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?
- cell organization (Incorrect. Cell organization refers to the components of a cell and how these individual parts are arranged within the cell.)
- 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 (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

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.)
- Regulation (Incorrect. Regulation refers to the coordination of internal functions and responses to stress.)
- 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 is the nonliving parts and living things in a given area.)
- 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: Biodiversity provides humans with ________.
- technological advances (Incorrect. Technological advances are those created by human ingenuity.)
- societal pressures (Incorrect. Societal pressures are a purely human “invention.”)
- medicines (Correct. Biological species provide humans with a number of valuable and novel medicines.)
A: medicines

Q: Biological diversity is ________.
- static (Incorrect. Species come and go.)
- changed only by a major ecological event (Incorrect. While major ecological events can have a dramatic impact this is not the only cause of changes in biological diversity.)
- constantly changing (Correct. New species constantly arise even as others become extinct.)
A: constantly changing

Q: Variation within a species is a(n) ________ measure of biodiversity.
- broad (Incorrect. Variation within a species can be measured by laboratory tests or observations.)
- unimportant (Incorrect. Variation within a species is an important aspect of biodiversity.)
- precise (Correct. Variation within a species can be measured by laboratory tests or observations.)
A: precise

Q: The most inclusive measure of biodiversity is ________.
- species diversity (Incorrect. Species diversity is simply the number of different types of organisms in a location.)
- variation within a species (Incorrect. Variation within a species is a precisely measured value and is therefore the most exclusive.)
- ecosystem diversity (Correct. Ecosystem diversity will account for variation within individuals as well as different species and their interactions.)
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 are a scientific tool, not a characteristic of life.)
- 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 defines the binomial naming system.
- No species has a unique binomial. (Incorrect. The binomial naming system is used to generate unique names.)
- 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 that 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 ________.
- cell biology (Incorrect. Cell biology 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 purple color on the graph and the 2nd shift did not process the most maple.)
- 3rd (Incorrect. Maple is represented by the purple color on the graph and the 3rd shift processed the least maple.)
- 1st (Correct. Maple is represented by the 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