Biology Science Bowl - Comprehensive Notes

Biology Questions

Bryophytes vs. Tracheophytes

• The major difference between bryophytes and tracheophytes is that tracheophytes have vessels to transport materials.

Genetics

• Alternative forms of a gene at the same locus on homologous chromosomes are called alleles.

Human Anatomy

• The human pelvic girdle is composed of three fused bones on each side:
  • Illium
  • Ischium
  • Pubis
• Rings of muscle that close body openings are called sphincters.
• The myofilaments of muscles consist primarily of actin and myosin.
• A blood-filled sac formed by an outpouching in an arterial or venous wall is called an aneurysm.

Paleontology and Anatomy History

• George Cuvier is considered the father of paleontology.
• Galen's studies of human anatomy, based on lower animals, served as the primary text on the subject for nearly 15 centuries.

Atmospheric Composition

• The percentage of the atmosphere consisting of carbon dioxide is approximately 0.03%.

Respiration

• Respiration is the process in all living things that releases carbon dioxide as a waste product.

Taxonomy

• The taxonomic breakdown of living things from least to most specific is:
  • Kingdom
  • Phylum
  • Class
  • Order
  • Family
  • Genus
  • Species

Phenotype

• Phenotype describes the appearance of an individual without regard to its hereditary constitution.

Chromosomes

• Chromosomes responsible for characteristics other than sex are known as autosomes.
• Chromosomal deletion is when a part of a chromosome is broken off and lost.

Cell Organelles

• Cytoplasm is NOT a cell organelle.

Color Blindness

• When a color-blind man marries a woman pure for normal color vision, half the grandsons will be color blind.

Skin Receptors

• End organs of Ruffini are skin receptors in humans that are sensitive to heat.

Carbohydrate Metabolism

• Glucose is broken down into pyruvic acid in the first stage of carbohydrate metabolism.

Hormones

• Hormones are not found in nucleic acids.

Fatty Acids

• A fatty acid that has more than one set of double bonds between carbons is called polyunsaturated.

Amino Acids

• The process by which an amino acid loses its amino group is called deamination.

Plasma Membrane

• In a plasma membrane, lipids provide a general barrier to the movement of molecules.

Secretion

• The process by which oil glands in mammalian skins secrete oils is holocrine secretion.

Chromosome Number

• An individual with three X chromosomes is likely to be an abnormal female.

Taxonomy

• Carolus Linnaeus is considered the father of Taxonomy.

Photosynthesis

• In the first stage of photosynthesis, light energy is used to split water.
• One-celled algae enclosed in minute two-part silic shells are called diatoms.

Osmoregulation

• Osmoregulation is concerned with the control of the body's water content.

Arachnids

• A lobster is not an arachnid.

Blood Composition

• Glycogen is not found in blood.

Plant Nutrition

• Proof that plants can grow and reproduce using only inorganic nutrients comes from the study of hydroponics.

Water Uptake in Plants

• Water molecules enter plant epidermal cells by osmosis.

Energy Source

• $ATP$ (Adenosine Triphosphate) is the energy source for virtually all of the work done by the cell.

Eradicated Diseases

• Smallpox has been eradicated from the world.

Origin of Life

• The beginnings of life on earth took place in the shallow oceans.

Antibodies

• Each antibody molecule is made up of 2 pairs of polypeptide chains, joined together by disulfide bonds.

Immune System

• The immune system normally discriminates between self and non-self antigens.

Enzymes

• Proteins that cause reactions to proceed more rapidly and lower the energy of activation are called enzymes.

Radiant Energy Conversion

• Less than 2% of the total radiant energy received by a plant is converted to chemical energy.

Genes

• Genes are able to control a cell's fate by determining the synthesis of enzymes.

Microscopy

• Resolution by any microscope is ultimately limited by the wavelength of the light.

Digestion

• Humans cannot digest cellulose because they lack the proper enzymes.

Steroids

• Cholesterol, testosterone, and estrogen are all examples of steroids.

Animal Starch

• Glycogen is sometimes called animal starch.

Cranial Nerves

• There are 12 pairs of nerves that leave the vertebrate brain.

Eye Anatomy

• The vertebrate eyeball is bounded anteriorly by the cornea.

Nucleic Acids

• The basic subunits of a nucleic acid are called mononucleotides or nucleotides.

Enzymes

• Enzymes whose action is modulated by binding of a molecule to a site other than the active site are called allosteric enzymes.

Muscle attachments

• The muscle attachment to the bone of lesser movement is called the muscle's origin.

DNA

• DNA present in a structural gene that does not seem to have a specific coding function is known as an intron.

