Deck 1: A View of Life

Question 1

What are units of hereditary information?

A) RNA
B) genes
C) proteins
D) hormones
E) nucleotides

Answer 1

A

Question 2

What is an example of a sessile organism?

A) dog
B) coral
C) snake
D) bird
E) earthworm

Answer 2

B

Question 3

What large molecules are essential in determining the structure and function of cells and tissues?

A) RNA
B) genes
C) proteins
D) hormones
E) nucleotides

Answer 3

C

Question 4

An organism that is eukaryotic is by definition:

A) is a protist
B) is unicellular
C) possesses a nucleus
D) possesses organ systems
E) belongs to domain Bacteria

Question 5

All of the members of the same species occupying the same area at the same time constitute a(n):

A) individual
B) population
C) community
D) ecosystem
E) biosphere

Question 6

What represents the most basic level of chemical organization?

A) cell
B) atom
C) tissue
D) molecule
E) organism

Question 7

What type of molecule carries the hereditary information of an organism?

A) DNA
B) RNA
C) protein
D) nucleus
E) hormone

Question 8

Which statement best describes the cell theory?

A) All living organisms grow and develop.
B) All living organisms respond to stimuli.
C) All living organisms are composed of basic units called cells.
D) All living organisms can move from one place to another in order to find food or to escape predators.
E) All living organisms can form a population of organisms that is able to adapt to the environment.

Question 9

Information in living organisms is transmitted by which mechanism(s)?

A) genes only
B) hormones only
C) genes and hormones
D) neurotransmitters only
E) genes, hormones, and neurotransmitters

Question 10

When tissues organize, what do they form?

A) a cell
B) a nucleus
C) an atom
D) an organ
E) an enzyme

Question 11

What statement best describes "biology"?

A) The science of life
B) The naming of organisms
C) The study of natural selection
D) The measurement of populations
E) The study of how organisms are related to one another

Question 12

Which stimuli most directly causes the Venus flytrap to catch an insect?

A) gravity
B) light
C) touch
D) scent
E) sound

Question 13

What is the purpose of the cilia and flagella of cells?

A) They generate the cell's metabolism.
B) They provide movement for the cell.
C) They help maintain homeostasis.
D) They generate cell signaling.
E) They contract muscles.

Question 14

How does a prokaryotic cell differ from a eukaryotic cell?

A) A prokaryotic cell has no membrane-enclosed organelles.
B) A prokaryotic cell has a plasma membrane.
C) A prokaryotic cell contains organelles.
D) A prokaryotic cell has a nucleus.
E) A prokaryotic cell has DNA.

Question 15

Which is a benefit of sexual reproduction over asexual reproduction?

A) More offspring can be produced.
B) The offspring are all identical to the parents.
C) There is less variation from generation to generation.
D) Evolution will occur at a slower rate when there are two parents.
E) The interaction of the genes from both parents brings about genetic variation.

Question 16

In living organisms, chemical reactions responsible for growth, repair, and nutrition are collectively referred to as:

A) development
B) metabolism
C) adaptation
D) genetics
E) homeostasis

Question 17

The primary purpose of homeostasis is to:

A) accept responses to stimuli
B) provide unlimited growth within an organism
C) allow unrestricted movement of an organism
D) convert an organism to live in a harmful environment
E) maintain a constant internal environment

Question 18

What is a distinct characteristic of asexual reproduction?

A) fusion of egg and sperm
B) a cell splitting into identical halves
C) genes contributed by two parents
D) high degree of genetic variation
E) formation of a fertilized egg

Question 19

Suppose a particular protein is produced in excess of the cell's needs. What kind of mechanism will intervene to stop production?

A) growth
B) anabolic
C) metabolic
D) respiratory
E) homeostatic

Question 20

Identify three of the five basic themes in biology:
I) The cellular composition of life
II) The evolution of life
III) The interactions of living systems
IV) The mechanisms of disease
V) The transmission of information

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

Question 21

Which process is most directly associated with the theory of evolution?

A) Populations changing over time
B) Mutations changing the gene pool
C) Production of large numbers of offspring
D) Sexual reproduction producing variation in a population
E) Competition between members of a population for limited resources

Question 22

Using the Linnaean system of nomenclature, corn is named Zea mays . What is the specific epithet in this name?

