Photo AI
There are two varieties of lice which live on humans: body lice which only live in clothing but feed on the body, and head lice which only live in hair and feed on the scalp - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 9 - 2007 - Paper 1
Question 9
There are two varieties of lice which live on humans: body lice which only live in clothing but feed on the body, and head lice which only live in hair and feed on t... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:There are two varieties of lice which live on humans: body lice which only live in clothing but feed on the body, and head lice which only live in hair and feed on the scalp - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 9 - 2007 - Paper 1
Step 1
a. Explain how DNA hybridisation can be used to determine evolutionary relationships.
Answer
DNA hybridisation involves the dissociation of different samples of DNA, followed by their reassociation, which allows scientists to measure the degree of similarity between the DNA sequences of two organisms. The greater the similarity between DNA sequences, indicated by lower melting temperatures during reassociation, the closer the evolutionary relationship between the organisms from which the samples were taken. This method provides a molecular basis for constructing phylogenetic trees.
Step 2
b. A scientist claimed to have found other evidence showing the time at which humans began wearing clothes. What might this evidence have been?
Answer
Evidence could include artifacts associated with the production of clothing, such as bone needles, or the discovery of fossilized remains of early humans showing signs of wearing clothes. Additionally, cave paintings that depict humans utilizing clothing could serve as evidence.
Step 3
c. Explain a possible advantage for lice of living in clothing.
Answer
Living in clothing provides lice with a warm environment that offers protection from external threats and predators. It also allows lice to have easier access to transfer between hosts, as clothing serves as a medium for them to move from one human to another, increasing their chances of survival and reproduction.