2 15-Question Online Student Quizzes

Bloe8 Chapter 1

2 15-question online student quizzes.

Questions are organized by section number and have an (F), (C), or (A) at the beginning to designate the modified Bloom categories.

Quiz 1

(F)1. Science assumes that natural laws (such as the law of gravity) ______.

a. apply uniformly through space and through time
b. apply in the laboratory but not in nature
c. change with time
d. differ depending on the location of the observer

Answer: a
Hint: Eliminate answers that, if true, would make doing science obsolete, because the results wouldn’t generalize beyond a very specific situation. Please review section 1.3 of your text.
Feedback:

a. Correct. If the scientific laws couldn’t generalize across space and time, then they would be meaningless.
b. Incorrect. A basic assumption of science is that the natural laws observed at one place in the universe (including a laboratory) will be the same in other places in the universe.
c. Incorrect. A basic assumption of science is that the natural laws we observe today similarly existed in the past and will exist in the future.
d. Incorrect. A basic assumption of science is that the natural laws observed at one place in the universe will be the same in other places in the universe.

(C)2. Your baby starts crying. Since she hasn't eaten in two hours, you declare, "The baby must be hungry." Your statement is a(n) ______.

a. hypothesis
b. experiment
c. conclusion
d. observation

Answer: a
Hint: Define the steps of the scientific method. Review section 1.1
Feedback:

a. Correct. It is an educated guess based on past experiences.
b. Incorrect. An experiment would have been if you fed the baby to see if that was why she was crying.
c. Incorrect. A conclusion is based on interpreting facts from an experiment. No experiment was done here.
d. Incorrect. The observation is that the baby is crying.

a. to provide a comparison with the experimental results obtained when changing the variable
b. to keep scientists from pursuing unethical questions and practices
c. to increase the complexity of the experiment
d. to duplicate the results of the experiment

Answer: a
Hint: Have you ever had a headache that went away on its own? If a new headache medicine was being tested, how would the researchers know if the test subjects headaches went away on their own or because of the new medicine? See section 1.1 in the textbook.
Feedback:

a. Correct. Without a control comparison, it is impossible to determine if the variable being tested was responsible for the results observed.
b.Incorrect. We are referring to an experimental control.
c. Incorrect. Having a control usually helps to simplify an experiment.
d. Incorrect. While the control may give the same results as the experiment, the purpose of the control is to provide a comparison.

(C)4. In a famous experiment that helped disprove the possibility of spontaneous generation, Francesco Redi hypothesized that, contrary to popular belief, maggots did not appear spontaneously but came from flies. He predicted that if flies were kept away from meat then maggots would not appear. To test his hypothesis, Redi placed identical pieces of meat in two identical jars and placed the two jars on the same windowsill. He placed a lid on one jar and left the other uncovered for several days. In the experiment the control is:

a. the jar.
b. the meat in the jar.
c. the time left on the windowsill.
d. the meat in the jar with the lid.

Answer: d
Hint: Does a good control act as a comparison to the experimental condition by being exactly the same or slightly different? See section 1.1 in the textbook.
Feedback:

a. Incorrect.The two jars were identical

b. Incorrect.The meat was identical

c. Incorrect. The jars with meat were left out for the same amount of time
d. Correct. The flies' access to the meat was the one element that varied. Without a control Redi could not have proven that any of the other possible variables could have been responsible for generating, or preventing the generation of, maggots on the meat.

(F)5. Experiments are carefully designed in an attempt to ______.

a. test a single experimental variable
b. test multiple experimental variables
c. prove a hypothesis
d. none of the above

Answer: a
Hint: Which of the choices represents a type of experiment that would offer the easiest interpretation of the results Review section 1.1.
Feedback:

a. Correct. Testing a single variable allows you to minimize errors in interpretation of results.
b. Incorrect. Experiments designed in an effort to test multiple variables are very difficult to interpret.
c. Incorrect. You are never CERTAIN that you have controlled all but the "experimental" variable; therefore, a hypothesis can be supported but NOT proven.
d. Incorrect. There is one correct answer.

