Test File

to accompany
Life: The Science of Biology, Ninth Edition
Sadava • Hillis • Heller • Berenbaum

Chapter 1: Studying Life

TEST FILE QUESTIONS

(By Catherine Ueckert)

Multiple Choice

1. The basic structural and physiological unit of all living organisms is the
a. aggregate.
b. organelle.
c. organism.
d. membrane.
e. cell.
Answer: e
Textbook Reference: 1.1 What Is Biology?
Page: 4
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering

2. A cell
a. can be composed of many types of tissues.
b. is found only in plants and animals.
c. is the smallest entity studied by biologists.
d. may be a distinct entity or a building block of a more complex organism.
e. All of the above
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: 1.1 What Is Biology?
Page: 4
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding

3. Darwin noted that all populations have _______ potential to grow, but that in nature
most populations _______ over time.
a. limited; are stable
b. unlimited; grow slowly
c. limited; fluctuate unpredictably
d. unlimited; are stable
e. limited; decrease slowly
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: 1.1 What Is Biology?
Page: 5
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding

4. A species consists of
a. all the organisms that live together in a particular area.
b. morphologically similar organisms that cannot interbreed.
c. morphologically similar organisms capable of interbreeding.
d. an adult organism and all of its offspring.
e. morphologically similar organisms that live in the same area.
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: 1.1 What Is Biology?
Page: 5
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering

5. Based on the large numbers of offspring produced by many organisms, Darwin

proposed that mortality was high and only a few individuals survived to reproduce. He
referred to the differential reproductive success of individuals with particular variations
as
a. evolution.
b. artificial selection.
c. the cell theory.
d. natural selection.
e. inheritance of acquired characteristics.
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: 1.1 What Is Biology?
Page: 5
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering

6. A key point in Darwin’s explanation of evolution is that

a. the biological structures most likely to be inherited are those that have become best
suited to the environment through constant use.
b. all mutations that occur are those that will help future generations better fit into their
environments.
c. any trait that confers even a small increase in the probability that its possessor will
survive and reproduce will be strongly favored and will spread through the population.
d. genes change in order to help organisms cope with problems encountered within their
environments.
e. extinction is nature’s way of weeding out undeserving organisms.
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: 1.1 What Is Biology?
Page: 5
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering

7. Which of the following statements is true?

a. The diversity of life has depended on similar environments and ecological
communities throughout the globe.
b. Sexual selection and genetic drift contribute to the diversity of life.
c. Earth has existed and changed over a few thousand years, at most.
d. All ancestral forms of life were very similar to organisms that currently exist.
e. All organisms are genetically closely related.
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: 1.1 What Is Biology?
Page: 5
Bloom’s Category: 4. Analyzing

8. All living organisms acquire _______ from their environment.

a. food
b. nutrients
c. sunlight
d. heterotrophic nutrition
e. autotrophic nutrition
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: 1.1 What Is Biology?
Page: 6
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering

9. Which of the following represents a correct ordering of the levels of complexity at

which life is studied, from most simple to most complex?
a. Cell, tissue, organ, organism, population, community
b. Community, population, organism, organ, tissue, cell
c. Cell, organ, tissue, organism, population, community
d. Cell, tissue, organ, population, organism, community
e. Tissue, organ, cell, population, organism, community
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: 1.1 What Is Biology?
Page: 7
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering

10. Yeasts can be used to study human cancer because yeasts and humans
a. share a genetic code.
b. are both prokaryotes.
c. have exactly the same genome.
d. have the same number of chromosomes.
e. None of the above; yeast cannot be used to study human cancer.
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: 1.1 What Is Biology?
Page: 8
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding

11. A gene controlling human skin color was discovered in experiments with
a. fruit flies.
b. zebrafish.
c. roundworms.
d. mustard plants.
e. sea urchins.
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: 1.1 What Is Biology?
Page: 8
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering

12. Earth is approximately _______ years old.

a. 4–5 billion
b. 4–5 trillion
c. 4–5 million
d. 6,000
e. 40–50 trillion
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: 1.2 How Is All Life on Earth Related?
Page: 9
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering

13. Scientists estimate that for more than _______ years after cells originated, all
organisms consisted of one cell.
a. 2,500
b. 250,000
c. 2.5 million
d. 2.5 billion
e. 2.5 trillion
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: 1.2 How Is All Life on Earth Related?
Page: 9–10
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering

14. Metabolism is
a. the consumption of energy only.
b. the release of energy only.
c. all conversions of matter and energy taking place in an organism.
d. the production of heat by chemical reactions.
e. the exchange of nutrients and waste products with the environment.
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: 1.2 How Is All Life on Earth Related?
Page: 10
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering

15. The initial accumulation of oxygen in the atmosphere was the result of photosynthesis
from an organism most like modern
a. cyanobacteria.
b. algae.
c. mosses.
d. kelp.
e. eukaryotes.
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: 1.2 How Is All Life on Earth Related?
Page: 10
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering

16. A prerequisite for the survival of life on land was the accumulation of
a. O2 in the atmosphere.
b. CO2 in the atmosphere.
c. water vapor in the atmosphere.
d. O3 in the atmosphere.
e. bacteria in the soil.
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: 1.2 How Is All Life on Earth Related?
Page: 10
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering

17. The chemical formula for ozone is

a. O.
b. O2.
c. H2O2.
d. O3.
e. None of the above
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: 1.2 How Is All Life on Earth Related?
Page: 10
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering

18. Ozone is important to life on Earth because it

a. is toxic to all forms of life.
b. can be used in place of oxygen.
c. blocks much ultraviolet radiation.
d. provides energy to some basic forms of life.
e. acts as a disinfectant.
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: 1.2 How Is All Life on Earth Related?
Page: 10–11
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering

19. Plants, fungi, and animals have evolved from

a. protists.
b. endosymbiotic bacteria.
c. Archaea.
d. cyanobacteria.
e. inorganic molecules.
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: 1.2 How Is All Life on Earth Related?
Page: 12
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering

20. Plants are

a. eukaryotic multicellular autotrophs.
b. eukaryotic unicellular autotrophs.
c. eukaryotic multicellular heterotrophs.
d. prokaryotic multicellular autotrophs.
e. prokaryotic unicellular heterotrophs.
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: 1.2 How Is All Life on Earth Related?
Page: 12
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding

21. Biologists have organized the diversity of life into three domains based largely on
a. physical similarities.
b. ecological niches.
c. chronological order.
d. molecular data.
e. All of the above
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: 1.2 How Is All Life on Earth Related?
Page: 12
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering

22. Scientists group species on an evolutionary tree that is based on

a. the fossil record.
b. physical structures.
c. genomic sequencing.
d. All of the above
e. None of the above
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: 1.2 How Is All Life on Earth Related?
Page: 12
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering

23. The domain Eukarya includes all of the following except

a. Archaea.
b. the kingdom Plantae.
c. the kingdom Fungi.
d. the kingdom Animalia.
e. protists.
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: 1.2 How Is All Life on Earth Related?
Page: 12
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering

24. A phylogenetic tree

a. shows evolutionary relationships.
b. relies on evidence from fossils, metabolic processes, and molecular analyses of
genomes.
c. helps us understand the history and relationships of living organisms.
d. shows the order in which populations split and evolved into new species.
e. All of the above
Answer: e
Textbook Reference: 1.2 How Is All Life on Earth Related?
Page: 12–13
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding

25. The branching patterns of the evolutionary tree of life are based on a rich array of
evidence from
a. fossils.
b. molecular evidence.
c. metabolic processes.
d. All of the above
e. None of the above
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: 1.2 How Is All Life on Earth Related?
Page: 12–13
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering

26. Which of the following can result from a scientific investigation?

a. Proof of the hypothesis
b. Refinement of the experimental design
c. Formulation of new questions that result in additional experimentation
d. Repetition of statistical tests to verify results
e. Development of additional technologies to meet the needs of scientists
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: 1.3 How Do Biologists Investigate Life?
Page: 14
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding

27. Which of the following is not a major step in the hypothetico-deductive method?
a. Controlling an environment
b. Making an observation
c. Forming a hypothesis
d. Making a prediction
e. Testing a prediction
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: 1.3 How Do Biologists Investigate Life?
Page: 14
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering

28. After observing that fish live in clean water but not in polluted water, researchers
state that “polluted water kills fish.” This statement is an example of
a. scientific inquiry.
b. biological evolution.
c. a prediction.
d. a hypothesis.
e. a theory.
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: 1.3 How Do Biologists Investigate Life?
Page: 14
Bloom’s Category: 3. Applying

29. The main purpose of any single experiment is to

a. obtain accurate quantitative measurements.
b. prove unambiguously that a particular hypothesis is correct.
c. avoid comparative analysis.
d. answer as many key questions as possible.
e. test a prediction that is based on a hypothesis.
Answer: e
Textbook Reference: 1.3 How Do Biologists Investigate Life?
Page: 14
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding

30. Which of the following is not a feature of scientific hypotheses?

a. They are unable to be falsified.
b. They make predictions.
c. They are based on observations.
d. They can be tested by experimentation.
e. They can be tested by observational analysis.
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: 1.3 How Do Biologists Investigate Life?
Page: 14
Bloom’s Category: 4. Analyzing

31. Which of the following statements about the scientific method is correct?
a. Deductive logic is used to make predictions from a hypothesis.
b. The most informative experiments are those that have the ability to show that a
hypothesis is correct.
c. In a comparative experiment, a scientist compares groups that differ in a variable that
has been manipulated in one of the groups and left unaltered in the other group.
d. Controlled experiments are valuable when we do not know or cannot control the
critical variables.
e. A statistical test of a hypothesis starts with the premise that a significant difference
exists between the groups in the study.
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: 1.3 How Do Biologists Investigate Life?
Page: 14
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering

32. The advantage of controlled experiments is that

a. all variables are held constant except for one.
b. the hypothesis is proven right.
c. patterns can be predicted.
d. investigations can be carried out in the field.
e. a massive amount of data can be synthesized.
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: 1.3 How Do Biologists Investigate Life?
Page: 14
Bloom’s Category: 5. Evaluating

33. Which of the following statements is false?

a. Statistical methods are applied to data in order to calculate the likelihood that the null
hypothesis is incorrect.
b. Statistical tests analyze variation and calculate the probability that observed differences
in an experiment could be due to random variation.
c. Statistical tests can be used to evaluate both comparative and controlled experiments.
d. Scientists generally conclude that the differences they measure are true if the statistical
tests show that the probability of error is 5 percent or lower.
e. The power of science derives from absolute dependence on evidence that comes from
reproducible and quantifiable observations.
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: 1.3 How Do Biologists Investigate Life?
Page: 14
Bloom’s Category: 4. Analyzing

34. Comparative experiments are designed to answer questions that require

a. observation and comparison rather than controlled variables.
b. experimental groups and control groups.
c. little or no data collection.
d. a final, definitive answer.
e. the collection of qualitative data.
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: 1.3 How Do Biologists Investigate Life?
Page: 14–15
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding

35. Which of the following statements represents a scientific point of view?

a. Earth was created by a supernatural force.
b. The positions of the sun, moon, and stars provide guidance for making decisions.
c. Inner strength comes from the beauty in nature.
d. Testing the effect of antibiotics on E. coli can help prevent deaths from food poisoning.
e. Meditation helps to solve problems.
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: 1.3 How Do Biologists Investigate Life?
Page: 14–15
Bloom’s Category: 3. Applying

36. Which of the following statements about the experiments of Tyrone Hayes on
abnormalities of male frog sex organs is correct?
a. In a set of controlled experiments, he had to reject his hypothesis that atrazine was
causing abnormalities in male frogs.
b. As a result of the comparative experiments, he formed a new hypothesis that snails
were causing the limb deformities in the frogs.
c. The controlled experiments compared the effects of various atrazine concentrations on
reproductive tissues.
d. He reasoned, by means of inductive logic, that if atrazine caused abnormal testes
development, then such deformities could be caused simply by exposing developing
tadpoles to various concentrations of atrazine.
e. The abnormality rate was proportional to the level of atrazine exposure.
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: 1.3 How Do Biologists Investigate Life?
Page: 15
Bloom’s Category: 4. Analyzing

