AP Biology
Chapter 1 Quiz
1. Life is organized in a hierarchical fashion. Which of the following sequences correctly lists
the hierarchy as it increases in complexity?
a. ecosystem, population, organ system, cell, community, molecule, organ, organism,
tissue
b. cell, molecule, organ system, organ, population, tissue, organism, ecosystem,
community
c. organism, organ system, tissue, population, organ, community, cell, ecosystem,
molecule
d. molecule, cell, tissue, organ, organ system, organism, population, community,
ecosystem
e. ecosystem, molecule, cell, tissue, organism, organ system, organ, community
2. “Emergent” properties of living systems are defined as properties that ______
a. are apparent only when an organism is studied at the molecular level
b. appear only at increasingly complex levels of organization
c. are evident during only one portion of the life cycle of an organism
d. define the cell’s surroundings
3. Which of the following is the fundamental unit of structure and function in living organisms?
a. organelle
b. cell
c. tissue
d. organ
4. What is the difference between a tissue and an organ system?
a. The tissue level of organization is more inclusive than the organ system level.
b. Tissues are not composed of cells; organ systems are composed of cells.
c. A tissue cannot exist unless it is a component of an organ system, whereas an organ
system can exist independently of tissues.
d. An organ system includes tissues.
e. Tissues are not considered to be living; organ systems are considered to be living.
5. In an ecosystem, nutrients _______________ and energy _____________.
a. are wasted; is burned
b. cycle; flows through
c. flow through; is recycled
d. are created; is lost
6. What is the molecular commonality that is the basis of life’s variety?
a. protein
b. DNA
c. mutation
d. natural selection
7. The ultimate source of energy flowing into nearly all ecosystems is
a. wind.
b. sunlight.
c. electricity.
d. geothermal vents.
e. radioactivity.
8. A consumer eating a producer represents
a. a transfer of chemical nutrients and energy.
b. a transfer of chemical nutrients but not a transfer of energy.
c. a transfer of energy but not a transfer of chemical nutrients.
d. neither a transfer of chemical nutrients nor a transfer of energy.
9. In experimental procedures, repetition of the procedures _____________.
a. is not necessary if the scientist obtains enough background information
b. is too difficult for researchers doing field work
c. is necessary before assuming that a given set of results is correct
d. should always be done by changing a variable
10. Which of the following statements regarding a common cellular activity is false?
a. Cells respond to the environment.
b. Cells develop and maintain complex organization.
c. Cells take in and use energy.
d. Cells regulate their internal environment.
e. New cells are derived from cellular components like organelles.
11. Which of the following statements about the properties of life is false?
a. All organisms have a complex organization.
b. All organisms have the ability to take in energy and use it.
c. All organisms have the ability to respond to stimuli from the environment.
d. All organisms have the ability to reproduce.
e. All organisms have the ability to maintain a constant internal temperature.
12. In which kingdom can multicellular eukaryotic, photosynthetic organisms be found?
a. Fungi
b. Protista
c. Plantae
d. Animalia
13. Members of the kingdom Animalia
a. can obtain their food either by absorption or by photosynthesis.
b. are composed of cells that lack a cell membrane.
c. are composed of cells that are surrounded by a cell wall.
d. can obtain their food by eating other organisms.
e. are composed of cells that are surrounded by a cell wall and that lack a cell membrane.
14. Kingdom Protista can be distinguished from the kingdom Plantae and Fungi because
a. protists have prokaryotic cells and may be photosynthetic
b. protists may have chloroplasts and lack nuclei
c. protists are generally unicellular and eukaryotic
d. protists lack DNA
15. Should an experiment test only one variable at a time? Why or why not?
a. yes, because otherwise the variables could be confused with the control
b. yes, so that the experimental outcome is clearly due to one identifiable factor
c. no, because it takes much longer to do an experiment if you change only one variable
at a time
d. as long as the experiment is repeated a sufficient number of times, it doesn’t matter
16. Eukaryotic organisms that decompose dead organisms and absorb the nutrients are generally
found in which kingdom?
a. Archaea
b. Bacteria
c. Plantae
d. Fungi
17. With evolution as the core theme of biology, we can explain traits shared by organisms as
evidence of ______ and traits that differ among organisms as evidence of _______.
a. descent from a common ancestor; chance
b. coincidence: adaptation
c. descent from a common ancestor; adaptation through natural selection
d. systems biology; reductionism
18. Experimentation is only one part of the scientific process, but it is a very important step
because it _____.
a. gives the investigator a systematic, unbiased result
b. allows rejection of some alternative hypotheses
c. ensures that hypotheses can be confirmed with certainty
d. ensures that the variable being tested is measured without error
19. Radon is a radioactive gas that seeps into homes from the soil. It is thought to be a leading
cause of lung cancer. A research team gathered large amounts of data on basement radon
concentrations and lung cancer rates and concluded that the more radon there is, the more
likely is lung cancer. After the study is published, other researchers criticize it by asserting
that the studied neighborhoods with higher radon concentrations also have a higher
percentage of old people and a higher percentage of cigarette smokers than the low-radon
neighborhoods. Both advanced age and cigarette smoking increase the risk of lung cancer.
This criticism, if correct, shows that the radon study suffered from _____.
a. a lack of replication
b. an unfalsifiable hypothesis
c. uncontrolled variables
d. nonsystematic observation
20. A man states that he saw Bigfoot in an isolated forest. He was alone and did not take
pictures or collect any physical evidence of Bigfoot. His observation would be given little
scientific credence because it ______.
a. was not made by a scientist
b. did not include numerical measurements
c. was not repeatable
d. did not include a hypothesis
21. A theory is _____.
a. a poorly supported idea that has little backing but might be correct
b. a well-supported concept that has broad explanatory power
c. the same thing as a hypothesis
d. not correct unless it is several years old
22. Two garden plots were planted with corn. The soil was similar in each, and equal amounts
of water were applied to each plot. One plot was fertilized, the other was not. The
experimenters measured the yield as bushels of corn from each plot. The plot that did not
receive the fertilizer was the _______.
a. experimental plot
b. control plot
c. controlled variable
d. dependent variable
23. The best method for determining whether bean plants require sodium is to
a. measure the amount of sodium in a few bean plants
b. measure how fast radioactive sodium enters the plant
c. analyze root contents for sodium
d. grow bean plants with and without sodium
24. The teeth of grain-eating animals (such as horses) are usually broad and ridged. This makes
the teeth suitable for grinding and chewing. Meat-eating animals (such as lions) have
pointed teeth that are good for puncturing and ripping flesh. This illustrates
a. a result of natural selection.
b. the connection between form and function.
c. a food web.
d. that natural selection is not necessary in animals.
e. a result of natural selection and the connection between form and function.
25. A hypothesis is
a. the same as a theory.
b. a tentative answer to some question.
c. an explanatory idea that is broad in scope and supported by a large body of evidence.
d. a widely accepted idea about a phenomenon.
e. a widely accepted theory that is broad in scope and supported by a large body of
evidence.