confusing and/or possibly bogus questions?

[FatalExtraction]

---

Members do not see this ad.

so im reviewing from the kaplan book, schaums bio, and a princeton review GRE book for math...and taking all of these kaplan tests and which are not going so well...but as im reviewing the tests i have a harddd time accepting some of their answers...for instance:

Which of the following illustrates the principle of induction in invertebrates?

A.) In an embryo, the presence of a notochord beneath the ectoderm results in the formation of the neural tube.
B.) A neuron synapses with another neuron via a neurotransmitter.
C.) Eye muscles constrict in response to light
D.) The secretion of TSH stimulates the secretion of thyroxine.
E.) The maternal parent induces spontaneous expression of recessive genes.

Answer: A
I picked D

This is what they said:

How does the ectoderm that will make up the future eye know to develop into an eye? The cells are "told" to develop into an eye because the nearby retina releases chemical signals that direct development of the cells. This process is called induction. Choice A depicts a similar situation. The notochord releases chemical signals that tell the overlying ectoderm that it is time for it to become the neural tube. None of the choices depict the process of induction.


uhh...as much as id like to keep quiet and not complain...i cant help but argue this question as well as others that i have come across..the whole releasing of chemical signals reminds me of when TSH stimulates the thyroid to release thyroxine hence my logic in picking D....I have to know - am i wrong? (i probably am but then could someone explain it for me? why doesn't D work as well?) and do vague questions like this one appear a lot on the real thing?; is this a good representation of the way they're going to ask questions?

Heres another one:

In terms of comparative anatomy, which of the following statements is correct?

A.) Homologous structures have a similar structure and a common origin.
B.) Homologous structures have a similar structure but a different origin.
C.) Analagous structures have a similar function and a common origin.
D.) Analagous structures have different functions but a common origin.
E.) Analagous structures have different structures and different origins.

Choice A is correct because by definition, homologous structures are defined as those structures with similar structures that have a common origin but do not serve similar functions...On the other hand, analagous structures are similar in structure and function, although they are not evolutionarily related.

Upon further meditation on the previous question, I understand where they're coming from, but dang...what kind of wording is that? I was looking for different origin but same function = analagous... or similar structure/origin, different function = homologous....here they're using structure and function interchangably.

I get that I'm wrong, but are there a lot of oddly worded questions like these on the real test? Also, does kaplan material have a good number of mistakes throughout (not saying that these were necessarily "mistakes" but rather poorly worded questions) because that would be a shame regarding how much energy, time, and money we invest to acquire reliable study aids...guess ill crack open my ap bio book... thanks for listening to my rant...any input would be greatly appreciated...Hope your studying is going well.

 

[teefie]

too many words too much to read.

 

[RockstarDMD]

I wonder if you are having problems with these questions because you are memorizing terminology, and hoping the key words from the definitions come up in the question?

I would recommend FULLY understanding a terms meaning. Just my $0.02 hope it helps.

 

[lifeisgood]

I feel that both of these are very fair and straight forward questions.

If you understood what induction is, the first question would be very simple. TSH is a hormone and part of the endocrine system and would not necessarily be involved with induction. All of the other answers have nothing to do induction, which is a basic concept in developmental biology. The only correct answer is A because it is the only answer that deals with embryological development and the presence of one type of cell influencing the differentiation of other cells.

As for Q#2, it's just a basic definition. If you know that homologous is SAME/SAME (i.e. similar function/similar origin) and that analogous is SAME/DIFFERENT (i.e. similar function/differetn origin), then the only possible answer is choice A.

Don't know if this helps.

 

[FatalExtraction]

I feel that both of these are very fair and straight forward questions.

If you understood what induction is, the first question would be very simple. TSH is a hormone and part of the endocrine system and would not necessarily be involved with induction. All of the other answers have nothing to do induction, which is a basic concept in developmental biology. The only correct answer is A because it is the only answer that deals with embryological development and the presence of one type of cell influencing the differentiation of other cells.

As for Q#2, it's just a basic definition. If you know that homologous is SAME/SAME (i.e. similar function/similar origin) and that analogous is SAME/DIFFERENT (i.e. similar function/differetn origin), then the only possible answer is choice A.

Don't know if this helps.

thanks for your help guys...im just really not that good at standardized tests i guess...i remember learning that homologous is same origin but different function i.e. - bat wing and human arm --> similar origin but different function
and analagous = similar functions, but different origin...i looked it up in kaplan and campbell's bio textbook and thats what it says...they threw me off with the "structures" part b/c then it changes the way I learned it (the same/same = homologous is not what it says in the textbook nor in kaplan =/)

also in some definitions that i looked up of what exactly induction could be defined as...i get minor changes in definition...i went through campbell's and it used the embryology example, but i went on a couple science websites and even dictionary.com and they used the whole hormone stimulating other glands example...i could go on about whether or not the mesoderm AND the endoderm are responsible for gonads/reproductive organs b/c kaplan says only one of em do but textbook says both of them do...and ya...im annoyed as you are reading this so ill stop...thanks for reading tho

and thank you guys for all your input 😳

 

[lifeisgood]

thanks for your help guys...im just really not that good at standardized tests i guess...i remember learning that homologous is same origin but different function i.e. - bat wing and human arm --> similar origin but different function
and analagous = similar functions, but different origin...i looked it up in kaplan and campbell's bio textbook and thats what it says...they threw me off with the "structures" part b/c then it changes the way I learned it (the same/same = homologous is not what it says in the textbook nor in kaplan =/)

also in some definitions that i looked up of what exactly induction could be defined as...i get minor changes in definition...i went through campbell's and it used the embryology example, but i went on a couple science websites and even dictionary.com and they used the whole hormone stimulating other glands example...i could go on about whether or not the mesoderm AND the endoderm are responsible for gonads/reproductive organs b/c kaplan says only one of em do but textbook says both of them do...and ya...im annoyed as you are reading this so ill stop...thanks for reading tho

and thank you guys for all your input 😳

My bad. You are right in the fact that homologous structures often do have different functions (i.e. bat wing, human arm). What I meant to say was structure, because they have the same anatomical structure and similar origin.