree of specialization has occurred in cell function.

    3.  The structural and genetic similarity between mitochondria and certain oxygen-requiring bacteria, and similar similarity between chloroplasts and photosynthetic bacteria.  Cell structures whose origins are not explained by this model include the nuclear membrane and the cytoskeleton.

    Animals
    1.  Separate the cells and see if they can survive individually.

    2.  Protista does not include all decendents of a common ancestor (if it did, we would be protists).  Animalia does include all decendents of a common ancestor.

    3.  The exoskeleton and endoskeleton are organized around joints.  Muscles working across these joints can move the joint in very specific and controlled fashion.

    4.  Because a bilaterally-symmetrical animal can place many of it's sensory organs where they will not be fouled by it's own excrement, increasing their efficiency at gathering information.

    5.  A sessile radially-symmetrical animal can sense food coming from any direction if it has sensory organs around its periphery.  Since it has to sit and wait, it needs to be aware of what is coming to it.

    Energy and carbon
    1.  B
    2.  D
    3.  C
    4.  A

    5.  Tulip:  autotrophic photosynthesizing
    paramecium:  heterotrophic respiring
    dragonfly:  heterotrophic respiring
    mushroom:  heterotrophic respiring

    6.  D
    7.  C
    8.  B
    9.  A
    Homeostasis
    1.  The larger Monitor lizard will maintain a steady body temperature with less effort  than the Anolis because, being larger, it will gain and loose heat more slowly.

    2.  C, E

    3.  The protista are much larger than the bacteria, and in order to maintain chemical homeostasis (gas exchange, intake of nutrients, expulsion of wastes) these larger cells require much more complicated structures.  Diffusion (and osmosis) are insufficient because of the much lower surface area / volume ratio.

    4.  Ectothermy requires much less energy (less food) and ectotherms tend to spend much less time hunting and eating.  Endotherms can be active in a much wider range of ambient temperatures because they do not rely on the environment to regulate their body temperature.

    5.  It is not likely to help most obese individuals, and might border on unethical dependent upon how the marketing was done.  (btw, it is already happening - do a search on line for Leptin)

    6.  Total calary intake relative to activity levels is probably the best mechanism for controlling weight.

    Nutrition
    1. A, B, D
    2.  A, B, C, D (all true)
    3.  (all true)
    4.  Generalist herbivores that eat different parts of plants and different species (like deer) will have an easier time meeting their nutritional requirements compared to those that eat only leaves or only bark.  Vertebrates or insects that eat many different species of plant will have an easier time meeting their nutritional requirements compared to insects that eat only one part of a single species of plant.

    5.  Insects require much less energy and carbon (much fewer total resources) to grow from larvae to adult and reproduce because they are much smaller.
    Foraging
    1.  E, 2. B, 3. D, 4. C, 5. A

    6.  This could actually be argued either way, and I'm not sure anyone has investigated this!

    7.  These are all social animals, and acting in packs they are effectively larger than their prey (total mass of predatory animals is greater than of the single prey).

    8.  low nutrient content (particularly proteins) <> eat a lot of plant material
    slick cuticle <> silk to stick to plant, or going inside (insects that tunnel inside leaves or stems)
    phytochemicals <> enzymatic compounds to "disarm" phytochemicals
    low water content <> water conservation, drinking, avoiding sunlight

    9.  prey can hide <> predator can develop sensory systems to improve searching ability
    prey can sequester phytochemicals (herbivorous prey) <> predator can eat everything except where the chemicals are stored;  predator can itself sequester the chemicals for defense
    prey can mimic inedible animals or non-organic things (dead leaves, bumps on logs) <> predator can improve searching ability

    10.  Predators that themselves must search for their prey are at greater risk of becoming prey of larger predators.  Predators that ambush prey can evolve camouflage and thus reduce their chances of becoming prey.  (one quandary for biologists is:  are camouflaged ambush predators like praying mantids hiding from their prey or their predators?)

    11.  Plants and host animals have evolved many chemical and non-chemical defenses against herbivores and parasites, respectively.  These defenses are usually specific for a certain type of attack.  For instance, many phytochemicals inhibit insect growth or mimic insect hormones in order to disrupt development.   In order to be successful, these consumers must therefore evolve counter-measures that are specific to their plant or host.  Predators, killing and eating an animal, are not often having to deal with such specific counter-measures from their prey.

