Question 1

The Earth's primitive atmosphere was produced primarily by

Accepted Answer

A) outgassing from the Earth's interior. 
B) gravitational energy. 
C) radioactivity. 
D) All of the choices are true. 
A) outgassing from the Earth's interior. 
B) gravitational energy. 
C) radioactivity. 
D) All of the choices are true.

Question 2

Which of the following lists of mass extinctions and Eras is correct?

Accepted Answer

A) The Precambrian experienced 0,Paleozoic experienced 3,Mesozoic experienced 2 and the Cretaceous experienced 0 mass extinctions. 
B) The Precambrian experienced 2,Paleozoic experienced 2,Mesozoic experienced 3 and the Cretaceous experienced 0 mass extinctions. 
C) The Precambrian experienced 0,Paleozoic experienced 2,Mesozoic experienced 3 and the Cretaceous experienced 0 mass extinctions. 
D) The Precambrian experienced 1,Paleozoic experienced 3,Mesozoic experienced 2 and the Cretaceous experienced 1 mass extinctions. 
A) The Precambrian experienced 0,Paleozoic experienced 3,Mesozoic experienced 2 and the Cretaceous experienced 0 mass extinctions. 
B) The Precambrian experienced 2,Paleozoic experienced 2,Mesozoic experienced 3 and the Cretaceous experienced 0 mass extinctions. 
C) The Precambrian experienced 0,Paleozoic experienced 2,Mesozoic experienced 3 and the Cretaceous experienced 0 mass extinctions. 
D) The Precambrian experienced 1,Paleozoic experienced 3,Mesozoic experienced 2 and the Cretaceous experienced 1 mass extinctions.

Question 3

________ discovered that a variety of amino acids and organic acids could be produced in the laboratory in a reducing atmosphere with electrical sparks.

Accepted Answer

A) Stanley Miller 
B) Graham Cairns-Smith 
C) Thomas Cech 
D) Aleksander Oparin 
E) Sidney Fox 
A) Stanley Miller 
B) Graham Cairns-Smith 
C) Thomas Cech 
D) Aleksander Oparin 
E) Sidney Fox

Question 4

The distribution of mammalian fossils on Australia,South America and Africa help support continental drift.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

The first cells gave rise to

Accepted Answer

A) bacteria and archaea. 
B) archaea and protists. 
C) bacteria and fungi. 
D) eukaryotes and bacteria. 
A) bacteria and archaea. 
B) archaea and protists. 
C) bacteria and fungi. 
D) eukaryotes and bacteria.

Question 6

All of the following statements concerning the theory of continental drift are true EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

A) the coastlines of several continents are mirror images. 
B) similar geological structures are found in areas where the continents touched. 
C) continental drift has ceased. 
D) the unique distribution patterns of several fossils is explained by continental drift. 
A) the coastlines of several continents are mirror images. 
B) similar geological structures are found in areas where the continents touched. 
C) continental drift has ceased. 
D) the unique distribution patterns of several fossils is explained by continental drift.

Question 7

The Greek terms for "small" and "ball" are the root words for

Accepted Answer

A) proteinoid. 
B) polymer. 
C) microsphere. 
D) coacervate. 
E) liposome. 
A) proteinoid. 
B) polymer. 
C) microsphere. 
D) coacervate. 
E) liposome.

Question 8

The dilemma of whether proteins or nucleic acids were formed first is avoided by the

Accepted Answer

A) protein-first hypothesis. 
B) RNA-first hypothesis. 
C) clay-catalyst hypothesis. 
A) protein-first hypothesis. 
B) RNA-first hypothesis. 
C) clay-catalyst hypothesis.

Question 9

Organisms today are living in the Pleistocene epoch of the Cenozoic era.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

The term "reducing atmosphere" for the early Earth means that the atmosphere

Accepted Answer

A) was much thinner around the surface of the Earth than now. 
B) contained only two or three kinds of gases. 
C) contained little or no free oxygen. 
D) contained little or no free nitrogen. 
E) contained little or no carbon dioxide. 
A) was much thinner around the surface of the Earth than now. 
B) contained only two or three kinds of gases. 
C) contained little or no free oxygen. 
D) contained little or no free nitrogen. 
E) contained little or no carbon dioxide.

