Deck 1: Introduction to Biological Concepts and Research

Question 1

Which group would be considered a community?

A) fish, birds, alligators, water
B) a group of alligators
C) polar bears, seals, fish
D) pandas, bamboo, and mountains
E) a group of seaweed

Answer 1

C

Question 2

The percentage of African-Americans, Hispanics, Caucasians, and Asians in a neighborhood is an emergent property of a(n)____.

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

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Emergent properties are ____.

A) characteristics of atoms but not molecules
B) characteristics that depend on the level of organization of matter but do not exist at lower levels of organization
C) characteristics of nonliving matter that depend on the level of organization
D) dependent on higher levels of organization of living and nonliving matter
E) characteristics of all multicellular organisms but not unicellular organisms

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Every population of animals has an age structure, a graphical representation of the distribution of age groups within the population. While each individual in a population has a specific age, individuals themselves do not have an age structure. Age structure is therefore an example of a(n) ____ property.

A) emergent
B) hierarchical
C) environmental
D) organizational
E) cellular

Question 5

The process by which information in genes guides the production of RNA and proteins is called ____.

A) translation
B) gene expression
C) synthesis
D) cellular respiration
E) transcription

Question 6

Photosynthesis and cellular respiration are examples of ____.

A) catabolism
B) cleavage
C) anabolism
D) synthesis
E) metabolism

Question 7

The large, double-stranded, helical molecule that contains instructions for assembling a living organism from simpler molecules is ____.

A) RNA
B) DNA
C) ATP
D) protein
E) NADPH

Question 8

The process by which cells break down complex molecules in the presence of oxygen to release energy is called ____.

A) anabolism
B) photosynthesis
C) metabolism
D) translation
E) cellular respiration

Question 9

All of the populations of different organisms that live in the same place form a(n) ____.

A) ecosystem
B) community
C) biosphere
D) sample
E) organ

Question 10

The lowest level of biological organization that can survive and reproduce is the ____.

A) cell
B) tissue
C) proton
D) nucleus
E) DNA

Question 11

Monkeys, trees, snakes, moss, birds, sunlight, rain, rocks, and bugs together would be considered a(n) ____.

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

Question 12

Bacteria and protozoans ____.

A) can be either unicellular or multicellular organisms
B) reside solely in oceans
C) are multicellular organisms
D) are unicellular organisms
E) are precursors to cells

Question 13

The difference between living and nonliving matter depends not only on the kinds of atoms and molecules present, but on their ____ as well.

A) chemical complexity
B) electrons
C) organization and interactions
D) atomic profile
E) energy levels

Question 14

The highest level of the hierarchical classification of life is the ____.

A) biosphere
B) domain
C) ecosystem
D) population
E) cell

Question 15

A cell is minimally defined by ____.

A) a nucleus that contains DNA
B) an organized chemical system and specialized molecules and subcellular structures surrounded by a membrane
C) an organized chemical system for harnessing energy
D) a membrane comprised of phospholipids
E) specialized molecules that respond to their environment

Question 16

Which term describes a community and the nonliving environmental factors with which it interacts?

A) ecosystem
B) planet
C) multicellular organism
D) biosphere
E) community

Question 17

The information in DNA is copied into molecules of ____.

A) RNA
B) carbohydrates
C) lipid
D) oxygen
E) hydrogen peroxide

Question 18

The science of ____ explains the origin and persistence of life, and studies the changes in living things.

A) nanotechnology
B) biology
C) pharmacology
D) mathematics
E) chemistry

Question 19

The most fundamental and important molecule that distinguishes living systems from nonliving matter is ____.

A) protein
B) DNA
C) fructose
D) water
E) glucose

Question 20

A group of organisms of the same species that live together in the same place make up a(n) ____.

A) population
B) cell
C) biosphere
D) tissue
E) ecosystem

Question 21

Inheritance is the process by which genetic information is ____.

