Deck 1: Invitation to Biology

Question 1

Which of the following is a basic component of all of the others?

A) cells
B) organs
C) tissues
D) organism
E) organ systems

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The DNA molecule is most similar functionally to a

A) pair of scissors.
B) flash light battery.
C) cookbook.
D) ballpoint pen.
E) craft kit of ceramic tiles.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Which of the following organization levels is the least inclusive?

A) population
B) community
C) cell
D) atom
E) molecule

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Which of the following characteristics are shared by all living organisms?
I. organization into cells
II. adaptation to environmental change
III. requirement for nutrients
IV. DNA housed in a nucleus

A) I and II
B) I and III
C) II and III
D) I, II, and III
E) I, II, III, and IV

Question 5

African elephants, lions, and zebras are all different species that can be viewed in zoos in separate enclosures. When they live together in an African savanna, they form a dynamic, interacting community. This dynamic living together of species is an example of a(n) _____ property.

A) emerged
B) expansive
C) elaborate
D) thermodynamic
E) eclectic

Question 6

An ecosystem such as a forest in the Pacific Northwest of the United States is made up of

A) plants, animals and fungi.
B) organisms and nonliving things.
C) rocks and minerals.
D) plants, protozoa, and fungi.
E) all of these.

Question 7

The current rate of extinctions is about ____ times faster than normal.

A) 10
B) 100
C) 1000
D) 100, 000
E) 1, 000, 000

Question 8

Living organisms are members of all of the levels listed below. However, soil is a component of

A) the community.
B) the population.
C) the ecosystem.
D) the biosphere.
E) both the community and the biosphere.

Question 9

On a very hot day in summer, you go outside and take your temperature, it is 37 degrees Celsius. On another day, this time a very cold day in winter, you go outside and take your temperature, again it is 37 degrees Celsius. This example illustrates

A) adaptation.
B) cellular reproduction.
C) respiration.
D) homeostasis.
E) digestion.

Question 10

Which of the following molecules are molecules of life?
I. carbohydrates
II. proteins
III. nucleic acids
IV. carbon

A) I only
B) I and II
C) I and III
D) I, II and III
E) I, II,  III and IV

Question 11

All organisms fit into one of the two following categories.

A) consumers and decomposers
B) producers and decomposers
C) producers and consumers
D) scavengers and detritivores
E) consumers and scavengers

Question 12

Living organisms are distinct from nonliving things by which of the following features?

A) continuous energy inputs
B) complex molecular structure
C) DNA that guides functioning
D) sensing and responding to change
E) all of these except complex molecular structure

Question 13

Which of the following represents an activity within a population?

A) a fox consuming a rabbit
B) the absorption of nitrogen by bacteria and converting it to a form useful to plants
C) a peacock spreading and shaking his feathers to attract a female
D) moss growing on the north side of a large pine tree
E) a virus causing rabies in a dog

Question 14

The species extinctions taking place today are being caused by ____ activities.

A) human
B) volcanic
C) plate tectonic
D) extraterrestrial
E) geothermal

Question 15

A population is composed of individuals of

A) the same species.
B) interacting species of different kinds.
C) interacting species and nonliving things.
D) a single species interacting with nonliving things.
E) all species found in a given area.

Question 16

Why did the scientists assume the plants and animals they encountered in the cloud forest on top of New Guinea's Foja Mountains had never been encountered by other humans before?

A) these species were unknown to even the native peoples
B) the animals were unafraid of humans
C) they found some species that were thought to have been extinct for decades
D) none of these answers are correct
E) all of these answers are correct except d.

Question 17

Which of the following represents the most correct order of the organization of life from the smallest unit to the largest?

A) atoms → molecules → cells → organisms →   populations → communities → ecosystems → biosphere→
B) atoms → molecules → cells → organisms → communities  →   populations → ecosystems → biosphere
C) atoms → molecules → cells → organisms →   populations → ecosystems → communities → biosphere
D) communities → biosphere → organisms → ecosystems → populations → cells → molecules → atoms
E) biosphere → organisms → communities → ecosystems → populations → molecules → cells → atoms

Question 18

All of the following with one exception are part of an African savanna community. Select the exception.

