Honors Biology Summer Assignment
2015 – 2016
This assignment is designed to review the important themes, characteristics, and terms in biology. It
will count for a test grade in the first marking period. It will be due on the first day that class meets.
There will be no excuses accepted for why it is late. (i.e. my printer broke, I forgot it at home, my dog
ate it) If it is late, it will receive a 20 point reduction for every day it is late and it cannot be retaken.
If you need any help while working on the assignment, please email me, Miss Nikola @
jnikola@mtoliveboe.org
The assignment has two parts:
Part 1: Characteristics of Life Assessment
Biology is the science that encompasses the study of all living organisms. All living organisms share
seven common characteristics of life. They are: organization, response to stimuli, homeostasis,
metabolism, growth and development, reproduction, and change over time.
Your first task is to conduct research on the 7 characteristics of life and develop an understanding for
each of the characteristics as it pertains to biology. Then, complete the 90 multiple-choice questions on
the characteristics of life. This will count for one test grade!
This section will be worth 90 points, 1 point for each question.
Part 2: Biology Prefixes and Suffixes
Biology goes beyond learning new concepts and ideas. It is also like learning a new language. You will
learn over a hundred new vocabulary terms this coming year, many of which share common prefixes
or suffixes that are derived from Latin or Greek words. Your job is to…
1. Define the following prefixes and suffixes listed in the chart on the last page of the assignment.
2. Provide an example of a biological term that uses it.
You can choose to create a table, make flashcards for each, or anything that will help you learn their
meanings. I will check that you have each one done.
Name _______________
Block ___________
CHARACTERISTICS OF LIFE
Organization
Multiple Choice
__ 1. All ecosystems taken together make up a
a) niche.
b) biosphere.
c) community.
d) population.
e) habitat.
__ 2. Studying a brick does not predict the design of a skyscraper. Intense examination of muscle tissues
does not allow you to predict the design of a kangaroo or clam. The structure of chlorophyll does not
dictate the unique structure of a tree. These cases demonstrate
a) essential properties of life.
b) levels of organization from atom to biosphere.
c) determinism, or how all phenomena are predictable effects of causes.
d) emergent properties that are easily predicted by examining their parts.
e) emergent properties that cannot be predicted by examining their parts.
__ 3. Which of the following sequences of organization is likely to be seen in a multicellular organism, going
from smallest to largest?
a) cell, organ, tissue, organism
b) cell, organ, system, tissue
c) cell, tissue, system, organism
d) organism, system, organ, tissue
e) tissue, system, cell, organ
__ 4. All individuals of a given species living in a defined area at a defined time are a(n)
a) population
b) community
c) ecosystem
d) biosphere
__ 5. A university biology department wishes to hire a scientist to work on the relationships among the
wolves, moose, and trees on an island. If you were charged with writing the job announcement, you
should title the position
a) population geneticist.
b) molecular biologist.
c) community ecologist.
d) organismic physiologist.
e) island zoologist.
__ 6. A __________ consists of the interactions between groups of different individuals and the non-living
factors in a particular area.
a) population
b) ecosystem
c) community
d) domain
e) biosphere
__ 7. All members of one species form a:
a) biosphere
b) ecosystem
c) population
d) community
e) country
__ 8. Which of the following does not comprise a logical hierarchy of organization?
a) molecules, atoms, organelles, tissues, systems
b) atoms, molecules, cells, tissues, organ systems
c) cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, organisms
d) organisms, populations, communities, biomes, biosphere
e) family, order, class, phylum, kingdom
__ 9. All populations in one natural setting plus their physical environment constitutes a(n):
a) biosphere
b) ecosystem
c) population
d) community
e) country
__ 10. Which of the following represents the lowest level of organization in the group?
a) Biosphere
b) Community
c) Population
d) Species
e) Ecosystem
__ 11. Which correctly indicates the sequence of increasing organization?
a) molecule, cell, organelle, organ
b) organelle, tissue, cell, organ
c) atom, molecule, organelle, cell
d) organ, tissue, cell, molecule
e) cell, organ, tissue, organ system
__ 12. Which of the following levels in the hierarchy of biological organization include all of the other levels
in the list?
