Principles of Life
Hillis • Sadava • Heller • Price
Test Bank
Chapter 1: Principles of Life
TEST BANK QUESTIONS
(By Brian Storrie)
Multiple Choice
1. If we picture the history of Earth as a 30-day month, modern humans arose
a. at the beginning of week 4.
b. on day 27.
c. in the last 5 minutes of day 30.
d. on day 15.
e. in the early morning of day 30.
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 2
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
2. Yeasts can be used to study human cancer because yeasts and humans
a. are both prokaryotes.
b. share a genetic code.
c. have exactly the same genome.
d. have the same number of chromosomes.
e. None of the above; yeast cannot be used to study human cancer.
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 2
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
3. All living organisms can be assigned to three separate
a. species.
b. genus groups.
c. domains.
d. ancestors.
e. genomes.
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
© 2012 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
Page: 2-5
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
4. The basic structural and physiological unit of all living organisms is the
a. aggregate.
b. organelle.
c. organism.
d. membrane.
e. cell.
Answer: e
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 3
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
5. Scientists estimate that for more than _______ years after cells originated, all
organisms consisted of one cell.
a. 2500
b. 250,000
c. 2 million
d. 2 billion
e. 2 trillion
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 3
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
6. The initial accumulation of oxygen in the atmosphere was the result of photosynthesis
from an organism most like modern
a. algae.
b. mosses.
c. kelp.
d. eukaryotes.
e. cyanobacteria.
Answer: e
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 3
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
7. A final prerequisite for the survival of life on land was the accumulation of a protective
layer of
a. O2 in the atmosphere.
b. CO2 in the atmosphere.
c. water vapor in the atmosphere.
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d. O3 in the atmosphere.
e. bacteria in the soil.
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 3
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
8. The chemical formula for oxygen is
a. O.
b. O2.
c. H2O2.
d. O3.
e. CO2.
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 3
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
9. Ozone is important to life on Earth because it
a. is toxic to all forms of life.
b. can be used in place of oxygen.
c. blocks much ultraviolet radiation.
d. provides energy to some basic forms of life.
e. acts as a disinfectant.
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 3
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
10. A cell
a. can be composed of many types of tissues.
b. is found only in plants and animals.
c. is the smallest entity studied by biologists.
d. may be a distinct entity or a building block of a more complex organism.
e. All of the above
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 3-4
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
11. You propose a set of experiments to test whether present-day chloroplasts originated
from a single or multiple endosymbiotic events. Which set of experiments below would
© 2012 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
provide the most detailed test of the hypothesis?
a. Testing whether both plants and algae are similarly pigmented at the 200 nm resolution
of light microscopy
b. Testing whether both plants and algae have chloroplasts that look the same at the 4 nm
resolution of electron microscopy
c. Using an instrumental test to determine if the wavelengths of light absorption by
chloroplast pigments are the same in both plants and algae
d. Using structural chemistry to test if the light absorbing group of the photopigments in
both plants and algae are the same
e. Comparing the genome of plant and algal chloroplasts to determine how related are the
full range of genome-encoded molecules
Answer: e
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow; Concept 1.2 Genetic Systems Control the Flow,
Exchange, Storage, and Use of Information
Page: 4-5; 6-7
Bloom’s Category: 5. Evaluating
12. Much of what we know about the genes that control plant development was
discovered in experiments with
a. fruit flies.
b. zebrafish.
c. roundworms.
d. Arabidopsis.
e. Chlorella.
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 5
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
13. Earth is approximately _______ years old.
a. 40–50 million
b. 4–5 billion
c. 2–3 million
d. 8 billion
e. 4–5 million
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 5
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
14. Multicellular plants, fungi, and animals evolved from
a. protists.
b. endosymbiotic bacteria.
© 2012 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
c. mitochondria.
d. cyanobacteria.
e. inorganic molecules.
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 5
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
15. Plants are _______ organisms that are _______ of oxygen production.
a. eukaryotic unicellular; capable
b. eukaryotic multicellular; incapable
c. prokaryotic multicellular; capable
d. prokaryotic unicellular; incapable
e. eukaryotic multicellular; capable
Answer: e
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 5
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
16. Biologists have organized the diversity of life into three domains based largely on
a. physical similarities.
b. ecological niches.
c. chronological order.
d. molecular data.
e. All of the above
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 5
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
17. Scientists group species on an evolutionary tree that is based on
a. the fossil record.
b. molecular data.
c. genome sequencing.
d. All of the above
e. None of the above
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 5
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
18. The domain Eukarya includes all of the following except
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a. Archaea.
b. Plants.
c. Fungi.
d. Animals.
e. protists.
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 5
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
19. A phylogenetic tree
a. shows evolutionary relationships.
b. relies on evidence from fossils, metabolic processes, and molecular analyses of
genomes.
c. helps us understand the history and relationships of living organisms.
d. shows the order in which populations split and evolved into new species.
e. All of the above
Answer: e
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 5
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
20. The branching patterns of the evolutionary tree of life are based on a rich array of
a. fossil evidence.
b. molecular evidence.
c. information about metabolic processes.
d. All of the above
e. None of the above
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 5
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
21. Which of the following traits or functions are the same in muscle cells and gut cells?
a. Cell function
b. Local cell environment
c. Expressed genes
d. Genome
e. Proteins formed
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.2 Genetic Systems Control the Flow, Exchange, Storage,
and Use of Information
Page: 6
© 2012 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
Bloom’s Category: 4. Analyzing
22. Which of the following represents a correct ordering of the levels of complexity at
which life is studied, from most simple to most complex?
a. Community, population, organism, organ, tissue, cell
b. Cell, organ, tissue, organism, population, community
c. Cell, tissue, organ, organism, population, community
d. Cell, tissue, organ, population, organism, community
e. Tissue, organ, cell, population, organism, community
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.3 Organisms Interact with and Affect Their
Environments
Page: 6-7
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
23. All living organisms acquire _______ from their environment.
a. sunlight
b. nutrients
c. carbon dioxide for photosynthesis
d. cues for forming different tissue types
e. All of the above
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.3 Organisms Interact with and Affect Their
Environments
Page: 7-8
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
24. Metabolism is
a. the consumption of energy.
b. the release of energy.
c. all chemical transformations and other work done in a cell or organism.
d. the production of heat by chemical reactions.
e. the exchange of nutrients and waste products with the environment.
