Deck 1: The Study of Life

Question 1

A physician specializes in surgery involving the following group of organs: mouth,esophagus,stomach and intestines.Overall,this physician is specialized at which level of organization?

A) cell
B) tissue
C) organ
D) organ system
E) organism

Answer 1

D
Explanation: The mouth, esophagus, stomach and intestines are all organs belonging to the digestive system. An organism is made up of multiple organ systems. The individual organs are made up of tissues, which are collections of cells.

Question 2

Which statement concerning reproduction is false?

A) Hereditary information is passed on to the next generation.
B) Hereditary information is in the form of genes.
C) The offspring of asexual organisms have the same genes as the single parent.
D) The offspring of sexual organisms have roughly one half of the genes from each parent.
E) The offspring of multicellular organisms tend to be identical to the parent.

Answer 2

E
Explanation: Multicellular organisms generally use sexual reproduction, in which each parent contributes to the genetic makeup of the offspring; thus, the offspring is not genetically identical to either parent.

Question 3

Which sequence of classification categories is in the proper order from least to most inclusive?

A) genus, class, kingdom, domain, order, phylum, species, family
B) domain, class, genus, family, species, order, phylum, kingdom
C) species, genus, family, order, class, phylum, kingdom, domain
D) genus, species, order, class, family, kingdom, domain, phylum
E) species, genus, family, class, order, phylum, kingdom, domain

Answer 3

C
Explanation: The correct sequence is species, genus, family, order, class, phylum, kingdom, domain. Species is the least inclusive category in the taxonomic hierarchy; domain is the most inclusive.

Question 4

The bones in a bird are hollow,reducing its weight for flight.This is an example of which characteristic of life?

A) Living things grow and develop.
B) Living things acquire materials and energy from the environment.
C) Living things reproduce.
D) Living things are adapted.
E) Living things are homeostatic.

Question 5

Which sequence correctly lists the different levels of biological organization,from the smallest and simplest to the largest and most complex?

A) cells-organs-tissues-organ systems-organism
B) cells-tissues-organ systems-organs-organism
C) tissues-cells-organs-organ systems-organism
D) tissues-organs-organ systems-organisms-cells
E) cells-tissues-organs-organ systems-organisms

Question 6

Which statement about living organisms is not correct?

A) Living organisms create energy.
B) Living organisms maintain homeostasis.
C) Living organisms reproduce.
D) Living organisms have adaptations.
E) Living organisms grow and develop.

Question 7

When you are overheated,you perspire,and when you are too cold,you shiver to generate heat.Which property of life is best represented by this example?

A) homeostasis
B) development
C) behavior
D) organization
E) adaptation

Question 8

Which classification category includes the most species?

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

Question 9

The common name for "cat" in Spanish is "gato" and in Chinese is "mao." Which of the following statements pertaining to the use of scientific names instead of common names is false?

A) Common names may include different sets of organisms.
B) Scientific names can be known and recognized by all scientists throughout the world.
C) To recognize an organism in the literature by its common name, a scientist would have to know multiple languages.
D) The scientific name begins to tie the organism into related groups.
E) The common name clearly identifies an organism as unique.

Question 10

Which of these classification categories contains the closest related organisms?

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

Question 11

A piece of petrified wood was once part of a living organism,but its tissues have been replaced by minerals and it no longer exhibits most properties of life,except for

A) organization.
B) homeostasis.
C) growth and reproduction.
D) response to stimuli.
E) metabolism.

Question 12

Nutrient molecules are used as building blocks or for energy.This best represents which characteristic of life?

A) Living things acquire materials and energy from the environment.
B) Living things are homeostatic.
C) Living things are adapted.
D) Living things grow and develop.
E) Living things respond to stimuli.

Question 13

Ever since the antibiotic drug penicillin was discovered in 1928,the incidence of resistant bacteria has steadily increased as a direct result of

A) biodiversity.
B) natural selection.
C) homeostasis.
D) development.
E) reproduction.

Question 14

What is the correct format for the binomial name of human beings?

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

Question 15

Which level of biological organization is composed of tissues?

A) organism
B) organ system
C) organ
D) cell
E) molecules

Question 16

Corn belongs to the kingdom

A) Plantae.
B) Animalia.
C) Fungi.
D) Protista.
E) Archaea.

Question 17

The smallest unit that has all of the characteristics of life is the

A) cell.
B) tissue.
C) organ.
D) organ system.
E) organism.

