Biology Trivia Questions for Students — page 3

Chemical substances released by organisms that elicit a physiological or behavioral response in other members of the same species are known as

• Aenzymes
• Bpheromones
• Chormones
• Dauxins

Two unrelated species evolve in a way that makes them more similar.

• AParallel evolution
• BDivergent evolution
• CConvergent evolution
• DCoevolution

Which of the following changes in a gamete is most likely to lead to a heritable change in a protein?

• ADeleting two nucleotides from the middle of an intron
• BAdding two nucleotides to the poly(A) tail of an mRNA
• CDeleting two nucleotides immediately upstream of a gene promoter
• DInserting two nucleotides in the genome at the beginning of a codon

The acrosome and cortical reactions that occur immediately after fertilization ensure which of the following?

• AThe zygote will begin to divide normally.
• BThe sperm will fertilize the ovum.
• COne and only one sperm will fertilize the egg.
• DThe zygote will not divide into two embryos, producing twins.

Memory loss would most likely be due to a malfunction of which part of the brain?

• AMedulla
• BCerebellum
• CPons
• DCerebrum

Transpiration is a result of special properties of water. The special properties of water include all of the following EXCEPT

• Aadhesion
• Bhydrophobicity
• Ccohesion
• Dcapillary action

In a certain population of squirrels that is in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, black color is a recessive phenotype present in 9 percent of the squirrels, and 91 percent are gray. What percentage of the population is homozygous dominant for this trait?

• A30 percent
• B70 percent
• C21 percent
• D49 percent

Which of the following best explains why a population is described as the evolutionary unit?

• ANatural selection affects individuals, not populations.
• BIndividuals cannot evolve, but populations can.
• CGenetic changes can only occur at the population level.
• DThe gene pool in a population remains fixed over time.

A student conducts an experiment to test the efficiency of a certain enzyme. Which of the following protocols would probably not result in a change in the enzyme's efficiency?

• APlacing the substrate and enzyme in a container with double the capacity
• BAdding substrate but not enzyme
• CAdding an acidic solution to the setup
• DBringing the temperature of the experimental setup from 20°C to 50°C

Logically, which of these should cast the most doubt on the relationships depicted by an evolutionary tree?

• ASome of the organisms depicted by the tree had lived in different habitats.
• BRelationships between DNA sequences among the species did not match relationships between skeletal patterns.
• CNone of the organisms depicted by the tree ate the same foods.
• DThe skeletal remains of the organisms depicted by the tree were incomplete (i.e., some bones were missing).

A mutation in a bacterial enzyme changed a previously polar amino acid into a nonpolar amino acid. This amino acid was located at a site distant from the enzyme's active site. How might this mutation alter the enzyme's substrate specificity?

• ABy changing the shape of the protein
• BBy changing the enzyme's location in the cell
• CAn amino acid change away from the active site cannot alter the enzyme's substrate specificity.
• DBy changing the enzyme's pH optimum

A population undergoes a shift in which those who are really tall and those who are really short decrease in relative frequency compared to those of medium size, due to a change in the availability of resources. This is an example of

• Astabilizing selection.
• Bdisruptive selection.
• Csympatric speciation.
• Ddirectional selection.

In DNA replication, which of the following does NOT occur?

• ARNA polymerase is used to elongate both chains of the helix.
• BHelicase unwinds the double helix.
• CDNA strands grow in the 5' to 3' direction.
• DDNA ligase links the Okazaki fragments.

Convergent evolution is best exemplified by which of the following?

• AThe presence of a notochord in all chordate embryos
• BThe leaves of an oak tree and the spines of a cactus
• CThe wings of an insect and the wings of a bird
• DThe pectoral fins of fish and the front legs of cats

Nymphaea odorata, a water lily, is an aquatic plant whose leaves and flowers float on the surface of the water. Which of the following characteristics would be expected for leaves of this plant?

