AP Biology questions on the evolutionary origins of cellular respiration

📚 Quick Study Guide

• 🌍 The early Earth atmosphere had little to no free oxygen ($O_2$).
• 🧪 The first life forms likely used anaerobic respiration (glycolysis) to produce ATP.
• 🧬 Glycolysis occurs in the cytoplasm and doesn't require oxygen.
• 💡 Evidence suggests that mitochondria and chloroplasts originated through endosymbiosis. This is supported by their double membranes, circular DNA, and ribosomes similar to bacteria.
• 🔥 Aerobic respiration evolved later, after the increase in atmospheric oxygen due to photosynthesis.
• 🔬 The electron transport chain (ETC) is a key component of aerobic respiration, using oxygen as the final electron acceptor.
• 📝 The overall equation for aerobic respiration is: $C_6H_{12}O_6 + 6O_2 \rightarrow 6CO_2 + 6H_2O + ATP$

Practice Quiz

1. Which of the following is believed to be the earliest form of cellular respiration?
   1. Aerobic respiration
   2. Anaerobic respiration
   3. Photosynthesis
   4. Chemosynthesis
2. The endosymbiotic theory explains the origin of which organelles?
   1. Nucleus and Golgi apparatus
   2. Endoplasmic reticulum and ribosomes
   3. Mitochondria and chloroplasts
   4. Lysosomes and peroxisomes
3. What was the primary atmospheric condition on early Earth that favored anaerobic respiration?
   1. High concentration of oxygen
   2. Low concentration of carbon dioxide
   3. Absence of free oxygen
   4. High concentration of methane
4. Which process directly contributed to the increase of oxygen in Earth's early atmosphere?
   1. Cellular respiration
   2. Volcanic activity
   3. Photosynthesis
   4. Oxidation of iron
5. Where does glycolysis take place in a cell?
   1. Mitochondria
   2. Nucleus
   3. Cytoplasm
   4. Endoplasmic reticulum
6. Which of the following is NOT a piece of evidence supporting the endosymbiotic theory?
   1. Mitochondria and chloroplasts have double membranes.
   2. Mitochondria and chloroplasts have linear DNA.
   3. Mitochondria and chloroplasts have their own ribosomes.
   4. Mitochondria and chloroplasts can replicate independently.
7. What is the final electron acceptor in the electron transport chain during aerobic respiration?
   1. Carbon dioxide
   2. Water
   3. Oxygen
   4. ATP