All GRE Subject Test: Biology Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #3 : Prokaryotic Reproduction And Physiology
What is the significance of endospores?
They are produced by gram-positive bacteria which can survive extreme conditions
They allow fungi to survive in extreme climates
They allow gram-negative bacteria to reproduce
They allow fungi to store nutrients that can survive extreme conditions
They are produced by gram-positive bacteria which can survive extreme conditions
Endospores are produced by gram-positive bacteria and can lie dormant for years. Endospores are crucial to growth of gram-positive bacteria because they resist harsh conditions such as extreme temperatures, ultraviolet radiation, and many chemicals. Endospores are not used by fungi by any means. They are also uninvolved in the reproductive processes of bacteria.
Example Question #1 : Identifying Bacteria
What is the difference between gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria?
Gram-positive bacteria belong exclusively to the domain archaea
Gram-negative bacteria belong exclusively to the domain archaea
Gram-negative bacteria contain large amounts of peptidoglycan, while gram-positive bacteria contain only trace amounts
Gram-positive bacteria contain large amounts of peptidoglycan, while gram-negative bacteria contain only trace amounts
Gram-positive bacteria contain large amounts of peptidoglycan, while gram-negative bacteria contain only trace amounts
The main reaction that happens during a gram stain is the detection of the presence of peptidoglycan. Most bacterial cell walls contain peptidoglycan, but in varying amounts. If the cell contains large amounts of peptidoglycan, it will retain the crystal violet dye and display a purple coloration (this is gram-positive). If the cell does not contain a large quantity of peptidoglycan, it will display the counterstain and appear pink (this is gram-negative).
The gram-stain does not dictate whether or not a species belongs to the domain archaea. Archaea cell walls do not contain peptidoglycan and will not react to the stain. Note that archaea and bacteria are different domains altogether, though they share some similar characteristics.
Example Question #22 : Divisions Of Life And Viruses
Which type of bacteria is referred to as "rod-shaped?"
Cocci
Vibrios
Bacilli
Spirilla
Spirochetes
Bacilli
There are three principal forms of bacteria. Spherical bacteria are termed cocci. Rod-shaped bacteria are called bacilli. Spiral bacteria are rigid (spirilla), flexible (spirochetes), or curved (vibrios).
Example Question #2 : Identifying Bacteria
When seen under the microscope using a gram stain, the bacteria that causes strept throat whould have which of the following appearances?
Clusters of pink spheres
Chains of purple spheres
Purple rod-shaped organisms
Purple spiral-shaped organisms
Pink comma-shaped organisms
Chains of purple spheres
Streptococcus, the causative agent of strep throat, is a genus of gram-postitive (purple staining) cocci (spheres), in which the cells tend to form chains. Bacteria are described by a combination of their response to gram stain and their appearance. For example, "gram-positive streptococcus" indicate chains of spheres that stain purple.
Example Question #3 : Identifying Bacteria
The Gram stain distinguishes between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Which of the following is true about the Gram stain?
Peptidoglycan is stained through a Gram stains, and Gram-positive bacteria are more virulent than Gram-negative bacteria
Peptidoglycan is stained through a Gram stain, and Gram-negative bacteria are more virulent than Gram-positive bacteria
Peptidoglycan is stained through a Gram stain, and Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria have comparable virulence
Lipopolysaccharides are stained through a Gram stain, and Gram-negative bacteria are more virulent than Gram-positive bacteria
Lipopolysaccharides are stained through a Gram stain, and Gram-positive bacteria are more virulent than Gram-negative bacteria
Peptidoglycan is stained through a Gram stain, and Gram-negative bacteria are more virulent than Gram-positive bacteria
The peptidoglycan layer of bacteria retains the Gram stain. In general, Gram-negative bacteria are more virulent than Gram-positive bacteria. This is due in part to an outer layer of lipopolysaccharides present on Gram-negative bacteria that invokes immune responses (particularly via a component called lipid-A), and are somewhat more difficult to target with antibiotics.
Example Question #1 : Understanding Protista
Apart from the fact that they are all eukaryotes (and therefore found within the Eukarya domain), there is no single trait that is common to all protist species. Which of the following is true of MOST protists?
They prefer to live in water-rich environments
They reproduce sexually
They can cause disease
They can photosynthesize
They prefer to live in water-rich environments
Though all of these answers are true of at least some protists, the most generally applicable statement is that protists generally prefer to live in environments that contain plenty of water. Species within the kingdom Protista are believed to have given rise to the other kingdoms of Eukarya (these other kingdoms being Fungi, Animals and Land Plants), so the incredible diversity found within Protista is not particularly surprising.
Example Question #1 : Protista
Which of the following is not true of protists?
A "protist" is broadly recognized as a eukaryote that is not an animal, fungus, or plant
All protists are unicellular by definition
Malaria, red algae, green algae, and dinoflagellates are all examples of protists
Protists are diverse in part due to endosymbiosis, a process by which small, unicellular organisms are engulfed by larger unicellular organisms and eventually evolve to become organelles
All protists are unicellular by definition
All of these answers are true, except the statement that protists are definitionally unicellular. Protists are an incredibly diverse group of organisms that are difficult to classify because of the vast differences that exist between protist species; it is easier to classify protists based on what they are not, rather than what they are. Multicellular protists include species of seaweeds called kelp. Though kelp resemble plants, they are actually multicellular groups of protists that lack true stems, roots or leaves (though kelp often have structures resembling these plant structures).
Endosymbiosis is an intriguing theory that seeks to explain the presence of complex structures such as mitochondria and chloroplasts inside of plant and animal cells. Mitochondria's similarities to free-living proteobacteria, and chloroplasts' similarities to free-living cyanobacteria suggest that at one point these structures were organisms that became engulfed by larger cells. According to the theory of endosymbiosis, mitochondria and chloroplasts lived inside their hosts in a symbiotic relationship, eventually evolving to lose their capacity to live independently and becoming organelles that support their host cell.
Example Question #1 : Protista
In the mixotroph protist Euglena, which structural components indicate that is it an autotroph?
Chloroplasts
Plasma membrane
Flagellum
Red eye spot
Oral groove
Chloroplasts
The presence of chloroplasts indicate that Euglena is able to photosynthesize. These organelles contain pigments that are necessary for the conversion of light energy to chemical energy. The ability to use non-chemical energy (in this case light) to generate chemical energy is the defining characteristic of autotrophs.
The red eye spot, while it is involved in the complex of organelles that sense light, gives no information about trophic mode: many organisms sense and respond to light, but are not autotrophic.
Example Question #1 : Understanding Protista
Which of the following is/was not caused by protists?
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
The Irish potato famine
Red tides
Malaria
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
For the most part, protists are very valuable to humans. They form the base of a large portion of aquatic food chains, and without them many ecosystems would collapse. However, some protist species have caused—and continue to cause—profound problems to humans. Of the given answers, the only one not caused by a species of protist is AIDS. AIDS is caused by a retrovirus, which means that it is an RNA virus that uses reverse transcription to replicate itself in a host cell.
Example Question #1 : Fungi
A fungus that always reproduces asexually is most likely classified as __________.
Deuteromycetes
Zygomycetes
Microsporidia
Asomycetes
Basidomycetes
Deuteromycetes
Fungi are typically characterized based on reproductive methods and structures. All fungi can reproduce asexaully, but only deuteromycetes lack a sexual reproduction phase, only reproducing asexually.
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