Deck 1: What Is Biology

Question 1

If one group is given some medicine that may cure a disease and the other group is given a sugar pill, the group who got the medicine is the

A) Hypothetical group.
B) Scientific group.
C) Control group.
D) Experimental group.

Answer 1

Experimental group.

Question 2

Which is not a characteristic of all life?

A) responsiveness
B) evolution
C) reproduction
D) random cell structure

Answer 2

random cell structure

Question 3

In an experiment that has a control and experimental group, the dependent variable is

A) observed in the experimental group.
B) not observed in the control group.
C) the result of the independent variable.
D) All of these statements are true.

Answer 3

All of these statements are true.

Question 4

A good hypothesis must

A) be a logical explanation of events.
B) be testable.
C) account for all current information related to the events being studied.
D) All of these statements are true.

Question 5

A characteristic of life is

A) chemical bonds.
B) the use of oxygen.
C) the production of CO₂.
D) cellular organization.

Question 6

Which of the following is an example of adaptation, one of the characteristics of life?

A) The evolutionary changes that occur to a species
B) Sexual reproduction
C) Organismal organization
D) Metabolism

Question 7

A control group differs from an experimental group

A) in the number of test organisms used.
B) by the independent variable.
C) in several ways.
D) in no way.

Question 8

A reason an automobile engine is not considered to be living is that it is not able to

A) utilize energy.
B) change its activities.
C) make copies of itself.
D) utilize chemical reactions.

Question 9

All of the chemical reactions that take place within your body are known as

A) organismal structure.
B) metabolism.
C) irritability.
D) adaptation.

Question 10

A controlled experiment is one in which

A) variables are allowed only in the control group.
B) only one independent variable is allowed in the experimental group.
C) all the variables are controlled.
D) dependent variables are introduced in the control group.

Question 11

Removal of herbal medicines from USDA regulation by the DSHEA in 1994 led to

A) marketers proving that the medications work.
B) marketers providing misinformation about the effectiveness of the herbal medicines.
C) decreased use of herbal medicines.
D) none of these.

Question 12

One of the characteristics of life is

A) the ability to diffuse materials.
B) being able to adapt to new environmental conditions.
C) being made up of inorganic material.
D) All of these statements are true.

Question 13

Science is

A) an organized study of information.
B) impossible to define.
C) a process for collecting and organizing knowledge.
D) the study of life.

Question 14

If you want to set up a controlled experiment to determine the effects of caffeine on sleeping behavior in mice, you take a group of mice and divide it into two groups. Both are fed the same food, both are watered, both have 12 hours daylight, and 12 hours dark. Group one is given caffeine. What is appropriate to give to group two?

A) 2 *amount of caffeine
B) 1/2 * amount of caffeine
C) No caffeine
D) Caffeine in different form

Question 15

Science is

A) able to supply solutions to most human problems.
B) always correct.
C) distinguished from nonscientific areas of study by the way information is gathered.
D) a body of information gathered about nature in the last 2,000 years.

Question 16

The scientific method involves each of the following EXCEPT

A) systematic search for information.
B) observation and experimentation.
C) forming and testing possible solutions.
D) formulation of laws and principles that control the observed facts.

Question 17

When a scientist sees patterns among a number of isolated facts,

A) laws or principles can be developed.
B) the patterns are assumed to have meaning.
C) elaborate tests must be developed to see if a cause-and-effect relationship exists.
D) as a rule, the pattern must be published.

Question 18

Information from experiments is considered valid if

A) the same results are obtained each time the experiment is performed.
B) the results were predicted by the hypothesis.
C) the same results are obtained by several scientists.
D) All of these statements are true.

Question 19

In science, reliable results are obtained when

A) experiments give the same results repeatedly.
B) a careful scientist sees a clear pattern.
C) additional testing is required.
D) most experiments give the same results.

Question 20

Which of the following is not a science?

A) economics
B) astronomy
C) engineering
D) biology

Question 21

Art, theology, and philosophy are nonsciences because they

A) are not worthwhile fields of study.
B) are basically untrue.
C) deal with things that cannot be tested by the scientific method.
D) are bodies of knowledge too small to qualify as science.

Question 22

When using the scientific method, scientists make several fundamental assumptions. Which of these does not make sense, based on your knowledge of the scientific method?

A) There are specific causes for events observed in the natural world.
B) The causes for events can be identified.
C) There are general rules or patterns that can be used to describe what happens in nature.
D) An event that occurs repeatedly probably has different causes.

Question 23

Empirical evidence is

A) gained from observation of an event.
B) derived from literature.
C) developed from conclusions.
D) formulated from empirical rules.

Question 24

Of the following, the area that is least likely to be a science is

A) agriculture.
B) music.
C) medicine.
D) aircraft design.

Question 25

Astronomy and astrology are different in that

A) astrology does not use facts.
B) astronomy does not make predictions.
C) astrology does not test its rules.
D) astronomy does not form rules.

