BIOLOGY 180 PRACTICE EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
RATED A+
✔✔The resource use efficiency hypothesis is an explanation for why productivity
increases when plant species diversity increases. Which of these predictions follows
from this hypothesis? - ✔✔There should be a strong positive relationship between the
number of functional groups in an experimental plot and biomass.
✔✔The sampling effect hypothesis is an explanation for why productivity increases
when plant species diversity increases. Which of these predictions follows from this
hypothesis? - ✔✔If a certain "big-producer" is present, then biomass in a plot is high. If
the big producer is absent, biomass is low.
✔✔The presence of nitrogen-fixing plants should benefit nearby individuals of other
species, because nitrogen is a key nutrient--it is usually in very short supply. But
nitrogen--fixing bacteria live inside tight nodules in the host plant's roots, and the host
plant has to provide the bacteria with large quantities of sugar. Which of the following
statements is correct? - ✔✔Nitrogen will only become available to other, nearby plants
when the nodules or the nitrogen-fixing plant itself dies.
✔✔Some plants make large seeds (eg coconut palms), while some make numerous
seeds (eg sunflowers). Why isn't there a plant that makes numerous, large seeds? -
✔✔A plant has limited resources to invest in seed production. If it makes many seeds,
they must be relatively small. If it makes large seeds, they must be relatively few.
✔✔Male crickets produce large spermatophores, with substantial gelatinous masses.
Why is a large gelatinous mass beneficial to the male cricket? - ✔✔The female takes
longer to eat the large mass, and more sperm can be transferred during that longer
time.
✔✔Humans are endotherms. If we were ectotherms, how might this generally affect our
diet? - ✔✔We would eat less food, because we would require less energy.
✔✔When you get cold, your body shunts blood to your core rather than your periphery
(hands, feet, skin). Why? - ✔✔To prevent your blood from losing heat to the cold
surroundings.
✔✔What key features of the amniotic egg enable tetrapods that lay them to reproduce
on land? - ✔✔Amniotic eggs have a protective coat that slows the rate of water loss.
Amniotic eggs have a shell.
Amniotic eggs contain membranes that allow for the exchange of gases.
, ✔✔Which of the following affect the exchange of heat between an organism and its
environment? - ✔✔The radiation of heat from the organism to the environment and from
objects in the environment to the organism.
The evaporation of water.
The direct transfer of heat between the organism and the solid and liquid materials it is
in physical contact with.
✔✔Lizards are poikilotherms. Compared to homeotherms, lizards: - ✔✔Regulate their
body temperature mostly by, for example, moving into the sun to warm themselves.
✔✔Biologists identify four major components in an ecosystem: producers, consumers,
decomposers, and the abiotic environment. What links them? - ✔✔Flows of nutrients
and energy.
✔✔What is the difference between a consumer and a decomposer? - ✔✔A consumer
eats live stuff; a decomposer eats dead stuff.
✔✔What do the Latin root "vor" and the Greek root "troph" refer to? - ✔✔food/eating
✔✔What's the difference between a food chain and a food web? - ✔✔Food chains have
just one species per trophic level; food webs may have many species per trophic level.
✔✔Why do biologists refer to a "pyramid of productivity?" - ✔✔Biomass production
declines at each higher trophic level.
✔✔where is NPP highest in marine ecosystems? - ✔✔along coastlines
✔✔where is NPP highest in terrestrial environments? - ✔✔tropical rainforests
✔✔What does it mean to say that humans are "mining" water? - ✔✔removing it from
aquifers faster than it is replaced
✔✔What is a "dead zone?" - ✔✔A region in the ocean that lacks oxygen due to
extensive decomposition.
✔✔Which loses nutrients from its soil faster: A vegetated watershed, or a devegetated
watershed? - ✔✔A devegetated watershed, because without roots to stabilize the soil
and recycle nutrients, nutrients are carried away by water.
✔✔Where is the concentration of chlorophyll highest and what does this indicate? -
✔✔The concentration of chlorophyll in the oceans is much higher near coasts than it is
far from land. This indicates that Net Primary Productivity is much higher along the
coasts.
