Question 1

How does a chicken pox vaccine stimulate immunity in an individual human? Be sure to accurately include the following terms: antibodies,disease organism,immune system,vaccine,virus.

Accepted Answer

A vaccine containing a harmless form of the chicken pox virus is injected under the skin of the individual.When the individual's immune system encounters the virus,the immune system will begin to produce antibodies that recognize the virus.If some time later the individual is exposed again to the chicken pox virus,his or her immune system is already primed with antibodies to attack the invading virus.

Question 2

Thomas's foot began to swell after he was stung by a scorpion.Thomas' friend said his mom had an old,trusted herbal poultice remedy that would absorb the venom from the foot,reduce the swelling,and heal the foot.Thomas allowed his friend to place the herbal poultice on his foot before going to bed that night,and the swelling was gone in the morning.Which of the following can be concluded about the herbal poultice remedy?

Accepted Answer

A)   The poultice definitely worked because the swelling went down.
B)   The poultice definitely did not cause the swelling to go down.
C)   It is very likely that the poultice caused the swelling to go down.
D)   There is not anything that can be concluded about the effectiveness of the poultice remedy. D

Question 3

Based on the scientific evidence presented in the journals Lancet and Vaccine which of the following is NOT the reason for the observed increase in incidence of autism in the United States and other countries since the 1970s?

Accepted Answer

A)   There is a heightened awareness of autism in society.
B)   More schools are screening more students for autism.
C)   People are generally more willing to label a broader range of conditions within the spectrum of autism disorders.
D)   The MMR vaccine is being more broadly administered,so more children are getting autism. D

Question 4

You are reading an article in National Geographic regarding the evolution of humans.This would be an example of ________ literature.

Accepted Answer

A)   primary
B)   secondary
C)   peer-reviewed scientific journal
D)   meta-analysis

Question 5

Which of the following would be a positive consideration when evaluating a researcher's expertise regarding a particular scientific claim?

Accepted Answer

A)   The researcher has an ideological,political,or religious belief that will be supported by the scientific claims being made.
B)   The researcher stands to make money if others accept the claims being made.
C)   The researcher stands to gain in prestige if others accept the claims being made.
D)   The researcher has a PhD,MD,or at least an MS and years of experience in the field in which he or she is making a scientific claim.

Question 6

Vaccines approved for use are continually monitored and tested for ________ by the FDA.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Vaccines approved for use are continually monitored...

Question 7

An individual claims to be able to detect the presence of graves in an old cemetery by using a "dowsing" or "divining" rod.The rod is a forked twig held in front of the individual as he walks across the cemetery.The "dowser" (person who is using the dowsing rod)claims that depending on which way the twig moves (up and down or side to side)he can determine if there is a grave there and the gender and age of the individual buried at that spot.Which of the following would NOT help evaluate if the dowser is a fraud?

Accepted Answer

A)   It would help to know if the dowser had any previous knowledge of the cemetery.
B)   It would help to actually dig up the site to determine if the dowser's predictions were accurate.
C)   It would help to at least use X-rays or some other means to examine what might,or might not,be buried in the ground.
D)   It would help to know the dowser's age and affiliation with other dowsers.

Question 8

When individuals use the scientific process to question information and make informed decisions about the world around them,they are acting in a(n)________ literate manner.

Accepted Answer

The answer of When individuals use the scientific process to...

Question 9

Peer-reviewed scientific journals,technical reports,conference proceedings,and dissertations are considered ________ literature.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Peer-reviewed scientific journals,technical reports,conference proceedings,and dissertations are...

Question 10

A pharmaceutical company conducts trials on animals and cell lines to determine the safety of a new vaccine before performing clinical trials on adult human volunteers.This is an example of

Accepted Answer

A)   basic research.
B)   applied research.
C)   a case-control study.
D)   a cohort study.

