Biodiversity and Classification Quiz

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Questions and Answers

What are the two main reasons for studying the diversity of life?

To understand the history of life on Earth and to classify organisms.

To learn about ourselves and to study the Earth. (correct)

To understand human evolution and to protect endangered species.

To conserve biodiversity and to develop new technologies.

Which of the following is NOT a reason why humans are inherently interested in our environment?

We are inherently interested in ourselves. (correct)

We are part of the environment.

We are curious about the natural world.

We rely on the environment for survival.

The Binomial name for a species is used to:

Connect the organism to its environment.

Identify the organism's evolutionary history.

Make it easier to communicate with scientists across the world. (correct)

Classify organisms into different groups.

Which of the following is NOT a level of classification in the Linnaean system?

Subspecies (A) Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'Phylogeny' refer to in the context of studying the diversity of life?

The evolutionary history and relationships between organisms. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of conservation ecology?

To understand how organisms interact with each other and their environment. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of how human activities can impact the environment?

Commercial foresting, which includes logging and road construction. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary relationship between a predator and its prey?

Predation, where one organism hunts and consumes the other. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the most likely reason for the high diversity of flowering plants observed at UTM?

Flowering plants have evolved to survive in a variety of environments. (A), Human intervention has led to the introduction of new plant species. (C) Signup and view all the answers

According to the lecture, what is a major challenge in classifying organisms?

The presence of horizontal gene transfer between species. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the Last Universal Common Ancestor (LUCA)?

All current life can be traced back to LUCA. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Why is it difficult to study evolution directly?

Fossil records are limited and incomplete. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements is TRUE about the 'Tree of Life' concept?

It can be affected by horizontal gene transfer. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary factor driving biodiversity on Earth?

The process of evolution. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What does the lecture suggest about understanding the evolution of life?

It is a complex process with many unanswered questions. (B) Signup and view all the answers

How does the lecture define biodiversity?

The variety of life at all levels of organization, from genes to ecosystems. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of a predator-prey relationship?

A grizzly bear catching a salmon. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the name of the virus that causes COVID-19?

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the approximate fatality rate of MERS-CoV?

35% (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a human-host coronavirus?

Staphylococcus aureus (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the main reason why scientists need more information about caribou and old forests?

To understand the impact of foresting on caribou sustainability (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a significant factor in the spread of diseases?

All of the above (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the key difference between an epidemic and a pandemic?

The geographical spread of the disease (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of these statements about the 2002-2004 SARS epidemic is true?

It caused a high number of deaths due to its high fatality rate. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What was the main reason behind the State of Emergency declaration in Ontario during the COVID-19 pandemic?

The rapid spread of the virus and the strain on healthcare systems (B) Signup and view all the answers

How does the COVID-19 pandemic compare to the 2002-2004 SARS epidemic?

COVID-19 was more widespread but less severe. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of the WHO in relation to pandemics?

To monitor and coordinate global health responses (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the main reason why it is important to understand the impact of foresting on caribou populations?

Caribou are a key indicator of the health of the forest ecosystem. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Why is it important to study the relationship between various organisms in an area?

To understand the complex interactions within the ecosystem (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following factors was NOT mentioned as a contributing factor to the spread of disease?

Pollution (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the defining feature of an epidemic?

A significant increase in the number of cases of a disease (C) Signup and view all the answers

In terms of virus structure, what makes the coronavirus appear like a 'sun' ?

The spikes protruding from the envelope (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the main reason for the focus on 'old' forests in the context of caribou habitat?

Old forests provide a unique habitat for caribou. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a type of microorganism shown in the provided images?

Fungi (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following images utilizes a transmission electron microscope?

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic feature of viruses?

They possess both DNA and RNA (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following diseases is caused by a bacterium?

Tuberculosis (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following has a genetic code that is not based on DNA?

HIV virus (D) Signup and view all the answers

According to the provided image credits, which of the following licenses is used for an image of a snowshoe hare?

CC BY-SA 3.0 (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following images is attributed to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases?

Monkeypox virus (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following images is NOT associated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)?

HIV virus (A) Signup and view all the answers

Why is the current COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, a significant event in human history?

It is the first time humans have encountered a virus that has caused a global pandemic. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Based on the text, what is a key factor in our ability to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic?

Our understanding of infectious agents, including viruses, vaccination, and epidemiology. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary difference between SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses?

SARS-CoV-2 is the first coronavirus to cause a pandemic. (C) Signup and view all the answers

According to the content, why is the current COVID-19 pandemic not a completely unprecedented event in human history?