RATED A+
✔✔The resource use efficiency hypothesis is an explanation for why productivity
increases when plant species diversity increases. Which of these predictions follows
from this hypothesis? - ✔✔There should be a strong positive relationship between the
number of functional groups in an experimental plot and biomass.
✔✔The sampling effect hypothesis is an explanation for why productivity increases
when plant species diversity increases. Which of these predictions follows from this
hypothesis? - ✔✔If a certain "big-producer" is present, then biomass in a plot is high. If
the big producer is absent, biomass is low.
✔✔The presence of nitrogen-fixing plants should benefit nearby individuals of other
species, because nitrogen is a key nutrient--it is usually in very short supply. But
nitrogen--fixing bacteria live inside tight nodules in the host plant's roots, and the host
plant has to provide the bacteria with large quantities of sugar. Which of the following
statements is correct? - ✔✔Nitrogen will only become available to other, nearby plants
when the nodules or the nitrogen-fixing plant itself dies.
✔✔Some plants make large seeds (eg coconut palms), while some make numerous
seeds (eg sunflowers). Why isn't there a plant that makes numerous, large seeds? -
✔✔A plant has limited resources to invest in seed production. If it makes many seeds,
they must be relatively small. If it makes large seeds, they must be relatively few.
✔✔Male crickets produce large spermatophores, with substantial gelatinous masses.
Why is a large gelatinous mass beneficial to the male cricket? - ✔✔The female takes
longer to eat the large mass, and more sperm can be transferred during that longer
time.
✔✔Humans are endotherms. If we were ectotherms, how might this generally affect our
diet? - ✔✔We would eat less food, because we would require less energy.
✔✔When you get cold, your body shunts blood to your core rather than your periphery
(hands, feet, skin). Why? - ✔✔To prevent your blood from losing heat to the cold
surroundings.
✔✔What key features of the amniotic egg enable tetrapods that lay them to reproduce
on land? - ✔✔Amniotic eggs have a protective coat that slows the rate of water loss.
Amniotic eggs have a shell.
Amniotic eggs contain membranes that allow for the exchange of gases.
, ✔✔Which of the following affect the exchange of heat between an organism and its
environment? - ✔✔The radiation of heat from the organism to the environment and from
objects in the environment to the organism.
The evaporation of water.
The direct transfer of heat between the organism and the solid and liquid materials it is
in physical contact with.
✔✔Lizards are poikilotherms. Compared to homeotherms, lizards: - ✔✔Regulate their
body temperature mostly by, for example, moving into the sun to warm themselves.
✔✔Biologists identify four major components in an ecosystem: producers, consumers,
decomposers, and the abiotic environment. What links them? - ✔✔Flows of nutrients
and energy.
✔✔What is the difference between a consumer and a decomposer? - ✔✔A consumer
eats live stuff; a decomposer eats dead stuff.
✔✔What do the Latin root "vor" and the Greek root "troph" refer to? - ✔✔food/eating
✔✔What's the difference between a food chain and a food web? - ✔✔Food chains have
just one species per trophic level; food webs may have many species per trophic level.
✔✔Why do biologists refer to a "pyramid of productivity?" - ✔✔Biomass production
declines at each higher trophic level.
✔✔where is NPP highest in marine ecosystems? - ✔✔along coastlines
✔✔where is NPP highest in terrestrial environments? - ✔✔tropical rainforests
✔✔What does it mean to say that humans are "mining" water? - ✔✔removing it from
aquifers faster than it is replaced
✔✔What is a "dead zone?" - ✔✔A region in the ocean that lacks oxygen due to
extensive decomposition.
✔✔Which loses nutrients from its soil faster: A vegetated watershed, or a devegetated
watershed? - ✔✔A devegetated watershed, because without roots to stabilize the soil
and recycle nutrients, nutrients are carried away by water.
✔✔Where is the concentration of chlorophyll highest and what does this indicate? -
✔✔The concentration of chlorophyll in the oceans is much higher near coasts than it is
far from land. This indicates that Net Primary Productivity is much higher along the
coasts.
