BSC 1005 Exam Review: Coral Reefs Exam
Questions and Answers
In what ways are coral reefs extreme? - --Extremely large
-Very diverse
-Can be very vulnerable to human activities
-How are coral reefs important to humans? - --Protects the coastlines
-Can shelter many organisms
-Contains material used for pharmaceuticals
-What are the environmental requirements of corals, and how do they constrain the
geographic distribution of reefs built by corals? - -Sunlight, Clear Water, Warm water
temperature, Normal salinity, moderate wave action
-Why can corals be considered part animal, part plant, and part rock? - -Rock- Coral
skeletons are solid calcium carbonate
Animal- Corals are related to sea anemones and jellyfish
Plant- Most coral food comes from zooxanthellae (self-producing) also are tiny single celled
organisms
-What other animals are closely related to corals, and what are the characteristics they
share? - -Jellyfish and Anemones
Shared Characteristics: All Cnidarians, simple body, with a single opening surrounded by a
ring of tentacles, sack-like mouths, hydras nematocyst, stinging cells
-What are two ways in which reef-building corals acquire food, and what is the relative
importance of each of these food acquisition mechanisms to corals? - -1) Filter feeding
2) Use tentacles to capture food
-How does living as a colony influence patterns of growth and possibilities for overall
shape? - -Polyps coordinate to shape the corals into a way that is best for their species
-What are the stages of the coral life cycle, both sexual and asexual? - -Sexual:
1) Sperm is released into the water
2) Sperm and egg meet
3) Eggs are sometimes released into the environment as well
-How does species diversity on coral reefs compare with that of other ecosystems? - -Coral
reefs are much more diverse
, -How is information about the many tens of thousands of species that live on reefs
organized so we can readily retrieve it? - -There is a hierarchical system of categories that
is based on evolutionary relationships among organisms
-What characteristics contribute to the most fundamental division of life into prokaryotes
and eukaryotes? - -Prokaryotes: Single celled, no nucleus, however still carry out functions
of life
Eukaryotes: Have a nucleus which contains DNA
-What is the importance of the Cyanobacteria to coral reefs? - --Cyanobacteria is a type of
"blue-green algae" meaning it is photosynthetic and aquatic
-Cyanobacteria helps generate oxygen through photosynthesis
-Cyanobacteria are grazed by reef organisms and also provide nitrogen to the coral reef
ecosystems through nitrogen fixation
-Cyanobacteria are important in calcification and decalcification
-How are the 4 kingdoms of eukaryotes distinguished from each other? - --Protista- The
protists are usually single celled organisms. They have a distinct nucleus
-Plantae: The characteristics of plants are that they have chlorophyll, cell walls (cellulose),
and vacuoles. This kingdom also includes red, brown, and green algae
-Animalia: Most complex organisms on the planet. One big thing about animals is that they
must eat other organisms to survive. They cannot create their own food because they do
not contain chlorophyll. They are able to move around, and most have sense organs of
some type.
-Fungi: This kingdom is made up of the decomposers. Some of the members of this
kingdom are fungi, slime molds, yeast, mold, and mushrooms.
-What are the important differences among the photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms
(division Dinoflagellida in the kingdom Protista; and all divisions in the kingdom Plantae)
in where they live in the sea and how they acquire nutrients? - -
-What are the chief distinguishing characteristics of each of the 6 phyla of invertebrate
animals and the phylum with both invertebrate and vertebrate animals that are
conspicuously represented on coral reefs (e.g., symmetry, appendages, skeletons or other
structural support, and adaptations for acquiring food)? And what variations on their basic
body plan have evolved in each of these phyla? - -Porifera
Cnidaria
Annelida
Mollusca: Bilateral Symmetry, Muscular foot. Ex. Clams, snails, squids
Questions and Answers
In what ways are coral reefs extreme? - --Extremely large
-Very diverse
-Can be very vulnerable to human activities
-How are coral reefs important to humans? - --Protects the coastlines
-Can shelter many organisms
-Contains material used for pharmaceuticals
-What are the environmental requirements of corals, and how do they constrain the
geographic distribution of reefs built by corals? - -Sunlight, Clear Water, Warm water
temperature, Normal salinity, moderate wave action
-Why can corals be considered part animal, part plant, and part rock? - -Rock- Coral
skeletons are solid calcium carbonate
Animal- Corals are related to sea anemones and jellyfish
Plant- Most coral food comes from zooxanthellae (self-producing) also are tiny single celled
organisms
-What other animals are closely related to corals, and what are the characteristics they
share? - -Jellyfish and Anemones
Shared Characteristics: All Cnidarians, simple body, with a single opening surrounded by a
ring of tentacles, sack-like mouths, hydras nematocyst, stinging cells
-What are two ways in which reef-building corals acquire food, and what is the relative
importance of each of these food acquisition mechanisms to corals? - -1) Filter feeding
2) Use tentacles to capture food
-How does living as a colony influence patterns of growth and possibilities for overall
shape? - -Polyps coordinate to shape the corals into a way that is best for their species
-What are the stages of the coral life cycle, both sexual and asexual? - -Sexual:
1) Sperm is released into the water
2) Sperm and egg meet
3) Eggs are sometimes released into the environment as well
-How does species diversity on coral reefs compare with that of other ecosystems? - -Coral
reefs are much more diverse
, -How is information about the many tens of thousands of species that live on reefs
organized so we can readily retrieve it? - -There is a hierarchical system of categories that
is based on evolutionary relationships among organisms
-What characteristics contribute to the most fundamental division of life into prokaryotes
and eukaryotes? - -Prokaryotes: Single celled, no nucleus, however still carry out functions
of life
Eukaryotes: Have a nucleus which contains DNA
-What is the importance of the Cyanobacteria to coral reefs? - --Cyanobacteria is a type of
"blue-green algae" meaning it is photosynthetic and aquatic
-Cyanobacteria helps generate oxygen through photosynthesis
-Cyanobacteria are grazed by reef organisms and also provide nitrogen to the coral reef
ecosystems through nitrogen fixation
-Cyanobacteria are important in calcification and decalcification
-How are the 4 kingdoms of eukaryotes distinguished from each other? - --Protista- The
protists are usually single celled organisms. They have a distinct nucleus
-Plantae: The characteristics of plants are that they have chlorophyll, cell walls (cellulose),
and vacuoles. This kingdom also includes red, brown, and green algae
-Animalia: Most complex organisms on the planet. One big thing about animals is that they
must eat other organisms to survive. They cannot create their own food because they do
not contain chlorophyll. They are able to move around, and most have sense organs of
some type.
-Fungi: This kingdom is made up of the decomposers. Some of the members of this
kingdom are fungi, slime molds, yeast, mold, and mushrooms.
-What are the important differences among the photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms
(division Dinoflagellida in the kingdom Protista; and all divisions in the kingdom Plantae)
in where they live in the sea and how they acquire nutrients? - -
-What are the chief distinguishing characteristics of each of the 6 phyla of invertebrate
animals and the phylum with both invertebrate and vertebrate animals that are
conspicuously represented on coral reefs (e.g., symmetry, appendages, skeletons or other
structural support, and adaptations for acquiring food)? And what variations on their basic
body plan have evolved in each of these phyla? - -Porifera
Cnidaria
Annelida
Mollusca: Bilateral Symmetry, Muscular foot. Ex. Clams, snails, squids
