Bootcamp ambiguous questions

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jLaws

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Is there anything more annoying than when you come across a question that you understand everything about, but you're not sure where they are going with the question?

During cell division, which of the following stages are most similar?

  • A. Mitotic prophase and meiosis metaphase I
  • B. Mitotic telophase and meiosis telophase I
  • C. Mitotic anaphase and meiosis anaphase I
  • D. Mitotic metaphase and meiosis metaphase II
  • E. Mitotic metaphase and meiosis metaphase I
The answer was D with this reasoning:
D. Mitotic metaphase and meiosis metaphase II
During mitotic metaphase, the individual chromosomes are lined up single-file at the center of the cell. Similarly, during metaphase II of meiosis, the individual chromosomes are also lined up single-file at the center of the cell (while the total chromosome count has been reduced from 2n to n, these stages still appear the most similar visually), so the answer choice is correct.

This is flat out wrong. Telophase would appear the most similar as the chromosomes have decondensed back to chromatin. There would be no way to make any visual distinction between the two as there would be no more chromosomes to compare. Meanwhile in mitotic metaphase vs. meiosis II metaphase, one has literally twice the amount of chromosomes lined up in the center. Pretty damn easy to see the difference there.

Another weird question:
Which of the following has a similar function to the cristae of mitochondria?

  • A. Thylakoid membrane in chloroplast
  • B. Cisternae in Golgi complex
  • C. Nuclear envelope
  • D. Intermembrane space in chloroplast
  • E. Endoplasmic reticulum
A. Thylakoid membrane in chloroplast
Similar to the cristae of the mitochondria, the thylakoid membrane in chloroplast is also the site of chemiosmosis, so the answer choice is correct. Both contain ATP synthase responsible for producing ATP using an established H+ gradient across an internal membrane. While functionally similar, the key difference between the two is that in chloroplast, H+ move from inside the thylakoid lumen outward to the stroma to synthesize ATP, while in mitochondria H+ move from outside the cristae (the intermembrane space) inward to the mitochondrial matrix.

Sure, the mitochondrial inner membrane and thylakoid membrane both act as electron transport chains.... that is basic knowledge. But the function of the cristae specifically (which is not the same as just stating mitochondrial inner-membrane) is to increase the surface area. Why add ambiguity to a question that should be straight forward...

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Also, this question is phrased like it is a fact:
Which of the following is the source of energy for the synthesis of small organic molecules that predated the earliest forms of life?

  • A. anaerobic respiration
  • B. photosynthesis in algae
  • C. decomposition by fungi
  • D. lightning
  • E. geothermal vents
  • D. lightning
    Lightning was one of the key sources of energy in the synthesis of small organic molecules such as acetic acid, formaldehyde, and amino acids (but not nucleic acids); therefore the answer choice is correct. In the Miller & Urey experiment to test the organic soup theory, gases believed to be in Earth’s early atmosphere and simulated lightning were used to confirm the synthesis of these early organic molecules.
Urey-Miller is outdated. It's literally over 60 years old. Hydrothermal vent theory is becoming increasingly supported...
 
a. In mitosis, during telophase, chromosomes are still diploid, but with half the copies of DNA as the parent cell... In meiotic telophase I, the chromosomes are haploid but with both chromatids present per centromere.


b. asking you about the cristae of the mitochondrial matrix is to see if you know that it corresponds to the inner membrane of the mitochondria.

c. I agree, that answer could just as easily be geothermal vents provided your reasoning. But, the DAT's favorite experiment is the miller-urey experiment.
 
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your "a" makes no sense. You are saying that the reason the two telophases are different is because one is haploid and one is diploid but the same is also true for meiosis II metaphase and mitosis metaphase. Meiosis and mitosis share nothing exactly in common at any stage. The only support for their reasoning is that both mitosis and meiosis II both involve pulling apart sister chromatids during metaphase, but what I'm saying is that if we are going by appearances, telophase would look exactly the same under a microscope in both situations. It also involves decondensing the chromosomes back to chromatin in both situations.
 
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your "a" makes no sense. You are saying that the reason the two telophases are different is because one is haploid and one is diploid but the same is also true for meiosis II metaphase and mitosis metaphase. Meiosis and mitosis share nothing exactly in common at any stage. The only support for their reasoning is that both mitosis and meiosis II both involve pulling apart sister chromatids during metaphase, but what I'm saying is that if we are going by appearances, telophase would look exactly the same under a microscope in both situations. It also involves decondensing the chromosomes back to chromatin in both situations.

you're over complicating it...

and my explanation does make sense if you can visualize it from the description.

"The only support for their reasoning is that both mitosis and meiosis II both involve pulling apart sister chromatids during metaphase, but what I'm saying is that if we are going by appearances, telophase would look exactly the same under a microscope in both situations. It also involves decondensing the chromosomes back to chromatin in both situations."

there you go, you just answered your own question

stop blaming your short-falls on the questions, you will never get the score you want with that mentality.
 
you're over complicating it...

and my explanation does make sense if you can visualize it from the description.

"The only support for their reasoning is that both mitosis and meiosis II both involve pulling apart sister chromatids during metaphase, but what I'm saying is that if we are going by appearances, telophase would look exactly the same under a microscope in both situations. It also involves decondensing the chromosomes back to chromatin in both situations."

there you go, you just answered your own question

stop blaming your short-falls on the questions, you will never get the score you want with that mentality.

Your last comment wasn't necessary. I do very well on practice tests and have several 30's in each of the sciences. I do not need any advice from you regarding my mentality. Some questions are open to interpretation on different levels. Let's leave it at that.
 
I think the 1st question is testing the fact the basic fact that Mitosis and meiosis II are similar, so D is the correct answer. I can see B being ambiguous because I choose the same answer as you. For the last question I choose that answer too, but it's good that BC had that on there because now we are aware that on the real DAT what the actual answer is. It might be outdated, but that's not BC's fault, they're just following what the DAT chooses as the correct answer.
 
My DAT had nothing like that on it. By that I mean the questions were very straightforward (you either know it or you don’t type questions)... Nothing that would lead you to think two answer choices were correct, if you studied that topic.


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