Title: Introduction to Biology
Course: Question Banks

Q: The picture shows the different stages in the life of a pea plant. Which characteristic of living things is being shown here?
- reproduction (Incorrect. Reproduction refers to the creation of a new living thing, not the change of an existing organism, as is illustrated in this image.)
- use of energy (Incorrect. While it’s true that the plant is using energy, “use of energy” is not a characteristic exclusive to living things.)
- growth and development (Correct. Growth and development is one of the characteristics of living things, and we can see that illustrated in this image of a pea plant growing.)
A: growth and development

Q: Kevin walks inside a dim building on a sunny day. Once inside, his eyes dilate to allow more light into his eyes. What property of life does this represent?
- growth (Incorrect. Growth is an increase in size over time; while Kevin’s pupils may change size, this change isn’t permanent.)
- energy use (Incorrect. Though Kevin is consuming and using energy throughout the day (through eating and drinking, not sunlight), his eyes dialating are not directly part of the energy use process.)
- response to stimuli (Correct. This represents response to stimuli because Kevin’s eyes specifically change upon exposure to the lower light conditions.)
A: response to stimuli

Q: Stomata are small openings present on plant leaves. On a hot dry day, the stomatal openings remain closed to reduce the loss of water. Which characteristic of living things is described here?
- energy usage (Incorrect. While energy is required for the physiologic changes observed, energy usage involves powering metabolic reactions.)
- cellular organization (Incorrect. Cellular organization is a component of order, the organized and coordinated structures that make up life.)
- homeostasis (Correct. This represents homeostasis because the plant is working to maintain its internal water concentration as environmental conditions change.)
A: homeostasis

Q: A/n ________ can represent the simplest living thing.
- atom (Incorrect. An atom is the simplest form of matter.)
- organelle (Incorrect. An organelle is a subcellular component in some life forms.)
- cell (Correct. A cell is the simplest living thing that displays all the characteristics of life.)
A: cell

Q: Which of the following is broader than both of the following categories: species and communities.
- population (Incorrect. A population represents all the members of a single species living in one area.)
- organism (Incorrect. A organism would be a single individual within a species or within a community.)
- ecosystem (Correct. An ecosystem is a collection of all the abiotic and living organisms in a particular area.)
A: ecosystem

Q: All the fish, plants, and birds that interact in an estuary system represent a(n) ________.
- population (Incorrect. Remember that a population only contains members of a single species.)
- ecosystem (Incorrect. An ecosystem also includes the nonliving parts that reside in a given area along wiht the living organisms.)
- community (Correct. A community is a collection of populations interacting in a given ecosystem.)
A: community

Q: A population is made up of ________.
- all living creatures on the earth (Incorrect. All living creatures represent many different species.)
- a group of different species that interact with each other (Incorrect. Different species interacting together are actually a community.)
- members of the same species (Correct. A population is composed only of a single species.)
A: members of the same species

Q: Which characteristic is unique to prokaryotic cells?
- has ribosomes (Incorrect. Remember that all cell types have ribosomes in order to make proteins.)
- has a cell membrane (Incorrect. A cell membrane is required to separate any cell from its external environment.)
- contains a nucleoid (Correct. A eukaryotic cell would have a nucleus while a prokaryotic cell has a nucleoid.)
A: contains a nucleoid

Q: Eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells share what component?
- Flagellum (Incorrect. Not all cells have flagella.)
- Cell wall (Incorrect. Not all cells have a cell wall.)
- DNA (Correct. DNA is the genetic material used by all eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells.)
A: DNA

Q: Which of the following is not a uniform feature of cellular life?
- cell membrane (Incorrect. A cell membrane is required to separate any cell from its external environment.)
- ribosomes (Incorrect. Remember that all cell types have ribosomes in order to make proteins.)
- nucleus (Correct. Only eukaryotic cells have a nucleus.)
A: nucleus

Q: Dogs and mushrooms are examples of what type of organism?
- prokaryotic organisms (Incorrect. No prokaryotic organism is multicellular.)
- organisms with both prokaryotic and eukaryotic features (Incorrect. Dogs and mushrooms have no features unique to prokaryotic cells.)
- eukaryotic organisms (Correct. Dogs and mushrooms are both multi-celled eukaryotic organisms.)
A: eukaryotic organisms

Q: Eukaryotic organelles can be roughly the same size as ________.
- the smallest plant cells (Incorrect. Plant cells are eukaryotic cells so they must be large enough to contain organelles.)
- most animal cells (Incorrect. Animal cells are eukaryotic cells so they must be large enough to contain organelles.)
- many bacterial cells (Correct. Many organelles are roughly the same size as prokaryotic cells.)
A: many bacterial cells