A) transmitted to offspring in the form of RNA
B) transmitted to offspring in the form of DNA
C) transcribed from DNA into RNA
D) transmitted to offspring in the form of proteins
E) translated from RNA into proteins

Question 22

The scientific name of an organism is composed of two names. The first part identifies the ____ while the second part designates the ____.

A) family; genus
B) genera; genus
C) genus; species
D) species; genus
E) phylum; species

Question 23

The most fundamental grouping in the classification of living organisms is the ____.

A) family
B) genus
C) order
D) species
E) class

Question 24

A series of programmed changes encoded in DNA, through which a fertilized egg divides into many cells that ultimately are transformed into an adult organism, is known as ____.

A) transformation
B) development
C) inheritance
D) homeostasis
E) compensation

Question 25

The sequential stages through which individuals develop, grow, maintain themselves, and reproduce are collectively known as the ____.

A) central dogma
B) catabolic reactions
C) anabolic reactions
D) transformation
E) life cycle

Question 26

Living systems have the capacity to detect environmental changes and compensate for them through controlled responses. This is possible because living systems have ____.

A) sensitivity
B) hormones
C) nerves
D) reflexes
E) receptors

Question 27

Which mutation is an example of an adaptation?

A) A mutation results in decreased sperm count in humans.
B) A mutation is found to be the cause of Alzheimer's disease.
C) A mutation results in hairless cats, reducing allergies in humans.
D) A mutation increases the size of tomato plants.
E) A mutation renders an individual immune to HIV infection.

Question 28

The process by which parents produce offspring is called ____.

A) feeding
B) homeostasis
C) compensation
D) artificial selection
E) reproduction

Question 29

In the mid-nineteenth century, Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace observed many organisms. Based on these observations, they arrived at an explanation called ____ for how populations change through time.

A) creationism
B) natural evolution
C) natural selection
D) genetics
E) evolution

Question 30

The group that is the most inclusive and has recently been added to the classification scheme is ____.

A) animalia
B) kingdom
C) eukarya
D) protista
E) domain

Question 31

Bulldogs have been bred to have such a large head size that they can no longer give birth naturally. The process by which these dogs changed over time is called ____.

A) artificial breeding
B) artificial selection
C) artificial evolution
D) artificial engineering
E) artificial insemination

Question 32

Mutations are ____.

A) always bad for populations
B) always good for populations
C) always harmful for individuals
D) the basis of homogeneity in a population
E) the basis of variability among individuals

Question 33

Which pair of organisms would be classified as prokaryotes?

A) Fungi and Plantae
B) Bacteria, Archaea, and Fungi
C) Animalia and Plantae
D) Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia
E) Bacteria and Archaea

Question 34

Our understanding of the evolutionary process reveals that ____.

A) favorable traits become less common in future generations
B) all populations are related through a shared ancestry
C) evolution has produced the spectacular diversity of life on Earth
D) all organisms change through time
E) development has produced the spectacular diversity of life on Earth

Question 35

Which of the following scientific names is written in the correct format?

A) canis Familiaris
B) c. Latrans
C) Canis Lupus
D) Canis latrans
E) Canis Familiaris

Question 36

A group of organisms in which the individuals are so closely related in structure, biochemistry, and behavior that they can successfully interbreed is a(n) ____.

A) class
B) genus
C) order
D) species
E) kingdom

Question 37

Maintaining your body's internal temperature within a narrow tolerable range is one example of ____.

A) perspiration
B) compensation
C) homeostasis
D) respiration
E) hydrolysis

Question 38

A group of similar species that share recent common ancestry is a(n) ____.

A) class
B) order
C) species
D) kingdom
E) genus

Question 39

A randomly selected group of organisms from an order would show more genetic and anatomical variability than a similar group randomly picked from a(n) _____.

A) kingdom
B) genus
C) family
D) phylum
E) class

Question 40

Populations of all organisms change from one generation to the next because their DNA changes over time. This is known as ____.

