Brooklyn College – BIOL 1010 Chapter 1 Questions

Empirical results: A. cannot be replicated. B. must support the tested hypothesis. C. are generated by theories. D. rely on deductive reasoning. E. are based on observation.

Science is: A. a process that can only be applied within scientific disciplines such as biology, chemistry, and physics. B. predicated on the need to take certain "laws of nature" on faith. C. the only way to understand the natural world. D. both a body of knowledge and an intellectual activity encompassing observation, description, experimentation, and explanation of natural phenomena. E. None of the above.

All of the following are elements of biological literacy EXCEPT: A. the ability to use the process of scientific inquiry to think creatively about real-world issues having a biological component. B. the ability to communicate with others about issues having a biological component. C. having read the most important books in biology. D. the ability to integrate thoughts about issues having a biological component into your decision-making. E. All of the above are elements of biological literacy.

The scientific method can be more powerful than other ways of knowing because it is more: A. reliable. B. precise. C. systematic. D. correct. E. All except choice D are correct.

By applying scientific thinking, one should be able to: A. determine exactly how many grains of dust are on the Moon. B. determine whether eating more meat makes you grow taller. C. determine whether there is a God in the heavens. D. prove that there is life after death, and what that life is like. E. prove that bees are attracted to colorful flowers because it makes them feel happy.

In scientific thinking, which of the following are not subject to revision? A. observations B. theories C. hypotheses D. hunches E. experiments

Which of the following has scientific investigation shown to be LEAST reliable in criminal prosecutions? A. fingerprints B. ballistics C. eyewitness identification D. DNA evidence E. bloodwork

If your hypothesis is "Echinacea reduces the duration and severity of the symptoms of the common cold," what is your null hypothesis? A. Echinacea reduces the duration and severity of the symptoms of the flu. B. Vitamin C increases the duration and severity of the symptoms of the common cold. C. Vitamin C reduces the duration and severity of the symptoms of the common cold. D. Echinacea increases the duration and severity of the symptoms of the common cold. E. Echinacea has no effect on the duration and severity of the symptoms of the common cold.

If you were to design an experiment to test whether a particular pathogen caused a disease, which of the following choices would be the first step and which the last step you would make if you followed the scientific method precisely? A. First: collect data; Last: interpret data B. First: formulate hypothesis; Last: consult prior knowledge C. First: formulate hypothesis; Last: draw conclusions D. First: make observations; Last: draw conclusions E. First: make observations; Last: Interpret data

Which of the following would be the most reasonable testable prediction for the hypothesis: "All birds can fly"? A. Locate places in the world where flight would be advantageous, and count the number of birds that live there. B. In a double-blind study, take 100 random animals to see if they all can fly. C. Observe all the birds outside your home for a week to see if they all can fly. D. Take a random sampling of 5 birds from around the world to verify that they can all fly. E. Examine the list of all known species of birds and determine if any cannot fly.

In blind experimental design: A. the subjects are randomly assigned into experimental and control groups. B. the experimental subjects do not know which (if any) treatment they are receiving. C. the experimenter does not influence the experiment's outcome. D. a placebo is used. E. the experimenter does not know which (if any) treatment the subjects are receiving.

In 2001, the journal Behavioral Ecology changed its policy for reviewing manuscripts submitted for publication. Its new policy instituted a double-blind process, whereby neither the reviewers' nor the authors' identities were revealed. Previously, the policy had been a single-blind process in which reviewers' identities were kept secret, but the authors' identities were known to the reviewers. In an analysis of papers published between 1997 and 2005, it turned out that after 2001, when the double-blind policy took effect, there was a significant increase in the number of published papers in which the first author was female. Analysis of papers in a similar journal that maintain the single-blind process over that period revealed no such increase. This study reveals that: A. scientists should not be reviewers for papers submitted to scientific journals. B. female scientists began doing better work beginning in 2001. C. scientists may have biases—sometimes subconscious—that influence their behavior. D. that better papers whose first authors were female were submitted to Behavioral Ecology than to the other journal. E. males should not be reviewers for papers submitted to scientific journals.

