Quiz 1: Principles of Biology

Wednesday, August 26

Which characteristic of life refers to an organism's ability to maintain a stable internal environment despite external changes?

Homeostasis

Which statement best describes evolution?

Populations can change over long periods of time

Which domain contains organisms with cells that have a membrane-bound nucleus and organelles?

Eukarya

Which statement correctly describes natural selection?

Favorable heritable traits can become more common in a population

What is the scientific method?

An empirical process for acquiring knowledge about the natural world

Why are proper controls important in a well-designed experiment?

They help rule out other possible explanations

What is the main purpose of random assignment to experimental treatments?

To reduce bias

A researcher gives one group a treatment and another group a placebo. What is the primary purpose of the placebo in this experimental design?

To control for psychological or treatment effects

Let’s say I’m doing a two-week fertilizer experiment with two plants of the same size, placed in separate containers. One plant receives fertilizer and daily water in a sunny window while the other receives plain water every other day in a closet. Why can’t I conclude that fertilizer alone caused the difference in growth?

Multiple variables were changed between the two plants

Which statement correctly distinguishes artificial selection from natural selection?

Humans do the selecting in artificial selection