Deck 1: Studying Life

Question 1

The critical step for the evolution of life was the

A) formation of fatty acids.
B) formation of simple molecules.
C) appearance of proteins that could replicate themselves.
D) appearance of nucleic acids that could replicate themselves.
E) synthesis of proteins.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The oldest rocks on Earth are approximately _______ years old.

A) 4,000‒5,000
B) 400,000‒500,000
C) 2-3 million
D) 4-4.5 billion
E) 8 billion

Answer 2

D

Question 3

An abundance of O₂ led to the evolution of

A) photosynthetic eukaryotes.
B) aerobic eukaryotes.
C) anaerobic prokaryotes.
D) photosynthetic prokaryotes.
E) anaerobic eukaryotes.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Unmanned space probes are searching for signs of life on Mars.Which of the following would provide the best evidence for the presence of living organisms on Mars?

A) Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
B) Different nucleic acids and amino acids from those found on Earth
C) Fatty acid molecules
D) Complex molecules containing genetic information
E) Simple organic molecules

Question 5

Suppose a space probe is successful in discovering a living organism on a distant planet.Which would be the best approach to collect data that would show whether this organism shares a common origin with Earth organisms?

A) Observe the organism's reproduction rate.
B) Test the organism's ability to adapt to an Earth environment.
C) Analyze the chemical makeup of the organism's genome.
D) Determine whether the organism can use oxygen in its metabolism.
E) Investigate whether a population of that type of organism is able to undergo evolutionary change.

Question 6

The seed of a desert plant may be dormant for many years without growing, but it is still considered to be alive because it

A) is always converting molecules.
B) contains a genome and is capable of growing into a fully functional organism.
C) is always regulating its internal environment.
D) is reproducing.
E) is extracting energy from its environment.

Question 7

Which event was most directly responsible for increasing oxygen in Earth's atmosphere?

A) The cooling of the planet
B) The emergence of eukaryotes
C) The development of multicellularity
D) The evolution of photosynthesis
E) The rise of prokaryotes

Question 8

Refer to the figure below showing life's "timeline." Based on the timeline, which statement is true?

A) The oldest fossils include photosynthesizers.
B) The first photosynthesizers were prokaryotic.
C) Multicellularity arose before the evolution of eukaryotic cells.
D) The oldest fossils include multicellular organisms.
E) The first photosynthesizers were multicellular.

Question 9

Bacterial cells and human cells share many similar features.Which feature can be used as support for the claim that humans and bacteria have a common origin?

A) Both extract energy from their environment.
B) Both undergo cell division.
C) Both use chemical reactions to maintain the living state.
D) They contain proteins with similar compositions.
E) They have similar percentages of water.

Question 10

The accumulation of _______ allowed organisms to grow larger.

A) O₂ in the atmosphere
B) CO₂ in the atmosphere
C) CO₂ in the water
D) O₃ in the atmosphere
E) O₃ in the water

Question 11

O₂ is critical for terrestrial life on Earth because it

A) allows for anaerobic metabolism.
B) blocks UV radiation.
C) provides energy to some basic forms of life.
D) provided food for early prokaryotes.
E) once led to production of ozone in the upper atmosphere.

Question 12

Cells are characterized by

A) an aggregation of proteins.
B) the synthesis of proteins with stable shapes.
C) the enclosure of biological molecules by a membrane.
D) complex proteins being dissolved in water.
E) the formation of reactants and products.

Question 13

There has been life on Earth for approximately _______ years.

A) 10,000
B) 4 million
C) 100 million
D) 1 billion
E) 4 billion

Question 14

Which is not a characteristic of most living organisms?

A) Regulation of internal environment
B) One or more cells
C) Ability to produce biological molecules
D) Ability to extract energy from the environment
E) Ability to change traits according to need

Question 15

Photosynthesis was a major evolutionary milestone for several reasons.One reason is that

A) photosynthetic organisms contributed ozone to the environment, which led to the evolution of aerobic organisms.
B) photosynthesis led to conditions that allowed life to arise on land.
C) photosynthesis is the only metabolic process that consumes oxygen.
D) photosynthesis provides oxygen for anaerobic organisms.
E) photosynthesis changed the levels of carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere.

