Ch.1 The Nature Of Biology And Evolution Verified Test Bank

Test Bank

Chapter 1: The Nature of Biology and Evolution

Multiple Choice

Case

1. (knowledge) AVPR1a is an allele of the human gene which controls production of the protein arginine vasopressin receptor. What is an allele?

a. One of several possible versions of a gene

b. A defective gene

c. A dysfunctional gene

d. Another word for “gene”

e. The version of a gene one gets from a parent

2. (knowledge) Why is the AVPR1a allele referred to as the “infidelity gene?”

a. It causes people to cheat on their spouses.

b. It causes suppression of a hormone that makes people faithful to their mates.

c. It enhances production of a protein that makes a person more interested in sex.

d. It results in lower levels of a hormone that may enhance bonding between people.

e. The scientist that discovered it spent so much time in the lab that her spouse cheated on her.

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3. (knowledge) In making decisions about your personal health, it’s helpful to know something about biology because

a. Doctors are less willing to explain to explain things to you if you have no idea what they’re talking about.

b. You will better understand issues related to diet, exercise, diseases, treatments, reproduction, heredity, aging, and death.

c. You will better understand issues related to diet, exercise, reproduction, aging and death, although science doesn’t yet know much about diseases and treatments, so it doesn’t help in those areas.

d. You will be able to find information on the internet much faster.

e. Actually, since you can’t know everything about biology and a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, you’re better off just trusting your doctor.

4. (comprehension) In which of the following situations would it be helpful for you to have at least a basic understanding of biology?

a. You’re on a jury in a case where DNA evidence is important.

b. You have to vote and one of the candidates is very much against stem cell research.

c. You purchase some land and discover there is an endangered frog living in a pond on it.

d. You are told that you have high blood pressure.

e. Some knowledge of biology would be helpful in all of the above.

5. (comprehension) It doesn’t really matter if you know anything about biology because all the information you need can be found on the internet. True or false?

a. True. Information about everything can be found online.

b. False. There isn’t information about everything on the internet.

c. True. You can just ask your doctor where to look online.

d. False. If you don’t know anything about biology you won’t know what online information might be reliable, and you won’t understand it very well.

e. True, and doctors never give you any choices about what they do anyway.

6. (comprehension) Consider the following: gay marriage, stem cell research, evolution, genetic engineering, protection of endangered species. These are all somewhat controversial, but what else do they have in common?

a. They are morally objectionable.

b. From an ethical standpoint, they should all be supported.

c. Scientists know everything there is to know about them at this point.

d. They are all subjects of ongoing biological research.

e. Nobody should support research in these areas.

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7. (knowledge) What are the four main features of life?

a. Respiration, inheritance, evolution, diversity

b. Metabolism, reproduction, selection, diversity

c. Metabolism, inheritance, evolution, ancestry

d. Respiration, reproduction, evolution, diversity

e. Metabolism, inheritance, evolution, diversity

8. (knowledge) What is metabolism in living things?

a. The processing of metals into energy for life.

b. The process of making energy from sunlight and using it to live.

c. The process of taking in energy and using it to live.

d. The process of breathing to make energy to live.

e. The opposite of photosynthesis in plants.

9. (knowledge) What is meant by “inheritance’ in biology?

a. The process of producing offspring.

b. The transfer of biological information from offspring to parent.

c. The transfer of biological information from parent to offspring.

d. The process of evolution.

e. It refers to all living things having ancestors.

10. (knowledge) What is evolution in biology?

a. All organisms are related and change through time.

b. All organisms are related and have been in their current forms since life began.

c. Organisms change through time and descend from a few original species.

d. Survival of the fittest

e. A theory to explain how life began

11. (knowledge) What is meant by the statement “life is diverse?”

a. There are many living organisms on Earth

b. There are many different kinds of living organisms on Earth

c. Each living thing is a unique individual.

d. All living things are related to each other.

e. There are many places to live on Earth.

12. (comprehension) The diversity of life on Earth are is the result of which of the following?

a. Evolution

b. Reproduction

c. Metabolism

d. Inheritance

e. Survival

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13. (knowledge) Which of these is the correct sequence of smallest to largest?

a. Atoms, cells, electrons, molecules

b. Molecules, atoms, elements, electrons

c. Elements, atoms, molecules, protons

d. Protons, atoms, molecules, cells

e. Cells, protons, atoms, molecules

14. (comprehension) Why does sodium react so easily with chloride to make sodium chloride?

a. Sodium chloride is table salt, one of the most reactive molecules in living things.

b. Both atoms have outermost shells full of electrons.

c. Both atoms have incomplete outer orbitals and they complete each other’s when they combine

d. Sodium chloride is highly explosive.

e. Opposites attract.

