Question 1

Which of the following best describes a controlled experiment?

Accepted Answer

A controlled experiment typically includes at least two groups: the experimental group, which receives the treatment or variable being tested, and the control group, which does not receive the treatment. This setup allows researchers to compare outcomes and determine the effect of the treatment.

Question 2

Use the following information when answering the following question.
In 1668, Francesco Redi performed a series of experiments on spontaneous generation. He began by putting similar pieces of meat into eight identical jars. Four jars were left open to the air, and four were sealed. He then did the same experiment with one variation: Instead of sealing four of the jars completely, he covered them with gauze (the gauze excluded the flies while allowing the meat to be exposed to air). In both experiments, he monitored the jars and recorded whether or not maggots (young flies) appeared in the meat.
In both experiments, flies appeared in all of the open jars and only in the open jars. Which one of the following statements is correct?

Accepted Answer

The experiment showed that maggots only appeared in the meat exposed to flies (open jars or jars covered with gauze that flies could not access), supporting the hypothesis that maggots come from eggs laid by flies, not spontaneous generation.

Question 3

Agrobacterium infects plants and causes them to form tumors. Tumor formation requires a large amount of the plant's energy for tissue formation. What could be the possible impact of tumor formation on plant reproduction? And why?

Accepted Answer

The number of offspring should decrease because the plant will divert energy from reproduction to tumor formation, indicating a trade-off between growth and reproduction when resources are limited.

Question 4

Agrobacterium infects plants and causes them to form tumors. You are asked to determine how long a plant must be exposed to these bacteria to become infected. Which of the following experiments will provide the best data to address that question?

Accepted Answer

Measuring the number of tumors formed on plants exposed to Agrobacterium for different lengths of time directly addresses the question of how long a plant must be exposed to these bacteria to become infected, by correlating the duration of exposure with the outcome (tumor formation).

Question 5

Use the following information when answering the following question.
In 1668, Francesco Redi performed a series of experiments on spontaneous generation. He began by putting similar pieces of meat into eight identical jars. Four jars were left open to the air, and four were sealed. He then did the same experiment with one variation: Instead of sealing four of the jars completely, he covered them with gauze (the gauze excluded the flies while allowing the meat to be exposed to air). In both experiments, he monitored the jars and recorded whether or not maggots (young flies) appeared in the meat.
What hypothesis was being tested in the initial experiment with open versus sealed jars?

Accepted Answer

Francesco Redi's experiment was designed to test the hypothesis that maggots (the young form of flies) do not arise spontaneously from decaying meat but rather from eggs laid by adult flies. By comparing jars that were open to the air (where flies could access the meat and potentially lay eggs) with jars that were sealed (preventing flies from accessing the meat), Redi aimed to demonstrate that the presence of maggots was dependent on the presence of flies, not spontaneous generation.

Question 6

In an experiment to test the hypothesis, "temperature controls sex determination in crocodile embryos" a researcher incubates crocodile eggs in incubators set at different temperatures. Which of the following correctly identifies the dependent and independent variables in the experiment?

Accepted Answer

The independent variable is what the researcher changes or controls (temperature), and the dependent variable is what the researcher measures (sex of the crocodiles).

Question 7

All the organisms on your campus make up ________.

Accepted Answer

A community in ecology refers to all the organisms of different species living in a particular area, which in this case is your campus. An ecosystem includes not only the community of living organisms but also the non-living components of their environment. A population consists of individuals of the same species in a given area, and a taxonomic domain is a high-level classification of life forms, not relevant to the specific question of organisms in a particular location.

Question 8

In presenting data that result from an experiment, a group of students shows that most of their measurements fall on a straight diagonal line on their graph. However, two of their data points are "outliers" and fall far to one side of the expected relationship. Which of the following is the most reasonable way to handle the outliers when analyzing the data?

Accepted Answer

Showing all results and exploring reasons for variation ensures transparency and can provide insights into experimental errors or unexpected phenomena.

Question 9

Which of the following is the quality of a good scientific hypothesis?

Accepted Answer

A good scientific hypothesis should be testable within a valid period of time, allowing for experimentation and observation to confirm or refute it.

Question 10

Following a scientific method, which of the following is the correct order of steps?