Before experimental drugs can be brought to market, they must undergo many rigorous trials to ensure they deliver their medical benefits effectively and safely. One method that is commonly used in this process is to compare the effects of a drug to that of a neutral placebo in double-blind tests. Which of the following choices correctly describes a double-blind test? A. The researchers apply two layers of blindfolds to the study's participants so they can not know if they are receiving the drug or a placebo. B. The researchers do not know who receives the drug or the placebo but the participants know and tell them later. C. The researchers know who is receiving the drug and who is receiving the placebo but do not know what the supposed effects of the drug should be. D. Neither the researchers nor the study's participants know who is receiving the drug and who is receiving the placebo. E. None of the above descriptions is correct.

In the late 1950s, a doctor reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association that stomach ulcers could be effectively treated by having a patient swallow a balloon connected to some tubes that circulated a refrigerated fluid. He argued that, by super-cooling the stomach, acid production was reduced and the ulcer relieved. All 24 of his patients who received the treatment were healed. Why does this fall short of qualifying as an example of the scientific method? A. There was no control group with which to compare his patients who received the treatment. B. There were not enough experimental subjects to draw a definitive conclusion. C. All of the patients were aware of the treatment they received. D. Although there was a control group, it was not randomly selected. E. All of the above are correct.

A biologist was concerned about the environmental effects of an insecticide being used in his area to kill mosquitos that carried equine encephalitis. He decided to study the environmental impact of this herbicide on blue jay reproduction. He selected two small habitats with similar vegetation and similar-sized blue jay populations (about 120 birds) with equal reproductive rates. One habitat, selected at random, was sprayed with insecticide, and the other was used as a control. Blue jay reproduction rates were measured in both habitats before and after the treatment. What is the MOST IMPORTANT flaw in this investigation? A. There are no important flaws in this investigation. B. lack of replication C. lack of randomization D. lack of controls E. poor outcome measure

________________ makes scientific-sounding claims that are not supported by trustworthy, methodical scientific studies. A. Anecdotal evidence B. Evolutionary biology C. Pseudoscience D. All advertising E. Statistics

What is meant by the phrase "hierarchical organization of life"? A. The "hierarchical organization of life" means that the chemical, cellular, and energetic aspects of life are most important. B. The "hierarchical organization of life" refers to the fact that life is organized on many levels within individual organisms, including atoms, cells, tissues, and organs. C. The "hierarchical organization of life" means that in the larger world, organisms themselves are organized into many levels: populations, communities, and the ecosystems within the biosphere. D. The "hierarchical organization of life" means the same thing as "the scientific method." E. Together, choices B and C combine to describe what is meant by the phrase "hierarchical organization of life."

IMAGE URL: http://imgur.com/JBfUGIk From the graph shown here, the STRONGEST statement we can reasonably make is: A. having access to a textbook caused students to score better on the exam. B. there is a statistically significant positive correlation between having access to a textbook and scoring well on the exam. C. if we give textbooks to all the students who did not have textbooks, they all would score between 95% and 100% on the next exam. D. there is a positive correlation between having access to a textbook and scoring well on the exam. E. there is a statistically significant negative correlation between having access to a textbook and scoring well on the exam.

Science as a way of seeking principles of order differs from art, religion, and philosophy in that: A. all scientific knowledge is gained by experimentation. B. science deals exclusively with known facts. C. science denies the existence of the supernatural. D. science limits its search to the natural world of the physical universe. E. All of above ways can be used to help science.

Statistics are used by scientists mainly to determine: A. whether two numbers are the same or not. B. whether differences in results between control and treatment groups is theoretical. C. whether a study needs to be repeated. D. whether differences in results between control and treatment groups is significant and important. E. whether or not there was a bias in the study.