15. (knowledge) What are the four main elements found in living organisms?

a. Carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen

b. Carbon, oxygen, glucose, hydrogen

c. Sodium, oxygen, glucose, hydrogen

d. Chloride, nitrogen, oxygen, carbon

e. Oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, sodium

16. (knowledge) What are the four carbon-based macromolecules common to living things?

a. Sulfuric acids, proteins, carbohydrates, lipids

b. Nucleic acids, enzymes, carbohydrates, lipids

c. Nucleic acids, proteins, carbon dioxides, lipids

d. Nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates, lysozymes

e. Nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates, lipids

17. (knowledge) What are lipids made of and what do they do?

a. Nucleic acids and glycerol, and they serve as an energy source and insulation.

b. Fatty acids and glucose, and they serve as an energy source and insulation.

c. Fatty acids and glycerol, and they serve as an energy source and insulation.

d. Nucleic acids and glycerol, and they provide inherited biological information.

e. Glucose and cellulose, and they provide energy.

18. (knowledge) What are proteins made of?

a. Fatty acids

b. Amino acids

c. Nucleic acids

e. Glycolic acids

f. Muscle tissue

19. (knowledge) Which of the macromolecules common to living things are types of sugars?

a. Proteins

b. Amino acids

c. Enzymes

d. Carbohydrates

e. Nucleic acids

20. (knowledge) What are enzymes and what do they do?

a. Enzymes are carbohydrates, which lower the energy required for chemical reactions required to maintain living things.

b. Enzymes are nucleic acids, which lower the energy required for chemical reactions required to maintain living things.

c. Enzymes are proteins, which lower the energy required for chemical reactions required to maintain living things

d. Enzymes are proteins, which provide a pathway for materials to get into and out of cells.

e. Enzymes are carbohydrates, which provide a pathway for materials to get into and out of cells.

21. (knowledge) What are the basic building block of every physical thing?

a. DNA

b. Cells

c. Molecules

d. Atoms

e. Elements

22. (knowledge) What is considered the fundamental unit of life?

a. DNA

b. A cell

c. Nucleic acid

d. A molecule

e. Carbohydrates

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23. (comprehension) Every human has a complete set of human genes, but each set is unique (except in the case of identical twins). How can this be?

a. There are typically many different alleles for each gene, so everyone has a unique combination of alleles.

b. There are typically mutations in genes from one generation to the next, so each generation’s genes are unique.

c. There are typically many different genes for each allele, so everyone has a unique combination of genes.

d. Because of sexual reproduction, we get alleles from both our parents and they’re always different.

e. When our cells divide as we develop as embryos, the alleles we have get shuffled so we all have a unique set.

24. (comprehension) How does asexual reproduction work?

a. In a single cell in any organism, the DNA is copied and the cell splits into two daughter cells, each with a complete copy of DNA, identical to the parent cell (except for any mutations).

b. A single-celled organism splits into two cells, and an exact copy of the original DNA is generated within each daughter cell.

c. In a single-celled organism, the DNA is copied and the cell splits into two daughter cells, each with a complete copy of DNA, identical to the parent cell (except for any mutations).

d. Two single-celled organisms combine such that each’s DNA gets copied, and the daughter cells have DNA identical to the two parents except for any mutations.

e. In any organisms lacking specific genders, the DNA is copied within any parent cell and when the cell splits, each daughter cell gets an almost exact copy of the parent’s DNA.

25. (comprehension) Compared to the parent(s), the DNA of the offspring of sexual and asexual reproduction are different. True or False?

a. True. Asexual reproduction results in more mutations in the DNA of the offspring than sexual reproduction.

b. False. In both cases the DNA of the offspring is identical to that of the parent(s).

c. True. The offspring of sexual reproduction have DNA mostly identical to the parents, while the offspring of asexual reproduction have DNA quite different from the parent.

d. False. Sexual and asexual reproduction both scramble the DNA of the parents so the offspring gets a different mix of alleles than the parent(s) had.

e. True. In asexual reproduction the DNA of the offspring is a copy of the DNA of the parent, while in sexual reproduction, the DNA of the offspring is a unique combination of the parents’ DNA.

