Question 1

Which of the following is a major advantage of asexual reproduction compared to sexual reproduction?

Accepted Answer

Asexual reproduction enables organisms to pass 100% of their genes to each offspring.

Question 2

Why do sexually reproducing species tend to diversify more rapidly than asexually reproducing species?

Accepted Answer

Sexual reproduction allows recombination to bring together advantageous mutations from different chromosomes.

Question 3

Which process is energetically more demanding and takes longer: mitosis or meiosis?

Accepted Answer

Meiosis, because it typically takes 10-20 times longer than mitosis.

Question 4

What is the primary mechanism by which bacteria and archaea reproduce?

Accepted Answer

Binary fission

Question 5

According to Muller’s Ratchet, what is the fate of genomes in asexually reproducing organisms?

Accepted Answer

They irreversibly accumulate deleterious alleles, increasing mutational load.

Question 6

Which equation best represents the probability of two beneficial mutations occurring together in an asexual population?

Accepted Answer

$$\mu 	imes \mu$$

Question 7

What is the Red Queen Hypothesis?

Accepted Answer

It describes an evolutionary arms race where continual adaptation is needed to maintain relative fitness.

Question 8

Which of the following statements about sex chromosomes is correct?

Accepted Answer

The chromosome found only in the heterogametic sex determines biological sex and lacks recombination.

Question 9

What is anisogamy?

Accepted Answer

A type of syngamy where gametes are noticeably different in size.

Question 10

Which of the following best explains why extinction rates are higher in asexual organisms?

Accepted Answer

Asexual organisms accumulate deleterious mutations and adapt more slowly.

Question 11

How does recombination affect linkage disequilibrium?

Accepted Answer

Recombination breaks up linkage disequilibrium and brings together advantageous mutations.

Question 12

Which of the following is a consequence of biased transmission of sex chromosomes?

Accepted Answer

Evolution of dosage compensation mechanisms.

Question 13

What is mutational load?

Accepted Answer

The total number of deleterious mutations in a population.

Question 14

Which of the following best describes the effect of artificial selection on recombination rate, according to Otto & Lenormand (2002)?

Accepted Answer

Artificial selection often increases recombination rate, even when selecting for traits unrelated to sex.

Question 15

Which of the following is a real-world example of the two-fold advantage of asexual reproduction?

Accepted Answer

Asexual organisms pass 100% of their genes to each offspring, doubling their genetic contribution compared to sexual reproduction.

Question 16

Which of the following best explains why females invest more energy in their gametes than males?

Accepted Answer

Female gametes are larger and produced in smaller numbers, requiring more energy.

Question 17

Which of the following is a product of the competition for mates that emerges from different reproductive investments made by males and females?

Accepted Answer

Sexual selection

Question 18

In the context of host-parasite interactions, why is sexual reproduction favored according to the Red Queen Hypothesis?

Accepted Answer

Sexual reproduction allows for a more efficient response to changing selective pressures.

Question 19

Which of the following statements about the evolution of sex chromosomes is correct?

Accepted Answer

The chromosome found only in the heterogametic sex is haploid and will degenerate over long periods of evolutionary time.

Lec 27

Study Guide - Practice Questions