Essay

Please prepare all three essays. Compare your answers with classmates. I will choose one of these to place on the test and you will have to write it fresh for 30 points.

1: Discuss how the concept of horizontal gene transfer relates to bacteria. Include the following in your discussion:

bacterial mechanisms of horizontal gene transfer and how they differ from normal inheritance

the importance of horizontal gene transfer to the treatment of bacterial infections

the effects this concept has on evolutionary relationships inside and outside the bacterial domain

2: Explain why the kingdom Protista is no longer a valid kingdom. Include the following as evidence:

the concept of monophyletic vs. para or polyphyletic

the evidence that neither protista nor the old subgroups “algae” and “protozoa” are monophyletic

your personal suggestion for how the major protist groups could be rearranged to create monophyletic kingdoms (remember to include the higher eukaryotes in your analysis)

3: Compare and contrast reproduction in nonvascular, seedless vascular, and seeded plants. Include the following in your answer:

the concept of alternation of generations and how this differs from human reproduction

a description of this alternation in moss, including the concepts of sporophyte/gametophyte, diploid/haploid, spore/gamete, and dominant/dependent

the key differences between your description in moss and the same processes in seedless vascular and seeded plants