Deck 5: The Nature of Life on Earth

Question 1

The type of reproduction that occurs between human beings is referred to as

A) unsexual
B) kinky
C) asexual
D) sexual

Answer 1

sexual

Question 2

When humans get hot, they sweat in order to reduce their body temperature. Which of the key properties of life is this an example of?

A) growth and development
B) reproduction
C) response to environment
D) order

Answer 2

response to environment

Question 3

Energy utilization in living organisms is

A) one of the most basic requirements of life, without which organisms could not maintain order, grow, and reproduce
B) only important for organisms like plants which receive their energy directly from the Sun
C) neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition for life
D) not important for organisms that have adapted to survive extremely low temperatures (psychrophiles)

Answer 3

one of the most basic requirements of life, without which organisms could not maintain order, grow, and reproduce

Question 4

Humans are scientifically classified as Homo sapiens. In this system, the word Homo refers to the

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

Question 5

What can be said about the presence of order in living organisms?

A) it is a necessary condition, but not a sufficient condition for life
B) it is a sufficient condition, but not a necessary condition for life
C) it is both a necessary condition and a sufficient condition for life
D) it is neither a necessary condition nor a sufficient condition for life

Question 6

Of the six basic properties of life, biologists consider the most fundamental to be

A) response to environment
B) reproduction
C) order
D) evolutionary adaptation

Question 7

The organisms Homo habilis, Homo erectus, and Homo sapiens

A) are part of the same genus
B) have nothing in common
C) are part of the same genus and species
D) are part of the same species

Question 8

A genus is

A) a group of species that are closely related to one another
B) a group of species that are particularly intelligent
C) a group of organisms that look similar
D) groups of organisms that are genetically distinct

Question 9

What is the main factor that drives Darwinian evolution?

A) the competition for finite resources
B) the need to have sex
C) the ability of an organism to harness the energy of the Sun
D) the size of an organism

Question 10

Scientists cannot agree on whether viruses are living or not because

A) they are much smaller than other simple living organisms
B) they can reproduce but do not require any utilization of energy to do so
C) they can only reproduce within a host cell and not independently
D) under certain conditions they can reproduce, but they do not contain any DNA

Question 11

Polar Bears are scientifically classified as Ursus maritimus. In this system, the word maritimus refers to the

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

Question 12

The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that

A) energy can neither be created nor destroyed but only transformed from one form to another
B) an imaginary line joining the Sun and a planet sweeps out equal areas in equal times
C) an isolated system tends towards a state of increasing disorder
D) heat always flows from hot to cold
E) an isolated system tends towards a state of increasing order

Question 13

All organisms have finite lifetimes and must eventually die. Which of the basic characteristics of life corrects for this?

A) energy utilization
B) response to the environment
C) evolutionary adaptation
D) reproduction

Question 14

Emperor penguins are part of the species forsteri and genus aptenodytes. Given this, their scientific classification would be written

A) Aptenodytes Forsteri
B) forsteri Aptenodytes
C) Forsteri aptenodytes
D) Aptenodytes forsteri

Question 15

The first scientist to suggest that life might evolve through time was

A) Charles Darwin
B) Anaximander
C) Jean Baptiste Lamarck
D) Empedocles

Question 16

Bacteria reproduce by the process of cell division. This kind of reproduction is referred to as

A) sexual
B) unsexual
C) asexual
D) kinky

Question 17

Traits passed from parents to offspring are referred to by biologists as

A) inheritance
B) heredity
C) adaptation
D) heraldry

Question 18

Killer Whales are scientifically classified as Orcinus orca. This means that they members of the

A) genus Orcinus and the family orca
B) species Orcinus and the genus orca
C) genus Orcinus and the species orca
D) order Orcinus and the species orca

Question 19

A mule is an example of an exception to which of the fundamental characteristics of life?