Because humans have encountered and studied coronaviruses before. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What does the text imply about the effectiveness of SARS-CoV-1 compared to SARS-CoV-2?

SARS-CoV-1 is less effective at spreading and persisting. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Based on the provided information, what is the significance of the current COVID-19 pandemic for the understanding of human health?

It has highlighted the vulnerability of humans to infectious diseases. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary reason for the BIO153 course focusing on the current COVID-19 pandemic?

To explore the impact of the pandemic on human health and society. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following can be considered as a resource available for BIO153 students this week?

Detailed course syllabus. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Lecture 1: Introduction to Biodiversity

Biodiversity: Organisms adapted to various habitats on Earth via evolution. No single, correct answer for any habitat.
Last Universal Common Ancestor (LUCA): Existed about 4 billion years ago. LUCA is the last common ancestor of all cellular life on Earth today. After billions of years of evolution, LUCA diversified into the different forms of life.
Evolution: What we see today is the result of evolution up until now, making it difficult to directly observe the past process of evolving.

Biodiversity in Everyday Life

Diversity within mechanisms: Huge diversity exists within the same type of survival mechanism.
Flowering plants at UTM: Photos of flowering plants at University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) show this diversity. Some are wild-species, others are planted by humans.

Why Study the Diversity of Life?

Human interest in environment: Humans are inherently interested in our environment
Human interest in ourselves: Humans are inherently interested in themselves. We learn about ourselves through studying other organisms.
Learning about Earth: We learn about Earth through studying life.

Why Study the Diversity of Life (Animals)?

Humans are animals: Humans are also animals.
Learning about ourselves through other organisms: We learn about ourselves through studying other organisms.
Learning about Earth through studying life: We learn about Earth through studying life.

Taxonomy & Phylogeny

Taxonomy: Study organisms, name them, and put them into similar groups
Phylogeny: Deduce evolutionary relationships between organisms put in similar groups.
Naming is important: Naming is important for clear and unambiguous communication.

Conservation Ecology

Constant interactions: Organisms constantly interact with the environment and other organisms.
Intervening without understanding: We cannot intervene in these systems without knowing the interactions.
Predator-prey relationships: Changes in predator and prey populations often synchronize, like the snowshoe hare and Canada lynx.
Woodland caribou: Commercial forest activities like logging, building roads, and pipelines in Ontario and Quebec can disrupt the habitat of woodland caribou populations, affecting their survival.

Human Health

Parasitic organisms: Some organisms thrive by parasitizing on their host, many infect humans.
Combating infections: Understanding these organisms is critical to effectively combat them. Examples include Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Staphylococcus aureus, HIV, and Monkeypox virus.

Epidemics and Pandemics

Natural health detriments: It is natural for a population to be affected by various health detriments like diseases.
Unusual disease cases: Sometimes, an unusually high number of cases of a particular disease are reported.
Epidemic definition: An epidemic is a significant rise in the occurrence of a disease, above the normal rate in a local population.
Pandemic definition: A pandemic is a global epidemic, usually affecting more than one continent.

SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Pandemic

Coronavirus caused pandemic: The COVID-19 pandemic of the early 2020s, was caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Virus identification: SARS-CoV-2 is the name of the virus.
Disease caused by the virus: COVID-19 (Corona Virus Disease 2019) is a disease caused by SARS-CoV-2.
Previous coronaviruses: SARS-CoV-2 is not the first coronavirus that has impacted humans.
Prior knowledge: Humans have prior knowledge of coronaviruses, including types that cause less significant infections such as the common cold (around 15%).
History of other infections and experience of combating them + knowledge on other viruses, vaccination, epidemiology: Prior experience with similar epidemics and knowledge of handling infections are vital resources in responding to this new type of threat.

BIO153 Week 1 To-Do

Review materials: Review syllabus and Quercus information
Attend lectures: Attend lectures 1 and 2 on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Attend tutorials: Attend a Friday tutorial on BIO153 structure (noon-1PM and 2-3PM sessions). Space may be limited.
No labs this week (Week 1): There are no labs scheduled this week.
Labs next week: Labs will resume the following week (Week 2). Prepare for these labs by reviewing any assigned pre-lab materials. Lab materials will be posted on Quercus somewhat before the week 2 starts.

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Description

Test your knowledge on the diversity of life and its classification. This quiz covers key concepts related to ecological conservation, evolutionary biology, and the Linnaean system. Challenge yourself with questions about the impact of human activities on the environment and the significance of various biological terms.