26. (comprehension) Alleles must change somewhat from one generation to the next in order for evolution to occur. How can this happen in asexual reproduction?

a. It can’t. Asexual organisms don’t evolve. Instead they die out and are replaced by others.

b. Mutations occur that alter alleles.

c. Asexually reproducing organisms all reproduce sexually in times of stress.

d. When eggs and sperm mix, even in asexual reproduction, the resulting allele combinations are different

e. Scientist do not know how asexual organisms evolve.

27. (comprehension) Mutations and shuffling from sexual reproduction result in what feature of living things?

a. It is difficult to follow traits in family trees because DNA is always changing.

b. It is difficult to distinguish one species from another because DNA is always changing.

c. Individuals are highly variable, even within species.

d. Living things tend to die off over time because of the accumulation of mistakes.

e. Individuals within a population all tend to be alike.

28. (knowledge) Inheritance through genetic material guarantees some degree of genetic continuity in organisms on Earth through time. What does this imply?

a. New life comes from existing life, so all organisms on earth must have changed through time.

b. All organisms on earth have not changed through time.

c. DNA is not a very good mechanism for inheritance.

d. All organisms on Earth have all the same genes, just different alleles.

e. It would be impossible to organize all living things on Earth into a family tree.

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29. (comprehension) In evolution, why is it important that individuals vary from each other?

a. Variation gives every individual an equal chance of surviving so they can be selected for.

b. Variation allows some individuals to do better than others, so those variations are selected for.

c. Variations are important because they’re inherited.

d. Variations are important because individuals have to change through time.

e. If variations or mutations are extreme enough, new species can result.

30. (comprehension) If a certain allele is quite common in a human population, what is likely the result?

a. Traits related to that allele will also be quite common.

b. People in the population will all look similar.

c. The population will tend to shrink due to lack of diversity.

d. The people will be inbred.

e. That allele will eventually become dominant.

31. (comprehension) Darwin observed that species change through time. How does this happen?

a. Random mutation “choosing” organisms with the most advantageous traits to survive and reproduce.

b. Sexual reproduction “choosing” organisms with the most advantageous traits to survive and reproduce.

c. Natural selection “choosing” organisms with the most advantageous traits to survive and reproduce.

d. Natural selection leading to variation and change.

e. Evolution “choosing” organisms with the most advantageous traits to survive and reproduce.

32. (comprehension) Conditions on Earth change over time. How do organisms survive these changes?

a. They don’t. Everything eventually goes extinct.

b. Species mutate as a result of the changes in conditions

c. It’s just a matter of luck. And some organisms can move to a suitable place.

d. Individuals with traits that suit the conditions do well and those traits increase in the population.

e. Species with traits that suit the conditions do well and the rest die.

33. (comprehension) If a population of a single species gets split into two different environments, and each environment requires different traits for survival, what might happen over time?

a. The population in each environment would evolve differently to suit the conditions and might eventually become two distinct species.

b. The populations in each environment would evolve differently to suit the conditions and would compete and eventually one would win and the other would go extinct.

c. Both populations would progressively get bigger to fit the new environment.

d. One population would tend to mutate more than the other, by chance, and so would evolve into a new species.

e. Individuals would tend to mutate to fit the different conditions, eventually leading to two separate species.

34. (knowledge) If every species on Earth came from some other species, if you look backwards in time, what is the logical conclusion?

a. All species are unique.

b. All species will eventually go extinct.

c. All species are related.

d. Species do not change through time.

e. Species cannot adapt to environmental changes.

35. (comprehension) Most animals with backbones, vertebrates, have a similar body plan: skull, ribs, two pairs of limbs, tail. What does this suggest about vertebrates?

a. Vertebrates are the best designed organisms.

b. Vertebrates have been around longer than most other organisms.

c. Vertebrates all have similar lifestyles.

d. Vertebrates all adapted to similar environmental conditions.

e. Vertebrates are all related to a common ancestor.

