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WorksheetsThe Science of Biology
Total questions: 59
Worksheet time: 2hrs 58mins
The knowledge of _________ is becoming increasingly essential for any educated citizen of the world.
archeology
biology
chemistry
history
biology & chemmistry
Biological order can be seen in a __________ organization, from the level of highly structured organic molecules in the cells to the highest level of populations and communities in biomes and biosphere.
haphazard
perfect
hierarchical
evolutionary
From the time of the Greek Eratosthenes to the present day, scientists have been using the method of ___________ reasoning, in which general principles are applied to the analysis of specific cases.
inductive
deductive
conclusive
separative
Experiments are carried out to test the hypothesis by changing one variable at a time and including a(n) _____ condition in which the variable is unaltered.
experimental
altered
control
stable
Specimens of rock strata which show progressive changes in characteristics of earlier organisms are called ______.
fossils
evolution
timelines
outcroppings
The method of reasoning that uses the construction of general principles by careful examination of many specific cases is called
deductive reasoning
theoretical reasoning
hypothetical reasoning
inductive reasoning
experimental reasoning
7. A hypothesis can be tested with
an observation
an experiment
inductive reasoning
deductive reasoning
a question
The area of science that studies life and its processes is called
biology
astronomy
geology
archeology
anthropology
After making careful observations, scientists construct a(n)
experiment
hypothesis
conclusion
theory
After Darwin concluded his voyage on the Beagle, he proposed that the process of natural selection was the mechanism for
artificial selection.
evolution
sexual selection.
speciation
overpopulation of finches on the Galapagos Islands.
Science is not based on
reasoning
observations
biased opinions.
experimental testing.
using results to rule out alternate hypothesis.
Which of the following characteristics are not necessary to being "alive"?
order
sensitivity
growth, development, and reproduction
regulation
movement
In science when general principles are arrived at from the examination of specific hypotheses (cases), it is called
inductive reasoning
deductive reasoning
theory
controlled testing
scientific method
Which of the following statements is not true about a hypothesis?
It is an explanation that accounts for careful observations
It is a proposition that might be true
It fits the known facts
It always withstands the test of experiments
It might be rejected in future in light of new information
A suggested explanation that might be true and is subject to testing by further observations is a(n)
experiment
generality
hypothesis
scientific principle
theory
Hypotheses which are consistent with the results of experimental testing are
accepted as scientific principles
accepted without further question
conditionally accepted
modified and reworked until true
rejected
The scientific process involves
the acceptance of all hypotheses
rejection of hypotheses that are inconsistent with experimental results.
the acceptance of only data consistent with the hypothesis
the acceptance of hypothesis as a fact even after subsequent non-confirmation with experimental results
the formulation of theories without experimentation or obtaining proof
To be valid, an experiment must not include
a variable that is altered in a specific way
a control.
both a control and a variable, which are treated in parallel
only one variable
more than one variable
Karl Popper suggested that scientists use "imaginative preconception," which means that successful scientists
often predict the outcome of experiments.
cannot predict the outcome of experiments
do not need to do experiments to test their ideas
do not keep records of experiments that fail.
only perform applied research.
The naturalist on the ship HMS Beagle was
Bacon
Darwin
Wallace
Johnson
Lyell
The proposal that one type of organism can change gradually into another type over a long period of time is known as
creativity
evolution
natural history
preconception
preservation
Which of the following was not one of the beliefs of Darwin's time?
Various organisms and their structures resulted from a creator's actions.
Species were unchangeable over the course of time.
The world is fixed and constant.
Operation of natural laws produces constant change and improvement.
A divine creator exists.
Darwin studied the different species of finches
on the Galapagos islands.
in southern South America.
in Great Britain.
in North America.
in the fossil beds.
Besides Darwin, the theory of evolution by means of natural selection was also independently proposed by
Alfred Wallace.
Charles Lyell.
Thomas Malthus.
Karl Popper.
Peter Raven.
Darwin described which of the following as "those individuals that possess superior physical, behavioral, or other attributes are more likely to survive than those that are not so well endowed," and thus more likely to pass their traits to the next generation?
biological diversity
geometric progression
natural selection
superior beings
survival of modifications
A key contribution to Darwin's thinking was the concept of limits put on the geometric growth of populations by nature, originally proposed by
Charles Lyell.
Thomas Malthus.
Karl Popper.
Peter Raven.
Russel Wallace.
Darwin's book in which he described his views on evolution is
Favoured Races.
Principles of Geology.
On the Principle of Population.
On the Origin of Species.
Survival of the Fittest.
