Principles of Biology
Textbook Exam Questions
Course Introduction
Principles of Biology is an introductory course that explores the fundamental concepts underlying the science of life. Students will examine topics such as cell structure and function, genetics, evolution, ecology, and the diversity of living organisms. Emphasis is placed on the scientific method, the role of biomolecules in cellular processes, and how organisms interact with their environments. Through a combination of lectures, laboratory activities, and discussions, this course provides a strong foundation for further study in the biological sciences and fosters an appreciation for the complexities of living systems.
Recommended Textbook
Biology Now Core 1st Edition by Anne Houtman
Available Study Resources on Quizplus
19 Chapters
1260 Verified Questions
1260 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/study-set/1384
Page 2
Chapter 1: The Nature of Science
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
66 Verified Questions
66 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/27571
Sample Questions
Q1) A species of butterflies gradually becomes darker in color over many generations;this is an example of which characteristic of living organisms?
A)They reproduce using DNA.
B)They obtain energy from the environment to support metabolism.
C)They can evolve as groups.
D)They sense the environment and respond to it.
Answer: C
Q2) The roots of a sunflower plant growing downwards while the shoot grows upwards and the flower turns towards the sun are examples of what characteristic of all living organisms?
A)They reproduce using DNA.
B)They evolve through time.
C)They make their own energy.
D)They sense the environment and respond to it.
Answer: D
Q3) The genetic material used for reproduction by those organisms conventionally considered to be living is ________.
Answer: DNA
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
3
Chapter 2: Chemistry of Life
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
78 Verified Questions
78 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/27572
Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following is an organic compound?
A)water (H O)
B)methane (CH )
C)ammonia (NH )
D)carbon dioxide (CO )
Answer: B
Q2) Antibodies are an important class of human proteins that function in immune defense.If scientists fragmented antibodies under laboratory conditions,what chemical building blocks would they recover?
A)monosaccharides
B)phospholipids
C)amino acids
D)nitrogenous bases
Answer: C
Q3) exhibit various levels of structure
A)lipids
B)carbohydrates
C)nucleic acids
D)proteins
Answer: D
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 4
Chapter 3: Life Is Cellular
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
72 Verified Questions
72 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/27573
Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following statements is true of chloroplasts?
A)They produce proteins used by other parts of the cell.
B)They capture energy from sunlight.
C)They give an animal cell its shape.
D)They contain an entire copy of a cell's genetic material.
Answer: B
Q2) Which of the following can be used to accurately describe viruses?
A)They are small,cellular infectious agents that are only capable of reproducing when inside a living cell,and they can attack plants as well as animals.
B)Each is typically a piece of genetic material encased in proteins,and they can reproduce on their own.
C)They can attack plants,animals,and protozoans,and each is typically a piece of self-replicating genetic material encased in proteins.
D)Typically just a piece of genetic material encased in proteins,viruses are small,non-cellular infectious agents that are only capable of reproducing when inside a living cell such as those of plants,animals,fungi,protozoans,or bacteria.
Answer: D
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 5
Chapter 4: How Cells Work
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
64 Verified Questions
64 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/27574
Sample Questions
Q1) What is the role of water in photosynthesis?
A)Water provides a phosphate group to ATP.
B)Water captures light energy and transfers it to the electron transport chain.
C)Water provides electrons to the chlorophyll.
D)Water combines with carbon dioxide (CO )to make glucose.
Q2) The Krebs cycle produces
A)NADH,ATP,and FADH<sub>2</sub>.
B)water and carbon dioxide.
C)ADP and NADP<sup>+</sup>.
D)acetyl CoA and sugars.
Q3) A chemical reaction that uses ATP to build cellular components is A)catabolic.
B)anabolic.
C)photosynthetic.
D)respiration.
Q4) Chemical reactions that break down lipids are A)catabolic.
B)anabolic.
C)metabolic.
D)respiration.
6
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 5: Cell Division
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
62 Verified Questions
62 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/27575
Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following best exemplifies homologous chromosomes?
A)a pair of sister chromatids attached at the centromere
B)unpackaged DNA
C)a tetrad
D)the mitotic spindle
Q2) A cell containing 56 chromosomes is undergoing meiosis.Explain how chromosome number changes as the cells proceed through meiosis.
Q3) The possible combinations of alleles in gametes ________ due to independent assortment and crossing over.
