Question 1

Genetic information is stored in DNA.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 2

Current searches for extraterrestrial intelligence use radio telescopes at wavelengths

Accepted Answer

A) which must be shorter than the local wavelengths emitted by Earth's atmosphere. 
B) which must be longer than the radio wavelength 'noise' naturally emitted by our galaxy. 
C) which must be longer than the local wavelengths emitted by Earth's atmosphere and which must be shorter than the radio wavelength 'noise' naturally emitted by our galaxy. 
D) Wrong! Visual light wavelengths are used because radio waves are blocked by dust between the stars. 
A) which must be shorter than the local wavelengths emitted by Earth's atmosphere. 
B) which must be longer than the radio wavelength 'noise' naturally emitted by our galaxy. 
C) which must be longer than the local wavelengths emitted by Earth's atmosphere and which must be shorter than the radio wavelength 'noise' naturally emitted by our galaxy. 
D) Wrong! Visual light wavelengths are used because radio waves are blocked by dust between the stars.

Question 3

____________ is the molecule created in the cell nucleus that carries the information to make specific proteins out in the cell body.

Accepted Answer

A) An enzyme 
B) DNA 
C) RNA 
D) ALH84001 
E) PAH 
A) An enzyme 
B) DNA 
C) RNA 
D) ALH84001 
E) PAH

Question 4

A single human cell encloses about 1.5 meters of DNA containing 4.5 billion base pairs. How far apart are these base pairs in the DNA

Accepted Answer

A) $3.3 × 10^{−10}$ nm 
B) $3.3 × 10^{10}$ nm 
C) $3 × 10^9$ nm 
D) 300 nm 
E) 0.33 nm 
A) $3.3 × 10^{−10}$ nm 
B) $3.3 × 10^{10}$ nm 
C) $3 × 10^9$ nm 
D) 300 nm 
E) 0.33 nm

Question 5

Cells are tiny bags of carbon.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

-As shown above, which contributes the most to the total noise in the region that may be likely for interstellar communication

Accepted Answer

A) noise from galaxy 
B) noise from Earth's atmosphere 
C) background radiation and/or noise from Earth's atmosphere 
D) quantum mechanical noise 
A) noise from galaxy 
B) noise from Earth's atmosphere 
C) background radiation and/or noise from Earth's atmosphere 
D) quantum mechanical noise

Question 7

The number of technological civilizations in our galaxy is limited by

Accepted Answer

A) the number of stars in our galaxy. 
B) the fraction of stars with planets. 
C) the number of planets per star in habitable zones longer than a few billion years. 
D) the fraction of suitable planets where technical life forms evolve. 
E) the number of stars in our galaxy, the fraction of stars with planets, the number of planets per star in habitable zones longer than a few billion years, and the fraction of suitable planets where technical life forms evolve. 
A) the number of stars in our galaxy. 
B) the fraction of stars with planets. 
C) the number of planets per star in habitable zones longer than a few billion years. 
D) the fraction of suitable planets where technical life forms evolve. 
E) the number of stars in our galaxy, the fraction of stars with planets, the number of planets per star in habitable zones longer than a few billion years, and the fraction of suitable planets where technical life forms evolve.

Question 8

The oldest fossils on Earth are more than 3 billion years old.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

What is important about the habitable zone around a star that makes astronomers believe life could exist there

Accepted Answer

A) The level of UV radiation from the star is minimal there. 
B) Only in the life zone can complex organic molecules be found. 
C) Planets in the life zone will always have oxygen atmospheres. 
D) In the life zone water can exist as a liquid. 
A) The level of UV radiation from the star is minimal there. 
B) Only in the life zone can complex organic molecules be found. 
C) Planets in the life zone will always have oxygen atmospheres. 
D) In the life zone water can exist as a liquid.

Question 10

No other planet in our solar system has been confirmed to have life.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

What kind of information is stored in the DNA molecules

Accepted Answer

The instructions sto

Question 12

How does the likelihood of the survival of technological societies restrict the number of civilizations with which we might communicate

Accepted Answer

If a society survives a technological le

Question 13

Why must the information in a species's DNA be changeable

Accepted Answer

Earth's environment changes continuously

Question 14

Earth has not been visited by aliens, according to your textbook.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

Life is defined in this text to be a process that extracts energy from the surroundings, maintains itself, and modifies the surroundings to promote its own survival.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

A cell's DNA molecules contain its genetic material. The DNA molecule can be altered