a) organ system
b) organism
c) population
d) ecosystem
e) community
__ 13. Which of the following levels in the hierarchy of biological organization includes all of the other
levels in the list?
a) organelles
b) macro molecules
c) cells
d) atoms
e) tissue
__ 14. With each step upward in the hierarchy of biological order, novel properties emerge that were not
present at the simpler levels of organization. These emergent properties result from
a) vital forces that arise at each level.
b) the physical and chemical phenomena that operate only in living things.
c) the arrangement and interactions between components.
d) simple summation of the individual behavior of the component parts.
e) the emergence of supernatural forces.
__ 15. Organs are composed of tissues, which are composed of cells. This is an example of which
characteristic of life?
a) Living things grow and develop
b) Living things respond to stimuli
c) Living things maintain themselves by homeostasis
d) Living things have levels of organization
e) Living things are adapted to their environment
__ 16. The study of tissues is called:
a) cytology
b) molecular biology
c) histology
d) parasitology
e) pathology
__ 17. Which of the following is composed of two or more tissue types that come together to perform a
function?
a) organs
b) organ systems
c) organisms
d) cells
e) macromolecules
__ 18. A physician specializes on surgery involving the esophagus, stomach, and intestines. This physician is
specialized at which level of organization.
a) cell
b) tissue
c) organ
d) organ system
e) organism
__ 19. Which sequence correctly lists the different levels of biological organization?
a) cells - organs - tissues - organ systems - organism
b) cells - tissues - organ systems - organs - organism
c) tissues - cells - organs - organ systems - organism
d) tissues - organs - organ systems - organism - cells
e) cells - tissues - organs - organ systems – organism
__ 20. Which of the following is the correct order of levels of organization from small to large?
a) cell - organ - tissue - organ system - population - community - ecosystem
b) cell - tissue - organ system - organ - population - community - ecosystem
c) cell - tissue - organ - organ system - community - population - ecosystem
d) cell - tissue - organ - organ system - population - community - ecosystem
e) cell - tissue - organ system - organ - community - population - ecosystem
True – False
__ 21. The levels of organization of matter on Earth goes from smallest which are the subatomic particles
to the largest which is the Biosphere.
a) True
b) False
__ 22. Cytology is a branch of biology that studies cells.
a) True
b) False
Metabolism/ Energy & Matter
Multiple Choice
__ 23. An organism that uses CO2 for its source of carbon is referred to as a(n):
a) heterotroph
b) phototroph
c) organotroph
d) autotroph
e) chemotroph
__ 24. An organism that uses organic materials for its source of carbon is referred to as a(n):
a) heterotroph
b) phototroph
c) organotroph
d) autotroph
e) chemotroph
__ 25. An organism that uses light is referred to as a(n):
a) heterotroph
b) phototroph
c) organotroph
d) autotroph
e) chemotroph
__ 26. An organism that uses chemical is referred to as a(n):
a) heterotroph
b) phototroph
c) organotroph
d) autotroph
e) chemotroph
__ 27. What is the process by which the sun's energy is trapped as the source of energy used by virtually all
living organisms?
a) evolution
b) metabolism
c) adaptation
d) homeostasis
e) photosynthesis
__ 28. Which of the following organisms is not ultimately dependent on the sun as a source of energy?
a) A night-blooming flower is pollinated by night-flying bats.
b) An underground earthworm avoids the sun.
c) A cave fish feeds on debris that washes down to it.
d) All of the choices ARE ultimately dependent on the sun.
e) All of the choices are NOT ultimately dependent on the sun.
