Question

. If you happen to be member of the zooplankton or phytoplankton community, why is a large surface to volume ratio important for your survival? (4)

34. You are onboard the USS Robins serving in the role of ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) operator. The USS Robins is sailing toward a deep-sea hydrothermal vent located near the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. After obtaining a few water samples very near the hydrothermal vent, you return to the ship’s laboratory and observe single-celled, microscopic organisms. A DNA analysis shows that these organisms fall near the base of a phylogenetic tree of all life, suggesting that they are similar to earth’s earliest life forms. These organisms are most likely members of what Domain? (2)

Answer 1

The planktonic forms like Zooplanktons or phytoplanktons are the small organisms which are found floating on the surface of water. These organisms tend to increase their surface area so their mass/volume (density) decreases to the extent that they float on the water surface.

It is a known fact that the earliest forms of life on the earth are archaebacteria. From the given description, it may be deduced that these organisms most likely belong to Domain Archaea.