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.3 Organisms Interact with and Affect Their
Environments
Page: 8
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
25. Darwin noted that all populations have _______ potential to grow, but that in nature
most populations _______ over time.
a. limited; are stable
b. unlimited; grow slowly
c. limited; fluctuate unpredictably
d. unlimited; are stable
e. limited; decrease slowly
© 2012 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.4 Evolution Explains Both the Unity and Diversity of
Life
Page: 9
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
26. Darwin referred to the differential reproductive success of individuals with particular
variations as
a. evolution.
b. artificial selection.
c. the cell theory.
d. natural selection.
e. inheritance of acquired characteristics.
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.4 Evolution Explains Both the Unity and Diversity of
Life
Page: 9
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
27. A key point in Darwin’s explanation of evolution is that
a. the biological structures most likely to be inherited are those that have become best
suited to the environment through constant use.
b. all mutations that occur are those that will help future generations fit more successfully
into their environments.
c. any trait that confers even a small increase in the probability that its possessor will
survive and reproduce will be strongly favored and will spread through the population.
d. genes change in order to help organisms cope with problems encountered within their
environments.
e. extinction is nature’s way of weeding out undeserving organisms.
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.4 Evolution Explains Both the Unity and Diversity of
Life
Page: 9
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
28. The toe pads of tree frogs and the spines of cacti are examples of
a. genetic drift.
b. structural adaptations.
c. sexual selection.
d. artificial selection.
e. cooperation.
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.4 Evolution Explains Both the Unity and Diversity of
Life
Page: 9
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
© 2012 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
29. Which of the following statements is true?
a. The diversity of life has depended on similar environments and ecological
communities throughout the globe.
b. Sexual selection and genetic drift contribute to the diversity of life.
c. Earth has existed and changed over a few thousand years, at most.
d. All ancestral forms of life were very similar to organisms that currently exist.
e. All organisms are genetically closely related.
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.4 Evolution Explains Both the Unity and Diversity of
Life
Page: 9-10
Bloom’s Category: 4. Analyzing
30. Which of the following is not part of the basis for the scientific conclusion that
evolution is a fact?
a. Evolution can be observed and measured directly.
b. The process of evolution can be observed in the fossil record.
c. Predictions about future developments in the natural world can be made based on the
principles of evolution.
d. Changes in the genetic composition of populations can be observed over relatively
short periods of time.
e. The fossil record can be observed over an almost unimaginably long period of time.
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.4 Evolution Explains Both the Unity and Diversity of
Life
Page: 10
Bloom’s Category: 5. Evaluating
31. After observing that fish live in clean water but not in polluted water, researchers
state that “polluted water kills fish.” This simple statement is an example of
a. scientific inquiry.
b. biological evolution.
c. a prediction.
d. a hypothesis.
e. a fact.
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.5 Science Is Based on Quantifiable Observations and
Experiments
Page: 11
Bloom’s Category: 3. Applying
32. The main purpose of any single experiment is to
a. obtain accurate quantitative measurements.
b. prove unambiguously that a particular hypothesis is correct.
c. avoid comparative analysis.
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d. answer as many key questions as possible.
e. test a prediction that is based on a hypothesis.
Answer: e
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.5 Science Is Based on Quantifiable Observations and
Experiments
Page: 11
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
33. Which of the following is not a major step in the hypothesis–prediction method?
a. Controlling an environment
b. Making an observation
c. Forming a hypothesis
d. Making a prediction
e. Testing a prediction
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.5 Science Is Based on Quantifiable Observations and
Experiments
Page: 11-12
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
34. Which of the following statements about the scientific method is true?
a. After forming a hypothesis, scientists apply deductive logic to make predictions from
the hypothesis.
b. The most informative experiments are those that have the ability to show that a
hypothesis is correct.
c. In a comparative experiment, a scientist compares groups that differ in a variable that
has been manipulated in one of the groups and left unaltered in the other group.
d. Controlled experiments are valuable when we do not know or cannot control the
critical variables.
e. A statistical test of a hypothesis starts with the premise that a significant difference
exists between the groups in the study.
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.5 Science Is Based on Quantifiable Observations and
Experiments
Page: 11-12
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
35. Which of the following can result from a scientific investigation?
a. Refinement of the experimental design
b. Formulation of new questions that result in additional experimentation
c. Use of statistical tests to evaluate the significance of the results
d. Experiments repeated and verified by others
e. All of the above
Answer: e
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.5 Science Is Based on Quantifiable Observations and
Experiments
© 2012 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
Page: 11-13
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
36. Which of the following statements about the experiments of Tyrone Hayes on
abnormalities of male frog sex organs is correct?
a. In a set of controlled experiments, he had to reject his hypothesis that atrazine was
causing abnormalities in male frogs.
b. As a result of the comparative experiments, he formed a new hypothesis that snails
were causing the limb deformities in the frogs.
c. The controlled experiments compared the effects of various atrazine concentrations on
reproductive tissues.
d. Hayes reasoned, by means of inductive logic, that if atrazine caused abnormal testes
development, then such deformities could be caused simply by exposing developing
tadpoles to various concentrations of atrazine.
e. The experiments showed that the abnormality rate was proportional to the level of
atrazine exposure.
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.5 Science Is Based on Quantifiable Observations and
Experiments
Page: 11-13
Bloom’s Category: 4. Analyzing
37. Which of the following statements about a scientific hypothesis is false?
a. It is unfalsifiable.
b. It is the basis of predictions.
c. It is based on observations.
d. It can be tested by experimentation.
e. It can be tested by observational analysis.
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.5 Science Is Based on Quantifiable Observations and
Experiments
Page: 12
Bloom’s Category: 4. Analyzing
38. The advantage of controlled experiments is that
a. the hypothesis is proven right.
b. all variables are held constant except for one.
c. patterns can be predicted.
e. a massive amount of data can be synthesized.
e. Both a and c
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.5 Science Is Based on Quantifiable Observations and
Experiments
Page: 12
Bloom’s Category: 5. Evaluating
© 2012 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
39. Comparative experiments are designed to answer questions that require
a. experimental groups and control groups.
b. little or no data collection.
b. a final, definitive answer.
d. the collection of qualitative data.
e. observation and comparison rather than controlled variables.
