The Following Question Refers to the Figure

question 8

Multiple Choice

The following question refers to the figure.
In this eight-year experiment, 12 populations of E. coli, each begun from a single cell, were grown in low-glucose conditions for 20,000 generations. Each culture was introduced to fresh growth medium every 24 hours. Occasionally, samples were removed from the populations, and their fitness in low-glucose conditions was tested against that of members sampled from the ancestral (common ancestor) E. coli population.

If the experimental population of E. coli lacks an F factor or F plasmid, and if bacteriophages are excluded from the bacterial cultures, then beneficial mutations might be transmitted horizontally to other E. coli cells via ________.

• A) sex pili
• B) transduction
• C) conjugation
• D) transformation

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Definitions:

Primordial Follicles

The earliest stage of follicle development in the ovaries, present from birth.

Prenatal Development

The process of growth and development within the womb, from conception to birth.

Puberty

The developmental stage where an individual becomes capable of reproduction, marked by physical and hormonal changes.

Menopause

The time in most women's lives when menstrual periods stop permanently, and they are no longer able to bear children, typically occurring between 45 and 55 years of age.