Questions from Old Exams in General Biology Courses
Mr. Stavney
This is a compendium of old exam questions that I’ve used in general biology courses similar to this one.
These questions are offered merely as a way for you to see how I write exam questions. They are not intended to
replace or even enhance the studying you should be doing from your notes. Because actual exams are written based
on what was taught during the course of a particular term, these questions do not in any way represent what I
covered or will cover in our class, nor do they imply emphasis in some areas rather than others. Furthermore, the
questions are listed here in no particular subject order; it is up to you to find those questions relevant to the
material you are currently studying. No answers are offered either; those are for you to find in your class notes
(assuming we even covered the material relating to the question you might see here).
Internal fertilization refers to:
a. The ability of plants and some animals to fertilize their own gametes
b. The situation in some animals where both male and female gametes are produced
c. The process whereby a female animal can "save" sperm long after copulation and fertilize eggs at will
d. The process whereby male gametes are deposited into the female reproductive system
e. The process in humans where different amounts of gametes are produced from a single starting cell in
males compared with females
2. The symbiotic relationship seen between moss and the tree trunk it grows on is beneficial to the moss but does not
appreciably affect the tree. This is an example of:
a. coevolution
b. commensalism
c. parasitism
d. mutualism
e. symbiotism
3. The water that drains off the parking lot at our campus ends up:
a. in Lake Waughop
b. in Elliott Bay (Duwamish waterway)
c. in the Puyallup River
d. in Puget Sound
e. in Chambers Creeek
4. Which of the following is a heterotroph ("other-feeder")?
a. algae in Lake Waughop
b. Northern flicker woodpecker
c. cattails in the retention ponds
d. Douglas fir trees
e. lichens
5. Limited oxygen, limited light, high moisture content, and no wind are abiotic factors characteristic of:
a. the coniferous forest community
b. the sky community
c. the lake community
d. the deciduous forest community
e. the ivy community
6. Plants and animals characteristic of two different communities can be found:
a. at the bottom of a lake
b. on a Douglas fir tree
c. in an ecotone
d. in the mycorrhizae
e. deep in the soil
Old Exam Questions
pg. 1
TRUE /FALSE Answer “a” if true and “b” if false.
7. Asexual reproduction is NOT advantageous during periods when the environment is changing (such as moving
from fall to winter seasons).
8. Ovarian tissue in the human female develops from a tissue unrelated to the tissue which develops into the testes in
males.
9. Mycorrhizal fungi and their relationship to tree roots is an example of a mutualistic symbiosis.
10. Carrying capacity is defined as the amount of food required to sustain a population.
11. The pollution of a creek from the dumping of motor oil could be considered a density dependent population
regulating factor.
12. Biological magnification (or amplification) refers to the
increase in size of organisms in a food chain.
13. According to the age-structure diagram shown at the right, the
U.S. population was decreasing as of 1990.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
14. Which of the graphs above shows how a wild population grows with unlimited food and living space? (Answer
A-E)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Old Exam Questions
pg. 2
15. The interaction of the living components within a lichen is an example of:
a. parasitism
b. a heterotroph
c. commensalism
d. mutualism
e. an herbivore
16. The maximum number of organisms that can be sustained indefinitely in a given environment is known as:
a. ecotone
b. watershed
c. carrying capacity
d. symbiosis
e. mycorrhizae
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
17. The graphs above show different survivalship curves for different life history patterns. Which graph shows the
Opportunistic (Prodigal) Life History Pattern, as seen in wildflowers and sea urchins?
18. Which of the graphs above shows the Equilibrium (Prudent) Life History Pattern, as seen in most large
mammals and humans?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------19. Which of the following is the best ecological definition for "watershed"?
a. a small roofed structure surrounding a well or spring
b. the process whereby water and other fluids flow off of a waxy or oiled surface (such as the
feathers of a duck)
c. a retention pond
d. all the land which drains into a common watercourse or body of water
e. the volume of water that drains off of a unit of land
Old Exam Questions
pg. 3
20. New life would not be possible without the:
a. primary consumers
b. decomposers
c. herbivores
d. heterotrophs
e. carnivores
21. An organism that eats both plant and animal life is technically called a(n):
a. autotroph
b. omnivore
c. secondary consumer
d. carnivore
e. planimalvore
22. In the food chain below, which organism is the tertiary consumer?
 sun -->diatom algae-->copepods-->candlefish-->salmon-->bald eagle
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
the diatom algae
the copepods
the candlefish
the salmon
the bald eagle
23. The candlefish shown in the food chain in the previous question are:
a. primary producers
b. omnivores
c. carnivores
d. herbivores
e. decomposers
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---TRUE/FALSE Answer “a’ if true and “b” if false.
24. Approximately 90% of the energy in a particular trophic level is passed on to the next trophic level (10% is lost).
25. A biome is defined by all the living things living in a small area and the interactions between these living things
and their environment.
