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.)
- 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: All of the following are characteristics of life except for the ability to ________.
- maintain homeostasis (Incorrect. Ability to maintain homeostasis is a shared characteristic of life.)
- grow (Incorrect. Ability to grow is a shared characteristic of life.)
- move (Correct. Ability to move is not a shared characteristic of life.)
A: move

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: 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 ________.
- textual summaries of the 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: 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 visualisation tool and don’t identify all the specific characteristics 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: 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 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 ________.
- 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: In the city of Birthville, an elderly midwife who has been working at the community center for several years noticed that there were no deliveries in the month of May in a particular year. In her discussion with the matron of the clinic, she said, “There were no deliveries in May of that year.” In scientific process, her response can be classified as:
- Inductive reasoning (Incorrect. The midwife is not making a generalized statement or estimation.)
- scientific reasoning (Incorrect. This is a deductive reasoning process.)
- deductive reasoning (Correct. The midwife is making a factual statement based on actual observation.)
A: deductive reasoning

Q: Mrs. Rossi, a third grade teacher who has been teaching for seven years, noticed that nearly half of her students got the flu in a particular year. When discussing this with the principle of the school she said, “Nearly half of my students got the flu this year. I’ve noticed over the last few years the number of students who get sick has been increasing. We should try to educate parents in the area about the importance of flu vaccines.” In scientific process, her response can be classified as:
- deductive reasoning (Incorrect. Ms. Rossi is making a generalized statement or estimation about changes in the number of sick students.)
- scientific reasoning (Incorrect. This is an inductive reasoning process.)
- Inductive reasoning (Correct. Ms. Rossi is making a generalized statement based on the observation that the number of sick students is increasing each year.)
A: Inductive reasoning

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: 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: 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: The scientific method requires well formed ________ to help design the best conditions for an experiment.
- data (Incorrect. Data are collected from an experiment; they don’t influence the design of the experiment.)
- observations (Incorrect. Observations often drive scientific inquiry, but they do not need to be well formed or very detailed. Plus, they do not actually drive the design of an experiment.)
- hypotheses (Correct. A scientist needs to start with a well-formed hypothesis in order to design the best test.)
A: hypotheses

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: John Smith is a research scientist. His main focus is to understand the how the human brain works. Dr. Smith is a(n) ________.
- applied research scientist (incorrect. Applied science research focuses on how to use the knowledge of science to solve problems.)
- geneticist (Incorrect. Geneticists work on the study of genes.)
- basic research scientist (Correct. Dr. Smith’s research is focusing on fundamental knowledge in science)
A: basic research scientist

Q: Shanti is a lab assistant. Her main focus is to develop a treatment for HIV/AIDS. Shanti is a(n) ________
- basic research scientist (Incorrect. Shanti’s research is focusing on application of scientific knowledge to improve life.)
- geneticist (Incorrect. Geneticists work on the study of genes.)
- applied research scientist (Correct. Applied science research focuses on how to use the knowledge of science to solve problems.)
A: applied research scientist

Q: In order for science to advance, scientists must ________.
- attend conferences (Incorrect. Conference attendance is not required to advance science.)
- obtain grants (Incorrect. Grants often fund scientific studies but not always.)
- communicate and collaborate (Correct. Scientists must communicate to and collaborate with other scientists in order for science to advance.)
A: communicate and collaborate