Accepted Answer

A) by chance mismatching of base pairs. 
B) by damage from exposure to radioactivity. 
C) if the host cell is intelligent and determines that an alteration would help the cell survive. 
D) by chance mismatching of base pairs, by damage from exposure to radioactivity, and if the host cell is intelligent and determines that an alteration would help the cell survive. 
E) by chance mismatching of base pairs and by damage from exposure to radioactivity. 
A) by chance mismatching of base pairs. 
B) by damage from exposure to radioactivity. 
C) if the host cell is intelligent and determines that an alteration would help the cell survive. 
D) by chance mismatching of base pairs, by damage from exposure to radioactivity, and if the host cell is intelligent and determines that an alteration would help the cell survive. 
E) by chance mismatching of base pairs and by damage from exposure to radioactivity.

Question 17

List three celestial objects in our solar system that may be good candidates for life and explain why.

Accepted Answer

Jupiter's moon Europa appears to have a

Genetic information is stored in DNA.

Current searches for extraterrestrial intelligence use radio telescopes at wavelengths

____________ is the molecule created in the cell nucleus that carries the information to make specific proteins out in the cell body.

A single human cell encloses about 1.5 meters of DNA containing 4.5 billion base pairs. How far apart are these base pairs in the DNA

Cells are tiny bags of carbon.

-As shown above, which contributes the most to the total noise in the region that may be likely for interstellar communication

The number of technological civilizations in our galaxy is limited by

The oldest fossils on Earth are more than 3 billion years old.

What is important about the habitable zone around a star that makes astronomers believe life could exist there

No other planet in our solar system has been confirmed to have life.

What kind of information is stored in the DNA molecules

How does the likelihood of the survival of technological societies restrict the number of civilizations with which we might communicate

Why must the information in a species's DNA be changeable

Earth has not been visited by aliens, according to your textbook.

Life is defined in this text to be a process that extracts energy from the surroundings, maintains itself, and modifies the surroundings to promote its own survival.

A cell's DNA molecules contain its genetic material. The DNA molecule can be altered

List three celestial objects in our solar system that may be good candidates for life and explain why.

Here and Now

A Users Guide to the Sky

Cycles of the Sun and Moon

The Origin of Modern Astronomy

Light and Telescopes

Atoms and Spectra

The Sun

The Family of Stars

The Formation and Structure of Stars

The Deaths of Stars

Neutron Stars and Black Holes

The Milky Way Galaxy

Galaxies: Normal and Active

Modern Cosmology

The Origin of the Solar System

Earth and Moon: Bases for Comparative Planetology

Mercury, Venus, and Mars

The Outer Solar System

Meteorites, Asteroids, and Comets

Filters

Exam 20: Astrobiology: Life on Other Worlds

Genetic information is stored in DNA.

Current searches for extraterrestrial intelligence use radio telescopes at wavelengths

____________ is the molecule created in the cell nucleus that carries the information to make specific proteins out in the cell body.

A single human cell encloses about 1.5 meters of DNA containing 4.5 billion base pairs. How far apart are these base pairs in the DNA

Cells are tiny bags of carbon.

-As shown above, which contributes the most to the total noise in the region that may be likely for interstellar communication

The number of technological civilizations in our galaxy is limited by

The oldest fossils on Earth are more than 3 billion years old.

What is important about the habitable zone around a star that makes astronomers believe life could exist there

No other planet in our solar system has been confirmed to have life.

What kind of information is stored in the DNA molecules

How does the likelihood of the survival of technological societies restrict the number of civilizations with which we might communicate

Why must the information in a species's DNA be changeable

Earth has not been visited by aliens, according to your textbook.

Life is defined in this text to be a process that extracts energy from the surroundings, maintains itself, and modifies the surroundings to promote its own survival.

A cell's DNA molecules contain its genetic material. The DNA molecule can be altered

List three celestial objects in our solar system that may be good candidates for life and explain why.

Here and Now

A Users Guide to the Sky

Cycles of the Sun and Moon

The Origin of Modern Astronomy

Light and Telescopes

Atoms and Spectra

The Sun

The Family of Stars

The Formation and Structure of Stars

The Deaths of Stars

Neutron Stars and Black Holes

The Milky Way Galaxy

Galaxies: Normal and Active

Modern Cosmology

The Origin of the Solar System

Earth and Moon: Bases for Comparative Planetology

Mercury, Venus, and Mars

The Outer Solar System

Meteorites, Asteroids, and Comets

Filters