Origins of Cells (DP IB Biology: HL): Exam Questions

44 mins10 questions
1
1 mark

Which of the following is not a piece of evidence that suggests that all life descended from a common ancestor called LUCA?

  • All living organisms have the same biochemistry e.g. lipids and carbohydrates etc.

  • All living organisms have the same DNA bases and genetic code

  • All living organisms have shared amino acids forming protein molecules

  • All living organisms can be infected by viruses

2
1 mark

What was a key limitation of the Miller-Urey experiment according to current understanding?

  • They used too much UV radiation in their experiment

  • The experiment did not run for long enough

  • The high levels of methane they used did not accurately reflect early Earth conditions

  • They only included methane, ammonia, hydrogen and water in the experiment

3
1 mark

What property of fatty acids made them likely candidates for early cell membranes?

  • Their amphipathic nature

  • Their ability to store genetic information

  • Their catalytic properties

  • Their ability to self-replicate

1
1 mark

Which of the following is a challenge of explaining the spontaneous origin of cells?

  • There are so many different theories of how the first cells originated that it is impossible to make sense of all the conflicting information. 

  • It is impossible to know the conditions on early Earth and so it is impossible to replicate any of those conditions experimentally. 

  • The current scientific equipment that exists is not able to withstand the temperature and pressure conditions of early Earth and so the correct conditions cannot be replicated experimentally. 

  • Early cells did not fossilise well, making it difficult to know their exact nature or confirm hypotheses about their formation.

2
1 mark

All living organisms share the same core characteristics in order to be classified as living. 

Relating to this, which of the following statements about viruses is correct? 

  • Viruses are non-living because they are obligate parasites and rely on other organisms to survive.

  • Viruses are living because they are able to reproduce themselves using their own metabolic pathways inside the host cell.

  • Viruses are non-living because they cannot reproduce without infecting a host cell

  • Viruses are living because they contain genetic information in the form of DNA or RNA.

3
1 mark

Why was UV radiation significant for the origin of carbon compounds on early Earth?

  • It interacted with ozone to form free oxygen in the atmosphere. 

  • It provided energy for the formation of larger polymers from simpler molecules.

  • It allowed plants to carry out photosynthesis using the energy from the radiation which allows them to create carbon compounds. 

  • It caused mutations in DNA which led to the diversification of early living organisms.