36. (comprehension) The frequency of an allele is the relative number of that allele in the population, compared to other versions of the same gene. If an allele is being selected for in a population, would you expect the frequency to increase, decrease, or stay the same?

a. Increase, because the individuals with it will be doing better and reproducing more.

b. Decrease, because the individuals with it will be doing worse and reproducing less.

c. Stay the same because allele frequencies generally don’t change.

d. It’s impossible to predict because organisms change at random.

e. Increase, because individuals with it will be doing worse and reproducing less.

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37. (knowledge) Scientists have described most of the species living on Earth. True or False?

a. False. There are about 50 billion, and they haven’t nearly all been found.

b. True. There are about 1.3 million.

c. False. There are 30 million described, but there may be about 50 million out there.

d. True. There are about 30 million described.

e. False. There are about 1.3 million described but there may be 30 million living now.

38. (comprehension) How did life on Earth get to be so diverse?

a. There were lots of different living things ever since life began.

b. Conditions on Earth are always changing and so species adapt to survive and this change leads to the development of new species from the old ones.

c. New species tend to appear randomly whenever new environmental conditions arise.

d. Life actually isn’t all that diverse because species keep going extinct as conditions on Earth change.

e. Conditions on Earth are constant enough that new species have time to develop.

39. (comprehension) Your family tree is a hierarchy in which your living relatives now all share a common great-great ancestral grandparent going back in time. How is this like life on Earth?

a. It isn’t like life on Earth because each species came about individually, so there is no hierarchy or family tree.

b. It’s like life on Earth because each individual within a species came from an individual in another species going back in time.

c. It’s like life on Earth because your family has been around a long time, too.

d. It’s like life on Earth because living species related to each other can be traced back in time to a common ancestral species.

e. It’s like life on Earth because everybody shares traits.

40. (knowledge) Put the following taxonomic groups in order from largest to smallest.

a. Species Genus Family Order Class Phylum

b. Phylum Order Family Class Genus Species

c. Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species

d. Genus Species Phylum Class Order Family

e. Family Class Phylum Order Genus Species

41. (knowledge) Which of the following is the correct taxonomic hierarchy of classification for a dog?

a. Mammal Vertebrate Carnivore Canid

b. Vertebrate Mammal Canid Carnivore

c. Carnivore Canid Mammal Vertebrate

d. Vertebrate Mammal Carnivore Canid

e. Carnivore Vertebrate Mammal Canid

42. (knowledge) Which of the following would be a correctly written scientific name for a house cat, and which word is the genus?

a. Felis Catus, Catus

b. Felis catus, Catus

c. Felis catus, felis

d. Felis catus, catus

e. Felis catus, Felis

“Biology in Perspective”

43. (knowledge) Which of the following are reasons why biology should matter to you?

a. It helps you make more informed decisions about your health.

b. It helps you make more informed decisions on certain issues in politics.

c. It helps you make more informed decisions on issues related to advancements in biological and medical research (stem cells, genetic engineering, etc.).

d. It gives you a more satisfying understanding of the characteristics of living things on Earth.

e. All of the above

“Scientist Spotlight”

44. (knowledge) Dr. Carol Greider shared a Nobel Prize for discovering the molecule telomerase in cells. What does this molecule do in a cell?

a. It helps minimize damage to chromosomes as a cell divides, thus controlling the lifespan of the cell.

b. It causes damage to chromosomes as a cell divides, thus causing the cell to age prematurely.

c. It causes damage to chromosomes as a cell divides, thus triggering cancer.

d. It helps minimize damage copying errors as DNA is duplicated when a cell divides, thus preventing mutations and controlling the lifespan of a cell.

e. It is involved in cell division, controlling the lifespan of a cell, but it’s not yet clear how it does this.

45. (comprehension) Dr. Carol Greider shared a Nobel prize for discovering the molecule telomerase in cells. Why was this potentially important in cancer research?

a. Cancer cells don’t have telomeres, so they don’t die.

b. The telomeres in cancer cells are too long, so cancer cells don’t die.

c. Curing telomeres would be a positive step toward curing cancer.

d. Telomeres cause cancer.

e. Telomeres prevent cancer cells from reproducing.

“Technology Connection”

46. (comprehension) What do scientists actually know about the “infidelity gene?”

a. Men who cheat on their wives are more likely to have this gene.

b. The presence of this gene in men or women leads to less satisfaction with their mates.

c. Species of monogamous mouse-like voles don’t have the gene, while more promiscuous species of the voles do.

d. Getting tested for this gene will give you an indication of whether you are likely to stay married to one person for life.

e. People who lack the infidelity gene are uninterested in sexual gratification.

