Deck 1: Biology and the Tree of Life

Question 1

Recall the experiment on ant navigation. To run a controlled experiment, what parameters were held constant for the test group of 75 ants?

A) stride number
B) leg length
C) stride number, leg length, and environmental temperature
D) all variables except leg length

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Pasteur's experiments proved that ________.

A) cells cannot survive in swan-necked flasks
B) in order to grow, cells need to be supplied with oxygen
C) spontaneous generation can only occur if nutrient broth is left open to the environment
D) sterilizing nutrient broth prevents spontaneous generation
E) preexisting cells present in the air can grow in sterilized nutrient broth

Answer 2

E

Question 3

Cotton-topped tamarins are small primates with tufts of long white hair on their heads. While studying these creatures, you notice that males with longer hair get more opportunities to mate and father more offspring. To test the hypothesis that having longer hair is adaptive in these males, you should ________.

A) test whether other traits in these males are also adaptive
B) look for evidence of hair in ancestors of tamarins
C) determine if hair length is heritable
D) test whether males with shaved heads are still able to mate

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The following experiment is used for the corresponding question(s).
Refer to the accompanying figure. Recall that eggs from the same female were exposed to each of the eight treatments used. This aspect of the experimental design tested which of the following hypotheses?

A) The longer day lengths of summer trigger the development of twiglike caterpillars.
B) Differences in air pressure, due to elevation, trigger the development of different types of caterpillars.
C) Differences in diet trigger the development of different types of caterpillars.
D) The differences are genetic. A female will either produce all flowerlike caterpillars or all twiglike caterpillars.

Question 5

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

A) ubiquitous use of catalysts by living systems
B) near universality of the genetic code
C) structure of the nucleus
D) the flow of genetic information from DNA to RNA to protein
E) the directionality of protein synthesis

Question 6

Algae in the genus Caulerpa typically grow to a length of over half a meter and have structures similar to stems, leaves, and roots. Reproduction occurs when adults produce sperm and eggs that fuse to form offspring. Each adult Caulerpa consists of just a single cell, however. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A) Caulerpa violate the pattern component of the cell theory that all organisms consist of cells.
B) Caulerpa violate the process component of the cell theory that all cells come from preexisting cells.
C) Caulerpa violate both the pattern and process components of the cell theory.
D) The existence of Caulerpa is consistent with the cell theory.

Question 7

Your colleague proposes to test the mechanism of ant navigation by placing a food source 7 meters (m) from the nest. She then takes ants from the nest and places them in a spot that is 4 m from the nest and 3 m from the food source. Based on the previous data, where do you expect the ants to start searching for their nest on their return trip?

A) after they have traveled 3 m from the food source
B) after they have traveled 4 m from the food source
C) after they have traveled 7 m from the food source
D) as soon as they leave the food source

Question 8

Recall the caterpillar experiment in which caterpillars born in the spring looked like flowers, and caterpillars born in the summer looked like twigs. What is the most likely selective advantage for this difference in body shape?

A) Looking like their food sources allows the caterpillars to move through their environment more efficiently.
B) Development into the adult moth form is faster for caterpillars shaped like twigs than like flowers.
C) Looking like their food source lets the caterpillars blend into their surroundings, reducing predation.
D) Looking like their food source will increase the caterpillars' feeding efficiency; this would increase their growth rate and survival rate.

Question 9

In comparison to eukaryotes, prokaryotes ________.

A) are more structurally complex
B) use RNA to store genetic information
C) are smaller
D) do not have membranes
E) have chromosomes composed of single-stranded DNA

Question 10

Which of the following is NOT related to the five fundamental characteristics of life?

A) A bacterial cell divides to produce two cells.
B) Sugars are transported on carrier proteins into cells across the plasma membrane.
C) Sugars are broken down inside cells to produce energy.
D) The gene that specifies skin color in frogs is expressed during its development from a tadpole into an adult frog.
E) Giraffes have longer necks so that they can reach food sources unavailable to other animals.

Question 11

The structure of double helical DNA ________.

A) serves as a template for protein synthesis
B) is used to synthesize messenger RNA
C) contains two identical single strands of DNA
D) must be accurately copied to ensure variation in organisms

Question 12

Recall Pasteur's experiment on spontaneous generation. If he had just warmed the nutrient-rich broth, rather than boiled it, what would have been the likely outcome of his experiment? Cells would ________.

A) not have appeared in either flask
B) have appeared in both flasks
C) have appeared in the swan-neck but not the straight-neck flask
D) have appeared in the straight-neck but not the swan-neck flask

Question 13

You have isolated and purified a new species of cells from the rain forest and you want to place this new species in the appropriate branch of the tree of life. You sequence the ribosomal RNA genes from these cells and discover that for one particular region of the ribosomal gene (the rRNA) the RNA sequence is AAUGAAGG. You have sequences from the same region of the ribosomal genes (the rRNA) from each of these species: bacteria, eukaryote and archaea, which are listed below.
Bacteria AUAGAUGG
Eukaryote AAAGAAGG
Archaea AAUGGAGU
Based on these sequence results, to which branch of the tree of life should you assign this new species?

