In which regions of the digestive system is amylase produced?
- A. pancreas and salivary glands
- B. gall bladder and salivary glands
- C. gall bladder and liver
- D. pancreas and liver
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Amylase is an enzyme that breaks down carbohydrates into smaller sugars. It is produced in the pancreas and salivary glands. The salivary glands release amylase into the mouth during chewing, where it initiates the breakdown of carbohydrates. The pancreas also secretes amylase into the small intestine to further assist in carbohydrate digestion. Choices B, C, and D are incorrect as the gall bladder does not produce amylase, and the liver's primary function is not the production of amylase for carbohydrate breakdown.
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Chromatids divide into identical chromosomes and migrate to opposite ends of the cell in which of the following phases of mitosis?
- A. metaphase
- B. anaphase
- C. prophase
- D. telophase
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: During anaphase of mitosis, the sister chromatids detach from each other and migrate to opposite poles of the cell. This process ensures that each daughter cell ultimately receives an identical set of chromosomes, as the chromatids separate and become individual chromosomes again. This is a crucial step in ensuring accurate distribution of genetic material during cell division. In metaphase, the chromosomes align at the cell's equator but do not separate yet. Prophase is the phase where chromatin condenses into chromosomes and the nuclear envelope breaks down. Telophase is the final phase where the nuclear envelope reforms around the separated chromosomes.
Which of the following basic mechanisms of evolution is described as the process where organisms with an advantageous trait survive more often and produce more offspring than organisms without the advantageous trait?
- A. gene flow
- B. genetic drift
- C. mutation
- D. natural selection
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Natural selection is the basic mechanism of evolution that explains how organisms with advantageous traits are more likely to survive and reproduce in a given environment. This leads to the passing on of these favorable traits to their offspring, causing these traits to become more common in the population over time, resulting in evolutionary change. Natural selection is driven by environmental pressures that support the survival and reproduction of individuals with specific traits. Gene flow refers to the movement of genes between populations, genetic drift is the change in allele frequencies due to random events, and mutation is the source of genetic variation but is not the process by which advantageous traits become more prevalent in a population.
The above experimental design description is an example of which of the following types of experiments?
- A. field experiment
- B. natural experiment
- C. controlled experiment
- D. observational study
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The above experimental design description involves the manipulation of an independent variable (light exposure) to observe its effects on the dependent variable (plant growth) under controlled conditions. In a controlled experiment, researchers actively manipulate one or more variables while keeping all other variables constant to establish cause-and-effect relationships.
Choice A, a field experiment, typically takes place in a real-world setting but still involves manipulation and control of variables. Choice B, a natural experiment, involves observing naturally occurring differences in variables without researcher intervention. Choice D, an observational study, does not involve manipulation of variables, making it different from the described experimental design.
Water is capable of dissolving many substances that organisms need to carry out life functions. Which of the properties of water listed below is responsible for its ability to dissolve important nutrients like ionic salt compounds?
- A. adhesion
- B. cohesion
- C. high specific heat
- D. high polarity
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The property of water that is responsible for its ability to dissolve important nutrients like ionic salt compounds is its high polarity. Water is a polar molecule with a positive and negative end, which allows it to attract and surround individual ions from salt compounds, causing them to dissociate and dissolve in water. This property makes water an excellent solvent for various substances necessary for life functions. Adhesion refers to the ability of water molecules to stick to other substances, cohesion is the attraction between water molecules themselves, and high specific heat is the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of water. While these properties are important characteristics of water, they are not directly responsible for its ability to dissolve ionic salt compounds.
What is the primary function of the large intestine?
- A. absorbing digested material into the blood
- B. nutrient processing and metabolizing
- C. absorbing water and compacting material into solid waste
- D. bile production and storage
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The large intestine's primary function is to absorb water from undigested food remnants and compact them into solid waste (feces). This process helps regulate hydration levels in the body and aids in waste elimination. Choices A, B, and D are incorrect. Absorbing digested material into the blood is mainly done in the small intestine, nutrient processing and metabolizing occur in various parts of the digestive system, and bile production and storage are functions of the liver and gallbladder, not the large intestine.