Question 11

The figure below,based on data collected by The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases,graphically illustrates that a disease is less likely to spread to vulnerable members of a population if most of the population is immunized against the disease.This phenomenon occurs because

Accepted Answer

A)   when fewer individuals in the population are likely to become infected,fewer people are able to spread the disease,and the vulnerable members of the population are less likely to come in contact with contagious individuals.
B)   if more individuals in the population become infected,fewer people are able to spread the disease,and the vulnerable members of the population are less likely to come in contact with contagious individuals.
C)   if more individuals in the population become infected,more people are able to spread the disease,and the vulnerable members of the population are less likely to come in contact with contagious individuals.
D)   when none of the population is immune to the disease,no one will contract the disease and therefore pass it on to the vulnerable members of the population.

Question 12

Announcing "scientific" findings in a press conference before they have been published in an established scientific journal is an example of

Accepted Answer

A)   primary literature.
B)   secondary literature.
C)   neither primary nor secondary literature because it has not yet undergone peer review to be primary literature,and secondary literature follows primary literature.
D)   both primary and secondary literature because it does not need to undergo peer review to be either primary or secondary literature.

Question 13

The graph below shows that post vaccination program,the number of adult meningitis cases is

Accepted Answer

A)   strongly correlated with the number of childhood meningitis cases; this appears to be related to the increased vaccination rates in children.
B)   not correlated with the number of childhood meningitis cases; there appears to be no relationship to the increased vaccination rates in children.
C)   weakly correlated with the number of childhood meningitis cases; there appears to be no relationship to the increased vaccination rates in children.
D)   strongly but negatively correlated with the number of childhood meningitis cases; this is caused by the increased vaccination rates in children.

Question 14

What is a first step an individual should take when beginning to assess a "scientific" claim made by another person?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is a first step an individual...

Question 15

Anna Eaton went to her local library to begin a search for answers regarding vaccination.She checked out and read a textbook about how vaccines work.This textbook is an example of ________ literature.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Anna Eaton went to her local library...

Question 16

Your own scientific literacy would NOT be helpful in answering which of the following questions?

Accepted Answer

A)   Should I take a cinnamon capsule every morning to help regulate my blood sugar?
B)   Should I spend the extra money to buy a particular pair of shoes that claims to help tone my leg muscles better than other athletic shoes?
C)   Will my cell phone cause me to have cancer?
D)   Which movie should I watch this weekend?

Question 17

A company is spending $200 million to determine if a newly isolated plant extract will help increase the effectiveness of an antidepressant drug currently on the market.This research would be an example of ________ research.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A company is spending $200 million to...

Question 18

If a statement about how the natural world works can be supported (or not)by using the scientific method,the statement is a(n)________ claim

Accepted Answer

The answer of If a statement about how the natural...

Question 19

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC),by the end of September 2014,roughly 8,000 cases of whooping cough had been reported in California for that year; more than 250 patients (mostly infants and young children)were hospitalized with 58 of them requiring intensive care.Several other childhood diseases that were once common but then eradicated through high vaccination rates have returned since the antivaccination movement grew in the 1990s.The epidemiological data collected by the CDC indicates this resurgence of childhood diseases is most likely the result of

Accepted Answer

A)   reduced herd/community immunity.
B)   reduced vaccine effectiveness.
C)   increased virulence of the pathogens causing these diseases.
D)   simply the increased number of people present in the United States.

Question 20

Therapeutic touch (TT)is a type of "energy" medicine that involves the practitioner moving his or her hands over the energy field of the patient,without actually touching the patient,to redirect the energy field and heal the patient.Which of the following would be the first concept to investigate to help evaluate the claims of TT practitioners?

Accepted Answer

A)   documentable and repeatable evidence that an external energy field actually exists for humans
B)   documentable and repeatable evidence that any existing energy field can be manipulated by merely passing hands over it
C)   documentable and repeatable evidence that TT practitioners can,without seeing their subjects,actually feel the energy field of a patient
D)   documentable claims by TT practitioners and their patients that the patients thought they felt better after being treated by the TT practitioner even though there was no change in their diseases

Exam 2: Evaluating Scientific Claims