Answer: e
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.5 Science Is Based on Quantifiable Observations and
Experiments
Page: 12
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
40. Which of the following statements about statistical analysis in science is false?
a. Statistical methods are applied to data in order to prove that the null hypothesis is
incorrect.
b. Statistical tests analyze variation and calculate the probability that observed differences
in an experiment could be due to random variation.
c. Statistical tests can be used to evaluate both comparative and controlled experiments.
d. Scientists generally conclude that the differences they measure are significant if the
statistical tests show that the probability of error is 5 percent or lower.
e. The power of science derives from absolute dependence on evidence that comes from
reproducible and quantifiable observations.
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.5 Science Is Based on Quantifiable Observations and
Experiments
Page: 13
Bloom’s Category: 4. Analyzing
41. Which of the following statements represents a scientific point of view?
a. Earth was created by a supernatural force.
b. The positions of the sun, moon, and stars provide guidance for making decisions.
c. Inner strength comes from the beauty in nature.
d. Testing the effect of antibiotics on E. coli can help prevent deaths from food poisoning.
e. Meditation helps to solve problems.
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.5 Science Is Based on Quantifiable Observations and
Experiments
Page: 13-14
Bloom’s Category: 3. Applying
42. Which of the following questions cannot be answered by means of the hypothesis–
prediction method?
a. Are bees more attracted to red roses than to yellow roses?
b. Are red roses more beautiful than yellow roses?
c. Why are red roses red?
d. Do red roses bloom earlier than yellow roses?
© 2012 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
e. Are red roses more susceptible to mildew than yellow roses?
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.5 Science Is Based on Quantifiable Observations and
Experiments
Page: 13-14
Bloom’s Category: 3. Applying
Fill in the Blank
1. Frogs eat insects, insects ingest the tissue of plant leaves, and plants derive their energy
from the sun through photosynthesis. Assuming that energy conversions are not 100
percent efficient, the total biomass of animals should be _______ than that of plants.
Answer: less (or smaller)
Textbook Reference: 1.0 Introduction
Page: 1
Bloom’s Category: 4. Analyzing
2. Most living organisms consist of one or more _______, have changed or _______ over
time, and can regulate their _______ environment.
Answer: cells; evolved; internal
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 2
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
3. Currently, scientists agree with the estimate that life first appeared approximately
_______ years ago.
Answer: 4–5 billion
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 2-3
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
4. Fatty acids were the critical ingredient in the enclosure of biological molecules in
_______ films because these molecules are not _______ in water.
Answer: membranous; soluble
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 3
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
5. The ability to use energy from sunlight to synthesize complex molecules is known as
_______.
Answer: photosynthesis
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
© 2012 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
Page: 3
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
6. Prokaryotes acquired the ability to photosynthesize about _______ years ago.
Answer: 2.7 billion
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 3
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
7. Scientists conclude that the ability of nucleic acids to self-replicate and serve as
templates was a critical step in the chemical evolution of life that preceded the enclosure
of complex proteins and other biological molecules by membranes. Considering that selfreplication arose in the absence of membranes, life most likely began in _______ seas
where reactant concentrations were the (least/most) _______ diluted.
Answer: shallow; least
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 3
Bloom’s Category: 4. Analyzing
8. The two membrane-enclosed compartments within cells that are thought to arise by
endosymbosis are _______ and _______.
Answer: mitochondria (or chloroplasts); chloroplasts (or mitochondria)
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 4
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
9. In contrast to eukaryotic cells, prokaryotes lack intracellular compartments referred to
as _______.
Answer: organelles
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 4
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
10. A Pacific tree frog with the scientific nomenclature of Hyla regilla belongs to the
genus _______.
Answer: Hyla
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 4
Bloom’s Category: 3. Applying
11. A _______ tree shows the evolutionary relationships among species.
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Answer: phylogenetic
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 5
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
12. Multicellular organisms that are photosynthetic belong to the branch of the Eukarya
domain called _______.
Answer: Plants
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 5
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
13. Fungi and animals are _______ whereas protists are _______.
Answer: multicellular; unicellular
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 5
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
14. There are six different evolutionary groups of the unicellular eukaryotes known as
protists. Based upon the way in which distinctions are made among the three domains,
these six groups of protists were most likely differentiated on the basis of _______ data.
Answer: molecular (or genomic)
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 5
Bloom’s Category: 5. Evaluating
15. Single-celled organisms that lack discrete intracellular compartments belong to the
domains _______ and _______.
Answer: Archaea (or Bacteria); Bacteria (or Archaea)
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 5
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
16. For more than a billion years, organisms in the three domains of _______, _______,
and _______ have evolved separately from one another.
Answer: Archaea; Bacteria; Eukarya
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 5
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
© 2012 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
17. The total of all the information encoded by an organism’s genes constitutes its
_______.
Answer: genome
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.2 Genetic Systems Control the Flow, Exchange, Storage,
and Use of Information
Page: 6
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
18. In the emerging field of _______, biologists and computer scientists work in close
association to develop new computational tools to organize, process, and study
comparative genomic databases.
Answer: bioinformatics
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.2 Genetic Systems Control the Flow, Exchange, Storage,
and Use of Information
Page: 7
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
19. The total chemical activity of a living organism is called its _______.
Answer: metabolism
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.3 Organisms Interact with and Affect Their
Environments
Page: 8
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
20. The narrow, stable range of conditions in which cells are maintained within the body
of an organism is referred to as _______.
Answer: homeostasis
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.3 Organisms Interact with and Affect Their
Environments
Page: 8
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
21. A group of individuals of the same species that interact is called a(n) _______; a
number of such groups that live and interact in the same area are called a(n) _______;
and the latter groupings, along with the nonliving environment, constitute the _______.
Answer: population; community; ecosystem
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.3 Organisms Interact with and Affect Their
Environments
Page: 8
Bloom’s Category: 3. Applying
22. Structural, physiological, or behavioral traits that enhance an organism’s chance of
survival and reproduction in its environment are called _______.