Question 16

Refer to the figure below. The figure compares data from four different organisms.The data include the first 35 amino acids that make up the protein cytochrome c, which functions in cellular respiration.Each capital letter represents a different amino acid.What do these data indicate about relationships among these four organisms?

A) The four organisms are unrelated because each has a unique sequence of amino acids that make up the cytochrome c protein.
B) All four organisms have a common origin because the same protein is found in all four with only small differences in structure among the four.
C) All four organisms have a common origin because cells in all four contain large and complex biomolecules that carry out metabolic reactions that sustain life.
D) Only rattlesnake and dog have a common origin because only their cytochrome c sequences are similar.
E) Only wheat is unrelated to the other three, as shown by differences in cytochrome c structures, because wheat is a plant and the others are animals.

Question 17

Earth is approximately _______ years old.

A) 5.5 million
B) 40-50 million
C) 4.5 billion
D) 5 trillion
E) 40 trillion

Question 18

The basic structural and physiological unit of most living organisms is the

A) aggregate.
B) organelle.
C) genome.
D) membrane.
E) cell.

Question 19

Which statement about aerobic metabolism is false?

A) It is more efficient than anaerobic metabolism.
B) It can occur in O₂-rich environments.
C) It allows organisms to grow.
D) It is used by the majority of organisms on Earth today.
E) It provides protection from UV radiation.

Question 20

Which of the following statements about viruses is true?

A) They do not mutate or evolve.
B) They do not contain genetic information.
C) They carry out physiological functions on their own.
D) They depend on cellular organisms to reproduce.
E) They are composed of cells.

Question 21

Scientists' ability to reconstruct evolutionary history has been most enhanced in recent decades by

A) new fossil-hunting techniques.
B) advances in anatomical dissection.
C) improved microscopic technologies.
D) accurate genetic sequencing techniques.
E) an increase in research in animal developmental biology.

Question 22

Which scientific name is written incorrectly?

A) Homo sapiens
B) Branta Canadensis
C) Acer saccharum
D) H. neanderthalensis
E) Canis lupus

Question 23

Natural selection functions

A) by causing mutations in the genome.
B) by producing structural and functional changes within organisms.
C) through differential probabilities of survival and reproductive success.
D) through sexual selection and genetic drift.
E) by allowing unlimited growth of populations.

Question 24

The information needed to produce proteins is contained in

A) nutrients.
B) tissues.
C) evolution.
D) organs.
E) genes.

Question 25

The thorns on cacti are modified leaves and represent an example of a(n) _______

A) evolution.
B) binomial.
C) expressed gene.
D) genome.
E) adaptation.

Question 26

Once a phylogenetic tree has been constructed,

A) it cannot be changed.
B) it cannot be consolidated into any other phylogenetic tree.
C) it can be modified only using genetic data.
D) it can be modified only as organisms continue to evolve.
E) it can be modified or enlarged as new evidence warrants.

Question 27

Which is the feature or component of organisms that allows for their success in such a wide variety of environments on Earth?

A) Prokaryotic cells
B) Eukaryotic cells
C) Homeostasis
D) Adaptation
E) Model systems

Question 28

A node on a phylogenetic tree represents

A) an extinction event.
B) a hybridization event between two variants of a species.
C) a common ancestor of two lineages.
D) a die-off of a population.
E) a new generation.

Question 29

A phylogenetic tree

A) classifies all plant species based on their habitats.
B) diagrams the evolutionary history of a particular group of organisms.
C) is based on binomial nomenclature.
D) only catalogues fossil plants.
E) only uses genome sequencing data.

Question 30

Which of the following is not true of life?

A) Life has a common ancestry.
B) Life is made up of living organisms.
C) Living organisms are all descended from a common origin.
D) Life has multiple origins.
E) Life has striking similarities across gene sequences.

Question 31

The ultimate source of new genetic variation is

A) perfect replication of the genome.
B) mating.
C) artificial selection.
D) mutations in the genome.
E) structural adaptations.

