AP Biology : AP Biology

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Biology

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Example Questions

Example Question #11 : Understanding Genetic Drift, Bottleneck Effect, And Founder Effect

Which of the following is an example of gene flow?

Possible Answers:

Both migration and horizontal gene transfer

Neither migration nor horizontal gene transfer

Horizontal gene transfer

Migration

Correct answer:

Both migration and horizontal gene transfer

Explanation:

Gene flow is a mechanism of evolution in which genes are transferred between populations. Two examples of gene flow are migration and horizontal gene transfer. In the case of migration, the movement of individuals into or out of a population also results in a transfer of alleles. Horizontal gene transfer (common in bacteria) is the transfer of genes through means other than reproduction (i.e. plasmid exchange).

Example Question #12 : Understanding Genetic Drift, Bottleneck Effect, And Founder Effect

Evolution that occurs within a population due to the production of a finite number of zygotes from a given gene pool is referred to as which of these?

Possible Answers:

Genetic drift

The Fonder Effect

Natural selection

Inbreeding depression

Loss of heterozygosity

Correct answer:

Genetic drift

Explanation:

Genetic drift is due to the production of a finite number of zygotes within a population. This causes allele frequencies to change from one generation to the next. Genetic drift can result in the reduction of the fitness of individuals within a population if the alleles passed on are deleterious.

Example Question #13 : Understanding Genetic Drift, Bottleneck Effect, And Founder Effect

When a population is reduced for a short period of time, and only rare alleles are lost, this is referred to as which of these?

Possible Answers:

Natural selection

The Founder Effect

Genetic drift

Bottlenecking

Divergence

Correct answer:

Bottlenecking

Explanation:

When a population is reduced for a short period of time, only the rarest alleles are usually lost, as is seen in bottlenecking. In order for a significant change in allelic frequency to be seen, the population must become significantly small, and it must stay small for a significant amount of time. The latter is referred to as the Founder Effect.

Example Question #14 : Understanding Genetic Drift, Bottleneck Effect, And Founder Effect

A population of geese migrates from Canada to Florida every winter. Individuals from the Canadian population sometimes breed with native Floridian geese. What is this an example of?

Possible Answers:

A prezygotic barrier

Gene flow

Sympatric speciation

Genetic drift

Correct answer:

Gene flow

Explanation:

This is an example of gene flow, because a small number of individuals from one population are passing some genes on to those in another population. Genetic drift occurs within a single population, so it does not apply here. This is not an example of speciation. There can't be a prezygotic barrier present if the geese are able to successfully mate.

Example Question #46 : Population Genetics

For natural selection to occur, which of the following must be true of a population?

Possible Answers:

The population must be isolated

Having many populations in one area

Must be capable of sexual reproduction

Food is not available

Phenotypic variations must be based on genetic variations 

Correct answer:

Phenotypic variations must be based on genetic variations 

Explanation:
Natural selection is one of the basic mechanisms of evolution, along with mutation, migration, and genetic drift. Phenotypic variations must be based on genetic variations rather than on varying environmental conditions to be considered an aspect of natural selection. While sexual reproduction is a medium through which genetic variation increases, it is not a requirement for natural selection to occur (i.e. an antibiotic-resistant strain of bacteria survives despite administration of antibiotics then reproduces via binary fission, increasing the proportion of bacteria in a population who contain the antibiotic resistance genes). Similarly, while both interspecies and intraspecies competition for resources such as food, water, and space may drive natural selection, these processes are not required for it to occur. 

Example Question #47 : Population Genetics

Which type of isolation between populations is due to barriers related to time, such as differences in mating periods or differences in the time of day that individuals are most active.

