Which of the following is an example of stabilizing selection?

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: - Stabilizing selection is a type of natural selection that favors the intermediate variants in a population, while selecting against the extreme traits. This results in the maintenance of the current average trait in the population. - Option A is incorrect because stabilizing selection does not favor extreme traits; instead, it favors the average trait. - Option B is incorrect because stabilizing selection does not remove individuals with extreme traits; it acts against extreme traits by favoring the intermediate variants. - Option D is incorrect because stabilizing selection does not favor one specific trait over all others; it favors the average trait by selecting against extreme traits.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The nephron is the correct answer. It is the structural and functional unit of the kidney responsible for filtering blood. The nephron consists of a renal corpuscle (glomerulus and Bowman's capsule) and a renal tubule. Within the nephron, blood is filtered to form urine, which is then carried to the ureter for excretion from the body. Choices B, C, and D are incorrect because the ureter, urethra, and bladder are not involved in the filtration of blood in the kidney. Instead, they are parts of the urinary system responsible for transporting and storing urine.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C, the nucleus. The nucleus is the control center of the cell and houses the genetic information in the form of DNA. The Golgi apparatus (choice A) is responsible for packaging and processing proteins, the ribosome (choice B) is involved in protein synthesis, and the endoplasmic reticulum (choice D) is involved in protein and lipid synthesis. Therefore, choices A, B, and D are not the correct answers as they do not house the genetic information or serve as the control center of the cell.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: Mitosis is the correct answer because it is the process of cell division that results in the production of two daughter cells with identical genetic material to the parent cell. Meiosis, while also involving cell division, leads to the formation of gametes with half the number of chromosomes as the parent cell. Differentiation is the specialization of cells for specific functions, not the process of cell division. Transformation involves a cell incorporating foreign DNA into its genome, which is unrelated to the division of a cell into two daughter cells.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D, Pseudostratified columnar. Pseudostratified columnar epithelium is not a type of epithelium. It is a specialized form of simple columnar epithelium. Stratified squamous, simple cuboidal, and stratified columnar are all types of epithelial tissues found in the human body. Stratified squamous epithelium is found in the skin, mouth, and esophagus; simple cuboidal epithelium lines kidney tubules and glands; stratified columnar epithelium is present in parts of the respiratory tract and male urethra.