Biology Chapter 1

Question 1

1st Law of Thermodynamics

Answer 1

states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed: it can only be transformed from one form into another. Total energy is constant, but the form of that energy can change

Question 2

Entropy

Answer 2

Physicists quantify the amount of disorder in a system

Question 3

2nd Law of Thermodynamics

Answer 3

states that the degree of disorder in the universe tends to increase.

Question 4

Cell

Answer 4

simplest entity that can exist as an independent unit of life

Question 5

Nucleic Acids

Answer 5

store and transmit information needed for growth, function, and reproduction. {1st essential feature}

Question 6

Proteins

Answer 6

structural and functional molecules that do the work of the cell

Question 7

RNA

Answer 7

a copy that proteins make of DNA’s info, it is a closely related molecule (ribonucleic acid)

Question 8

Transcription

Answer 8

synthesis of RNA from a DNA template

Question 9

Translation

Answer 9

converts information stored in the language of nucleic acids to information in the language of proteins

Question 10

central dogma

Answer 10

the basic flow of information in a cell, it constitutes a fundamental principle in Biology

Question 11

Gene

Answer 11

specific stretches or segments of DNA according to the proteins that they encode

Question 12

Plasma Membrane

Answer 12

2nd essential feature, separates the living material within the cell from the non living environment around it. (controls movement into and out of the cell)

Question 13

Nucleus

Answer 13

houses the cells DNA

Question 14

cytoplasm

Answer 14

everything but the nucleus,

Question 15

Prokaryotes

Answer 15

cells without a nucleus

Question 16

Eukaryotes

Answer 16

cells with a nucleus

Question 17

Bacteria

Answer 17

Prokaryote, lack a nucleus

Question 18

Archaea

Answer 18

Prokaryote, lack a nucleus (single celled flourish in hostile conditions)

Question 19

Eukarya

Answer 19

Eukaryote

Question 20

ATP

Answer 20

chemical form energy is stored in. (adenosine triphosphate)

Question 21

Metabolism

Answer 21

chemical rx that cells use to convert energy from one form to another and to build and break down molecules

Question 22

Mutation

Answer 22

errors in DNA can, and do, occur during the process of replication, and environmental insults can damage DNA.

Question 23

3 Essential features of cells

Answer 23

• the capacity to store and transmit information
• a membrane that selectively controls movement in and out
• ability to harness energy from the environment

Question 24

Evolution

Answer 24

change over time

Question 25

Natural selection

Answer 25

variation with a population of organisms, and when that variation can be inherited, the variants best suited for growth and reproduction in a given environment will contribute disproportionately to the next generation

Question 26

Environmental Variation

Answer 26

variation among individuals is sometimes due to differences in the environment

Question 27

genetic variation

Answer 27

the other main cause of variation among individuals is differences in the genes that are transmitted from parents to their offspring

Question 28

All cells require an archive of information.
A membrane to maintain the inside of the cell different from the outside.
The ability to harness energy from the environment

Answer 28

123

Question 29

Which one of the following statements about hypotheses is incorrect?

Answer 29

Hypotheses that provide reasonable explanations do not need to be tested.

Question 30

In Pasteur’s experiment showing that living organisms arise from other living organisms, which one of the following statements most accurately describes Pasteur’s hypothesis?

Answer 30

If microbes arise from non-living matter, they should appear spontaneously in sterile broth.

Question 31

Given the high degree of “order” living organisms demonstrate, the second law of thermodynamics can never be applied to life.

Answer 31

false

Question 32

Which one of the following statements about the laws of thermodynamics is incorrect?

Answer 32

• Highly organized living organisms like animal cells are exceptions to the Second Law of Thermodynamics.
• The addition of energy increases the disorder of a system.
• In order to comply with the First Law of Thermodynamics, the conversion of energy from one form to another in biological reactions is 100% efficient.

