Question

how are organisms and the environment interrelated?
part i: lets practice unit 1.1 (microscopes and graphs).

1. the graph compares non - renewable resources, such as petroleum, natural gas, and coal, to renewable resources. what conclusion can be made from the graph?

graph: energy consumption in the united states (1776 - 2016)
a. renewable resources are used less often for energy because they are easily replenished.
b. non - renewable resources are used more often because they produce more greenhouse gases.
c. renewable resources are used less often because they produce the most greenhouse gases.
d. non - renewable resources are used more often for energy because the infrastructure is already in place.

1. algae is a diverse group of eukaryotic organisms that perform photosynthesis. a group of scientists are studying a microscopic algae in a local lake that is surrounded by farmland. scientists are concerned that fertilizer runoff from the farmland may be impacting the lake. image a shows the algae prior to the farmland being fertilized and image b shows the algae after the farmland was fertilized.

images a and b of algae

1. which microscope was used to capture the images of the algae from the lake?

a. dissecting microscope
b. compound microscope
c. scanning electron microscope
d. transmission electron microscope

1. which of the following inferences could the scientists make based on their observations about the farmland and algae?

a. over time, the algae became larger in size.
b. the algae population increased over time in the lake.
c. the runoff from the fertilizer caused the algae in the lake to become overpopulated.
d. the fertilizer negatively impacted the algaes ability to perform photosynthesis, causing the population to decrease.

Explanation:

Question 1

• Option a: The reason for less use of renewable resources isn't just their replenishment; the graph shows usage levels, not replenishment logic. Eliminate a.
• Option b: The graph shows usage, not greenhouse gas production. The reason for more use of non - renewables in the graph isn't about greenhouse gases. Eliminate b.
• Option c: Renewable resources generally produce fewer greenhouse gases, so this statement is factually wrong. Eliminate c.
• Option d: Non - renewable resources like petroleum, natural gas, and coal have existing infrastructure (power plants, distribution systems) for energy use, which makes them more commonly used. This matches the implication from the graph's comparison of usage.

• Option a: Dissecting microscopes are for larger, 3D specimens, not microscopic algae. Eliminate a.
• Option b: Compound microscopes are used to view small, thin specimens like microscopic algae in a lake sample. This is suitable.
• Option c: Scanning electron microscopes (SEM) are for surface imaging of specimens and require complex sample preparation (like drying, coating), not for live or simple lake samples. Eliminate c.
• Option d: Transmission electron microscopes (TEM) are for viewing internal structures of very thin specimens and also require elaborate sample preparation, not suitable for lake algae samples. Eliminate d.

• Option a: The images show more algae, not larger - sized algae. Eliminate a.
• Option b: While the population increased, the key is the cause. Just saying the population increased is a description, not an inference about the farmland's impact. Eliminate b.
• Option c: The farmland is fertilized, and fertilizer runoff (containing nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus) can cause algal blooms (overpopulation of algae). The images show more algae after fertilization, so this inference about the fertilizer runoff causing overpopulation is valid.
• Option d: If photosynthesis was negatively impacted, the algae population should decrease, but the images show an increase. Eliminate d.

Answer:

d. Non - renewable resources are used more often for energy because the infrastructure is already in place.

Question 3