Question 1

Which of the following best describes an emergent property in biological systems?

Accepted Answer

A property that arises only when individual components interact at a higher level of organization.

Question 2

Which of the following is the correct order of biological organization from smallest to largest?

Accepted Answer

Molecules, Organelles, Cells, Tissues, Organs, Organisms, Populations, Communities, Ecosystems, Biosphere

Question 3

Which of the following statements about the three domains of life is correct?

Accepted Answer

Archaea are prokaryotes that often live in extreme environments.

Question 4

Which of the following is an example of the correlation between structure and function in biology?

Accepted Answer

The long, narrow beak of a hummingbird allowing it to feed on nectar deep within flowers.

Question 5

Which of the following best describes the central dogma of molecular biology?

Accepted Answer

DNA is transcribed into RNA, which is then translated into protein.

Question 6

A scientist is studying the effect of sunlight on plant growth. She sets up an experiment with different amounts of sunlight and measures the height of the plants after two weeks. In this experiment, what is the independent variable?

Accepted Answer

The amount of sunlight

Question 7

Which of the following is an example of deductive reasoning in scientific inquiry?

Accepted Answer

Starting with the general principle that all mammals have hair and predicting that a newly discovered animal that is a mammal will have hair.

Question 8

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic shared by all living organisms?

Accepted Answer

Presence of a nucleus

Question 9

Which of the following best explains why energy flow in an ecosystem is considered unidirectional?

Accepted Answer

Energy enters as sunlight, is converted by producers, and is eventually lost as heat.

Question 10

A researcher observes that antibiotic resistance in bacteria increases after repeated exposure to antibiotics. Which evolutionary mechanism best explains this observation?

Accepted Answer

Natural selection

Question 11

Which of the following is the best example of a hypothesis in the scientific method?

Accepted Answer

If fertilizer increases plant growth, then plants given fertilizer will be taller than those not given fertilizer.

Question 12

Which of the following is a correct statement about scientific theories?

Accepted Answer

A theory is broader in scope than a hypothesis and supported by a large body of evidence.

Question 13

Which of the following is an example of an abiotic factor in an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Temperature of the environment

Question 14

Which of the following best describes the process of natural selection?

Accepted Answer

Individuals with traits best suited to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce.

Question 15

A student is graphing the results of an experiment measuring the effect of temperature on enzyme activity. Which variable should be placed on the x-axis?

Accepted Answer

Temperature

Question 16

Which of the following is a real-world example of artificial selection?

Accepted Answer

Breeding dogs for specific traits such as size or coat color

Question 17

Which of the following is a correct application of the first law of thermodynamics to biological systems?

Accepted Answer

Energy is transformed from sunlight to chemical energy in glucose, but the total energy is conserved.

Question 18

Which of the following provides the strongest evidence for the theory of evolution?

Accepted Answer

The presence of similar bone structures in the limbs of whales, cats, and humans.

Question 19

A biologist is testing the hypothesis that a new fertilizer increases crop yield. She applies the fertilizer to half of her test plots and leaves the other half untreated. What is the purpose of the untreated plots?

Accepted Answer

They serve as the control group for comparison.

Question 20

Which of the following best illustrates the concept of unity and diversity in biology?

Accepted Answer

All mammals have hair, but the type and function of hair varies among species.

Chapter 1: Introduction to Evolution and the Foundations of Biology

Study Guide - Practice Questions

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