A) developmental selection
B) cellular respiration
C) experimental variables
D) genomics
E) biological evolution

Question 41

A researcher in a lab finds a microscopic organism that has no nucleus, but has distinctive structural molecules and mechanisms of photosynthesis. The organisms are abundant in virtually every habitat on Earth. The researcher has identified this organism as belonging to the domain ____.

A) Bacteria
B) Animalia
C) Eukarya
D) Protist
E) Amoeba

Question 42

A cell that is observed under the microscope is found to have its DNA enclosed in a nucleus and has other specialized internal compartments. The cell is a(n) ____.

A) bacterium
B) E. coli
C) prokaryote
D) eukaryote
E) archaean

Question 43

A biologist who searches for explanations about natural phenomena solely to satisfy her curiosity and advance our collective knowledge of living systems practices ____.

A) artificial science
B) basic research
C) general research
D) applied research
E) simple research

Question 44

An experimental approach in which scientists make observations about the natural world, develop tentative explanations about what they observe, and then test those explanations by collecting more information, is referred to as ____.

A) science
B) the biological method
C) education
D) the scientific method
E) biology

Question 45

The algae used to make sushi rolls are classified as ____.

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

Question 46

Applied researchers conduct their work to ____.

A) answer all questions
B) prove hypotheses
C) solve any problem they face
D) solve specific practical problems
E) advance our collective knowledge of living systems

Question 47

The observations you make and experimental data you collect in your biology laboratory class are examples of ____.

A) biological research
B) statistical analysis
C) hypothesis building
D) biological dogma
E) model systems

Question 48

It is through ____ that we further our knowledge of living things.

A) ideologies
B) biological research
C) logic
D) ethics
E) philosophy

Question 49

The pages of your textbook consist mainly of material made by multicellular, photosynthetic organisms that function as producers in ecosystems. These organisms belong to the kingdom ____.

A) Fungi
B) Bacteria
C) Protist
D) Plantae
E) Animalia

Question 50

In order to determine where a protein is expressed within a cell, a researcher tags the protein with a fluorescent label and then views the cell using a fluorescence microscope. The location of the protein within the cell as determined by the researcher is considered the ____.

A) experimental data
B) predicted data
C) observational data
D) replicate data
E) experimental variable

Question 51

What is the correct order of the basic steps of the scientific method?

A) observe -->hypothesize -->predict -->experiment -->interpret
B) predict -->hypothesize -->experiment -->observe -->interpret
C) hypothesize -->observe -->predict -->experiment -->interpret
D) observe -->predict -->hypothesize -->experiment -->interpret
E) hypothesize -->predict -->experiment -->observe -->interpret

Question 52

Shitake mushrooms are decomposers that break down biological molecules from dead organisms. These organisms belong to the ____ kingdom.

A) Protist
B) Animalia
C) Bacteria
D) Fungi
E) Plantae

Question 53

Statements about what a researcher expects to happen to one variable if another variable changes are called ____.

A) observational variables
B) hypotheses
C) experimental variables
D) theories
E) scientific research

Question 54

Scientists want to determine whether chemical X, a component of fertilizer, is harmful to fish. They treat fish in the laboratory with increasing amounts of the chemical for one week and then measure their viability. Fish that are not treated with chemical X are considered ____.

A) experimental data
B) controls
C) replicates
D) experimental variables
E) the null hypothesis

Question 55

A student encounters an organism that resembles a plant and whose cells contain a nucleus. The organism is most likely classified as a(n) ____.

A) Bacteria
B) Archaea
C) Eukarya
D) Amoeba
E) Animalia

Question 56

You are studying an ecosystem on your campus. After a solid base of carefully observed and described facts, your next step would be to ____.

