DNA polymerase is an enzyme required in DNA replication. Its role is to synthesize DNA, adding individual nucleotides to each strand of newly synthesized DNA with the help of other enzymes such as primase and ligase. There are several families of DNA polymerase in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes, but through different species, portions of DNA polymerase are highly conserved. What do you think is the evolutionary significance of DNA polymerase? What do you think would happen if there was a genetic mutation on the genes encoding for DNA polymerase?

A sample answer would look like this: The DNA polymerase has evolutionary significance because it is required for DNA to be transmitted across generations. A genetic mutation in a gene encoding for DNA polymerase could lead to significant flaws in DNA replication, which could lead to major flaws in the DNA replicated for cell division. This could lead to large-scale errors and result in the death of the organism.

Experiments in environmental toxicology can sometimes be manipulative experiments in which the researcher actively chooses and manipulates the independent variable. in hunt's study, for example, dosages of bpa were manipulated and the effects were measured. in manipulative studies, the researcher controls all the other variables in the experiment, so any health effects observed in the test subjects can be attributed to differences in the independent variable. in other cases, researchers use natural experiments in which the dependent variable (typically a measure of organism health) is measured under differing contexts that are not manipulated. say, for example, that an accidental chemical spill contaminates five ponds. to determine the possible effects of the toxic chemical on frogs, a researcher could compare the hatching rate of frog eggs laid in those five ponds to the hatching rate of eggs laid in five uncontaminated ponds nearby. this would be an example of a natural experiment because concentrations of the toxic chemical in the ponds were not controlled by the experimenter, but rather resulted from the chemical spill. drag type of experiment on the left to the example of experiment on the right. blood concentrations of bpa in college students are compared to their recent manipulative consumption of canned food items 2. the feeding behavior of fish in streams that receive acidic runoff from strip mines is compared to the feeding behavior of fish in unaffected streams. the deformity rate in baby birds from nests in pesticide-sprayed fields is compared to the deformity rate in birds from nests in unsprayed fields 4 tumor development is compared in mice exposed to five dosages of a known carcinogen in the laboratory foraging activity levels are compared in tadpoles exposed to four concentrations of toxic metals in the laboratory. growth of corn plants is compared in field plots sprayed with three different dosage: s of weed killer 7 bpa concentrations in the urine of people with diabetes are compared to bpa concentrations in the urine of people without diabetes - natural; manipulative

The graph shows the amount of global warming happening in different ecosystems. which populations of organisms will likely decline the most as a result of climate change, and why? a.coral reefs because of the loss of the symbiotic algae living within their bodies b.penguin populations because the fish they eat will move into warmer waters c.mountain-dwelling birds because rising sea levels will relocate their food sources d.large cats in the rainforest because of decreased habitat loss for their prey

The greenhouse effect a. something that has occurred for millions of years b. an unnatural phenomenon caused by humans that maintains earths temperature range. c. the results of the differences in the angle of the suns rays d. an unnatural phenomenon that causes heat energy to be radiated back into the atmosphere