Part 1 Flashcards
DNA is one of the features common to all known forms of life;
a. it forms the protective outer membrane of cells.
b. it is produced expressly for reproduction and is found only in egg and sperm.
c. it is the blueprint that guides the growth, development, behavior, and reproduction
of all organisms.
d. its absence in viruses is the basis for classifying them as nonliving
c. it is the blueprint that guides the growth, development, behavior, and reproduction
of all organisms.
A species of butterflies gradually becomes darker in color over many generations; this is an example of
which characteristic of living organisms?
a. They reproduce using DNA.
b. They obtain energy from the environment to support metabolism.
c. They can evolve as groups.
d. They sense the environment and respond to it.
c. They can evolve as groups.
When scientists generate a single informed, logical, and plausible explanation for a question and
observations of the natural world, they are proposing a scientific
a. hypothesis. c. theory.
b. observation. d. correlation.
a. hypothesis.
A scientific hypothesis must be constructed with which of the following characteristics?
a. It is always provable and clearly states what is already known to be fact.
b. It provides a reasonable explanation to a question and is consistent with current
observations; it must also be testable and falsifiable.
c. It provides an explanation consistent with accepted theological ideas and does not need to
be tested.
d. It does not require testing by experimentation or additional observations. It is not
falsifiable.
b. It provides a reasonable explanation to a question and is consistent with current
observations; it must also be testable and falsifiable.
A scientific hypothesis must be ________; if not, science cannot evaluate it.
a. provable c. accepted
b. testable d. rejected
b. testable
Experimental studies are an effective way of establishing a ________ relationship between two or more
aspects of the natural world because they provide a way of testing predicted interaction(s).
a. controlled c. correlative
b. cause-effect d. casual
b. cause-effect
New medications undergo extensive human testing before receiving FDA approval. These tests represent
an experiment and variations in the dosage given to participants represents the
a. dependent variable. c. correlation coefficient.
b. independent variable. d. invariable.
b. independent variable.
Experimentation is the primary, but not only, means used to verify or refute the ________ made by a
hypothesis.
a. variables c. predictions
b. theories d. laws
c. predictions
Once supported by a predictable experimental outcome, a scientific hypothesis
a. is never reexamined.
b. still cannot be considered to have been proven true.
c. can be used to predict the outcome of all future similar events.
d. is elevated to the status of theory.
b. still cannot be considered to have been proven true
Which of the following represents conducting an experiment?
a. dialing a telephone number
b. comparing prices of computers
c. checking your midterm grades online
d. predicting the outcome of a basketball game
a. dialing a telephone number
In science, when a hypothesis or group of hypotheses supported by repeated experimental evidence holds
true through time, it can be developed into a ________. It is not a guess. It is not static. It is tentative and
dynamic and can be adjusted when new, compelling evidence is discovered. It is typically an overarching
explanation that best fits all of the available information or evidence.
a. law c. hypothesis
b. mathematical theorem d. theory
d. theory
The human heart pumps blood throughout the blood vessels in the body. This is a scientific
a. theory. c. fact.
b. hypothesis. d. experiment.
c. fact
You often experience numbness and pain in the thumb and first two fingers on your right hand. You go to the
doctor who suspects that carpal tunnel syndrome is the reason for the numbness and pain. The doctor then
orders a simple test to see how fast nerve impulses are moving up and down your arm. The doctor’s
preliminary diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome is a(n)
a. theory. c. experiment.
b. fact. d. hypothesis.
d. hypothesis
Which of the following would be a theory?
a. Specific pathogens are directly responsible for specific diseases and conditions.
b. A fungal infection is responsible for the spread of white noses and associated higher
mortality across bat populations and species.
c. Bats with white noses have been observed in the wild.
d. A fungal infection causes bats to wake up repeatedly during the winter and use up their fat
reserves
a. Specific pathogens are directly responsible for specific diseases and conditions.
In 1890, Robert Koch developed a hypothesis regarding the cause of communicable diseases. He designed
an experiment and collected data that supported his hypothesis. Later, his experiment was repeated by
many other scientists who used other pathogens and documented similar results that not only supported
their hypotheses but also supported Koch’s original hypothesis. These many experiments that supported
multiple hypotheses regarding the cause of communicable diseases contributed to the development of the
a. theory of evolution. c. theory of relativity.
b. germ theory of disease. d. law of gravity.
b. germ theory of disease
Scientific understanding can always be challenged, and even changed, with new ways of observing and
with different interpretations. For example, new tools and techniques have resulted in new observations
and the discovery of additional information. This has resulted in revised ways of understanding how
molecules are moved across the plasma membrane of cells. Hence, there is no certainty in science, only
degrees of probability (likelihood) and potential for change. In light of this understanding, which of the
following statements is most meaningful?
a. Scientific knowledge is absolute knowledge.
b. Scientific knowledge is necessarily contingent knowledge.
c. Scientific knowledge is a static and unchanging collection of facts.
d. Scientific knowledge is rigid collection of invariable facts
b. Scientific knowledge is necessarily contingent knowledge.
Which of the following would be a fact?
a. Specific pathogens are directly responsible for specific diseases and conditions.
b. A fungal infection is solely responsible for the spread of white noses and associated higher
mortality across bat populations and species.
c. Bats with white noses have been observed in the wild.
d. A fungal infection causes bats to wake up repeatedly during the winter and use up their fat
reserves
c. Bats with white noses have been observed in the wild.
