Possible Essay Questions Bio 11 Exam 2 Avery

Nervous System (last portion)

Describe the function of any of the highlighted regions of the human brain.

Compare and contrast the spinal cord with the brain.

Describe the function of the human eye.

Briefly explain how a structure like the human eye might evolve from primitive origins.

Endocrine System

Define negative feedback using the pancreatic endocrine functions as an example.

Explain the disease diabetes with respect to the above.

Explain any one/each of the five given functions of the endocrine system, provide an example.

Relate the major glands (V.A in notes) to hormone and function of the hormone and vice versa.

Outline the endocrine function in each phase of the human menstrual cycle.

Reproduction and Development

Define parthenogenesis (or haplodiploidy), explain why it may be of some advantage and provide an example.

Compare and contrast advantages and disadvantages of sexual reproduction from a fitness perspective.

(Remember fitness is defined here as the ability to pass on the greatest number of copies of ones own genome)

Outline the basic stages of embryogeny.

Briefly define and explain how organogenesis may be influenced by cytoplasmic localization, gene expression, cell programing.

Know the membranes of the amniotic egg and explain how the amniotic egg may have been of great evolutionary significance.

Evolution and Classification

Explain how it is that a scientist can consider evolution a fact.

Explain the Pre-Darwinian ideas of (early Greeks, the dark ages, Buffon, Erasmus Darwin, Lamarck, Lyell).

Who was Alfred Russell Wallace and how is he significant to the development of a theory for evolution by natural selection?

Define and explain the five key points of Darwin's theory.

Define and explain microevolution and macroevolution.

Briefly explain the origin of binomial nomenclature.

Distinguish between an synapomorphy and a symplesiomorphy

Compare and contrast Traditional Evolutionary taxonomy with Cladistics (Phylogenetic Systematics).

Explain the value of monophyletic taxa over paraphyletic taxa; provide an example using the genus Homo.

Protozoa

Compare and contrast phytoflagellates and zooflagellates.

Why is the taxonomy of protozoa in a state of flux?

Compare and contrast any of the major groups or phyla covered in lecture.

Briefly explain the malarian life cycle (or be able to explain any/each part of Fig 11-7 in detail).

Porifera

Explain the function of a collar cell.

Compare and contrast (show similarities and differences) the characteristics (or evolutionary advances) of protozoa and porifera

Compare and contrast the basic sponge body forms.

Explain why Leuconoid sponges can achieve the greatest size.

Briefly describe totepotency and reunition. Why are thes features interesting to biologists?

Explain how feeding (or reproduction; sexual or asexual) occur in sponges.

Compare and contrast any pair of the Poriferan classes.

Cnidarians and Coral Reefs

Compare and contrast (show similarities and differences) the characteristics (or evolutionary advances) of porifera and cnidaria

Compare and contrast a typical polyp and a typical medusa.

Briefly describe the cnidarian nervous system.

Briefly describe/explain the Obelia or Aurelia life cycles (including any or all appropriate terminology from Fig 13-9, 18)

Explain how mutualistic symbioses between cnidarians and protozoans allow coral reef building.

Compare and contrast the characteristics of any pair of the following (Hydrozoa, Scyphozoa, Anthozoa, Cubozoa).

What is a ctenophore? Compare and contrast Ctenophora and Cnidaria.