A) response to environment─mules cannot respond to changing environmental conditions and that is why they are stubborn
B) evolutionary adaptation─because mules are sterile they cannot evolve and adapt
C) growth and development - mules being sterile do not grow and develop like other life forms
D) reproduction─a mule is sterile and cannot reproduce even though it is the product of reproduction between two closely related animals (a horse and a donkey)

Question 20

Species are groups of organisms

A) with a common ancestor
B) that are genetically distinct
C) that look similar
D) that are capable of interbreeding with one another

Question 21

The fact that all cells used in life on Earth are based on the same biochemistry suggests that

A) life originated from a variety of sources
B) life on Earth was created by some omnipotent being
C) all life on Earth shares a common ancestor
D) the biochemistry of life on Earth is universal

Question 22

The resistance of bacteria to certain antibiotics is a current example of

A) natural variety
B) artificial selection
C) un-natural selection
D) natural selection

Question 23

Chemists refer to molecules containing carbon atoms as

A) carbonic
B) organic
C) carbonaceous
D) inorganic

Question 24

Which is the MOST important property of the element carbon that makes it ideal as a fundamental building block of biological molecules?

A) it is a very stable element
B) it is the only element capable of bonding to itself
C) it is a common element
D) it readily forms chemical bonds with itself and other elements, allowing a wide variety of complex molecules to form

Question 25

Silicon forms its strongest chemical bonds with

A) itself
B) carbon
C) oxygen
D) hydrogen

Question 26

Which of the following is a trace element in the human body?

A) nitrogen
B) calcium
C) carbon
D) hydrogen

Question 27

What is the maximum number of other atoms that carbon can bond to?

A) 4
B) 2
C) 3
D) 1

Question 28

Why might we think that silicon would be an obvious alternative to carbon as a building block for biological molecules?

A) it forms the basis of some life forms on Earth
B) it has a similar abundance on Earth to carbon
C) it forms complex molecules like carbon
D) it has a similar electronic structure to carbon, forming a maximum of four bonds and, hence, should have a similar chemistry

Question 29

The most abundant element in the human body is

A) nitrogen
B) hydrogen
C) carbon
D) oxygen

Question 30

The bond between carbon atoms in the molecule ethylene, H₂C=CH₂ is referred to as

A) an ionic bond
B) a double bond
C) a single bond
D) a triple bond

Question 31

Evolutionary adaptations are related to changes that occur through time in

A) lipids
B) carbohydrates
C) proteins
D) DNA

Question 32

The most basic definition of life which takes account of the relative importance of the six fundamental properties of living things is that life is something that can

A) grow and develop
B) respond to environmental changes
C) utilize energy
D) reproduce and evolve through natural selection

Question 33

In cells, living matter inside is separated from the outside world by a barrier called

A) a membrane
B) an ectoderm
C) a lamina
D) a sheath

Question 34

The basic biological structures of life on Earth are called

A) cells
B) bacteria
C) molecules
D) atoms

Question 35

Different dog breeds have been bred by humans from a common ancestor over the past few thousand years. This is an example of

A) natural selection
B) un-natural selection
C) artificial selection
D) artificial insemination

Question 36

The different species of finches found on the Galapagos islands are evidence of Darwin's theory of natural selection because

A) all species are competing for the same resources
B) they are capable of interbreeding with each other
C) they have all evolved adaptations from a common ancestor to suit the environmental conditions found on different islands
D) some species are more successful than others

Question 37

The bond between carbon atoms in the molecule acetylene, HCCH is referred to as

A) an ionic bond
B) a double bond
C) a single bond
D) a triple bond

Question 38

According to Darwin, in the struggle for survival, those individuals whose traits best enable them to survive and reproduce will, on average, leave the largest number of offspring that in turn survive to reproduce. This is the basic idea behind his theory of

A) natural selection
B) creationism
C) differential evolution
D) artificial selection

Question 39

More than 96% of the mass of living cells are made of

A) carbon and hydrogen
B) carbon
C) carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen
D) hydrogen and oxygen