__ 29. What is the name of all the chemical energy transformations that occur within a cell?
a) evolution
b) metabolism
c) adaptation
d) homeostasis
e) photosynthesis
__ 30. Metabolism is the sum of chemical reactions that occur in living cells, and we are accustomed to
living cells continuously using energy and respiring. Even when plants and seeds are "dormant," we
expect that they are carrying on metabolism but at a very slow rate. "Cryptobiosis" is a state of
almost total loss of water seen in some roundworms, rotifers, and tardigrades and has been
considered a near cessation of metabolism. Recently, a botanist working in a British museum
accidentally spilled fluid on 120+ year old herbarium mounts. Fearing damage to the plant specimen,
he immediately inspected it under the microscope only to find small tardigrades "waking up." Such
observations
a) support the claim that the tardigrades were always alive but respiring at a very slow rate.
b) generate the possibility that we can bring most dead animals back to life.
c) contradict the cell theory that all life comes from life.
d) indicate that metabolism probably did totally stop, and that organization may be sufficient to
maintain the possibility for "life."
e) suggest that a "vital force" may be involved in defining when life is present.
__ 31. What is metabolism?
a) The consumption of energy.
b) The release of energy.
c) The sum of all chemical reactions taking place in an organism.
d) The production of heat by chemical reactions.
e) The exchange of nutrients and waste products with the environment.
__ 32. The sum total of the chemical activity at the cellular level which enables an organism to meet its
nutrient and energy demands is termed:
a) Evolution
b) Responsiveness
c) Metabolism
d) Growth
e) Energy
__ 33. Why do animals require "food" for survival?
a) Food is a source of energy.
b) Necessary chemicals are provided by food.
c) Food is a primary source of water for all animals.
d) a and b.
e) a, b, and c.
True – False
__ 34. Photosynthetic bacteria are examples of autotrophs.
a) True
b) False
__ 35. The only thing life forms require from their environment is energy.
a) True
b) False
Homeostasis
Multiple Choice
__ 36. Humans sweat when the temperature gets hot so that they can cool themselves. This is an example
of which characteristic of life?
a) Growth
b) Reproduction
c) Homeostasis
d) Evolve
e) Response to stimuli
__ 37. Homeostatic control in living things is exerted over all of the following EXCEPT
a) temperature
b) moisture level
c) response to stimuli
d) acidity level
__ 38. What do we call the maintenance of internal conditions of an organism within a certain boundary
range?
a) evolution
b) metabolism
c) adaptation
d) homeostasis
e) photosynthesis
__ 39. About twelve to twenty four hours after the lost meal, a person’s blood sugar level normally varies
from about 60 to 90 milligrams per 100 milliliters of blood, though it may attain 130 mg / 100 ml
after meals high in carbohydrates. That the blood sugar level is maintained within a fairly narrow
range in spite of uneven intake of sugar is due to the body’s ability to carry out
a) adaptation
b) inheritance
c) metabolism
d) homeostasis
e) all of the above
__ 40. Which of the following terms is based on the Greek root words for "holding still" or "to be
standing"?
a) evolution
b) metabolism
c) adaptation
d) homeostasis
e) photosynthesis
__ 41. Which of the following does NOT represent homeostasis?
a) Sensors detect CO2 levels in the blood and trigger an increase or decrease in the rate of breathing.
b) When body temperature drops, you shiver to generate heat; when your body heats up, you sweat and
the evaporation cools you.
c) Feelings of hunger and then fullness affect the length of time and quantity of food you eat, keeping
your weight near a "set point."
d) Energy is captured by plants, then transferred to consumers and decomposers, and eventually lost as
heat.
e) Cells adjusting the openings on the bottom of leaves respond to differences in water stress in order to
maintain moisture inside the leaf.
__ 42. The ability to maintain a constant internal environment is
a) metabolism
b) homeostasis
c) development
d) physiology
e) thermoregulation
__ 43. Homeostasis
a) prevents drastic changes in internal environmental conditions.
b) duplicates the external environment inside the living organism.
c) requires only the replacement for materials that are used up by cells.
d) is controlled solely by positive feedback reactions
e) none of the above
__ 44. You drink a glass of lemonade, but your body's pH does not change. This is an example of how
organisms:
a) maintain homeostasis.
b) maintain organization.
c) adapt to their environment.
d) are immune to acid.
e) are what they eat.
