Question 1

The time that it takes for half of a radioactive isotope to change into another stable element is its

Accepted Answer

A)  activation time. 
B)  life span. 
C)  half-life. 
D)  chemical life cycle. 
A)  activation time. 
B)  life span. 
C)  half-life. 
D)  chemical life cycle.

Question 2

Who was the individual who proposed the hypothesis of continental drift during the 1920s?

Accepted Answer

A)  Alfred Wegener 
B)  Charles Darwin 
C)  Alfred Russel Wallace 
D)  Charles Lyell 
A)  Alfred Wegener 
B)  Charles Darwin 
C)  Alfred Russel Wallace 
D)  Charles Lyell

Question 3

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 4

________ 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 5

Which piece of evidence best supports the endosymbiotic theory of organelle evolution?

Accepted Answer

A)  The outer membrane of a mitochondrion and chloroplast resemble a eukaryotic cell while the inner membrane resembles that of a bacterial cell. 
B)  The inner membrane of a mitochondrion and chloroplast resemble a eukaryotic cell while the outer membrane resembles that of a bacterial cell. 
C)  Both mitochondria and chloroplast divide by Mitosis. 
D)  Mitochondria and chloroplast are much larger than present day bacteria. 
A)  The outer membrane of a mitochondrion and chloroplast resemble a eukaryotic cell while the inner membrane resembles that of a bacterial cell. 
B)  The inner membrane of a mitochondrion and chloroplast resemble a eukaryotic cell while the outer membrane resembles that of a bacterial cell. 
C)  Both mitochondria and chloroplast divide by Mitosis. 
D)  Mitochondria and chloroplast are much larger than present day bacteria.

Question 6

Which of the following time periods contains the others?

Accepted Answer

A)  Cretaceous 
B)  Triassic 
C)  Jurassic 
D)  Mesozoic 
A)  Cretaceous 
B)  Triassic 
C)  Jurassic 
D)  Mesozoic

Question 7

The formation of the ozone shield during the Precambrian era created favorable conditions for the evolution of terrestrial life forms.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

The lack of oxygen in the ancient Earth's atmosphere was beneficial because oxygen combines with organic molecules to prevent them from forming polymers.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

The synthesis of DNA or RNA from the organic soup would have been guided by the actions of enzymes in the

Accepted Answer

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

Question 10

Plate tectonics explain that the amount of Earth being formed is much greater than the amount of the Earth's crust being destroyed in subduction zones.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

The Carboniferous Period is extremely significant to our current society because

Accepted Answer

A)  the Carboniferous forests turned into the coal that fuels modern society. 
B)  human evolution began in the period. 
C)  plants and animals first adapted to a terrestrial environment during this period. 
D)  mammals diversified. 
A)  the Carboniferous forests turned into the coal that fuels modern society. 
B)  human evolution began in the period. 
C)  plants and animals first adapted to a terrestrial environment during this period. 
D)  mammals diversified.

Question 12

Miller and Urey's experiment provided support for what hypothesis? In what way did the discovery of hydrothermal vents alleviate concern about the validity of their simulation of the Earth's primitive atmosphere?

Accepted Answer

Miller and Urey's experimental findings

Question 13

Which of the following mass extinction events is correct?

Accepted Answer

A)  During the Permian period over 90% of the species disappeared due to an excess of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. 
B)  At the end of the Ordovician period over 90% of the species went extinct due to a bolide impacting the Earth's surface and causing a cloud of ash to reduce solar exposure for several weeks. 
C)  At the end of the Cretaceous period over 90% of the species went extinct due to a bolide impacting the Earth's surface and causing a cloud of ash to reduce solar exposure for several weeks. 
D)  At the end of the Devonian period 70% of the terrestrial vertebrates went extinct when Gondwana drifted back towards the South Pole. 
A)  During the Permian period over 90% of the species disappeared due to an excess of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. 
B)  At the end of the Ordovician period over 90% of the species went extinct due to a bolide impacting the Earth's surface and causing a cloud of ash to reduce solar exposure for several weeks. 
C)  At the end of the Cretaceous period over 90% of the species went extinct due to a bolide impacting the Earth's surface and causing a cloud of ash to reduce solar exposure for several weeks. 
D)  At the end of the Devonian period 70% of the terrestrial vertebrates went extinct when Gondwana drifted back towards the South Pole.

