The Scientific Study Of Life Chapter 1 Test Bank Answers

Chapter 01

The Scientific Study of Life

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Thinking about life's organizational hierarchy in a biological system, which of the following is the correct sequence from the smallest unit to the largest unit?
2. molecule - atom - organelle - tissue - cell
3. cell - organelle - atom - tissue - molecule
4. organelle - molecule - atom - tissue - cell
5. atom - molecule - organelle - cell - tissue
6. atom - organelle - molecule - cell - tissue
7. The hierarchy of life extends past individual organisms. Which of the following is the correct sequence, from least inclusive to most inclusive, following an individual organism?
8. population - ecosystem - community - biosphere
9. community - population - ecosystem - biosphere
10. population - community - ecosystem - biosphere
11. community - population - biosphere - ecosystem
12. ecosystem - population - biosphere - community
13. In living organisms, emergent properties
14. functionally arise from smaller successful parts and work together for a more successful organism.
15. are produced in a new generation of offspring that will show the properties.
16. develop tissue and organ systems, which show higher levels of complexity.
17. functionally arise from larger successful parts working together for stronger organism.
18. evolve new properties from other similar organisms.
19. To be considered living, an organism must minimally consist of
20. atoms and molecules.
21. DNA and proteins.
22. one or more cells.
23. DNA and RNA.
24. RNA and proteins.

True / False Questions

1. "Life" is defined for any particle, substance, or object as anything which is not dead.

True False

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which of these is not a required characteristic of life?
2. evolution
3. structural organization
4. energy use
5. homeostasis
6. movement
7. Organisms that make their own nutrients by capturing energy from nonliving resources (solar energy) are called
8. detritivores.
9. parasites.
10. decomposers.
11. consumers.
12. producers.
13. Organisms that obtain energy and nutrients by eating either living or dead organisms are called
14. producers.
15. All of the answer choices are correct.
16. autotrophs.
17. consumers.
18. plants.
19. Which of the following is not an example of a characteristic of life?
20. Energy is needed to build, regulate, and conduct processes of life.
21. Organisms are composed of atoms that make up cells.
22. Organism have the ability to reproduce, grow, and develop.
23. Organisms maintain internal constancy.
24. All of the answer choices are correct.
25. Thinking about taxonomy, the basic unit of naming, that includes members with the ability to reproduce with each other, is
26. domain.
27. family.
28. species.
29. genus.
30. kingdom.
31. The four kingdoms included in the domain Eukarya are
32. Bacteria, Protista, Plantae, and Animalia.
33. Archaea, Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia.
34. Protista, Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia.
35. Bacteria, Fungi, Archaea, and Animalia.
36. Archaea, Bacteria, Protista, and Animalia.
37. A major difference between prokaryotes and eukaryotes is that although prokaryotes
38. do not have a nucleus, eukaryotes have a nucleus in their cells.
39. have chloropast for photosynthesis, eukaryotes do not.
40. have mitochondria, eukaryotes do not.
41. have DNA, eukaryotes only have RNA.
42. have cell walls, eukaryotes do not.

13. Until the late 1970s, there was no "Domain" as the broadest category in taxonomy. Instead, there were five kingdoms: Protista, Plantae, Fungi, Animalia, and Monera, which included all bacteria-like organisms.

Researchers proposed the domains to distinguish between the bacteria-like organisms. Which information supported the domain level, and subsequent domains of Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya?

1. More complex emergent properties developed after organisms were originally categorized into kingdoms.
2. Organisms in the Bacteria and Archaea domains have a nucleus, whereas eukaryotes do not.
3. Cell shapes of bacteria and archaea were found to be more distinct, after microscope technology improved.
4. Differences in DNA among the existing kingdoms showed a need for a broader naming category.
5. Evolution led to new adaptations and diversity of organisms.
6. Which of the following is not a true statement about the scientific method?
7. It does not apply to problems encountered in everyday life.
8. It is a framework to consider evidence in a repeatable way.
9. It is a framework to consider ideas in a repeatable way.
10. It is a general way of organizing an investigation.
11. It begins with observations.
12. Which of the following is not true about a hypothesis?
13. It can be proven to be false.
14. Previous knowledge can help support it.
15. It can be proven to be true.
16. It is a tentative explanation.
17. It must be testable to be useful.
18. In an experimental procedure, the researcher has established multiple levels of a chemical, or amounts of light, or some other factor at the beginning of the experiment, in order to determine if and how much the biological system responds. The manipulated factor at varying levels is the
19. Both control group and standardized variable are correct.
20. control group.
21. independent variable.
22. standardized variable.
23. dependent variable.