Accepted Answer

The correct order following the scientific method is: Observation (noticing something that prompts a question), Hypothesis (forming a tentative explanation), Experiment (testing the hypothesis under controlled conditions), Analysis (examining the data collected during the experiment), Conclusion (determining whether the hypothesis was supported or not), and Communicate results (sharing findings with the scientific community).

Question 11

Which of the following instructions contribute to a productive experimental design?

Accepted Answer

Altering only one condition between the control and the experimental condition ensures that any differences observed can be attributed to that one variable, making the experiment more scientifically valid.

Question 12

Which of the following best describes a model organism?

Accepted Answer

Model organisms are chosen for research because they are well studied, easy to propagate, and the results from studies on them are widely applicable to other species, including humans. This makes them invaluable in scientific research for understanding biological processes.

Question 13

Use the information in the graph to answer the following questions.  Based on the bar graph, which season, year, and soil condition were the worst for cultivating earthworms?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Use the information in the graph to...

Question 14

How does a scientific theory differ from a scientific hypothesis?

Accepted Answer

Theories provide broad explanations for a wide range of phenomena and are supported by a large body of evidence, while hypotheses are specific, testable predictions made as a part of the scientific method.

Question 15

Why is a scientific topic best discussed by people of varying points of view, from different subdisciplines, and representing diverse cultures?

Accepted Answer

Robust and critical discussion among diverse groups enhances scientific thinking by incorporating multiple perspectives, challenging biases, and fostering innovation, leading to a more comprehensive understanding of scientific topics.

Question 16

The evolution two or more species from one species as a result of different populations becoming reproductively isolated from each other is best described as ________.

Accepted Answer

Adaptive radiation is the process where organisms diversify rapidly into a multitude of new forms, particularly when a change in the environment makes new resources available, creates new challenges, or opens new environmental niches. This often occurs when different populations of a species become geographically isolated and evolve independently to adapt to their own unique environments, eventually leading to the emergence of new species.

Question 17

Use the information in the graph to answer the following question.  The data can best be used to address which of the following questions?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Use the information in the graph to...

Question 18

Cotton-topped tamarins are small primates with tufts of long white hair on their heads. While studying these creatures, researchers noticed that males with longer hair get more opportunities to mate and father more offspring. Which of the following research questions would best test the hypothesis that having longer hair is adaptive in these males?

Accepted Answer

Determining if hair length is heritable would help establish whether this trait can be passed on to offspring, which is a key component of determining if a trait is adaptive.

Question 19

Use the information in the graph to answer the following question.  Which of the following claims is best supported using the graph?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Use the information in the graph to...

Question 20

Which of these is an example of inductive reasoning?

Accepted Answer

Inductive reasoning involves making generalizations based on specific observations. Choice A is an example of inductive reasoning because it generalizes that the species is photosynthetic based on observations of hundreds of individuals.

Quiz 1: Biology and Its Themes

Which of the following best describes a controlled experiment?

Agrobacterium infects plants and causes them to form tumors. Tumor formation requires a large amount of the plant's energy for tissue formation. What could be the possible impact of tumor formation on plant reproduction? And why?

Agrobacterium infects plants and causes them to form tumors. You are asked to determine how long a plant must be exposed to these bacteria to become infected. Which of the following experiments will provide the best data to address that question?

In an experiment to test the hypothesis, "temperature controls sex determination in crocodile embryos" a researcher incubates crocodile eggs in incubators set at different temperatures. Which of the following correctly identifies the dependent and independent variables in the experiment?

All the organisms on your campus make up ________.

Which of the following is the quality of a good scientific hypothesis?

Following a scientific method, which of the following is the correct order of steps?

Which of the following instructions contribute to a productive experimental design?

Which of the following best describes a model organism?

Use the information in the graph to answer the following questions. Based on the bar graph, which season, year, and soil condition were the worst for cultivating earthworms?

How does a scientific theory differ from a scientific hypothesis?

Why is a scientific topic best discussed by people of varying points of view, from different subdisciplines, and representing diverse cultures?

The evolution two or more species from one species as a result of different populations becoming reproductively isolated from each other is best described as ________.

Use the information in the graph to answer the following question. The data can best be used to address which of the following questions?

Use the information in the graph to answer the following question. Which of the following claims is best supported using the graph?

Which of these is an example of inductive reasoning?