__ 45. Humans born without sweat glands usually do not survive. Why not?
a) Sweating is an important mechanism for maintaining temperature homeostasis.
b) Sweat glands create openings in the skin where gas exchange occurs.
c) Sweating is an important way of ridding the body of excess water.
d) Sweating is important for purging impurities from the body.
e) Sweat builds up in the body which causes swelling and tissue damage.
__ 46. An organism's ability to maintain internal stability when the external environment changes is
termed:
a) Mutation
b) Natural selection
c) Responsiveness
d) Metabolism
e) Homeostasis.
__ 47. Which term is based on Greek root words meaning "ordered arrangement of the home"?
a) biology
b) biosphere
c) homeostasis
d) photosynthesis
e) ecosystem
Respond to stimuli
Multiple Choice
__ 48. A sunflower follows the sun as it move across the sky during the day. This is an example of which
characteristic of life?
a) Growth
b) Reproduction
c) Homeostasis
d) Evolve
e) Response to stimuli
__ 49. A paramecium will move from direct light. This is an example of which characteristic of life?
a) Growth
b) Reproduction
c) Homeostasis
d) Evolve
e) Response to stimuli
__ 50. Using his antennae, the male moth finds female moths by following a trail of airborne chemicals,
called pheromones, upwind to the female producing them. This is an example of how living things...
a) acquire nutrients
b) grow
c) reproduce
d) respond to stimuli
e) maintain homeostasis
True – False
__ 51. Organisms respond to both internal and external stimuli. Describe the difference between these two
types of stimuli and give an example of each.
Reproduces
Multiple Choice
__ 52. A bacterium divides into two bacteria which are identical to, but smaller than, the original
bacterium. This is an example of which characteristic of life?
a) Growth
b) Reproduction
c) Homeostasis
d) Evolve
e) Response to stimuli
__ 53. Which type of reproduction generates exact clones of each other?
a) Sexual
b) Meiosis
c) Asexual
d) all of these
e) none of these
Growth & Development
Multiple Choice
__ 54. A puppy is born weighing 5 lbs and grows to be a 75 lb golden retriever. This is an example of which
characteristic of life?
a) Growth
b) Reproduction
c) Homeostasis
d) Evolve
e) Response to stimuli
__ 55. At the beginning of the week a plant is 3 inches tall, and at the end of the week it is 4 inches. This is
an example of which characteristic of life?
a) Growth
b) Reproduction
c) Homeostasis
d) Evolve
e) Response to stimuli
Change Over Time
Multiple Choice
__ 56. Over time the neck length of the giraffe has increased as only those giraffes with longer necks
survived by eating the leaves high up on the trees and were able to reproduce and pass those long
neck genes on to the next generation. This is an example of which characteristic of life?
a) Growth
b) Reproduction
c) Homeostasis
d) Evolve
e) Response to stimuli
__ 57. Which of the following is/are important to the theory of evolution?
a) environmental change
b) variation in traits within a population
c) mutation
d) inheritance of traits
e) all of these
__ 58. Which is NOT an example of evolution?
a) Development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
b) Flightless birds on islands without predators.
c) This year's flu is different from last year's flu.
d) A dog learns how to open the cabinet where its food is kept.
e) Most commercial pesticides are effective for 2-3 years.
__ 59. Some members of a species have a genetic change that causes them to be better suited to their
environment. These members survive to reproduce and pass these genetic changes to their
offspring. This is
a) adaptation
b) natural selection
c) the driving force for evolution
d) All of the choices are correct.
e) None of the choices are correct.
__ 60. Which of these is the process by which changes occur in the characteristics of species of organisms
over time?
a) evolution
b) metabolism
c) adaptation
d) homeostasis
e) photosynthesis
__ 61. The changes in the human race since the time of the first humans is an example of:
a) homeostasis
b) hydrolysis
c) evolution
d) metabolism
e) responsiveness
__ 62. Evolution is "the biological theme that ties together all the others." This is because the process of
evolution
a) explains how organisms become adapted to their environment.
b) explains the diversity of organisms.
c) explains why all organisms have characteristics in common.
d) explains why distantly-related organisms sometimes resemble one another.
e) All of these are appropriate answers.