17. Examine this diagram. Note the structure of branches connecting groups of organisms. Called a phylogenetic tree, the branches propose relationships among organisms to each other, related to common ancestors. Although the proposed relationships can be described in sentences, the diagram summarizes them visually. Which of the following statements is true based on this diagram?

1. All the organisms in this phylogenetic tree are equally related to one another.
2. The organisms in domain Archaea are more closely related to the organisms in domain Eukarya than those in domain Bacteria.
3. The organisms in kingdom Protista are part of domain Bacteria.
4. All of the answer choices are correct.
5. The organisms in domain Bacteria are more closely related to the organisms in domain Eukarya than those in domain Archaea.
6. In an experimental procedure, the researcher measures changes, such as cell growth rates, numbers of patients with a disease, etc. in response to factors manipulated at the beginning of the experiment. This measure of change in response to the initial conditions is the
7. dependent variable.
8. standardized variable.
9. independent variable.
10. control group.
11. Both dependent variable and standardized variable are correct.
12. Which of the following would not be a "control" in an experimental procedure?
13. a normal group
14. an experimental group
15. a known standard of comparison
16. a placebo group
17. a "zero-value" group
18. A theory differs from a hypothesis in that a theory
19. has predictive power for similar phenomena that haven't been observed yet.
20. has more supportive research evidence than a hypothesis.
21. All of the answer choices are correct.
22. ties together many existing observations.
23. is broader in scope than a hypothesis.
24. A structure, such as a flower in plants, or a liver in animals, consisting of tissues organized to carry out a specific function is a(n)
25. molecule.
26. cell.
27. organ.
28. population.
29. organelle.
30. An ecosystem would include all of the following except
31. a community that may include producers, consumers, and decomposers.
32. the biosphere, with its resources and functioning systems.
33. populations of organisms in the same species.
34. nonliving air, water, soils, and other components in an area.
35. None of the answer choices is correct.
36. A researcher collected a single-celled organism from birdbath water and grew the organism in a laboratory. The researcher observed the organism reproducing by cell division, which resulted in identical offspring generations. This organism exhibits a form of
37. sexual reproduction, mixing genetic material from the parent cells.
38. asexual reproduction.
39. a form of reproduction occurring only in bacteria.
40. sexual reproduction of fungi.
41. evolution of each new generation produced.
42. Homeostasis means that
43. cells have enough water.
44. all organisms require an energy source.
45. environmental conditions are held constant and do not change.
46. a population changes over time.
47. conditions inside a cell or organism remain within a constant range.
48. The correct sequence going from smallest to largest is
49. molecule - atom - organelle - tissue - cell.
50. tissue - cell - organelle - molecule - atom.
51. atom - molecule - organelle - cell - tissue.
52. cell - molecule - tissue - organelle - atom.
53. cell - tissue - organelle - molecule - atom.
54. All ecosystems
55. are entirely self-sufficient.
56. None of the answer choices is correct.
57. need a source of external energy.
58. stay exactly the same once mature.
59. consist of only living organisms.
60. Which is the correct sequence of steps in the scientific method?
61. form hypothesis - observation - collect data - analyze results - design an experiment
62. form hypothesis - observation - design an experiment - collect data - analyze results
63. observation - analyze results - draw conclusion - design an experiment - form hypothesis
64. observation - form hypothesis - design an experiment - collect data - analyze results
65. observation - analyze results - form hypothesis - draw conclusions - design an experiment
66. A college student has a new job, and must balance classes and commute times to work. The student takes two weeks to drive from campus to the workplace by several routes, including a direct route through town, a highway route, and a route through a city park. Comparing the drive times, affected by the route, speed

limits, and intersections is possible. The dependent variable is the

1. average time in minutes it takes to drive from campus to workplace.
2. the number of cars in the same route.
3. the type of vehicle the student is driving.
4. the time in minutes between walking from class to their vehicle.
5. distance in miles of each possible driving route from campus to workplace.
6. A golfer wants a new set of clubs to improve her game. In an experiment, she tests different drivers made from different materials. She compares the drivers to the distance of her shot. In this simple experiment, the independent variable is the
7. type of material used to make the golf ball.
8. swing speed of the golf club prior to striking the golf ball.
9. distance the golf ball traveled.
10. type of material used to make the club head.
11. wind direction when the experiment took place.
12. A golfer wants a new set of clubs to improve her game. In an experiment, she goes to the driving range and compares the distance she hits a bucket of golf balls with drivers of different materials in the head before making her purchase decision. In this simple experiment, the standardized variable is the
13. wind direction when the experiment took place.
14. type of material used to make the golf ball.
15. all of these except the type of material used to make the club.
16. angle the ball was hit by the head surface of the club.
17. force generated by her swing, when hitting the ball.
18. Scientists have developed an ointment to decrease muscle inflammation after intense workouts or trainings. To test the product, 99 weight lifters are divided into three equal groups. Group 1 is given the actual ointment, Group 2 is given an inactive ointment that looks and smells like the active ointment, and Group 3