Question 18

An unmanned spacecraft has been sent to another planet to detect other life forms that might be quite different from those on Earth.If the probe could only send back one still picture,which property or properties of life would be most evident?

A) organization
B) homeostasis and metabolism
C) growth and reproduction
D) response to stimuli
E) evolution

Question 19

The body temperature in humans is maintained around 37 ^$\circ$ C.Which characteristic of life does this information represent?

A) Living things acquire materials and energy from the environment.
B) Living things are homeostatic.
C) Living things are adapted.
D) Living things grow and develop.
E) Living things respond to stimuli.

Question 20

Organs are composed of tissues,which are composed of cells.This is an example of which characteristic of life?

A) Living things grow and develop.
B) Living things respond to stimuli.
C) Living things maintain themselves by homeostasis.
D) Living things have levels of hierarchical organization.
E) Living things are adapted to the environment.

Question 21

The term "biodiversity" refers to

A) a study of ecosystems without consideration of the living organisms.
B) the similarities between species.
C) the rate of extinction of species due to human activities.
D) the total number of species, variation of species and the ecosystems in which they live.
E) the study of food chains within an ecosystem.

Question 22

Which of the following represents a potential threat to biodiversity?

A) People construct artificial reefs to support marine life.
B) Humans clear land for agriculture and housing.
C) Energy flows through an ecosystem, with much lost as heat.
D) Tropical rain forests and coral reefs are found where solar energy is the most abundant.
E) In a food chain, one population feeds on another.

Question 23

Which statement is false regarding science?

A) Science helps us to understand the natural world.
B) Science strives to be objective rather than subjective.
C) Correct scientific conclusions are permanent and never subject to change or refinement.
D) Information is gathered by scientific methods.
E) Information is gained by observing and testing.

Question 24

A possible explanation for a natural event,based on observations and past knowledge,is a

A) hypothesis.
B) phenomenon.
C) control.
D) variable.
E) theory.

Question 25

As the human population size increases,

A) ecosystems remain unaffected.
B) fewer fossil fuels are burned and carbon dioxide levels remain constant.
C) it becomes evident that preserving the biosphere has no benefit to humans.
D) fewer ecosystems are destroyed, resulting in an abundance of biodiversity.
E) biodiversity is adversely affected as humans have destructive effects on ecosystems.

Question 26

Which statement regarding the scientific method is false?

A) Inductive reasoning is used to form a hypothesis.
B) Observations are used to form a hypothesis.
C) Experiments need to be repeatable.
D) Original hypotheses are formed after an experiment.
E) The control and experimental group are identical except for one variable.

Question 27

You have discovered a previously unknown organism.It is multicellular,with a filamentous form,and absorbs food from its environment.Upon microscopic examination,you see that the cells have nuclei.How would you classify this organism?

A) domain Bacteria
B) kingdom Animalia
C) kingdom Protista
D) kingdom Fungi
E) kingdom Plantae

Question 28

Which statement about an ecosystem is incorrect?

A) Chemicals are recycled in an ecosystem.
B) Energy flows through an ecosystem, with some being lost as heat.
C) Some organisms produce food used by themselves and others.
D) There is a community of organisms, but no non-living components.
E) Climate is the main factor that determines where an ecosystem will be located.

Question 29

All the organisms of various species living within a given area constitute a(n)

A) biosphere.
B) ecosystem.
C) population.
D) domain.
E) community.

Question 30

When comparing energy and chemicals in an ecosystem,

A) both chemicals and energy cycle over and over again.
B) chemicals cycle over and over again but energy flows through once.
C) both chemicals and energy flow through once.
D) energy cycles over and over again but chemicals flow through once.
E) neither cycle nor flow but both are simply present.

Question 31

The layer where organisms can exist on the surface of the earth is the

A) biosphere.
B) ecosystem.
C) population.
D) homeostasis.
E) community.

Question 32

The most important factor that determines where major ecosystems are located on the globe is

A) soil type.
B) available vegetation.
C) climate.
D) oxygen levels.
E) political boundaries.

Question 33

Which of the following is of least importance when concerning the preservation of ecosystems?

A) Ecosystem preservation maintains the status of species in their current state.
B) Many different organisms perform services that ensure our continued existence.
C) Humans derive medicines, food and many important materials from functioning ecosystems.
D) Preservation of ecosystems allows humans to exploit as many resources as possible.
E) It is estimated that possibly 400 species become extinct each day due to activities of humans.

Question 34

Which of the following statement is based on scientific observation and reasoning?

