Please use the following information to answer the question(s)below.
In Figure 24.1,data are presented from an eight-year experiment in which 12 populations of Escherichia 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.
Figure 24.1
-If the vertical axis of Figure 24.1 refers to "Darwinian fitness," then which of the following is the most valid and accurate measure of fitness?
A)number of offspring or close kin that survive to reproductive age
B)amount of ATP generated per cell per unit time
C)average swimming speed of cells through the growth medium
D)amount of glucose synthesized per unit time
E)number of generations per unit time

Question

Please use the following information to answer the question(s)below.
In Figure 24.1,data are presented from an eight-year experiment in which 12 populations of Escherichia 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.
  Figure 24.1
-If the vertical axis of Figure 24.1 refers to "Darwinian fitness," then which of the following is the most valid and accurate measure of fitness?
A)number of offspring or close kin that survive to reproductive age 
B)amount of ATP generated per cell per unit time 
C)average swimming speed of cells through the growth medium 
D)amount of glucose synthesized per unit time 
E)number of generations per unit time

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Darwinian fitness refers to the ability of an organism to survive and reproduce in its environment. The number of offspring or close kin that survive to reproductive age is a direct measure of an organism's fitness, as it reflects its success in passing on its genes to the next generation. The other options listed are not necessarily indicative of an organism's ability to survive and reproduce in its environment.

Please Use the Following Information to Answer the Question(s)below