26. Biodiversity increases when an alien species is introduced into an area.
27. Driving to school in your car contributes indirectly to global warming.
28. A community with high biodiversity is more likely to "crash" or collapse than one with low biodiversity.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------29. Global warming is caused by:
a. the core of the earth increasing in temperature
b. high levels of chlorinated fluorocarbons (CFCs) in the atmosphere
c. high levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
d. the sun producing more radiant energy now than in previous centuries
e. high levels of sulfur dioxide smoke in the atmosphere
Old Exam Questions
pg. 4
Match the biome below with its location on the biome map above. If the answer is more than two letters long, like
“ab”, fill in both “a” and “b” on your answer sheet.
30. temperate deciduous forest
31. desert
32. temperate grassland (also called prairie, steppes, or pampas)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
33. Which is the most effective and significant way in which an individual can reduce his/her impact on the
environment?
a. dispose of all bottles, glass, and plastics into recycling programs
b. reduce what you buy or use (“precycle”)
c. reuse cans, bottles, and plastic containers several times before disposal
d. pick up garbage and litter around your neighborhood
e. carpool or take the bus to school and work
34. Allowing fertilizer to wash off your lawn into the street could indirectly cause:
a. global warming
b. ozone depletion
c. eutrophication
d. desertification
e. deforestation
Old Exam Questions
pg. 5
35. In the levels of biological organization, what is the next HIGHER (more complex) grouping after the
whole organism level?
a. the tissue level
b. the community level
c. the cellular level
d. the ecosystem level
e. the population level
36. In the steps of the scientific method, what is the process where a scientist writes down tentative explanations or
statements about what he/she expects might happen under certain conditions?
a. observations
b. conclusions
c. hypotheses formation
d. experimentation
e. theory formation
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------11. The term biogeography refers to:
a. the distribution of species across land and sea
b. the navigational sense that certain animals have
c. the concept that earth can be viewed as a living entity (the Gaia Hypothesis)
d. the similarity of anatomical structures between species
e. a study of the diversity of organisms within a particular location
12. All the genes found among the members of a population are collectively known as:
a. alleles
b. genotypes
c. genomes
d. the gene pool
e. a genetic bottleneck
13. Suppose a population of organisms is reduced to only a few members, then recovers, causing
a change in allelic frequencies in the recovered population. What is this phenomenon called?
a. mutation
b. genetic bottleneck
c. the Founder Effect
d. gene flow
e. stabilizing selection
14. “A population of similar individuals that can breed or potentially interbreed with each other”. To what does this
definition refer?
a. any animal
b. all plants
c. members of a Kingdom
d. members of a species
e. any organism
15. The theory that species remain about the same for long periods of time, and then evolve very quickly over
relatively short periods of geologic time is known as:
a. punctuated equilibrium
b. gradualism
c. sympatric speciation
d. uniformitarianism (or uniformism)
e. genetic bottlenecking
Old Exam Questions
pg. 6
16. . What would be the correct way to write the scientific name for an organism in Kingdom Plantae, Species
Douglasii, Order Coniferales, Genus Pseudotsuga, and Family Pinaceae? (If the correct answer is two letters long,
like “ab”, fill in BOTH “a” and “b” on the answer sheet)
a. Plantae Douglasii
b. Coniferales pinaceae
c. Pinaceae pseudotsuga douglasii
d. Pseudotsuga Douglasii
e. Pinaceae douglasii
ab. Coniferales pinaceae
ac. Pseudotsuga douglasii
ad. Plantus Pseudotsuga
ae. Douglasii coniferales
17. Protozoans (animal-like protists) are usually categorized by:
a. what they use to move around with
b. what kind of chlorophyll they have
c. whether they reproduce using club shapes or sac shapes
d. whether they are heterotrophic or autotrophic
e. where they usually live
TRUE/FALSE Answer “a” if true and “b” if false.
18. Populations with a high diversity of variations are less likely to go extinct.
19. DNA Fingerprinting can be used to identify a man as the father of a child.
20. Alien predator species do not alter the kinds and numbers of natural predators when they are brought into a new
area.
21. Viruses are made of only nucleic acid and protein.
22. Domains Eubacteria and Archaea contain unicellular organisms which have prokaryotic type cells.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------23. In fungi, the term "mycelium" refers to
a. a single thread-like chain of cells
b. anti-bacterial chemicals
c. a mat of interwoven hyphae
d. a product of meiosis
e. a fungus shaped like a mushroom
24. What is a "pharm" animal?
a. animals that are grown and tended in a pharmacy
b. transgenic animals carrying genes from another species
c. carcasses of dead animal livestock used as crop fertilizer
d. animals used in DNA fingerprinting
e. animals used in forensic scientific investigations
25. Which of the following has been a concern of those of genetically modified plants?
a. GM plants might grow faster than the weeds around them
b. GM plants might cause weed species to go extinct
c. GM plants might pass resistance genes to other plants, creating "superweeds"
d. GM plants are created in the laboratory using unethical techniques
e. Consumers might come to prefer GM foods and therefore drive traditional farmers out of business
Old Exam Questions
pg. 7
1. Suppose a mutation occurs in a DNA gene. The protein that is made from this gene differs
from the unmutated protein by a single amino acid. This type of mutation is called a:
a. silent mutation
b. frameshift mutation
c. dominant mutation
d. early stop mutation
e. missense mutation
2. The process in which a DNA gene is used to make a copy of mRNA is called:
a. transcription
b. replication
c. translation
d. crossing over
e. mutation
3. If a DNA gene has 60 nucleotides, how many amino acids will be found in the protein made from these DNA
instructions?