Bone Composition

• The organic portion of bone consists of collagen.

Molluscs

• Octopus and squid belong to the class of molluscs known as cephalopoda.

Angiosperms vs Gymnosperms

• The name given to a structure present in angiosperms but lacking in gymnosperms is the ovary or ovulary.

Loop of Henle

• In mammals, the primary function of the loop of Henle is reabsorption of water.

Viral Interference

• Viral interference is the phenomenon that occurs when tissue culture is infected with one type of virus that causes the culture to resist infection by a second type of virus.

Gas Bubbles

• Gas bubbles which form within plant cells or in blood are known as embolism.

Water Conducting Cells

• The water conducting cells in non-flowering vascular plants are known as tracheids.

Leaves

• On a dry day, water diffuses out of the intercellular spaces of the leaf through the stomata.

Digestion

• A clogging of the bile duct interferes with the digestion of fats or lipids or fat-soluble vitamins.

Eye

• The jellylike substance filling the chamber behind the lens of the human eye is the vitreous body or vitreous humor.

Erythrocytes

• The erythrocytes of mammals lack a nucleus, DNA, chromosomes, or mitochondria.

Glands

• The name of the ductless glands which secrete their product into the circulatory system are endocrine glands.

Photosynthesis

• In the first stage of photosynthesis, light energy splits water molecules leaving oxygen as a byproduct.

Tooth Decay

• The bacteria which cause dental cavities in humans break down sugars, releasing acids, that cause tooth destruction.

Blood Platelets

• Blood platelets are cytoplasmic fragments.

Metabolism

• Oxidation of fats and carbohydrates within a cell would be an example of catabolism.

Muscle Control

• Smooth muscle is under involuntary control.

Heart

• The secondary pacemaker of the heart is known as the AV node.

Inflammation

• A pyrogen is a substance released during inflammation that aids in causing fever.

Evolution

• A millipede is most likely to have evolved from the trilobite.

Lakes

• A lake which has high nutrient availability is eutrophic.

Hormones

• The hormone causing growth of the endometrium is estrogen.

Nitrogen Fixation

• Nitrogen fixation is accomplished by bacteria.

Phagocytosis

• The vesicles formed via the process known as phagocytosis are called food vacuoles.

Energy

• Of the following three substances, protein provides the least source of energy for the body.

Blood Types

• Type A blood contains isohemaglutinins against type A red cells.

Blood cells

• The cell count that tends to be elevated when an individual has an allergy or parasitic worms is eosinophil.

Veins

• Veins do not have very elastic walls.

Gallstones

• Gallstones are most often the result of precipitation of cholesterol.

Water

• The loss of water by plants in the form of vapor is called evapotranspiration.

Phyla

• Sponges are included in the Porifera phylum.

Tendons

• The tendon in humans which attaches the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles to the calcaneum or heel bone is the Achilles Tendon.

Blood pH

• The normal pH of human blood is 7.4.

Muscle Proteins

• Myosin is one of two proteins that make up the myofibrils of striated muscles. The other protein is Actin.

Endocrine System

• Part of the endocrine system in humans, the adrenal glands are small bodies located at the upper end of each kidney.

Agar

• Agar is a gelatin-like substance prepared for various species of red algae growing in Asiatic waters.

Amnesia

• Amnesia is a partial or total loss of memory of a temporary or permanent nature.

Amphibians

• Amphibians do not live in salt water.

Angiography

• Angiography is the procedure whereby a catheter is inserted into an individual's heart, a radio-opaque medium is injected, and x-ray images are made.

Joints

• The ankle joint is formed by the articulation of the tibia, the malleolus of the fibula, and the convex surface of the talus.

Plants

• A plant which completes its life cycle, from seed to seed, in a single growing season is known as an annual.

Flowers

• In flowers the terminal part of a stamen, containing the pollen sacs is known as the anther.

Protozoa

• The process of nuclear reorganization in protozoa in which the nucleus divides, each half undergoes a maturation, and the two persisting functional nuclei reunite is known as autogamy.

Diseases

• Herpes is NOT a bacterial disease.
• Tuberculosis is NOT a viral disease.

Fungi

• Most of the fungi commonly observed are members of the Basidomycetes group of fungi, which includes toadstools, mushrooms and puffballs.
• Truffles, morels and the many yeasts which are basic to fermentation processes belong to the Ascomycetes group of fungi.

Bioluminescence

• Many living organisms exhibit the unique property of producing visible light. This phenomena is known as bioluminescence or photoluminescence.

Luciferase

• The enzyme which catalyzes the reaction known as luciferin is luciferase.

Muscles

• The muscle which RAISES a bird's wing is the pectoralis minor.