is not allowed to use any treatment. Group 2 has been given

1. a placebo.
2. a standardized variable.
3. a control variable.
4. the active ointment.
5. an independent variable.
6. In an experiment, which of the following is not generally a true statement?
7. It is important to standardize aspects of an experiment that might affect the outcome, other than the independent variable.
8. The larger the sample size the more reliable the results.
9. Without the proper control an experiment is not valid.
10. None of the answer choices is correct.
11. The smaller the sample size the more reliable the results.

You perform an experiment in which you take 16 pots of strawberry plants and give half of them 1 gram of ammonium nitrate per liter of water and the other half just gets water. Each group is then split in half again, and exposed to either 8 or 16 hours of light each day. You monitor the height of the plants for four weeks. You observe that increasing ammonium nitrate and light both increase plant height.

1. Which of the following is/are an independent variable(s) in this experiment?
2. the amount of ammonium nitrate
3. the height of the plants
4. the height of the plants and amount of light
5. the amount of ammonium nitrate and light
6. the amount of light
7. Which of the following is/are a dependent variable(s) in this experiment?
8. the amount of ammonium nitrate and light
9. the height of the plants
10. the amount of light
11. the amount of ammonium nitrate
12. the height of the plants and amount of light
13. In this experiment, you are working with available planter pots from the laboratory. You have choices of clay pots of different sizes, as well as biodegradable peat pots and others within lab equipment provided. To establish a standardized variable, you would
14. report the pot type used, though recognizing the pot is not as important as fertilizer and light to the strawberries.
15. select a variety of sizes based on the initial strawberry plant size.
16. choose clay pots for the fertilized plants, and biodegradable pots for the unfertilized plants.
17. monitor the strawberry growth rates and determine a mathematical correction to account for the type and size of pot used.
18. select all sixteen pots to be of the same material and size for the experiment.
19. A plant takes up nutrients like ammonium nitrate to maintain
20. sexual reproduction.
21. evolution.
22. asexual reproduction.
23. natural selection.
24. homeostasis.
25. The leaf of a plant is
26. a molecule.
27. an organism.
28. an organ.
29. an organelle.
30. a cell.
31. A plant is a
32. decomposer.
33. consumer.
34. producer.
35. consumer and decomposer.
36. consumer and producer.
37. Organisms require energy to function. What is the energy source for the plants in your experiment?
38. water
39. light
40. carbon dioxide
41. ammonium nitrate
42. soil
43. As part of observation in your scientific method, you discover that your strawberry plants are producing plantlets that are identical to the parent plant. This demonstrates that they reproduce by
44. development and maturation.
45. fragmentation.
46. development and adaptation.
47. sexual reproduction.
48. asexual reproduction.
49. What did Charles Darwin propose after observing the 11-inch-long nectaries of the Angraecum sesquipedale orchid in Madagascar?
50. that the orchid was an evolutionary dead end and could no longer reproduce
51. the existence of a pollinator moth with a proboscis of 10–11 inches
52. the presence of very small bees that can fit into a long nectar tube
53. that the orchid must reproduce asexually
54. that the orchid was a self-pollinator and required no assistance from an organism

42. After observing variability among plant and animal species in various locations, Charles Darwin proposed an explanation for what he saw. The broad proposal included reasons that species could be modified through genetic variation, leading to measurable similarity and difference.

Evidence for the proposal came from biological, geographic, and geological observations. His proposal allowed for the prediction of new species that might be found in new settings, based on environmental conditions. Darwin's proposal is an example of

1. a theory.
2. an independent variable.
3. a standardized variable.
4. a dependent variable.
5. a hypothesis.

43. Charles Darwin observed an orchid flower with very long, thin tubes that prevent many species from feeding on the flower nectar and pollinating the flower. He offered a prediction that some species of pollinators would eventually be found that can feed and pollinate through the small tube.

