Question 1

The period in which modern continents were essentially all separated,from an original Pangaea supercontinent,was the

Accepted Answer

A)  Jurassic. 
B)  Quaternary. 
C)  Permian. 
D)  Cretaceous. 
E)  Carboniferous. 
A)  Jurassic. 
B)  Quaternary. 
C)  Permian. 
D)  Cretaceous. 
E)  Carboniferous. D

Question 2

Mitochondria are proposed to have evolved before chloroplasts based on which observation?

Accepted Answer

A)  Mitochondria produced the oxygen found in the atmosphere. 
B)  Mitochondria are larger, with more complex structure than chloroplasts. 
C)  All eukaryotes have mitochondria, but not all eukaryotes have chloroplasts. 
D)  All organisms have mitochondria and conduct cell respiration. 
E)  All prokaryotes have mitochondria, but not all prokaryotes have chloroplasts. 
A)  Mitochondria produced the oxygen found in the atmosphere. 
B)  Mitochondria are larger, with more complex structure than chloroplasts. 
C)  All eukaryotes have mitochondria, but not all eukaryotes have chloroplasts. 
D)  All organisms have mitochondria and conduct cell respiration. 
E)  All prokaryotes have mitochondria, but not all prokaryotes have chloroplasts. C

Question 3

The mass extinctions of the Permian period

Accepted Answer

A)  was caused by a drop in sea level. 
B)  paved the way for the age of dinosaurs. 
C)  All of the answer choices are correct. 
D)  was caused by a rise in global temperature. 
E)  was caused by a long series of volcanic eruptions. 
A)  was caused by a drop in sea level. 
B)  paved the way for the age of dinosaurs. 
C)  All of the answer choices are correct. 
D)  was caused by a rise in global temperature. 
E)  was caused by a long series of volcanic eruptions. C

Question 4

Our closest living relatives on the evolutionary tree are

Accepted Answer

A)  orangutans and gibbons. 
B)  bonobos and common chimpanzees. 
C)  Homo erectus. 
D)  Homo neanderthalensis. 
E)  gorillas. 
A)  orangutans and gibbons. 
B)  bonobos and common chimpanzees. 
C)  Homo erectus. 
D)  Homo neanderthalensis. 
E)  gorillas.

Question 5

During the first 5-600 million years on Earth the atmosphere was primarily methane,ammonia,and hydrogen,much like other planets in our solar system.How would these conditions favor the formation of biological molecules?

Accepted Answer

A)  Oxygen will break down many organic molecules by reduction. 
B)  Oxygen will break down many organic molecules by oxidation. 
C)  Oxygen is necessary to produce many organic molecules. 
D)  Many chemical reactions are inhibited by high temperature and pressure. 
E)  Many chemical reactions are favored by high temperature and pressure. 
A)  Oxygen will break down many organic molecules by reduction. 
B)  Oxygen will break down many organic molecules by oxidation. 
C)  Oxygen is necessary to produce many organic molecules. 
D)  Many chemical reactions are inhibited by high temperature and pressure. 
E)  Many chemical reactions are favored by high temperature and pressure.

Question 6

Homo sapiens first appeared during the

Accepted Answer

A)  Mesozoic era. 
B)  Tertiary period. 
C)  Quaternary period. 
D)  Cretaceous period. 
E)  Permian period. 
A)  Mesozoic era. 
B)  Tertiary period. 
C)  Quaternary period. 
D)  Cretaceous period. 
E)  Permian period.

Question 7

Chloroplasts are proposed to have arisen after archaea cells engulfed ___,in endosymbiosis,allowing the engulfed cell to remain,with specialized function.

Accepted Answer

A)  aerobic archaea 
B)  photosynthetic archaea 
C)  anaerobic bacteria 
D)  aerobic bacteria 
E)  photosynthetic bacteria 
A)  aerobic archaea 
B)  photosynthetic archaea 
C)  anaerobic bacteria 
D)  aerobic bacteria 
E)  photosynthetic bacteria

Question 8

The "Age of Fishes" was the _____ period.