a. adaptation, natural selection, and inheritance
b. predation, genetic variation, and natural selection
c. mutation, genetic variation, and adaptation
d. fossils, natural selection, and adaptation
e. genetic variation, inheritance, and natural selection

Answer: e
Hint: You must distinguish between processes that CAUSE evolution and those that are results of evolution. Some of the processes listed are causes of evolution but are specific examples of the general cause. You must choose the list that has three general necessary causes of evolution. Review section 1.2 in the text.
Feedback:

a. Incorrect. Adaptation is a result of evolution, not the basis for it.
b. Incorrect. Predation is a specific example of natural selection which means you are missing a third crucial process.
c. Incorrect. Mutation can contribute to genetic variation and adaptation can be a result of evolution, but neither of these cause evolution directly.
d. Incorrect. Fossils are evidence of evolution, not the basis for it.
e. Correct. If there is no genetic variability in a population then there is nothing for nature to select from, everyone either reproduces and the population doesn’t change, or no one reproduces and the population becomes extinct. Without inheritance, the winning combination of genes doesn’t get passed on to the next population, so again, no evolution. And finally, if there is no natural selection, the passing on genes to the next generation is random and the population doesn’t change in ways that make the population better suited to the environment.

a. atoms
b. genetic variation
c. prokaryotic cells
d. organ systems

Answer: b
Hint: See section 1.2. What underlies the differences between you and your siblings or you and your parents?
Feedback:

a. Incorrect. Every living organism is made up of the same subset of elements/atoms.
b. Correct. Most of the traits that cause living organisms to differ from one another are controlled by genes/DNA.
c. Incorrect. Eukaryotic organisms also show a great degree of diversity, so being made up of prokaryotic cells can not be the factor that determines diversity.
d. Incorrect. Only a subset of living organisms have organ systems, so that can not be the factor that determines diversity.

(F)8. Which statement is correct?

a. Eukaryotic cells are simpler than prokaryotic cells.
b. Heterotroph means "self-feeder."
c. Mutations are accidental changes in genes.
d. A scientific theory is similar to an educated guess.
e. Genes are proteins that produce DNA.

Answer: c
Hint: What is a cause of genetic variation? Review all sections of chapter one, particularly section 1.2.
Feedback:

a. Incorrect. Eukaryotes are more structurally complex than prokaryotes.
b. Incorrect. Autotrophs, not heterotrophs are “self-feeders”.
c. Correct. It is a prevalent misconception that mutations are directed by the environment, but they are not. There is no way for the environment to “speak” to genes and “tell” them how they should mutate to make more useful genes. Mutations are random processes. Most of the time they are either neutral or harmful, but on occasion they produce genes that make the carrier better adapted to the environment and are passed on to the next generation.
d. Incorrect. Hypotheses, not theories, are similar to education guesses.
e. Incorrect. Genes are DNA sequences that act as patterns for producing proteins.

(C)9.Your textbook lists seven characteristics that living organisms possess as a group. However, if you could distill these seven characteristics down to two general descriptive properties exclusive to all living organisms, what would they be?

a. macromolecular complexity and multiple levels of organization
b. atoms and elements
c. cellular structure and RNA based inheritance.
d. chemical relationships and diversity

Answer: a
Hint: This is a little tough, but try to think "outside the box" on this question. Look for characteristics/features that link the listed characteristics shared by living organisms. Review section 1.3.
Feedback:

a. Correct. Living organisms are composed of organic macromolecules arranged along hierarchical levels of organization.
b. Incorrect. All matter (e.g., rocks, glass, plastics) is made of atoms and elements too, not just living organisms.
c. Incorrect. Inheritance is DNA-based.
d. Incorrect. Chemical interactions are found in all matter. "Diversity" is too vague to be generally descriptive.

