The multiple choice questions have five answer choices — one (and only one) is correct in each case.
A student examined two different groups of cells and made the following observations
| Trait | Cell I | Cell II |
|---|---|---|
| Cell wall | Present | Present |
| Ribosomes | Present | Present |
| Nucleus | Absent | Present |
| Ability to photosynthesize | Present | Absent |
| Cell respiration | Present | Present |
These observations support which of the following conclusions?
Select an Answer
Cell I is more complex in its organization than cell II.
Cell I is a prokaryote.
The ancestors of cell II appeared earlier in the fossil record than the ancestors of
cell I.
Cell II does not have a cell membrane.
Both groups of cells are from plants.
View Correct Answer
This type of question requires that you look at the data presented in the table and then select the conclusion that is best supported by these data. Some students find that reading the choices first, and THEN analyzing the table, helps them to focus more quickly on the pertinent information.
The correct answer is (B). Cell I is probably a prokaryote, as it contains no nucleus, but does have a cell wall and ribosomes. It is NOT more complex than Cell II which has a nucleus, so choice (A) is incorrect. The earliest fossils known are in fact prokaryotic, so choice (C) is also incorrect. The table contains no information about membranes, and a cell with a nucleus would certainly not lack a membrane, so choice (D) is incorrect. Finally, while Cell II has a cell wall, note that it cannot photosynthesize and is probably not a plant. Cell I provides more conclusive evidence against choice (E); since it lacks a nucleus it is clearly not a plant cell.