Question 26

Pseudoscience and nonscience differ in that

A) nonscience is not valuable and pseudoscience is valuable.
B) pseudoscience deceives, misleads, or misinforms and this is not a primary characteristic of nonscience.
C) nonscience forms hypotheses and pseudoscience does not.
D) pseudoscience has led to major changes in intellectual thought and nonscience has not.

Question 27

Biological study brought about

A) the development of rockets.
B) the atom bomb.
C) vaccinations for diseases.
D) Tay-Sachs disease.

Question 28

Which of the following statements is MOST correct?

A) Science is always right.
B) Nonscientific study has little value.
C) Science has all the answers.
D) Science seeks to explain natural occurrences.

Question 29

Which of the following would be LEAST likely to use the results of scientific research in his or her daily profession?

A) farmer
B) doctor
C) baseball player
D) violin maker

Question 30

Metabolism refers to

A) chemical reactions such as photosynthesis.
B) the process of reproduction.
C) the formation of heterotrophs.
D) a collection of hypotheses.

Question 31

Controls are necessary in scientific experiments because they

A) serve as a basis for comparison with the experimental results.
B) enable the investigator to control the results.
C) always confirm your observation.
D) allow the investigator to develop experience in science.

Question 32

Which one of the following is a description of a controlled experiment?

A) Group I, 50 mice provided with food (mouse pellets) and a water bottle Group II, 25 mice provide with food (corn) and provided with water in a tray.
B) Group I, 25 mice provided with food (mouse pellets) and a water bottle Group II, 50 mice but only half the mice are provide with food (mouse pellets) and a water bottle.
C) Group A, 50 mice provided with food (mouse pellets) and a water bottle Group B, 50 mice provided with food (corn) and provided with water in a tray.
D) Group A, 50 mice provided with food (mouse pellets) and a water bottle Group B, 50 mice provided with food (corn) and water in a water bottle.

Question 33

Which one of the following steps of the scientific method should come only after a hypothesis has been formed?

A) question formulation
B) resource exploration
C) experimentation
D) observation

Question 34

Information gained by observation is

A) always accurate.
B) empirical evidence.
C) called a variable.
D) the control.

Question 35

Which of the following has the LEAST general acceptance?

A) Theory.
B) Law.
C) Hypothesis.
D) Theory, law, and hypothesis have equal acceptance.

Question 36

Science

A) answers questions concerning values and morals.
B) creates theories and laws that are always true.
C) is a process used to arrive at a solution to a problem.
D) has all of the answers to the problems that plague mankind.

Question 37

A hypothesis is best described as

A) a general principle.
B) a logical explanation that can be tested.
C) a theory.
D) a generally accepted concept.

Question 38

An experimental group

A) is the same as the control group.
B) differs from the control group by one variable.
C) differs from the control group by several variables.
D) is not necessary if an experiment contains a control group.

Question 39

When a concept has been tested repeatedly and appears to be a uniform or constant fact of nature, it is called

A) empirical evidence.
B) a hypothesis.
C) a deduction.
D) a law.

Question 40

Growth is an example of a ____ process.

A) metabolic
B) generative
C) responsive
D) control

Question 41

____ is a responsive process.

A) Waste elimination
B) Adaptation
C) Reproduction
D) Coordination

Question 42

In an experiment, the group used as a basis of comparison is the

A) control group.
B) experimental group.
C) empirical group.
D) variable group.

Question 43

Nutrient processing is a ____ process.

A) metabolic
B) generative
C) responsive
D) control

Question 44

A person eats an apple and is sick within two hours. This person suspects that there was some kind of contaminant on the skin of the apple. This person has

A) performed an experiment.
B) made a correlation.
C) established a theory.
D) tested a hypothesis.

Question 45

Pseudoscience

A) uses science to solve practical problems.
B) is the purest form of science.
C) has no factual basis.
D) may interpret scientific facts to deceive.

Question 46

Which one of the following statements is contrary to basic scientific thought?

A) There are specific causes for events observed in the natural world, and the causes can be identified.
B) There are general rules or patterns that can be used to describe what happens in nature.
C) What one person perceives will often be difficult for others to perceive.
D) The same fundamental rules of nature apply regardless of where and when they occur.

Question 47

___________ are the fundamental structural units of all living things.

A) Molecules
B) Atoms
C) Cells
D) Protons

Question 48

Which sequence correctly lists levels of organization from simple to more complex?

A) Biosphere, ecosystem, community, population
B) Atoms, cell, molecules, tissue, organism
C) Organ system, organ, organisms, cell
D) Cell, tissue, organ, organ system

Question 49

A person hears a sound coming from a hole in the ground. Sometime later a groundhog is seen emerging from the hole in the ground. The person suspects that the sounds were made by the groundhog since they have witnessed this behavior before. The underlined portion of this story is best described as a(n)

A) experiment.
B) hypothesis.
C) observation.
D) test of a hypothesis.

Question 50

Which one of the following BEST distinguishes scientific areas of study from those that are not science?

A) Nonscientific areas of study have few facts.
B) Scientific areas of study publish their findings and ideas.
C) Scientific areas of study rarely make mistakes.
D) Scientific areas of study always test their assumptions and ideas.