a. 20
b. 30
c. 60
d. 120
e. 180
4. Which molecule below is responsible for bringing amino acids to the ribosome?
a. DNA genes
b. messenger RNA
c. ribosomal RNA
d. transfer RNA
e. polypeptides (proteins)
5. . Insertions or deletions of nucleotides in a gene cause what type of mutation in the protein?
a. run-on
b. silent
c. frameshift
d. early stop
e. missense
6. The term "gel electrophoresis" refers to:
a. separating DNA fragments by spinning them in an electric centrifuge
b. chopping up DNA using electric current in gelatin
c. separating DNA fragments in a gelatin-like slab under and electric current
d. duplicating a single DNA piece into thousands of copies
e. creating mutations in genes that create gelatin protein
7. Polymerase chain reaction refers to the process where:
a. gene is inserted into bacteria and protein is then harvested from the bacteria
b. a small sample of DNA is replicated in a test tube to make many copies of that DNA
c. a chromosomal sample from a person is cut up and the pattern of cut bands are analyzed
d. an accident at a nuclear power plant involves polymerase molecules
e. DNA from one person is compared with DNA from another person
Old Exam Questions
pg. 8
8. Restriction enzymes are used in DNA technology to:
a. make more DNA
b. make RNA from DNA
c. cut up DNA into specific pieces
d. link together DNA molecules
e. limit the growth of bacteria
9. Which of the following can be deduced from comparing the DNA fingerprint pattern of several different animal
species to each other?
a. whether these animals had any mutant genes
b. whether these animals could reproduce sexually
c. whether these animals were related to each other
d. whether these animals shared the same number of chromosomes
e. whether these animals were involved in crimes
10. A normal gene in humans that has the potential to become a cancer-causing gene is known as a:
a. tumor gene
b. oncogene
c. malignogene
d. proto-oncogene
e. mitochondrial gene
26. Which of the following is an example of artificial selection?
a. The process of making cheese
b. A breeding program designed to produce plants with larger pumpkins
c. A mechanized process that can differentiate between individuals of the same species
d. The process of making a specific female animal pregnant by introducing sperm into
her reproductive tract.
e. The process whereby living things are chosen by automated DNA-analyzing machines
Match the description at the left with the group of organisms on the right. If the correct answer is more than one
letter long, like “ab”, fill in both “a” and “b” on your answer sheet.
27. Multicellular, photosynthetic, eukaryotic, lives
mostly in the ocean
28. Multicellular, photosynthetic, true roots and
vascular tissue, reproduces by means of flowers
29. Unicellular, eukaryotic, parasitic, forms a pod of
spores during reproduction, example: athletes foot
30. Unicellular, photosynthetic, eukaryotic, causes
red tides and paralytic shellfish poisoning, swims bd. mosses
by means of a long whip-like tail, microscopic
31. Multicellular, photosynthetic, dominant gametophyte
generation, no true roots, no vascular tissue
a. viruses
b. eubacteria
c. archaebacteria
d. amoeba protozoans
e. ciliated protozoans
ab. flagellate protozoans
ac. yeast
ad. diatoms (unicellular algae)
ae. dinoflagellates (unicellular algae)
bc. multicellular algae (seaweeds)
be. sac fungi
cd. gymnosperm plants
ce. ferns
de. angiosperms plants
32. Unicellular, prokaryotic, old design, some can live
in hotsprings, very salty water, or acidic ponds
Old Exam Questions
pg. 9
33. The term "seed-bearing plants" refers to:
a. only angiosperms
b. only gymnosperms
c. both angiosperms and gymnosperms
d. only mosses
e. only ferns
34. Which of the following can be described as an "obligate intracellular parasite"?
a. a virus
b. a protozoan
c. a roundworm
d. a flat worm
e. a fungus
38. A hyphus (found in fungi) is a(n):
a. reproductive "seed"