Question 14

Biological evolution differs from chemical evolution in that it would have been possible only after the development of

Accepted Answer

A)  true cells. 
B)  nucleic acids. 
C)  enzymes. 
D)  a metabolic pathway. 
A)  true cells. 
B)  nucleic acids. 
C)  enzymes. 
D)  a metabolic pathway.

Question 15

With the appearance of photosynthetic cyanobacteria and aerobic bacteria during the Precambrian era,

Accepted Answer

A)  an oxidizing atmosphere developed on Earth. 
B)  the formation of the ozone shield occurred. 
C)  the amount of UV light reaching the Earth was reduced and chemical evolution slowed. 
D)  All of the choices are correct. 
A)  an oxidizing atmosphere developed on Earth. 
B)  the formation of the ozone shield occurred. 
C)  the amount of UV light reaching the Earth was reduced and chemical evolution slowed. 
D)  All of the choices are correct.

Question 16

Which event and date is mismatched?

Accepted Answer

A)  origin of multicellular organisms-650 million years ago 
B)  origin of life-4.8 billion years ago 
C)  origin of eukaryotic cells-2.2 billion years ago 
D)  All the choices are incorrect. 
A)  origin of multicellular organisms-650 million years ago 
B)  origin of life-4.8 billion years ago 
C)  origin of eukaryotic cells-2.2 billion years ago 
D)  All the choices are incorrect.

Question 17

Which of the following molecules are believed to have been absent from the primitive reducing atmosphere?

Accepted Answer

A)  water vapor (H2O) 
B)  carbon dioxide (CO2) 
C)  hydrogen (H2) 
D)  oxygen (O2) 
E)  nitrogen (N2) 
A)  water vapor (H2O) 
B)  carbon dioxide (CO2) 
C)  hydrogen (H2) 
D)  oxygen (O2) 
E)  nitrogen (N2)

Question 18

Three fossils are found in undisturbed layers of rock, or strata. Fossil A is closest to the Earth's surface. Given this limited data, what assumptions can you make about these fossils?

Accepted Answer

Fossils found deeper within the Earth's

Question 19

Fossils used to define and identify geologic periods are ________ fossils.

Accepted Answer

A)  body 
B)  index 
C)  trace 
D)  stromatolite 
A)  body 
B)  index 
C)  trace 
D)  stromatolite

Question 20

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.

Exam 18: Origin and History of Life

The time that it takes for half of a radioactive isotope to change into another stable element is its

Who was the individual who proposed the hypothesis of continental drift during the 1920s?

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

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

Which piece of evidence best supports the endosymbiotic theory of organelle evolution?

Which of the following time periods contains the others?

The formation of the ozone shield during the Precambrian era created favorable conditions for the evolution of terrestrial life forms.

The lack of oxygen in the ancient Earth's atmosphere was beneficial because oxygen combines with organic molecules to prevent them from forming polymers.

The synthesis of DNA or RNA from the organic soup would have been guided by the actions of enzymes in the

Plate tectonics explain that the amount of Earth being formed is much greater than the amount of the Earth's crust being destroyed in subduction zones.

The Carboniferous Period is extremely significant to our current society because

Miller and Urey's experiment provided support for what hypothesis? In what way did the discovery of hydrothermal vents alleviate concern about the validity of their simulation of the Earth's primitive atmosphere?

Which of the following mass extinction events is correct?

Biological evolution differs from chemical evolution in that it would have been possible only after the development of

With the appearance of photosynthetic cyanobacteria and aerobic bacteria during the Precambrian era,

Which event and date is mismatched?

Which of the following molecules are believed to have been absent from the primitive reducing atmosphere?

Three fossils are found in undisturbed layers of rock, or strata. Fossil A is closest to the Earth's surface. Given this limited data, what assumptions can you make about these fossils?

Fossils used to define and identify geologic periods are ________ fossils.

Which statement is NOT true about a protocell?

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: Structureand 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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