Question 51

A person hears a sound coming from a hole in the ground. Sometime later a groundhog is seen emerging from the hole in the ground. The person suspects that the sounds were made by the groundhog. The underlined portion of this story is best described as a(n)

A) experiment.
B) hypothesis.
C) observation.
D) test of a hypothesis.

Question 52

Which term BEST describes populations of trees, insects, mammals, fungi, bacteria, and many other organisms that interact in any location?

A) biosphere
B) ecosystem
C) bioregion
D) community

Question 53

Edward Jenner noticed that the milkmaids who milked cows by hand often were infected with cowpox and that their infections were mild. He also noticed that these same milkmaids did not contract smallpox, which was a much more serious disease. He presumed that the cowpox infections prevented the milkmaids from contracting the much more serious disease of smallpox. Subsequently he began vaccinating people with the pus-like material from cowpox lesions to determine if his thinking was correct. In the story above, the underlined portion is a(n)

A) hypothesis.
B) observation.
C) theory.
D) experiment.

Question 54

A theory and a hypothesis are different in that

A) you must have a theory before you can form a hypothesis.
B) a theory is developed as a result of broad agreement among scientists and a hypothesis is a much less substantiated idea.
C) a theory is much easier to disprove than a hypothesis.
D) a theory can never be disproved while a hypothesis can.

Question 55

Francesco Redi performed the following experiment. He had two different sets of containers with meat in them. One set of containers was covered with a material that let air pass through and the other set was left uncovered. The uncovered containers developed maggots and the covered ones did not. Which one of the following hypotheses could not be tested by this experiment?

A) Maggots come from within the meat.
B) Maggots are introduced to the meat from some outside source.
C) Only living things can give rise to other living things.
D) Air is necessary for living things to be produced.

Question 56

Changes in the human species since the time of the first humans is an example of

A) evolution.
B) hydrolysis.
C) life.
D) metabolism.

Question 57

Which is not characteristic of all life?

A) responsiveness
B) evolution
C) reproduction
D) random cell structure

Question 58

Although scientific fraud does occur, it is usually discovered because

A) scientists try to repeat the experiments of others.
B) scientists publish their results.
C) scientists are skeptical unless they have very strong evidence.
D) All of these statements are true.

Question 59

"I've gotten the same result over and over again!" This statement best demonstrates

A) reliability.
B) validity.
C) the placebo effect.
D) All of these statements are true.

Question 60

Which of the following terms BEST describes the scientific method?

A) process
B) event
C) communication
D) sequential

Question 61

Data that are meaningful and fit into the framework of scientific knowledge are

A) reliable.
B) valid.
C) fact.
D) a scientific law.

Question 62

A good experimental design should

A) be designed to prove a hypothesis is correct.
B) be able to be repeated.
C) not have an independent variable.
D) All of these statements are true.

Question 63

"All adult women in the experiment responded favorably to the medication. However, young girls did not." In this situation

A) age was the dependent variable.
B) the way adult women responded was the dependent variable.
C) age was the independent variable.
D) girls were the dependent variable.

Question 64

Which of the following statements provides the best statement of a hypothesis?

A) I suspect that most people have the ability to identify cabbage by its smell.
B) I know there is life on Mars.
C) I think that there will be inventions that will allow greater amounts of food to be produced.
D) I can sing better than you.

Question 65

Increased heart rate associated with running is an example of a ____________ process.

A) metabolic
B) generative
C) responsive
D) control

Question 66

The process of maintaining a constant internal environment is called

A) homeostasis.
B) metabolism.
C) induction.
D) deduction.

Question 67

Populations of different kinds of organisms that interact with one another in a particular place are known as

A) ecosystems.
B) communities.
C) a biosphere.
D) a commune.

Question 68

Evolution is the

A) slow change in the genetic makeup of a population of organisms over many generations.
B) fast change in the genetic makeup of a population of organisms over many generations.
C) slow change in the genetic makeup of an individual over a lifetime.
D) fast change in the genetic makeup of an individual over a lifetime.

Question 69

Which properties recognized as a cell only become evident when the component parts are correctly assembled?

A) Miracles
B) Emergent properties
C) Wondrous
D) Notorious properties

Question 70

Which is a basic assumption made by scientists?

A) There are specific causes for naturally occurring events observed in the natural world.
B) The causes for events in nature cannot be identified.
C) There is one general rule or principle that can be used to describe all of nature.
D) An event that occurs only once can be studied using the scientific method.

Question 71

Which is not a component of the scientific method?

A) Careful observation.
B) The construction and testing of hypotheses.
C) Openness to new information and ideas.
D) Submitting the result of your work for review by others only when you have won the Nobel Prize.

Question 72

The purpose of the scientific method is to

A) help scientists avoid making faulty assumptions and false claims.
B) win a Nobel Prize.
C) control nature.
D) prove the existence of God.

Question 73

Which term would be the best synonym for the word nutrient?

A) Minerals
B) To love
C) Food
D) Genetic trait

Question 74

Which of the following takes generations to occur?

A) An irritability response
B) Metabolism
C) Evolution
D) Adaptation