37. Which of the following questions cannot be answered by means of the hypothetico-
deductive method?
a. Are bees more attracted to red roses than to yellow roses?
b. Are red roses more beautiful than yellow roses?
c. Why are red roses red?
d. Do red roses bloom earlier than yellow roses?
e. Are red roses more susceptible to mildew than yellow roses?
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: 1.3 How Do Biologists Investigate Life?
Page: 15–16
Bloom’s Category: 3. Applying

38. Overfishing of the western bluefin tuna in the Gulf of Mexico breeding ground
resulted in a serious decline in the population. Fishing quotas were established in the Gulf
of Mexico to allow the endangered population to recover. Why did this policy fail to
achieve the desired result?
a. The feeding grounds of the western bluefin are geographically separated from the
feeding grounds of the eastern bluefin.
b. The breeding grounds of the western bluefin are geographically separated from the
breeding grounds of the eastern bluefin.
c. Fisherman disregarded the policy.
d. Western and eastern populations of bluefin feed throughout the entire North Atlantic.
e. The policy was designed without advice and guidance from scientists.
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: 1.4 How Does Biology Influence Public Policy?
Page: 17–18
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding

Fill in the Blank

1. Most living organisms consist of one or more _______, have changed or _______ over
time, and can regulate their _______ environment.
Answer: cells; evolved; internal
Textbook Reference: 1.1 What Is Biology?
Page: 3
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering

2. _______ are structural, physiological, or behavioral traits that enhance an organism’s

chance of survival and reproduction in its environment.
Answer: Adaptations
Textbook Reference: 1.1 What Is Biology?
Page: 6
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering

3. The total chemical activity of a living organism is called its _______.

Answer: metabolism
Textbook Reference: 1.2 How Is All Life on Earth Related?
Page: 7
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering

4. Currently, scientists agree with the estimate that life first appeared approximately
_______ years ago.
Answer: 4 billion
Textbook Reference: 1.2 How Is All Life on Earth Related?
Page: 10
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering

5. Fatlike molecules were the critical ingredient in the enclosure of biological molecules
in _______ because these molecules are not _______ in water and tend to form
membrane-like _______.
Answer: membranes; soluble; films
Textbook Reference: 1.2 How Is All Life on Earth Related?
Page: 10
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
6. The ability to use energy from sunlight to synthesize complex molecules is known as
_______.
Answer: photosynthesis
Textbook Reference: 1.2 How Is All Life on Earth Related?
Page: 11
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering

7. About _______ years ago, prokaryotes acquired the ability to photosynthesize.

Answer: 2.7 billion
Textbook Reference: 1.2 How Is All Life on Earth Related?
Page: 11
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering

8. Some organelles in eukaryotes can be described as _______ within a cell.

Answer: cells
Textbook Reference: 1.2 How Is All Life on Earth Related?
Page: 11
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding

9. In contrast to eukaryotic cells, prokaryotes lack discrete _______ compartments.

Answer: intracellular
Textbook Reference: 1.2 How Is All Life on Earth Related?
Page: 11
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering

10. Single-celled organisms that lack discrete intracellular compartments belong to the
two kingdoms: _______ and _______.
Answer: Archaea; Bacteria
Textbook Reference: 1.2 How Is All Life on Earth Related?
Page: 12
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering

11. There are three domains used to categorize life forms that have evolved separately for
about a billion years: _______, _______, and _______.
Answer: Archaea; Bacteria; Eukarya
Textbook Reference: 1.2 How Is All Life on Earth Related?
Page: 12
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering

12. Scientists who study evolution and classification of life’s diverse organisms are called
_______.
Answer: systematists
Textbook Reference: 1.2 How Is All Life on Earth Related?
Page: 12
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
13. A Pacific tree frog has the scientific nomenclature of Hyla regilla. This particular tree
frog belongs to the genus _______.
Answer: Hyla
Textbook Reference: 1.2 How Is All Life on Earth Related?
Page: 12
Bloom’s Category: 3. Applying

14. A _______ tree shows the evolutionary relationships among species.

Answer: phylogenetic
Textbook Reference: 1.2 How Is All Life on Earth Related?
Page: 12
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering

15. Multicellular organisms that are photosynthetic belong to the kingdom _______.
Answer: Plantae
Textbook Reference: 1.2 How Is All Life on Earth Related?
Page: 12
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering

16. Fungi and animals both belong to the _______ domain, and their cell structure is
_______.
Answer: Eukarya; multicellular
Textbook Reference: 1.2 How Is All Life on Earth Related?
Page: 12
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering

17. Scientific investigations are based above all on the processes of _______ and
_______.
Answer: observation; experimentation
Textbook Reference: 1.3 How Do Biologists Investigate Life?
Page: 13–14
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering

18. The _______ hypothesis states that no difference exists due to the variable under
investigation.
Answer: null
Textbook Reference: 1.3 How Do Biologists Investigate Life?
Page: 15
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering

Diagram

1. From the diagram below it can be determined that

a. there are three groups of Eukarya.
b. protists and bacteria have no common ancestor.
c. plants and fungi have a more recent common ancestor than plants and animals do.
d. plants, fungi, and animals are descendants of different microbial eukaryotic ancestors.
e. Archaea is the evolutionarily ancient group.
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: 1.2 How Is All Life on Earth Related?
Page: 12
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding

STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS

(By Ed Dzialowski)

Knowledge and Synthesis

1. Life arose on Earth approximately _______ years ago.

a. 4 billion
b. 4 million
c. 4,000
d. 1.5 billion
e. 400,000
Answer: a
Feedback: Available evidence places the beginning of life at about 3.8 billion years ago.
Textbook Reference: 1.2 How Is All Life on Earth Related?
Page: 10

2. Which of the following is the feature or component of organisms that allows for life in
such a wide variety of environments on Earth?
a. Prokaryotic cells
b. Eukaryotic cells
c. Homeostasis
d. Adaptation
e. Model systems
Answer: d
Feedback: Adaptations are the differences found in organisms that allow them to live in
an environment.
Textbook Reference: 1.1 What Is Biology?
Page: 6

3. Which of the following is not a characteristic of most living organisms?

a. Regulation of internal environment
b. One or more cells
c. Ability to produce biological molecules
d. Ability to extract energy from the environment
e. None of the above
Answer: e
Feedback: Most living organisms are composed of cells, have the ability to make
biological molecules, can regulate their internal environment, and get energy from the
external environment.
Textbook Reference: 1.1 What Is Biology?
Page: 2

4. Photosynthesis was a major evolutionary milestone because

a. photosynthetic organisms contributed oxygen to the environment, which led to the
evolution of aerobic organisms.
b. photosynthesis led to conditions that allowed life to arise on land.
c. photosynthesis is the only metabolic process that can convert light energy to chemical
energy.
d. photosynthesis provides food for other organisms.
e. All of the above
Answer: d
Feedback: Photosynthesis caused the accumulation of oxygen in the atmosphere and
contributed to the formation of an ozone layer. The presence of oxygen made the
evolution of aerobic organisms possible, and the ozone layer shielded Earth from harmful
radiation. These two phenomena contributed to the evolution of terrestrial life.
Textbook Reference: 1.2 How Is All Life on Earth Related?
Page: 10–11

5. The fact that all cells come from preexisting cells is a component of _______ theory.
a. animal
b. genetic
c. cell
d. plant
e. adaptation
Answer: c
Feedback: The cell theory states that all life is based on the cell.
Textbook Reference: 1.1 What Is Biology?
Page: 4

