Question 1

Which of the following best explains why water is considered a polar molecule?

Accepted Answer

Oxygen is more electronegative than hydrogen, resulting in unequal sharing of electrons.

Question 2

A scientist is studying a population of finches and observes that individuals with larger beaks survive better during drought years. Which concept does this scenario best illustrate?

Accepted Answer

Natural selection

Question 3

Which of the following statements about isotopes is correct?

Accepted Answer

Isotopes of an element have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.

Question 4

Which of the following best describes a covalent bond?

Accepted Answer

A bond formed by the sharing of electron pairs between atoms.

Question 5

Given the atomic number of carbon is 6, how many valence electrons does a neutral carbon atom have?

Accepted Answer

$4$

Question 6

Which of the following best explains why carbon is able to form such a wide variety of organic molecules?

Accepted Answer

Carbon has four valence electrons, allowing it to form up to four covalent bonds.

Question 7

A molecule of glucose ($C_6H_{12}O_6$) is broken down into two molecules of pyruvate during glycolysis. Which type of reaction is this an example of?

Accepted Answer

Catabolic reaction

Question 8

Which of the following best describes the difference between saturated and unsaturated fatty acids?

Accepted Answer

Unsaturated fatty acids have one or more double bonds between carbon atoms; saturated fatty acids have only single bonds.

Question 9

Which of the following is NOT a function of proteins in living organisms?

Accepted Answer

Storing genetic information

Question 10

A student is given a sample of an unknown sugar and determines it is composed of two monosaccharides joined by a glycosidic bond. Which type of carbohydrate is this?

Accepted Answer

Disaccharide

Question 11

Which of the following best describes the primary structure of a protein?

Accepted Answer

The sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide chain

Question 12

Which of the following statements about DNA and RNA is correct?

Accepted Answer

DNA contains thymine, while RNA contains uracil.

Question 13

Which of the following best describes the process of dehydration synthesis?

Accepted Answer

A reaction that joins monomers to form polymers by removing a molecule of water.

Question 14

Which of the following is an example of deductive reasoning in biology?

Accepted Answer

Predicting that if all mammals have hair and a whale is a mammal, then a whale must have hair.

Question 15

Which of the following best explains why noble gases are chemically unreactive?

Accepted Answer

They have a full valence shell of electrons.

Question 16

A patient is diagnosed with a genetic disorder caused by a single base change in the DNA sequence. Which level of protein structure is most directly affected by this mutation?

Accepted Answer

Primary structure

Question 17

Which of the following best describes the role of phospholipids in biological membranes?

Accepted Answer

They form a bilayer that acts as a barrier to most water-soluble substances.

Question 18

Which of the following is a correct statement about hydrogen bonds?

Accepted Answer

They are responsible for the unique properties of water, such as high surface tension.

Question 19

Which of the following best explains why water has a high specific heat capacity?

Accepted Answer

Hydrogen bonds between water molecules require a large amount of energy to break.

Question 20

A researcher is comparing the mass number and atomic number of an atom. Which equation correctly relates these quantities?

Accepted Answer

$	ext{Mass number} = 	ext{Number of protons} + 	ext{Number of neutrons}$

General Biology Study Guide: Chapters 1-3

Study Guide - Practice Questions

Study Guide - Flashcards