Question 32

A species consists of

A) all the populations of different organisms that live together in a particular area.
B) all the populations found in a community.
C) a group of individuals of the same type of organism that share a common genome.
D) all the populations found in an ecosystem.
E) a group of individual organisms in an area that do not interact.

Question 33

Refer to the figure below showing DNA as life's "blueprint." Which statement is not supported by evidence presented in the figure?

A) Genes are composed of DNA.
B) Information in DNA is used to construct proteins.
C) Nucleotides contain genetic information.
D) DNA is composed of nucleotides.
E) Proteins are composed of genes.

Question 34

Which does not contribute to adaptation in the wild?

A) Artificial selection
B) Genetic drift
C) Natural selection
D) Sexual selection
E) Environmental conditions

Question 35

The same DNA code is used by Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya.However, when the sequences of genes encoding proteins of similar function are compared, certain groups of genes in Eukarya are more similar to those in Archaea than to those in Bacteria, while other groups of genes in Eukarya are more similar to those in Bacteria than to those in Archaea.Which statement is consistent with these findings?

A) The origins of Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya are all different and unique from one another.
B) Archaea and Bacteria have the same common ancestor that differs from the one each shares with Eukarya.
C) Eukarya and Bacteria have the same common ancestor, and Eukarya and Archaea have the same common ancestor, but Archaea and Bacteria do not share a common ancestor.
D) Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya represent lineages that came from a single common ancestor.
E) Eukarya and Archaea have the same common ancestor that differs from the one each shares with Bacteria.

Question 36

The toe pads of arboreal (tree) frogs and the webbed feet of aquatic frogs are examples of

A) genetic drift.
B) structural adaptations.
C) sexual selection.
D) artificial selection.
E) cooperation.

Question 37

Change in the genetic makeup of populations over time is known as

A) evolution.
B) speciation.
C) growth.
D) ecological change.
E) global change.

Question 38

Species are given a distinctive scientific name formed from two Latin names called a

A) minimal.
B) biannual.
C) normal.
D) binomial.
E) polynomial.

Question 39

The exposure of DNA to excessive levels of ultraviolet radiation produces dimers of thymine (a nucleotide); if unrepaired, these can lead to production of skin cancer.This mutation would

A) have no effect on genes.
B) have no effect on proteins.
C) affect both genes and proteins.
D) affect only proteins.
E) affect only genes.

Question 40

Evolutionary relationships among living organisms can be determined by comparing

A) their genomes.
B) their physiological states.
C) their life stages.
D) their genders.
E) their ages.

Question 41

Some plants have a vascular system composed of a type of tissue called vascular tissue.Plant vascular tissue functions to carry water, minerals, and nutrients to cells throughout the plant.In an analogous way, some animals have a vascular system, which is composed of several types of tissues that function collectively to move water, minerals, and nutrients to cells throughout the animal's body.Which statement makes an accurate comparison of plant and animal vascular systems?

A) Because both systems have the same basic function, they are composed of cells that are structurally similar.
B) Both plant and animal vascular systems evolved from a common origin, because they share the same biological function.
C) Animals are more complex than plants, implying that the vascular systems in animals are more complex than the vascular systems in plants.
D) The vascular systems in plants are not true vascular systems like those in animals, because plants do not have hearts.
E) Both systems evolved as the result of cell differentiation that took different paths in plants and animals but resulted in similar functions.

Question 42

Refer to the diagram below showing the evolutionary tree of life. Which statement is supported by this diagram?

A) Plants contain chloroplasts but not mitochondria.
B) No members of Eukarya contain both mitochondria and chloroplasts.
C) Chloroplasts are found in bacteria.
D) Mitochondria evolved before chloroplasts.
E) Mitochondria are found in bacteria.

Question 43

Which provides evidence of the ability of cells to become specialized?

A) Replacing the nucleus in a sheep's cell with the nucleus from a mouse cell results in a cell with characteristics of a mouse cell.
B) Cells removed from a multicellular animal can undergo cell division in culture dishes indefinitely when provided a continued source of nutrients.
C) Cells from a mouse embryo can be isolated and used to repair an injury in the central nervous system of an adult mouse.
D) A virus can infect a human cell and insert some of its DNA into a human chromosome, where it will be replicated and carried along during division of the human cell.
E) Mouse cells grown in culture dishes undergo cell division at a slower rate at temperatures colder than 37°C.

