Biology trivia

What is the most common element in the human body?

• carbon

• oxygen

• hydrogen

• calcium

Answer explanation

Oxygen is the most common element in the human body, making up almost 63% of the average human, followed by carbon (19.37%), hydrogen (9.31%), and nitrogen (5.14%).

Unlike most other fish, sharks have no ______?

• gills

• bones

• liver

• heart

Answer explanation

Unlike most other fish, a shark has no bones! Its skeleton is made of cartilage, a material somewhat softer and more flexible than bone.

What human organ cleans fifty gallons of blood every day?

• liver

• heart

• stomach

• kidneys

Answer explanation

Your kidneys filter fifty gallons of blood every day, producing about 1.5 liters of urine!

Which organ do insects NOT have?

• stomach

• heart

• lungs

• brain

Answer explanation

Insect respiration is accomplished without lungs. In most cases, air is taken in through openings on the sides of the abdomen and thorax called spiracles and transported directly to tissue cells using tracheal tubes.

Which of the following has more bones?

• adult

• baby

• teenager

• all of them

Answer explanation

A baby has more bones. As they grow, some of their bones fuse together.

What was the first genetically engineered organism?

• sheep

• rat

• corn

• tabacco

Answer explanation

In 1983, the first genetically engineered organism, a tobacco plant designed to be resistant to certain herbicides, was grown in Wisconson.

How many functions does the human liver have?

• 17

• 1

• 5

• more than 500

Answer explanation

Our liver doesn't just filter toxins from the blood. In fact, it is thought to be responsible for more than 500 separate functions, usually in combination with other systems and organs.

Which of the following has the longest recorded life span?

• termite

• chimpanzee

• oyster

• Indian elephant

Answer explanation

Of these animals, the Freshwater Oyster has the longest recorded life span at 80 years. The longest recorded life span for a termite is 50 years; for a chimapanzee, 50 years; and for an Indian elephant, 70 years.

What is the only human body part that can't repair itself?

• teeth

• eyes

• brain

• liver

Answer explanation

Since teeth are made of enamel, which contains a very high percentage of inorganic material, they cannot regenerate.

Which fruit is a hybrid of the pomelo and mandarin?

• lime

• orange

• kumquat

• lemon

Answer explanation

The orange is not a wild fruit, having arisen in domestication from a cross between a non-pure mandarin orange and a hybrid pomelo that had a substantial mandarin component.