Answer: adaptations
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.4 Evolution Explains Both the Unity and Diversity of
Life
© 2012 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
Page: 9
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
23. After observing new data, scientists apply _______ logic in order to propose a
possible explanation, which is called a(n) _______.
Answer: inductive; hypothesis
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.5 Science Is Based on Quantifiable Observations and
Experiments
Page: 11
Bloom’s Category: 3. Applying
24. Observations or experimental results that are novel or unexpected have the potential
to _______ a hypothesis.
Answer: falsify (or disprove, modify)
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.5 Science Is Based on Quantifiable Observations and
Experiments
Page: 12
Bloom’s Category: 4. Analyzing
25. The _______ hypothesis states that the observed differences are the result of
randomness or chance.
Answer: null
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.5 Science Is Based on Quantifiable Observations and
Experiments
Page: 13
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
26. Platelets are cell fragments that are critical for blood clotting, a process that involves
the release of proteins from platelet storage granules. Platelet granules contain
approximately 300 different proteins. One hypothesis about the packaging of proteins
into these granules is that each protein is delivered in precisely measured amounts to each
granule. An alternative hypothesis is that each protein is targeted to the individual storage
granules randomly. The second hypothesis is an example of a _______ hypothesis.
Answer: null
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.5 Science Is Based on Quantifiable Observations and
Experiments
Page: 13
Bloom’s Category: 3. Applying
Diagram
1. Refer to the diagram below of the tree of life. Which of the following is demonstrated
by this diagram?
© 2012 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
a. There are three groups of Eukarya.
b. Protists and bacteria have no common ancestor.
c. Plants and fungi have a more recent common ancestor than plants and animals do.
d. Plants, fungi, and animals are descendants of different microbial eukaryotic ancestors.
e. Archaea is the evolutionarily ancient group.
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 4-5
Bloom’s Category: 4. Analyzing
2. The image below shows a community. According to the hierarchy of biological
systems, what level is created with the addition of nonliving components like sunlight
and rain?
Answer: An ecosystem
© 2012 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.3 Organisms Interact with and Affect Their
Environments
Page: 7
Bloom’s Category: 3. Applying
3. Refer to the figure below. Atrazine is a widely used agricultural herbicide in many
high-income countries. At levels of 10–20 parts per billion (ppb), the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency considers the herbicide safe. Yet, as shown by Hayes and colleagues,
there are developmental defects in male frogs exposed to as little as 0.1 ppb. Surprisingly,
at higher concentrations of atrazine, they found that the frequency of gonadal defects
decreases. Propose a hypothesis to explain this outcome, then describe an experiment to
test the hypothesis.
Answer: The most likely hypothesis to explain the observed outcome is that at higher
doses, atrazine produces earlier and more severe developmental defects; Monitoring frog
development earlier at the tadpole stage, for example, might yield evidence in support of
this hypothesis.
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.5 Science Is Based on Quantifiable Observations and
Experiments
Page: 12
Bloom’s Category: 6. Creating
DIAGNOSTIC QUIZ (from BioPortal)
(By Brenda Leady)
1. Viruses
a. can mutate.
b. can extract energy from their environment.
c. have a cell membrane.
d. can reproduce on their own.
© 2012 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
e. are made of cells.
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 2
Bloom’s Category: 4. Analyzing
2. Earth is approximately _______ years old.
a. 1,000–2,000
b. 4,000–5,000
c. 4–5 million
d. 1–2 billion
e. 4–5 billion
Answer: e
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 2
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
3. If samples were brought back from a distant planet, what would be the first evidence of
life, assuming its evolution followed the same path as Earth’s?
a. Presence of nucleic acids
b. Multicellular life forms
c. Oxygen detected
d. Cell membranes
e. Presence of fatty acids
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 2-3
Bloom’s Category: 3. Applying
4. An organism
a. must contain more than one cell.
b. does not contain genetic information.
c. cannot do biological work.
d. can be generated from nonliving materials today.
e. is either a prokaryote or a eukaryote.
Answer: e
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 2
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
5. A cell
a. always contains a nucleus.
© 2012 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
b. is found only in plants and animals.
c. is the fundamental unit of life.
d. is never an entire organism.
e. is always prokaryotic.
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 3
Bloom’s Category: 4. Analyzing
6. Oceans were a good environment for early organisms because they
a. contained ozone.
b. shielded organisms from visible light.
c. obviated the need for a cell membrane.
d. shielded organisms from ultraviolet light.
e. were rich in oxygen.
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 3
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
7. Oxygen gas (O2) in Earth’s early atmosphere
a. allowed the evolution of anoxic metabolism.
b. depleted ozone in the atmosphere.
c. increased damage to organisms by allowing more ultraviolet light in.
d. allowed organisms to move from the sea to land.
e. was not toxic to most prokaryotes.
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 3
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
8. The organisms that produced the oxygen gas in Earth’s atmosphere paved the way for
the type of metabolism used by larger organisms, called _______ metabolism.
a. anaerobic
b. photosynthetic
c. aerobic
d. endosymbiotic
e. heterotrophic
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 3
Bloom’s Category: 4. Analyzing
© 2012 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
9. Relationships between living organisms can best be gleaned by comparing their
a. fossil records.
b. genomes.
c. metabolic processes.
d. anatomical features.
e. behavior.
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 5
Bloom’s Category: 4. Analyzing
10. Genomes are
a. the shared genetic information among all living cells.
b. usually made of RNA.
c. made of proteins.
d. the sum of genetic information in a cell.
e. only found in animal and plant cells.
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.2 Genetic Systems Control the Flow, Exchange, Storage,
and Use of Information
Page: 6
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
11. All cells in a multicellular organism
a. contain the same genome.
b. have the same function.
c. express the same parts of the genome at the same time.
d. form all the same proteins.
e. randomly express parts of the genome.
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.2 Genetic Systems Control the Flow, Exchange, Storage,
and Use of Information
Page: 6
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
12. Nutrients
a. are synthesized by cells.
b. are broken down outside of cells.
c. require energy to be broken down.
d. are broken down inside cells.
e. do not play a role in the synthesis of complex molecules.
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.3 Organisms Interact with and Affect Their
Environments
© 2012 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
Page: 7-8
Bloom’s Category: 4. Analyzing
13. In terms of increasing complexity, the order of parts of a multicellular organism is
a. cell, macromolecule, tissue, organ, organ system.
b. molecule, cell, tissue, organ, organ system.
c. tissue, cell, macromolecule, organ system, organ.
d. molecule, tissue, cell, organ, organ system.
e. tissue, molecule, cell, organ, organ system.
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.3 Organisms Interact with and Affect Their
Environments
Page: 7-8
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
14. A community differs from a population in that a community
a. consists of just one species.
b. includes the abiotic environment.
c. consists of many species.
d. is synonymous with an ecosystem.
e. is a group of the same species that interact with each other.
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.3 Organisms Interact with and Affect Their
Environments
Page: 8
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
15. Which of the following processes is not dependent on interactions of plants with other
organisms (including other plants)?
a. Obtaining nutrients
b. Regulating the internal environment
c. Dispersing seeds
d. Competing for water
e. Producing fertile seeds
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.3 Organisms Interact with and Affect Their
Environments
Page: 8
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
16. What is required for natural selection to occur?
a. Organisms must display variation.
b. A trait must be able to be passed on to future generations.
c. A trait must increase survival.
d. A trait must increase reproduction.
e. All of the above
© 2012 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
Answer: e
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.4 Evolution Explains Both the Unity and Diversity of
Life
Page: 9
Bloom’s Category: 4. Analyzing
17. Plants show remarkable diversity, even though they were derived from a common
ancestor. Which of the following is not a contributing factor to this diversity?
a. Genetic drift
b. Natural selection
c. Sexual selection
d. Structural adaptations
e. All of the above contributed to this diversity.
Answer: e
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.4 Evolution Explains Both the Unity and Diversity of
Life
Page: 9-10
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
18. In the scientific method, a hypothesis
a. is a final answer to a question.
b. is formulated by deductive logic.
c. does not have to be testable.
d. is the basis for making predictions.
e. is formulated solely by speculation.
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.5 Science Is Based on Quantifiable Observations and
Experiments
Page: 11
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
19. Scientists observed that frogs with toe pads live in trees, not in water. They stated
“toe pads are important for life in trees.” This statement is an example of a(n)
a. hypothesis.
b. prediction.
c. theory.
d. law.
e. experiment.
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.5 Science Is Based on Quantifiable Observations and
Experiments
Page: 11
Bloom’s Category: 3. Applying
20. The advantage of controlled experiments is that
a. the hypothesis is proven right.
© 2012 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
b. all variable are held constant except for one.
c. the results are predictable.
d. experiments are conducted in the field, not in a lab.
e. minimal amount of data are required.
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.5 Science Is Based on Quantifiable Observations and
Experiments
Page: 12
Bloom’s Category: 5. Evaluating
21. Which of the following represents a scientific point of view?
a. Earth was created by divine forces.
b. The positions of the sun, moon, and stars provide guidance for making decisions.
c. Inner strength comes from beauty in nature.
d. Meditation helps to solve problems.
e. Comparing the genomes of organisms allows us to create phylogenetic trees.
Answer: e
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.5 Science Is Based on Quantifiable Observations and
Experiments
Page: 13-14
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
22. Scientific explanations for a natural phenomenon
a. cannot be tested.
b. may be based on data that cannot be reproduced.
c. do not refer to religious or spiritual explanations.
d. cannot be rejected.
e. are a reflection of how things ought to be.
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.5 Science Is Based on Quantifiable Observations and
Experiments
Page: 14
Bloom’s Category: 4. Analyzing
INTERACTIVE QUIZ (from BioPortal)
(By Laurel L. Hester)
1. Imagine that NASA’s next probe to one of Jupiter’s moons takes a sample from one of
its methane lakes. Pictures taken under a microscope reveal a cell-like structure
remarkably similar to that of a simple prokaryotic organism. NASA calls it a “Xenop.”
Based on the textbook’s discussion of the common aspects of living organisms on earth,
which of the following pieces of additional information about the Xenop is paired with a
logical conclusion?
© 2012 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
A. The Xenop looks like a prokaryote and is surrounded by a vesicle-like membrane and
therefore is living.
B. The Xenop contains different nucleic acids and amino acids from life on Earth and
therefore is not living.
C. The Xenop can go many years without extracting energy from its environment and
therefore is not living.
D. The Xenop does not contain genetic information or reproduce and therefore is not
living.
E. The Xenop contains complex molecules and therefore is living.
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 2-3
Bloom’s Category: 4. Analyzing
Feedback A: The information given is not sufficient to conclude that the Xenop is living
because fatty acids can form vesicles when agitated.
Feedback B: The information given is not sufficient to conclude that the Xenop is living
because we would not expect life originating elsewhere to use the same nucleic acids and
amino acids used by life on Earth.
Feedback C: The information given is not sufficient to conclude that the Xenop is not
living because seeds, for example, are living but can go many years without extracting
energy from the environment.
Feedback D: The information given is sufficient to conclude that the Xenop is not living
because even viruses replicate and contain genetic information, and there is no way to
evolve without genetic information.
Feedback E: The information given is not sufficient to conclude that the Xenop is living
because early Earth contained complex molecules before life evolved.
2. Which of the following correctly lists the order of several important first events in the
history of life?
© 2012 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
A. First archaea, chemical evolution, first chloroplasts, first nucleus, first cyanobacteria
B. Chemical evolution, first archaea, first cyanobacteria, first nucleus, first chloroplasts
C. Chemical evolution, first cyanobacteria, first archaea, first chloroplasts, first nucleus
D. First cyanobacteria, first nucleus, first archaea, first chloroplasts, chemical evolution
E. First cyanobacteria, chemical evolution, first archaea, first nucleus, first chloroplasts
Answer: B
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 2-5
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
Feedback A: This order is not correct; for example, chemical evolution occurred before
life evolved.
Feedback B: This is the correct order of events. Chemical evolution led to the origin of
life; the first life was prokaryotic (bacteria and archaea); cyanobacteria were among the
first photosynthetic prokaryotes; the nucleus evolved in early eukaryotes; and some
eukaryotes later gained chloroplasts via endosymbiosis.
Feedback C: This order is not correct; for example, the nucleus evolved before any
eukaryotes gained chloroplasts via endosymbiosis.
Feedback D: This order is not correct; for example, archaea evolved much earlier than
cyanobacteria or eukaryotes with a nucleus.
Feedback E: This order is not correct; for example, chemical evolution occurred before
life evolved.
3. This fossil stromatolite is evidence for a major innovation in life’s history—what is the
evolutionary innovation?
© 2012 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
A. Organelles
B. Domain Eukarya
C. Photosynthesis
D. Multicellular organisms
E. Endosymbiosis
Answer: C
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 2-5
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
Feedback A: Stromatolites are made from colonies of cyanobacteria, and these fossils
provide evidence for the origin of photosynthesis about 2.7 billion years ago.
Feedback B: Stromatolites are made from colonies of cyanobacteria, and these fossils
provide evidence for the origin of photosynthesis about 2.7 billion years ago.
Feedback C: Stromatolites are made from colonies of cyanobacteria, and these fossils
provide evidence for the origin of photosynthesis about 2.7 billion years ago.
Feedback D: Stromatolites are made from colonies of cyanobacteria, and these fossils
provide evidence for the origin of photosynthesis about 2.7 billion years ago.
Feedback E: Stromatolites are made from colonies of cyanobacteria, and these fossils
provide evidence for the origin of photosynthesis about 2.7 billion years ago.
4. Which of the following statements is true according to the relationships indicated by
this phylogeny?
© 2012 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
A. Animals are more closely related to some Protists than they are to Fungi or Plants.
B. Animals are more closely related to Fungi than they are to Plants or any Protists.
C. Fungi evolved more recently than did Animals.
D. Eukaryotes are mostly multicellular.
E. Plants are equally closely related to Archaea and to Protists.
Answer: A
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 2-5
Bloom’s Category: 3. Applying
Feedback A: The phylogeny shows Animals sharing the most recent node with a group of
protists.
Feedback B: The phylogeny shows Animals sharing the most recent node with a group of
protists.
Feedback C: Time flows from left to right, so Animals evolved more recently than did
Fungi.
Feedback D: Most eukaryotes are unicellular protists.
Feedback E: Plants share a more recent connection with Protists (which, like plants, are
eukaryotes) than with Archaea.
5. Which of the following statements about mutations is correct?
© 2012 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
A. All cells from a single organism express the same genes.
B. Mutations are always caused by chemicals or radiation.
C. Mutations can occur spontaneously during DNA replication.
D. Most mutations are harmful, so evolution proceeds more rapidly when no mutations
occur.
E. Mutations affect proteins but not the DNA.
Answer: C
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.2 Genetic Systems Control the Flow, Exchange, Storage,
and Use of Information
Page: 6-7
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
Feedback A: Different cells express different proteins according to their function.
Feedback B: Mutations also occur due to replication errors.
Feedback C: Mutations also occur due to replication errors.
Feedback D: Evolution only occurs when organisms in a population vary, and mutations
cause variation.
Feedback E: Mutations always affect the DNA and only sometimes affect proteins.
6. Which of the following is true about genome sequencing?
© 2012 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
A. The human genome was the first genome sequenced.
B. Only a few genomes have been sequenced to date.
C. The techniques used to sequence genomes in the 1970s are the same as those used
today.
D. Genome sequencing cannot give us information about evolution because it can only be
used on extant organisms.
E. Sequencing revealed that the human genome contains many fewer genes than
expected.
Answer: E
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.2 Genetic Systems Control the Flow, Exchange, Storage,
and Use of Information
Page: 7
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
Feedback A: A virus genome was the first genome sequenced.
Feedback B: Hundreds of genomes have now been sequenced.
Feedback C: Methods have changed dramatically since the first genome (a virus) was
sequenced in 1976. It is now cheaper and less time consuming to sequence a genome.
Feedback D: Biologists study the evolution of genes by comparing differences among
related species. Some projects have even sequenced DNA samples from fossils.
Feedback E: Biologists expected the human genome to contain significantly more genes
than the 24,000 found.
7. Why is this Arctic ground squirrel eating?
© 2012 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
A. To expend energy in chewing and digesting the seed it is holding
B. To acquire energy from the process of chewing
C. To acquire essential nutrients its cells need
D. To blend in with its environment
E. To help the seed germinate by passing it through its gut
Answer: C
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.3 Organisms Interact with and Affect Their
Environments
Page: 7-8
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
Feedback A: Although it is true the squirrel is expending energy, does this answer the
question?
Feedback B: Does chewing itself provide energy?
Feedback C: Living organisms acquire raw materials from their environment for use in
cell metabolism.
Feedback D: Does chewing make the animal less visible?
Feedback E: Does the animal eat to help the seed?
8. If you arranged the biological levels listed in the following figure into a hierarchy,
from smallest (least inclusive) at the top to largest (most inclusive) at bottom, which level
would be found immediately above the level pictured here?
A. Community
B. Organism
C. Molecule
D. Cell
E. Population
Answer: B
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.3 Organisms Interact with and Affect Their
Environments
Page: 7-8
Bloom’s Category: 3. Applying
Feedback A: Community would be one level below the pictured level.
Feedback B: Organism would be one level above the pictured level (population).
© 2012 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
Feedback C: Molecule would be many levels above the pictured level.
Feedback D: Cell would be several levels above the pictured level.
Feedback E: Population is the level pictured.
9. The opening and closing of stoma (shown in the figure) on a plant leaf is regulated by
a feedback loop. Which of the following is an example of a feedback loop that helps to
maintain homeostasis within an organism?
A. During labor, the pressure of the fetus’s head on the bottom of uterus causes release of
a certain hormone from the mother’s brain. The hormone causes the uterus to contract
even more forcefully, which increases the pressure, which causes release of more
hormone.
B. When reactions break down nutrient molecules into smaller chemical units, some of
the energy contained in the chemical bonds is captured by molecules such as adenosine
triphosphate that can be used to do different kinds of cellular work.
C. When cells in a mammal’s brain detect that body temperature has fallen below a set
temperature, the brain signals the body to increase metabolic heat production; but when
body temperature goes above the set point, the brain signals the body to sweat or pant to
reduce body temperature.