A) Zea mays
B) Zea
C) mays
D) Quercus
E) corn

Question 23

A hypothesis can best be described as a(n):

A) data point
B) conclusion
C) observation
D) tentative explanation
E) stepwise problem-solving approach

Question 24

What would be the ultimate effect on an ecosystem if decomposers were eliminated?

A) The rate of photosynthesis would increase.
B) The consumers would have to eat twice as much.
C) Energy flow between producers and consumers would increase.
D) All life would eventually cease as nutrients would no longer be available.
E) Producers would outgrow consumers due to the excess of carbon dioxide.

Question 25

In the deductive approach to scientific thought processes, we begin with ____ and make ____ based on that information.

A) premises; observations
B) observations; premises
C) observations; conclusions
D) observations; inductions
E) premises; conclusions

Question 26

Which statement best describes autotrophic organisms?

A) Autotrophs are exemplified by fungi.
B) Autotrophs are exemplified by animals.
C) Autotrophs cannot carry out cellular respiration.
D) Autotrophs depend on heterotrophs for food.
E) Autotrophs synthesize complex molecules from CO₂, water, and energy.

Question 27

Which sequence represents the pattern of energy flow within an ecosystem?

A) producers → consumers → decomposers
B) decomposers → producers → consumers
C) consumers → producers → decomposers
D) decomposers → consumers → producers
E) producers → decomposers → consumers

Question 28

Which is a characteristic of a good hypothesis?

A) It is falsifiable.
B) It is a statement of fact.
C) It can only be tested once.
D) It can be proven to be true.
E) It represents important conclusions.

Question 29

One of the conclusions drawn from Darwin's theory of evolution is that:

A) existing organisms can adapt to environmental changes
B) living organisms are composed of basic units called cells
C) living organisms contain substances produced by cells
D) genetic information can pass from organism to organism by means of DNA
E) organisms living today descended with modifications from previously existing forms

Question 30

What is the ultimate source of genetic variation within a population?

A) Mutations in DNA
B) Adaptation of a species to environmental changes
C) A sensory system that can detect an environmental change
D) Homeostatic mechanisms that compensate for environmental changes
E) A system of locomotion that allows an organism to escape environmental changes

Question 31

Similar families of organisms are next grouped together in the same:

A) class
B) order
C) genus
D) phylum
E) kingdom

Question 32

Which statement represents a good hypothesis?

A) Shoofly pie tastes good.
B) There is life after death.
C) Hemophilia is also known as "bleeder's disease."
D) The swimming speed of Artemia increases at higher temperatures.
E) Sparrows, robins, hawks, and pigeons are all birds and have wings; therefore, all birds have wings.

Question 33

During an experiment, what is the purpose of a control group?

A) To verify data
B) To disprove the theory
C) To prove the hypothesis
D) To produce replicated results of other groups
E) To compare results to the experimental group with the variable being tested

Question 34

What is an end product of cellular respiration?

A) sugar
B) light
C) oxygen
D) glucose
E) carbon dioxide

Question 35

An organism that is neither prokaryotic nor photosynthetic, and must obtain its nutrients by secreting digestive enzymes into the environment, belongs to which group of organisms?

A) Bacteria
B) protists
C) Fungi
D) Plantae
E) Animalia

Question 36

Which organizational unit includes the fewest species of organisms?

A) class
B) biosphere
C) community
D) population
E) ecosystem

Question 37

Suppose we want to examine the effect of a fertilizer on the size of zucchini produced, and therefore, we need to establish the experimental and control groups. The control group for this experiment would be defined under which conditions?

A) soil, fertilizer, water, sun, but no zucchini seeds
B) soil, fertilizer, water, sun, and zucchini seeds
C) soil, water, sun, and no zucchini seeds
D) soil, water, sun, and zucchini seeds
E) soil, water, and sun

Question 38

In the experimental evaluation of a new drug, what is the purpose of a placebo?