Question 33

Imagine that a researcher claimed to have created a genetically modified plant that produces twice as much energy as it harnesses from its environment. How is this possible?

Answer 33

This is not possible because such a plant would violate the second law of thermodynamics.

Question 34

As you will learn in later chapters (Chapter 25), a trophic pyramid depicts the transfer of energy between different organisms (i.e., plants, herbivores, and carnivores). Based on the first and second laws of thermodynamics, which of the following is likely true of a trophic pyramid?

Answer 34

Plants harness more energy from the sun compared to an herbivore eating plants, and an herbivore gains more energy from eating plants compared to a carnivore eating meat.

Question 35

The language of nucleic acids is converted to the language of amino acids during the process known as _______________.

Answer 35

translation

Question 36

You have discovered a new species of prokaryote in a deepsea thermal vent. Without any further characterization, which one of the following statements could you make about this species with a high degree of certainty?

Answer 36

• These organisms store their genetic information in a compartment called a nucleus.
  
  • Information in DNA is translated into RNA and then transcribed into protein.
  • The organisms are from the domain Archaea.
  • Information in RNA is transcribed into DNA and then translated into protein.

Question 37

In the scientific method, hypotheses lead most directly to

Answer 37

predictions

Question 38

Theories typically rely on a single hypothesis tested several times; theories do not take into consideration multiple hypotheses.

Answer 38

false

Question 39

One of your friends is arguing that—of course—viruses are “alive.” What information would you provide to convince him that viruses can’t be considered a “unit of life”?

Answer 39

Viruses cannot carry out metabolic reactions.

Question 40

Given that archaeons and bacteria are both prokaryotes, how can archaeons and eukaryotes be more closely related than bacteria and archaeons?

Answer 40

Archaeons and eukaryotes likely have more similar genetic sequences compared to bacteria and archaeons.

Question 41

The sum of all chemical reactions in a cell that are required to sustain life is referred to as_______________.

Answer 41

metabolism

Question 42

Organisms from all classifications of life are composed of cells.

Answer 42

true

Question 43

A boy observes a robin outside of his window. He notices the robin repeatedly cocks its head to one side before pecking the ground. The boy suspects that when the robin cocks its head it is actually listening for worms or insects underground. If the boy notes that a single robin routinely catches a worm after cocking its head, would this observation prove his hypothesis to be correct?

Answer 43

No, this observation would only support the boy’s hypothesis, but not prove it.

Question 44

A doctor suspects one of his patients has melanoma. He takes a very small biopsy—about 2mm—from a suspicious mole. This biopsy would only contain about 10 cells, and would make subsequent analyses very difficult.

Answer 44

false

Question 45

Which one of the following represents the flow of information as described by the Central Dogma of Molecular Biology?

Answer 45

Information in DNA is transcribed into RNA and then translated into protein.

Question 46

Though Archaea resemble members of the domain Bacteria structurally, they are actually more closely related to members of the domain ________.

Answer 46

Eukarya

Question 47

The strongest evidence that a meteor impact is responsible for dinosaurs becoming extinct is provided by:

Answer 47

the presence of significant levels of iridium in the rock layers corresponding to the time of dinosaur extinction

Question 48

Which one of the following entities does not possess the ability to synthesize its own proteins?

Answer 48

a viral particle

Question 49

A boy observes a robin outside of his window. He notices the robin repeatedly cocks its head to one side before pecking the ground. The boy suspects that when the robin cocks its head it is actually listening for worms or insects underground. How could the boy test his hypothesis about robins and worms?

Answer 49

He could count how many times a single robin catches a worm after it cocks its head and pecks the ground.
He could catch a robin and place it in an enclosure without worms or insects, and observe whether the robin still cocks its head.
He could observe several robins, and see if they all exhibit the same head-cocking and worm-catching behavior.

Question 50

You have learned that mutations can occur in DNA sequences. Are all mutations deadly?

Answer 50

No, some mutations can be beneficial.