Question 44

Refer to the figure below. The Cnidaria are simple marine animals that have either of the two basic body plans shown in the figure.You may be familiar with sea anemones, which have the body plan shown on the left, and you are likely familiar with jellyfish, which have the body plan shown on the right.What feature shared by both of these cnidarians could have been important in providing the conditions that enabled the rise of multicellularity on Earth?

A) Marine habitat
B) Tentacles
C) Shared mouth and anus
D) Separate internal and external layers
E) Symmetrical body shape

Question 45

You propose a set of experiments to test whether present-day chloroplasts originated from a single or multiple endosymbiotic events.Which experimental approach would provide the most detailed test of these hypotheses?

A) Testing whether different groups of photosynthetic organisms have similar pigments in their chloroplasts
B) Testing whether the chloroplasts of different groups of photosynthetic organisms have the same structure
C) Performing an instrumental test to determine whether the wavelengths of light absorption by chloroplast pigments are the same in different groups of photosynthetic organisms
D) Using structural chemistry to test whether the light-absorbing pigments in different groups of photosynthetic organisms are the same
E) Comparing the genomes of chloroplasts found in different groups of photosynthetic organisms to determine their evolutionary relationship to one another as well as to free-living species

Question 46

Scientists hypothesize that multicellularity evolved when groups of cells exposed to an internal environment specialized to perform tasks needed by groups of cells exposed to the external environment, and vice versa.Which biological structures existing today could be used as examples to explain this concept?

A) The blood cells moving in a fish's circulatory system and the fish's lung tissue
B) The lining of a snake's intestine and the snake's skin
C) The bark on an oak tree and the waxy cuticle on an oak leaf
D) The trachea (airway) in a blackbird's neck and the heart in the blackbird's chest
E) The whiskers on a cat's face and the fur on the cat's tail

Question 47

Plants are

A) eukaryotic unicellular aerobes.
B) eukaryotic multicellular aerobes.
C) eukaryotic multicellular anaerobes.
D) prokaryotic unicellular anaerobes.
E) prokaryotic multicellular aerobes.

Question 48

Which factors are taken into consideration in the biological classification of organisms?

A) Physical characteristics only
B) Molecular characteristics only
C) Physical characteristics and fossil records only
D) Physical characteristics and molecular characteristics only
E) Physical characteristics, fossil records, and molecular characteristics

Question 49

A scientist has isolated the same gene from ten different species.Once these ten pieces of DNA have been sequenced, the scientist will line up the sequences to compare them.She should be able to draw conclusions about the evolutionary relationships among these ten species by using the following as a guide: The _______ the _______ in gene sequences for two species, the _______ the time span since these species diverged from a common ancestor during their evolution.

A) greater; similarities; shorter
B) fewer; similarities; shorter
C) greater; similarities; longer
D) fewer; differences; longer
E) greater; differences; shorter

Question 50

Which group is most distantly related to protists?

A) Plants
B) Archaea
C) Birds
D) Fungi
E) Mammals

Question 51

Which represents the correct order of the levels of complexity at which life is studied, from most inclusive to least inclusive?

A) Cell, tissue, organ, organism, population, community
B) Community, population, organ, organism, tissue, cell
C) Community, population, organism, organ, tissue, cell
D) Community, organism, population, organ, tissue, cell
E) Community, organism, population, cell, organ, tissue

Question 52

Refer to the figure below showing changes in the diversity of vertebrate life forms inhabiting Earth over its history. Which statement is accurate and also describes factors that most contributed to the trend depicted in the figure?

A) The range of animal body forms increased tremendously over the history of life on Earth because cell differentiation opened up new structural possibilities.
B) Over time, animals have experienced increasing survival rates because evolution moves in the direction of improving on past forms.
C) Simple vertebrates slowly evolved into more complex vertebrates, because the more complex forms are more highly evolved.
D) Biologists are less able to document the variety of life forms that inhabited Earth the farther back in time they search for clues.
E) The environment on Earth has changed: it was least hospitable to life in its earliest stages but has grown more and more hospitable to life over its long history.

