Deck 1: Humans in the World of Biology

Question 1

You are classifying an organism and trying to determine to which domain it belongs. The organism is unicellular and was isolated from a very unusual environment. This organism probably belongs in which domain?

A) Eukarya
B) Archaea
C) Bacteria
D) None of the domains above is correct.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

A study shows that people who eat fish three times a week live longer. Based on this study, which of the following can you not conclude?

A) There is a correlation between eating fish in the diet and the length of life.
B) Fish is a healthy choice of food.
C) Eating fish causes longer life.
D) All of the above can be concluded based on this study.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

During phase I clinical trials, a new drug is tested ________.

A) in an animal model
B) on fewer than 100 human volunteers
C) on a few hundred human volunteers
D) on thousands of human volunteers

Answer 3

B

Question 4

"An athlete who uses dietary supplements will perform better than one who doesn't." This statement would be an example of which of the following?

A) inductive reasoning
B) hypothesis
C) theory
D) clinical trial

Question 5

Which process used to solve problems in science involves accumulating facts through observation until the evidence leads to a general statement about nature?

A) deductive reasoning
B) hypothesis
C) inductive reasoning
D) theory

Question 6

Living organisms are members of all of the levels listed; however, rocks are components of ________.

A) the community
B) an organism
C) the population
D) the ecosystem

Question 7

In a double-blind experiment, ________.

A) participants are randomly assigned to a control or experimental group
B) the participants are unaware of whether they are in the experimental or control groups because of the use of placebos
C) the researchers are unaware of which participants are in the experimental and control groups
D) All of the above are true.

Question 8

Which of the following types of organisms are not composed of eukaryotic cells?

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

Question 9

The term ________ variable refers to one of two variables involved in an experiment, in which neither variable can be isolated as having an effect.

A) blind
B) statistical
C) multiple
D) confounding

Question 10

Researchers testing new drugs usually give the drug to one group of people and give placebos, "sugar pills," to another group. The group receiving the placebo ________.

A) is needed so that the test will be repeated enough times
B) is the control group
C) constitutes the experimental group
D) is a backup in case some of the people getting the drug drop out of the test

Question 11

Humans belong to which of the following domains?

A) Bacteria
B) Archaea
C) Eukarya
D) vertebrates

Question 12

If an object were collected on Mars by the rover Curiosity, it would be considered a living organism if it ________.

A) responded to environmental stimuli
B) had metabolic activities and maintained homeostasis
C) contained DNA and reproduced
D) All of the above are true.

Question 13

Which of the following levels of organization would a single-celled organism be excluded from?

A) cellular
B) molecular
C) tissue
D) population

Question 14

How does a population differ from an ecosystem?

A) A population consists of all living organisms in the area, whereas an ecosystem consists of all living and nonliving aspects of an area.
B) A population consists of all living organisms in an area, whereas an ecosystem consists of only one species.
C) An ecosystem includes a community, whereas a population does not.
D) An ecosystem and a population are identical; they are two terms for the same concept.

Question 15

Members of the domains Bacteria and Archaea are called ________ because they lack a nucleus and internal compartments.

A) eukaryotes
B) molds
C) protists
D) prokaryotes

Question 16

Which of the following is not a characteristic of all living things?

A) They contain carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids.
B) They respond to stimuli.
C) They are composed of multiple cells.
D) They have adaptive traits.

Question 17

Cells that possess a nucleus and a membrane system that establishes internal compartments belong in which of the following groups?

A) eukaryotes
B) viruses
C) Archaea
D) Bacteria

Question 18

A scientist discovers an unidentified organism that is composed of multiple cells and has a membrane-bound nucleus. Of the choices listed, the most likely classification would be ________.

A) Archaea
B) Bacteria
C) fungi
D) Any of the above could be correct.

Question 19

Which statement is incorrect?

A) Only living things contain nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids.
B) Only living things are composed of cells.
C) Only living things can grow.
D) Only living things maintain homeostasis.

Question 20

A statement such as "If human body temperature increases to a certain level, then critical proteins will be denatured" would most likely be associated with ________.

A) inductive reasoning
B) deductive reasoning
C) a hypothesis
D) a conclusion

Question 21

________ is the ability to maintain a relatively constant internal environment.

Question 22

A particular virus consists of only DNA and proteins. Viruses attach to the surface of a host cell and inject the viral DNA into the host. The host cell then copies the viral DNA and makes new viruses. Eventually, the host cell is killed, and the new viruses are released. These new viruses search for new hosts to continue the cycle. Identify and apply at least three characteristics of life to justify whether a virus is a living thing.

Question 23

A(n) ________ involves drug testing on humans.

Question 24

How can you test the following statement using the scientific methodology? "Exam performance improves as the amount of sleep obtained the night before an exam increases."

Question 25

A(n) ________ group is treated like an experimental group, except for the one variable being tested.

Question 26

The domain Eukarya has ________ kingdoms.

Question 27

________ reasoning involves gathering facts that lead toward a logical generalized statement or conclusion.

Question 28

A(n) ________ is all of the species in an ecosystem that can interact in a geographic area.

Question 29

The smallest functional unit of life is known as a(n) ________.

Question 30

List and briefly explain the organization of life, beginning at the molecular level and continuing through the biosphere.

Question 31

An educated guess or a testable statement used to answer a question about observations is referred to as a(n) ________.

Question 32

Explain how the destruction of the original tropical forests will affect the development of new medicines.

Question 33

A(n) ________ is a group of similar cells that perform the same function.

Question 34

A community and its physical environment are often referred to as a(n) ________.

Question 35

When making scientific decisions in one's life, it is best to ask questions, gather and evaluate information and evidence, and carefully consider the sources of the material. This process is called ________.

Question 36

A(n) ________ is a substance that appears to be identical to a drug being tested but has no known effect on the condition being studied.

Question 37

Information literacy involves the ability to ________.

A) recognize what you need to know
B) locate relevant information
C) evaluate and apply information to a problem
D) All of the above are correct.

Question 38

All individuals of a species that can interbreed in an area are called a(n) ________.

Question 39

Traits that enable an organism to survive and reproduce in its natural environment are called ________.

Question 40

Lately, many claims concerning the health benefits of green tea have appeared in the news. Suppose you read a claim that says drinking green tea causes weight loss. The information provided states that participants were weighed at the beginning of the study, were then asked to drink 2 cups of green tea every day for 6 weeks, and finally were weighed at the end of the study. Participants who drank the tea for 6 weeks seemed to have lost some weight by the end of the study, so the researchers concluded that green tea is helpful for weight loss. This study has some obvious holes in it. Explain three things that could be done to improve the design of this study. Do not assume any information other that what has been provided.

Question 41

It is notoriously difficult to perform unbiased studies when human subjects are used. When governmental agencies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are trying to determine the validity of scientific claims, they very closely examine the methods used in the experiments. What are the three phases of clinical trial, and which one(s) must a drug pass in order to be sold in U.S. markets?