Question 1

Scientists who study life on Earth in extreme conditions are most likely part of the field of:

Accepted Answer

A)  exobiology. 
B)  astrobiology. 
C)  biophysics. 
D)  astrocology. 
A)  exobiology. 
B)  astrobiology. 
C)  biophysics. 
D)  astrocology.

Question 2

At present,conclusions about extraterrestrial life are based on:

Accepted Answer

A)  lunar geology. 
B)  the chemistry of complex organic molecules in the interstellar medium. 
C)  the study of life on Earth. 
D)  telescopic signatures of life on exoplanets. 
A)  lunar geology. 
B)  the chemistry of complex organic molecules in the interstellar medium. 
C)  the study of life on Earth. 
D)  telescopic signatures of life on exoplanets.

Question 3

What basic characteristic of life is illustrated by the figure below?

Accepted Answer

A)  metabolism 
B)  equilibrium 
C)  sensitivity 
D)  consumption 
A)  metabolism 
B)  equilibrium 
C)  sensitivity 
D)  consumption

Question 4

Why is carbon so well suited to forming the building blocks of life?

Accepted Answer

Carbon has a diverse

Question 5

An example of an extremophile is a:

Accepted Answer

A)  gamma-ray burst. 
B)  crab living inside an ecosystem powered by geothermal energy. 
C)  comet carrying organic molecules. 
D)  world outside the habitable zone that has liquid water. 
A)  gamma-ray burst. 
B)  crab living inside an ecosystem powered by geothermal energy. 
C)  comet carrying organic molecules. 
D)  world outside the habitable zone that has liquid water.

Question 6

The figure below shows a molecule common in living cells,where the letters denote sugar and phosphate bases.What is the molecule?

Accepted Answer

A)  RNA 
B)  DNA 
C)  amino acid 
D)  protein 
A)  RNA 
B)  DNA 
C)  amino acid 
D)  protein

Question 7

How is information from an organism's genes used to construct enzymes for use in a cell?

Accepted Answer

The information is initially c

Question 8

Which of the following have been shown experimentally to be easy to produce in an environment similar to early Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  self-replicating molecules 
B)  proteins 
C)  amino acids 
D)  RNA 
A)  self-replicating molecules 
B)  proteins 
C)  amino acids 
D)  RNA

Question 9

Why did the Miller-Urey experiment NOT correctly describe the construction of building blocks of prebiotic life?

Accepted Answer

A)  There was much less radioactivity on the early Earth. 
B)  Water was not present on the early Earth. 
C)  Volcanism would have created a different atmosphere than used in the experiment. 
D)  none of the above 
A)  There was much less radioactivity on the early Earth. 
B)  Water was not present on the early Earth. 
C)  Volcanism would have created a different atmosphere than used in the experiment. 
D)  none of the above

Question 10

Which of the following is part of the science of astrobiology?

Accepted Answer

A)  telescopic studies of exoplanets 
B)  biochemical experiments on molecular self-replication 
C)  searches for extraterrestrial civilizations 
D)  all of the above 
A)  telescopic studies of exoplanets 
B)  biochemical experiments on molecular self-replication 
C)  searches for extraterrestrial civilizations 
D)  all of the above

Question 11

What is the most important process in driving evolutionary adaptation?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is the most important process in...

Question 12

According to modern understanding,what does the Miller-Urey experiment tell us about the formation of life?

Accepted Answer

The Miller-Urey experiment sho

Question 13

Which discovery has challenged astronomers' methods in the search for extraterrestrial life?

Accepted Answer

A)  radio astronomy 
B)  the greenhouse effect on Venus 
C)  bacterial colonies powered by radioactivity deep underground on Earth 
D)  water on comets 
A)  radio astronomy 
B)  the greenhouse effect on Venus 
C)  bacterial colonies powered by radioactivity deep underground on Earth 
D)  water on comets

Question 14

Microorganisms and large animals differ in the:

Accepted Answer

A)  nucleotides that make up their DNA. 
B)  physical structure of their DNA. 
C)  primary mechanism through which they pass genes to each other. 
D)  importance of natural selection to their evolution. 
A)  nucleotides that make up their DNA. 
B)  physical structure of their DNA. 
C)  primary mechanism through which they pass genes to each other. 
D)  importance of natural selection to their evolution.

Question 15

Eukaryotic organisms became dominant after:

Accepted Answer

A)  the Great Oxygenation Event. 
B)  the Cambrian explosion. 
C)  photosynthesis began. 
D)  the extinction of the dinosaurs. 
A)  the Great Oxygenation Event. 
B)  the Cambrian explosion. 
C)  photosynthesis began. 
D)  the extinction of the dinosaurs.

Question 16

What is the "cosmic watering hole"?

Accepted Answer

Hydrogen produces an emission line at a

Question 17

Self-replicating molecules:

Accepted Answer

A)  can create copies of themselves. 
B)  have double-helix structures. 
C)  are composed of genes. 
D)  reproduce sexually. 
A)  can create copies of themselves. 
B)  have double-helix structures. 
C)  are composed of genes. 
D)  reproduce sexually.