__ 63. The bones in a bird are hollow so as to reduce its weight for flight. This is an example of which
characteristic of life?
a) Living things grow and develop
b) Living things utilize materials and energy from the environment
c) Living things reproduce
d) Living things are adapted
e) Living things are homeostatic
__ 64. Mutation is essential to...
a) an organism's survival.
b) evolution.
c) sexual reproduction.
d) growth.
e) gamete formation.
__ 65. The concept of evolution is based upon
a) genetic variation within a population.
b) inheritance of variations by offspring of parents with the variations.
c) survival and reproductive success of organisms with favorable variations.
d) all genetic variation in a population is equally successful.
e) all of the above.
__ 66. All of the following are examples of adaptations, except
a) mice learning a maze to get food.
b) larger teeth in beavers for gnawing wood.
c) different beak shape for birds that eat seeds vs. insects.
d) insects that resemble twigs.
e) flower coloration that attracts pollinators.
__ 67. A mutation is
a) a physical deformity
b) a change in DNA sequence
c) a dose of radiation
d) a defective egg or sperm cell
e) the inability to speak
__ 68. In a word, evolution means ______.
a) selection
b) improvement
c) mutation
d) change
e) nature
__ 69. In evolutionary terms, which cell listed is considered to be most primitive?
a) Protistan
b) Prokaryotic
c) Autotrophic
d) Yeast
e) Eukaryotic
__ 70. Which of these is a peculiarity of form, function, or behavior that promotes the likelihood of a
species' continued existence?
a) evolution
b) metabolism
c) adaptation
d) homeostasis
e) photosynthesis
__ 71. Evolution is described as change from pre-existing life forms to modern-day organisms. What
actually changed?
a) Rate of reproduction
b) Ability of organisms to cope with external stimuli
c) Energy and nutrition demands of the organisms
d) Genetic makeup of the species
e) The species' physical appearance
__ 72. The characteristic of an individual that is necessary to the survival of the species but NOT to the
survival of that individual is
a) adaptation
b) reproduction
c) metabolism
d) organization
Characteristics of Life – General
Multiple Choice
__ 73. Which of the following is/are characteristic of living organisms?
a) Organized structure
b) Responsiveness to stimuli
c) Maintenance of homeostasis
d) b and c are correct
e) a, b, and c are correct
__ 74. Which of the following is true of ALL organisms?
a) They are made of many cells linked together.
b) They are highly organized.
c) They reproduce sexually.
d) They obtain nutrients.
e) All of these are true.
__ 75. Which of these is an organism?
a) oak tree
b) beetle
c) dog
d) bacterium
e) all of these
__ 76. The following statements are true about all living things EXCEPT
a) They are made of cells or cell products.
b) They are the products of evolution.
c) They are composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen.
d) They undergo growth and development.
e) They have a cell wall as an outer boundary.
__ 77. Which of the following are properties of ALL life forms?
1. heritable programs in the form of DNA
2. photosynthesis
3. growth and development
a) 1
b) 2
c) 3
d) Only 1 and 3 are correct.
e) 1, 2, and 3 are correct.
__ 78. A fossil was once a living organism but its tissues have been replaced by minerals and it no longer
exhibits most properties of life, except for:
a) organization
b) homeostasis
c) growth and reproduction
d) response to stimuli
e) metabolism
__ 79. Clay particles in clay soil contain layered aluminum and iron compounds that determine the pattern
of adjacent layers. This technically is a "self-replication", which is also a characteristic of life.
a) Therefore clay is living.
b) Clay is not living because it cannot think.
c) Clay is not living because there is no chemical changes involved in soils.
d) Clay is not living because it does not contain carbon; if it did, then it would be a living system.
e) Clay is not living because this formation is a simple repetitive process without the ability to evolve or
respond to the environment.
