Biology Trivia Questions — page 11

Which of the following statements is true of the pupillary light reflex?

• AIts afferent limb is carried in the oculomotor nerve
• BIt is a consensual reflex
• CIt is mediated by the inferior colliculi in the midbrain
• DIts efferent limb is carried in the optic nerve

A heterotroph

• Aobtains its energy from sunlight, harnessed by pigments
• Bmakes organic molecules from CO2
• Cobtains its energy by oxidizing organic molecules
• Dobtains its energy by consuming exclusively autotrophs

All of the following play a role in morphogenesis EXCEPT

• Aapoptosis
• Boperons
• Chomeotic genes
• Dinductive effects

The best place to listen to the general heart sound with a stethoscope is the

• Afifth left intercostal space in the midclavicular line.
• Bsternum midway between the sternal angle and xiphisternum.
• Cthird left rib at its junction with the sternum.
• Dsecond left intercostal space one inch from the sternum.

The higher the proportion of loci that are "fixed" in a population, the lower is that population's

• Agenetic polyploidy.
• Bnucleotide variability.
• CA and C only
• Daverage heterozygosity.

The physician directs the medical assistant to complete a request form for an X-ray study of the fibula. The procedure will be performed on which of the following structures?

• ALower leg
• BThigh
• CHeel
• DToes

To prevent desiccation and injury, the embryos of terrestrial vertebrates are encased within a fluid secreted by the

• Ayolk sac
• Ballantois
• Camnion
• Dchorion

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

Photosynthesis requires

• AO2, water, light
• Blight, CO2, water
• Cwater, soil, O2
• Dglucose, light, CO2

In the brain stem, pathways for:

• Adiscriminative touch decussate in the pyramids.
• Bnociception decussate in the medial lemniscus
• Cskilled movements decussate in the medial lemniscus
• Dskilled motor movements decussate in the pyramids.

Apoptosis, which is programmed cell death, is a necessary process in living organisms. Which of the following is NOT correct about apoptosis?

• AA cell carries out apoptosis when too many mutations have accumulated.
• BIt occurs randomly.
• CPlant cells carry out apoptosis as a defense measure in cells that have been infected by parasites.
• DA particular cell dies when it is no longer needed by the organism.

Which of the following provides visual evidence of genetic recombination during meiosis?

• ACentromeres
• BHaploid nuclei
• CChiasmata
• DSynaptonemal complexes

The allele associated with sickle cell anemia apparently reached a high frequency in some human populations due to:

• Arandom mating
• Bsuperior fitness of heterozygotes in areas where malaria was present
• Ca high mutation rate at that specific gene
• Dmigration of individuals with the allele into other populations

A piece of potato is dropped into a beaker of pure water. Which of the following describes the initial condition when the potato enters the water?

• AThe water potential of the potato is positive.
• BThe water potential of the pure water is positive.
• CThe water potential of the pure water is negative.
• DThe water potential of the potato is negative.

A child with type A B blood inherits an IA allele from one parent and an IB allele from the other. The child will carry both A and B glycoproteins on the surface of all red blood cells. This pattern of expression is referred to as

• Alinkage
• Bpolygenic
• Ccodominance
• Depistasis

Which of the following conditions is characterized by the presence of kidney stones (renal calculi)?

• AInterstitial nephritis
• BGlomerulonephritis
• CPolycystic kidney
• DNephrolithiasis

A "dished face" profile is often associated with

• Adefective development of the maxillary air sinus.
• Ban enlarged frontal bone due to hydrocephaly.
• Ca recessive maxilla due to failure of elongation of the cranial base.
• Da protruding mandible due to reactivation of the condylar cartilage by acromegaly.

A patient is stabbed in the neck. You suspect damage to the accessory nerve in the posterior triangle. You would test nerve function by asking the patient to

• Aextend their neck without impairment.
• Blift their shoulders without impairment.
• Clift their shoulders against resistance.
• Dextend their neck against resistance.

Fungi participate in each of the following EXCEPT

• Aassociation with humans to produce ringworm
• Bphotosynthesis to produce glucose
• Cassociation with the roots of plants to form mycorrhizae
• Dfermentation to produce alcohol

DNA sequences in many human genes are very similar to the sequences of corresponding genes in chimpanzees. The most likely explanation for this result is that

• Ahumans evolved from chimpanzees.
• Bconvergent evolution led to the DNA similarities.
• Chumans and chimpanzees share a relatively recent common ancestor.
• Dchimpanzees evolved from humans.

A homeotic mutation is one which

• Aresults in development of a tumor
• Bis wild type at one temperature and abnormal at another
• Csubstitutes one body part for another in development
• Dis present in only one form in an individual

All viruses contain at least these two principal components:

• ADNA and cell membrane
• BDNA and proteins
• CRNA and cell wall
• Dnucleic acid and a capsid

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 techniques could be used to demonstrate protein binding to specific DNA sequences?

• ASouthern blot hybridization
• BElectrophoretic mobility shift assay
• CNorthern blot hybridization
• DWestern blot hybridization

Which of the following traits do prokaryotes and eukaryotes have in common?

• AA single chromosome carries the entire genome.
• BReplication is bidirectional.
• CChromosomes are circular.
• DMolecular weight of respective DNA is comparable.

