Question 1

Biologists refer to changes in a population's genetic distribution that result purely through random chance as:

Accepted Answer

A)  natural selection. 
B)  genetic drift. 
C)  genetic evolution. 
D)  none of the above; such changes do not occur. 
A)  natural selection. 
B)  genetic drift. 
C)  genetic evolution. 
D)  none of the above; such changes do not occur.

Question 2

Which of the following signals do astronomers search for as part of the hunt for extraterrestrial intelligence?

Accepted Answer

A)  dust scattering 
B)  X-ray flashes 
C)  optical lasers 
D)  gamma-ray bursts 
A)  dust scattering 
B)  X-ray flashes 
C)  optical lasers 
D)  gamma-ray bursts

Question 3

What most strongly controls the traits an organism displays?

Accepted Answer

A)  genes 
B)  development 
C)  environmental stimuli 
D)  metabolism 
A)  genes 
B)  development 
C)  environmental stimuli 
D)  metabolism

Question 4

What is sensitivity in the context of the definition of life?

Accepted Answer

The perception of an organism'

Question 5

According to the Miller-Urey experiment,which of the following is NOT a necessary ingredient of abiotic synthesis?

Accepted Answer

A)  pressure 
B)  energy 
C)  water 
D)  organic molecules 
A)  pressure 
B)  energy 
C)  water 
D)  organic molecules

Question 6

Which of the following is a function of proteins inside cells?

Accepted Answer

A)  structural components 
B)  enzymes 
C)  signalers 
D)  all of the above 
A)  structural components 
B)  enzymes 
C)  signalers 
D)  all of the above

Question 7

An exoplanet orbits its star on a circular orbit with a radius of 2 AU.If the planet is in the star's habitable zone,the star has a luminosity of:

Accepted Answer

A)  1 solar luminosity. 
B)  2 solar luminosities. 
C)  4 solar luminosities. 
D)  16 solar luminosities. 
A)  1 solar luminosity. 
B)  2 solar luminosities. 
C)  4 solar luminosities. 
D)  16 solar luminosities.

Question 8

Which of the following provides a potential solution to Fermi's paradox?

Accepted Answer

A)  It is safer for advanced civilizations to hide evidence of their existence. 
B)  There is insufficient time for advanced civilizations to travel across the Milky Way. 
C)  The radiation environment of the Milky Way prevents interstellar travel. 
D)  Dust blocks much of the Milky Way from view. 
A)  It is safer for advanced civilizations to hide evidence of their existence. 
B)  There is insufficient time for advanced civilizations to travel across the Milky Way. 
C)  The radiation environment of the Milky Way prevents interstellar travel. 
D)  Dust blocks much of the Milky Way from view.

Question 9

Which of the following questions expresses Fermi's paradox?

Accepted Answer

A)  If extraterrestrial life exists, why is oxygen so rare in the Universe? 
B)  If extraterrestrial life exists, why is it not inside our Solar System? 
C)  If extraterrestrial intelligence exists, where should we search for it? 
D)  If extraterrestrial intelligence exists, why is it not here yet? 
A)  If extraterrestrial life exists, why is oxygen so rare in the Universe? 
B)  If extraterrestrial life exists, why is it not inside our Solar System? 
C)  If extraterrestrial intelligence exists, where should we search for it? 
D)  If extraterrestrial intelligence exists, why is it not here yet?

Question 10

The figure below shows a phylogeny including many species of life on Earth.Which of the following pairs of organisms share the most recent last common ancestor?

Accepted Answer

A)  diplomonads and entamoebae 
B)  ciliates and slime molds 
C)  vertebrates and fungi 
D)  animals and diplomonads 
A)  diplomonads and entamoebae 
B)  ciliates and slime molds 
C)  vertebrates and fungi 
D)  animals and diplomonads

Question 11

What is the most common method by which microorganisms acquire their genes?

Accepted Answer

Lateral gene transfe

Question 12

Of the following,which is the most UNCERTAIN factor in the Drake equation?

Accepted Answer

A)  the average number of planets around a star 
B)  the average fraction of planets inside a star's habitable zone 
C)  the average lifetime of a star 
D)  the fraction of life-bearing planets on which intelligence evolves 
A)  the average number of planets around a star 
B)  the average fraction of planets inside a star's habitable zone 
C)  the average lifetime of a star 
D)  the fraction of life-bearing planets on which intelligence evolves

Question 13

An astronomical source is situated behind a thick cloud of hydrogen and dust.On its way to us ________ likely to be absorbed and scattered.

Accepted Answer

A)  gamma rays are least 
B)  optical light is least 
C)  radio waves are least 
D)  all wavelengths are equally 
A)  gamma rays are least 
B)  optical light is least 
C)  radio waves are least 
D)  all wavelengths are equally

Question 14

Which of the following are all basic features of life as we presently understand it?

Accepted Answer

A)  organic molecules, mutation, sexual reproduction 
B)  organic molecules, mutation, sensitivity 
C)  metabolism, sexual reproduction, mitosis 
D)  metabolism, organic molecules, competition 
A)  organic molecules, mutation, sexual reproduction 
B)  organic molecules, mutation, sensitivity 
C)  metabolism, sexual reproduction, mitosis 
D)  metabolism, organic molecules, competition

Question 15

What fraction of Earth's life has the human species witnessed?