__ 80. One classic definition of life is "a self-replicating molecular assemblage." However, clay particles (in
clay soil) contain layered aluminum and iron compounds that determine the pattern of the adjacent
layers of sediment. This is technically a self-replicating molecular assemblage.
a) Therefore, it is living.
b) It is not living because it cannot think.
c) It is not living because there were no molecular changes (or chemistry) involved.
d) It is not living because there is no carbon involved; otherwise, such duplication would be living.
e) It is not living because it is a simple repetitive process without the ability to evolve or respond to the
environment.
__ 81. Which of the following is not characteristic of all life?
a) responsiveness
b) reproduction
c) evolution
d) random cell structure
__ 82. A characteristic of life is:
a) chemical bonds
b) the production of CO2
c) the use of oxygen
d) evolution
__ 83. The reason plastics are not living is that:
a) they do not contain carbon
b) they are not responsive
c) they cannot diffuse
d) no one loves them
__ 84. Living organisms are characterized by:
a) adapting to the environment.
b) evolving over time.
c) displaying homeostatic mechanisms.
d) all of the choices pertain to living organisms.
__ 85. Organisms belonging to the same _____ would be the most closely related.
a) kingdom
b) phylum
c) family
d) class
e) order
__ 86. Which of the following is NOT one of the characteristics of living organisms?
a) to be organized
b) to respond
c) to grow
d) to metabolize
e) All of the choices are characteristics of living organisms.
__ 87. Which of the following characteristics is NOT required for the life of an individual organism to
continue?
a) to be organized
b) to respond
c) to metabolize
d) to reproduce
__ 88. Which statement is FALSE about nearly all living things?
a) Living things are made up of cells.
b) Living things must obey the laws of chemistry and physics.
c) Living things show biological organization and other common characteristics of life.
d) Emergent properties can be used to distinguish living things from nonliving things.
e) Living things are composed only of organic elements, whereas nonliving things are made up of
inorganic elements.
__ 89. Concerning the nature of "life" (the property that makes living things differ from nonliving), which of
the following statements would most biologists support?
a) Development of an organism, even a single cell, is too complex to be explained by chemical and
physical laws.
b) The critical "vitalist" force that makes organisms live is of a different nature from nonliving chemistry
and is yet to be discovered.
c) Life consists of a property called "soul" and this leaves the body when an organism dies.
d) Development of living forms from simple to complex forms contradicts physical laws.
e) None of the statements is a mainline biology perspective.
True – False
__ 90. All living things contain a vital force that gives them the characteristics of life.
a) True
b) False
Term
a- or an- (G)
ambi- (L)
amphi- (G)
ante- (L)
anti- (G)
aqua- (L)
arthro- (G)
auto- (G)
bi- (L)
bio- (G)
chloros- (G)
chromo- (G)
cyte- or cyto- (G)
derm- or dermis- (G)
di- (G)
dys- (G)
e-, ec-, ef-, or ex- (L)
ecto- (G)
endon- or endo- (G)
epi- (G)
Term
exo- (G)
gam- or gamo- (G)
-genesis or -genic (L)
genos-, gen-, or geny- (G)
herba- (L)
heteros- (G)
homo- (L) (different from
Greek)
homos- or homeos- (G)
hydro- or hudor- (G)
hyper- (G)
hypo- (G)
intra- (L)
intro- (L)
isos- (G)
-itis (G)
-logos or -logy (G)
-lys or -lysis (L)
macro- or makro- (G)
micro- or mikros- (G)
monos- (G)
Term
morphe- (G)
neuro- (G)
oculus- (L)
oo- (G)
ovum or ovi- (L)
peri- (G)
phago- (G)
poly- (G)
photo-, phos-, or phot - (G)
post- (L)
semi- (L)
soma- (G)
sub- or sup- (L)
super- (L)
tetra- (L)
tox or toikon (G)
tri- (L)
trophe (G)
uni- or unis- (L)
zo- or zoon- (G)