The major difference between cartilage and bone is that cartilage

• Ais composed of collagen and salts
• Bis a part of the skeletal system
• Clacks blood vessels and nerves
• Dsecretes a matrix

Which of the following disorders is not suitable for population carrier screening?

• ATay-Sachs disease
• BCystic fibrosis
• COculocutaneous albinism
• DSickle cell disease

Assuming that the level of glucose is low, a mutation in the repressor associated with the lac operon of E. coli which prevents binding of the repressor to lactose should result in:

• Alack of expression or reduced expression of the lac operon genes under all circumstances
• Bconstitutive expression of the lac operon genes
• Cexpression of the genes only when lactose is present
• Dexpression of the genes only when lactose is absent

A prokaryote that is thermophilic and methanogenic and has isoprenylglycerol ethers in its membrane instead of phospholipids is most likely

• Aa proteobacterium
• Ba member of the genus Chlamydia
• Ca spirochete
• Dan archaeon

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.

The soils of which of the following biomes has the highest rate of leaching and cycling of nutrients?

• ATundra
• BDesert
• CTropical rain forest
• DTaiga

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

• AParallel evolution
• BDivergent evolution
• CConvergent evolution
• DCoevolution

Darwin's mechanism of natural selection required long time spans in order to modify species. From whom did Darwin get the concept of Earth's ancient age?

• ACharles Lyell
• BAlfred Wallace
• CGeorges Cuvier
• DThomas Malthus

Which of the following findings on prenatal ultrasound examination would not raise suspicion of a chromosome abnormality?

• ADuodenal atresia
• BHydrops fetalis
• CMonozygotic twins
• DHoloprosencephaly

A cell is placed into a hypertonic environment and its cytoplasm shrivels up. This demonstrates the principle of

• Aplasmolysis.
• Bfacilitated diffusion.
• Cdiffusion.
• Dactive transport.

Which of one of the following statements about the postnatal growth of the maxilla is correct?

• AThe zygomaticomaxillary sutures contribute to increase in height and length of the maxilla
• BSpace is created for the eruption of the permanent molars by resorption of the maxillary tuberosity
• CPneumatisation by enlargement of the developing maxillary sinus ceases at puberty
• DThe intermaxillary suture closes about eight years postnatally

During oxidative phosphorylation, the energy needed to drive ATP synthesis comes from one source. Which of the following statements states the immediate source of that energy?

• AThe bonding of electrons to oxygen at the end of the chain releases energy.
• BThe transfer of a phosphate group to ADP is exergonic.
• CThe proton gradient across the membrane where the ATP synthase is embedded represents potential energy.
• DElectrons flow down an electron transport chain as they are attracted to oxygen.

Which of the following terms describes the motion of bending the forearm toward the body?

• AEversion
• BAbduction
• CPronation
• DFlexion

All of the following are modes of asexual reproduction EXCEPT

• Ameiosis
• Bfission
• Csporulation
• Dbudding

The coronary arteries

• Aarise from the ascending aorta and fill during diastole.
• Barise from the arch of the aorta and fill during systole.
• Carise from the ascending aorta and fill during systole.
• Darise from the arch of the aorta and fill during diastole.

In plants, proton pumps are involved in the process of loading sugars into the phloem for transport. Which of the following is true about this process?

• AIt is passive.
• BIt depends on DNA.
• CIt translocates starch.
• DIt requires ATP.

The synthesis of new proteins necessary for lactose utilization by the bacterium E. coli using the lac operon is regulated

• Aat the transcription stage
• Bat the translation stage
• Cby the synthesis of additional ribosomes
• Dby differential replication of the DNA that codes for lactose-utilizing mechanisms

Which of the following would most likely provide examples of mitotic cell divisions?

• Alongitudinal section of a shoot tip
• Bcross section of a leaf
• Ccross section of an anther (site of pollen production in a flower)
• Dcross section of muscle tissue

At which of the following locations does bile enter the digestive tract?

• AJejunum
• BIleocecum
• CGastroesophageal sphincter
• DDuodenum

Which of the following cavities are separated by the diaphragm?

• APericardial and pleural
• BThoracic and abdominal
• CCranial and spinal
• DAbdominal and pelvic

Which of the following properties is responsible for holding together the water molecules in a vertical column of water in xylem vessels of a plant?

• Athe strong cohesion property of cellulose in the xylem cell wall
• Bthe high heat capacity of water
• Cthe strong cohesion of property of water
• Dthe strong adhesion property of water

Which of the following is not a chromosome instability syndrome?

• ABloom syndrome
• BKlinefelter syndrome
• CFanconi anaemia
• DAtaxia telangiectasia

Which of the following conditions is a peroxisomal disorder?

• AMedium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency
• BZellweger syndrome
• CAcute intermittent porphyria
• DMaple syrup urine disease

A plant grows in the opposite direction of the gravitational force. This is an example of

• Apositive phototropism
• Bpositive thignotropism
• Cnegative gravitropism
• Dnegative phototropism

Which of the following statements is NOT correct about ancient Earth?

• AThe first cells formed about 3? billion years ago, according to the fossil record.
• BEarth was formed about 4? billion years ago.
• CThe presence of free oxygen facilitated the rapid formation of organic molecules.
• DAmino acid synthesis could have been stimulated by volcanic eruption.