Accepted Answer

A)  Ordovician 
B)  Devonian 
C)  Carboniferous 
D)  Silurian 
E)  Permian 
A)  Ordovician 
B)  Devonian 
C)  Carboniferous 
D)  Silurian 
E)  Permian

Question 9

For a span of some 300 million years,the Paleozoic Era,in which vascular plants,fishes,and other diverse life appeared,lasted approximately ___ of the geologic timescale.

Accepted Answer

A)  None of the answer choices are correct. 
B)  7% 
C)  15% 
D)  50% 
E)  85% 
A)  None of the answer choices are correct. 
B)  7% 
C)  15% 
D)  50% 
E)  85%

Question 10

Hominines include

Accepted Answer

A)  All of the answer choices are correct. 
B)  humans, chimpanzees, and gorillas. 
C)  chimpanzees and gorillas. 
D)  humans. 
E)  gibbons and orangutans. 
A)  All of the answer choices are correct. 
B)  humans, chimpanzees, and gorillas. 
C)  chimpanzees and gorillas. 
D)  humans. 
E)  gibbons and orangutans.

Question 11

During the _____ period,jawless fishes were the first vertebrates to leave fossil evidence.

Accepted Answer

A)  Ordovician 
B)  Carboniferous 
C)  Devonian 
D)  Silurian 
E)  Cambrian 
A)  Ordovician 
B)  Carboniferous 
C)  Devonian 
D)  Silurian 
E)  Cambrian

Question 12

The Precambrian supereon,in which life first appeared,and diversified to multicellular eukaryotes,lasted approximately ___ of the geologic timescale.

Accepted Answer

A)  30% 
B)  50% 
C)  85% 
D)  None of the answer choices are correct. 
E)  15% 
A)  30% 
B)  50% 
C)  85% 
D)  None of the answer choices are correct. 
E)  15%

Question 13

Ediacaran organisms

Accepted Answer

A)  lived during the Precambrian period. 
B)  have been thought to be ferns, worms, or fungi. 
C)  All of the answer choices are correct. 
D)  did not leave any modern day descendants. 
E)  lived from about 600 million years ago to about 540 million years ago. 
A)  lived during the Precambrian period. 
B)  have been thought to be ferns, worms, or fungi. 
C)  All of the answer choices are correct. 
D)  did not leave any modern day descendants. 
E)  lived from about 600 million years ago to about 540 million years ago.

Question 14

Why do scientists hypothesize that RNA was the first form of genetic material?

Accepted Answer

A)  RNA can catalyze reactions and store genetic information. 
B)  RNA can catalyze reactions and form membranes. 
C)  RNA can catalyze reactions. 
D)  RNA can store genetic information and form membranes. 
E)  RNA can store genetic information. 
A)  RNA can catalyze reactions and store genetic information. 
B)  RNA can catalyze reactions and form membranes. 
C)  RNA can catalyze reactions. 
D)  RNA can store genetic information and form membranes. 
E)  RNA can store genetic information.

Question 15

The earliest cells probably originated about 3.5 billion years ago.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

The endosymbiont theory states that eukaryotic cells work together to form a multicellular organism.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

The first vascular plants evolved during the _____ period.

Accepted Answer

A)  Cambrian 
B)  Devonian 
C)  Silurian 
D)  Carboniferous 
E)  Ordovician 
A)  Cambrian 
B)  Devonian 
C)  Silurian 
D)  Carboniferous 
E)  Ordovician

Question 18

Which of the following did not occur during Precambrian time?

