1.  What is the relationship between instructions and shape in the RNA World? In the DNA-RNA-Protein World?

2. What are the important differences between RNA and proteins that resulted in proteins "taking over?

3. Why is a cell membrane important?

4. What is the evidence that all present-day organisms descend from a common ancestor?

5. Explain what is meant by the following: mutations basically run new protein shapes up a flagpole, and natural selection is equivalent to asking whether anybody salutes.

6. If you have two sets of glasses and one type tends to break in your dishwasher, what do you predict will be the eventual outcome? Explain how this metaphor relates to the process of biological evolution. What might be the consequence(s) of getting a new dishwasher?  How does this relate to what happens during evolution?

7. How do shape changes figure in the operation of receptors and the resultant signal transduction cascades?

8. During bioengergetic cycles, O 2 is liberated and used, CO 2 (carbon dioxide) is liberated and used, protons are liberated and used, and electrons are liberated and used. Describe the circumstances for each of these events.

9. What are the two classes of transcription factors?  What do they bind to? What do they recognize within these regions?  What consequences can result from this binding?

10. Why is a gene duplication a "fertile" kind of mutation in an evolutionary sense?

11. What is the relationship between fins and limbs in animal evolution?

12. Explain the metaphor of a blueprint and a house as it relates to how life works. 

13. What is the difference between "housekeeping genes" and "specialized genes"?  Give several examples of each in the human genome.

14. What is meant by gene homologues?

15. What is the relationship between a nucleotide, a codon, an amino acid, and a polypeptide?

16. Explain what is meant by null, neutral, and adaptive mutations.

17. What is the "Petropic Principle" and how does it relate to our concept of the origins of life?

18. What is a ribozyme and what is important about a ribozyme serving as a replicase?