From Molecules to Organisms
What is the primary function of mitochondria in a cell?
To produce ATP through cellular respiration.
What are the basic building blocks of proteins?
amino acids
What is the role of decomposers in an ecosystem?
To break down dead organic matter and recycle nutrients.
What is the function of DNA in heredity?
To store and transmit genetic information
What evidence supports the theory of evolution
Fossil records, comparative anatomy, genetic similarities, and observed evolutionary changes.
A plant cell is placed in an environment with a lower concentration of water outside the cell. Predict how water will move and the effect on the cell.
Water will move out of the cell, causing the cell to shrink (plasmolysis).
Compare and contrast anaerobic and aerobic respiration in terms of energy yield.
Aerobic respiration produces significantly more ATP (around 36-38 ATP per glucose) compared to anaerobic respiration (about 2 ATP per glucose).
Describe how energy flows through a food web.
Answer: Energy flows from producers to consumers and decomposers, decreasing at each trophic level.
Predict the genotypic and phenotypic ratios of a monohybrid cross between two heterozygous organisms.
Answer: Genotypic ratio 1:2:1 (homozygous dominant:heterozygous:homozygous recessive); phenotypic ratio 3:1 (dominant:recessive).
Explain the process of natural selection and how it leads to adaptation.
Answer: Organisms with advantageous traits survive and reproduce, passing those traits to offspring.
Propose a method to investigate how pH levels affect enzyme activity and explain how you would collect data.
Conduct an experiment using an enzyme with substrates at different pH levels and measure the reaction rate by monitoring product formation over time.
Develop a model that shows the stages of mitosis and their significance in growth and repair.
A model showing prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase with descriptions of chromosome alignment, separation, and cell division.
Use the following data set to determine the carrying capacity for a deer population in a forested area.
Year 1: 50 deer
Year 2: 75 deer
Year 3: 110 deer
Year 4: 130 deer
Year 5: 140 deer
Year 6: 145 deer
Year 7: 142 deer
Answer: The carrying capacity appears to be around 145 deer, as the population stabilizes at this number.
How can you determine if an individual is a carrier based on the chart?
Answer: Carriers will not show symptoms but will have one affected allele, usually identified when both parents are carriers and at least one child is affected
Identify and explain factors that influence natural selection in a population, such as environmental changes or genetic variation.
Factors include mutation, genetic drift, gene flow, and selective pressures like predation or competition.
Evaluate the impact of a malfunction in the ribosome on protein synthesis.
Answer: Protein synthesis would be impaired or halted, leading to reduced or defective protein production.
Analyze how mutations in the DNA sequence can affect protein structure and function.
Mutations can alter the amino acid sequence, potentially resulting in nonfunctional or harmful proteins.
Assess how biodiversity loss can impact ecosystem stability.
Answer: Loss of biodiversity can reduce ecosystem resilience, making it more susceptible to disruptions.
Justify how genetic mutations can lead to evolution over multiple generations.
Answer: Beneficial mutations can enhance survival, leading to increased frequency in the population over time.
Evaluate the effect of genetic drift on a small population over time.
Answer: Genetic drift can lead to significant changes in allele frequency, potentially reducing genetic diversity.
A patient has a metabolic disorder affecting cellular respiration. Predict which organelle might be malfunctioning and justify your answer.
The mitochondria as they are responsible for ATP production through respiration.
A certain gene mutation leads to a non-functional protein. Explain how this could affect the organism's homeostasis.
The loss of a functional protein could disrupt metabolic pathways, impair cell signaling, or reduce the ability to respond to environmental changes.
A coastal area experiences a significant loss of keystone species. Predict how this could affect the local ecosystem.
Answer: The loss could lead to a collapse of the food web, affecting many other species.
A child inherits a recessive disorder, even though both parents are healthy. Explain how this is possible.
Answer: Both parents are carriers (heterozygous), each passing on the recessive allele.
A species of bird evolves a new beak shape due to changes in available food resources. Discuss how this could affect the species’ survival.
The new beak shape may increase the ability to exploit new food sources, enhancing survival chances.