Describe the types of microorganisms you might expect to find near a hydrothermal vent at the bottom of the ocean, in descriptive terms (i.e. halotolerant, strict anaerobe, etc.). Be sure to include what you might imagine it's optimal temperature, oxygen concentrations, pH, and water/salt environment to be.

What will be an ideal response?


Microbes present in hydrothermal vents have to deal with extreme heat, as well as salinity, low oxygen availability, and high pressure. This means that they are likely to be thermophilic, halotolerant anaerobes and extreme barophiles. They are likely strict anaerobes, because there is probably little oxygen available at the bottom of the ocean. In terms of pH, perhaps they are neutrophiles, because the pH at the bottom of the ocean may not be too extreme.

Biology & Microbiology

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The limnetic zone is the shallow-water area along the shore of a lake or pond. Indicate whether the statement is true or false

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You work in a lab that studies bird brains and behavior. You and your labmate have both submitted brains to a colleague to be sectioned. Your species is a bird that is known for storing large numbers of nuts each autumn in a variety of hidden locations. Your labmate's species is a raptor known for remarkable predatory behavior. What do you anticipate will be different between the two brains?

A. Your nut-hiding species is likely to have a large hypothalamus, while the raptor may have an large olfactory system. B. Your nut-hiding species is likely to have a large hippocampus, while the raptor may have a large visual system. C. Both species are likely to have a large nucleus accumbens. D. Your nut-hiding species is likely to have a large visual system, while the raptor may have an large hippocampus.

Biology & Microbiology

Light is the only environmental factor that changes during the course of succession in a community

Indicate whether the statement is true or false

Biology & Microbiology

Yeast cells are frequently used as hosts for cloning because they _____

A) easily form colonies B) can remove exons from mRNA C) do not have plasmids D) are eukaryotic cells

Biology & Microbiology