Question 53

Which feature is the same in muscle cells and gut cells?

A) Cell function
B) Local cell environment
C) Expressed genes
D) Genome
E) Proteins formed

Question 54

A group of cells that work together to carry out a similar function is known as a(n)

A) tissue.
B) organ system.
C) unicellular organism.
D) protein.
E) gene.

Question 55

Of the following, which is the smallest biological entity that maintains homeostasis?

A) Molecule
B) Cell
C) Tissue
D) Organ
E) Organism

Question 56

Which is not an attribute of homeostasis in a multicellular organism?

A) Maintaining a stable internal environment
B) Maintaining the extracellular fluid within a range of physical conditions
C) Maintaining a stable external environment
D) Physiological systems that can change in response to regulatory signals
E) Physiological systems that work cooperatively

Question 57

In the names of organisms, the _______ is placed first and the _______ is placed second.

A) species; genus
B) genus; domain
C) domain; genus
D) genus; species
E) domain; species

Question 58

Homeostasis is

A) the mechanism by which organisms acquire nutrients from the environment.
B) the maintenance of a narrow range of internal conditions.
C) the sensory system of an organism.
D) the mechanical movement of molecules from one cellular location to another.
E) the maintenance of extracellular fluids.

Question 59

Plants, fungi, and animals are most closely related to different groups of

A) protists.
B) endosymbiotic bacteria.
C) Archaea.
D) cyanobacteria.
E) inorganic molecules.

Question 60

Refer to the diagram below showing the evolutionary tree of life. According to the relationships indicated by this phylogeny, which statement is true?

A) Animals are equally related to plants and fungi.
B) Animals are more closely related to fungi than they are to plants or any protists.
C) Fungi evolved more recently than did plants.
D) Most eukaryotes are protists.
E) Plants evolved more recently than did archaea.

Question 61

Bacteria can be used as a model system to study chemical reactions in cells.These reactions can be related to similar processes in humans because bacteria and humans

A) share a genetic code.
B) are both prokaryotes.
C) have exactly the same genome.
D) have the same number of chromosomes.
E) share the same habitat.

Question 62

Refer to the table below. A biologist studied plant growth using two plant species grown over a 2-week period.For each species, 20 plants were used, randomly split into control and experimental groups.Except for CO₂ exposure, conditions were identical for all plants.The table summarizes results as average height increase, along with a plus/minus value indicating the range of individual plant heights measured.Which is the null hypothesis that would be developed when using statistics to analyze these results?

A) The growth rates of certain species of plants are more influenced by CO₂ levels than others.
B) Differences in growth rate at the different CO₂ levels could be due to random variations in the samples of both species.
C) All plants show variation in growth rate when environmental variables are changed.
D) Carbon dioxide is one of many variables that can influence plant growth rate.
E) The effect of CO₂ on plant growth rate depends on the species of plant being investigated.

Question 63

Refer to the diagram below showing the steps in the scientific method. Which step in the diagram best illustrates the use of inductive logic?

A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) 4
E) 5

Question 64

The advantage of controlled scientific experiments is that

A) all variables except one are held constant.
B) the hypothesis can be proven correct.
C) patterns can be predicted.
D) investigations can be carried out in the field.
E) a massive amount of data can be synthesized.

Question 65

Which usually results from a scientific investigation?

A) Proof of the hypothesis
B) Refinement of the experimental design to produce qualitative data
C) Formulation of new questions that result in additional experimentation
D) Repetition of statistical tests to verify results
E) Development of additional technologies to meet the needs of scientists

Question 66

A statistical test starts with

A) a null hypothesis.
B) deductive logic.
C) inductive logic.
D) a hypothesis.
E) a model system.

Question 67

Which question cannot be answered by means of the hypothesis-and-prediction approach?