Question 40

The bond between carbon atoms in the molecule ethane, H₃C-CH₃ is referred to as

A) a triple bond
B) an ionic bond
C) a single bond
D) a double bond

Question 41

Amino acids found in protein in life on Earth are

A) a unequal mixture of left-handed and right-handed molecules, left-handed being most abundant
B) all left-handed molecules
C) all right-handed molecules
D) an equal mixture of left-handed and right-handed molecules

Question 42

Amino acids exhibit the property of

A) handedness
B) chemical inertness
C) magnetism
D) bioluminescence

Question 43

Which is NOT a reason that silicon is unsuitable as a building block for life compared to carbon?

A) silicon-silicon bonds are much weaker than carbon-carbon bonds
B) silicon does not form multiple bonds with itself, limiting the complexity of molecules it can form
C) silicon does not bond with many other elements
D) silicon dioxide is a high melting point solid and, hence, cannot be used to transfer silicon atoms like gaseous carbon dioxide can be used to transport carbon atoms

Question 44

An amoeba is an example of a

A) multicellular prokaryote
B) multicellular eukaryote
C) unicellular prokaryote
D) unicellular eukaryote

Question 45

Enzymes are examples of

A) lipids
B) nucleic acids
C) carbohydrates
D) proteins

Question 46

What is the MOST important role that lipids play in living organisms on Earth?

A) basic functioning of living organisms
B) long-term energy storage and cell membranes
C) short-term energy storage and cell structure
D) information storage

Question 47

What is the MOST important role that carbohydrates play in living organisms on Earth?

A) long-term energy storage and cell membranes
B) information storage
C) basic functioning of living organisms
D) short-term energy storage and cell structure

Question 48

Which of the following observations is consistent with the hypothesis that all life on Earth has a common ancestor?

A) different organisms use the same set of amino acids
B) different organisms use different sets of amino acids
C) all proteins are made of amino acids
D) some organisms don't use amino acids at all

Question 49

Perhaps the most fundamental role that enzymes play in living cells is

A) attacking foreign bodies like bacteria and viruses
B) carrying oxygen across cell membranes
C) facilitating the replication of DNA and the reading of the genetic code
D) the breaking down of more complex molecules

Question 50

How many different amino acids make up the proteins found in life on Earth?

A) 23
B) 5
C) 20
D) 4

Question 51

What do plant cells have that animal cells do not?

A) a nucleus
B) cell walls
C) nucleic acids
D) organelles

Question 52

The basic molecular building blocks of proteins are

A) nucleotides
B) fatty acids
C) amino acids
D) monosaccharides

Question 53

Bacteria are examples of

A) unicellular prokaryotes
B) unicellular eukaryotes
C) multicellular eukaryotes
D) multicellular prokaryotes

Question 54

What is the MOST important role that nucleic acids play in living organisms on Earth?

A) long-term energy storage and cell membranes
B) basic functioning of living organisms
C) the storage and transfer of information
D) short-term energy storage and cell structure

Question 55

Cells that lack a nucleus are called

A) prokaryotes
B) eukaryotes
C) non-nucleotes
D) karyokes

Question 56

Recent studies of the biochemistry of cells have shown that prokaryotes are

A) more biochemically related to eukaryotes than previously thought
B) biochemically identical to eukaryotes in every way
C) a biochemically distinct group unrelated to eukaryotes in any way
D) organisms that were transported to Earth from Mars in meteroites

Question 57

Lipids are more commonly known as

A) enzymes
B) fats
C) saccharides
D) carbs

Question 58

The most numerous lifeforms on Earth are

A) insects
B) plants
C) human beings
D) microbes

Question 59

What is the MOST important role that proteins play in living organisms on Earth?