Q: Overall cell size is restricted by the need to ________.
- find enough nutrients to survive (Incorrect. Foraging for nutrients has nothing to do with cell size.)
- hide from predators (Incorrect. Hiding from predators has no impact on cell size.)
- transport materials inside the cell (Correct. Cell size is restricted by surface to volume ratios.)
A: transport materials inside the cell

Q: What phrase best describes biodiversity?
- all the bacterial species within a forest (Incorrect. Biodiversity is much larger than a single forest.)
- all the physical differences observable between species (Incorrect. Physical differences are not part of an encompassing definition of biodiversity.)
- all the species contained on the planet (Correct. A literal translation of “biodiversity” is the actual number of biological species.)
A: all the species contained on the planet

Q: Biological diversity is ________.
- always the same (Incorrect. Species come and go through evolution and extinction.)
- changed only by human intervention (Incorrect. While human activity can have a dramatic impact, natural processes also cause of changes in biological diversity.)
- constantly changing (Correct. New species constantly arise even as others become extinct.)
A: constantly changing

Q: A precise measure of biodiversity is ________.
- the age distribution in a colony (Incorrect. A distribution of any kind is based on broad categories, such as 20–25, 25–30.)
- ecosystem diversity (Incorrect. Ecosystem diversity will encompass a range of characteristics.)
- the genetic variation within a species (Correct. Variation within a species is very specific.)
A: the genetic variation within a species

Q: The most inclusive measure of biodiversity is ________.
- species diversity (Incorrect. Species diversity is simply the number of different types of organisms in a region.)
- variation within a species (Incorrect. Genetic variation within a species is a precisely measured value and is therefore the most exclusive, or specific measure of biodiversity.)
- ecosystem diversity (Correct. Ecosystem diversity will account for different species as well as their interactions with each other and the environment.)
A: ecosystem diversity

Q: Phylogenetic trees are used to summarize ________.
- how biochemical processes impact different organisms (Incorrect. Phylogenetic trees may not even be based upon biochemical measures.)
- the key characteristics of life (Incorrect. Phylogenetic trees chart where organisms' histories branched; the key characteristics of life are common to all organisms on Earth.)
- how life on earth has evolved (Correct. Remember that a phylogenetic tree is a visual representation of relationships between species.)
A: how life on earth has evolved

Q: Phylogenetic trees are ________.
- textual summaries of the genetic differences between organisms (Incorrect. Phylogenetic trees may not even be based upon genetic differences.)
- visual summaries of the physical differences between organisms (Incorrect. Phylogenetic trees may not even be based upon physical differences.)
- visual summaries of the relationships between organisms (Correct. Remember that a phylogenetic tree is a visual representation of relationships between species.)
A: visual summaries of the relationships between organisms

Q: Carl Woese’s work in phylogenetics was unique in that it used ________ to form a new phylogenetic tree.
- physical traits (Incorrect. Prior to Woese’s work most phylogenetic trees were based on physical traits.)
- habitat preferences (Incorrect. Habitat preferences are an imprecise but earlier feature used to determine species relationships.)
- genetic characteristics (Correct. Woese’s work was the first application of sensitive measures of genetic differences between organisms.)
A: genetic characteristics

Q: Choose the statement that best describes the formatting of binomial nomenclature.
- It consists of a lowercase genus name and a capitalized species name. (Incorrect. The binomial naming system includes genus and species names, but not in this manner.)
- It consists of a capitalized family and a lowercase genus name. (Incorrect. Family names are not part of the binomial naming system.)
- It consists of a capitalized genus name and a lowercase species name. (Correct. In the binomial naming system each species has a capitalized genus and lowercase species name.)
A: It consists of a capitalized genus name and a lowercase species name.

Q: In modern taxonomy, ________.
- there are more domains than kingdoms. (Incorrect. There are only 3 domains but many more kingdoms.)
- kingdoms are the most broad taxa of classification. (Incorrect. Modern taxonomy includes domains, which encompass kingdoms.)
- species are the most specific taxa. (Correct. Species is the most specific category in taxonomy.)
A: species are the most specific taxa.