D. When individual cells of a body are surrounded by an extracellular environment of
fluids, they can receive nutrients from the fluid and excrete metabolic waste products into
the fluid.
E. When certain bacteria form endospores, they can survive extremely dry, nutrient-poor
environments that would kill the bacteria in its active vegetative state. When the
environment improves, the bacteria can once again become active and reproductive.
Answer: C
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.3 Organisms Interact with and Affect Their
Environments
Page: 7-8
Bloom’s Category: 4. Analyzing
Feedback A: This is an example of positive feedback, but it leads to increased change
rather than to the maintenance of homeostasis.
© 2012 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
Feedback B: This statement is true, and molecules with energetic chemical bonds can be
used to help maintain homeostasis, but there is no feedback loop in this example.
Feedback C: This is an example of a feedback loop that helps to maintain homeostasis
within an organism (temperature homeostasis in this example).
Feedback D: This statement is true, and maintenance of a narrow range of conditions in
this internal environment is an example of homeostasis, but there is no feedback loop in
this example.
Feedback E: This statement is true, but it describes a strategy of tolerating extreme
environments rather than working to maintain a stable internal environment
(homeostasis).
10. These two images show the evolutionary diversity of leaf structure in a tree. Which of
the following terms describes the traits that enhance an organism’s chance of survival and
reproduction in a given environment?
A. Natural selection
B. Adaptation
C. Species
D. Evolution
E. Ecology
Answer: B
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.4 Evolution Explains Both the Unity and Diversity of
Life
Page: 9-10
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
Feedback A: Recall that natural selection describes the process by which traits that
enhance survival spread in a population.
Feedback B: Adaptation is the process whereby structural, physiological, or behavioral
traits enhance a species’ survival and reproduction in an environment.
Feedback C: Recall that species are loosely defined as a group of organisms that “look
alike” and breed together.
Feedback D: Recall that evolution is central to the diversity of life as it works through
natural selection.
Feedback E: Recall that ecology studies how organisms interact with one another and
their environment.
11. Which of the following is not explained by Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural
selection?
© 2012 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
A. Where and how the first cells developed
B. Why there are so many different types of organisms
C. Why variation in a population allows evolution to occur
D. How species change over time
E. Why all living things have the same nucleotides in their genetic code
Answer: A
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.4 Evolution Explains Both the Unity and Diversity of
Life
Page: 9-10
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
Feedback A: Evolution addresses what happened after the first cell existed.
Feedback B: As organisms moved into new and different environments (or their
environment changed), they were subjected to new and different selective pressures,
leading to development of new adaptations.
Feedback C: Darwin postulated that different variants would have different probabilities
of successfully surviving and reproducing and that the most successful would leave more
offspring, leading to change in the frequency of traits in the population over time.
Feedback D: As selective pressures work on a species, the species is subjected to natural
selection, and its genetic makeup changes over time.
Feedback E: The original genetic material was passed on to daughter cells, preserving the
nature of the chemicals in use. This is an example of evolution explaining the unity of
life.
12. Which of following steps best illustrates the use of deductive logic?
© 2012 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4
E. 5
Answer: D
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.5 Science Is Based on Quantifiable Observations and
Experiments
Page: 11
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
Feedback A: Making observations does not require logic.
Feedback B: Speculating requires curiousity rather than logic.
Feedback C: Forming a hypothesis uses inductive logic.
© 2012 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
Feedback D: Deductive logic is used to make predictions based on a hypothesis.
Feedback E: Step 4 best illustrated the use of deductive logic.
13. You observe that many of the frogs in the pond near your house have died; their
bodies are lying in the grass at the pond’s edge. Based on this observation, you begin to
wonder why this is the case. You propose that there is likely a chemical in the pond that
is responsible for the deaths. Your proposal would be considered analogous to which step
in the hypothesis–prediction approach?
A. Making observations
B. Asking questions
C. Forming a hypothesis
D. Making predictions
E. Testing predictions
Answer: C
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.5 Science Is Based on Quantifiable Observations and
Experiments
Page: 11
Bloom’s Category: 3. Applying
Feedback A: The initial observation of dead frogs constitutes this step.
Feedback B: By wondering why there are so many dead frogs, you have performed this
step.
Feedback C: By proposing a tentative answer to your question, you have formed a
testable hypothesis.
Feedback D: The process of preparing predictions must be preceded by the formation of a
testable hypothesis.
Feedback E: Testing the prediction must be preceded by the formation of a valid
hypothesis.
14. From the graph, you observe that the higher atrazine concentration does not result in a
higher rate of abnormality occurrence. You therefore know that:
© 2012 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
A. high levels of atrazine are not as dangerous to amphibians as low levels of atrazine.
B. a dosage of 15 ppb would cause a rate of abnormalities between those seen in the
groups exposed to 0.1 and 25 ppb.
C. the effect is not proportional to exposure.
D. atrazine is only hazardous in a natural ecosystem, where it is naturally diluted in the
waterways.
E. atrazine usage should be banned.
Answer: C
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.5 Science Is Based on Quantifiable Observations and
Experiments
Page: 12
Bloom’s Category: 3. Applying
Feedback A: Consider the difference between conclusions from measured results and
formation of new hypotheses.
Feedback B: Consider the difference between conclusions from measured results and
formation of new hypotheses.
Feedback C: This is a fact demonstrated by the data.
Feedback D: Did the study address this question?
Feedback E: This is a policy, not a conclusion.
15. Which of the following is the best null hypothesis for this study?
© 2012 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
A. Atrazine might have a greater effect on gonad development at low concentrations than
at high concentrations.
B. Testes are normal in the absence of atrazine, but male gonadal abnormalities occur in
the presence of atrazine.
C. Atrophied testes and testicular oogenesis show no difference in their response to
atrazine level.
D. Atrazine levels show no difference with respect to the percentage of gonadal
abnormalities.
E. Differences in percent gonadal abnormalities among sites with varied atrazine levels
could be random sampling effects.
Answer: E
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.5 Science Is Based on Quantifiable Observations and
Experiments
Page: 13
Bloom’s Category: 3. Applying
Feedback A: This is not a null hypothesis. It could be a new alternative hypothesis for the
© 2012 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
next round of experiments.