A) a pride of lions
B) Elephant grass
C) African wild dogs
D) low fertility soils
E) Zebras

Question 19

Energy flow is one-way because

A) all of the energy in an ecosystem stays constant
B) the amount of energy a producer harvests is equal to the amount of energy consumers consume
C) with each energy transfer, some energy escapes as heat
D) energy cannot be created but it can be destroyed
E) there is only one form of energy

Question 20

The dynamics of an ecosystem depends on two main processes:

A) the cycling of energy and the unidirectional flow of nutrients.
B) the unidirectional flow of energy and the cycling of nutrients.
C) the multidirectional flow of both energy and nutrients.
D) the unidirectional flow of both energy and nutrients.
E) the cycling of both energy and nutrients.

Question 21

Plants perform photosynthesis by using the energy of ____ to power production of sugars from ____ and ____ molecules.

A) organic molecules; oxygen; water
B) organic molecules; carbon dioxide; water
C) sunlight; carbon dioxide and oxygen; water
D) sunlight; oxygen; water
E) sunlight; carbon dioxide; water

Question 22

Which of the following organisms is a multi-celled producer?

A) an oak tree
B) Candida, a pathogenic fungus
C) E. coli , a common intestinal bacterium
D) a Siberian tiger
E) more than one of these

Question 23

Which of the following is the correct order of taxa from most inclusive to least inclusive?

A) domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species
B) domain, kingdom, phylum, order, class, family, genus, species
C) domain, kingdom, phylum, family, order, class, genus, species
D) domain, phylum, kingdom, class, order, family, genus, species
E) domain, kingdom, order, class, phylum, family, genus, species

Question 24

You look into a powerful microscope and see a single-celled organism that is very small, has a cell wall, and no nucleus. You conclude that this organism belongs to the domain,

A) Eukarya.
B) Eukarya or Archaea.
C) Archaea.
D) Bacteria.
E) Arachea or Bacteria.

Question 25

An experimenter wanted to test the effects of cigarette smoking on rats. She infused the cages of 50 rats with cigarette smoke and the cages of another 50 rats with pure, clean air. The rats that received the clean air were the

A) experimental group.
B) control group.
C) model group.
D) predictive group.
E) independent group.

Question 26

What is the right sequence of events applied in the scientific method?

A) question; hypothesis; observation; data; test; conclusion
B) observation; hypothesis; question; data; test; conclusion
C) observation; hypothesis; question; test; data; conclusion
D) observation; question; hypothesis; test; data; conclusion
E) question; hypothesis; data; observation; test; conclusion

Question 27

Taxonomists today tend to group organisms into the same category based on

A) similar morphology
B) similar behavior
C) similar geographic distributions
D) similar DNA sequences
E) similar eating habits

Question 28

The biological species concept developed by Ernst Mayr contains which of the following?

A) individuals that can potentially interbreed
B) individuals that produce fertile offspring
C) individuals that do not interbreed with other groups
D) all of these except e.
E) none of these

Question 29

In order to verify a hypothesis, scientists

A) perform experiments and/or make observations.
B) consider facts.
C) establish law.
D) develop theories.
E) make predictions.

Question 30

Who developed the two-part naming system scientists use today to classify newly found organisms?

A) Charles Darwin
B) Carolus Linnaeus
C) Aristotle
D) Alexander von Humboldt
E) Ernst Mayer

Question 31

Homeostasis is

A) the ability to sense and response to change
B) maintaining an internal environment within parameters that favor survival
C) essential for all living things
D) not found in nonliving things
E) all of these

Question 32

In the Olestra experiment, the people who ate the Olestra potato chips were the

A) experimental group.
B) control group.
C) research group.
D) hypothetical group.
E) independent group.

Question 33

Which level of taxonomy encompasses all of the others?

A) family
B) class
C) order
D) species
E) genus

Question 34

Members of which of the following groups can be single-celled producers?

A) plantae
B) protista
C) bacteria
D) bacteria and protista
E) bacteria and plantae

Question 35

Which of the following is not a characteristic of fungi?

A) all are eukaryotic
B) all break down food internally
C) most are multi-celled
D) some form mushroom fruiting bodies
E) some are single celled

Question 36

All known species can be grouped into three domains. What are they?

A) prokaryotes, bacteria, and eukarya.
B) prokaryotes, archaea, and eukarya.
C) plantae, bacteria, and archaea.
D) bacteria, archaea, and eukarya.
E) bacteria, archaea, and protista.

Question 37

In which of the following groups does seaweed belong?