6. A group of cells that work together to carry out a similar function is known as a(n)
a. tissue.
b. organ system.
c. unicellular organism.
d. protein.
e. a gene.
Answer: a
Feedback: Multicellular organisms have tissues that are formed from many similar cells.
Textbook Reference: 1.1 What Is Biology?
Page: 8

7. Which of the following does not contribute to adaptation in the wild?

a. Artificial selection
b. Genetic drift
c. Natural selection
d. Sexual selection
e. All of the above contribute to adaptation in the wild.
Answer: a
Feedback: Adaptations arise from genetic drift, natural selection, and sexual selection.
Artificial selection can produce adaptations, but they occur through human selection and
not in the wild.
Textbook Reference: 1.1 What Is Biology?
Page: 5–6

8. Which of the following is not a domain on the tree of life?

a. Archaea
b. Plantae
c. Eukarya
d. Bacteria
e. All of the above are domains.
Answer: b
Feedback: Plantae is a kingdom found in the domain Eukarya.
Textbook Reference: 1.2 How Is All Life on Earth Related?
Page: 12

9. The information needed to produce proteins is contained in

a. nutrients.
b. tissues.
c. evolution.
d. organs.
e. genes.
Answer: e
Feedback: Genes are specific sequences of DNA that contain the information used to
make proteins.
Textbook Reference: 1.1 What Is Biology?
Page: 6

10. Evolution is
a. not important to the study of biology.
b. the change in the genetic makeup of a population through time.
c. the change in protein expression of a population through time.
d. not influenced by natural selection.
e. None of the above
Answer: b
Feedback: Evolution is a change in the frequency of genes within a population over time
and can occur through natural selection. This is the major unifying principle of biology.
Textbook Reference: 1.1 What Is Biology?
Page: 5

11. In a model experiment, researchers subjected frogs to various levels of atrazine while
keeping all other variables constant. This is an example of a _______ experiment.
a. controlled
b. repeated
c. laboratory
d. comparative
e. None of the above
Answer: a
Feedback: For experiments to be scientifically valid, they must be controlled.
Textbook Reference: 1.3 How Do Biologists Investigate Life?
Page: 15

12. For a hypothesis to be scientifically valid, it must be _______ and it must be possible
to _______ it.
a. testable; prove
b. testable; reject
c. controlled; prove
d. controlled; reject
e. testable; control
Answer: b
Feedback: Scientific hypotheses are set apart from mere conjecture by being testable and
falsifiable.
Textbook Reference: 1.3 How Do Biologists Investigate Life?
Page: 14

13. Eukaryotic cells differ from prokaryotic cells in that they have
a. genes.
b. proteins.
c. organelles.
d. membranes.
e. All of the above
Answer: c
Feedback: Both eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells contain genes, proteins, and some sort
of membrane. Only the eukaryotes have organelles.
Textbook Reference: 1.2 How Is All Life on Earth Related?
Page: 11

14. In the names of organisms, the _______ is placed first and the _______ is placed
second.
a. species; genus
b. genus; domain
c. domain; genus
d. genus; species
e. domain; species
Answer: d
Feedback: An example is Homo sapiens.
Textbook Reference: 1.2 How Is All Life on Earth Related?
Page: 12

15. Metabolism refers to

a. natural selection.
b. the chemical transformations and work of a cell.
c. communities.
d. mutations in DNA.
e. cellular structure.
Answer: b
Feedback: The metabolism, or metabolic rate, of an organism is the sum of all the
chemical transformations and work that it performs.
Textbook Reference: 1.1 What Is Biology?
Page: 7

Application

1. Discuss how the process of scientific inquiry is different from other forms of inquiry.
Include in your discussion a description of the hypothesis–prediction approach.
Answer: The process of scientific inquiry is different because a hypothesis must be
testable, and it must be possible to reject it. The hypothesis–prediction approach begins
with observations that lead to questions. From the questions, hypotheses are formed that
are probable explanations for the observed phenomena. Predictions are formed from the
hypotheses and tested. Conclusions are drawn from the tests. These conclusions may, in
turn, lead to additional hypotheses.
Textbook Reference: 1.3 How Do Biologists Investigate Life?
Page: 16