Which of the following sequences correctly represents the biological hierarchy of a multicellular
organism?
a. cells → tissues → organs → individual
b. tissues → organs → cells → individual
c. individual → cells → organ systems → tissues
d. organ systems → organs → tissues → individual
a. cells → tissues → organs → individual
A tissue is defined as
a. a group of cells that performs a unique set of tasks in the body.
b. two or more atoms held together by strong chemical bonds.
c. the basic unit of life.
d. a network of organs which perform a wide range of functions
a. a group of cells that performs a unique set of tasks in the body.
Bats use echolocation to orient themselves and locate objects. Doing this requires special adaptations in
their inner ear, midbrain, and auditory cortex of their cerebrum. The echolocation system of bats is an
example of
a. a cell. c. an organ.
b. a tissue. d. an organ system
d. an organ system
The caves in upstate New York, where Alan Hicks’ team first noticed the deaths of thousands of bats,
represent the
a. biosphere where the bats lived. c. ecosystem where the bats lived.
b. biome where the bats lived. d. community where the bats lived
c. ecosystem where the bats lived.
→ C6H12O6 + 6 O2. What are the reactants?
a. H2O and CO2 c. H2O and O2
b. C6H12O6 and CO2 d. C6H12O6 and CO2
a. H2O and CO2
Which of the following is an organic compound?
a. water (H2O) c. ammonia (NH3)
b. methane (CH4) d. carbon dioxide (CO2)
b. methane (CH4)
A group of astronauts returning from outer space studied samples taken from their lunar landing. They
found that one of their samples was coated with organic compounds. Which of the following statements
must be correct about their samples?
a. The compounds must be covered with ammonia (NH3) and water vapor.
b. The samples must lack water, but contain DNA.
c. The samples must contain carbon atoms.
d. The specimen must lack water, pesticides, and added hormones
c. The samples must contain carbon atoms.
The central element found in organic molecules is
a. calcium. c. silicon.
b. carbon. d. sodium.
b. Carbon
Which of the following is a monomer that can be commonly made from components in Earth’s
atmosphere?
a. nucleotides c. triglycerides
b. amino acids d. monosaccharides
b. amino acids
In the chemical reaction that forms hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), hydrogen and oxygen share electrons
creating ________ bonds between the two atoms.
a. covalent c. hydrogen
b. peptide d. ionic
a. covalent
Individual water molecules orient toward each other because of the ________ bonds that form between
them.
a. covalent c. hydrogen
b. peptide d. ionic
c. hydrogen
Which of the following distinguishes ionic bonds from covalent bonds?
a. Ionic bonds form between the same two elements, whereas covalent bonds form between
different elements.
b. Ionic bonds hold together compounds that do not dissolve in water, whereas covalent
bonds hold together molecules that dissolve in water.
c. Ionic bonds hold together oppositely charged atoms, whereas covalent bonds hold together
atoms that share electrons.
d. Ionic bonds consist of atoms with partial charges, whereas covalent bonds consist of atoms
with full positive and negative charges.
c. Ionic bonds hold together oppositely charged atoms, whereas covalent bonds hold together
atoms that share electrons
When calcium (Ca++) and chloride (Cl−) interact with one another they bond using ________ bonds.
a. hydrogen c. covalent
b. peptide d. ionic
d. ionic
Which of the following types of bonds hold hydrogen and oxygen atoms together within an individual
water molecule?
a. hydrogen bond c. polar covalent bond
b. peptide bond d. ionic bond
c. polar covalent bond
Which of the following is likely to participate in ionic bonding?
a. Li+ c. He
b. H2O d. C6H12O6
a. Li+
Which of the following is correct about hydrogen bonds?
a. Individually, hydrogen bonds are very strong.
b. They form between neighboring oxygen atoms.
c. They do not involve binding with a hydrogen atom.
d. They form due to partial positive and partial negative charges on atoms
d. They form due to partial positive and partial negative charges on atoms.
Neighboring water molecules are held together with hydrogen bonds because
a. partially negatively charged oxygen atoms and partially positively charged hydrogen
atoms on separate water molecules are attracted to one another.
b. the hydrogen and oxygen atoms within a single water molecule share electrons equally.
c. the oxygen and hydrogen atoms that participate in hydrogen bonding are sharing electons
within a single valence shell.
d. ionic interactions repel water molecules from hydrophobic oils that may be present in a
solution
a. partially negatively charged oxygen atoms and partially positively charged hydrogen
atoms on separate water molecules are attracted to one another.
Which of the following explains why ice floats on water?
a. The crystal structure of ice is more regular than that seen in liquid water.
b. The distance between water molecules in ice is greater than in liquid water.
c. The cool temperature of ice reduces the extent of molecular motion relative to liquid
water.
d. When ice forms, the hydrogen bond in the water molecule becomes nonpolar; ice behaves
like oil.
b. The distance between water molecules in ice is greater than in liquid water
When sodium chloride (Na+Cl−) is dissolved in water, the sodium ion
a. is attracted to the hydrogen atoms of water molecules.
b. is repelled by the oxygen atoms of water molecules.
c. is attracted to other sodium ions that are being dissolved.
d. is attracted to the oxygen atoms of water molecules.
d. is attracted to the oxygen atoms of water molecules.
Oil and water do not mix together well because
a. water is polar and oil is nonpolar.
b. only identical molecules of the same chemical can easily mix together.
c. water has hydrogen bonds and oil is polar.
d. water and oil are covalently bonded together
a. water is polar and oil is nonpolar.
You are given an unknown substance and asked to determine whether it is polar or nonpolar. The easiest
way to do this would be to
a. determine whether the compound is held together by hydrogen bonds.
b. determine the number of electrons in the compound’s outer shell.
c. mix the compound with an ionic substance to see whether its bonds can withstand the
pressure.
d. determine whether the compound dissolves in water.
d. determine whether the compound dissolves in water.