Accepted Answer

A)  10-1 
B)  10-3 
C)  10-5 
D)  10-9 
A)  10-1 
B)  10-3 
C)  10-5 
D)  10-9

Question 16

The figure below shows two different kinds of electromagnetic radiation traveling toward the observer at the left of the image.Which is more likely to reach the observer,and why?

Accepted Answer

A)  A, because redshifting helps it propagate through dust. 
B)  B, because dust scatters short wavelength radiation most efficiently. 
C)  A, because high intensity radiation penetrates matter more efficiently. 
D)  B, because hydrogen produces long wavelength radiation. 
A)  A, because redshifting helps it propagate through dust. 
B)  B, because dust scatters short wavelength radiation most efficiently. 
C)  A, because high intensity radiation penetrates matter more efficiently. 
D)  B, because hydrogen produces long wavelength radiation.

Question 17

A colleague explains to you that the origin of life seems implausible given the extremely small likelihood of producing self-replicating molecules in random chemical reactions.How could you answer this objection?

Accepted Answer

Astronomical timescales are so

Question 18

The figure below shows a timeline of life on Earth.Place the first appearance of the following organisms and processes on the timeline at the marked locations: eukaryotic cells,multicellular life,photosynthesis,and prokaryotic cells.

Accepted Answer

A = prokaryotic life

Question 19

According to present understanding,what were the first self-replicating molecules to form on Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  amino acids 
B)  DNA 
C)  RNA polymers 
D)  RNA monomers 
A)  amino acids 
B)  DNA 
C)  RNA polymers 
D)  RNA monomers

Question 20

What element produces radiation with a wavelength of 21 centimeters?

Accepted Answer

A)  hydrogen 
B)  helium 
C)  carbon 
D)  oxygen 
A)  hydrogen 
B)  helium 
C)  carbon 
D)  oxygen

Biologists refer to changes in a population's genetic distribution that result purely through random chance as:

Which of the following signals do astronomers search for as part of the hunt for extraterrestrial intelligence?

What most strongly controls the traits an organism displays?

What is sensitivity in the context of the definition of life?

According to the Miller-Urey experiment,which of the following is NOT a necessary ingredient of abiotic synthesis?

Which of the following is a function of proteins inside cells?

An exoplanet orbits its star on a circular orbit with a radius of 2 AU.If the planet is in the star's habitable zone,the star has a luminosity of:

Which of the following provides a potential solution to Fermi's paradox?

Which of the following questions expresses Fermi's paradox?

The figure below shows a phylogeny including many species of life on Earth.Which of the following pairs of organisms share the most recent last common ancestor?

What is the most common method by which microorganisms acquire their genes?

Of the following,which is the most UNCERTAIN factor in the Drake equation?

An astronomical source is situated behind a thick cloud of hydrogen and dust.On its way to us ________ likely to be absorbed and scattered.

Which of the following are all basic features of life as we presently understand it?

What fraction of Earth's life has the human species witnessed?

The figure below shows two different kinds of electromagnetic radiation traveling toward the observer at the left of the image.Which is more likely to reach the observer,and why?

A colleague explains to you that the origin of life seems implausible given the extremely small likelihood of producing self-replicating molecules in random chemical reactions.How could you answer this objection?

The figure below shows a timeline of life on Earth.Place the first appearance of the following organisms and processes on the timeline at the marked locations: eukaryotic cells,multicellular life,photosynthesis,and prokaryotic cells.

According to present understanding,what were the first self-replicating molecules to form on Earth?

What element produces radiation with a wavelength of 21 centimeters?

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

Biologists refer to changes in a population's genetic distribution that result purely through random chance as:

Which of the following signals do astronomers search for as part of the hunt for extraterrestrial intelligence?

What most strongly controls the traits an organism displays?

What is sensitivity in the context of the definition of life?

According to the Miller-Urey experiment,which of the following is NOT a necessary ingredient of abiotic synthesis?

Which of the following is a function of proteins inside cells?

An exoplanet orbits its star on a circular orbit with a radius of 2 AU.If the planet is in the star's habitable zone,the star has a luminosity of:

Which of the following provides a potential solution to Fermi's paradox?

Which of the following questions expresses Fermi's paradox?

The figure below shows a phylogeny including many species of life on Earth.Which of the following pairs of organisms share the most recent last common ancestor?

What is the most common method by which microorganisms acquire their genes?

Of the following,which is the most UNCERTAIN factor in the Drake equation?

An astronomical source is situated behind a thick cloud of hydrogen and dust.On its way to us ________ likely to be absorbed and scattered.

Which of the following are all basic features of life as we presently understand it?

What fraction of Earth's life has the human species witnessed?

The figure below shows two different kinds of electromagnetic radiation traveling toward the observer at the left of the image.Which is more likely to reach the observer,and why?

A colleague explains to you that the origin of life seems implausible given the extremely small likelihood of producing self-replicating molecules in random chemical reactions.How could you answer this objection?

The figure below shows a timeline of life on Earth.Place the first appearance of the following organisms and processes on the timeline at the marked locations: eukaryotic cells,multicellular life,photosynthesis,and prokaryotic cells.

According to present understanding,what were the first self-replicating molecules to form on Earth?

What element produces radiation with a wavelength of 21 centimeters?

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