2. Look over a recent newspaper to see how many articles are directly related to biology.
Select one article and discuss how the researchers followed or did not follow the
hypothesis–prediction approach.
Answer: Often an article reporting on science news does not provide enough information
for the reader to know whether a particular study followed the hypothesis–prediction
approach. It pays to be a smart reader and consumer in this respect.
Textbook Reference: 1.3 How Do Biologists Investigate Life?
Page: 13

3. What is one example from your own experience of biology’s influence on public
policy?
Answer: Many public policies rely on sound biological findings. Examples include
medical issues, environmental quality issues, and ecology of local populations of wild
animals.
Textbook Reference: 1.4 How Does Biology Influence Public Policy?
Page: 17–18

4. Scientists interested in human biology typically perform experiments with other model
systems. Why do scientists use model systems in this way?
Answer: Model systems are useful in the study of biology because all organisms have
evolved from a common ancestor. Therefore, cellular pathways in a zebrafish are very
similar to those found in the human. Model systems are valuable because in many cases
they can be manipulated experimentally.
Textbook Reference: 1.1 What Is Biology?
Page: 9

5. The study of biology can be organized from the most basic unit, the molecule, up to the
biosphere. Describe how each level is connected with the level below it.
Answer: The cell is composed of many different types of molecules. Cells with the same
function and coordination are grouped together to form tissues. Several tissue types work
together to form a functioning organ. A complex multicellular organism is composed of
organs and organ systems. Many organisms of the same species living together make up a
population. A community encompasses all of the populations within a given area. An
ecosystem is composed of many communities in the same geographical area. All of the
ecosystems on Earth make up the biosphere.
Textbook Reference: 1.1 What Is Biology?
Page: 8

BIOPORTAL DIAGNOSTIC QUIZ (Personalized Study Plan Quiz)

(By Richard McCarty)

1. A seed of a plant is
a. alive.
b. unicellular.
c. sensitive to dryness.
d. devoid of nucleic acids.
e. always extracting energy from its environment.
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: 1.1 What Is Biology?
Page: 3
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding

2. Viruses
a. can mutate.
b. can extract energy from their environment.
c. can synthesize DNA or RNA on their own.
d. can reproduce on their own.
e. are cellular.
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: 1.1 What Is Biology?
Page: 3
Bloom’s Category: 4. Analyzing

3. An organism
a. must contain more than one cell.
b. can evolve.
c. cannot do biological work.
d. can be generated from nonliving materials.
e. is dependent on another organism for reproduction.
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: 1.1 What Is Biology?
Page: 3–4
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding

4. Modern cell theory states that

a. all cells are derived from preexisting cells.
b. cells are the building blocks of some organisms.
c. the chemical composition of cells varies widely from cell to cell.
d. metabolism (the chemical reactions of life) occurs mostly outside cells.
e. viruses are cellular.
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: 1.1 What Is Biology?
Page: 4–5
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding

5. Plants show remarkable adaptations to their environments, even though they were
derived from a common ancestor. Such diversity of plants arose by
a. reproduction.
b. evolution and natural selection.
c. inheritance of acquired traits.
d. genetic variability only.
e. changes in rates of photosynthesis.
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: 1.1 What Is Biology?
Page: 5–6
Bloom’s Category: 4. Analyzing

6. Genomes are
a. the shared of genetic information among all living cells.
b. usually made of RNA.
c. made of proteins.
d. the sum of genetic information in a cell.
e. only found in animal and plant cells.
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: 1.1 What Is Biology?
Page: 6
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering

7. All cells in a complicated multicellular organism

a. contain the same genome.
b. have the same function.
c. express the same parts of the genome at the same time during development.
d. control the expression of the genome.
e. randomly express parts of the genome.
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: 1.1 What Is Biology?
Page: 7
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding

8. Nutrients
a. are synthesized by cells.
b. are broken down outside of cells.
c. require energy to be broken down.
d. are broken down inside cells.
e. do not play a role in the synthesis of complex molecules.
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: 1.1 What Is Biology?
Page: 7
Bloom’s Category: 4. Analyzing