A) archaea
B) bacteria
C) eukaryote
D) bacteria and archaea
E) There is not enough information.

Question 14

The following experiment is used for the corresponding question(s).
Refer to the accompanying figure. In every case, caterpillars that feed on oak flowers looked like oak flowers. In every case, caterpillars that were raised on oak leaves looked like twigs. These results support which of the following hypotheses?

A) The longer day lengths of summer trigger the development of twiglike caterpillars.
B) Differences in air pressure, due to elevation, trigger the development of different types of caterpillars.
C) Differences in diet trigger the development of different types of caterpillars.
D) The differences are genetic. A female will either produce all flowerlike caterpillars or all twiglike caterpillars.

Question 15

Spontaneous generation ________.

A) was demonstrated to occur under normal laboratory conditions by Pasteur
B) apparently occurred at least once-when life on Earth began
C) occurs every time a new species evolves from a preexisting species
D) addresses the formation of new cells from existing cells

Question 16

Louis Pasteur's experiment had a good design because ________.

A) simple equipment was used
B) a major question, spontaneous generation, was tested
C) the possible outcomes led to distinct, unambiguous conclusions
D) the experiment was a success

Question 17

Cells are ________.

A) only found in pairs, because single cells cannot exist independently
B) limited in size to 200 and 500 micrometers in diameter
C) characteristic of eukaryotic but not prokaryotic organisms
D) characteristic of prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms

Question 18

How does a scientific theory differ from a scientific hypothesis?

A) Theories are proposed to test scientific hypotheses.
B) Theories are usually an explanation for a more general phenomenon; hypotheses typically address more specific issues.
C) Hypotheses are usually an explanation for a more general phenomenon; theories typically address more specific issues.
D) Confirmed theories become scientific laws; hypotheses become theories.

Question 19

The following experiment is used for the corresponding question(s).
Refer to the accompanying figure. Which one of the following is NOT a plausible hypothesis to explain the differences in caterpillar appearance observed in this population?

A) The longer day lengths of summer trigger the development of twiglike caterpillars.
B) The cooler temperatures of spring trigger the development of flowerlike caterpillars.
C) Differences in air pressure, due to differences in elevation, trigger the development of different types of caterpillars.
D) Differences in diet trigger the development of different types of caterpillars.

Question 20

Protists and bacteria are grouped into different domains because ________.

A) protists eat bacteria
B) bacteria are not made of cells
C) protists have a membrane-bounded nucleus, which bacterial cells lack
D) bacteria decompose protists
E) protists lack the genetic diversity that bacteria have

Question 21

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?

A) Change their experiment so that the outlier data points are eliminated.
B) Average several trials, rule out the improbable results, and do not show them in the final work.
C) Show all results obtained and then try to explore the reason(s) for these outliers.
D) Redesign the experiment using a different hypothesis.
E) Change the values on the graph so that only the straight diagonal line is produced.

Question 22

Use the following information when answering the corresponding question(s).
In 1668, Francesco Redi performed a series of experiments on spontaneous generation. He began by putting similar pieces of meat into eight identical jars. Four jars were left open to the air, and four were sealed. He then did the same experiment with one variation: Instead of sealing four of the jars completely, he covered them with gauze (the gauze excluded the flies while allowing the meat to be exposed to air). In both experiments, he monitored the jars and recorded whether or not maggots (young flies) appeared in the meat.
The best experimental design ________.

A) includes a large sample size for each condition
B) includes a control
C) alters only one condition between the controls and the experimental condition
D) includes a large sample size and a control and alters only one condition between the controls and the experimental condition

Question 23

A friend of yours calls to say that his car would not start this morning. He asks for your help. You say that you think the battery must be dead. If so, then jump-starting the car from a good battery will solve the problem. In doing so, you are ________.

A) testing a theory for why the car will not start
B) making observations to inspire a theory for why the car will not start
C) stating a hypothesis and using that hypothesis to make a testable prediction
D) comparing multiple hypotheses for why the car will not start

Question 24

A controlled experiment ________.

A) is repeated many times to ensure that the results are accurate
B) proceeds at a slow pace to guarantee that the scientist can carefully observe all reactions and process all experimental data
C) includes at least two groups, one of which does not receive the experimental treatment
D) includes at least two groups, one differing from the other by two or more variables
E) includes one group for which the scientist controls all variables

Question 25

In the process of science, which of these is NOT used to test a hypothesis?