b. a "tail" used for swimming
c. cap on the top of a mushroom
d. thin chain of cells
e. organism made of two species living together
40. Which of the following is the SMALLEST in size?
a. amoeba
b. yeast
c. algae
d. heterotrophic bacterium
e. virus
37. Which of the following does a virus LACK?
a. a chromosome
b. a wrapper or enclosure
c. genes
d. a parasitic way of life
e. cellular structure
A. 2 pts. Name one key or unique characteristic of a fern compared to other plants:
B. 2 pts. List 1 key characteristic of all angiosperm plants that separate them from other plants.
8. Which of the following is NOT a key characteristic of chordate (backboned) animals at some point in their life?
a. dorsal hollow nerve cord
b. gill slits
c. post-anal tail
d. endothermy
e. notochord
The term “true coelom” can be defined as:
a. a type of symmetry
b. a complete gut or digestive tract
c. a muscle-lined body cavity
d. a respiratory organ
e. a type of egg
Old Exam Questions
pg. 10
10. Which of the following is a unique characteristic that only mammals have?
f. endothermy
g. fur
h. true coelom
i. vertebrae
j. amniotic egg
35. Which of the graphs above (select A through E) shows disruptive selection occurring over time?
36. Which of the graphs above (select A through E) shows how a population would change over time if the average
form (with average “intensity”) were the best adapted?
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Old Exam Questions
pg. 11
C. 2 pt. The taxonomic grouping that comes immediately below (within) an ORDER is a
.
E. 3 pts. How do bacteria and fungi make all other life on earth possible?
F. 2 The three shapes of bacteria are the coccus, spirillum, and
.
G. 2 pts. Which plant group has a vascular system but does not form seeds?
H. 2 pts. Describe briefly the criteria that biologists use to determine whether or not two extremely similar looking
birds are the same species.
I. 5 pts Using the abbreviations P for phosphate, S for sugar, and all four bases found in deoxyribonucleic acid
(abbreviated by their one-letter designation), draw a double-stranded DNA molecule with five base pairs below.
Indicate covalent bonds between the P, S, and/or bases using solid lines and indicate hydrogen bonds with dotted or
dashed lines. There should be 10 total nucleotides in your drawing.
Example (not correct):
Match the description on the left with the animal group at the right. Some answers may be used more than one. If
the correct answer is two letters long, like “ab”, fill in BOTH “a” and “b” on your answer sheet.
1. Body segmented in head, thorax, and abdomen;
jointed exoskeleton, antennae, compound eyes; e.g. an ant
2. Scaly skin, amniotic eggs, internal fertilization,
poikilothermic, e.g. a lizard
3. Bilateral symmetry, soft bodied with a shell,
radula, mantle, e.g. a snail
4. Bilateral symmetry, flattened body, parasitic,
a. sponges
b. cnidarians
c. flatworms
d. roundworms
e. segmented worms
ab. molluscs
ac. arthropods
ad. echinoderms
ae. jawless fish
bc. cartilaginous fish
Old Exam Questions
pg. 12
no coelom, not segmented, e.g. a tapeworm
5. Scaly skin, external fertilization, exothermic,
water based, bones of calcium phosphate, rays in
the fins, air (swim) bladder, gills, jaws, e.g. a goldfish
bd. bony fish
be. amphibians
cd. reptiles
ce. birds
de. mammals
6. Pentaradial symmetry, spiny skin, tube feet,
water vascular system, e.g. a starfish
7. An organism that is eukaryotic, multicellular, heterotrophic, with several different kinds of tissues and specialized
parts must be a(n):
a. animal
b. plant
c. protist
d. fungus
e. bacterium
---------------------------------------------------------------------Use the diagram of the human digestion system
at the right to answer the following questions. If
the answer is more than two letters long, like
“ab”, fill in BOTH “a” and “b” on your
answer sheet.
11. In what digestive structure is water absorbed?
12. Which organ produces bile?
13. Which organ is the stomach?
14. In which organ or structure are food nutrients
absorbed?
15. The structure where feces are stored?
---------------------------------------------------------------------16. According the Recommended Daily Allowances, approximately
of our total daily kilocalories should come from
carbohydrates?
a. less than 10%
b. 10-30%
c. 50%
d. 45-65%
e. less than 300 mg
17. Amino acids which cannot be made by our bodies, but which we need to help us build body protein, are called
amino acids.
a. required
b. essential
c. mandatory
d. lifesaving
e. water soluble
Old Exam Questions
pg. 13
18. Protein complementarity refers to:
a. saying nice things about protein
b. adding sufficient amounts of protein to your daily diet
c. using a protein-only diet to lose weight
d. combining protein with appropriate amounts of fat
e. combining two or more protein sources to get all the important amino acids
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------TRUE/FALSE Answer “a” if true and “b” if false.
19. A, D, E, and K are all names of fat-soluble vitamins.
20. The best way to lower blood cholesterol is to reduce the amount of saturated and trans fats in your diet.
21. Bony fish are examples of animals with double circulation.
22. Dead-ended air tubes called tracheae allow for gas exchange into and out of an insect, such as in a grasshopper.
23. The more efficiently a circulatory and respiratory system can deliver nutrients and gases to the body of an
animal species, the wider the range of activity and the greater the endurance that species will enjoy.
