Exam 1: Introduction: Themes in the Study of Life

When the body's blood glucose level rises, the pancreas secretes insulin and, as a result, the blood glucose level declines. When the blood glucose level is low, the pancreas secretes glucagon and, as a result, the blood glucose level rises. Such regulation of the blood glucose level is the result of

Systems biology is mainly an attempt to

Which theme(s)is/are best illustrated by a group of investigators who are trying to classify and explain the ecology of an area known as the Big Thicket?

What are archaea?

The method of scientific inquiry that describes natural structures and processes as accurately as possible through careful observation and the analysis of data is known as

In presenting data that result from an experiment, a group of students show 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. What should they do?

Use the following information to answer the questions below. Golden algae are a group of protists whose color is due to carotenoid pigments: yellow and brown. Most have two flagella and all are photosynthetic. A group of students was given a significant sample of one of these (Dinobryon) that is colonial. Their instructions for the project were to design two or more experiments that could be done with these organisms. -Since these organisms are protists, which of these characteristics could the students assume to be true?

Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells generally have which of the following features in common?

Which theme(s)is/are illustrated when a biology class is comparing the rates of photosynthesis between leaves of a flowering plant species (Gerbera jamesonii)and a species of fern (Polypodium polypodioides)?

Through time, the lineage that led to modern whales shows a change from four-limbed land animals to aquatic animals with two limbs that function as flippers. This change is best explained by

In a hypothetical world, every 50 years people over 6 feet tall are eliminated from the population before they reproduce. Based on your knowledge of natural selection, you would predict that the average height of the human population will

Which of these individuals is likely to be most successful in an evolutionary sense?

A water sample from a hot thermal vent contained a single-celled organism that had a cell wall but lacked a nucleus. What is its most likely classification?

Which of the following are qualities of any good scientific hypothesis? I.It is testable. II.It is falsifiable. III.It produces quantitative data. IV.It produces results that can be replicated.

A controlled experiment is one that

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

Which of these provides evidence of the common ancestry of all life?

Which theme(s)is/are best illustrated by an experiment in which a biologist seeks a medication that will inhibit pain responses in a cancer patient?

Similarities and differences among/between life-forms over time are most efficiently recorded by scientists in which field(s)of study?

In a high school laboratory, which of the following constitutes an experiment? I.learning to use a microscope by examining fixed specimens on slides II.being able to examine swimming protists under a microscope III.extracting pigments from plant leaves and separating the types of pigments for identification IV.preparing root tips for examination by staining them