Question 1

Which of the following is more fit?

Accepted Answer

A)  a 5000-year-old bristlecone pine tree that produced 1 offspring every 100 years 
B)  a 5000-year-old bristlecone pine tree that produced 3 offspring every 100 years 
C)  a 3000-year-old bristlecone pine tree that produced 100 offspring every 100 years 
D)  a 2000-year-old bristlecone pine tree that produced 100 offspring every 10 years 
E)  a 500-year-old bristlecone pine tree that produced 100 offspring every year 
A)  a 5000-year-old bristlecone pine tree that produced 1 offspring every 100 years 
B)  a 5000-year-old bristlecone pine tree that produced 3 offspring every 100 years 
C)  a 3000-year-old bristlecone pine tree that produced 100 offspring every 100 years 
D)  a 2000-year-old bristlecone pine tree that produced 100 offspring every 10 years 
E)  a 500-year-old bristlecone pine tree that produced 100 offspring every year E

Question 2

A student who shares a dorm suite and bathroom with seven other students has contracted a skin infection caused by MRSA.Based on what you know about MRSA and about the student,where would you look first for the source of the bacteria?

Accepted Answer

A)  contaminated equipment at the gym 
B)  contaminated shared food 
C)  contaminated used soap and towels 
D)  a suitemate with an upper respiratory infection who is sneezing and coughing 
E)  shared hypodermic needles 
A)  contaminated equipment at the gym 
B)  contaminated shared food 
C)  contaminated used soap and towels 
D)  a suitemate with an upper respiratory infection who is sneezing and coughing 
E)  shared hypodermic needles C

Question 3

Natural selection that favors survival of extreme phenotypes of a population is called

Accepted Answer

A)  artificial selection. 
B)  stabilizing selection. 
C)  diversifying selection. 
D)  directional selection. 
E)  extremophenotypic selection. 
A)  artificial selection. 
B)  stabilizing selection. 
C)  diversifying selection. 
D)  directional selection. 
E)  extremophenotypic selection. C

Question 4

If the cell wall of Staphylococcus aureus fails to form properly,water will

Accepted Answer

A)  create a secondary wall around the cell. 
B)  drain out of the cell rapidly,causing it to dehydrate. 
C)  drown the bacteria. 
D)  rush into the cell,causing it to explode. 
E)  create a bridge of hydrogen bonds to repair the wall. 
A)  create a secondary wall around the cell. 
B)  drain out of the cell rapidly,causing it to dehydrate. 
C)  drown the bacteria. 
D)  rush into the cell,causing it to explode. 
E)  create a bridge of hydrogen bonds to repair the wall.

Question 5

If two alleles are incompletely dominant to each other and heterozygotes almost never survive,which pattern of natural selection would you expect to see?

Accepted Answer

A)  bifurcating selection 
B)  directional selection 
C)  diversifying selection 
D)  intermediate selection 
E)  stabilizing selection 
A)  bifurcating selection 
B)  directional selection 
C)  diversifying selection 
D)  intermediate selection 
E)  stabilizing selection

Question 6

You are about to move into a dorm suite and bathroom shared by seven other students.To reduce the likelihood of contracting an antibiotic-resistant bacterial infection,you and your suitemates should

Accepted Answer

A)  keep common surfaces,such as those in the bathroom,disinfected. 
B)  not share soap or towels. 
C)  not take antibiotics for viral infections. 
D)  wash your hands frequently. 
E)  All of the above. 
A)  keep common surfaces,such as those in the bathroom,disinfected. 
B)  not share soap or towels. 
C)  not take antibiotics for viral infections. 
D)  wash your hands frequently. 
E)  All of the above.

Question 7

Your friend has contracted a bacterial infection.Which of the following hypothetical drugs would you suggest as the best way to prevent an antibiotic-resistant allele from arising and spreading throughout the bacterial population in her body?

Accepted Answer

A)  a drug that prevents mutations but allows gene swapping 
B)  a drug that doesn't prevent mutations but does prevent gene swapping with individuals of its own species 
C)  a drug that doesn't prevent mutations but does prevent gene swapping with individuals of other species 
D)  a drug that doesn't prevent mutations but prevents gene swapping with any individual of any species 
E)  a drug that prevents both mutations and gene swapping 
A)  a drug that prevents mutations but allows gene swapping 
B)  a drug that doesn't prevent mutations but does prevent gene swapping with individuals of its own species 
C)  a drug that doesn't prevent mutations but does prevent gene swapping with individuals of other species 
D)  a drug that doesn't prevent mutations but prevents gene swapping with any individual of any species 
E)  a drug that prevents both mutations and gene swapping

Question 8

MRSA is caused by

Accepted Answer

A)  Streptococcus aureus. 
B)  a drug-resistant form of S.aureus. 
C)  S.aureus USA300. 
D)  a drug-resistant form of a virus. 
E)  a drug-resistant form of Methicillin aureus. 
A)  Streptococcus aureus. 
B)  a drug-resistant form of S.aureus. 
C)  S.aureus USA300. 
D)  a drug-resistant form of a virus. 
E)  a drug-resistant form of Methicillin aureus.