24. Lipids specifically known as "cis" fats are considered especially unhealthy in the diet and are listed on modern
food labels.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------25. The animals we studied that have a pseudocoelom were the:
a. flatworms
b. cartilaginous fish
c. annelids
d. nematodes
e. molluscs
26. What substance produced in the human digestive system allows the fat-breaking enzymes (lipases) to come into
contact with fats by making them water soluble?
a. bile
b. gastric juice
c. saliva
d. pancreatic juice
e. urine
27. Folic acid is a water soluble vitamin essential for:
a. night vision
b. proper development of the fetal nervous system
c. making ATP in cellular respiration
d. blood clotting
e. healing of cuts and wounds
a.
Glucose is converted into ATP energy in the:
f. Golgi Body
g. chloroplast
h. smooth endoplasmic reticulum
i. rough endoplasmic reticulum
j. mitochondrion
Old Exam Questions
pg. 14
2. Leaves of plants are green because:
a. they absorb green light
b. green is the best color light for photosynthesis
c. they reflect green light
d. they are actually black but only seem to be green
e. they reflect red and blue light
3. What are the two major groups of reactions in photosynthesis called?
a. glycolysis and the Calvin Cycle
b. Calvin Cycle and light reactions
c. Krebs Cycle and Calvin Cycle
d. light reactions and Calvin Cycle
e. Calvin Cycle and electron transport chain
4. Cell membranes are said to be selectively permeable barriers, rather than impermeable barriers due to the
presence of:
f. proteins
g. cholesterol
h. phospholipids
i. carbohydrates
j. microtubules
5. NAD+ and FAD are molecules called coenzymes that assist in chemical reactions where:
f. energy is required to drive the reaction forward
g. the electrons are being removed from the substrate
h. hydrolysis is occurring
i. oxygen molecules are needed
j. electrons are being added to the substrate
6. Which of the following is NOT an organelle found in a eukaryotic cell?
mitochondrion
Golgi Body
nucleoid
lysosome
vacuole
7. For glycolysis to run smoothly, it must have a continuous supply of glucose and
a. pyruvate
b. NAD+
c. NADH
d. FAD
e. H2O
.
8. The bulk of the carbon dioxide released during aerobic cellular respiration occurs during:
a. fermentation
b. electron transport chain
c. glycolysis
d. ATP production at the ATP mill
e. Krebs Cycle
9. The Krebs Cycle takes place in the:
a. Golgi Body
b. cytoplasm
c. lysosomes
d. matrix of the mitochondrion
Old Exam Questions
pg. 15
e.
inner membrane of the mitochondrion
10. How many molecules of ATP would be made by a yeast cell using 15 glucose molecules in the absence of
oxygen?
a. 7.5
b. 15
c. 30
d. 34-38
e. 45
11. Which of the following end products are formed by human muscle cells performing fermentation?
a. pyruvate
b. water
c. lactic acid
d. ethanol and CO2
e. 34-38 ATP per glucose
12. The high energy electrons in the C-C covalent bonds in glucose end up in which substance after cellular
respiration of a single glucose molecule is complete?
a. NADH
b. pyruvate
c. water
d. ATP
e. carbon dioxide
13. What are the two molecules produced in the first part of photosynthesis that drive the second part of
photosynthesis?
a. ATP & NADPH
b. CO2 & H2O
c. O2 and ATP
d. NADPH and glucose
e. NADH and FADH2
14. Which two phases of meiosis create genetic variation and “gene scrambling”?
a. prophase II and metaphase I
b. telophase I and telophase II
c. prophase I and telophase II
d. prophase I and anaphase I
e. metaphase I and anaphase II
---------------------------------------------------TRUE/FALSE. Mark “a” if true, and “b” if false.
15. Homologous chromosomes separate in Metaphase II of meiosis
16. The cell designation “2n” means having both “halves” of a chromosome set, or a full set of both maternal and
paternal chromosomes.
17. The term hemizygous refers to the condition where a cell carries two recessive genes for a trait (such as bb).
Old Exam Questions
pg. 16
18. An example of mitotic division is when a fertilized egg (zygote) divides many times to become a fetus, and then
a human baby
19. One way to diagnose the X-linked disease called hemophilia is to make a karyotype of the person who you
suspect has the disease.
20. Crossing over is a process that occurs during Prophase II of Meiosis.
A cell which has a diploid (2n) number of 6 undergoes either mitosis or meiosis. Use the pictures below to answer
questions about the stages of division for this cell. (Note: if the correct answer below is more than one letter long,
like “ae.”, mark both a AND e on your answer sheet for that question). Choices can be used more than once.