Possible Answers:

Geographic isolation

Behavioral isolation

Temporal isolation

Reproductive isolation

Two of these

Correct answer:

Temporal isolation

Explanation:

Temporal isolation is between populations due to barriers related to time, such as differences in mating periods or differences in the time of day that individuals are most active. Geographic isolation between populations is due to physical barriers, not time. It wouldn't be both of them because only temporal isolation deals with time, versus geographic isolation is based on the physical barrier between populations such as mountains, rivers, or, for example, insects living on different trees in the jungle. Reproductive isolation is the inability to interbreed between species for various reasons like sterile offspring, physical incompatibility, or different mating rituals.

Example Question #48 : Population Genetics

Which of the following is an example of genetic drift?

Possible Answers:

An allele increases in frequency due to the increase in fitness it provides the organism.

All of these are examples of genetic drift.

A massive storm randomly kills many individuals in a population, changing the frequency of alleles in that population.

An organism is born with traits not attributed to the alleles of its parents, but a brand new allele.

Individuals from one population move and mate with members of a different population.

Correct answer:

A massive storm randomly kills many individuals in a population, changing the frequency of alleles in that population.

Explanation:

Genetic drift occurs when the frequency of alleles in a population change by random chance. Change in allele frequency based on biological fitness is natural selection, not genetic drift. The change in allele frequency due to members moving from one population to another describes migration. A brand new allele that did not exist in the parents is the result of mutation.

Example Question #21 : Understanding Genetic Drift, Bottleneck Effect, And Founder Effect

A population of wolves is living in an area when a tornado strikes and kills most of the wolves. The population of the wolves has been greatly reduced. Which of the following best describes the impact of the disaster on the genetic makeup of the population of wolves?

Possible Answers:

Hardy-Weinberg principle

Bottleneck effect

Gene flow

Cannot be determined from the information

Founder effect

Correct answer:

Bottleneck effect

Explanation:

The Bottleneck effect happens when an event occurs that drastically reduces the population of a species. The remaining individuals most likely do not represent the genetics of the population before the catastrophic event, since it becomes a much smaller sample size. 

Example Question #241 : Evolution And Genetics

There was once a population on planet M311, called the Freg, who lived on a planet not unlike Earth. At the height of the Fregs technology and evolution, a collection of asteroids bombarded the planet and the devastation was so great that the planet was split in two, as was the Freg population. Much of the Freg population died, but many still survived on both pieces of M311.

The asteroid was an enormous catastrophe that drastically reduced the Freg population. As a result, their gene pool will be significantly smaller. What is this phenomenon called?

Possible Answers:

Radical Genetecism

The Bottleneck Effect

The Extinction Example

The Darwin Conundrum

The Dinosaur Hypothesis

Correct answer:

The Bottleneck Effect

Explanation:

The bottleneck effect is the correct answer here. The effect is defined as a sharp reduction in a populations size due to an environmental effect. In this scenario, the asteroids were the environmental effect and it caused the Freg population to decrease significantly. Also, none of the other answers are real theories.

Example Question #23 : Understanding Genetic Drift, Bottleneck Effect, And Founder Effect

Which of the following is true of genetic drift?

Possible Answers:

Genetic drift involves the random change of allele frequencies in a population

Genetic drift only occurs in populations at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium

The effects of genetic drift are negligible in smaller populations

None of these statements are true

Genetic drift helps reduce the frequency of harmful alleles in a population

Correct answer:

Genetic drift involves the random change of allele frequencies in a population

Explanation:

Genetic drift is a direct result of independent assortment. Since genes are not inherited by any organized mechanism, there are random fluctuations during which certain alleles experience an increase in frequency over others.

Genetic drift results in random changes in allele frequency; these changes are not a cause of genetic drift. In smaller populations and extreme cases, random changes can result in the loss of an allele entirely within the population. The results of genetic drift are more prominent in smaller populations due to their already reduced gene pool. Since genetic drift is random, both beneficial and harmful alleles can be promoted or eliminated.

Genetic drift cannot increase genetic diversity. The only way to increase genetic diversity is by the introduction of new traits and alleles. Genetic drift can reduce genetic diversity by eliminating alleles from a population, but is incapable of creating new traits. This can only be done through mutation.

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