You decide to test Charles Darwin's proposal by placing nets over some orchids that allow small pollinators to enter, but prevent the large sphinx moth from entering. You then compare the number of seeds produced by plants with and without the nets. The seed production is

1. a hypothesis.
2. a standardized variable.
3. a theory.
4. an independent variable.
5. a dependent variable.
6. Darwin observed an orchid flower with petals arranged in very long, thin tubes, rather than broad and flat, as we might see in other common flowers. What is the advantage to the orchid having an 11-inch-long nectar tube arrangement of the petals?
7. The long tube can trap insects as a source of nutrients.
8. The flower can collect more sunlight for photosynthesis.
9. The flower can produce nectar more easily spread over a larger area to attract more pollinators.
10. The flower nectar tube can collect more rainwater to maintain health of the flower.
11. The flower can only be pollinated by a specifically adapted pollinator, reducing cross-fertilization among orchid species.
12. What is the advantage to the sphinx moth Xanthopan morgani by having an 8-inch-long tongue?
13. It can be used to capture other flying insects for food.
14. It is used to attract mates through sexual selection.
15. It can reach nectar that no other pollinator can reach.
16. It can only pollinate one type of flower.
17. It makes flying more efficient.
18. Given basic information from observations of the orchid with a long nectary, and the moth with the long proboscis, what is the advantage to a plant like an orchid producing nectar over a plant like a pine tree that does not produce nectar?
19. Nectar provides a sticky surface for pollen to attach to, promoting fertilization.
20. Nectar helps disperse pollen by water.
21. Nectar helps disperse pollen by wind.
22. Nectar provides food for the pollen and growing fruit.
23. Nectar attracts animals that perform pollination.

True / False Questions

1. The kingdom is the most all-inclusive taxonomic category.

True False

1. The cell is the basic unit of life.

True False

1. The smallest scale of biological organization is represented organelles.

True False

1. Decomposers are a special group of producers.

True False

1. In an experiment designed to determine if a fertilizer increased crop yield in tomato plants, the number of tomatoes produced by each plant would be the independent variable.

True False

1. In an experiment designed to determine if a fertilizer increased crop yield in tomato plants, the number of tomatoes produced by each plant would be the dependent variable.

True False

1. In an experiment designed to determine if a fertilizer increased crop yield in tomato plants, the amount of sunlight and water the plants received would be standardized variables.

True False

1. A theory is an advanced hypothesis that has been proven to be true.

True False

Multiple Choice Questions

1. You are feeling ill, so you visit a physician. The physician takes your temperature, blood pressure, and pulse and orders blood tests and urine analysis to determine more about your condition. The results of all of these observations and tests will help the physician assess why your body is temporarily out of

"normal" conditions, or

1. adaptation.
2. growing ability.
3. natural selection.
4. organism level of complexity.
5. homeostasis.

This figure shows graphed medical research results from a study on a new vaccine. The research was done in an effort to determine if a new vaccine would be effective in preventing potentially dangerous rotavirus infections in infants. Green data bars represent occurrence of infant cases that had normal rotavirus strains that aren't critically dangerous. Blue data bars represent occurrence of infant cases that had more dangerous rotavirus strains that can hospitalize or lead

to fatality of infants.

1. In this diagram, the Y-axis of the graph shows values of "Incidence of Illness" in infants. The varying numbers of infants getting sick with rotavirus represents the
2. normal infant baseline for reference to results from this medical study.
3. control group of infants in this medical study.
4. dependent variable of this medical study.
5. independent variable of this medical study.
6. standardized variable of this medical study.
7. In the graph, interpret the data that are shown regarding the response of a large number of infants to vaccination from dangerous rotavirus infection. Which of the hypotheses is NOT supported by these data results?
8. The low dose of the vaccine reduces incidence of illness from any rotavirus in general, and also severe rotavirus.
9. The new vaccine is ineffective in protecting infants from any rotavirus infection.
10. Hypotheses about the vaccine doses can't be evaluated because the placebo group is biased, with high incidence of illness in those infants.
11. Medium and high doses of the vaccine are more effective at reducing severe rotavirus illnesses than reducing any rotavirus.
12. The high dose of the new vaccine does not offer any stronger protection from any rotavirus infection than the medium dose.
13. In the graph, the X-axis is showing different doses of vaccine, including "placebo," "low," "medium," and "high." These levels of vaccine were applied to different groups of babies to test if and how much the vaccination helped reduce the incidence of rotavirus, an illness that can quickly dehydrates infants to

critical or fatal levels. These dosages in this medical study represent

1. the independent variable.
2. the standardized variable.
3. the dependent variable.
4. the control group.
5. the placebo.

