Deck 1: Introduction to Biological Concepts and Research

Question 1

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

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

Answer 1

D

Question 2

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

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

Answer 2

D

Question 3

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

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

Answer 3

A

Question 4

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

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

Question 5

Emergent properties are ____. ​

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

Question 6

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)environmental
C)hierarchical
D)organizational
E)cellular

Question 7

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

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

Question 8

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)NADPH
E)Protein

Question 9

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

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

Question 10

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

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

Question 11

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

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

Question 12

Bacteria and protozoans ____. ​

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

Question 13

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

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

Question 14

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

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

Question 15

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

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

Question 16

Photosynthesis and cellular respiration are examples of ____. ​

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

Question 17

The information in DNA is copied into molecules of ____. ​

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

Question 18

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

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

Question 19

A cell is minimally defined by ____.

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

Question 20

Which group would be considered a community? ​

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

Question 21

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

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

Question 22

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

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

Question 23

Mutations are ____. ​

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

Question 24

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

Question 25

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

Question 26

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

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

Question 27

The process by which parents produce offspring is called ____. ​

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

Question 28

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

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

Question 29

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

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

Question 30

Which mutation is an example of an adaptation? ​

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

Question 31

Bull dogs 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 evolution
B)artificial engineering
C)artificial selection
D)artificial insemination
E)artificial breeding

Question 32

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

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

Question 33

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

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

Question 34

Which pair of organisms would be classified as prokaryotes? ​

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

Question 35

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

Question 36

Our understanding of the evolutionary process reveals that ____. ​

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

Question 37

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

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

Question 38

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

Question 39

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

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

Question 40

Inheritance is the process by which genetic information is ____. ​

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

Question 41

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

Question 42

What are the correct order of the basic steps of the scientific method? ​

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

Question 43

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

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

Question 44

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 fluorescent microscope. The location of the protein within the cell as determined by the researcher is considered the ____. ​

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

Question 45

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

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

Question 46

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

Question 47

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)education
C)biology
D)the scientific method
E)the biological method

Question 48

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

Question 49

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

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

Question 50

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

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

Question 51

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

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

Question 52

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

Question 53

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)Protist
C)Eukarya
D)Animalia
E)Amoeba

Question 54

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

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

Question 55

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

Question 56

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

Question 57

When conducting descriptive research, a scientist primarily uses ____. ​

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

Question 58

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)Animalia
E)Amoeba

Question 59

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

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

Question 60

Applied researchers conduct their work to ____. ​

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

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 "If chemical X is toxic, the fish will begin to look sick and die." This statement is a(n)____. ​

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

Question 65

Which research topic would fall within the area of systems biology? ​

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

Question 66

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

Question 72

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

Question 73

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

Question 74

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

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

Question 76

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

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

Question 78

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

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