Which diagram above shows the best representation of:
21. A cell in which homologous replicated chromosomes are separating?
22. A cell in mitotic prophase?
23. A cell in Metaphase II of meiosis?
24. A cell in Meiosis Telophase II?
25. A cell in S phase?
26. A cell where the diploid number is being reduced to haploid?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------27. Which is NOT true about a pair of homologous chromosomes?
a. Both chromosomes have centromeres in the same location
b. One of the two homologous chromosomes is produced by the cell during S
phase
c. One homologue is of paternal origin while the other is of maternal origin
d. Both chromosomes carry information about the same genetic characteristics
e. Both chromosomes are the same length
Old Exam Questions
pg. 17
28. If B is the gene for brown eyes and b is the gene for blue eyes, how would you describe the genotype of a person
with blue eyes?
a. homozygous dominant
b. homozygous recessive
c. heterozygous
d. hemizygous
e. mutant
29. A man who is colorblind marries and has children by a woman who has normal color vision. The woman’s
father had normal color vision but her mother was colorblind. Color blindness is an X-linked recessive disorder.
What are the chances that this man and woman will give birth to a colorblind girl (restated: of all the possible
children, how many would be female and color blind)?
a. none
b. 25%
c. 50%
d. 75%
e. 100%
----------------------------------------------------------------------------Match the list of inheritance types on the right with the description of the type on the left. (Note: if the correct
answer below is more than one letter long, like “ae.”, mark both a AND e on your answer sheet for that question).
30. There are many genes found on different
chromosomes which all contribute to a particular
phenotype (e.g. human height, skin color, intelligence)
31. The dominant allele or gene causes a disease or
condition such that "normal" individuals are homozygous
recessive (e.g. Huntington's chorea, achondroplasia)
32. There are two genes governing a phenotype and two
different alleles possible per characteristic
a. multiple alleles
b. classical Mendelian
inheritance
c. X linked inheritance
d. epistasis
e. incomplete dominance
ab. polygenic inheritance
ac. pleiotropy
ad. dominant disorder
ae. recessive disorder
33. An inheritance system where the heterozygote is
intermediate in appearance between the homozygous
dominant and homozygous recessive phenotypes (e.g. pink
color in snapdragon flowers).
34. There are more than two gene forms for a characteristic,
such as the three IA, IB, and i genes in the ABO Blood Group genes.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------35. A genotype can be best be defined as:
a. the physical expression of the genes for a particular characteristic
b. the symbols of the different genes possible for a particular characteristic
c. an ordered chart of all the chromosomes lined up according to size
d. the specific location of the genes for a character on a chromosome
e. the specific gene symbols carried by a cell for a particular characteristic
36. The different kinds of gametes that would be produced from a parent whose genotype is AaBB would be:
a. A, a, and B
b. Aa and BB
c. AB and aB
d. AB,Aa,AB, and BB
e. You cannot determine the gametes from this information alone.
37. There are 40 chromosomes in a diploid cell of a Wango fern. In the life cycle of a Wango fern, a diploid cell
undergoes meiosis to form what is called a spore. The spore falls off the adult fern and germinates (that is, it
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undergoes mitosis about 8 times) until a mass of cells form a tiny plant. If you took a cell from this tiny plant and
examined it for chromosome number, how many chromosomes would be present?
a. 10
b. 20
c. 40
d. 80
e. 160
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------True/False Answer "a" if true and "b" if false.
38. The disease known as Huntington's (Chorea) is caused by a dominant gene.
39. The ability to roll one's tongue is genetically determined.
40. An enzyme that can catalyze a condensation reaction between a glucose and a fructose molecule cannot catalyze
a condensation reaction between a galactose and a sucrose molecule.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --41. Which statement is NOT true about enzymes?
f. the hole in an enzyme where catalysis occurs is called the active site
g. enzymes are made of folded polypeptide chains
h. enzymes lower the activation energy required for chemical reactions
i. the reactants in an enzyme-catalyzed reactions are referred to as substrates
j. enzymes are used up whenever they catalyze a reaction
42. The substrate that is catalyzed by the enzyme we studied in lab is:
a. oxygen
b. guaiacol
c. buffer
d. peroxidase
e. hydrogen peroxide
43. A molecule that blocks the active site of an enzyme, preventing catalysis of the normal reactant(s) is:
41. the substrate
42. an inhibitor
43. hydrogen bonding
44. the tertiary structure
45. an activator
29. What type of body support is found in the arthropods?
a. hydrostatic skeleton
b. bony endoskeleton
c. cartilaginous endoskeleton
d. chitinous exoskeleton
e. no substantial body support at all
30. Which vitamin, plentiful in citrus fruits, is necessary to prevent the disease known as scurvy?
a. niacin (a B vitamin)
b. riboflavin (a B vitamin)
c. Vitamin K
d. folic acid
e. Vitamin C
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44. Which of the graphs above most closely matches the effect of pH on enzymatic activity (or enzyme rate)?
