Deck 1: Biology, the Study of Life

Question 1

The unity and diversity of living organisms on our planet can best be explained by which of the following processes?

A)taxonomy
B)metabolism
C)evolution
D)homeostasis
E)reproduction

Answer 1

C
Explanation: According to the theory of evolution,organisms have shared characteristics because of their common descent.Over long periods of time (many generations),diverse life-forms have arisen.

Question 2

Which of the following levels of biological organization usually includes the least amount of biological material?

A)ecosystem
B)organism
C)community
D)organ
E)population

Answer 2

D
Explanation: Every answer choice except "organ" ranges from the organismal level to those more inclusive: population,community,and ecosystem."Organ" is the least inclusive choice,as it represents just part of a single organ system within an individual organism.

Question 3

What is the name of the kingdom of eukaryotic,multicellular organisms that ingest their food?

A)Fungi
B)Plants
C)Protists
D)Animals
E)Archaea

Answer 3

D
Explanation: Archaea is a domain of prokaryotes.The kingdoms of plants,protists,fungi,and animals are all eukaryotic.However,only the plants and animals are consistently multicellular.Plants produce their own food by photosynthesis,but animals must ingest their food.

Question 4

The basic unit of structure and function for all life is the

A)atom.
B)molecule.
C)cell.
D)organ.
E)organism.

Question 5

The main reason why worker fire ants defend their nest and sting aggressors is to protect their food supply.

Question 6

Which of the following levels of organization would an ecologist be most interested in studying?

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

Question 7

Members of the same species found within a particular area are referred to as

A)a community.
B)an ecosystem.
C)a population.
D)an organism.
E)a biospherE.

Question 8

The interactions within a population and with other populations are referred to as an ecosystem.

Question 9

Unlike humans,ants primarily communicate through which of the following methods?

A)sight
B)hearing
C)pheromones
D)touch
E)vibration

Question 10

Which of the following levels of taxonomy includes the least number of organisms?

A)Family
B)Class
C)Order
D)Phylum
E)Genus

Question 11

The regulation of an organism's internal environment is known as homeostasis.

Question 12

Which of the following levels of organization goes beyond an individual organism?

A)organ
B)cell
C)tissue
D)organ system
E)population

Question 13

A cell biologist looks through a microscope at a cell which contains no nucleus.Based solely on this information,to which domain(s)might this organism belong?

A)Bacteria only
B)Archaea only
C)Eukarya only
D)Bacteria or Archaea but not Eukarya
E)Bacteria,Archaea,or Eukarya

Question 14

A group of cells with a common structure and function is referred to as an organ.

Question 15

Though all of these possible answers are done by at least some living organisms,which is limited to only some organisms?

A)response to stimuli
B)adaptation to habitat
C)reproduction by sexual means
D)regulation of internal environment
E)acquisition of energy

Question 16

At which level of taxonomy do humans and plants share common characteristics?

A)Order
B)Kingdom
C)Phylum
D)Domain
E)Class

Question 17

Which of the following levels of taxonomy includes the greatest number of organisms?

A)Class
B)Family
C)Species
D)Order
E)Phylum

Question 18

The main purpose of the queen fire ant is to

A)find food.
B)defend the eggs.
C)produce food.
D)produce eggs.
E)defend food.

Question 19

The major driving force behind evolution is

A)natural selection.
B)metabolism.
C)homeostasis.
D)photosynthesis.
E)organization.

Question 20

Humans belong to which kingdom?

A)Animals
B)Plants
C)Protists
D)Fungi
E)Archaea

Question 21

Which of these is an example of homeostasis?

A)Birds,bats,and butterflies all have wings.
B)Venomous coral snakes and harmless scarlet kingsnakes both have bands of red,yellow,and black.
C)When a dog feels hot,it hangs it tongue out and pants.
D)Hummingbirds prefer to feed on nectar from red flowers.
E)A shark can detect even minute quantities of blood in the water.

Question 22

Which of the following is not considered a basic theory of biology?

A)Atomic
B)Cell
C)Homeostasis
D)Ecosystem
E)Gene

Question 23

All of the ecosystems on Earth are collectively known as the biosphere.

Question 24

Flat leaves in plants are an example of what to capture more light?

A)an adaptation
B)a homeostasis
C)a mutation
D)a gene
E)a cell

Question 25

Directly or indirectly,all organisms ultimately get their energy from

A)the sun.
B)inorganic matter.
C)organic matter.
D)water.
E)nutrient cycling.