(F)10. The organic complexity and organization of living organisms depends on the periodic capture of raw materials and energy. Ultimately, the source of these materials and energy is ______.

a. metabolism
b. photosynthesis
c. the sun
d. other life-forms

Answer: c
Hint: Which answer doesn’t use energy from a source other than itself in its present form? Review section 1.3
Feedback:

a. Incorrect. Metabolic reactions use energy from another source.
b. Incorrect. This is a metabolic process that captures one energy form (sunlight), and converts it to another (glucose).
c. Correct. Energy from the sun, converted by photosynthetic plants, is passed along the food chain through the vast majority of organisms. Exception: deep-sea organisms dependent upon geothermal energy that vents through rifts in the seafloor.
d. Incorrect. Living organisms utilize, or burn, energy in the form of the carbohydrate, glucose.

(F)11. Energy, like gasoline for your car, is required for organisms to survive, and even thrive, in the face of diverse environments. An autotrophic organism ______

a. would be one who derived its energy from internalizing the cellular matter of other organisms (i.e., eats others)
b. would be one who derived its energy from a renewable external energy source such as sunlight (i.e., photosynthetic organisms)
c. would include cucumbers growing in your garden
d. Both the second and third answers are correct.

Answer: d
Hint: Would you expect an organism referred to as AUTO to “eat” others or make its own food?Review section 1.3
Feedback:

a. Incorrect. This is the definition of heterotroph.
b. Incorret. This is not the only correct answer.
c. Incorrect. This is not the only correct answer.
d. Correct. This is the best answer, because it includes the definition and an example of an autotroph.

a. replace worn-out parts and build new parts.
b. help maintain a constant internal environment.
c. grow larger.
d. all of the above

Answer: d
Hint: What characteristics of life require energy? See section 1.3 of the textbook for review.
Feedback:

a. Incorrect. This is not the only correct answer.
b. Incorrect. This is not the only correct answer.
c. Incorrect. This is not the only correct answer.
d. Correct. Almost everything about being alive takes energy, which is why acquiring and using energy are characteristics of life.

(C)13. You are a NASA scientist and have discovered an organism in outer space that contains its genetic material in the cytoplasm rather than in a nucleus. Given this characteristic, how might you classify this organism?

a. heterotroph
b. eukaryote
c. prokaryote
d. autotroph

Answer: c
Hint: See section 1.4. Which of these choices is a cell type that doesn’t house its DNA in a nucleus?
Feedback:

a. Incorrect. This category is related to energy acquisition, which is not addressed in this question.
b. Incorrect. Eukaryotes do contain a nucleus.
c. Correct. Prokaryotes do not contain a nucleus, so their DNA is present in the cytoplasm.
d. Incorrect. This category is related to energy acquisition, which is not addressed in this question.

(C)14. A scientist examines an organism and finds that it is eukaryotic, heterotrophic, multicellular, and it absorbs nutrients. She concludes that the organism is most likely a member of the kingdom

a. Bacteria
b. Protista
c. Plantae
d. Fungi
e. Animalia

Answer: d
Hint: Eukaryotic kingdoms are roughly divided by preferred feeding method and the proportion of the kingdom that is single versus multi-celled. Review section 1.4 in the text.
Feedback:

a. Incorrect. Bacteria are neither eukaryotic or multicellular.
b. Incorrect. Protists are not multicellular.
c. Incorrect. Plants are not heterotrophic.
d. Correct. All fungi are eukaryotic heterotrophs that absorb their nutrients and most, but not all, are multicellular.
e. Incorrect. Animals acquire nutrient by ingestion, not absorption.

a. permits a deeper, and sometimes profound, appreciation of the world around us
b. is just a set of facts and ideas about the world around us
c. is necessary only for biology majors
d. often decreases our appreciation (i.e., effectively dehumanizes) of the world around us

Answer: a
Hint: This is something of a philosophical question, but it has direct relevance to our daily lives. Review section 1.5.
Feedback:

a. Correct. As much as we try to set ourselves apart, and above, other organisms, we need to understand the biological relationships that link us to the world around us.
b. Incorrect. Biology means "the study of life." To study biological life, you must be equipped with more than a set of facts.
c. Incorrect. Since we and much of our world are alive, this is a benefit to everyone, not just scienctists.

d. Incorrect. This is typically the opposite of what occurs with increased understanding of biology.