A)increases
B)decreases
C)stays the same
D)increases or decreases depending on the cell type
Q4) A researcher is recording the process of bacteria cell division using time-lapse microscopy.Which of the following processes would she be observing?
A)meiosis
B)mitosis
C)binary fission
D)She may be observing either A or B depending on the growth conditions.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 7
Chapter 6: Patterns of Inheritance
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
67 Verified Questions
67 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/27576
Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following expresses Mendel's law of segregation?
A)All dominant alleles of different genes divide into different cells from the recessive alleles.
B)Two alleles of a gene separate during meiosis and end up in different gametes.
C)When gametes form,the genes originally from one parent all end up in different gametes from the genes originally from the other parent.
D)Gametes with recessive alleles will fuse only with each other.
Q2) Most human genetic characters are
A)controlled by one gene.
B)not inherited according to Mendel's laws.
C)controlled by more than one gene.
D)not heritable.
Q3) Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A)Two organisms with the same phenotype may have different genotypes.
B)Two organisms with the same genotype are homozygous.
C)A heterozygous organism may have the same phenotype as a homozygous organism.
D)A heterozygous organism has fewer alleles for a given gene than a homozygous organism.
Q4) Differentiate between pleiotropy and polygenic traits.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 8
Chapter 7: Chromosomes and Human Genetics
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
68 Verified Questions
68 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/27577
Sample Questions
Q1) A parent who is a carrier for the recessive autosomal disorder B has the genotype
Q2) A karyotype from an adult male indicates a chromosomal abnormality,which does not affect his health.Which of the following abnormalities is most likely seen?
A)three copies of the X chromosome
B)no copies of chromosome 2
C)a translocation between chromosome 14 and chromosome 15
D)a deletion on chromosome 5
Q3) heterozygous for an autosomal gene
A)Bb
B)XaY
C)XAXa
D)bb
E)XAXA
F)BB
G)XAY
Q4) Except for the sex chromosomes,all the chromosomes shown in a karyotype are numbered and are called ________.
Q5) An allele that "hides" in heterozygous carriers is called a ________ allele.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 9
Chapter 8: What Genes Are
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
64 Verified Questions
64 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/27578
Sample Questions
Q1) Once replication in a DNA molecule is complete,each new DNA molecule contains
A)one old strand and one new strand.
B)the paired old strands and the paired new strands.
C)new DNA polymerase.
D)a new sequence of nucleotides.
Q2) This is the next larger.
A)gene
B)base
C)nucleotide
D)genome
E)base pair
Q3) Mismatch errors are
A)almost always corrected by mutagens.
B)also called mutations.
C)almost always corrected by specialized proteins.
D)usually caused by mutated proteins.
Q4) The enzyme that copies DNA is called ________.
Q5) It can be said that prokaryotic genomes are more efficient than eukaryotic genomes.Refute or support this claim using evidence.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 10
Chapter 9: How Genes Work
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
64 Verified Questions
64 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/27579
Sample Questions
Q1) In humans,the herbicide atrazine helps RNA polymerase bind to the promoter of the gene for the enzyme aromatase.As a result,
A)more RNA for aromatase is produced.
B)less RNA for aromatase is produced.
C)the production of aromatase is inhibited.
D)aromatase is degraded by other enzymes in the cell.
Q2) Each set of three bases in an mRNA molecule codes for one of 20 specific A)rRNA molecules.
B)nucleotides.
C)amino acids.
D)proteins.
Q3) The mRNA molecules are broken down quickly.
A)Transcription is up-regulated
B)Transcription is down-regulated
C)Translation is up-regulated
D)Translation is down-regulated
Q4) A mutation that changes the anticodon of a tRNA is generally much more detrimental to a cell than a mutation that changes the codon of an mRNA.Explain why this might be the case.
Q5) The genetic code is ________,which means that all cells use the same code.
Page 11
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 10: Evidence for Evolution
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
64 Verified Questions
64 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/27580
Sample Questions
Q1) Fossils of organisms that lived on Pangaea are likely found
A)mainly in Africa.
B)mainly in Eurasia.
C)mainly in South America.
D)widely dispersed throughout the world.
Q2) Natural selection tends to
A)increase the commonality of characteristics that enhance survival and reproduction.
B)decrease the number of individuals in any given population.
C)lead to an increase in genetic drift.
D)decrease the likelihood of adaptation.
Q3) Some whales have teeth as embryos but do not as adults.What is the most likely explanation of this phenomenon?
A)Whales are in the process of evolving teeth.
B)Whale teeth appear as the result of a frequently occurring mutation.
C)Whales evolved from organisms that have teeth.
D)The allele for teeth is unusually common in some whale populations.
Q4) Continental drift is the ________ of Earth's landmasses through geologic time.
Q5) Explain how an intermediate fossil can provide evidence for the lineage of current species.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 12
Chapter 11: Mechanisms of Evolution
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
64 Verified Questions
64 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/27581
Sample Questions
Q1) Both insects and humans evolved jointed legs to allow locomotion on land.These structures are considered analogous because insects and humans
A)stopped evolving at different times in Earth's history.
B)evolved from different ancestors.
C)cannot breed.
D)faced different environmental challenges during evolutionary time.
Q2) Which of the following is NOT a cause of evolution?
A)mutation
B)gene flow
C)stable environmental conditions
D)sexual selection
Q3) Which of the following is true with regard to mutations?
A)Mutations occur in response to environmental pressures.
B)Mutations are more common in slowly growing organisms.
C)Mutations appear without regard to environmental pressures.
D)Several mutations must occur at one time for a new phenotype to appear.
Q4) New world vultures are related to raptors,while old world vultures are more closely related to storks.However,both of these birds eat carrion (decaying animals)and have a similar beak structure.Explain how this similarity in beak structures arose.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 13
Chapter 12: Adaptation and Species
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
64 Verified Questions
64 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/27582
Sample Questions
Q1) The rough-skinned newt produces one of the most potent toxins on the planet.Scientists in Oregon have found that as newts evolve to produce a more deadly toxin,their primary predator,the garter snake,evolves ways to resist the toxin.This is an example of
A)ecological trade-offs in the evolution of the newt.
B)an adaptation of the newt to living in aquatic environments.
C)reproductive isolation in a population of garter snakes.
D)coevolution of predator and prey.
Q2) The red-breasted nuthatch and the white-breasted nuthatch are similar in appearance and,in many regions of the United States,their ranges overlap.The two organisms do not interbreed.Based on this information,red-breasted and white-breasted nuthatches are
A)different species.
B)different populations of the same species.
C)hybrids.
D)polyploids.
Q3) Based on the ________ species concept,organisms that breed asexually are most likely classified as species.
Q4) Choose two different reproductive barriers that lead to sympatric speciation and explain how they work.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 14
Chapter 13: The History of Life
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
71 Verified Questions
71 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/27583
Sample Questions
Q1) Identify key characteristics for kingdom Fungi and provide three examples of members of this kingdom.
Q2) What criteria best characterize membership in the kingdom Protista?
A)a continuous lineage of descent from a common ancestor
B)a large assortment of unique shared derived traits
C)a common evolutionary heritage
D)the inability to meet the characteristics that define each of the remaining eukaryotic kingdoms
Q3) The mass extinction at the end of the Permian period (about 250 mya)is thought to have killed off as many as 60 percent of the animal families.What group of animals dominated life on land at that time?
A)trilobites
B)mammals
C)reptiles
D)amphibians
Q4) Evolutionary trees are based on
A)the principle of convergent evolution.
B)a set of shared characteristics believed to have arisen in a common ancestor.
C)similarities in the function of a characteristic or trait.
D)consensus among biologists regarding the usefulness of particular traits.
Page 15
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 14: Human Evolution
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
66 Verified Questions
66 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/27584
Sample Questions
Q1) Fossil evidence from around the world indicates that anatomically modern humans first evolved in Africa about 195,000-200,000 years ago from a population of archaic Homo sapiens and then successfully migrated to and inhabited almost all continents by 13,000 years ago.During literally tens of thousands of years,modern humans lived alongside other ________ populations,eventually replacing them.
Q2) Fossil evidence indicates that the first members of the genus Homo arose approximately ________ years ago.
A)2 million
B)200,000
C)500,000
D)1 million
Q3) Class
A)Homo
B)Primates
C)Chordata
D)Homo sapiens
E)Mammalia
F)Animalia
G)Hominidae
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 16
Chapter 15: General Principles of Ecology
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
64 Verified Questions
64 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/27585
Sample Questions
Q1) Carbon dioxide levels are increasing because
A)human agriculture has greatly increased the amount of carbon dioxide given off by plants during respiration.