Question 11

Which of the following major divisions of geologic time is mismatched with the organisms that flourished during that time period?

Accepted Answer

A) Carboniferous Period-Age of Amphibians 
B) Mesozoic Era-Age of Reptiles 
C) Cambrian Period-Age of Fish 
D) Cenozoic Era-Age of Homo sapiens 
A) Carboniferous Period-Age of Amphibians 
B) Mesozoic Era-Age of Reptiles 
C) Cambrian Period-Age of Fish 
D) Cenozoic Era-Age of Homo sapiens

Question 12

___________ proposed that clay may have served as the site of polymerization of monomers to produce both nucleic acids and proteins at the same time.

Accepted Answer

A) Stanley Miller 
B) Graham Cairns-Smith 
C) Thomas Cech 
D) Aleksander Oparin 
E) Sidney Fox 
A) Stanley Miller 
B) Graham Cairns-Smith 
C) Thomas Cech 
D) Aleksander Oparin 
E) Sidney Fox

Question 13

Which piece of evidence would best support the theory of continental drift?

Accepted Answer

A) The east coast of Africa matches up with the western coast of South America. 
B) The reptilian diversity on Earth is very different due to the separation of the continents billions of years ago. 
C) Australia,South America and Africa all share a similar mammalian fauna due to the lineage being present on Gondwana. 
D) Fossils of seed ferns can only be found on North America and Europe but no where else in the world. 
E) All of the choices are correct. 
A) The east coast of Africa matches up with the western coast of South America. 
B) The reptilian diversity on Earth is very different due to the separation of the continents billions of years ago. 
C) Australia,South America and Africa all share a similar mammalian fauna due to the lineage being present on Gondwana. 
D) Fossils of seed ferns can only be found on North America and Europe but no where else in the world. 
E) All of the choices are correct.

Question 14

If the hypothesis that protocells were based on an "RNA world" is correct,what would be necessary to shift to a "DNA world"?

Accepted Answer

A) an enzyme or reaction capable of removing one oxygen from ribose in nucleotides 
B) enzymes for reverse transcription of RNA into DNA 
C) new enzymes to replicate the DNA 
D) new enzymes for transcribing DNA back to RNA 
E) All would be necessary to switch to a "DNA world." 
A) an enzyme or reaction capable of removing one oxygen from ribose in nucleotides 
B) enzymes for reverse transcription of RNA into DNA 
C) new enzymes to replicate the DNA 
D) new enzymes for transcribing DNA back to RNA 
E) All would be necessary to switch to a "DNA world."

Question 15

Which statement is NOT true about the RNA-first hypothesis?

Accepted Answer

A) It is supported by the discovery that RNA can act as an enzyme. 
B) It is supported by the fact that some viruses have RNA as their genetic material. 
C) It suggests that there was an "RNA world" about 4 billion years ago. 
D) It says that first RNA,then DNA,and then proteins would have been necessary to interact in the chemical evolution that would have led to the development of the first cells. 
A) It is supported by the discovery that RNA can act as an enzyme. 
B) It is supported by the fact that some viruses have RNA as their genetic material. 
C) It suggests that there was an "RNA world" about 4 billion years ago. 
D) It says that first RNA,then DNA,and then proteins would have been necessary to interact in the chemical evolution that would have led to the development of the first cells.

Question 16

The oxidizing atmosphere probably developed approximately _____ billion years ago.

Accepted Answer

A) 1.5 
B) 2.0 
C) 3.5 
D) 4.5 
A) 1.5 
B) 2.0 
C) 3.5 
D) 4.5

Question 17

Huge meteor craters have been discovered through satellite imagery that support the theory of mass extinctions being caused by bolides that initiated climatic changes.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

It is likely that the protocell was

Accepted Answer

A) heterotrophic. 
B) chemoautotrophic. 
C) photoautotrophic. 
D) All of the above. 
E) Either heterotrophic or chemoautotrophic. 
A) heterotrophic. 
B) chemoautotrophic. 
C) photoautotrophic. 
D) All of the above. 
E) Either heterotrophic or chemoautotrophic.