Question 9

Why aren't human populations evolving to produce immune systems that are able to fight off MRSA and other "superbugs"?

Accepted Answer

A)  because bacteria do not apply a selection pressure on human populations 
B)  because we do not have the mutations that would improve our immune systems 
C)  because the rate of human evolution is much slower than bacterial evolution 
D)  none of these 
E)  all of these 
A)  because bacteria do not apply a selection pressure on human populations 
B)  because we do not have the mutations that would improve our immune systems 
C)  because the rate of human evolution is much slower than bacterial evolution 
D)  none of these 
E)  all of these

Question 10

What would the outcome be if an antibiotic-sensitive homogeneous (no variation)strain of S.aureus was grown in the presence of antibiotics?

Accepted Answer

A)  cell growth that begins slowly but proceeds rapidly 
B)  rapid mutation and growth 
C)  no cell growth 
D)  eventual rise of antibiotic-resistant cells 
E)  rapid growth then sudden death 
A)  cell growth that begins slowly but proceeds rapidly 
B)  rapid mutation and growth 
C)  no cell growth 
D)  eventual rise of antibiotic-resistant cells 
E)  rapid growth then sudden death

Question 11

Which bacterial phenotype would have the highest fitness if it were cultured in a medium containing antibiotics?

Accepted Answer

A)  a slightly antibiotic-resistant variant 
B)  a moderately antibiotic-resistant variant 
C)  a highly antibiotic-resistant variant 
D)  an antibiotic-sensitive variant 
E)  all phenotypes have equal fitness 
A)  a slightly antibiotic-resistant variant 
B)  a moderately antibiotic-resistant variant 
C)  a highly antibiotic-resistant variant 
D)  an antibiotic-sensitive variant 
E)  all phenotypes have equal fitness

Question 12

The severity of a bacterial infection is related to

Accepted Answer

A)  the health of the patient. 
B)  whether the bacteria produce toxins. 
C)  whether the bacteria have a way to avoid the immune system. 
D)  which part of the body is infected. 
E)  All of the above. 
A)  the health of the patient. 
B)  whether the bacteria produce toxins. 
C)  whether the bacteria have a way to avoid the immune system. 
D)  which part of the body is infected. 
E)  All of the above.

Question 13

Binary fission is a form of

Accepted Answer

A)  nuclear division. 
B)  aerobic reproduction. 
C)  anaerobic reproduction. 
D)  asexual reproduction. 
E)  sexual reproduction. 
A)  nuclear division. 
B)  aerobic reproduction. 
C)  anaerobic reproduction. 
D)  asexual reproduction. 
E)  sexual reproduction.

Question 14

Which of the following factors will NOT influence the rate at which drug resistance can evolve in a population of bacteria?

Accepted Answer

A)  mutation rate 
B)  the frequency of gene swapping with members of the same species 
C)  the frequency of gene swapping with members of different species 
D)  the frequency of reproduction 
E)  the age of the host 
A)  mutation rate 
B)  the frequency of gene swapping with members of the same species 
C)  the frequency of gene swapping with members of different species 
D)  the frequency of reproduction 
E)  the age of the host

Question 15

A number of mosquito populations today are resistant to specific insecticides,even though those insecticides were highly effective when they were first introduced.Biologists believe that insecticide resistance evolved in mosquitoes because

Accepted Answer

A)  individual mosquitoes built up an immunity to an insecticide after being exposed to it. 
B)  mosquitoes needed to develop insecticide resistance to survive after the insecticide was used. 
C)  a few mosquitoes were probably resistant to the insecticide before it was ever used.These survived and passed that trait on to their offspring. 
D)  the presence of the insecticide caused some mosquitoes to develop resistance;they survived and passed the trait to their offspring. 
E)  current mosquito populations are phenotypically variable and exhibit different levels of fitness in different environments. 
A)  individual mosquitoes built up an immunity to an insecticide after being exposed to it. 
B)  mosquitoes needed to develop insecticide resistance to survive after the insecticide was used. 
C)  a few mosquitoes were probably resistant to the insecticide before it was ever used.These survived and passed that trait on to their offspring. 
D)  the presence of the insecticide caused some mosquitoes to develop resistance;they survived and passed the trait to their offspring. 
E)  current mosquito populations are phenotypically variable and exhibit different levels of fitness in different environments.