Feedback B: Although this statement may be correct, it is not a null hypothesis.
Feedback C: This could be the null hypothesis for some other test, but is not the
appropriate null hypothesis for the given experimental design, nor for the hypothesis
given.
Feedback D: This is not an appropriate null hypothesis because atrazine is the
independent variable.
Feedback E: Yes, this is a good null hypothesis for this experiment.
STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS
(By Ed Dzialowski)
1. Life arose on Earth approximately _______ years ago.
a. 4 billion
b. 4 million
c. 4,000
d. 1.5 billion
e. 400,000
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 2
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
Feedback: Available evidence places the beginning of life at about 3.8 billion years ago.
2. Populations of organisms have been able to inhabit a wide variety of environments on
Earth because they
a. have a genome.
b. contain organelles.
c. carry out photosynthesis.
d. adapt through evolution.
e. are similar to model organisms.
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.4 Evolution Explains Both the Unity and Diversity of
Life
Page: 9
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
Feedback: Adaptations are the differences found in organisms that allow them to live in
an environment
3. Which of the following is not a characteristic of most living organisms?
a. Regulation of internal environment
b. One or more cells
c. Ability to produce biological molecules
d. Ability to extract energy from the environment
© 2012 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
e. All of the above are characteristics of living organisms.
Answer: e
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 3-4
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
Feedback: Most living organisms are composed of cells, have the ability to make
biological molecules, can regulate their internal environment, and get energy from the
external environment.
4. Photosynthesis was a major evolutionary milestone because
a. photosynthetic organisms contributed oxygen to the environment, which led to the
evolution of aerobic organisms.
b. photosynthesis led to conditions that allowed life to arise on land.
c. photosynthesis is the only metabolic process that can convert light energy to chemical
energy.
d. photosynthesis provides food for organisms.
e. All of the above
Answer: e
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 3
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
Feedback: Photosynthesis caused the accumulation of oxygen in the atmosphere and
contributed to the formation of an ozone layer. The presence of oxygen made the
evolution of aerobic organisms possible, and the ozone layer shielded Earth from harmful
radiation. These two phenomena contributed to the evolution of terrestrial life. Because
photosynthesis is the only metabolic process that can convert light energy to chemical
energy, it provides food for many organisms.
5. Homeostasis involves the regulation of a
a. variable internal environment.
b. constant external environment.
c. constant internal environment.
d. constant rate of natural selection.
e. variable rate of natural selection.
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.3 Organisms Interact with and Affect Their
Environments
Page: 8
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
Feedback: Homeostasis is the maintenance of a constant internal environment.
6. A group of cells that work together to carry out a similar function is known as a(n)
a. tissue.
b. organ system.
© 2012 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
c. unicellular organism.
d. protein.
e. gene.
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.3 Organisms Interact with and Affect Their
Environments
Page: 8
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
Feedback: Multicellular organisms have tissues that are formed from many similar cells.
7. In order for natural selection to occur,
a. certain traits must provide greater chances for survival and reproduction than other
traits.
b. random survival of all organisms must occur.
c. sexual selection must occur.
d. All of the above
e. None of the above
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.4 Evolution Explains Both the Unity and Diversity of
Life
Page: 9
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
Feedback: Natural selection relies on the fact that living organisms vary in their traits and
that this variability provides some individuals with an advantage in terms of survival and
reproduction.
8. Which of the following is not a domain on the tree of life?
a. Archaea
b. Plantae
c. Eukarya
d. Bacteria
e. All of the above are domains.
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 5
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
Feedback: Plantae is a kingdom found in the domain Eukarya.
9. The information needed to produce proteins is contained in
a. nutrients.
b. tissues.
c. evolution.
d. organs.
e. genes.
Answer: e
© 2012 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.2 Genetic Systems Control the Flow, Exchange, Storage,
and Use of Information
Page: 6
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
Feedback: Genes are specific sequences of DNA that contain the information used to
make proteins.
10. Evolution is
a. only relevant to the study of biology.
b. the change in the genetic makeup of a population through time.
c. the change in protein expression of a population through time.
d. not influenced by natural selection.
e. None of the above
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.4 Evolution Explains Both the Unity and Diversity of
Life
Page: 9
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
Feedback: Evolution is a change in the frequency of genes within a population over time
and can occur through natural selection. This is the major unifying principle of biology.
11. In a model experiment, researchers subjected frogs to various levels of atrazine while
keeping all other variables constant. This is an example of a _______ experiment.
a. controlled
b. repeated
c. laboratory
d. comparative
e. None of the above
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.5 Science Is Based on Quantifiable Observations and
Experiments
Page: 12
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
Feedback: For experiments to be scientifically valid, they must be controlled.
12. For a hypothesis to be scientifically valid, it must be _______ and it must be possible
to _______ it.
a. testable; prove
b. testable; reject
c. controlled; prove
d. controlled; reject
e. testable; control
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.5 Science Is Based on Quantifiable Observations and
Experiments
Page: 13-14
© 2012 Sinauer Associates, Inc.
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
Feedback: Scientific hypotheses are set apart from mere conjecture by being testable and
falsifiable.
13. Eukaryotic cells differ from prokaryotic cells in that eukaryotic cells have
a. genes.
b. proteins.
c. organelles.
d. membranes.
e. All of the above
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 4
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
Feedback: Both eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells contain genes, proteins, and some sort of
membrane. Only the eukaryotes have organelles.
14. In the scientific names of organisms, the _______ is placed first and the _______ is
placed second.
a. species; genus
b. genus; domain
c. domain; genus
d. genus; species
e. domain; species
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.1 Living Organisms Share Common Aspects of
Structure, Function, and Energy Flow
Page: 4
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
Feedback: An example is Homo sapiens.
15. Metabolism refers to
a. natural selection.
b. the chemical transformations and work of a cell.
c. communities.
d. mutations in DNA.
e. cellular structure.
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: Concept 1.3 Organisms Interact with and Affect Their
Environments
Page: 8
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
Feedback: The metabolism, or metabolic rate, of an organism is the sum of all the
chemical transformations and work that it performs.
© 2012 Sinauer Associates, Inc.