A) Are eastern meadowlark populations declining faster than western meadowlark populations?
B) Is the song of the western meadowlark prettier than that of the eastern meadowlark?
C) Do eastern and western meadowlarks interbreed?
D) Do meadowlarks benefit from prairie habitat restoration?
E) Have the migration paths of western meadowlarks been affected by climate change?

Question 68

Refer to the image below. Which is the smallest (lowest) level of biological organization that is visible and easily distinguished?

A) Community
B) Organism
C) Molecule
D) Cell
E) Population

Question 69

Which is not a step in the scientific method?

A) Observing
B) Recording quantitative data
C) Discarding data that disprove a hypothesis
D) Formulating a hypothesis
E) Asking questions

Question 70

A researcher collected frog and water samples from eight widely separated sites across the United States and studied the incidence of abnormalities in frogs exposed to different levels of the herbicide atrazine.This was a(n) _______ experiment.

A) comparative
B) controlled
C) inductive
D) logic
E) deductive

Question 71

The main purpose of any single experiment is to

A) obtain accurate quantitative measurements.
B) prove unambiguously that a particular hypothesis is correct.
C) avoid a merely comparative analysis.
D) answer as many key questions as possible.
E) test a prediction that is based on a hypothesis.

Question 72

Which is a characteristic of a comparative experiment?

A) It has only independent variables.
B) It has only one dependent variable.
C) It compares one independent variable with one dependent variable.
D) It starts with groups or samples that are as similar as possible.
E) It starts with the prediction that there will be a difference between groups or samples.

Question 73

Much of what we know about the biochemistry of photosynthesis was discovered in experiments with

A) fruit flies.
B) zebrafish.
C) roundworms.
D) Arabidopsis.
E) Chlorella.

Question 74

Which is not one of the major steps in the approach that uses a hypothesis and then a prediction?

A) Stating an opinion
B) Forming a hypothesis
C) Making an observation
D) Asking a question
E) Testing a prediction

Question 75

Refer to the graph below showing the results of a study that exposed male frogs to atrazine, a chemical used in killing weeds in agricultural areas. According to the data in the graph, higher atrazine concentrations do not result in a higher rate of gonadal abnormality.Which conclusion can be drawn from these results?

A) Low levels of atrazine are not as dangerous to amphibians as high levels of atrazine.
B) A dosage of 15 ppb would cause a rate of abnormality between the one caused by the 0.1 ppb dosage and the one caused by the 25 ppb dosage.
C) The effect of the atrazine exposure is not proportional to the level of exposure.
D) Atrazine is only hazardous in a natural ecosystem, where it is naturally diluted in the waterways.
E) Atrazine usage should be banned.

Question 76

A biologist hypothesizes that the sounds made by lions at night in the Serengeti are territoriality calls and predicts that two lions inhabiting the same territory will roar even louder.She selects an area inhabited by one lion, records its calls, and plays them back in the same area.She records her observations and notes that the lion does indeed roar more often as a result of this experiment.What would be the next step in the hypothesis-and-prediction method?

A) Asking new questions
B) Making an observation
C) Forming a hypothesis
D) Making a prediction
E) Testing a prediction

Question 77

Scientific explanations for a natural phenomenon

A) can be tested only in the laboratory.
B) are always based on an ethical point of view.
C) are based on reproducible and quantifiable observations.
D) are based on untested hypotheses.
E) cannot be rejected.

Question 78

After observing that fish live in clean water but not in polluted water, researchers state that "polluted water kills fish." Scientifically, this statement is an example of a(n)

A) fact.
B) observation.
C) opinion.
D) theory.
E) hypothesis.

Question 79

A biologist listens to frogs singing at a local pond and hypothesizes that the sounds are mating calls.What would be the next step in the hypothesis-and-prediction method?

A) Controlling an environment
B) Making an observation
C) Forming a hypothesis
D) Making a prediction
E) Testing a prediction

Question 80

A rapid decline of amphibian populations has been observed worldwide.Which could not be one of the proposed hypotheses related to this decline?

A) A fungal disease is the cause.
B) Increased exposure to ultraviolet radiation is the cause.
C) Exposure to agricultural chemicals is the cause.
D) Exposure to an oil spill is the cause.
E) Frogs die naturally.