Question 1

Which of the following correctly describes the forms by which energy flows through an ecosystem from entry to exit?
A) heat → chemical → heat
B) light → heat → chemical
C) light → chemical → heat
D) chemical → heat → light

Accepted Answer

Energy enters an ecosystem in the form of sunlight (light) which is then converted into chemical energy (usually through photosynthesis). The chemical energy flows through the ecosystem through the consumption of organisms, and ultimately exits as heat (which is a form of energy).

Question 2

All of the organisms inhabiting a particular ecosystem are known as
A) a biological system.
B) a biosphere.
C) a biological community.
D) a population.

Accepted Answer

A biological community refers to all of the different species living and interacting with one another in a particular ecosystem. It is a broader term than population, which refers to just one species, and biosphere, which refers to the entire global ecosystem. A biological system is not a commonly used term in ecology.

Question 3

The primary source of energy for producers in an ecosystem is
A) light energy.
B) kinetic energy.
C) thermal energy.
D) chemical energy.
E) ATP.

Accepted Answer

Producers in an ecosystem, such as plants and algae, are able to convert light energy from the sun into chemical energy through the process of photosynthesis. This chemical energy is then used as a primary source of food and energy for other organisms in the ecosystem.

Question 4

Which of these individuals is likely to be most successful in an evolutionary sense?
A) a reproductively sterile individual who never falls ill
B) an organism that dies after five days of life but leaves ten offspring, all of whom survive to reproduce
C) a male who mates with 20 females and fathers one offspring
D) an organism that lives 100 years and leaves two offspring, both of whom survive to reproduce
E) a female who mates with 20 males and produces two offspring who live to reproduce

Accepted Answer

Success in an evolutionary sense is measured by the number of offspring an individual leaves behind who survive to reproduce. Option B clearly satisfies this criterion as the organism leaves behind ten offspring, all of whom survive to reproduce. The other options either have very low reproductive success or do not ensure the survival of the offspring.

Question 5

Organisms interact with their environments, exchanging matter and energy. For example, plant chloroplasts convert the energy of sunlight to
A) the energy of motion.
B) carbon dioxide and water.
C) chemical energy.
D) oxygen.
E) kinetic energy.

Accepted Answer

Plant chloroplasts use the energy of sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose (a sugar) through the process of photosynthesis. The energy captured from sunlight is stored in the chemical bonds of glucose, making it a form of chemical energy.

Question 6

Which of the following is a distinguishing characteristic of fungi?
A) obtaining nutrients by absorbing them from the environment
B) obtaining nutrients by ingesting other organisms
C) producing sugars by photosynthesis
D) living in extreme environments like boiling hot springs

Accepted Answer

Fungi obtain nutrients by absorbing them from the environment, unlike animals that ingest other organisms and plants that produce sugars by photosynthesis. Fungi also do not necessarily inhabit extreme environments like boiling hot springs, as many species can be found in various habitats.

Question 7

All of the individuals of the same species living within a specified area is known as a
A) community.
B) ecosystem.
C) family.
D) population.

Accepted Answer

A population is a group of individuals of the same species living within a defined geographical area. A community is a group of populations of different species living in the same area. An ecosystem includes all living and non-living things in a given area. Family refers to a group of related organisms, usually within the same species.

Question 8

Burning of fossil fuels releases large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO₂) into the atmosphere. Approximately what proportion of this CO₂ remains in the atmosphere, contributing to the trapping of heat close to the Earth's surface?
A) less than 1%
B) 5%
C) 50%
D) 90%

Accepted Answer

Approximately 50% of the CO₂ released from burning fossil fuels remains in the atmosphere, contributing to the greenhouse effect and global warming. The rest is absorbed by oceans and terrestrial ecosystems.

Question 9

All of the living things on Earth along with all of the places where life exists is known as
A) an ecosystem.
B) the biosphere.
C) a biological community.
D) a population.

Accepted Answer

The biosphere refers to all of the living things on Earth as well as all the places where life exists. It includes all ecosystems and biological communities, as well as non-living components such as air, water, and soil. Therefore, option B is the correct answer.