Q: Binomial nomenclature facilitates ________.
- rapid but general categorization of organisms (Incorrect. Binomial nomenclature is quite specific.)
- region-specific common names for organisms (Incorrect. Binomial nomenclature specifically combats regional differences in common names.)
- international discussion about a given organism (Correct. The binomial naming system is a universal scientific tool.)
A: international discussion about a given organism

Q: What discipline of biology is focused on life’s history?
- neurobiology (Incorrect. Neurobiology is focused on the workings of the nervous system.)
- forensic botany (Incorrect. Forensic botany appears knowledge of plants to legal questions.)
- paleontology (Correct. Paleontology studies the history and development of life on Earth.)
A: paleontology

Q: The field of ________ biology is focused on legal questions.
- micro- (Incorrect. Microbiology is the study of microorganisms.)
- botanical (Incorrect. Botany is the study of plants.)
- forensic (Correct. Forensic biology applies biological knowledge to the law.)
A: forensic

Q: The study of single-celled organisms is known as ________.
- neurobiology (Incorrect. Neurobiology may not focus on single-celled organisms but instead on processes at the cellular level in multicellular life forms.)
- microscopic biology (Incorrect. Microscopic biology is the application of microscopes in any biological study.)
- microbiology (Correct. Microbiology is the study of single-celled microorganisms.)
A: microbiology

Q: Which of the following process is a foundation of scientific inquiries?
- leaps of logic (Incorrect. Leaps of logic cannot be confirmed and have no place in science.)
- hunches (Incorrect. Hunches cannot be confirmed and have no place in science.)
- verifiable observations (Correct. Scientific inquiries are based on verifiable and repeatable data and observations.)
A: verifiable observations

Q: Dreams or hunches may be rejected because they ________.
- have no value in society (Incorrect. Dreams and hunches can play a role in society and personal choices.)
- are never correct (Incorrect. While they cannot be verified scientifically, dreams or hunches may be “right.”)
- cannot be scientifically validated (Correct. Science is focused only on phenomena that can be supported with verifiable data.)
A: cannot be scientifically validated

Q: Scientific inquiry has profoundly changed the way ________ is practiced.
- dream interpretations (Incorrect. Dreams cannot be measured or verified scientifically.)
- folk traditions (Incorrect. Folk traditions cannot be accepted directly as scientifically valid.)
- medicine (Correct. Medical results can be measured and verified scientifically.)
A: medicine

Q: Science is concerned with ________ phenomena.
- mystical (Incorrect. Mystical phenomena by their nature defy scientific explanation.)
- repeated (Incorrect. Just because something is repeated does not mean it has a scientifically valid explanation.)
- physical (Correct. Physical phenomena can be measured and tested scientifically.)
A: physical

Q: Choose the best definition for the word “hypothesis.”
- a tested explanation found to be generally true (Incorrect. This is actually a theory.)
- a question based upon observation (Incorrect. A question generated from observations is used to generate a hypothesis.)
- a suggested explanation that can be tested (Correct. A hypothesis is a potential explanation that must then be tested.)
A: a suggested explanation that can be tested

Q: Which of the following is a well formed hypothesis?
- Milk never curdles. (Incorrect. It is impossible to measure “never.”)
- The devil made me do it. (Incorrect. The devil is a mystical, and hence non-scientific, explanation.)
- Heat wilts leaves. (Correct. Heat’s impact on leaves can be easily tested and quantitated.)
A: Heat wilts leaves.

Q: Which stage of the scientific method immediately follows forming a hypothesis?
- collecting data (Incorrect. An observational plan or experiment must be in place before collecting data.)
- drawing a conclusion (Incorrect. Drawing a conclusion does not occur until after data are analyzed.)
- making a prediction (Correct. It is important to make a prediction to ensure a hypothesis is testable and falsifiable with a designed experiment or observational plan.)
A: making a prediction

Q: More convincing scientific results are found in studies that ________.
- have only a few participants (Incorrect. Having only a few participants cannot remove the likelihood of chance causing a result.)
- have an equal number of male and female participants (Incorrect. It may be inappropriate for some tests to include both males and females.)
- have a large number of participants (Correct. A large number of participants removes the likelihood that results are caused by chance.)
A: have a large number of participants

Q: Use the graph below to answer the following question. Which shift processed the most maple trees?
- 2nd (Incorrect. Maple is represented by the dark reddish-purple color on the graph and the 2nd shift did not process the most maple.)
- 3rd (Incorrect. Maple is represented by the dark reddish-purple color on the graph and the 3rd shift processed the least maple.)
- 1st (Correct. Maple is represented by the dark reddish-purple color on the graph and the 1st shift processed the most maple.)
A: 1st

Q: A convincing scientific study should rule out ________.
- all variability (Incorrect. A convincing scientific study should account for likely sources of variability but does not need to rule it all out.)
- any unknowns (Incorrect. A convincing scientific study should acknowledge unknowns but does not need to rule them out.)
- random chance (Correct. A scientific study must rule out random chance to be convincing.)
A: random chance