Biology Midterm Essay Questions!
Record your responses to the essays on a separate piece of white lined paper in blue or black pen.
Make sure your name is recorded on the sheet of paper. Make sure your responses are legible and
grammatically correct. If your response cannot be read then it cannot be graded.
92. Explain why accurate data and peer review are important in science.
93. Refer to the map above. West Nile Virus is a virus that attacks the nervous system of birds, humans, and many
other mammals. The virus first appeared in the United States in 1999, when an outbreak was reported in the New
York City area. Based on this background and the information shown in the map, write a paragraph that summarizes
the state of West Nile Virus incidence in the United States as of 2006.
94. Ethics is the study of whether human actions are moral (right or wrong, acceptable or unacceptable). Identify a
current issue in biology that has an ethical debate to it. Identify both sides to the argument and explain what is the
ethical component that is being debated.
95. Students interested in the development of plants designed an experiment to test germination in different types of
seeds. They placed 2 pumpkin seeds, 2 radish seeds, and 2 zucchini seeds on damp filter paper in 3 different Petri
dishes and observed the dishes for several weeks. The water on the filter paper was slightly acidic in the pumpkin
dish, neutral in the radish dish, and slightly basic in the zucchini dish. Each dish was kept at a different temperature.
After several weeks of data collection, the students had difficulty coming to a conclusion.
a. What errors did the students make in designing this experimental procedure?
b. How could this procedure be changed to make this experiment valid?