47. (knowledge) Scientists have studied people with the AVPR1a allele by having them play games. What trait is associated with the presence of this allele?

a. A tendency to cheat in the game

b. A tendency to be ruthless in the game

c. A tendency to dislike playing games

d. A tendency to enjoy playing games

e. There were no positive correlations to behavior.

“Life Application”

48. (knowledge) What are the standard criteria for determining when a person is dead?

a. Not breathing, coma, no brain activity

b. Not breathing, no pulse, no brain activity

c. Not breathing, coma, no pulse

d. Not breathing, no brain activity

e. Not breathing, coma

49. (knowledge) As soon as a doctor has determines a person meets the criteria for brain death, the person is declared dead. True or False?

a. False, because the person may yet be used for organ transplants.

b. True, once a doctor determines brain death, a person is declared dead.

c. False, two different doctors must determine this, and the tests must be run at least twice, a few hours apart.

d. True, it’s important to determine death as quickly as possible in order to figure out what caused it.

e. False, two different doctors must determine this in order to use the person for organ transplants.

50. (knowledge) What are the three essential features of brain death?

a. Apnea, inability to move, coma

b. Coma, lack of heartbeat, lack of any reflexes

c. Apnea, coma, not breathing

d. Coma, apnea, lack of any reflexes

e. Lack of any reflexes, apnea, unresponsive pupils

“How Do We Know?”

51. (knowledge) What is spontaneous generation?

a. Another name for reproduction

b. A description of the fact that family trees can be arranged in a hierarchy of generations

c. The fact that microorganisms are found everywhere

d. The idea that organisms can appear suddenly, arising from any surface without parents having to be there first

e. Another name for asexual reproduction

52. (knowledge) What experiment disproved the idea of spontaneous generation?

a. Maggots did not appear on rotting meat wrapped in gauze, but did appear on meat in a closed jar.

b. Maggots appeared on meat wrapped in gauze, but not in a closed jar.

c. Bacteria randomly appeared in an open flask of sterilized broth.

d. Bacteria did not appear in an open flask of sterilized broth if the opening was faced downward so bacteria couldn’t fall in.

e. This hasn’t actually been disproven yet.

1. (knowledge) There are multiple versions of most genes. What are these called?

2. (knowledge) The “infidelity gene” AVPR1a controls how much of the hormone arginine vasopressin gets into the bloodstream. What does this hormone do?

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3. (knowledge) Biology-related issues often come up in political campaigns. What are two examples of these?

4. (knowledge) What is one example of a personal health issue where it would be helpful to know some biology?

5. (knowledge) Life on Earth is diverse but living things also have a lot of features in common with each other. That principle of biology explains this?

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6. (knowledge) What are the four features of all living things?

7. (knowledge) What is metabolism?

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8. (knowledge) An atom includes protons, neutrons, and electrons. Which one is negatively charged?

9. (comprehension) What determines whether an atom is reactive or inert?

10. (knowledge) What are the four main elements in living things?

11. (knowledge) What are the four macromolecules common to living things?

12. (knowledge) Many chemical reactions in living things need particular proteins that lower the “start-up” energy required. What are those proteins called?

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13. (knowledge) In general, how do single-celled organisms reproduce?

14. (knowledge) When DNA is copied, mistakes get made. What are these mistakes called?

15. (knowledge) What’s different about the offspring’s DNA in sexual versus asexual reproduction?

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16. (knowledge) What term to biologists use to describe “genetic change in a population?”

17. (knowledge) What is the process called where individuals with certain traits survive and reproduce more than those lacking the traits, such that the better traits become more common in the population (resulting in evolution)?

18. (knowledge) If a single species is split into two different environments with different requirements, what would probably happen over time?

19. (comprehension) The fact that all vertebrates share many common traits suggests what about their ancestry?

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20. (knowledge) What is it about conditions on Earth that has led to the development of so many different species?

21. (knowledge) Which two taxonomic classifications are included in the scientific name of a species?

22. (comprehension) The fact that life on Earth can be arranged into a family tree, much like your family, suggests what about all species on Earth?

23. (knowledge) A dog can be taxonomically classified in the following way: Vertebrate Mammal Carnivore Canid. Which of those levels of classification includes the most species?