How do catalysts affect a chemical reaction? A. increase the activation energy
B. provide activation energy
C. lower activation energy
D. lose activation energy

To answer this question, researchers studied populations of the dusky salamander (desmognathus ochrophaeus) living on different mountain ranges in the southern appalachian mountains. the researchers tested the reproductive isolation of pairs of salamander populations by leaving one male and one female together and later checking the females for the presence of sperm. four mating combinations were tested for each pair of populations (a and b)—two within the same population (female a with male a and female b with male b) and two between populations (female a with male b and female b with male a). the proportion of successful matings for each mating combination was measured. for example, when all the matings of a particular combination were successful, the researchers gave it a value of 1; when none of the matings were successful, they gave it a value of 0. then the researchers calculated an index of reproductive isolation that ranged from 0 (no isolation) to 2 (full isolation). the reproductive isolation value for two populations is the sum of the proportion of successful matings of each type within populations (aa + bb) minus the sum of the proportion of successful matings of each type between populations (ab + ba). the table provides data for the geographic distances and reproductive isolation values for 27 pairs of dusky salamander populations.

Rease is an enzyme used by plants to break down urea (a nitrogen-containing compound) into carbon dioxide and ammonia. urease urea > > > carbon dioxide and ammonia ammonia is broken down by plants into a nitrogen source plants need to grow. thus, plants could not use urea as a nitrogen source unless it was first converted to ammonia. in soybean plants there are two different kinds of urease, one produced in the seeds and the other produced in the leaves of the plant. three types of soybean plants were used in a set of experiments: normal soybeans and two mutant strains, one lacking the urease in the seeds only (strain 1) and one lacking urease in the leaves only (strain 2). experiment 1 separate areas in a field were planted with normal, strain 1, and strain 2 soybeans. all types of soybeans appeared to grow, flower, and produce seeds equally well. there were no externally detectable differences among the strains. experiment 2 small pieces of plant leaves of equal weight were obtained from each type of soybean plant and separately placed on media in culture dishes. tissue growing in this way will become an unorganized clump of cells referred to as callus. to provide a controlled nitrogen source, half the tissue samples of each type were placed on media containing urea, and the other half of the samples were placed on media containing ammonia. after 30 days, the weight gain for each of the callus samples was determined. results are shown in the table below.

Aremote community desperately needs more electrical energy. it is located in an area with the following characteristics: average wind speed of 15 – 20 km/hr some medium-sized rivers with slow-moving currents few coal deposits some oil exploration being conducted within 400 miles based on the above information, which energy source would be the most economical and safest for the community to pursue? a. fossil fuel b. hydroelectric c. nuclear d. wind