Quiz 2

(C)1. Which of the following experiments would best test the hypothesis below?
"Bacteria do not arise spontaneously on meat; they are carried onto meat by droplets of water."

a. Place a piece of meat in a container full of water and determine if bacteria grow.
b. Place meat in two separate containers: Add droplets of water to one container and no water to the second container. Cover the containers and compare the growth of bacteria in the two containers.
c. Place meat in two separate containers: Leave one container uncovered and cover the other. Compare the growth of bacteria in the two containers.
d. Place meat in two flasks: Leave one flask open to the air and bend the neck of the second flask. Compare the growth of bacteria in the two containers.

Answer: b
Hint: What is the crucial variable that needs to be tested? Review section 1.1 in the text.
Feedback:

a. Incorrect. This is not the best approach as you should be focusing on ‘droplets’ of water. Also, there is no control in this experiment.
b. Correct. In this experiment, the only difference between the jars is the addition of water droplets to one jar, thus making that the experimental variable to be tested.
c. Incorrect. Covering the meat is not needed as you should be investigating the role of water droplets on bacterial contamination.
d. Incorrect. Bending the flask neck is not needed as you should be investigating the role of water droplets on bacterial contamination.

(A)2. A group of researchers developed a hypothesis and tested it by designing an experiment. The results of the experiment did not support the original hypothesis. What should the researchers do next?

a. They should continue developing experiments to test the hypothesis.
b. They should throw out the results that did not support their hypothesis.
c. They should reject the original hypothesis and develop a new hypothesis.
d. They should conduct an experiment without a control.

Answer: c
Hint: If you filled your gas tank and your car still didn’t start, what would you do next? Review Section 1.1 in your text.
Feedback:

a. Incorrect. Unless there was a flaw in the methods that required retesting or an observation that was overlooked, then additional experiments are probably not needed.
b. Incorrect. Negative results are just as valid as supportive results.
c. Correct. If your results negate your hypothesis, then you must either modify the original hypothesis accordingly, or completely throw out the hypothesis and develop a new one according to the findings of the original experiments.
d. Incorrect. A control should always be performed as part of an experiment.

(C)3. A scientist is testing whether a new cancer drug will work on prostate cancer in humans. To properly interpret results of an experiment, control experiments are needed. Which of the following treatments would serve as a control in these experiments, so that the researchers can conclude that the changes that they see in the patients are due to the drug?

a. Different doses of the drug are administered to patients.
b. Some patients receive a "mock" injection that contains the same solution base and the same volume as the drug but does not actually contain the drug itself.
c. At least 1000 individuals are treated with the drug.
d. Patients at three different hospitals, each in a different state, are treated with the drug.
e. Both the second and fourth answers are correct.

Answer: e
Hint: How does a good control act as a comparison in an experiment? Please review section 1.1 of the text.
Feedback:

a. Incorrect. Administering different doses doesn't tell the researcher whether the changes observed in the patients are due to the drug itself.
b. Incorrect. Results from this experiment will allow the researchers to conclude that any changes seen with the drug treatment are actually due to the drug and not some other factor. Look for a better answer.
c. Incorrect. This aspect of the experiment will test whether the results are reproducible.
d. Incorrect. This aspect of the experiment will test whether the results are reproducible at other hospitals. If improvements are seen at one hospital but not another, it would indicate that factors other than the drug treatment are important.
e. Correct. A control is intended to isolate and eliminate all potential influences but the drug, process, or therapy being tested.

(C)4. In a famous experiment that helped disprove the possibility of spontaneous generation, Francesco Redi hypothesized that, contrary to popular belief, maggots did not appear spontaneously but came from flies. He predicted that if flies were kept away from meat, then maggots would not appear. To test his hypothesis, Redi placed identical pieces of meat in two identical jars and placed the two jars on the same windowsill. He placed a lid on one jar and left the other uncovered for several days. In the experiment the variable being tested is: