Question 1

Which of the following best describes the process of natural selection as proposed by Charles Darwin?

Accepted Answer

Individuals with inherited traits that are better suited to the environment are more likely to survive and reproduce, passing those traits to the next generation.

Question 2

A scientist is testing the effect of a new fertilizer on plant growth. She sets up two groups: one receives the fertilizer, and the other does not. What is the independent variable in this experiment?

Accepted Answer

The presence or absence of the fertilizer

Question 3

Which of the following elements makes up the majority of the mass of the human body?

Accepted Answer

Oxygen

Question 4

An atom has 6 protons, 6 neutrons, and 6 electrons. What is its atomic mass?

Accepted Answer

$12$

Question 5

Which type of chemical bond is the strongest under physiological conditions?

Accepted Answer

Covalent bond

Question 6

Water has several emergent properties that are critical for life. Which property allows water to move upward through the vessels of a plant against gravity?

Accepted Answer

Cohesion due to hydrogen bonding

Question 7

A solution has a pH of 4. How does its hydrogen ion concentration $[H^+]$ compare to a solution with a pH of 7?

Accepted Answer

It is 1,000 times higher

Question 8

Which of the following best explains why phospholipids form bilayers in water?

Accepted Answer

Their hydrophobic tails avoid water while their hydrophilic heads interact with water.

Question 9

Which of the following statements about enantiomers is correct?

Accepted Answer

They are mirror images of each other and cannot be superimposed.

Question 10

During the hydrolysis of a disaccharide, which of the following occurs?

Accepted Answer

A water molecule is added, breaking the glycosidic bond.

Question 11

Which level of protein structure is primarily determined by the sequence of amino acids?

Accepted Answer

Primary structure

Question 12

A mutation changes a cytosine (C) to a thymine (T) in a DNA molecule. Which type of nitrogenous base has been substituted?

Accepted Answer

A pyrimidine has been replaced by another pyrimidine.

Question 13

Which of the following is a property shared by both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells?

Accepted Answer

Presence of ribosomes

Question 14

Which organelle is responsible for modifying, sorting, and packaging proteins for secretion in eukaryotic cells?

Accepted Answer

Golgi apparatus

Question 15

According to the endosymbiont theory, which organelle is thought to have originated from a free-living prokaryote engulfed by an ancestral eukaryotic cell?

Accepted Answer

Mitochondrion

Question 16

Which of the following best describes the function of the cytoskeleton in eukaryotic cells?

Accepted Answer

It provides structural support, facilitates cell movement, and organizes organelles.

Question 17

A researcher is studying a molecule with the formula $C_{6}H_{12}O_{6}$. Which class of biological macromolecule does this molecule most likely belong to?

Accepted Answer

Carbohydrate

Question 18

Which of the following statements about valence electrons is correct?

Accepted Answer

Valence electrons determine the chemical reactivity of an atom.

Question 19

Which of the following best explains why ice floats on liquid water?

Accepted Answer

Ice is less dense than liquid water because its hydrogen bonds form a lattice that keeps molecules farther apart.

Question 20

A patient is diagnosed with a genetic disorder that affects the function of lysosomes. Which cellular process is most likely to be impaired?

Accepted Answer

Digestion of macromolecules and waste removal

General Biology Study Guide: Chapters 1–4 (Foundations, Chemistry, Biomolecules, and Cells)

Study Guide - Practice Questions

Study Guide - Flashcards