Question 10

All of the living things in a particular area along with all of the nonliving aspects of the environment with which organisms interact is known as
A) an ecosystem.
B) the biosphere.
C) a biological community.
D) a population.

Accepted Answer

An ecosystem includes all living things in a particular area (biological community) as well as all nonliving aspects of the environment with which those organisms interact (abiotic factors). The biosphere refers to all of the Earth's ecosystems, while a population refers to a specific group of individuals of the same species in a given area.

Question 11

Which of the following types of cells lack a nucleus?
A) animal
B) plant
C) archaea
D) fungi
E) protists

Accepted Answer

Archaea are prokaryotic cells that lack a true nucleus. Animal, plant, fungi, and protist cells are eukaryotic, meaning they have a true nucleus.

Question 12

In her studies of chimpanzee behavior, Jane Goodall collected both qualitative and quantitative data. Which of the following is an example of quantitative data?
A) Chimpanzees typically travel together in small groups.
B) Pairs of animals take turns grooming each other.
C) Young chimpanzees play games in the trees and on the ground.
D) Mothers and their infants typically nap for two to three hours each afternoon.

Accepted Answer

Quantitative data is numerical in nature, so the fact that mothers and their infants nap for two to three hours each afternoon is an example of quantitative data. Choices A, B, and C are examples of qualitative data, which is descriptive in nature.

Question 13

Membrane-enclosed components of cells that carry out specialized functions are
A) tissues.
B) organs.
C) organelles.
D) molecules.

Accepted Answer

Membrane-enclosed components that carry out specialized functions are known as organelles. Tissues refer to a group of cells that work together to perform a specific function, while organs are structures made up of multiple tissues that perform a specialized function. Molecules are the smallest unit of a chemical compound and do not typically refer to membrane-enclosed components of cells.

Question 14

A single-celled organism isolated from a deep-sea, hot thermal vent was found to have a cell wall but lacked a nucleus. This organism is most likely a member of which of the following domains?
A) Eukarya
B) Archaea
C) Animalia
D) Protista
E) Fungi

Accepted Answer

Organisms that lack a nucleus and have a cell wall are classified as prokaryotes. They can be further classified into two domains: Bacteria and Archaea. Since the organism was isolated from a hot thermal vent, it is likely that it belongs to the domain Archaea, as these organisms are typically found in extreme environments. The other answer choices (Eukarya, Animalia, Protista, and Fungi) all refer to eukaryotic organisms, which have a nucleus and do not have a cell wall.

Question 15

Living things are divided into three different domains. Which of these domains are classified as prokaryotes?
A) Bacteria and Eukarya
B) Archaea and Monera
C) Eukarya and Monera
D) Bacteria and Protista
E) Bacteria and Archaea

Accepted Answer

The two domains that are classified as prokaryotes are Bacteria and Archaea. Monera is an outdated kingdom that was once used to classify certain prokaryotic organisms, but it has since been discredited as taxonomically invalid. Eukarya is the domain that contains all eukaryotic organisms. Protista is a diverse kingdom within the domain Eukarya that includes both unicellular and multicellular organisms.

Question 16

Charles Darwin proposed that "descent with modification" resulted when organisms of a particular species become adapted to their environment because they possess
A) nonheritable traits that enhance survival and decrease their reproductive success in the local environment.
B) nonheritable traits that enhance their survival and reproductive success in the local environment.
C) heritable traits that enhance their survival and reproductive success in the local environment.
D) heritable traits that enhance their survival and decrease their reproductive success in the local environment.

Accepted Answer

Darwin proposed that the mechanism of evolution was based on natural selection, where organisms possessing heritable traits that enhance their survival and reproductive success in their local environment will have higher chances of passing these traits to their offspring, resulting in a larger proportion of the population having these beneficial traits over time. Therefore, heritable traits that enhance survival and reproductive success in the local environment are the key components of Darwin's theory. Choices A and D are non-heritable traits that cannot be passed on to offspring, while Choice B does not account for the heritability of the traits.

Question 17

Over time, the lineage that led to modern whales shows a change from four-limbed land animals to aquatic animals with two limbs that function as flippers. This change is best explained by
A) an emergent property.
B) reductionism.
C) the hierarchy of the biological organization of life.
D) natural selection.

Accepted Answer

The best explanation for the change from four-limbed land animals to aquatic animals with two limbs that function as flippers in the lineage that led to modern whales is natural selection. This process involves the gradual accumulation of small genetic changes over many generations that confer advantages for survival and reproduction in an aquatic environment, leading to the evolution of more streamlined aquatic organisms with modified limbs.

Question 18

Investigating the molecular structure of DNA in order to understand the chemical basis of inheritance is an example of which approach utilized in the study of biology?
A) systems biology
B) emergent properties
C) reductionism
D) mutualism

Accepted Answer

Reductionism is an approach in biology that aims to understand complex biological systems by breaking them down into smaller, more manageable components. By investigating the molecular structure of DNA, researchers are using reductionism to understand the chemical basis of inheritance.

Question 19

Strong evidence in support of the common ancestry of all life comes from
A) the fact that decomposers include both bacteria and fungi.
B) the ability of plants to convert light energy to chemical energy.
C) the existence of a nearly universal genetic code.
D) the universal use of protein catalysts by all cells.

Accepted Answer

The existence of a nearly universal genetic code, where all living organisms use the same DNA triplet code to specify amino acids, strongly suggests a common ancestry of all life. This is because such a code is unlikely to have evolved separately in different lineages, and instead suggests a single origin of life from which all organisms ultimately descended. The other choices, while they may also support the idea of a shared ancestry among living organisms, are not as universally applicable and do not provide as compelling evidence.

Question 20

Which of the following was Charles Darwin's most significant original contribution to understanding both the unity and diversity of life?
A) He documented examples of organisms that had evolved over time.
B) He proposed a mechanism to explain the process of evolution.
C) He explained the relationship between genes and evolution.
D) He observed that individuals in a population generally displayed variation for a number of traits.
E) He suggested that survival depends upon competition.

Accepted Answer

Charles Darwin's most significant original contribution to understanding both the unity and diversity of life was proposing a mechanism to explain the process of evolution, which he called natural selection. This mechanism explains how populations evolve over time and how new species arise, which accounts for the diversity of life.

Quiz 1: Introduction: Evolution and the Foundations of Biology

Which of the following correctly describes the forms by which energy flows through an ecosystem from entry to exit?

All of the organisms inhabiting a particular ecosystem are known as

The primary source of energy for producers in an ecosystem is

Which of these individuals is likely to be most successful in an evolutionary sense?

Organisms interact with their environments, exchanging matter and energy. For example, plant chloroplasts convert the energy of sunlight to

Which of the following is a distinguishing characteristic of fungi?

All of the individuals of the same species living within a specified area is known as a

Burning of fossil fuels releases large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO₂) into the atmosphere. Approximately what proportion of this CO₂ remains in the atmosphere, contributing to the trapping of heat close to the Earth's surface?

All of the living things on Earth along with all of the places where life exists is known as

All of the living things in a particular area along with all of the nonliving aspects of the environment with which organisms interact is known as

Which of the following types of cells lack a nucleus?

In her studies of chimpanzee behavior, Jane Goodall collected both qualitative and quantitative data. Which of the following is an example of quantitative data?

Membrane-enclosed components of cells that carry out specialized functions are

A single-celled organism isolated from a deep-sea, hot thermal vent was found to have a cell wall but lacked a nucleus. This organism is most likely a member of which of the following domains?

Living things are divided into three different domains. Which of these domains are classified as prokaryotes?

Charles Darwin proposed that "descent with modification" resulted when organisms of a particular species become adapted to their environment because they possess

Over time, the lineage that led to modern whales shows a change from four-limbed land animals to aquatic animals with two limbs that function as flippers. This change is best explained by

Investigating the molecular structure of DNA in order to understand the chemical basis of inheritance is an example of which approach utilized in the study of biology?

Strong evidence in support of the common ancestry of all life comes from

Which of the following was Charles Darwin's most significant original contribution to understanding both the unity and diversity of life?