Biology

Genetics and Evolutionary Biology

1,123 Questions

Genetics and evolutionary biology explain how traits are passed from parents to offspring and how species change over time. Key concepts include genetic drift, inbreeding, and heredity. This topic is fundamental for the biology section of many competitive tests.

Heredity and traitsGenetic variations and driftInbreeding conceptsEvolutionary mechanisms

Genetics and Evolutionary Biology Questions

Multiple choice biology the life cycle of animals how do animals reproduce? excretory, nervous and reproductive system structure and functions of living organisms -ii

Choose the correct answers from the alternatives given. 
Reproduction

  1. is a universal feature of all living organisms

  2. produces genetic variation that is important in survival of a species

  3. enables a species to persist over long periods of time

  4. all of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Reproduction is a biological process by which new individual organism is produced from their parents. Reproduction is a fundamental feature of all life. Reproduction helps the species to live a long period of life. Sexual reproduction also links with a variation in species which help in them for survival. 

Hence, the correct answer is 'all of the above'

Multiple choice zoology biotechnology and its applications stem cell stem cells and applications stem cells organ donation and body donation blood and organ donation

The term 'totipotency' means

  1. A group of animals of unrelated characters

  2. The capacity of a cell to regenerate into a whole plant

  3. Hybrids formed as a result of somatic hybridization

  4. Sexually produced offsprings
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Totipotency is the ability of cells such as an embryonic stem cell to differentiate into any type of body cell. Plant cells are also totipotent, which helps to explain why a graft of a plant can generate a whole new individual out of just a small branch cutting.

Multiple choice biology concept of life theories of the origin of life origin of life the origin of cells and cell division

Which of the following factors are involved in the formation of new species?

  1. Isolation and mutation

  2. Competition and variation

  3. Isolation and competition

  4. Competition and mutation
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Speciation often requires reproductive isolation to prevent gene flow between populations, while mutations provide the genetic variation necessary for natural selection to act upon.

Multiple choice biology habits and habitats of some important animals behavioural science ethology animal behaviour

Which of the following explains that structural differences prevent mating between individuals of different groups?

  1. Geographical isolation

  2. Mechanical isolation

  3. Temporal isolation

  4. Hybrid sterility

  5. Behavioral isolation
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The presence of populations of a species in distant localities preventing the gene flow between them leads to geographical isolation. Different periods of attainment of sexual maturity leads to temporal isolation. Abnormal distribution to the gametes of whole chromosomes, chromosome segments, or combinations of genes leading to infertile hybrid is one of the post-zygotic isolation. Incompatible premating behavior leading to no attraction between groups for mating is termed as behavioral isolation. Incompatible differences in reproductive structures leading to prevention of cross-fertilization refer to as mechanical isolation. 

Therefore, the correct answer is option B.

Multiple choice biology selection and evolution theory of natural selection natural selection evidence for evolution

What's the difference between genetic drift and change due to natural selection?

  1. Genetic drift does not require the presence of variation.

  2. Genetic drift does not involve competition between members of a species.

  3. Genetic drift never occurs in nature, natural selection does.

  4. There is no difference.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Genetic drift is a random process that changes allele frequencies in a population due to chance events, independent of the fitness of the individuals. Natural selection, conversely, is driven by the differential survival and reproduction of individuals based on their traits, which inherently involves competition.

Multiple choice biology selection and evolution theory of natural selection natural selection evidence for evolution

Choose the correct answers from the alternatives given.
............ sometimes occurs in situations where individuals of two previously isolated demes come back into sympatry.

  1. heterosis

  2. character displacement

  3. truncation selection

  4. frequency-dependent selection
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Character displacement is the term used to describe an evolutionary change that occurs when two similar species inhabit the same environment. This due to the geographical isolation.

So correct option is B, character displacement.

Multiple choice biology improvement in food resources crop variety improvement improvement if crop varieties improvement in crop variety

Which of the following is not applicable to biological species concept?

  1. Hybridisation

  2. Reproductive isolation

  3. Natural selection

  4. Gene pool
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Answer is option A i.e. "Hybridisation"
The biological species concept defines a species as members of populations that interbreed in nature. According to this concept, organisms belong to the same species if they can interbreed to produce viable, fertile offspring. Reproductive isolation, natural selection and gene pool are applicable to one species.
Hybridisation, on contrary, occurs due to process of combining two different species of organisms to create a hybrid.
Hence, "hybridisation" is not applicable to biological species concept.

Multiple choice zoology environmental factors environmental factors and their measurements climate factors marine life

Which of the following is an example of environmental variation?