A) protista
B) plants
C) fungi
D) archaea
E) bacteria

Question 38

In the scientific name, Pan paniscus , Pan represents the name of the ____ while paniscus represents the name of the ____.

A) family; species.
B) family; genus.
C) genus; species.
D) species; genus.
E) genus; family.

Question 39

Which of the following words describes a tentative explanation to a given question?

A) law
B) theory
C) hypothesis
D) fact
E) principle

Question 40

Which of the following statements is true concerning DNA?

A) DNA carries hereditary information.
B) DNA is responsible for the similarity of all living things.
C) DNA is responsible for the differences between all living things.
D) DNA guides development.
E) All of these statements are true.

Question 41

Error bars on a graph indicate

A) places where the data is likely wrong.
B) places where the researcher is unsure of her results.
C) variation in results that cannot be accounted for.
D) variation in a set of data around the average.
E) poor experimental technique on the part of the researcher.

Question 42

Evolution has been tested in various ways. Genetic, fossil, anatomical, physiological and behavioral studies all confirm that evolution is the mechanism of the origin of species. Thus, in science evolution is considered a scientific

A) fact
B) hypothesis
C) law
D) theory
E) guess

Question 43

Scientists perform ____ in order to ____ a given ____.

A) experiments; test; hypothesis.
B) tests; experiment; law.
C) tests; experiment; variable.
D) facts; test; variable.
E) hypotheses; try; experiment.

Question 44

In the Olestra potato chip experiment, the result was

A) Olestra potato chips cause cramping.
B) potato chips without Olestra cause cramping.
C) there was no evidence that Olestra caused cramping.
D) watching movies cause cramping.
E) people should not eat potato chips.

Question 45

Sampling error can be minimized by one or more of the following.

A) using a large sample.
B) conducting the experiment or observation only once.
C) throwing out data that does not fit the conclusion.
D) using a small subset of a larger population.
E) more than one of these can minimize sampling error.

Question 46

A control group

A) receives the same treatment as the experimental group.
B) is an untreated group of individuals or subjects.
C) is sometimes exposed to harsh conditions.
D) is often an unnecessary waste of material.
E) is not subjected to experimental error.

Question 47

A scientific theory

A) is widely accepted and supported by several evidences.
B) is widely accepted but not necessarily supported by several evidences.
C) is sometimes accepted and supported by several evidences.
D) is sometimes accepted and not necessarily supported by several evidences.
E) is always a "truth."

Question 48

The control in an experiment

A) makes the experiment valid.
B) is an additional replicate for statistical purposes.
C) reduces the experimental errors.
D) minimizes experimental inaccuracy.
E) allows a mixed group of comparisons among different organisms for the experimental group.

Question 49

A result is statistically significant if

A) it is unlikely to have occurred by chance.
B) it is likely to have occurred by chance.
C) it is likely to have occurred in 50% of the cases.
D) it is consistent with predictions.
E) it is widely accepted.

Question 50

In science, all results

A) are accepted as fact.
B) are only hypotheses.
C) have a probability of being incorrect.
D) must be consistent with previous knowledge.
E) are uncritically accepted by other scientists.

Question 51

In science, if a result is deemed statistically significant, that means

A) it is a very important result.
B) it has a high probability of being incorrect.
C) it has a low probability of being skewed by sampling error.
D) there is very little variation in the data.
E) there is no doubt of the result being true.

Question 52

Selecting the Exception All of the following do NOT depend directly on sunlight or other inorganic sources for energy with one exception. Select the exception

A) producers only
B) consumers and decomposers
C) consumers only
D) decomposers only
E) producers and consumers

Question 53

In science, a theory is defined as

A) a speculative guess.
B) a hypothesis.
C) an explanation that is well documented and consistent with the evidence.
D) a description of a phenomenon for which there is no explanation.
E) a personal conviction.

Question 54

The variable(s) in the butterfly experiment is(are) the

A) butterfly wings pattern color.
B) butterfly species.
C) butterfly wings pattern color and sounds emitted.
D) rainforest region used.
E) percentage of survivors.

Question 55

The final step in the scientific method for a scientist is

A) devising an experiment
B) collecting data
C) making observations
D) report his or her results
E) researching the literature for similar investigations

Question 56

Scientists attempt to avoid bias by which of the following?