A) a theory
B) a result
C) an observation
D) a control group

Question 26

Use the following information when answering the corresponding question(s).
In 1668, Francesco Redi performed a series of experiments on spontaneous generation. He began by putting similar pieces of meat into eight identical jars. Four jars were left open to the air, and four were sealed. He then did the same experiment with one variation: Instead of sealing four of the jars completely, he covered them with gauze (the gauze excluded the flies while allowing the meat to be exposed to air). In both experiments, he monitored the jars and recorded whether or not maggots (young flies) appeared in the meat.
Refer to the paragraph on Redi's experiments. What hypothesis was being tested in the initial experiment with open versus sealed jars?

A) Spontaneous generation is more likely during the long days of summer.
B) The type of meat used affects the likelihood of spontaneous generation.
C) Maggots do not arise spontaneously, but from eggs laid by adult flies.
D) Spontaneous generation can occur only if meat is exposed to air.

Question 27

For many years, no one bothered to test the food-competition hypothesis for why giraffes have long necks. Why?

A) It had been much too difficult to test.
B) The hypothesis was so plausible that no one thought to question it.
C) They tried, but the results were inconclusive.
D) The hypothesis did not make clear predictions that could be tested.

Question 28

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

A) They can correct each other's approach to make it scientific.
B) Robust and critical discussion between diverse groups improves scientific thinking.
C) Scientists can coordinate with others to conduct experiments in similar ways.
D) This is a way of ensuring that everyone gets the same results.
E) People need to exchange their ideas with other disciplines and cultures because everyone has a right to an opinion in science.

Question 29

Agrobacterium infects plants and causes them to form tumors. You are asked to determine how long a plant must be exposed to these bacteria to become infected. Which of the following experiments will provide the best data to address that question?

A) Measure the number of tumors formed on plants, which are exposed to different concentrations of Agrobacterium for different lengths of time.
B) Measure the number of tumors formed on a plant when exposed to various concentrations of Agrobacterium.
C) Measure the concentration of Agrobacterium in different soil environments where the plants grow.
D) Measure the number of tumors formed on plants, which are exposed to a known concentration of Agrobacterium for different lengths of time.

Question 30

Use the following information when answering the corresponding question(s).
In 1668, Francesco Redi performed a series of experiments on spontaneous generation. He began by putting similar pieces of meat into eight identical jars. Four jars were left open to the air, and four were sealed. He then did the same experiment with one variation: Instead of sealing four of the jars completely, he covered them with gauze (the gauze excluded the flies while allowing the meat to be exposed to air). In both experiments, he monitored the jars and recorded whether or not maggots (young flies) appeared in the meat.
Refer to the paragraph on Redi's experiments. In both experiments, flies appeared in all of the open jars and only in the open jars. Which one of the following statements is correct?

A) The experiment was inconclusive because Redi used only one kind of meat.
B) The experiment was inconclusive because it did not run long enough.
C) The experiment supports the hypothesis that spontaneous generation occurs in rotting meat.
D) The experiment supports the hypothesis that maggots arise only from eggs laid by adult flies.

Question 31

Which of the following best describes the logic of scientific inquiry?

A) If I generate a testable hypothesis, tests and observations will support it.
B) If my prediction is correct, it will lead to a testable hypothesis.
C) If my observations are accurate, they will support my hypothesis.
D) If my hypothesis is correct, I can expect certain test results.
E) If my experiments are set up right, they will lead to a testable hypothesis.

Question 32

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) I only
B) II only
C) III only
D) I and II
E) III and IV

Question 33

Which of the following statements best distinguishes scientific hypotheses from scientific theories?

A) Hypotheses describe and theories explain.
B) Hypotheses explain and theories describe.
C) Hypotheses are usually narrower in scope; theories have broader explanatory power.
D) Hypotheses are used in experiments. Theories are not tested.
E) Hypotheses are generally supported by more evidence than theories.

Question 34

A controlled experiment is one that ________.

A) proceeds slowly enough that a scientist can make careful records of the results
B) tests experimental and control groups in parallel
C) is repeated many times to make sure the results are accurate
D) controls all variables
E) is supervised by an experienced scientist

Question 35

Which of the following is the best description of a control for an experiment?

A) The control group is kept in an unchanging environment.
B) The control group is left alone by the experimenters.
C) The control group is matched with the experimental group except for one experimental variable.
D) The control group is exposed to only one variable rather than several.
E) Only the experimental group is tested or measured.

Question 36

The formulation of a model for a structure or for a process serves which of the following purposes?

A) It asks a scientific question.
B) It functions as a testable hypothesis.
C) It records observations.
D) It serves as a data point among results.
E) It can be arrived at only after years of experimentation.

Question 37

Agrobacterium infects plants and causes them to form tumors. You determine that tumor formation requires a large amount of the plant's energy for tissue formation. How might this change the number of offspring a plant produces, and what is the most likely explanation for this change?

A) The number of offspring should increase, because in general, illness increases the reproductive output of organisms.
B) The number of offspring should increase, because the bacteria will provide energy for the plant.
C) The number of offspring should decrease, because the plant will divert energy from reproduction to tumor formation.
D) There should be no effect of infection on offspring production, because energy for reproduction is independent of infection.