A) A placebo increases the sample size.
B) A placebo prevents errors in recording of the data.
C) A placebo removes the bias of the physician in charge of the experiment.
D) A placebo removes the potential psychological bias of the patient in the study.
E) A placebo prevents sampling errors from compromising the results of the experiment.

Question 39

You discover an organism that is eukaryotic, unicellular, and photosynthetic. Based on this evidence, to which group would you assign this organism?

A) domain Bacteria
B) protist group
C) kingdom Fungi
D) kingdom Plantae
E) domain Archaea

Question 40

What is the most likely cause of a sampling error?

A) a malfunctioning calculator
B) a poorly designed hypothesis
C) very few individuals in the control group
D) having both an experimental and a control group
E) the researcher's knowledge of which individuals were in the experimental group

Question 41

Which statement concerning a scientific theory is FALSE?

A) It is unchangeable.
B) It predicts new facts.
C) It is based on a number of hypotheses.
D) It may suggest practical applications.
E) It is supported by many observations.

Question 42

Similar orders are placed in the same class .
__________________

Question 43

Using the characteristics that define life, compare and contrast a plant, a bacterium, and a salt crystal.

Question 44

A falsifiable hypothesis cannot be tested.
__________________

Question 45

An organism that reproduces asexually produces genetically variable offspring.
__________________

Question 46

Explain the importance of information transfer in living systems. Include three specific examples.

Question 47

A DNA molecule is made up of:

A) lipids
B) proteins
C) nucleotides
D) fatty acids
E) carbohydrates

Question 48

Changing your view of reality involves a paradigm shift .
__________________

Question 49

Consider the statement "biological systems interact." What does this mean?

A) Systems combine to reproduce.
B) Biological organisms are interdependent.
C) Structure and function are not interrelated.
D) Biological organisms are not interdependent.
E) Every organism is in conflict with other organisms.

Question 50

To which Phylum do humans belong?

A) Animalia
B) Chordata
C) Vertebrata
D) Mammalia
E) Homo sapiens

Question 51

Which scenario best describes a double-blind study?

A) The investigator and the subjects wear blindfolds.
B) No one knows what is in the experimental or control group
C) The subjects do not know if they are in the experimental or control group.
D) Neither the investigator or the subjects know if they are in the experimental or control group.
E) The investigator does not know if subjects are in the experimental or control group.

Question 52

The scientific name for coffee is Coffea arabica . More specifically, the species name is arabica .
__________________

Question 53

Which best describes a result of sexual reproduction?

A) The only source of variation is mutation.
B) Clones of the original cell are produced.
C) One cell divides to produce two identical cells.
D) Two sex cells combine to form a fertilized cell.
E) The offspring obtain genes only from one parent.

Question 54

Which is a required structure of a photosynthetic organism?

A) neurons
B) cellulose
C) skeleton
D) chloroplasts
E) immune system

Question 55

If you observe a cell that contains organelles, then that cell is most likely a(n) prokaryote .
__________________

Question 56

Identify two adaptations in different living organisms and use natural selection to explain how each may have logically evolved.

Question 57

The term development refers to all the changes that occur during the life cycle of an organism. __________________

Question 58

The two domains of prokaryotes are Bacteria and Fungi .
__________________

Question 59

Which is a byproduct of photosynthesis?

A) water
B) light
C) glucose
D) oxygen
E) carbon dioxide

Question 60

With deductive reasoning, you draw conclusions from specific observations.
__________________

Question 61

Systems biology is also called integrative biology .
__________________

Question 64

You place equal numbers of dark and light varieties of feeder crickets into a terrarium containing a species of lizard. After two days, you notice that the dark variety of the crickets was less common than the light variety. What process is taking place on a small scale within the terrarium? Design an experiment in which you would try to determine if color or taste is the primary factor responsible for the selective feeding of the lizards.

Question 65

Design a complete ecosystem that would sustain a number of living organisms for several years in a sealed container. The only thing that can be added is sunlight. Explain why you have selected each organism.

Question 66

On a scientific expedition into new territory, you discover a previously undescribed organism living within the very hot environment of a geyser. This organism has a cell wall, is single celled, heterotrophic, and has no true nucleus. In what kingdom would you most likely place this organism and why?