PRE BIOL 1406 Ch. 1 Questions

All the organisms on your campus make up

a. an ecosystem

b. a community

c. a population

d. a taxonomic domain

b. a community

Systems biology is mainly an attempt to

a. analyze genomes from different species

b. simplify complex problems by reducing the system into smaller, less complex units

c. understand the behavior of entire biological systems by studying interactions among its component parts

d. build high-throughput machines for the rapid acquisition of biological data

c. understand the behavior of entire biological systems by studying interactions among its component parts

Which of the following best demonstrates the unity among all organisms?

a. emergent properties

b. descent with modification

c. the structure and function of DNA

d. natural selection

c. the structure and function of DNA

Which of the following statements best distinguishes hypotheses from theories in science?

a. theories are hypotheses that have been proved

b. hypotheses are guesses; theories are correct answers

c. hypotheses usually are relatively narrow in scope, theories have broad explanatory power

d. theories are proved true, hypotheses are often contradicted by experimental results

c. hypotheses usually are relatively narrow in scope, theories have broad explanatory power

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. keeps all variables constant

b. tests experimental and control groups in parallel

Which of the following is an example of qualitative data?

a. the fish swam in a zigzag motion

b. the contents of the stomach are mixed every 20 seconds

c. the temperature decreased from 20 degrees to 15 degrees

d. the six pairs of robins hatched an average of three chicks each

a. the fish swam in a zigzag motion

Which sentence 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

d. if my hypothesis is correct, I can expect certain test results

Which of the following is an attribute of living things?

a. they must utilize energy from sunlight, either directly or indirectly

b. they must be capable of acquiring adaptations through evolution

c. they must be able to reproduce sexually

d. they must be dependent on oxygen

b. they must be capable of acquiring adaptations through evolution

Which of the following is NOT an attribute of living things?

a. populations of living things evolve

b. all living things require oxygen

c. all living things maintain complexity of order

d. they convert energy from one form to another

b. all living things require oxygen

what is an appropriate term for an interacting group of individuals of a single type occupying a defined area?

a. population

b. species

c. community

d. ecosystem

a. population

emergent properties of living systems are properties that ______

a. are due to the arrangement and interactions of parts as complexity increases

b. are evident during only one portion of the life cycle of an organism

c. define the cell’s surroundings

d. are apparent only when an organism is studied at the molecular level

a. are due to the arrangement and interactions of parts as complexity increases

Which of the following statements best describes the phenomenon of “emergence”?

a. the sum of the parts is greater than the whole

b. the whole is greater than the sum of the parts

c. emergence is best observed only at the microscopic level of biology or the atomic level of chemistry

d. only life displays emergence

b. the whole is greater than the sum of the parts

which of the following systems does NOT display emergent properties?

a. a colony of bees

b. a calculator

c. a drop of water

d. none of the above

d. none of the above

which of the following can be best considered a biological system?

a. a pond

b. a single liver cell

c. the biosphere

d. all of the above

d. all of the above

In an ecosystem, nutrients _____ and energy _____.

a. are created, is lost

b. are wasted, is burned

c. flow through, is recycled

d. are recycled, flow through

d. are recycled, flow through

the energy used by most organisms for metabolism and growth ultimately comes from _____

a. carbon dioxide

b. the sun

c. decomposition of plants and other organic debris

d. heat

b. the sun

which of the following is the fundamental unit of structure and function in living organisms?

a. tissue

b. organ

c. cell

d. organelle

c. cell

what is the molecule that is responsible for both the unity and diversity of life?

a. DNA

b. protein

c. ribosomes

d. lipids

a. DNA

how is the information encoded in DNA actually used by organisms?

a. proteins are built directly from the information in the DNA

b. DNA is translated into protein and then transcribed to RNA

c. DNA migrates through the cell and interacts directly with other molecules in the cytoplasm

d. the information in DNA is transcribed to RNA and then usually translated to protein

d. the information in DNA is transcribed to RNA and then usually translated to protein

which of the following domains is prokaryotic?

a. eukarya

b. fungi

c. protists

d. archaea

d. archaea

which type of organisms within the domain Eukarya is composed of organisms that are generally unicellular?

