COMMUNICATION IN THE BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Department of Biology

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PLANNING YOUR LONG ESSAY ANSWER ON EXAMS

A Sample Essay Question Requiring a Longer Answer:

Compare and contrast a carnivorous mammal and an herbivorous mammal focusing on how their teeth and digestive tract are specialized for their lifestyle. Use specific examples from class to support your answer. Provide at least one diagram depicting specializations in the anatomies of a carnivore and herbivore.
  

A possible outline for your answer:

• Compare: dog vs. cow

• Same basic digestive glands and organs used

• Skull bones and placement of teeth

• Contrast:
  
  

• Dog: Stomach small, rich food

• Cow: 4 part stomach, symbionts, cellulose

• Dog: big canines, carnassials

• Cow: broad, chewing molars, nipping incisors
  
  

• Draw jawbones

Using the above outline, you can check to see if you have covered all of the required parts of the question before you write your formal answer.

Click here to see how to understand this question.

Click here to see a good answer to this question.
 

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