All AP Biology Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Understanding Other Theorists
The sum of all genetic alleles in a population is the __________.
gene pool
gene resources
gene stock
gene frequency
gene supply
gene pool
A population is composed of numerous individuals, each carrying a common set of genes with a unique combination of genetic alleles. The gene pool is the sum of all of these alleles.
Example Question #2 : Understanding Other Theorists
Which term refers to the relative proportions of a specific allele in relation to all alleles for the given gene in a population?
Allele amount
Allele frequency
Allele concentration
Allele population
Allele coefficient
Allele frequency
The allele frequency for any given gene is the relative proportion of each allele of that gene in a population. This value can be found by dividing the number of a specific allele by the total number of alleles in a population.
Example Question #3 : Understanding Other Theorists
Mutation, gene flow, nonrandom mating, and natural selection combine to cause which of the following?
Segregation
Mutations
Reproduction
Evolution
Genetic drift
Evolution
Evolution is any change in the proportions of different genotypes in a population from one generation to the next. Mutation, geneflow, nonrandom mating, and natural selection all contribute toward favoring certain alleles over others within a population. This leads to changes in allele frequency, and subsequent evolution.
Example Question #4 : Understanding Other Theorists
The requirements for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium are designed to create which scenario for the given population?
Mutations will be common
Nonrandom mating will flourish
Divergency will occur
Evolution will not occur
Extinction is eminent
Evolution will not occur
The Hardy-Weinberg principle is a mathematical model that states that, under certain conditions, the allele frequencies and genotype frequencies in a sexually reproducing population will remain constant over generations. This consistency means that evolution is not occurring, as evolution (by definition) requires a change in allele frequency.
Requirements for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium include: large population size, no mutation, no migration, random mating, and no natural selection.
Example Question #5 : Understanding Other Theorists
A process in which chance events are likely to change allele frequencies in a small population is known as __________.
evolution
natural selection
genetic drift
allele fluctuation
bottleneck effect
genetic drift
Genetic drift is a change in the allele frequencies of a small population purely by chance.
The bottleneck effect occurs when allele frequencies are affected by a cataclysmic event. Evolution refers to a change in allele frequency, but is not limited to small populations or random chance. Natural selection refers to changes in allele frequency due to specific conditions, as opposed to random chance.
Example Question #30 : Theorists And Evidence
Which of the following are characteristics that help an individual survive and reproduce in an environment?
Mutations
Skills
Habits
Traits
Adaptations
Adaptations
An adaptation is a characteristic of an organism that helps it survive and reproduce in a particular environment. Adaptations are the result of random mutations that have favorable outcomes. The favorability of these traits enables offspring that inherit them to thrive, thus increasing their prevalence in the population.
Example Question #1 : Understanding Other Theorists
Scientific discoveries and advances are the result of many scientists uncovering small mysteries, each new piece of information contributing to a bigger picture. Our understanding of DNA today can be attributed to several scientists and their experiments. Which of the following scientists was able to show the diversity of DNA (and therefore the diversity of species) through patterns of base pairs?
Hershey and Chase
Watson and Crick
Chargaff
Franklin
Darwin
Chargaff
Chargaff was able to show the diversity of DNA through patterns within base pairs. While studying DNA, he noticed that the concentration of adenine was equal to the concentration of thymine, and the concentration of cytosine was equal to that of guanine. This led him to establish Chargaff’s rules, which state that the base composition of DNA varies between species, and for each species the percentages of adenine and thymine bases are roughly equal and the percentages of cytosine and guanine are also roughly equal.
Example Question #8 : Understanding Other Theorists
Which theorist believed that the human population would grow and deplete the Earth’s limited resources?
Pierre Louis Maupertuis
Thomas Malthus
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
Charles Darwin
Thomas Malthus
Thomas Malthus was a political/economic theorist who observed that the human population would eventually overpopulate the world, overwhelming food and natural resources.
Example Question #2 : Understanding Other Theorists
Mitochondria and chloroplasts are believed to have evolved from __________ cells and replicate via __________.
prokaryotic . . . mitosis
prokaryotic . . . meiosis
eukaryotic . . . binary fission
prokaryotic . . . binary fission
eukaryotic cells . . . mitosis
prokaryotic . . . binary fission
Mitochondria and chloroplasts are believed to have evolved from prokaryotic cells over 1.5 million years ago. This is known as the endosymbiotic hypothesis. Mitochondria, chloroplasts, and prokaryotes all contain circular DNA and reproduce via binary fission. Mitosis involves the separation of chromosomes during the cell cycle, which is only seen in the somatic cells of eukaryotes. Meiosis is not seen in prokaryotes.
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