    12.  You would expect the soil and water to be poor in those nutrients that are provided by insects:  proteins, or more particularly nitrogen.

    Sensory systems
    1. A:  mechanoreceptor;  B:  chemoreceptor;  C:  mechanoreceptor;  D:  mechanoreceptor;  E:  chemoreceptor;  F:  visual sensor;  G:  visual sensor

    2.  Dragonflies are fast-moving predators that capture their prey on the wing.

    3.  A:  false;  B:  true;  C:  false;  D:  true

    4.  "sound" is vibration of a substrate (air, water, or solid).

    5.  B, D

    6.  visual signals controlled for in B, D;  "right" and "left" controlled for in B;  acoustical signals are controlled for in C;  chemical signals are controlled for in B, C and D (note that in A there is only one treatment, so nothing is being varied and thus nothing can be tested or controlled for).

    7.  genetic variation is present, phenotypic variation results (more than one scent), and variation iin survival results from phenotype.  Evolution through natural selection can occur

    8.  There is no evidence of genetic variation, and the phenotype "capture hens" reduces survival.  Evolution through natural selection cannot occur.
    Experiments

    1. genotype of milkweed leaves, age of milkweed leaves, amount of corn pollen, genotype of butterfly larvae:  neither controlled for nor manipulated nor measured
     genotype of corn pollen - partially manipulated, partially uncontrolled
    number of larvae per dish;  environmental conditions:  controlled for
    weight gain / 3 days;  survival of larvae:  measured (response variable

    2.  any uncontrolled, unmanipulated variable could be a cause if it differed systematically among the three groups

    3.  environment (tropical, temperate); day length (summer or winter) , bat species:  controlled for:  chirping and warbling frogs were observed on the same nights.
    frog genotype:  neither controlled for, manipulated, nor measured
    number of matings for each male;  survival of chirping and warbling males:  measured

    Note:  as this is an observational study, no variables are manipulated

    4.  environment (water quality, temperature, etc):  controlled for
    ;  pillbug genotype: uncontrolled
    ;  predator simulation:  manipulated
    ;  pillbug behavior. measured

    5.  B, D if songs are transmitted through vibrations of the floors

    6.

    1. visual signals - B
    2. preference of "right" or "left" in the female - B
    3. acoustical signals - C

    4. chemical signals - B, C, D


    Digestion
    1.  They may produce vitamins as metabolic by-products, or digest materials the host cannot.

    2.  Cattle, iguanas, and termites have symbiotic gut bacteria that digest cellulose.  Leaf-cutter ants have fungal symbionts that they "garden" that digest the cellulose in the leaves they harvest.

    3.  refer to the lecture notes.

    4.  Digestive enzymes are released at the gut surface and must diffuse out until they encounter the material they can digest.  Nutrients ready to be absorbed must diffuse to the gut surface before they can be taken up.

    5.  To avoid digesting the cell itself.

    Food chains

    1.  Observational.  No manipulations to test causal models are being performed.
    2.  competition and predation
    3.  location: randomized,
    presence or absence of starfish:  manipulated
    number of mussels:  measured
    number of species of sessile invertebrates:  neither manipulated, measured, nor controlled for.

    4.  measured
    5.  starfish appear to be keystone predators in the first experiment;  mussels appear to be facilitating species in the second experiment.  The first experiment does not address the question of facilitation because the appropriate variables were not measured and cannot be said to test that model.  The second experiment does not reject the "keystone predator" model, but also does not reject the "facilitation" model.
    6.  Because resources are lost each time an organism consumes another organism, many prey are required to support each individual predator.
    7.  The food chain.

    Why Sex

    1.  Haploid refers to one copy of each gene present in an animal (eggs and sperm are haploid). Diploid refers to two copies of each gene present in an animal (zygotes, embryos, and all tissues in an adult are diploid).

    2A.  When a female aphid "matches" the host plant she has found, it is beneficial for her to reproduce offspring that are identical to herself, which can only be done through asexual reproduction.
    B.  When the host plant is not a good match, or its condition starts to deteriorate (perhaps through the feeding activities of the aphids?), it is advantageous to reproduce sexually, where all offspring will be genetically unique.  This improves the chances that at least a few of them will fiind host plants that they "match".

    3.  true:  A

    4.  If the advantages to reproduction outweigh the costs to survival.

    Sensory systems

    1.