A) Some chemical compounds react differently in different human cultures.
B) If a tree falls in a forest but this is never witnessed by a human, there are no physical or biological consequences.
C) Many physical and biological phenomena lack any cause-and-effect; outcomes from one situation may be one way today and another tomorrow.
D) Objects fall downward anywhere on the earth's surface regardless of the observer.
E) A scientist records only the data that are easiest to interpret.

Question 35

All the banded sunfish (Enneacanthus obesus)in a pond would comprise a(n)

A) population.
B) ecosystem.
C) community.
D) biosphere.
E) species.

Question 36

Which statement regarding the scientific method is false?

A) Hypotheses are tentative explanations of observed phenomena.
B) A hypothesis may become a theory, which may become a law.
C) Deductive reasoning is often used in the design of an experiment.
D) A control group is always exposed to the factor being tested.
E) Conclusions are formed after an experiment is conducted.

Question 37

A multicellular,photosynthetic organism with complex,specialized cells and tissues would most likely be assigned to

A) kingdom Animalia.
B) kingdom Fungi.
C) domain Archaea.
D) kingdom Protista.
E) kingdom Plantae.

Question 38

The three major domains of life are

A) plants, animals, and protists.
B) bacteria, fungi, and eukaryotes.
C) eukaryotes, prokaryotes, and animals.
D) archaea, bacteria, and eukaryotes.
E) eukaryotes, prokaryotes, and fungi.

Question 39

A community of organisms along with their physical environment constitutes a(n)

A) biosphere.
B) ecosystem.
C) population.
D) habitat.
E) community.

Question 40

Which statement regarding science technology is false?

A) Science technology has brought about life-improving discoveries, such as antibiotics.
B) Science technology helps us to understand the causes of cancer.
C) Science technology is a basis for all ethical or moral decisions.
D) Science technology may ease the feeding of the world population by producing new plant strains.
E) Scientific experimentation may make use of a model instead of an actual subject.

Question 41

Give examples of the costs and benefits of using technology.

Question 42

You are conducting an experiment to determine what concentration of disinfectant is most effective in killing bacteria.In this example,the concentration of disinfectant would represent the

A) control.
B) experimental variable.
C) response variable.
D) data.
E) hypothesis.

Question 43

In the late 1800s,Louis Pasteur was searching for a vaccine for anthrax in livestock.One French veterinarian had a local reputation for being able to cure anthrax by applying oils and wrapping the animal in cloth to induce a fever.Pasteur also knew that some animals got well on their own when left untreated.Pasteur tested the effectiveness of the local veterinarian's methods by injecting four cattle with anthrax bacteria.He then directed the veterinarian to perform his procedures on two cattle.The other two cattle were left alone.What is the rationale for Pasteur's experimental design?

A) Two cattle represent a test of the veterinarian's hypothesis; two represent a test of Pasteur's hypothesis.
B) Two cattle represent a test of the treatment; two serve as a control to determine the likelihood of survival without treatment.
C) Two cattle represent a test based on inductive reasoning; two serve to test deductive reasoning.
D) The two cattle that are treated are the only test being conducted; the other two cattle serve no purpose beyond representing all the untreated cattle in France.
E) The two cattle not being treated were just a whim on Pasteur's part.

Question 44

Using technology in the field of agriculture has enabled farmers to feed a growing human population.

Question 45

Which of the following is one of the domains of life?

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

Question 46

In the late 1800s,Louis Pasteur was searching for a vaccine for anthrax in livestock.One French veterinarian had a local reputation for being able to cure anthrax by applying oils and wrapping the animal in cloth to induce a fever.Pasteur also knew that some animals got well on their own when left untreated.Pasteur tested the effectiveness of the local veterinarian's methods by injecting four cattle with anthrax bacteria.He then directed the veterinarian to perform his procedures on two cattle.The other two cattle were left alone.One cow from each group died and the other one in each group survived.Pasteur dismissed the veterinarian's procedure as ineffective,but he also considered this to be a poor test.Why would he consider this to be a poor test?

A) The difference in survival between the two groups was not dependent on the treatment.
B) In a small group with 50% survival, the treated cows would have survived anyway.
C) The number of cows that survived was the same as the number of cows that died.
D) With such a small group you can't determine if survival was dependent on the treatment or random chance.
E) The production of a fever in the treated cattle interfered with the outcome.

Question 47

Which answer choice lists the steps of the scientific method in the correct order?

