Question 1

Which of the following statements best describes why viruses are considered obligate intracellular parasites?

Accepted Answer

They require a host cell to reproduce and cannot carry out metabolism outside of a host.

Question 2

A scientist discovers a new infectious agent that causes degenerative brain disease in sheep. The agent is composed only of protein and is virtually indestructible. What is the most likely identity of this agent?

Accepted Answer

A prion

Question 3

Which of the following is a key difference between the lytic and lysogenic cycles of bacteriophages?

Accepted Answer

The lysogenic cycle replicates the phage genome without destroying the host, while the lytic cycle results in host cell lysis.

Question 4

Which of the following mechanisms allows plant viruses to spread from parent to offspring?

Accepted Answer

Vertical transmission

Question 5

A population of moths is exposed to pollution that darkens tree bark. Over time, the frequency of dark-colored moths increases. Which evolutionary mechanism is most likely responsible for this change?

Accepted Answer

Natural selection

Question 6

According to the Hardy-Weinberg principle, which of the following must be true for a population to remain in genetic equilibrium at a particular locus?

Accepted Answer

The population must be extremely large, with no mutations, random mating, no natural selection, and no gene flow.

Question 7

Which scientist developed the binomial format for naming species and a nested classification system still used today?

Accepted Answer

Carolus Linnaeus

Question 8

Which of the following is NOT a condition required for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium?

Accepted Answer

Small population size

Question 9

A population of frogs is split by a newly formed river, preventing gene flow between the two groups. Over time, the groups diverge genetically and become separate species. What type of speciation has occurred?

Accepted Answer

Allopatric speciation

Question 10

Which of the following is a postzygotic barrier to reproduction?

Accepted Answer

Reduced hybrid fertility

Question 11

Which evolutionary concept did Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck propose that was later found to be incorrect?

Accepted Answer

Inheritance of acquired characteristics

Question 12

Which scientist’s work on fossils and strata led to the conclusion that species appear and disappear over time, supporting the idea of extinction?

Accepted Answer

Georges Cuvier

Question 13

Which of the following best explains why individuals do not evolve, but populations do?

Accepted Answer

Evolution is a change in allele frequencies within a population over time.

Question 14

Which of the following is a direct observation that supports the theory of evolution?

Accepted Answer

The increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria in hospitals.

Question 15

Which formula represents the Hardy-Weinberg equation for allele frequencies in a population?

Accepted Answer

$$p^2 + 2pq$$ + $$q^2 = 1$

Question 16

A virus infects a bacterial cell and integrates its genome into the host’s DNA, remaining dormant for several generations. What is the term for the integrated viral DNA?

Accepted Answer

Prophage

Question 17

Which of the following is a plausible consequence if mutations occur frequently in a population?

Accepted Answer

The gene pool is modified, potentially leading to evolution.

Question 18

Which scientist proposed that Earth’s geologic features were formed gradually, such as valleys being formed by rivers?

Accepted Answer

James Hutton

Question 19

Which of the following is NOT a way that viral infections can cause disease symptoms in animals?

Accepted Answer

Direct synthesis of ATP by the virus

Question 20

Which of the following best describes the process of natural selection?

Accepted Answer

Individuals with certain inherited traits tend to survive and reproduce at higher rates because of those traits.

Viruses and Evolution: Study Notes for General Biology 19

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