Question 1

Agrobacterium infects plants and causes them to form tumours. You are asked to determine how long a plant must be exposed to these bacteria to become infected. Which of the following experiments will provide the best data to address that question?

Accepted Answer

A)  Determine the survival rate of Agrobacterium when exposed to different concentrations of an antibiotic. 
B)  Measure the number of tumours formed on a plant when exposed to various concentrations of Agrobacterium. 
C)  Measure the concentration of Agrobacterium in different soil environments where the plants grow. 
D)  Measure the number of tumours formed on plants which are exposed to Agrobacterium for different lengths of time.

Question 2

Which of the following statements is true?

Accepted Answer

A)  mRNA is the only type of RNA found in the living system 
B)  All forms of life employ the same genetic code 
C)  A typical human liver cell has one set of chromosomes 
D)  Organisms interact but do not affect their environment

Question 3

When your body temperature rises on a hot day, the neural and hormonal mechanisms activate sweating. Evaporation of sweat leads to cooling of the body surface. This is an example of ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  positive feedback regulation 
B)  negative feedback regulation 
C)  chemical cycling 
D)  emergent properties

Question 4

Which branch of biology is concerned with the naming and classifying of organisms?

Accepted Answer

A)  informatics 
B)  taxonomy 
C)  genomics 
D)  evolution

Question 5

A researcher discovered a species of moth that lays its eggs on oak trees. Eggs are laid at two distinct times of the year: early in spring when the oak trees are flowering and in midsummer when flowering is past. Caterpillars from eggs that hatch in spring feed on oak flowers and look like oak flowers, but caterpillars that hatch in summer feed on oak leaves and look like oak twigs.
How does the same population of moths produce such different-looking caterpillars on the same trees? To answer this question, the biologist caught many female moths from the same population and collected their eggs then put at least one egg from each female into eight identical cups. The eggs hatched and at least two larvae from each female were maintained in one of the four temperature and light conditions listed below.
$$\begin{array} { | l | l | } 
\hline \text { Temperature } & \text { Day length } \
\hline \text { Springlike } & \text { Springlike } \
\hline \text { Springlike } & \text { Summerlike } \
\hline \text { Sumnerlike } & \text { Springlik } \
\hline \text { Summerlike } & \text { Summerlike } \
\hline
\end{array}$$
In each of the four environments, one of the caterpillars was fed oak flowers, the other oak leaves. Thus, there was a total of eight treatment groups (4 environments × 2 diets).
-
Which one of the following is not a plausible hypothesis that can be tested in this experiment?

Accepted Answer

A)  The longer day length of summer trigger the development of twig-like caterpillars. 
B)  The cooler temperatures of spring trigger the development of flower-like caterpillars. 
C)  Differences in air pressure, due to differences in elevation, trigger the development of different types of caterpillars. 
D)  Differences in diet trigger the development of different types of caterpillars.

Question 6

The best experimental design ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  includes a large sample size for each condition 
B)  includes a control 
C)  alters only one condition between the controls and the experimental condition 
D)  includes a large sample size and a control, and alters only one condition between the controls and the experimental condition

Question 7

A scientist, who wants to study the effects of nitrogen on wheat plants, sets up an experiment with four groups of wheat plants: group A gets 10 kilograms per hectare, group B gets 20 kilograms per hectare, group C gets 30 kilograms per hectare, and group D gets 0 kilograms per hectare. Which of the following is the control group?

Accepted Answer

A)  group A 
B)  group B 
C)  group C 
D)  group D

Question 8

A controlled experiment is one that ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  proceeds slowly enough that a scientist can make careful records of the results 
B)  tests experimental and control groups in parallel 
C)  is repeated many times to make sure the results are accurate 
D)  keeps all variables constant

Question 9

Which of the following best demonstrates the unity among all organisms?

Accepted Answer

A)  emergent properties 
B)  descent with modification 
C)  the structure and function of DNA 
D)  natural selection

Question 10

A controlled experiment ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  is repeated many times to ensure that the results are accurate 
B)  includes at least two groups, one of which does not receive the experimental treatment 
C)  includes at least two groups, one differing from the other by two or more variables 
D)  includes one group for which the scientist controls all variables

Question 11

The process by which the information in a gene directs the synthesis of a protein is called ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  gene expression 
B)  replication 
C)  post translation modification 
D)  cloning

Question 12

Which of the following are qualities of any good scientific hypothesis?
I. It is testable.
II. It is falsifiable.
III. It produces quantitative data.
IV. It produces results that can be replicated.