Question 18

The Drake equation begins with the number of stars in the Milky Way and requires five more pieces of information to estimate the number of technologically advanced civilizations in the Milky Way.Identify three of those additional factors.

Accepted Answer

The five factors are the average number

Question 19

Lateral gene transfer is:

Accepted Answer

A)  the swapping of genes by living organisms. 
B)  a synonym for natural selection. 
C)  the process through which genetic traits are expressed. 
D)  the first step in sexual reproduction. 
A)  the swapping of genes by living organisms. 
B)  a synonym for natural selection. 
C)  the process through which genetic traits are expressed. 
D)  the first step in sexual reproduction.

Question 20

What wavelength regime is most commonly used in searches for extraterrestrial intelligence?

Accepted Answer

A)  visible 
B)  ultraviolet 
C)  radio 
D)  X-ray 
A)  visible 
B)  ultraviolet 
C)  radio 
D)  X-ray

Scientists who study life on Earth in extreme conditions are most likely part of the field of:

At present,conclusions about extraterrestrial life are based on:

What basic characteristic of life is illustrated by the figure below?

Why is carbon so well suited to forming the building blocks of life?

An example of an extremophile is a:

The figure below shows a molecule common in living cells,where the letters denote sugar and phosphate bases.What is the molecule?

How is information from an organism's genes used to construct enzymes for use in a cell?

Which of the following have been shown experimentally to be easy to produce in an environment similar to early Earth?

Why did the Miller-Urey experiment NOT correctly describe the construction of building blocks of prebiotic life?

Which of the following is part of the science of astrobiology?

What is the most important process in driving evolutionary adaptation?

According to modern understanding,what does the Miller-Urey experiment tell us about the formation of life?

Which discovery has challenged astronomers' methods in the search for extraterrestrial life?

Microorganisms and large animals differ in the:

Eukaryotic organisms became dominant after:

What is the "cosmic watering hole"?

Self-replicating molecules:

The Drake equation begins with the number of stars in the Milky Way and requires five more pieces of information to estimate the number of technologically advanced civilizations in the Milky Way.Identify three of those additional factors.

Lateral gene transfer is:

What wavelength regime is most commonly used in searches for extraterrestrial intelligence?

Getting Started: Science, astronomy, and Being Human

A Universe Made, a Universe Discovered

A Universe of Universal Laws

A Universe of Universal Laws

The Architecture and Birth of Planetary Systems

Home Base: Earth and Moon

Sibling Worlds: Mercury, Venus, and Mars

Gas, ice, and Stone: the Outer Planets

The Sun As a Star

Measuring the Stars: the Main Sequence and Its Meaning

Nursery of the Stars: the Interstellar Medium and Star Formation

To the Graveyard of Stars: the End Points of Stellar Evolution

Down the Rabbit Hole: Relativity and Black Holes

Our City of Stars: the Milky Way

A Universe of Galaxies

The Cosmic Web: the Large-Scale Structure of the Universe

Cosmology

Filters

Exam 9: Life and the Search for Habitable Worlds

Scientists who study life on Earth in extreme conditions are most likely part of the field of:

At present,conclusions about extraterrestrial life are based on:

What basic characteristic of life is illustrated by the figure below?

Why is carbon so well suited to forming the building blocks of life?

An example of an extremophile is a:

The figure below shows a molecule common in living cells,where the letters denote sugar and phosphate bases.What is the molecule?

How is information from an organism's genes used to construct enzymes for use in a cell?

Which of the following have been shown experimentally to be easy to produce in an environment similar to early Earth?

Why did the Miller-Urey experiment NOT correctly describe the construction of building blocks of prebiotic life?

Which of the following is part of the science of astrobiology?

What is the most important process in driving evolutionary adaptation?

According to modern understanding,what does the Miller-Urey experiment tell us about the formation of life?

Which discovery has challenged astronomers' methods in the search for extraterrestrial life?

Microorganisms and large animals differ in the:

Eukaryotic organisms became dominant after:

What is the "cosmic watering hole"?

Self-replicating molecules:

The Drake equation begins with the number of stars in the Milky Way and requires five more pieces of information to estimate the number of technologically advanced civilizations in the Milky Way.Identify three of those additional factors.

Lateral gene transfer is:

What wavelength regime is most commonly used in searches for extraterrestrial intelligence?

Getting Started: Science, astronomy, and Being Human

A Universe Made, a Universe Discovered

A Universe of Universal Laws

A Universe of Universal Laws

The Architecture and Birth of Planetary Systems

Home Base: Earth and Moon

Sibling Worlds: Mercury, Venus, and Mars

Gas, ice, and Stone: the Outer Planets

The Sun As a Star

Measuring the Stars: the Main Sequence and Its Meaning

Nursery of the Stars: the Interstellar Medium and Star Formation

To the Graveyard of Stars: the End Points of Stellar Evolution

Down the Rabbit Hole: Relativity and Black Holes

Our City of Stars: the Milky Way

A Universe of Galaxies

The Cosmic Web: the Large-Scale Structure of the Universe

Cosmology

Filters