Recent discoveries of microscopic fossils have extended the known history of life to about
3.5 billion years ago.
7.5 billion years ago.
a few thousand years ago.
10-15 billion years ago.
a few million years ago.
Modern pieces of evidence that corroborate Darwin's theory of evolution include all of the following except
new measurements of the age of the earth.
an understanding of the mechanism of heredity.
comparative studies of animal structures.
similarities in DNA of related species.
human population growth.
A critical requirement of Darwin's theory is
an uncontrolled growth in all species.
that the earth is relatively young.
all individuals of any given species be identical.
genetic variation is possible in nature.
all species are made at the same time.
The same basic array of bones is modified to give rise to the wing of a bat and the fin of a porpoise. Such anatomical structures are called
analogous
uniform
homologous
inherited
evolutionary modifications
Structures that have similar structure and function but different evolutionary origins are called
homologous
analogous
inherited
uniform
evolutionary modifications
The rate at which evolution is occurring cannot be estimated by
studying comparative anatomy
inferring that apes are related to humans
measuring the degree of difference in genetic coding
interpretation of the fossil record
Which of the following is not required for evolution to take place?
natural selection
adaptation
genetic variation
change over time
artificial breeding
One morning on your way to work your vehicle will not start. You swear at the car, but nothing happens. After recognizing that those types of words will not cause the car to start, you say to yourself, "I wonder if I left the lights on last night when I came home from work?"
What you said to yourself could be called a(n)
observation
hypothesis
experiment
data
question
The fact that your vehicle did not start when you tried to leave for work is best described as
an observation
a hypothesis.
an experiment.
data.
a question.
A medical scientist is designing an experiment to test the results of a new drug that she hypothesizes will greatly reduce and possibly eliminate the side effects of a new cancer treatment. If this experiment is to be set up correctly, she must
divide the patients into two groups and give each group the same amount of the new drug.
divide the patients into two groups and give one group the new drug and give the other group nothing.
divide the patients into two groups and give one group the new drug and the other group a drug that has no effect (for example, a tablet that only contains sugar).
divide the patients into two groups and give one group the new drug for one week and the other group a different drug for one week.
divide the patients into two groups and give one group the new drug for one week and the other group a different drug for one week.
The nature of science implies that
new scientific findings never change current thinking in society.
scientists are never sure of their findings and how to present these ideas to society.
new scientific findings may cause a change in current thinking in society.
science has much improvement to make before it can be used to change current thinking in society.
If you were to design a long-term research study to determine why there are no human births in Lapland during the months of August, September, and October, you would need to also examine a comparison population of humans in which births took place every month. The primary reason for including a comparison population within the design of this experiment would be to
accumulate more facts that could be reported to other scientists.
test the effects of more than one variable at the same time.
prove that there are no births in Lapland during August, September, and October.
act as a control that would ensure that the results obtained are due to a difference in only one variable.
Essay on the Principle of Population, written by Thomas Malthus in 1798, influenced Darwin's thoughts as he struggled to understand what mechanisms could be at work to produce evolution. Malthus proposed that populations of animals and plants, including humans,
increased arithmetically in numbers while the nutrients available only increased geometrically.
increased geometrically in numbers while the nutrients available only increased arithmetically.
decreased arithmetically in numbers while the nutrients available increased geometrically.
increased geometrically in numbers while the nutrients available increased arithmetically.
evolved from mainland to islands, thus explaining why the island flora and fauna resembled the mainland species so closely.
Darwin was a self-taught naturalist who gained much field experience during his five-year voyage on the HMS Beagle. Darwin's success as a naturalist can be attributed to
his disagreements with Alfred Russell Wallace about Wallace's ideas on evolution.
his immediate publication of his ideas on evolution after returning from his voyage on the HMS Beagle.
his ability to ask questions about his observations and to seek unifying principles to answer these questions.
his knowledge of the principles of genetics.
The scientific method involves making careful observations, asking questions, formulating hypotheses, collecting data, testing, and making conclusions about the collected data. Of the following statements about toxic wastes, select the choice that science cannot address.
Science can test for the presence of toxin in a river.
Science can determine the level of toxin that is lethal to fish in the river.
Science can say that a river should not be polluted.
Science can formulate hypotheses about how a river was polluted.
Science can determine the rate of mutations caused by toxins in a river.
Hierarchical organization in living organisms goes from lowest to highest in which of the following statements.
molecule; cell; organ; population; community
organelle, organism; community; population
atoms; cell; organism; ecosystem; species
ecosystem; population; organism; cell
cell; organ; tissue; species
Gingko trees may lose their leaves in response to decreasing day length.
deductive reasoning
experiment
hypothesis
inductive reasoning
theory
Plants adapt to seasonal changes in their surroundings.
deductive reasoning
experiment
hypothesis
inductive reasoning
theory
Plants are raised under artificial lights turned off and on by an electric clock. Some are given long periods of light, others short periods.
deductive reasoning
experiment
hypothesis
inductive reasoning
theory
Walnut trees may respond to the advancing season in the same way that Gingko trees do.
deductive reasoning
experiment
hypothesis
inductive reasoning
theory
Gingko trees are known to lose their leaves at a certain time each year throughout the United States. They must behave the same way in China.
deductive reasoning
experiment
hypothesis
inductive reasoning
theory
Which of the following is an example of applied scientific research?
Development of alternative fuels.
Identification of a new species of plant that may have medicinal purposes.
Characterization of a novel protein later found to be involved in the development of a neurological disease.
Documentation of fossils found in a specific archeological expedition.
The cell theory is one of the foundations of biology. Which of the following statements is not consistent with this theory?
All organisms are made up of more than one cell.
Cells arise from other cells through the process of cell division.
Cells carry genetic material passed to daughter cells during cellular division.
Energy flow (metabolism and biochemistry) occurs within cells.
An alien from another planet landed on earth. He is fascinated by cars and is determined to figure out how they work. He decides to disassemble one of them and examine each part independently. He removes one of the tires and proceeds to learn all he can about the tire. He then removes one of the headlights and proceeds to learn all he can about the headlight. What type of approach is this alien taking to learn about the car?
reductionism
deductive reasoning
inductive reasoning
relativisms
While you are riding the ski lift up to the top of the mountain on a very cold day you start to shiver involuntarily. You know that the shivering is your body’s attempt to help regulate your body temperature and is an example of what type of mechanism?
energy utilization
sensitivity
homeostasis
evolutionary adaptation
You have been assigned to address a problem of overpopulation of species X in a nearby county. One of the members of your team suggests introducing species Y, which is a natural predator of species X, but not normally found in the area. After some discussion, you go ahead and introduce species Y. What aspects of the hierarchical organization may be affected within a period of a several years?
population, species, community
population, community
population, species, community, biosphere
organism, population, species
You have been assigned to analyze some extraterrestrial material recently collected from Mars. After examining a sample using a microscope you jump up excitedly and shout to your colleagues that you have confirmed the existence of life on Mars. One of your colleagues takes a look at your sample and remarks that all he sees is a single-celled blob with little internal structure. Assuming that life on Mars can be classified into similar domains and kingdoms as Earth, to which domain does your blob belong?
bacteria
fungi
protista
archea
Why was the determination of the actual sequence of the human genome considered to be descriptive science?
hypothesis-driven
It did not involve hypothesis-driven research.
It involved deductive reasoning.
It did not involve deductive reasoning.
Birth and death rates of populations are not constant with time. If the birth rate exceeds the death rate, then the population increases with time. If the death rate exceeds the birth rate, the population decreases with time. Death rates can change unexpectedly due to all of the following conditions except
disease
advances in medicine.
fertility rates.
war
You look outside and realize that your grass needs to be mowed. You pick up the container of gasoline and see that you have approximately a third of a gallon left. You hypothesize that this amount will be enough to mow your entire lawn. Unfortunately, half way through mowing your lawn you run out of gasoline. You grumble and think to yourself that next time you mow the lawn, you will make sure to have at least two-thirds of a gallon of gasoline available. How did the results your lawn-mowing experience influence the validity of your hypothesis of gasoline needs in the future?
Your prediction of future gas needs is based on experimental data and therefore increases the validity of your hypothesis.
The hypothesis was invalidated by your experimental evidence.
Your hypothesis was supported by trial and error. One more trial added to your data set.
Your prediction proved that your hypothesis is correct.
Why is it necessary take an interdisciplinary approach to studying biology?
Many hands make light work.
Research methods used to solve many biological questions often require a number of different types of approaches and the expertise of a variety of scientists.
An interdisciplinary approach is the only way we can further our biological knowledge.
How does peer review influence the development of scientific theories?
Peer review allows other scientists to know what is current in their field.
Careful evaluation of research results by other scientists ensures that only solid and legitimate research results are published, and helps prevent faulty research or false claims from being viewed as scientific fact.
Peer review increases competition among scientists and thus increases the quality of the published work.
Peer review makes it extremely difficult for work to be published other than earth-shattering scientific theories.