A) designing quantative experiments
B) experiments repeated by other scientists
C) publicly publishing their results
D) controlled as many variables as possible
E) all of these are attempts to avoid bias.

Question 57

How did the control group differ from the experimental group in the butterfly experiment?

A) They were different species.
B) Their native habitat of the forest differed.
C) They were spotless and soundless.
D) They tasted worse.
E) They preferred different flowers species.

Question 58

Selecting the Exception All of the following are characteristics of ALL living organisms with one exception. Select the exception.

A) complex structural organization
B) homeostasis
C) cells as their basic units
D) the ability to derive energy from inorganic sources
E) capacity to evolve

Question 59

In the peacock butterfly experiment, what was the conclusion?

A) predatory birds are not deterred from eating peacock butterflies with spots
B) predatory birds are deterred by peacock butterfly clicking sounds
C) peacock butterflies with spots mated more often than those without spots
D) predatory birds are deterred by the dark color of the peacock butterfly
E) peacock butterflies that made clicking sounds attracted more predatory birds

Question 60

In the experiment with peacock butterflies the working hypothesis is that

A) mimicry confuses both predator and prey.
B) mimicry protects butterflies from being eaten by predatory birds.
C) birds are capable of learning.
D) birds are agents of evolution.
E) unpalatable species display distinctive wings.

Question 61

Science involves all of the following with one exception. Select the exception.

A) the systematic study of the observable world.
B) using objective evidence to study objects and events.
C) collecting data.
D) devising observations and experiments to test predictions.
E) using the personal biases of the experimenter to draw conclusions..

Question 63

Selecting the Exception All of the following are correct statements about sampling error, except one. Select the exception.

A) Repeating an experiment many times has the same effect on sampling error as working on a large sample.
B) A large sample would help minimize sampling error.
C) Sampling error is increased when a sample size is small.
D) A sampling error results from a mistake made by a researcher during experimentation.
E) Sampling error is the difference between results derived from testing an entire group of individuals, and results derived from testing of a subset of the group.

Question 64

Selecting the Exception All of the following are organisms within the domain eukarya with one exception. Select the exception.

A) bacteria.
B) animals.
C) protists.
D) fungi.
E) plants.

Question 65

One of the following is not a part of its paired term. Choose the exception.

A) atom; organism
B) community; ecosystem
C) population; cell
D) molecule; biosphere
E) species; community

Question 67

All of the following statements concerning Archaea are correct with one exception. Select the exception.

A) all are single-celled
B) all have DNA
C) none have a nucleus
D) they are most closely related to bacteria
E) some are producers

Question 69

All the statements below are correct with one exception. Select the exception.

A) Most animals are mobile at some stage in their lives.
B) Protists are the simplest of the eukaryotes.
C) All known plants rely on other organisms for energy.
D) All bacteria are single-celled.
E) All fungi break down their food externally.

Question 70

With one exception, members of the same species always share the following things. Select the exception.

A) morphology
B) biochemistry
C) behavioral traits
D) geography
E) the same genus

Question 71

Critical thinking implies all of the following with one exception. Select the exception.

A) being aware of your own biases and that of others.
B) deciding whether ideas are based on opinion or evidence.
C) judging information before accepting it.
D) considering other ways to interpret the facts.
E) accepting whatever information is provided so long as it does not contradict your beliefs.

Question 72

Selecting the Exception All of the following are used in the development of science except one. Select the exception.

A) evaluation of data
B) personal conviction
C) prediction
D) systematic observation
E) experiments

Question 73

Selecting the Exception All of the following are used to construct a theory with one exception. Select the exception.

A) repetitions of experiments.
B) increased observations.
C) time.
D) faith.
E) confirmation by many scientists.

Question 74

Selecting the Exception All of the following statements about bacteria are correct with one exception. Select the exception.

A) Bacteria are always single-celled organisms.
B) Bacteria have DNA that is not enclosed in a nucleus.
C) All bacteria are eukaryotes.
D) Some bacteria can live in extreme environments.
E) Some bacteria are producers while others are consumers.

Question 75

Selecting the Exception All of the following statements are true about eukaryotes with one exception. Select the exception.

A) eukaryotes have a nucleus.
B) eukaryotes are similar to prokaryotes at a molecular level.
C) eukaryotes are sometimes unicellular organisms.
D) eukaryotes are similar to prokaryotes at a structural level.
E) eukaryotes include plants, fungi, and protists.