  1. Apu is a tongue roller, but his brother Sanjay is not.

  2. Marge dyes her hair blue.

  3. Homer inherited baldness from his father's side of the family.

  4. Patti and Selma have hanging ear lobes.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Environmental variation refers to differences in traits caused by external factors rather than genetics. Dyeing hair is an acquired trait influenced by the environment, not inherited.

Multiple choice commercial studies biotechnology: general introduction introduction to genetic engineering and production of insulin use of efficient and eco-friendly technology genetics of the future

____ results in change in genetic makeup of organisms.

  1. Genetic appliance

  2. Genetic diversity

  3. Genetic engineering

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Genetic engineering, also called as genetic modification, is the direct manipulation of an organism's genome using biotechnology. It is a set of technologies used to change the genetic makeup of cells, including the transfer of genes within and across species boundaries to produce improved or novel organisms. 

Multiple choice zoology mutation dna fingerprinting human genome project and dna fingerprinting instruments in biotechnology

Repeated genes are useful

  1. Against mutations

  2. Formation of pseudogenes

  3. Formation of multiple copies of a product

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Repeated DNA sequences can act as more or less discrete elements in the genome. They can vary in the number of copies of repeat units from one chromosome to the next (polymorphism). The repeat copy number can expand through a unique form of mutation process referred to as ‘dynamic mutation.’ They are useful in the formation of pseudogenes and also in making multiple copies of a product.

So, the correct answer is 'All of the above.'

Multiple choice botany modes of reproduction why do plants reproduce? reproduction and variation the life cycle of plants

Read the following statements about reproduction and select the incorrect one.

  1. It is a biological process in which an organism gives rise to young ones

  2. It enables the continuity of the species

  3. It produces genetic variations in organisms

  4. It maintains populations of the young and adult persons only
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation
  • Reproduction is a biological process in which an organism gives rise to young ones. It is a fundamental feature of all known life. Reproduction enables the continuity of the species and produces genetic variations in organisms. 
  • Reproduction not only maintains populations of the young and adult persons but also that of older adults.
  • Reproduction is a key process that determines the distribution of people of various ages in a population, called age structure.
  • So the correct option is D.
Multiple choice botany modes of reproduction why do plants reproduce? reproduction and variation the life cycle of plants

Offspring formed as a result of sexual reproduction exhibit more variations because

  1. Sexual reproduction is a lengthy process.

  2. Genetic material comes from two parents of the same species.

  3. Genetic material comes from two parents of different species.

  4. Genetic material comes from many parents.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Offspring formed as a result of sexual reproduction exhibit more variations because genetic material comes from two parents of the same species.

In asexual reproduction, the offspring that are produced are not only identical to the parent but are also exact copies of their parent. It is because in asexual reproduction, there is the involvement of a single parent. So, in this case the genetic variation is not created.
While in sexual reproduction, genetic variation is created and inherited. In sexual reproduction, two parents having different genetic composition participate in the reproductive process and also involve fusion of male and female gametes, which gives rise to the new individual having genetic composition of both.

Multiple choice botany modes of reproduction why do plants reproduce? reproduction and variation the life cycle of plants

Only variations that confer an advantage to an individual organism will survive in a population. 

  1. True

  2. False
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation
All the variations do not have an equal chance of surviving in the environment in which they find themselves. The chances of surviving depend on the nature of variations. Different individual would have different kind of advantages. A bacteria that can withstand heat will survive better in a heat wave. Selection of variants by environmental factors forms the basis for revolutionary process.
Multiple choice zoology why classification? history of classification of organisms introduction to classification of living organisms living world and classification

Species is

  1. Population of individuals having same genotypes and

    phenotypes

  2. A group of individuals inhabiting a geographical area

  3. A group of interbreeding populations

  4. Population of one type
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Species are the groups of individuals that sexually interbreed or are potentially interbreeding form.

Multiple choice zoology the paths traversed by life mutational theory of evolution theories of evolution other theories of evolution

The tendency of a large population to remain in genetic equilibrium can n be disturbed by

  1. Presence of random mating

  2. Lack of gene migration

  3. Lack of mutations

  4. Presence of selective mating
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation
For a population to be in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium five conditions must be met :
1. Population must be very large.
2. Population must be isolated from other populations (no immigration or emigration).
3. No mutations
4. Random mating
5. No natural selection
Non-random/selective/assortative mating causes more expression of recessive phenotypes.
So, the correct option is 'Presence of selective mating'.