Accepted Answer

A)  I only 
B)  III only 
C)  I and II 
D)  III and IV

Question 13

In 1668, Francesco Redi performed a series of experiments on spontaneous generation. He began by putting similar pieces of meat into eight identical jars. Four jars were left open to the air and four were sealed. He then did the same experiment with one variation: instead of sealing four of the jars completely, he covered them with gauze (the gauze excluded the flies while allowing the meat to be exposed to air). In both experiments, he monitored the jars and recorded whether or not maggots (young flies) appeared in the meat.
-What hypothesis was being tested in the initial experiment with open versus sealed jars?

Accepted Answer

A)  Spontaneous generation is more likely during the long days of summer. 
B)  The type of meat used affects the likelihood of spontaneous generation. 
C)  Maggots do not arise spontaneously, but from eggs laid by adult flies. 
D)  Spontaneous generation can occur only if meat is exposed to air.

Question 14

Which of the following is true of natural selection?

Accepted Answer

A)  It requires genetic variation. 
B)  It results in descent with modification. 
C)  It involves differential reproductive success. 
D)  It requires genetic variation, results in descent with modification, and involves differential reproductive success.

Question 15

In 1668, Francesco Redi performed a series of experiments on spontaneous generation. He began by putting similar pieces of meat into eight identical jars. Four jars were left open to the air and four were sealed. He then did the same experiment with one variation: instead of sealing four of the jars completely, he covered them with gauze (the gauze excluded the flies while allowing the meat to be exposed to air). In both experiments, he monitored the jars and recorded whether or not maggots (young flies) appeared in the meat.
-In both experiments, flies appeared in all of the open jars and only in the open jars. Which one of the following statements is correct?

Accepted Answer

A)  The experiment was inconclusive because Redi used only one kind of meat. 
B)  The experiment was inconclusive because it did not run long enough. 
C)  The experiment supports the hypothesis that spontaneous generation occurs in rotting meat. 
D)  The experiment supports the hypothesis that maggots arise only from eggs laid by adult flies.

Question 16

Which of the following statements is true regarding the complexity of biological systems?

Accepted Answer

A)  An understanding of the interactions between different components within a living system is an approach towards understanding reductionism. 
B)  Knowing the function of a component of a living system can provide insights into the structure and organisation of the living system. 
C)  Understanding the chemical structure of DNA reveals how it directs the functioning of a living cell. 
D)  An ecosystem displays complex properties of the biotic component only.

Question 17

A researcher discovered a species of moth that lays its eggs on oak trees. Eggs are laid at two distinct times of the year: early in spring when the oak trees are flowering and in midsummer when flowering is past. Caterpillars from eggs that hatch in spring feed on oak flowers and look like oak flowers, but caterpillars that hatch in summer feed on oak leaves and look like oak twigs.
How does the same population of moths produce such different-looking caterpillars on the same trees? To answer this question, the biologist caught many female moths from the same population and collected their eggs then put at least one egg from each female into eight identical cups. The eggs hatched, and at least two larvae from each female were maintained in one of the four temperature and light conditions listed below.
$$\begin{array} { | l | l | } 
\hline \text { Temperature } & \text { Day length } \
\hline \text { Springlike } & \text { Springlike } \
\hline \text { Springlike } & \text { Summerlike } \
\hline \text { Sumnerlike } & \text { Springlik } \
\hline \text { Summerlike } & \text { Summerlike } \
\hline
\end{array}$$
In each of the four environments, one of the caterpillars was fed oak flowers, the other oak leaves. Thus, there was a total of eight treatment groups (4 environments × 2 diets).
-
In every case, caterpillars that feed on oak flowers look like oak flowers. In every case, caterpillars that were raised on oak leaves looked like twigs. These results support which of the following hypotheses?

Accepted Answer

A)  The longer day length of summer trigger the development of twig-like caterpillars. 
B)  Differences in air pressure, due to elevation, trigger the development of different types of caterpillars. 
C)  Differences in diet trigger the development of different types of caterpillars. 
D)  The differences are genetic. A female will either produce all flower-like caterpillars or all twig-like caterpillars.

Question 18

You are suffering from Streptococcus throat infection. You share the following with the bacteria that is responsible for your condition.

Accepted Answer

A)  You both belong to the same domain. 
B)  You both are made up of cells. 
C)  You both have genetic material in your nucleus. 
D)  You and Streptococcus have nothing in common.

Question 19

To understand the chemical basis of inheritance, we must understand the molecular structure of DNA. This is an example of the application of which concept to the study of biology?

Accepted Answer

A)  evolution 
B)  emergent properties 
C)  reductionism 
D)  feedback regulation

Question 20

Cells are ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  only found in pairs, because single cells cannot exist independently 
B)  limited in size to 200 and 500 micrometres in diameter 
C)  characteristic of eukaryotic but not prokaryotic organisms 
D)  characteristic of prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms

Exam 1: Evolution, the Themes of Biology, and Scientific Inquiry