• Astomata on the top surface and relatively few water-conducting (xylem) cells
• Bstomata on the top surface and relatively many water-conducting (xylem) cells
• Cstomata on the bottom surface and relatively few water-conducting (xylem) cells
• Dstomata on the bottom surface and relatively many water-conducting (xylem) cells

Two individuals, one with type B blood and one with type AB blood, have a child. The probability that the child has type O blood is

• A25%
• B0%
• C50%
• D100%

All of the following organs in the digestive system secrete digestive enzymes EXCEPT the

• Asmall intestine
• Bmouth
• Cstomach
• Dgall bladder

If the HMS Beagle had completely bypassed the Galapagos Islands, Darwin would have had a much poorer understanding of the

• Atendency of organisms to produce the exact number of offspring that the environment can support.
• Brelative stability of a well-adapted population's numbers over many generations.
• Cability of populations to undergo modification as they adapt to a particular environment.
• Dunlimited resources that support population growth in most natural environments.

Refer to question 15 for details on the squirrel population. Which of the following conditions is required to keep this population in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium?

• AGene flow
• BRandom mating
• CGenetic drift
• DMutation

The light reactions of photosynthesis supply the Calvin cycle with which of the following?

• AThe light reactions provide oxygen for the light-independent reactions.
• BCO2 released by the light-dependent reactions provides the raw material for the Calvin cycle.
• CWater entering the plant through the roots provides hydrogen directly to the Calvin cycle.
• DATP and NADPH provide the power and raw materials for the Calvin cycle.

Which of the following best explains why people can digest starch but cannot digest cellulose even though both molecules are composed of glucose monomers?

• AMolecules of starch are much smaller than molecules of cellulose.
• BThe bonds linking the monomers of starch differ in shape from the bonds linking the monomers of cellulose.
• CStarch is hydrated by water, but cellulose is not.
• DStarch is an intracellular molecule, while cellulose is an extracellular molecule.

The average birth weight for human babies is about 3 kg. Which of the following terms best describes this?

• Adisruptive selection
• Bartificial selection
• Cdirectional selection
• Dstabilizing selection

If a forest of fir, birch, and white spruce trees was devastated by fire, which of the following would most likely happen?

• ASecondary succession would begin to occur.
• BOnly animal life would continue to inhabit the region.
• COnly tough grasses would appear.
• DThe number of species would stabilize as the ecosystem matures.

Which of the following is (are) required when performing a polymerase chain reaction (P C R) on a DNA sample?

• AA vacuum chamber
• BPrimers complementary to certain portions of the DNA
• CDNA ligase
• DReverse transcriptase

Which of these evolutionary agents is most consistent at causing populations to become better suited to their environments over the course of generations?

• ANatural selection
• BNon-random mating
• CMutation
• DGene flow

Lampreys attach to the skin of lake trout and absorb nutrients from its body. This relationship is an example of

• Aparasitism
• Bmutualism
• Cgravitropism
• Dcommensalism

All of the following are stimulated by the sympathetic nervous system EXCEPT

• Aincreased secretion of the sweat glands
• Bconstriction of blood vessels
• Cdilation of the pupil of the eye
• Dincreased peristalsis in the gastrointestinal tract

Which of the following statements most detracts from the claim that the human appendix is a completely vestigial organ?

• AIndividuals with a larger-than-average appendix leave fewer offspring than those with a below-average-sized appendix.
• BThe appendix has a substantial amount of defensive lymphatic tissue.
• CThe appendix can be surgically removed with no immediate ill effects.
• DThe appendix might have been larger in fossil hominids.

An animal cell that is permeable to water but not salts has an internal NaCl concentration of 10%. If placed in freshwater the cell will

• Aendocytose water into a large central vacuole
• Bplasmolyze
• Cswell and eventually lyse
• Dshrivel

The energy given up by electrons as they move through the electron transport chain is used to

• Amake NADH
• Bbreak down glucose
• Cmake glucose
• Dproduce ATP

In humans, fertilization normally occurs in the

• Afallopian tube
• Bplacenta
• Covary
• Duterus

Which of the following is a biotic factor that could affect the growth rate of a population?

• ADestruction of the ozone layer
• BVolcanic eruption
• CGlacier melting
• DSudden reduction in the animal food resource

Organisms in which of the following phyla have a true coelom?

• AAnnelida
• BNematoda
• CPorifera
• DPlatyhelminthes

According to the heterotroph hypothesis, which event had to occur before oxygen filled the atmosphere?