Question 19

Which statement is NOT true about a protocell?

Accepted Answer

A) It would have contained DNA as its genetic material. 
B) It would have been present before the development of a true cell. 
C) It would have had a lipid and protein membrane forming the outer layer. 
D) It would have contained a biochemical pathway for energy metabolism. 
E) It might have been like a coacervate droplet in which a semipermeable boundary allows some materials to be absorbed from the surrounding environment. 
A) It would have contained DNA as its genetic material. 
B) It would have been present before the development of a true cell. 
C) It would have had a lipid and protein membrane forming the outer layer. 
D) It would have contained a biochemical pathway for energy metabolism. 
E) It might have been like a coacervate droplet in which a semipermeable boundary allows some materials to be absorbed from the surrounding environment.

Question 20

The formation of simple organic monomers,such as sugars,amino acids,and nucleotide bases,from inorganic molecules is

Accepted Answer

A) biosynthesis. 
B) genetically modified photosynthesis. 
C) abiotic synthesis. 
D) chemoautotrophic activity. 
A) biosynthesis. 
B) genetically modified photosynthesis. 
C) abiotic synthesis. 
D) chemoautotrophic activity.

Exam 18: Origin and History of Life

The Earth's primitive atmosphere was produced primarily by

Which of the following lists of mass extinctions and Eras is correct?

________ discovered that a variety of amino acids and organic acids could be produced in the laboratory in a reducing atmosphere with electrical sparks.

The distribution of mammalian fossils on Australia,South America and Africa help support continental drift.

The first cells gave rise to

All of the following statements concerning the theory of continental drift are true EXCEPT:

The Greek terms for "small" and "ball" are the root words for

The dilemma of whether proteins or nucleic acids were formed first is avoided by the

Organisms today are living in the Pleistocene epoch of the Cenozoic era.

The term "reducing atmosphere" for the early Earth means that the atmosphere

Which of the following major divisions of geologic time is mismatched with the organisms that flourished during that time period?

___________ proposed that clay may have served as the site of polymerization of monomers to produce both nucleic acids and proteins at the same time.

Which piece of evidence would best support the theory of continental drift?

If the hypothesis that protocells were based on an "RNA world" is correct,what would be necessary to shift to a "DNA world"?

Which statement is NOT true about the RNA-first hypothesis?

The oxidizing atmosphere probably developed approximately _____ billion years ago.

Huge meteor craters have been discovered through satellite imagery that support the theory of mass extinctions being caused by bolides that initiated climatic changes.

It is likely that the protocell was

Which statement is NOT true about a protocell?

The formation of simple organic monomers,such as sugars,amino acids,and nucleotide bases,from inorganic molecules is

A View of Life

Basic Chemistry

The Chemistry of Organic Molecules

Cell Structure and Function

Membrane Structure and Function

Metabolism: Energy and Enzymes

Photosynthesis

Cellular Respiration

The Cell Cycle and Cellular Reproduction

Meiosis and Sexual Reproduction

Mendelian Patterns of Inheritance

Molecular Biology of the Gene

Regulation of Gene Expression

Biotechnology and Genomics

Darwin and Evolution

How Populations Evolve

Speciation and Macroevolution

Taxonomy,systematics,and Phylogeny

Viruses,bacteria,and Archaea

Protist Evolution and Diversity

Fungi Evolution and Diversity

Plant Evolution and Diversity

Flowering Plants: Structure and Organization

Flowering Plants: Nutrition and Transport

Flowering Plants: Control of Growth Responses

Flowering Plants: Reproduction

Invertebrate Evolution

Vertebrate Evolution

Human Evolution

Animal Organization and Homeostasis

Circulation and Cardiovascular Systems

The Lymphatic and Immune Systems

Digestive Systems and Nutrition

Respiratory Systems

Body Fluid Regulation and Excretory Systems

Neurons and Nervous Systems

Sense Organs

Locomotion and Support Systems

Hormones and Endocrine Systems

Reproductive Systems

Animal Development

Behavioral Ecology

Population Ecology

Community and Ecosystem Ecology

Major Ecosystems of the Biosphere

Conservation of Biodiversity

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