Chapters 1 & 2 Review Questions – Flashcards

Even though biology is a broad field of study, ______ serves as a central theme that unifies all of biology. A. regulation B. response to the environment C. order D. evolution

The life-supporting environments of Earth constitute the _______. A. environment B. ecosystem C. community D. biosphere

Which of these is an ecosystem? A. lakes B. all of the fish in Lake Erie C. Lake Erie and everything living in it D. the producers found in Lake Erie

Most plants are ______. A. composed of prokaryotic cells B. consumers C. decomposers D. producers

What is the fundamental unit of life? A. cell B. ecosystem C. gene D. biome

Which of these is a type of prokaryotic cell? A. a mushroom cell B. a plant cell C. a worm cell D. a bacterial cell

Gene technology has made it possible for bacteria to express human genes. Why is this possible? A. Both humans and bacteria share a common genetic language. B. Both humans and bacteria are composed of eukaryotic cells. C. Both humans and bacteria are composed of prokaryotic cells. D. To make it possible for bacteria to express human genes, it is necessary to insert human call machinery into a bacterial host cell along with the gene to be expressed.

Based on diversity, life is divided into Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya. These groupings are called ______. A. protists B. eukaryotics C. domains D. kingdoms

In his book The Origin of Species, Darwin argued that species living today descended from a succession of ancestral species. What mechanism did Darwin propose to explain how evolution occurs? A. competition B. natural selection C. artificial selection D. overproduction

What mechanism explains why polar bears are white and bears found farther south have a darker color? A. continental drift B. inheritance of acquired characteristics C. the common genetic language D. natural selection

What is the basis of natural selection? A. a change in the appearance of a species over time B. individuals passing on their traits to their offspring C. unequal reproductive success D. the accumulation of favorable traits in a population

Which of these scenarios is the result of natural selection? A. the proliferation of pesticide-resistant insects B. the appearance of different breeds of dogs C. the spontaneous appearance of species that, through time, do not change in appearance D. a plant producing seedless fruit

How does discovery science compare to hypothesis-driven science? A. Discovery science depends on verifiable observations and measurements but does not require formal hypothesis testing. B. Hypothesis-driven science involves statistical analysis, whereas discovery science does not. C. Both discovery science and hypothesis-driven science follow a process of inquiry called the scientific method. D. Both discovery science and hypothesis-driven science investigations require control groups.

Which of these is a key feature of the scientific method? A. Scientific hypotheses must be testable. B. Experiments need not be repeatable. C. Science is moral. D. Once a hypothesis has been proved, it can never be changed.

What name is give to a proposed explanation for a set of observations? A. observation B. experiment C. theory D. hypothesis

Trans fat can best be described as a ______. A. food additive that increases heart health B. non-natural form of fat produced through manufacturing processes C. protein D. naturally occurring fat material that is added to food to increase shelf life

Which of the following best describes a theory? A. an experiment that is repeated over and over again B. a tentative explanation of natural phenomena C. a comprehensive explanation of natural phenomena supported by abundant evidence D. a well-known fact

In science, theories ______. A. once proven, can never be rejected. B. can tie together a larger number of observations that previously seemed unrelated C. apply strictly to biological phenomena D. have limited explanatory power

Which of the following best describes the culture of science and how scientists work? A. Scientists commonly repeat other scientists' experiments to verify their work. B. Scientists attempt to prove their hypotheses. C. Scientists commonly make subjective conclusions in their work. D. Scientists develop hypotheses based solely on their own observations.

The emergence of antibiotic resistance in hospital settings indicates that _______. A. exposure to antibiotics can create antibiotic resistance B. heritable variations already existed among individuals within the population C. physicians should prescribe more antibiotics D. the hospital staff is not practicing good hygiene

Substances that cannot be broken down into other substances are called _________. A. neutrons B. elements C. protons D. compounds

Four elements combine to make about 96% of the mass of the human body. Which of the following elements is one of the four? A. calcium B. iron C. phosphorus D. carbon

A goiter is an enlargement of the thyroid gland that is associated with abnormal thyroid function. The worldwide incidence of goiters is about 16%. Third-world countries are especially vulnerable to serious health problems related to goiters. What element is deficient in the diet of most of the people who have goiters? A. sodium B. carbon C. iron D. iodine

Substances that contain two or more elements in a fixed ratio are called _____. A. isotopes B. cells C. matter D. compounds

The simplest unit of matter that still retains the properties of an element is a(n) _______. A. atom B. compound C. cell D. electron

In an atom with a neutral overall charge, the number of protons is equal to the ________. A. number of electrons minus the number of neutrons B. atomic mass C. number of electrons plus the number of neutrons D. number of electrons

Silicon has an atomic number of 14 and a mass number of 28. How many neutrons are found in silicon? A. 28 B. 14 C. 42 D. 8

Carbon-12 and carbon-13 are different in the number of their _________. A. protons B. electrons C. protons and electrons D. neutrons

What is the term for atoms that are electrically charged as a result of gaining or losing electrons? A. ion B. molecule C. compound D. isotope

Which of these is a type of chemical bond that involves the sharing of electrons? A. buffer B. covalent C. ionic D. the strong nuclear force

What type of bond joins neighboring water molecules? A. covalent B. hydrogen C. ionic D. nonpolar

In the reaction glucose + fructose ----> sucrose + water, _______ is a reactant and _______ is a product. A. sucrose ... fructose B. glucose ... water C. glucose ...fructose D. sucrose ... water

The tendency of molecules of the same kind to stick together is called ______. A. evaporative cooling B. buffering C. adhesion D. cohesion

Which of these is an example of a solution? A. NaCl B. glucose C. water D. coffee

Physicians have used imaging techniques for medical diagnosis for some time, but recently have begun usage of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which depends on _____. A. ultrasound B. X-rays C. the behavior of hydrogen atoms in water molecules in a strong magnetic field D. sound waves

What is the pH inside most living cells? A. pH 2 B. pH 7 C. pH 14 D. pH 0

A substance that resists changes in pH is referred to as a(n) ________. A. solution B. buffer C. base D. acid

If you were asked to determine if there is life on Mars, what would you propose to do? A. Look for Martians that have bodily characteristics similar to humans. B. Send a manned spaceship to Mars. C. Attempt to detect oxygen in the atmosphere. D. Look for water.