Deck 1: The Science of Biology

Question 1

A testable explanation for a natural phenomenon is a(n) _____.

A)experiment
B)hypothesis
C)prediction
D)model
E)conclusive description

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which function does not directly involve the instructions coded in an organism's DNA?

A)development
B)cell growth
C)need for nutrients
D)inheritance
E)reproduction

Answer 2

C

Question 3

To arrive at a conclusion based upon observations, scientists use _____.

A)inductive reasoning
B)deductive reasoning
C)subjective reasoning
D)logical intuition
E)biased methods

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Which term refers to an increase in number, size, or volume in the cells of an organism?

A)growth
B)development
C)reproduction
D)evolution
E)inheritance

Question 5

Which is the correct format for the scientific name of modern humans?

A)Homo Sapiens
B)Homo Sapiens
C)homo sapiens
D)Homo sapiens
E)Homo sapiens

Question 6

Four of the five answers listed below are kingdoms into which living organisms are classified. Select the exception.

A)Animalia
B)Protista
C)Eukarya
D)Fungi
E)Plantae

Question 7

A scientist randomly divided a group of 100 lab rats into two groups of 50. One group was fed regular rat chow while the other was fed the same amount of rat chow with added DDT. Both groups were housed in the same room with the same environmental conditions. At the end of the experiment, rats were weighed and the mean difference calculated.

-Refer to the accompanying narrative. Which dependent variable was measured?

A)DDT
B)temperature
C)weight
D)amount of food
E)length of day

Question 8

Suppose that in an experiment, data obtained from a subset of samples differ from the results obtained from the entire experimental group. This could be explained by ____.

A)probability
B)trend analysis
C)inductive reasoning
D)statistical significance
E)sampling error

Question 9

As energy is transferred among organisms, some escapes from the environment as ____ energy.

A)electrical
B)heat
C)light
D)mechanical
E)nuclear

Question 10

An experimenter surveyed one-half acre of a desert preserve and found three cactus wren nests. Assuming that the habitat is fairly uniform, how many nests would he expect to be in the entire 200-acre preserve?

A)6
B)200
C)600
D)1200
E)6000

Question 11

Which organisms are multicellular eukaryotes, the majority of which are photosynthetic producers?

A)plants
B)animals
C)fungi
D)bacteria
E)archaea

Question 12

Which statement could be considered a scientific theory?

A)Beauty pageant contestants are becoming increasingly more beautiful.
B)Chemistry and physics are more exact sciences than biology.
C)Change occurs in the inherited traits of a population over generations.
D)The growth of a plant is faster in a growth chamber than in a greenhouse.
E)Eating grapefruit prevents weight gain

Question 13

Organisms designated as producers usually obtain their energy from ____.

A)other producers
B)dead consumers
C)decomposers
D)the environment
E)themselves

Question 14

Plants use energy from the sun to produce nutrients; therefore, plants are _____.

A)consumers
B)reproducers
C)producers
D)decomposers
E)developers

Question 15

The control group in an experiment _____.

A)makes the experiment subjective
B)is an additional replicate for statistical purposes
C)is influenced by the dependent variable
D)is only necessary for inductive reasoning
E)is a standard of comparison for the experimental group

Question 16

In an experiment, the experimental group is _____.

A)not subjected to experimental error
B)not exposed to experimental treatments
C)maintained under strict laboratory conditions
D)treated exactly the same as the control group, except for one independent variable
E)treated exactly the same as the control group, except for one dependent variable

Question 17

A scientist randomly divided a group of 100 lab rats into two groups of 50. One group was fed regular rat chow while the other was fed the same amount of rat chow with added DDT. Both groups were housed in the same room with the same environmental conditions. At the end of the experiment, rats were weighed and the mean difference calculated.

-Refer to the accompanying narrative. Which variable(s) were manipulated by the scientist?

A)DDT only
B)temperature only
C)weight differences only
D)both DDT and weight differences
E)both temperature and weight differences

Question 18

Which term describes the transformation of one cell into a multicellular adult?

A)inheritance
B)genetics
C)reproduction
D)development
E)bioinformatics

Question 19

Which process describes the ability of living organisms to maintain an internal environment within a tolerable range?

A)metabolism
B)homeostasis
C)development
D)respiration
E)observation

Question 20

The eighteenth-century naturalist Carolus Linnaeus is known for developing ____.

A)the theory of natural selection
B)a system for naming and classifying organisms
C)the biological species concept
D)the first microscope
E)the scientific method

Question 21

A consistent natural phenomenon that cannot be described by a complete scientific explanation is known as a ____.

A)scientific theory
B)law of nature
C)hypothesis
D)scientific law
E)scientific method

Question 22

The transmission of DNA to offspring is known as ____.​

A)taxonomy
B)development
C)homeostasis
D)inheritance
E)differentiation

Question 23

As part of the scientific method, a scientist proposes and tests _____.

A)laws
B)theories
C)hypotheses
D)principles
E)facts

Question 24

All of the coyotes (Canis latrans) living in the Mojave Desert constitute a(n) ____.

A)ecosystem
B)community
C)biosphere
D)organism
E)population

Question 25

Four of the five answers listed below are characteristics of living organisms. Select the exception.

A)energy use
B)homeostasis
C)development
D)response to stimuli
E)diversity

Question 26

A scientific researcher performs four of the five tasks below. Select the exception.

A)revises a hypothesis based on data collected
B)manipulates dependent variables
C)reviews other research results obtained by other scientists
D)examines the effects of independent variables
E)draws conclusions based only on appropriate experimental data

Question 27

About 12 to 24 hours after the last meal, a person's blood sugar level normally varies from 60 to 90 mg per 100 ml of blood, although it may rise to 130 mg per 100 ml after meals high in carbohydrates. Yet, the blood sugar level is maintained within a fairly narrow range, despite uneven intake of sugar. This is possible due to the process of ____.

A)adaptation
B)homeostasis
C)inheritance
D)metabolism
E)development

Question 28

An experimental result that is statistically significant is _____.

A)likely to occur by chance alone
B)unlikely to occur by chance alone
C)scientifically significant or important
D)the result of an experiment with only one variable
E)influenced by sampling error

Question 29

A scientific name consists of the ____.

A)family name only
B)genus name only
C)specific epithet only
D)family name and genus name
E)genus name and specific epithet

Question 30

A scientist is investigating the results of varying temperature on the growth rate of a bacterial culture. In this experiment, temperature is the _____.

A)dependent variable
B)independent variable
C)control
D)model
E)hypothesis

Question 31

Which term describes the collection of all populations living in the same area?

A)ecosystem
B)community
C)biosphere
D)organism
E)population

Question 32

Energy flows ____ in an ecosystem.

A)in one direction
B)in two directions
C)from consumers to producers
D)from the biosphere to the sun
E)from decomposers to producers

Question 33

Four of the five answers listed below are steps of the scientific method. Select the exception.

A)observation
B)hypothesis
C)experimentation
D)philosophy
E)conclusion

Question 34

With the discovery of the Pinocchio frog in 2008, researchers needed to classify and assign a scientific name to this new species in a process known as ____.

A)development
B)taxonomy
C)deductive reasoning
D)pseudoscience
E)subjectivity

Question 35

Which features characterize all prokaryotes?

A)photosynthetic
B)multicellular
C)has nuclei
D)resides in extreme environments
E)lacks nuclei

Question 36

Which eukaryotes break down food externally and then absorb nutrients?

A)bacteria
B)plants
C)fungi
D)animals
E)protists

Question 37

Which is the most diverse and inclusive taxon?

A)domain
B)genus
C)kingdom
D)phylum
E)species

Question 38

Which domain(s) is/are made up of organisms without nuclei?

A)archaea only
B)bacteria only
C)eukarya only
D)both archaea and bacteria
E)both bacteria and eukarya

Question 39

Grass growing in a field is eaten by a deer. Later on, the deer dies and its body is decomposed, in part, by bacteria. In this scenario, which organism(s) are consumers?

A)grass only
B)deer only
C)bacteria only
D)grass and bacteria
E)deer and bacteria

Question 40

A hypothesis that has been repeatedly and rigorously tested and supported is known as a _____.

A)model
B)testable prediction
C)scientific method
D)scientific theory
E)result

Question 41

Match the following terms with the appropriate description.
a.atom
b.cell
c.organ system
d.population
e.community
f.ecosystem
g.​emergent property
h.​tissue
oxygen required by animals in the arctic tundra

Question 42

Suppose the Pinocchio frog, which was discovered in the remote Foja Mountains in New Guinea, is determined to be a new species based on the biological species concept. Why might the criteria of this concept not be applicable to these frogs?

A)DNA analyses must be conducted before a species can be defined by the biological species concept.
B)The small Pinocchio frog population introduces too much sampling error to assess reproductive behaviors.
C)Geographical barriers may prevent Pinocchio frogs from interbreeding with other frog populations.
D)Experiments must be conducted to determine whether Pinocchio frogs can breed with other frog species in captivity.
E)The biological species concept is subjective and inherently biased.

Question 43

Match the following terms with the appropriate description.
a.atom
b.cell
c.organ system
d.population
e.community
f.ecosystem
g.​emergent property
h.​tissue
group of arctic foxes in the arctic tundra

Question 44

Imagine that a researcher for a large food company believes that he has developed a new drug that increases appetite. He names the drug "EatMore" and designs an experiment to test his hypothesis. He uses two groups of mice: one group is given the drug and the other group given a placebo sugar pill. The appetite levels are assessed by measuring the amount of food consumed by the mice in each group for one week. At the end of the experiment, he reported that on average, mice that received the "EatMore" drug consumed 2.5g of food/day and mice that received the placebo consumed 5g of food/day. Statistical analysis of the data showed the difference to be statistically significant.

Match the following terms with the conditions related to the accompanying experiment.

-the amount of food consumed

A)independent variable
B)dependent variable
C)experimental group
D)control group

Question 45

Match the following terms with the appropriate description.
a.atom
b.cell
c.organ system
d.population
e.community
f.ecosystem
g.​emergent property
h.​tissue
smallest unit of life

Question 46

Match the following terms with the appropriate description.
a.atom
b.cell
c.organ system
d.population
e.community
f.ecosystem
g.​emergent property
h.​tissue
all arctic animals, plants, and other living organisms interacting with their physical environment

Question 47

Match the terms with the most suitable description.
a.statement of what should occur if the hypothesis is correct
b.the chance that an event will occur
c.testable explanation
d.time-tested hypothesis
e.​statements or methods that appear scientific but do not follow scientific principles
hypothesis

Question 48

Populations within California's Antelope Valley interact with their physical environment (e.g., sunlight and water) to sustain life. This scenario describes a(n) ____.

A)population
B)community
C)biosphere
D)ecosystem
E)organism

Question 49

Match the terms with the most suitable description.
a.statement of what should occur if the hypothesis is correct
b.the chance that an event will occur
c.testable explanation
d.time-tested hypothesis
e.​statements or methods that appear scientific but do not follow scientific principles
probability

Question 50

In the experiment with peacock butterflies, researchers noticed that the butterflies folded their wings and made hisses and clicks in the presence of bird predators. They therefore hypothesized that these behaviors helped the butterflies escape predation. Next, they predicted that removal of the spots on the butterfly's wings and/or removal of the ability of the butterfly to hiss and click will result in a greater risk of predation. To arrive at the hypothesis, the researchers used ____, while developing the prediction used ____.

A)deductive reasoning; inductive reasoning
B)inductive reasoning; deductive reasoning
C)critical thinking; inductive reasoning
D)pseudoscience; critical thinking
E)deductive reasoning; critical thinking

Question 51

Imagine that a researcher for a large food company believes that he has developed a new drug that increases appetite. He names the drug "EatMore" and designs an experiment to test his hypothesis. He uses two groups of mice: one group is given the drug and the other group given a placebo sugar pill. The appetite levels are assessed by measuring the amount of food consumed by the mice in each group for one week. At the end of the experiment, he reported that on average, mice that received the "EatMore" drug consumed 2.5g of food/day and mice that received the placebo consumed 5g of food/day. Statistical analysis of the data showed the difference to be statistically significant.

Match the following terms with the conditions related to the accompanying experiment.

-the "EatMore" drug

A)independent variable
B)dependent variable
C)experimental group
D)control group

Question 52

The smallest unit of life that can survive and reproduce on its own is a(n) ____.

A)atom
B)cell
C)molecule
D)organ
E)population

Question 53

Match the following terms with the appropriate description.
a.atom
b.cell
c.organ system
d.population
e.community
f.ecosystem
g.​emergent property
h.​tissue
circulatory system of polar bears

Question 54

In order to reduce bias and subjectivity, scientists perform experiments that yield ____ results.

