NAME:___________________________________________________________
Biology 111: Principles of Biology I
Fall, 2011
Exam #1: Science and Chemistry for Biologists
1) What distinguishes a “hypothesis” from an “educated guess”? Why is the first useful for science, and why is
the second not?
(5 points)
2) Compare and contrast “science” with “technology”. What distinguishes the two?
(5 points)
3) In science, what is a theory? Compare and contrast “theory” and “fact”. Why is the phrase “just a theory”
meaningless for the natural sciences? Why is there no “proof” in science?
(10 points)
4) Compare and contrast an atom, an ion, a molecule, a compound, an element, a monomer, and a polymer.
How are these types of matter related? (Use examples or sketches if it helps you.) (10 points)
5) Evolution is the “grand unifying theory” of modern biology, and it is well-supported by evidence from a
broad range of biological research over 150 years. Yet many (and by some polls, most) Americans refuse to
accept the idea that organisms change over time. This trend is similar to data from other nations, including Iran,
but dissimilar from poll data in other developed nations (all European nations, for example, and Australia,
China, and Japan, to name a few).
In a level-headed fashion – without overtly criticizing any single group of persons -- please:
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Explain why you think Americans are so resistant to the idea of evolution;
Identify the underlying assumptions made by persons resisting the theory;
Offer some evidence to support your hypothesis;
Offer your own position, and support it well. What underlying assumptions are you making when you
propose your position? (Note: there is NO wrong answer to this part of the question, as long as you
defend yourself well!)
(20 points)
6) A virus is nothing more than a protein shell containing some genetic information (DNA or RNA) and some
enzymes. Many human ailments, including the common cold, are viral in origin and do not respond to
antibiotics. Victims of most viral diseases will run a moderate fever.
What are the pros and cons of running a fever? Why does it help to defeat the disease? Why is a fever also
dangerous to the sick person? What is the molecular basis for your answer?
(15 points)
7) Meat tenderizer is a common medical treatment for bee and jellyfish stings – it alleviates the victim’s pain.
Chemically, meat tenderizer is an enzyme called papain. Using what you know about meat, and what you know
about the function of enzymes:
1. Explain why the product that makes a steak tender is also able to relieve the pain from a bee sting.
2. Discuss what kind of molecule you suspect makes up bee and jellyfish venom.
3. Design a simple test of your hypothesis.
(15 points)
8) For the following data set, describe the relationship between the rate of an enzyme-mediated reaction (on the
vertical axis) and the temperature at which the reaction is conducted. Then, using what you know about
enzymes:
(20 points)
a) Formulate a hypothesis that might explain the pattern you see.
b) Devise an experiment that would allow you to test your hypothesis.