B)humans have begun releasing carbon that was formerly sequestered in fossil fuels into the atmosphere.
C)holes in the ozone layer have reduced the total amount of photosynthesis occurring in the biosphere.
D)the huge growth in the human population and domestic livestock has increased the amount of carbon dioxide being released through respiration.
Q2) Historically,an unusual aspect of the recent rise in CO levels is that
A)there is no known mechanism for its occurrence.
B)CO reacts so quickly with other compounds that it should not be occurring.
C)it has occurred relatively slowly.
D)it has occurred relatively rapidly.
Q3) Climate change increases fires in the rainforest.This will
A)decrease climate change as carbon sinks are formed.
B)decrease climate change as carbon reservoirs are released.
C)further increase climate change as carbon sinks are formed.
D)further increase climate change as carbon reservoirs are released.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 17
Chapter 16: Growth of Populations
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
65 Verified Questions
65 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/27586
Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following statements about carrying capacity is true?
A)An S-shaped curve represents a population's ability to increase its numbers above the carrying capacity of its habitat.
B)J-shaped curves show the immediate limiting effect of carrying capacity on a newly introduced organism.
C)The carrying capacity is the same for all organisms in the same area.
D)The carrying capacity is established by the factor with the most limited availability.
Q2) Explain why logistic growth curves have an "S" shape.
Q3) A population of 10 yeast cells is put into a flask with growth media that contains all of the nutrients required for growth.The yeast has a doubling time of two hours;four hours after adding the yeast to the flask the population size is 40 cells.After three days the population size stabilizes at around 500 cells.Is this population exhibiting logistic or exponential growth? Explain your reasoning.
Q4) One measure of population growth is the period in which a population increases to twice its size.This is referred to as the ________ of the population.
Q5) China's population ________ is 137 people per square kilometer.
Q6) Weather is a density-________ factor that can affect the size of a population.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 18
Chapter 17: Communities of Organisms
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
64 Verified Questions
64 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/27587
Sample Questions
Q1) a fish that consumes parasites found on a shark
A)mutualism
B)commensalism
C)exploitation
D)competition
Q2) Why is the existence of food webs important even though food chains also exist?
A)Food webs address the activities of consumers,whereas food chains address the activities of producers.
B)Food chains describe all aspects of interactions within a community,whereas food webs tell us what organisms eat and which are eaten by other organisms.
C)Food webs are smaller groupings than food chains.Food chains allow us to look at the overall picture,whereas food webs provide specific directional information.
D)Food webs tie together many more organisms than a food chain does.If one organism in a food chain disappears,a food web may allow the organisms in the chain to survive based on their interactions with other organisms.
Q3) How does primary succession differ from secondary succession?
Q4) ________ consumers feed on primary consumers as part or all of their diet.
Q5) A(n)________ is a single sequence of who eats whom in a community.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 19
Chapter 18: Ecosystems
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
66 Verified Questions
66 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/27588
Sample Questions
Q1) Almost all life on Earth is directly or indirectly dependent on A)solar energy.
B)predation.
C)physical productivity.
D)human civilization.
Q2) The amount of energy captured by photosynthetic organisms,minus the amount lost as heat from respiration and other life processes,is called ________.
Q3) If a person needs to consume 100 kcal of energy and he chooses to do that by eating soybeans,at least how many kcal of soybeans would have to grow to provide that 100 kcal for the human?
A)100 kcal
B)1,000 kcal
C)10,000 kcal
D)100,000 kcal
Q4) Other than the polar tundra,the LEAST productive terrestrial biomes tend to be A)deserts.
B)the temperate forests.
C)the tropical forests. D)estuaries.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 20
Chapter 19: Applying the Science
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
67 Verified Questions
67 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/27589
Sample Questions
Q1) Discover,a popular magazine about science
A)primary
B)secondary
Q2) A research team funded by federal grants is studying the coevolution of pain receptors in grasshopper mice and the neurotoxic venom of scorpions (one of their primary food sources)to determine how the mice have adapted to the venom of their prey.This is an example of
A)basic research.
B)applied research.
C)pseudoscientific research.
D)random research.
Q3) Observational studies that follow a particular group of individuals over a certain time period are
A)case-control studies.
B)meta-analysis studies.
C)beta-analysis studies.
D)cohort studies.
Q4) National Geographic,a popular magazine about science and the world
A)primary
B)secondary
Page 21
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.