a. plants

b. fungi

c. animals

d. protists

d. protists

eukaryotic organisms that decompose dead organisms and absorb the nutrients are generally found in which kingdom?

a. plantae

b. bacteria

c. fungi

d. archaea

c. fungi

evolution tends to act at which of the following levels?

a. species

b. domain

c. population

d. kingdom

c. population

which of the following observations and inferences led charles darwin to his theory of natural selection as a mechanism for evolution?

a. individuals in a population of any species vary in many heritable traits

b. a population of any species has the potential to produce far more offspring than will survive to produce offspring of their own

c. individuals with heritable traits best suited to the local environment will generally produce a disproportionate number of healthy, fertile offspring

d. darwin synthesized his theory of natural selection from all of the listed observations and inferences

d. darwin synthesized his theory of natural selection from all of the listed observations and inferences

with evolution as the core theme of biology, we can explain traits shared by the organisms as evidence of ____ and traits that differ among organisms as evidence of ____

a. coincidence, adaptation

b. descent from a common ancestor, chance

c. systems biology, reductionism

d. descent from a common ancestor, adaptation through natural selection

d. descent from a common ancestor, adaptation through natural selection

experimentation is only one part of the process of scientific inquiry, but it is also a very important step because it _____

a. allows scientists to control all aspects of the system

b. allows rejection hypotheses

c. ensures that hypotheses an be confirmed with certainty

d. ensures that the variable being tested is measured without error

b. allows rejection hypotheses

which of the following statements most clearly demonstrates inductive reasoning?

a. a paramecium moves by means of the rhythmic motion of its cilia

b. because worms lack bones, they are classified as invertebrates

c. if the animals observed require organic molecules as nutrients, then it can be concluded that all animals require organic molecules as nutrients

d. if all flying animals are birds, then it can be concluded that bats are birds

c. if the animals observed require organic molecules as nutrients, then it can be concluded that all animals require organic molecules as nutrients

a hypothesis must be testable to be scientifically valid. being testable and falsifiable means that ____

a. the hypothesis has been proved wrong

b. there must be several options in the hypothesis to choose from, one of which is correct

c. some conceivable observation or experiment could reveal whether a given hypothesis is incorrect

d. only a controlled experiment can prove whether the hypothesis is correct or incorrect

c. some conceivable observation or experiment could reveal whether a given hypothesis is incorrect

at which point in a study is a scientific investigator most likely to use deductive reasoning

a. during the formulation of a hypothesis

b. in establishing a test of a hypothesis

c. in rephrasing an alternative hypothesis

d. during initial observation(s)

b. in establishing a test of a hypothesis

which of the following is OUTSIDE the realm of scientific inquiry?

a. formulating testable hypotheses in seeking natural causes for natural phenomena

b. explaining naturally occurring events

c. addressing ethical dilemmas

d. determining the physical causes for physical phenomena

c. addressing ethical dilemmas

the best method for determining whether bean plants require sodium is to _____

a. measure how fast radioactive sodium enters the plant

b. grow bean plants with and without sodium

c. measure the amount of sodium in a few bean plants

d. look for sodium in leaf tissues using autoradiography

b. grow bean plants with and without sodium

repetition of an experiment _____

a. is too difficult for researcher doing fieldwork

b. should always be done by changing a variable

c. is not necessary if the scientist obtains enough background information

d. is necessary before concluding that a given set of results is correct

d. is necessary before concluding that a given set of results is correct

should an experiment test only one variable at a time? why or why not?

a. as long as the experiment is repeated a sufficient number of times, it does not matter how many variables are used

b. yes, an experiment should test only one variable at a time. that way, the experiment will have to be performed only once

c. yes, an experiment should test only one variable at a time. this ensures that the experimental outcome is clearly due to one identifiable factor

d. no, it is not necessary to test only one variable per experiment, especially when time is of the essence

c. yes, an experiment should test only one variable at a time. this ensures that the experimental outcome is clearly due to one identifiable factor

a scientific theory is _____

a. not correct unless it is several years old

b. a well-supported concept that has broad explanatory power

c. the same thing as a hypothesis

d. a poorly supported idea that has little backing but might be correct

b. a well-supported concept that has broad explanatory power