Final Biology
Final Biology
Final Biology
1. Explain why natural selection is the only mechanism that consistently produces
adaptive change.
Natural selection is a mechanism of evolution in which organisms with beneficial or
adaptive traits reproduce more than organisms without those traits, leading to an increase
in the frequency of the traits over time. Since it specifically selects for adaptive traits,
natural selection consistently leads to adaptive evolution. In contrast, genetic drift
operates by random chance and gene flow does not select for beneficial traits to transfer
between populations, so these mechanisms do not consistently lead to adaptive evolution.
3. Describe the evidence that steroid hormones have intracellular receptors, while
water-soluble hormones have cell-surface receptors.
Steroid hormones are generally lipid-soluble, so they easily pass through the cell
membrane, so the receptors are usually inside the target cell. They are lipid-soluble, so
cells that are sensitive to these hormones have internal receptor molecules that bind
specifically to them. Intracellular receptor proteins are often transcription factors.
Example: testosterone, estradiol,…
Water-soluble hormone receptors are found only on cell surfaces because these
proteins receive messages and direct cells to carry out their functions. The plasma
membrane possesses these receptors because they cannot cross the cell membrane. They
bind to cell membrane receptors to initiate cell signaling within the cell, which includes
various G proteins and enzymes such as protein kinases along with the messenger cyclic
AMP.
Example: insulin, glucagon,…
6. Describe the role of stomata and discuss factors that might affect their density and
behavior.
Stomata play crucial roles in plants, including.
Exchange gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and oxygen (O2), between the plant
and its environment.
Control the loss of water vapor through a process called transpiration. → regulate
temperature.
Contribute to photosynthesis by facilitating the entry of CO2.
Factors affect density and behavior:
PH: rise in pH of guard cells causes the opening of stomata.
Water: stomata open during the day and close at night to reduce water loss.
Light: high light intensity during growth increase the stomatal density.