Question 26

Humans

A)are classified as protists.
B)are descended from apes.
C)belong to the domain Archaea.
D)share a common ancestor with apes.
E)are prokaryotes.

Question 27

Tortoises which eat mostly shrubs have notches in their shell that allow their necks to extend upward,while tortoises which eat ground-level vegetation have no notches.The notch is an example of

A)a selective agent.
B)a species.
C)an adaptation.
D)an experimental variable.
E)an acquired characteristic.

Question 28

When an organism's DNA is permanently altered,we say that it

A)mutates.
B)sequences.
C)metabolizes.
D)varies.
E)reproduces.

Question 29

A possible explanation for a natural event is known as

A)an observation.
B)a conclusion.
C)a hypothesis.
D)a test.
E)data.

Question 30

When a plants bends toward the light,it is responding to a stimulus.

Question 31

Which answer choice is not a defining characteristic of life?

A)disorder
B)use of materials and energy
C)reproduction
D)homeostasis
E)responsiveness to stimuli

Question 32

Which theory helps us understand why various species differ from one another,tells us to what diseases we are predisposed,and enables us to produce drugs for a variety of diseases?

A)Cell
B)Gene
C)Evolution
D)Homeostasis
E)Ecosystem

Question 33

While examining a drop of pond water under the microscope,you find a unicellular organism with a nucleus and structures for photosynthesis.To what kingdom would you assign this organism?

A)Animals
B)Plants
C)Fungi
D)Protists
E)Archaea

Question 34

Which part of an experiment allows a scientist to know if the treatment worked or not?

A)Conclusion
B)Testing
C)Control group
D)Hypothesis
E)Observation

Question 35

Which of the following would be an additional step in the scientific method?

A)conclusion
B)hypothesis
C)observation
D)experiment
E)scientific law

Question 36

In the scientific method,the condition which is deliberately changed is referred to as the

A)control group.
B)experimental variable.
C)control variable.
D)hypothesis.
E)test.

Question 37

Which answer choice lists the steps in the scientific method in their typical order?

A)conclusion,experiment,hypothesis,observation
B)hypothesis,observation,experiment,conclusion
C)observation,experiment,hypothesis,conclusion
D)experiment,hypothesis,observation,conclusion
E)observation,hypothesis,experiment,conclusion

Question 38

What would occur if all producers were removed from an ecosystem?

A)There would be no change;producers are not essential for most ecosystems.
B)The output of the sun would decrease.
C)The number of consumers would increase.
D)Decomposers would take over the role of the producers.
E)Consumers would soon run out of food.

Question 39

What would occur if all the decomposers were removed from an ecosystem?

A)Energy would not longer be lost in the form of heat.
B)Nutrients from dead organisms could not be recycled into the ecosystem.
C)The ecosystem would lose its ultimate source of energy.
D)Nutrient recycling from dead organisms would increase.
E)There would be no effect on the ecosystem;decomposers are not essential for ecosystem function.

Question 40

A scientist who studies a group of field mice all living in the same area would be studying

A)a biosphere.
B)a species.
C)an ecosystem.
D)a population.
E)a community.

Question 41

Human beings have damaged parts of the biosphere in all but which of the following ways?

A)overcollecting coral from reefs
B)sending eroded sediments into waterways
C)logging forests excessively
D)establishing too numerous seagrass beds
E)allowing excess fertilizer to run off

Question 42

Many modern crop plants were produced from wild relatives by natural selection.

Question 43

Runoff of soil particles and excess nutrients can damage ecosystems.

Question 44

If a new group of orgamisms was discovered which had no nuclei to hold its DNA,and had mitochondria,and had rigid,bacterial flagella,at what level of classification would a new group have to be created?

A)Domain
B)Kingdom
C)Phylum
D)Genus
E)Species

Question 45

A diagram showing connections,by descent from a common ancestor,between crocodilians and dinosaurs is an evolutionary tree.

Question 46

The molecule in which hereditary information is encoded is protein.

Question 47

Mutations provide the raw material for natural selection,and thus evolution.

Question 48

The basic unit of all life is the nucleus.

Question 49

Which of the following would be explicable due to something other than the descent of living things from one common ancestor?

A)Life is organized.
B)Life is photosynthetic.
C)Life is homeostatiC.
D)Life forms ecosystems.
E)Life evolves.

Question 50

Which of the following correctly displays three taxonomic levels from most to least inclusive?

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