Accepted Answer

A)  photosynthesis evolved 
B)  eukaryotes arose 
C)  O2 accumulated in the Earth's atmosphere 
D)  life originated 
E)  ancestors of all modern animals appeared 
A)  photosynthesis evolved 
B)  eukaryotes arose 
C)  O2 accumulated in the Earth's atmosphere 
D)  life originated 
E)  ancestors of all modern animals appeared

Question 19

A mass extinction,perhaps caused by a large asteroid hitting Earth near the Yucatan peninsula in the Cretaceous period,would have

Accepted Answer

A)  activated tectonic plate movements that rapidly repositioned continental plates in different regions of Earth. 
B)  produced massive volumes of soot, and triggered major climate changes that species could not survive. 
C)  All of the answer choices are correct. 
D)  produced a geological reaction to the impact, resulting in large numbers of volcanic eruptions for millions of years. 
E)  triggered forest and range fires over hundreds of years, destroying habitats and killing plant, animal, and other species. 
A)  activated tectonic plate movements that rapidly repositioned continental plates in different regions of Earth. 
B)  produced massive volumes of soot, and triggered major climate changes that species could not survive. 
C)  All of the answer choices are correct. 
D)  produced a geological reaction to the impact, resulting in large numbers of volcanic eruptions for millions of years. 
E)  triggered forest and range fires over hundreds of years, destroying habitats and killing plant, animal, and other species.

Question 20

In geologic locations,such as southeastern Kansas,coal deposits can be found in layers called seams.Within these seams,there are also formations called coal balls,which may be the size of melons.When sawn apart carefully,fossils of tree-sized ferns and similar non-vascular plants can be found.The scaly leaves of these tropical plants originally led many paleobiologists to misidentify the trees as fish.Part of tropical coastal forests,the coal and fossil plants are estimated to have been living in

Accepted Answer

A)  None of the answer choices are correct. 
B)  the Precambrian supereon, following development of plants. 
C)  the Cambrian period, following the "explosion" of diverse life. 
D)  both the Mesozoic era and the Cretaceous period. 
E)  the Carboniferous period. 
A)  None of the answer choices are correct. 
B)  the Precambrian supereon, following development of plants. 
C)  the Cambrian period, following the "explosion" of diverse life. 
D)  both the Mesozoic era and the Cretaceous period. 
E)  the Carboniferous period.

Exam 15: The Origin and History of Life

The period in which modern continents were essentially all separated,from an original Pangaea supercontinent,was the

Mitochondria are proposed to have evolved before chloroplasts based on which observation?

The mass extinctions of the Permian period

Our closest living relatives on the evolutionary tree are

During the first 5-600 million years on Earth the atmosphere was primarily methane,ammonia,and hydrogen,much like other planets in our solar system.How would these conditions favor the formation of biological molecules?

Homo sapiens first appeared during the

Chloroplasts are proposed to have arisen after archaea cells engulfed ___,in endosymbiosis,allowing the engulfed cell to remain,with specialized function.

The "Age of Fishes" was the _____ period.

For a span of some 300 million years,the Paleozoic Era,in which vascular plants,fishes,and other diverse life appeared,lasted approximately ___ of the geologic timescale.

Hominines include

During the _____ period,jawless fishes were the first vertebrates to leave fossil evidence.

The Precambrian supereon,in which life first appeared,and diversified to multicellular eukaryotes,lasted approximately ___ of the geologic timescale.

Ediacaran organisms

Why do scientists hypothesize that RNA was the first form of genetic material?

The earliest cells probably originated about 3.5 billion years ago.

The endosymbiont theory states that eukaryotic cells work together to form a multicellular organism.

The first vascular plants evolved during the _____ period.

Which of the following did not occur during Precambrian time?

A mass extinction,perhaps caused by a large asteroid hitting Earth near the Yucatan peninsula in the Cretaceous period,would have

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The Chemistry of Life

Cell Structure and Function

The Energy of Life

Photosynthesis

How Cells Release Energy

DNA Structure and Gene Function

DNA Replication, mitosis, and the Cell Cycle

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DNA Technology

The Forces of Evolutionary Change

Evidence of Evolution

Speciation and Extinction

Viruses

Bacteria and Archaea

Protists

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Animals

Plant Form and Function

Plant Nutrition and Transport

Reproduction and Development of Flowering Plants

Animal Tissues and Organ Systems

The Nervous System

The Senses

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The Skeletal and Muscular Systems

The Circulatory System

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Digestion and Nutrition

Regulation of Temperature and Body Fluids

The Immune System

Animal Reproduction and Development

Animal Behavior

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