A)ambiguous
B)imprecise
C)quantitative
D)qualitative
E)subjective

Question 55

Match the following terms with the appropriate description.
a.atom
b.cell
c.organ system
d.population
e.community
f.ecosystem
g.​emergent property
h.​tissue
arctic foxes, polar bears, fish, mosses, and shrubs (all species in the arctic tundra)

Question 56

Match the following terms with the appropriate description.
a.atom
b.cell
c.organ system
d.population
e.community
f.ecosystem
g.​emergent property
h.​tissue
​the schooling of arctic fish

Question 57

Imagine that a researcher for a large food company believes that he has developed a new drug that increases appetite. He names the drug "EatMore" and designs an experiment to test his hypothesis. He uses two groups of mice: one group is given the drug and the other group given a placebo sugar pill. The appetite levels are assessed by measuring the amount of food consumed by the mice in each group for one week. At the end of the experiment, he reported that on average, mice that received the "EatMore" drug consumed 2.5g of food/day and mice that received the placebo consumed 5g of food/day. Statistical analysis of the data showed the difference to be statistically significant.

Match the following terms with the conditions related to the accompanying experiment.

-the mice that received the "EatMore" drug

A)independent variable
B)dependent variable
C)experimental group
D)control group

Question 58

Imagine that a researcher for a large food company believes that he has developed a new drug that increases appetite. He names the drug "EatMore" and designs an experiment to test his hypothesis. He uses two groups of mice: one group is given the drug and the other group given a placebo sugar pill. The appetite levels are assessed by measuring the amount of food consumed by the mice in each group for one week. At the end of the experiment, he reported that on average, mice that received the "EatMore" drug consumed 2.5g of food/day and mice that received the placebo consumed 5g of food/day. Statistical analysis of the data showed the difference to be statistically significant.

Match the following terms with the conditions related to the accompanying experiment.

-the mice that received the placebo

A)independent variable
B)dependent variable
C)experimental group
D)control group

Question 59

Match the following terms with the appropriate description.

-?the fat layer under a polar bear's skin

A)atom
B)cell
C)organ system
D)population
E)community
F)ecosystem
G)?emergent property
H)?tissue

Question 60

Critical thinking is the process of ____.

A)finding fault in yourself
B)unconditionally accepting information from a trusted source
C)designing a scientific experiment
D)making a hypothesis
E)judging the quality of information before accepting it

Question 61

Match the statement to the most appropriate function, process, or trait listed below.

-increase in cell size, number, and volume

A)development
B)reproduction
C)photosynthesis
D)growth
E)homeostasis

Question 62

Match the statement to the most appropriate function, process, or trait listed below.
a.development
b.reproduction
c.photosynthesis
d.growth
e.homeostasis
this characteristic of all living organisms buffers the effects of environmental change

Question 63

Match the terms with the most suitable description.
a.statement of what should occur if the hypothesis is correct
b.the chance that an event will occur
c.testable explanation
d.time-tested hypothesis
e.​statements or methods that appear scientific but do not follow scientific principles
prediction

Question 64

Match the terms with the most suitable description.
a.statement of what should occur if the hypothesis is correct
b.the chance that an event will occur
c.testable explanation
d.time-tested hypothesis
e.​statements or methods that appear scientific but do not follow scientific principles
​pseudoscience

Question 65

Match the terms with the most suitable description.
a.statement of what should occur if the hypothesis is correct
b.the chance that an event will occur
c.testable explanation
d.time-tested hypothesis
e.​statements or methods that appear scientific but do not follow scientific principles
scientific theory

Question 66

Match the statement to the most appropriate function, process, or trait listed below.
a.development
b.reproduction
c.photosynthesis
d.growth
e.homeostasis
a process performed only by producers

Question 67

Match the statement to the most appropriate function, process, or trait listed below.
a.development
b.reproduction
c.photosynthesis
d.growth
e.homeostasis
process by which one generation replaces another

Question 68

Match the statement to the most appropriate function, process, or trait listed below.
a.development
b.reproduction
c.photosynthesis
d.growth
e.homeostasis
the process by which a single cell is transformed into a multicellular adult