True / False Questions

1. In this experiment, if the scientists giving the placebo (low, medium, or high vaccine doses) did not know which dose they were administering, then this would be an example of a double-blind experiment.

True False

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Scientific inquiry in biology is linked in a concept map with two sets of understanding researchers might pursue in experiments. Which of these is a good example of why concepts are linked between what is studied and how it might be studied?
2. Environmental changes over recent decades have led to studies of whether specific plants and animals can adapt to the changes.
3. A research physician hypothesizes that a new skin therapy will result in healthier skin tissues for healing.
4. The influenza virus is spreading rapidly throughout the population and is not being controlled by the current flu medication.
5. All of the answer choices are correct.
6. A newly identified bacterium in African soils is found to promote plant growth that a researcher will study in crop production.

61. Before biologists discovered the role of DNA and chromosomes, Gregor Mendel, a scientific researcher, studied the genetics of pea plants related to flower colors, pea colors, pea pod shapes, and other features of the plant.

He numerically modeled the results he observed and published results, which eventually led to our basic understanding of how biological traits are passed to new generations of organisms.

His work, however, was largely rejected for over 30 years, partly for minor record-keeping errors, and partly for the new approach of defining reproduction of organisms in terms of numerical probabilities. This demonstrates that

1. only the most recent scientific investigations on a topic are useful in understanding biological conditions or processes.
2. Gregor Mendel's work wasn't valid until researchers later identified chromosomes and their role in reproduction.
3. a unique, new way to propose a theory discredits the research until someone else proves findings to be true.
4. the color and shape of peas was not important to the scientific community.
5. scientific evidence is harder to accept because of cultural biases and misunderstandings on the topic.
6. Viruses are not yet considered an organism because they don't have cell membranes, organelles, and do not carry out vital life functions, although they do have a form of DNA (or similar RNA). A researcher proposing to categorize viruses in the tree of life would need to
7. establish any virus as a control group for experimentation with established domains of organisms.
8. apply his/her proposal to any newly discovered virus, since others aren't currently considered organisms.
9. remember that the scientific method will prevent any changes to the current taxonomy and tree of life.
10. propose that relationship to other organisms as a new hypothesis, and test viruses for shared life characteristics.
11. show the importance of genetic information as a characteristic of life.
12. Evolution is the result of changes in the genetic makeup of species within the same population, throughout many generations. This can produce organisms well suited for their environments. Evolution consists of adaptation and natural selection. Adaptation can be distinguished from natural selection, as factors in

evolution, in that natural selection

1. is not successful reproduction.
2. describes the variability of the environments and conditions in which populations live.
3. is the ability to reproduce regardless of its genetic traits.
4. produces generations with traits within their population that allow them to reproduce and thrive.
5. results from genetic mutations in asexual reproduction, whereas adaptation happens only in sexual reproduction.

True / False Questions

1. Researchers can readily extract DNA from one organism and merge that DNA into another organism, applying genetic engineering as a possible cure to cancer or muscular dystrophy and other diseases. The scientific method can test a hypothesis to determine if this approach is morally right or wrong.

True False

Multiple Choice Questions

65. Health care and fitness professionals claim moderate exercise yields heart health.

In an attempt to study the effect of moderate exercise on heart health, you track four groups of fellow students through a semester. One group is a control, who are not to change their exercise patterns. The three other groups are assigned to a 30-minute exercise once, twice, or three times a week.

Results at the end of the semester show that average blood pressure and pulse rates are nearly the same for the control group as the once-a-week exercisers. Average blood pressure and pulse were slightly lower for the two groups that exercised more often, but not every student showed any difference, and some actually had increased blood pressure and pulse rates.

What conclusions can be drawn from the data collected?

A. A conclusion cannot be drawn based on the information provided.

B. Measured differences in the average blood pressure and pulse of the once-a-week exercise group and the control group will likely show a statistically significant

difference from the groups exercising more often.

1. The individual student data variability and even increased blood pressure and pulse in the two groups exercising more often will not change the fact that the average data values will prove to be statistically significant in difference from the control group.
2. Measured differences in the average blood pressure and pulse of the three experimental groups will not likely show a statistically significant difference from the control group.
3. The measured blood pressure and pulse data values of the control group and three exercising groups in this study prove that moderate exercise does not have any beneficial impact on heart health.