Question 16

What percentage of people carry antibiotic-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus on their skin or in their noses?

Accepted Answer

A)  about 2% 
B)  about 5% 
C)  about 10% 
D)  about 12% 
E)  about 30% 
A)  about 2% 
B)  about 5% 
C)  about 10% 
D)  about 12% 
E)  about 30%

Question 17

Which statement about evolution by natural selection is false?

Accepted Answer

A)  Natural selection is a random change in allele frequencies over generations. 
B)  Evolution by natural selection affects populations of organisms,not individual organisms. 
C)  Natural selection favors those traits that confer higher fitness in the environment. 
D)  Natural selection allows organisms with higher fitness to reproduce more successfully. 
E)  Evolution by natural selection occurs more rapidly in organisms with high reproductive rates. 
A)  Natural selection is a random change in allele frequencies over generations. 
B)  Evolution by natural selection affects populations of organisms,not individual organisms. 
C)  Natural selection favors those traits that confer higher fitness in the environment. 
D)  Natural selection allows organisms with higher fitness to reproduce more successfully. 
E)  Evolution by natural selection occurs more rapidly in organisms with high reproductive rates.

Question 18

Which of the following people is/are especially vulnerable to illness caused by drug-resistant bacteria?

Accepted Answer

A)  a 3-month-old baby 
B)  a 90-year-old man 
C)  an athlete with several cuts on his arms and legs 
D)  a person with pneumonia 
E)  All of the above people are especially vulnerable. 
A)  a 3-month-old baby 
B)  a 90-year-old man 
C)  an athlete with several cuts on his arms and legs 
D)  a person with pneumonia 
E)  All of the above people are especially vulnerable.

Question 19

What is the evolutionary process called that causes antibiotic-resistant bacteria to increase and antibiotic-sensitive bacteria to decrease in an environment where antibiotics are present?

Accepted Answer

A)  bacterial selection 
B)  antibiotic selection 
C)  natural selection 
D)  environmental selection 
E)  evolutionary selection 
A)  bacterial selection 
B)  antibiotic selection 
C)  natural selection 
D)  environmental selection 
E)  evolutionary selection

Question 20

Antibiotic resistance is an example of which pattern of natural selection?

Accepted Answer

A)  bifurcating selection 
B)  directional selection 
C)  diversifying selection 
D)  intermediate selection 
E)  stabilizing selection 
A)  bifurcating selection 
B)  directional selection 
C)  diversifying selection 
D)  intermediate selection 
E)  stabilizing selection

Exam 13: Natural Selection and Adaptation

Which of the following is more fit?

A student who shares a dorm suite and bathroom with seven other students has contracted a skin infection caused by MRSA.Based on what you know about MRSA and about the student,where would you look first for the source of the bacteria?

Natural selection that favors survival of extreme phenotypes of a population is called

If the cell wall of Staphylococcus aureus fails to form properly,water will

If two alleles are incompletely dominant to each other and heterozygotes almost never survive,which pattern of natural selection would you expect to see?

You are about to move into a dorm suite and bathroom shared by seven other students.To reduce the likelihood of contracting an antibiotic-resistant bacterial infection,you and your suitemates should

Your friend has contracted a bacterial infection.Which of the following hypothetical drugs would you suggest as the best way to prevent an antibiotic-resistant allele from arising and spreading throughout the bacterial population in her body?

MRSA is caused by

Why aren't human populations evolving to produce immune systems that are able to fight off MRSA and other "superbugs"?

What would the outcome be if an antibiotic-sensitive homogeneous (no variation)strain of S.aureus was grown in the presence of antibiotics?

Which bacterial phenotype would have the highest fitness if it were cultured in a medium containing antibiotics?

The severity of a bacterial infection is related to

Binary fission is a form of

Which of the following factors will NOT influence the rate at which drug resistance can evolve in a population of bacteria?

A number of mosquito populations today are resistant to specific insecticides,even though those insecticides were highly effective when they were first introduced.Biologists believe that insecticide resistance evolved in mosquitoes because

What percentage of people carry antibiotic-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus on their skin or in their noses?

Which statement about evolution by natural selection is false?

Which of the following people is/are especially vulnerable to illness caused by drug-resistant bacteria?

What is the evolutionary process called that causes antibiotic-resistant bacteria to increase and antibiotic-sensitive bacteria to decrease in an environment where antibiotics are present?

Antibiotic resistance is an example of which pattern of natural selection?

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