A) basic functioning of living organisms
B) short-term energy storage and cell structure
C) information storage
D) long-term energy storage and cell membranes

Question 60

A catalyst

A) is a vital component of every chemical reaction
B) accelerates a chemical reaction but is not changed in the process
C) accelerates a chemical reaction and is thereby changed in the process
D) stabilizes the rate of a chemical reaction

Question 61

Branch lengths in the tree of life are a measure of the

A) rate of evolution between different species
B) size difference between species
C) life expectancy difference between species
D) amount of genetic difference between different species

Question 62

What do the cells of eukarya have that the cells of bacteria and archaea do no not?

A) flagella
B) membranes
C) nuclei
D) spherical shapes

Question 63

Based of cellular biochemistry, how many different domains can life be classified into?

A) 4
B) 3
C) 2
D) 1

Question 64

Metabolism is a term that describes the

A) breaking down of complex organic molecules by bacteria
B) rate at which molecules travel across cell membranes
C) chemical processes that occur inside cells
D) rate of cell division of bacteria

Question 65

The organisms in which domains of life are unicellular or multicellular?

A) bacteria only
B) bacteria and archaea
C) archaea and eukarya
D) eukarya only

Question 66

A chemoautotroph gets its energy from

A) chemical reactions and its carbon from its environment
B) the Sun and its carbon from other organisms
C) chemical reactions and its carbon from other organisms
D) the Sun and its carbon from its environment

Question 67

Which forms of life on Earth show the greatest diversity?

A) insects
B) human beings
C) plants
D) microbes

Question 68

All living cells use the molecule adenosine triphosphate (ATP)

A) to carry oxygen into cells
B) to catalyze biochemical reactions
C) as a building block for nucleic acids
D) to store and release energy for biochemical processes

Question 69

Plants get their energy directly from the Sun and their carbon from the atmosphere. Given this, they can be classified metabolically as

A) photoheterotrophs
B) chemoheterotrophs
C) chemoautotrophs
D) photoautotrophs

Question 70

The tree of life

A) traces back the evolution of all mammals to a common ancestor
B) classifies organisms according to their physical appearance
C) illustrates the biochemical and genetic relationships between the different domains of life
D) is a name for the first organism from which all life originated

Question 71

A photoautotroph gets its energy from

A) the Sun and its carbon from other organisms
B) chemical reactions and its carbon from other organisms
C) chemical reactions and its carbon from its environment
D) the Sun and its carbon from its environment

Question 72

Which domains of life are most closely related to each other?

A) eukarya and archaea
B) all three are closely related
C) bacteria and eukarya
D) bacteria and archaea

Question 73

The organisms in which domains of life are unicellular?

A) bacteria only
B) bacteria and archaea
C) archaea and eukarya
D) archaea only

Question 74

The Archaea Sulfolobus live in volcanic hot springs where they obtain energy from chemical reactions and carbon from their environment. Given this, they can be classified metabolically as

A) photoheterotrophs
B) chemoautotrophs
C) photoautotrophs
D) chemoheterotrophs

Question 75

Human beings are examples of

A) multicellular eukaryotes
B) unicellular prokaryotes
C) unicellular eukaryotes
D) multicellular prokaryotes

Question 76

A chemoheterotroph gets is energy from

A) chemical reactions and its carbon from its environment
B) the Sun and its carbon from its environment
C) chemical reactions and its carbon from other organisms
D) the Sun and its carbon from other organisms

Question 77

At the root of the tree of life

A) is the common ancestor of all life on Earth
B) is the common ancestor of all mammals
C) are viruses
D) are human beings

Question 78

The basic requirement for metabolism inside cells is

A) a source of carbon and a source of energy
B) a source of carbon only
C) a source of energy only
D) the presence of ATP

Question 79

A photoheterotroph gets its energy from

A) chemical reactions and its carbon from other organisms
B) the Sun and its carbon from other organisms
C) the Sun and its carbon from its environment
D) chemical reactions and its carbon from its environment

Question 80

In the tree of life

A) animals are members of the domain eukarya, while plants are members of the domain archaea
B) animals are members of the domain archaea, while plants are members of the domain eukarya
C) both plants and animals are members of the domain archaea
D) both plants and animals are members of the domain eukarya