9. In terms of increasing complexity, the order of parts of a multicellular animal is

a. cell, macromolecule, tissue, organ, organ system.
b. molecule, cell, tissue, organ, organ system.
c. tissue, cell, molecule, organ system, organ.
d. molecule, tissue, cell, organ, organ system.
e. tissue, molecule, cell, organ, organ system.
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: 1.1 What Is Biology?
Page: 8
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
10. A population differs from a community in that a community
a. consists of just one species.
b. includes the abiotic environment.
c. consists of many species.
d. is synonymous with an ecosystem.
e. is a group of the same species that interact with each other.
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: 1.1 What Is Biology?
Page: 8
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding

11. Which one of the processes below is not dependent on interactions of plants with
other organisms (including other plants)?
a. Obtaining nutrients
b. Dispersing seeds
c. Producing fertile seeds
d. Competing for water
e. Regulating the internal environment
Answer: e
Textbook Reference: 1.1 What Is Biology?
Page: 8–9
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding

12. Relationships between living organisms can best be gleaned

a. from the fossil record.
b. by comparing the genomes of living organisms.
c. by comparing the genomes of both extinct and living organisms.
d. by comparing anatomical features of living organisms.
e. by comparing anatomical features of fossils.
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: 1.2 How Is All Life on Earth Related?
Page: 9
Bloom’s Category: 4. Analyzing

13. Oceans were a good environment for early organisms because they
a. contained ozone.
b. shielded organisms from visible light.
c. obviated the need for a cell membrane.
d. shielded organisms from ultraviolet light.
e. were rich in oxygen.
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: 1.2 How Is All Life on Earth Related?
Page: 10
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
14. The organisms that produced the oxygen gas in Earth’s atmosphere in ancient times
were
a. heterotrophic eukaryotes.
b. autotrophic eukaryotes.
c. autotrophic prokaryotes.
d. heterotrophic prokaryotes.
e. completely unlike modern organisms.
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: 1.2 How Is All Life on Earth Related?
Page: 11
Bloom’s Category: 4. Analyzing

15. Oxygen gas (O2) in Earth’s early atmosphere

a. allowed the evolution of anoxic metabolism.
b. depleted ozone in the atmosphere.
c. increased damage to organisms by allowing more ultraviolet light in.
d. allowed organisms to move from the sea to land.
e. was not toxic to most prokaryotes.
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: 1.2 How Is All Life on Earth Related?
Page: 11
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding

16. Eukaryotes resemble prokaryotes in that both

a. contain nuclei.
b. have organelles.
c. have plasma membranes.
d. are multicellular.
e. contain specialized cells.
Answer: e
Textbook Reference: 1.2 How Is All Life on Earth Related?
Page: 11
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering

17. In the scientific method, a hypothesis

a. is a final answer to a question.
b. is formulated by deductive logic.
c. does not have to be testable.
d. is the basis for making predictions.
e. is formulated solely by speculation.
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: 1.3 How Do Biologists Investigate Life?
Page: 14
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding

18. Scientific explanations for a natural phenomenon

a. cannot be tested.
b. may be based on data that cannot be reproduced.
c. must be statistically significant.
d. have been exclusively tested by the originator(s).
e. are a reflection of how things should be.
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: 1.3 How Do Biologists Investigate Life?
Page: 16
Bloom’s Category: 4. Analyzing

19. The study of biology is

a. remotely related to medicine.
b. important to the understanding of the effects of human activity on the environment.
c. of very little interest to the public.
d. of little relevance to agriculture.
e. not important to policy makers.
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: 1.4 How Does Biology Influence Public Policy?
Page: 17–18
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering

20. When applying biology to public policy,

a. the recommendations of scientists are always followed.
b. the economic issues of a policy are not considered.
c. several countries may be involved.
d. there are no ethical issues involved.
e. the correct course of action is always evident.
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: 1.4 How Does Biology Influence Public Policy?
Page: 17–18
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding