Biology
2013-2014
Common Mid-Term Exam
CP1
Exam # _______
*** Do Not Write On This Test Booklet ***
Instructions: Select the response that BEST answers the following multiple choice questions. Be sure to
place the answer in the correctly numbered space on the answer sheet. Once again – Do Not Write On
This Test Booklet.
Introduction to Biology
1. In a scientific experiment, what is the function of the control group?
a. the control group serves as a comparison with the experimental group
b. the control group is the sample that contains the experimental variable
c. the control group allows you to test several variables at the same time
d. the control group allows you to increase the sample size of the experiment
2. A seed taken from an adult plant can eventually form a new individual plant after being planted. This is an example of how
living things . . .
a. transport substances
b. carry out metabolism
c. reproduce
d. process energy
3. In bright sunlight we squint our eyes and our pupils contract getting smaller. This is an example of how living things . . .
a. get energy
b. grow
c. reproduce
d. respond to stimuli
4. Examine the data table below. When this data is plotted on a graph, which of the following should be used as the dependent
variable (y axis)?
a. The number of bean plants in each group
b. The number of days
c. Increase in height of the bean plants
d. Amount of nutrients fed to each group
Data Table: Average Daily Increase
in Plant Height (mm)
Day
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Group A
0
2
1
3
2
2
1
Group B
0
4
3
5
5
4
4
5. All of the following are features of the scientific method except . . .
a. formation of a hypothesis
b. observation and experimentation
c. data collection based on opinion (subjective)
d. forming conclusions
6. Data that are quantitative are always . . .
a. described in words
c. duplicated for verification
b. represented by numbers
d. the most accurate kind of data
7. A hypothesis is a statement that . . .
a. is always true
b. is the same as the theory
c. is usually true
d. can be tested
8. Maintaining a stable internal environment by living things is called
a. homeostasis
b. adaptation
c. differentiation
d. interdependence
9. During a scientific investigation, a researcher generally forms a hypothesis and makes predictions
a. before asking questions
c. before conducting the experiment
b. after drawing conclusions
d. during data collection
10. For survival, a hummingbird uses a considerable amount of energy. This energy most directly results from
a. transport
b. excretion
c. regulation
d. cellular respiration
Chemistry of Life
11. Which of the following correctly matches an organic polymer with its monomer?
a. protein and amino acids
b. carbohydrates and polysaccharides
c. nucleotides and fats
d. lipids and steroids
12. Enzymes
a. speed up chemical reactions
c. react with a specific substrate
b. lower activation energy of a chemical reaction
d. all of the these choices
13. Ovalbumin is a protein found in eggs. Which of the following best describes the molecular structure of ovalbumin?
a. A group of six carbon atoms joined in a ring
b. A chain of amino acids folded and twisted into a molecule.
c. A set of three fatty acids attached to a molecule of glycerol.
d. A sequence of nitrogenous bases attached to a sugar-phosphate backbone
14. What type of chemical reaction results in the breakdown of organic polymers into their monomers by addition of water?
a. condensation
b. hydrolysis
c. ionization
d. oxidation
15. Which two classes of organic compounds primarily provide energy for animals?
a. fats and proteins
b. proteins and carbohydrates
c. nucleic acids and lipids
d. fats and carbohydrates
16. When a polymer sugar known as lactose is digested by the human body, each lactose molecule is broken down into smaller
molecules. To which of the following categories of molecules do these smaller molecules belong?
a. amino acids
b. monosaccharide
c. nucleic acids
d. polypeptides
17. When three or more amino acids bond together, they form a…
a. polysaccharide
b. triglyceride
c. polypeptide
d. DNA
18. Starch and glycogen are examples of a group of compounds classified as . . .
a. lipids
b. proteins
c. nucleic acids
d. carbohydrates
19. A peptide bond connects two . . .
a. bases
b. amino acids
c. sugars
d. lipids
20. Which of the following is not a protein?
a. catalyst
b. enzyme
c. nucleic acid
d. polypeptide
21. What are the end products of carbohydrate hydrolysis?
a. amino acids
b. lipids
c. monosaccharides
d. hydrogen ions
22. The genetic code of an organism is determined by:
a. the sequence of nitrogen bases in its DNA
c. the speed at which its polypeptides are produced
23. In what form is excess glucose stored within a plant?
a. starch
b. glycogen
b. the number of amino acids in its cells
d. the shape of the ribosomes in its cells
c. chitin
24. The basic building blocks of all biological macromolecules in living organisms are
a. nucleic acids
b. ionic salts
c. proteins
d. cellulose
d. hydrocarbons
25. Glucose is an example of a
a. monosaccharide
b. disaccharide
c. polysaccharide
d. lipid
26. The number of covalent bonds that a carbon atom can form with other atoms is . . .
a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
d. 4
27. The six most common elements found in organic molecules include . . .
a. C, H, O, N, P, S
b. C, H, S. P, He, B
c. C, H, O, N, Hg, Fe
d. C, H, O, N, Cl, F
28. The most important function of nucleic acids is to…
a. catalyze reactions
b. store energy
c. make membranes selectively permeable
d. encode information for heredity and protein synthesis
29. The major chemical component of cell membranes is/are . . .
a. cellulose
b. phospholipids
c. chitin
d. glucose
30. The monomers of DNA are . . .
a. nucleotides
b. codons
c. amino acids
d. nitrogen bases
31. Which of the following is not a characteristic of DNA?
a. uracil base
b. double stranded
c. found in nucleus
d. deoxyribose sugar
32.The fatty acid tail portion of a phospholipid molecule is . . .
a. polar/hydrophobic
b. polar/hydrophilic
c. nonpolar/hydrophobic d. nonpolar/hydrophilic
33. Organic molecules that are catalysts of chemical reactions are …
a. phospholipids
b. polysaccharides
c. steroids
d. enzymes
34. The specific substance that reacts with an enzyme is known as the . . .
a. substrate
b. catalyst
c. complex
d. isomer
35. Denaturization/destruction of a protein‘s 3-D shape can be caused by
a. extreme heat
b. extreme pH
c. excess substrate
d. Both a and b
Cell Biology
36. Which of the following is an example of a prokaryotic cell?
a. amoeba
b. virus
c. bacterium
37. Which of the following is characteristic of prokaryotes?
a. They have a nucleus
c. The organelles in their cytoplasm are surrounded by membranes
b. They were found on Earth before eukaryotes
d. They are extinct
38. Prokaryotic as well as eukaryotic cells possess . . .
a. mitochondria
b. chloroplasts
c. ribosomes
d. liver cell
d. a nucleus
39. A compound found in living things that supplies the energy for the activity of the cell
a. phosphorus
b. DNA
c. ATP
d. RNA
40. Which organelle contains hereditary factors and controls cell activities?
a. nucleus
b. plasma membrane
c. vacuole
d. endoplasmic reticulum
41. Which structure is found in both plant and animal cells?
a. chloroplasts
b. cell wall
d. centrioles
c. cell membrane
42. Which structure directly controls the transport of materials into and out of a cell?
a. cell wall
b. cytoplasm
c. nuclear membrane
43.Which of the following organelles is the main site of cellular respiration?
d. cell membrane
a. mitochondria
b. endoplasmic reticulum
c. Golgi bodies
d. lysosome
44. Only eukaryotic cells have . . .
a. DNA
b. ribosomes
c. membrane-bound organelles
45. Which structure is found in plant cells, but not in animal cells?
a. nucleus
b. cell wall
c. ribosome
d. cytoplasm
d. mitochondria
46. The flow of materials through the cell membrane AGAINST the concentration gradient is called . . .
a. active transport
b. passive transport
c. circulation
d. transpiration
47. Diffusion and osmosis are examples of . . .
a. active transport
b. pinocytosis
c. passive transport
d. exocytosis
48. Molecules that are too large to be moved across a cell membrane can be removed from the cell by. . .
a. diffusion
b. exocytosis
c. lipid carriers
d. osmosis
49. The movement of water across a membrane is termed:
a. osmosis
b. simple diffusion
c. facilitated diffusion
d. ion channel
50. The part of the cell that functions to maintain homeostasis relative to a cell’s environment is the:
a. cytoplasm
b. Golgi Body
c. nucleus
d. cell membrane
51. The reactants in the general equation/formula for aerobic cellular respiration are…
a. water, carbon dioxide, and ATP
b. carbon dioxide, water and oxygen
c. oxygen and glucose
d. oxygen and water
52. The products in the general equation/formula for photosynthesis are…
a. water, carbon dioxide, and ATP
b. carbon dioxide, water and oxygen
c. oxygen and glucose
d. oxygen and water
53. The products in the general equation/formula for aerobic cellular respiration are…
a. water, carbon dioxide, and ATP
b. carbon dioxide, water and oxygen
c. oxygen and glucose
d. oxygen and water
54. Based on the cycle of photosynthesis and cellular respiration, the ultimate source of energy for all living things on Earth is
a. carbohydrates
b. water
c. the sun
d. carbon dioxide
55. The organelle which is the site of photosynthesis is the
a. mitochondria
b. chloroplast
c. Golgi apparatus
56. Which of the following factors is NOT important for the process of photosynthesis to take place?
a. amount of oxygen
b. amount of carbon dioxide
c. amount of chlorophyll
d. amount of light
57. The process of cellular respiration . . .
a. is performed only by organisms that are incapable of photosynthesis
b. breaks down food molecules to release stored energy
c. takes place in the mitochondria and the chloroplast
d. occurs only in animals
58. When glycolysis occurs,
a. a molecule of glucose is split
c. pyruvic acid is formed
b. some ATP is produced
d. all of the above
59. As a result of diffusion, the concentration of many types of substances . . .
a. always remain greater inside a membrane
d. vacuole
b. eventually becomes balanced on both sides of a membrane
c. always remain greater outside a membrane
d. becomes imbalanced on both sides of a membrane
60. When a plant cell is placed in a hypertonic solution it will . . .
a. wilt (shrink)
b. increase turgor pressure
c.
undergo cytolysis or burst
61. What is the processing, packaging, and secreting organelle of the cell called?
a. mitochondria
b. endoplasmic reticulum
c. Golgi bodies
d. not change
d. centriole
Anatomy and Physiology
62. The function of the digestive system is to . . .
a. chemically break down food
b. absorb nutrient materials
c. mechanically break apart food
d. all of the above
63. The villi of the small intestine allow for an increase in the rate of . . .
a. nutrient absorption
b. acid production
c. cellulose digestion
d. bile production
64. Enzymes in saliva begin the chemical digestion of . . .
a. fat
b. protein
d. vitamins
c. carbohydrates
65. The function of the circulatory system is to …
a. chemically break down food
b. absorb nutrients
c. pump blood through the body
d. none of the above
66. The iron-containing molecule in the red blood cells is called
a. plasma
b. hemoglobin
c. ferric oxide
d. carbonic acid
67. Red blood cells . . .
a. transport respiratory gases
d. transport cholesterol
b. destroy viruses
c. combat bacterial infection
68. Defending the body against bacterial infection and invasion by foreign substances is a function of . . .
a. red blood cells
b. platelets
c. plasma
d. white blood cells
69. Gas exchange occurs when . . .
a. oxygen in the alveoli diffuses into the blood in the capillaries
b. oxygen binds with the hemoglobin in the red blood cells
c. the red blood cells give up oxygen to the cells of the body tissues
d. all of the above
70. The actual exchange of gases occurs at the site of the . . .
a. trachea
b. nasal passageway
71. When a person inhales . . .
a. the chest cavity becomes bigger
c. it is impossible to breathe
c. larynx
d. alveoli
b. the chest cavity becomes smaller
d. none of the above
72. Where does protein digestion start in the human body?
a. the mouth
b. the stomach
c. the small intestine
73. The main function of the large intestine is to
a. store waste
b. absorb water from digested food
c. digest proteins
d large intestines
d. none of the above
74. The smallest of the blood vessels are the
a. arteries
b. veins
c. capillaries
d. aorta
75. Biology is the study of
a. minerals
c. macromolecules
d. energy
b. life
76. The heart is part of the
a. skeletal system
b. circulatory system
77. Blood cells are produced in the . . .
a. periosteum
b. epiphyseal plate
c. reproductive system
d. digestive system
c. bone marrow
d. synovial fluid
78. The mass of partly digested food that moves from the stomach to the small intestines is called
a. chyme
b. villi
c. alveoli
d. catalase
79. Safety glasses should always be worn when . . . .
a. using acid and base solutions
b. using hot solutions/liquids
c. using sharp objects and open flames
d. all of the above
80. The graph below shows how the activity of an enzyme changes over a range of pH values.
Which of the following conclusions is supported by the data?
a. The optimum pH of the enzyme is 6.6.
b. The optimum pH of the enzyme is 9.0.
c. The enzyme’s activity is greater at pH 8.0 than at pH 5.0.
d. The enzyme’s activity increases at the pH increases.
Biology Midterm Exam Essay Questions for Common Assessment
Inquiry Question: Must be answered. Be sure to answer and label all parts of the question.
Problem: What is the most abundant gas produced by plants or animals?
Materials:
- Three flasks with stoppers
- Floodlight
- Tap water
- Graduated cylinders
- Small aquarium plants
- Four small fish
- Bromthymol blue (a chemical indicator that changes color from blue to yellow as the
level of carbon dioxide in a solution increases)
Procedures: The class sets up an experiment using three flasks.
Flask 1: 100mL water, 1mL bromothymol blue, plant
Flask 2: 100mL water, 1mL bromothymol blue, 2 small fish
Flask 3: 100mL water, 1mL bromothymol blue
All three flasks are stoppered and placed under a floodlight.
Flask 1
Flask 2
Flask 3
a. What color would the solution in each flask be after a few hours? Explain how the process that has
occurred in each flask results in the observed color of the bromothymol blue solution.
b. Annie decides to try a new experiment testing how the number of aquatic plants affects the amount of gas
produced. She places one aquatic plant in Flask A, two aquatic plants in Flask B, and no aquatic plants in
Flask C. She adds 100 ml of water to each flask and then counts the number of bubbles produced in each
flask each minute for ten minutes.
Write a hypothesis for Annie’s experiment.
c. Annie runs the experiment and collects the data. No bubbles are produced in Flask C. The number of
bubbles in the other 2 flasks is recorded in the data table below. Graph this data on graph paper. Be sure to
label each axis with the appropriate variable and unit. Also include a graph title.
Time (minutes)
0
2
4
6
8
d.
Number of Bubbles
in Flask A
0
1
2
3
4
Number of Bubbles
in Flask B
0
2
5
8
10
Was YOUR hypothesis supported or rejected? Use the data to explain your answer.
Biology Midterm Exam Essay Questions For Common Assessment
Instructions: Choose three of the following four essay questions. Answer each in a clear and concise manner. Be sure to
include answers for all parts of the questions while labeling each part of your answer according to the part of the question
you’re answering.
I.
a. Write the general formula for each of the processes of Photosynthesis and Aerobic Cellular Respiration.
b. Explain the chemical connection or relationship between the two processes.
c. A basic sequential flow chart tracing the movement of energy
through both processes is shown below. Name the energy products labeled A and B.
Photosynthesis
sunlight
II.
Cellular Respiration
A
B
a. Present the names of the four biologically important macromolecules (organic molecular groups).
b. Choose one of the above. Diagram or describe in detail its molecula structure.
c. For the group you chose in part b, explain the importance of that chemical group to living systems.
III.
a. Distinguish between Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic cells and give an example for each.
b. Copy the chart below and present four (total) structural differences between plant and animal cells.
Plants
Animals
c. Choose a cell component (organelle or other cell part) and describe its structure and functional role within the cell.
IV.
a. Choose one of the following body systems: digestive, circulatory, respiratory, nervous, or skeletal/muscular.
Name and briefly describe the major organs, glands, and/or tissues that are part of that system.
b. Describe the importance of the function of the chosen system to the organism as a whole. Discuss the role the
system plays in carrying out the functions of life and maintaining homeostasis.
Scoring Rubric for Inquiry Question
Part a: 2 points
2 points
1 point
Flask A stays blue – photosynthesis produces oxygen gas
Flask B turns yellow – respiration produces carbon dioxide gas
Flask C stays blue - control
Part b: 1 point
Acceptable hypothesis for experiment
Part c: 1 point
1 point
Correct variables on axes
Correct points on graph
Part d: 2 points
Explains whether hypothesis is supported or rejected using DATA
Scoring Rubrics for Open Response Questions
I.
II.
III.
IV.
Part a.
1 pt.
1 pt.
1 pt.
1 pt.
Proteins/enzymes
Sugars/carbohydrates
Fats/lipids
Nucleic acids (DNA/RNA)
Part b. 3 pts.
Chemical structural diagram or description of structure
Part c.
3 pts.
Protein /enzyme = animal structure or catalytic activity
Sugar/carbohydrate = energy or plant structure
Fats/lipids = animal energy or cell membrane structure
Nucleic acids = genetic code for proteins/enzymes (heredity)
Part a.
3 pts.
Photosynthesis – formula
3 pts.
Cellular Respiration – formula
Part b. 2 pts.
Connection – Photosynthesis = O2 out, CO2 in, sugar produced
Cellular Respiration = O2 in, CO2 out, sugar to ATP
Part c.
2 pts.
Flow Chart – Sunlight, C6H12O6, ATP
Part a.
1 pt.
1 pt.
1 pt.
Differences = nucleus, membrane bound organelles, circular DNA
Example – Prokaryotic = bacteria
Example – Eukaryotic = plant, animal, protista, fungi
Part b. 4 pts.
Differences – Plant cells = cell wall, plastids, central vacuole
Animal cells = centriole, lysosomes, # mitochondria,
cilia/flagella
Part c.
3 pts.
Organelle – Name i.e.- chloroplast
Structure i.e. – double membraned, stroma, thylakoid grana
Function i.e. – photosynthesis
Part a.
5 pts.
Major body system parts listed and function correctly defined
Part b. 5 pts.
Correctly describe the overall role of the system within the organism