• AHeterotrophs had to remove carbon dioxide from the air.
• BHeterotrophs had to evolve.
• CAutotrophs had to convert atmospheric nitrogen to nitrate.
• DAutotrophs, which make their own food, had to evolve.

All of the following are examples of hydrolysis EXCEPT

• Aconversion of proteins to amino acids
• Bconversion of starch to simple sugars
• Cconversion of fats to fatty acids and glycerol
• Dconversion of pyruvic acid to acetyl CoA

All of the following statements describe the unique characteristics of water EXCEPT

• Ait is a hydrophobic solvent
• Bit can dissociate into hydrogen ions and hydroxide ions
• Cit forms hydrogen bonds with disaccharides
• Dit is a polar solvent

Which of the following are characteristics of both bacteria and fungi?

• APlasma membrane, multicellularity, and Golgi apparatus
• BNucleus, organelles, and unicellularity
• CCell wall, unicellularity, and mitochondria
• DCell wall, DNA, and plasma membrane

Which of the following characteristics would allow you to distinguish a prokaryotic cell from an animal cell?

• ARibosomes
• BChloroplasts
• CCell membrane
• DCell wall

Which of the following statements best summarizes evolution as it is viewed today?

• AIt is goal-directed.
• BIt represents the result of selection for acquired characteristics.
• CIt is synonymous with the process of gene flow.
• DIt is the differential survival and reproduction of the most-fit phenotypes.

Basepair sequence that signals the start site for gene transcription.

• AEnhancer
• BPromoter
• COperator
• DRepressor

Which of the following does NOT take place in the small intestine?

• APepsin breaks down proteins to amino acids.
• BPancreatic lipase breaks down fats to fatty acids and glycerol.
• CPancreatic amylase breaks down carbohydrates into simple sugars.
• DBile emulsifies fats into smaller fat particles.

Which of the following would most likely describe the fate of a vesicle formed as a result of phagocytosis?

• AThe vesicle merges with a mitochondrion.
• BThe vesicle merges with a lysosome.
• CThe vesicle releases its contents to the cytoplasm to be digested.
• DThe vesicle is shuttled to the nucleus, and its contents become part of the nucleolus.

Which of the following statements about lipids is correct?

• AUnsaturated fatty acids are linked to heart disease.
• BLipids make up most cell surface receptors.
• CSteroids are lipids that consist of glycerol and fatty acids.
• DPhospholipids are water soluble.

A lizard lacking a chemical defense mechanism that is colored in the same way as a lizard that has a defense mechanism is displaying

• Aaposometric coloration.
• BBatesian mimicry.
• CMüllerian mimicry.
• Dcryptic coloration.

What was the prevailing notion prior to the time of Lyell and Darwin?

• AEarth is a few thousand years old, and populations are unchanging.
• BEarth is a few thousand years old, and populations gradually change.
• CEarth is millions of years old, and populations rapidly change.
• DEarth is millions of years old, and populations are unchanging.

Which aspects of cell structure best reveals the unity of all life?

• AAll cells are surrounded by a plasma membrane.
• BAll cells carry out cellular respiration in mitochondria.
• CThe surface-to-volume ratio of all cells is the same.
• DAll cells have at least one nucleus.

Which of the following is most correct concerning cell differentiation in vertebrates?

• ADifferences in the timing and expression levels of different genes leads to structural and functional differences.
• BCells in different tissues contain different sets of genes, leading to structural and functional differences.
• CDifferences between tissues result from spontaneous morphogenesis.
• DDifferences in the reading frame of mRNA leads to structural and functional differences.

Which of the following statements about post-transcriptional modification are incorrect?

• APosttranscriptional modification occurs in the cytoplasm.
• BA poly-A tail is added to the 3′ end of the mRNA.
• CA guanine cap is added to the 5′ end of the mRNA.
• DIntrons are removed from the mRNA.

The Darwinian fitness of an individual is measured most directly by

• Athe number of "good genes" it possesses.
• Bthe number of its offspring that survive to reproduce.
• Cits physical strength.
• Dthe number of mates it attracts.

Similar evolutionary changes occurring in two species that can be related or unrelated.

• ACoevolution
• BDivergent evolution
• CConvergent evolution
• DParallel evolution