(Answer A-E)
45. Energy-requiring reactions in a cell:
k. are usually fueled indirectly by energy-releasing reactions
l. do not need enzymes to speed them up
m. result in the creation of an ATP molecule from ADP and P
n. are those with greater energy in the reactant molecules than in the products
o. do not need ATP to move forward
A. 10 pts. In fruit flies, red eyes (R) are dominant to white eyes (r), and long wings (L) are dominant to curly wings
(l). What is the phenotypic ratio of the cross between a red eyed, long winged fly (homozygous for eye color,
heterozygous for wing length) and a red-eyed curly winged fly (heterozygous for eye color)?
Show all your work for full credit, including the parental genotypes, the gametes made by the
parents, and a Punnett square. The genotypic ratio is optional but may help you get partial credit if you make a
mistake. CIRCLE YOUR FINAL ANSWER TO THE QUESTION.
28. All blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart are known as:
a. capillaries
b. arteries
c. veins
d. lymphatic vessels
e. pulmonary vessels
31. Atherosclerosis is a cardiovascular disease in which arteries narrow due to the deposition of cholesterol. Which
of the following is a symptom directly and immediately associated with this disease?
a. high blood pressure
b. cancer
c. a lower blood volume
d. lower urine output
e. a stroke
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32. Which of the following animals has an open circulatory system?
a. a mouse (mammal)
b. a chinook salmon (fish)
c. a black-capped chickadee (bird)
d. a nightcrawler (segmented worm)
e. a bumblebee (insect)
33. Which of the following animals has a two-chambered heart?
a. a cow (mammal)
b. a mollusc
c. a mosquito (insect)
d. a red-legged frog (amphibian)
e. a rainbow trout (fish)
34. The 2005 Food Guidelines published by the FDA was the first governmental dietary guidelines to include:
a. physical activity
b. recommended daily allowances
c. advice about getting enough iron
d. different categories of food and the ratio these categories should be found in the diet
e. a recommendation that fats and oils make up a very small part of a healthy diet.
35. Which of the following features of modern day birds is an "evolutionary leftover" that indicates what kind of
animals they descended from?
a. teeth
b. hollow bones
c. feathers
d. scaly feet
e. endothermy
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------TRUE/FALSE Answer “a” if true and “b” if false.
36. The function of the swim or air bladder in certain fish is to collect and store urine.
37. The major function of the amniotic sac surrounding a developing embryo is to prevent dehydration of that
growing embryo.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------(TRUE/FALSE)
38. Lamprey eels are noted for their paired fins and snapping jaws with sharp teeth.
39. Vitamin K is involved with proper blood clotting in the human body.
40. Capillary vessels connect small arteries to small veins in the tissues within the body.
A. 2 pts. Which water soluble mineral is required for healthy red blood cells and the making
of the oxygen carrying molecule called hemoglobin?
B. 2 pts. Which fat soluble vitamin (plentiful in carrots) does your body need for good night vision?
C. 6 pts. Vladamir eats approximately 3000 kilocalories of food every day. His total fat intake (at 4.0 kcal/g) is 500
grams per day. Calculate the number of kilocalories of fat that Vladamir eats per day and then determine the
percentage of fat in his total daily kilocalorie intake. Finally, comment on whether Vladamir is under, meeting, or
exceeding the RDA for fats. Show all the steps in your calculations, writing down all intermediate products or sums
in order to receive full credit.
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
Number of kilocalories of fat that Vladamir eats/day:

Percentage of fat in his daily diet (based on kilocalories):

Comment on adequacy of Vladamir's fat intake based on RDA:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------E. 6 pts. In the circulatory system diagram to the right name the one
part of the heart and the two blood vessels indicated by pointer arrows
and fill in the blanks with these names.
F. 6 pts. On the lines below, name all the structures
that a blood cell would pass through beginning in the
vena cava and going through both circuits to end up again
in the vena cava. You don't have to name any of the valves. Put
arrows between each structure in your answers below to show the
direction of blood flow. Include the specific names for the vessels
going into or out of the heart. You can designate the capillary beds in
the lungs and tissues simply as "lungs" and "tissues"
entering heart from lower body(vena cava) 
Match the description on the left with the animal group at the right.
Some answers may be used more than one. If the correct answer is
two letters long, like “ab”, fill in BOTH “a” and “b” on your answer
sheet.
1. Body segmented in head, thorax, and abdomen;
a. sponges
jointed exoskeleton, antennae, compound eyes; e.g. an ant
2. Scaly skin, amniotic eggs, internal fertilization,
poikilothermic, e.g. a lizard
3. Bilateral symmetry, soft bodied with a shell,
radula, mantle, e.g. a snail
4. Bilateral symmetry, flattened body, parasitic,
no coelom, not segmented, e.g. a tapeworm
5. Scaly skin, external fertilization, exothermic,
water based, bones of calcium phosphate, rays in
the fins, air bladder, gills, jaws, e.g. a goldfish
b. cnidarians
c. flatworms
d. roundworms
e. segmented worms
ab. molluscs
ac. arthropods
ad. echinoderms
ae. jawless fish
bc. cartilaginous fish
bd. bony fish
be. amphibians
cd. reptiles
ce. birds
de. mammals
6. Pentaradial symmetry, spiny skin, tube feet,
water vascular system, e.g. a starfish
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7. An organism that is eukaryotic, multicellular, heterotrophic, with several different kinds of tissues and specialized
parts must be a(n):