A) make more observations
B) make a hypothesis
C) share your data with others
D) wait for instructions
E) design an experiment

Question 57

Cats, dogs, and fish are consumers that have the ability to move actively from one place to another. These organisms belong to the ____ kingdom.

A) Animalia
B) Bacteria
C) Protist
D) Fungi
E) Plantae

Question 58

When conducting descriptive research, a scientist primarily uses ____.

A) experiments
B) experimental data
C) control data
D) observational data
E) speculation

Question 59

A researcher in a lab finds a microscopic organism that is a producer. Populations of this organism are found in extreme environments (e.g., hot springs). The researcher will correctly identify this organism as belonging to the domain ____.

A) Amoeba
B) Eukarya
C) Archaea
D) Bacteria
E) Animalia

Question 60

When a student manipulates a system under study, he or she is collecting ____.

A) factual data
B) analytical data
C) experimental data
D) empirical data
E) observational data

Question 63

Scientists want to determine whether chemical X, a component of fertilizer, is harmful to fish. They treat fish in the laboratory with increasing amounts of the chemical for one week and then measure their viability. When researchers designed this experiment, they wrote "chemical X is toxic to fish" in their lab notebook. This statement is a(n) ____.

A) interpretation
B) prediction
C) hypothesis
D) result
E) theory

Question 65

Protists do not constitute a kingdom because they do not share a unique common ancestor.

Question 66

Scientists structure hypotheses in such a way that if they are wrong, they will be able to demonstrate it is wrong. This is the principle of ____.

A) falsifiability
B) the null hypothesis
C) fallibility
D) hierarchy
E) errors

Question 67

Scientists want to determine whether chemical X, a component of fertilizer, is harmful to fish. They treat fish in the laboratory with increasing amounts of the chemical for one week and then measure their viability. When researchers designed this experiment, they wrote "If chemical X is toxic, the fish will begin to look sick and die." This statement is a(n) ____.

A) interpretation
B) theory
C) hypothesis
D) result
E) prediction

Question 68

Much of our understanding of how large organisms respond to environmental variation is based on observations of model species.

Question 69

Within an organism, all cells have the same ____, whereas different cell types contain different ____.

A) RNA; genes
B) protein; RNA
C) genes; proteins
D) RNA; protein
E) proteins; genes

Question 70

Which research topic would be most likely to fall within the area of systems biology?

A) looking at the interaction of Gene X and Gene Y in cancer cells
B) understanding how stress hormones affect the organs in the human body
C) designing a new valve for a heart
D) finding a novel receptor for a known hormone
E) determining the bacteria levels in Lake Michigan before and after a rainfall

Question 71

Scientists want to determine whether chemical X, a component of fertilizer, is harmful to fish. They treat fish in the laboratory with increasing amounts of the chemical for one week and then measure their viability. What is the experimental variable for this experiment?

A) chemical X
B) fish
C) river
D) farming
E) water

Question 72

Scientists that focus on the small, individual parts of a living system are using a(n) ____ approach.

A) systemic
B) microbiological
C) reductionist
D) molecular
E) bioinformatics

Question 73

You are at the stage in your research when you must design an experiment to test your hypothesis. Which factors must you include to ensure that you obtain valid data?

Question 74

Populations can be described in terms of their diversity and stability.

Question 75

Although Darwin and Wallace understood the central importance of heritability among organisms to the process of evolution, they could not explain how new variations arose or how they were passed to the next generation.

Question 76

Why do scientists use model organisms?

Question 77

Internal body temperature in humans is regulated primarily by behavioral mechanisms.

Question 78

In the field of ____, researchers determine how multiple proteins interact with each other.

A) systematics
B) genomics
C) proteomics
D) microbiology
E) bioinformatics

Question 79

Scientific theories are of fundamental importance in science. Explain the difference between the term "theory" as employed in science versus "theory" as employed in everyday language.

Question 80

Explain the need for a null hypothesis, especially in ecology and evolution. What does a null hypothesis accomplish?