A) hypothesis, observation, experiment, conclusion, scientific theory
B) conclusion, hypothesis, observation, experiment, scientific theory
C) observation, hypothesis, experiment, conclusion, scientific theory
D) observation, experiment, hypothesis, conclusion, scientific theory
E) scientific theory, conclusion, hypothesis, experiment, observation

Question 48

Which of the following might plausibly be said by a scientist?

A) Although no one else gets the same results as I do, since I get the results in my experiments, it is still science.
B) Since all the accumulated body of data support it, a hypothesis is definitely "true."
C) Test methods are unimportant since anyone can run another test; it is the results that make the substance of science.
D) The test's results and conclusion finish the scientist's job; it is enough that a scientist alone now knows the results.
E) There is always a possibility that a more advanced experiment might falsify any hypothesis.

Question 49

You are conducting an experiment to determine which brand of fertilizer results in the greatest amount of fruit production by tomato plants.In this example,the response variable would be the

A) brand of fertilizer.
B) unfertilized tomato plants.
C) fertilized tomato plants.
D) amount of fruit produced by the tomato plants.
E) variety of tomato plants.

Question 50

Which of the following domains contains organisms that are adapted to life in harsh environments?

A) Domain Archaea
B) Domain Bacteria
C) Domain Eukarya
D) Domain Animalia
E) Domain Plantae

Question 51

When researchers test a new human cancer drug using mice,the mice constitute the

A) hypothesis.
B) data.
C) experimental design.
D) model.
E) control.

Question 52

Which of the following is a potential consequence if people stop using technology in the agriculture industry?

A) There could be a significant decrease in the amount of food produced.
B) A collapse of many of the terrestrial ecosystems on Earth.
C) The extinction of the top level species that reside in the communities around the agricultural land.
D) The amount of food produced would increase.
E) None of these consequences will occur if people stop using technology in the agriculture industry.

Question 53

If a new anti-cancer drug is found effective in initial tests with mice,what do researchers conclude?

A) If the drug was effective in a large number of mice, it will therefore be effective in humans.
B) If the drug was effective in a small proportion of mice, it will be effective in a small proportion of humans.
C) The mice have provided a positive control in this experiment that proves the drug is effective in humans.
D) The drug is effective in the mouse model; it must still be tested in humans.
E) The effect of the drug on mice has no bearing on the effect of the drug on humans.

Question 54

Some students consume large amounts of coffee and so-called energy drinks to help them stay alert when studying.You notice that many who engage in this practice seem to do poorly on exams.Suppose you want to investigate the relationship between caffeine consumption and exam performance.Which of the following statements would be an appropriate hypothesis?

A) Students who consume large amounts of caffeine while studying will have lower exam scores than those who consume less caffeine.
B) One should avoid consuming too much caffeine while studying.
C) Too much caffeine is harmful to your health.
D) Many students consume large amounts of caffeine while studying.
E) Caffeine increases alertness but also increases anxiety.

Question 55

Which statement regarding the scientific method is false?

A) A theory that has been repeatedly supported is sometimes called a law.
B) Consistent observations about a hypothesis may lead to a theory.
C) Theories formed in everyday life carry the same validity as a scientific theory.
D) Only one experimental variable is used in a controlled experiment.
E) Published research should provide enough detail to allow anyone to repeat the experiment in the same manner.

Question 56

Which of these is an example of inductive reasoning used to form a hypothesis?

A) Every fungus that has ever been studied absorbs its food; therefore, food absorption is characteristic of fungi.
B) All fungi absorb their food; if mushroom are fungi; then the mushroom absorbs its food.
C) A mushroom is classified in the kingdom Fungi of the domain Eukarya.
D) This cell from a mushroom has a nucleus.
E) Fungi are not capable of photosynthesis.

Question 57

Technology is the __________________________.

A) application of scientific knowledge for a practical purpose.
B) study of living organisms.
C) study of the interactions between living organisms and their environment.
D) application of common knowledge for a practical purpose.
E) application of laws to benefit society.

Question 58

Which statement regarding the scientific method is false?

A) Experimental results are reported in scientific journals.
B) Hypotheses are finally proven as absolutely true or false.
C) The control is not subjected to the experimental variable.
D) Statistical tests may be used to analyze experimental results.
E) Experimental results are often summarized in a graph or table.

Question 59

Which domains contain organisms that lack a membrane bound nucleus?

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

Question 60

Which of the following biological technology has enabled scientists to extend the life span of individuals who are suffering from HIV / AIDS?

A) Virology
B) Cell biology
C) Biology
D) Physics
E) Technology

Question 61

If the human population faces potential extinction,cloning of humans is the only technology that will save us.