f. animal
g. plant
h. protist
i. fungus
j. bacterium
8. Which of the following is NOT a key characteristic of chordate (backboned) animals at some point in their life?
k. dorsal hollow nerve cord
l. gill slits
m. post-anal tail
n. endothermy
o. notochord
9. The term “true coelom” can be defined as:
f. a type of symmetry
g. a complete gut or digestive tract
h. a muscle-lined body cavity
i. a respiratory organ
j. a type of egg
10. Which of the following is a unique characteristic that only mammals have?
p. endothermy
q. fur
r. true coelom
s. vertebrae
t. amniotic egg
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Use the diagram of the human digestion system
at the right to answer the following questions. If
the answer is more than two letters long, like
“ab”, fill in BOTH “a” and “b” on your
answer sheet.
11. In what digestive structure is water absorbed?
12. Which organ produces bile?
13. Which organ is the stomach?
14. In which organ or structure are food nutrients
absorbed?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------15. According the Recommended Daily Allowances,
approximately
of our total daily
kilocalories should come from carbohydrates?
k. less than 10%
l. 10-30%
m. 50%
n. 45-65%
o. less than 300 mg
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16. Amino acids which cannot be made by our bodies, but which we need to help us build body protein, are called
amino acids.
f. required
g. essential
h. mandatory
i. lifesaving
j. water soluble
17. Protein complementarity refers to:
f. saying nice things about protein
g. adding sufficient amounts of protein to your daily diet
h. using a protein-only diet to lose weight
i. combining protein with appropriate amounts of fat
j. combining two or more protein sources to get all the important amino acids
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ --------TRUE/FALSE Answer “a” if true and “b” if false.
18. A, D, E, and K are all names of fat-soluble vitamins.
19. The best way to lower blood cholesterol is to reduce the amount of saturated and trans fats in your diet.
20. Only vertebrate animals have nervous systems.
21. Motor neurons carry messages from the body surface to the brain.
22. A nerve impulse propagates along a neuron when ions suddenly flow across the membrane and change the
membrane polarity.
23. Cis-fats are considered especially unhealthy in the diet.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------24. The part of the nervous system, connected to skeletal muscle, whose function is under voluntary control include
the
.
a. sensory neurons
b. parasympathetic motor neurons
c. sympathetic motor neurons
d. somatic motor neurons
e. central nervous system
25. A neuron in the spinal cord would be part of the:
a. accessory nervous system
b. cranial nervous system
c. central nervous system
d. peripheral nervous system
e. synapsing nervous system
26. The form of nitrogenous waste that is excreted in reptiles and birds is:
a. ammonia
b. urea
c. uric acid
d. amino acids
e. 2,4 diethyl amine
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pg. 24
27. It is essential that animals can get rid of their nitrogenous waste because:
a. they need to make room for more nitrogen
b. excess nitrogen makes the blood too salty
c. excess nitrogen tends to cause extra amino acids to form
d. nitrogen atoms react with hemoglobin and reduce the amount of oxygen in the blood
e. nitrogenous waste is toxic in moderate to high concentrations
28. Besides getting rid of nitrogenous waste, the excretory/urinary system is involved with:
a. water and salt balance
b. control of the reproductive cycle
c. circulation of the blood
d. breaking down and getting rid of old blood cells
e. getting rid of undigested food
29. All blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart are known as:
a. capillaries
b. arteries
c. veins
d. lymphatic vessels
e. pulmonary vessels
30. The structure in the human kidney where the filtrate is squeezed out of the bloodstream is known as the:
a. proximal convoluted tubule
b. distal convoluted tubule
c. collecting duct
d. Loop of Henle
e. glomerulus
31. A connecting tube between the kidneys and the bladder is called a(n):
a. vas deferens
b. urethra
c. ureter
d. collecting duct
e. cecum
32. The term osmoregulation refers to:
a. maintaining constant pH in the body
b. maintaining a constant amount of urea in the body
c. maintaining a constant amount of salt and water in the body
d. maintaining a constant amount of water soluble vitamins in the body
e. maintaining a constant delivery of nerve signals from brain to muscle
A. 2 pts. Which water soluble mineral is required for healthy red blood cells and the making
of the oxygen carrying molecule called hemoglobin?
B. 2 pts. Which fat soluble vitamin (plentiful in carrots) does your body need for good night vision?
C. 6 pts. Fill in names in the blanks for the three parts of a neuron, as indicated by the pointer arrows.
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D. 4 pts. Name two organs that are part of the excretory system in humans.
1.
2.
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