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Practice Questions Set 1

These are examples of the types of questions you may see on the exam. You can discuss
these questions on the discussion board on Blackboard.

Questions 1-4 refer to the scenario below.

It was 1524. The Italian surgeon Gregorio Caravita offered Pope Clement VII a
medicinal oil he had prepared as an antidote to poison. There were good reasons for the
pope to fear poisoning. So, instead of dismissing Caravita’s unlikely claim, he decided to
have the concoction tested — on condemned prisoners. Two Corsicans — convicted of
theft and murder — were chosen. Doctors fed them marzipan cakes laced with deadly
aconite. When they started to writhe and scream in agony, Caravita anointed one of them
with his oil. The treated prisoner survived. As a reward for his services, the prisoner had
his death sentence commuted to life as a galley slave. The untreated prisoner? It took four
hours of torment for him to die.
1. State what is the question being asked, and the alternative hypothesis = your
hypothesis would be for this study.
2. What are the independent and dependent variables in this study?
What is “manipulated” as opposed to what is “measured”.
3. Does this study show causation or correlation? Explain why.
To claim causation, you need a manipulative experiment. Without that, if you are
making observations based on something that has already happened, then that only
allows you to claim correlation.
4. How would you improve this experiment? Consider the elements of experimental
design as you answer this question.
We reviewed this in class.

Questions 5-7 refer to the scenario below. Be prepared to do this for any given
experimental scenario.
The scientist is interested in the effect of phosphorus fertilization on chlorophyll
production in freshwater lakes. The scientist takes 12 different lakes and measures their
chlorophyll levels in May. The scientist then fertilizes all the lakes with phosphorus and
re- measures chlorophyll levels in July. The average chlorophyll concentration is much
greater in July than in May.
5. State what the null and alternative hypotheses would be for this study.
6. What are the dependent and independent variables in this study?
7. List two major problems with this experimental design.

8. What are the fundamentals of the cell theory as put together by Schleiden, Schwann,
and Virchow?
See slides 5 and 6.

9. Review Pasteur’s experiment. What are two alternative hypotheses he was testing?
Pick one of them and write the experimental prediction. What are the independent

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and dependent variables in this experiment? What are 2 standardized variables in this
experiment? See slide 7 or 13 from. Be able to do this for any given experiment.

10. How do Pasteur’s experiments support Virchow’s hypothesis?

We reviewed the results from slide 8. Virchow’s hypothesis had 2 parts. Which flask
supports which part of Virchow’s hypothesis?

11. What are the two major differences between prokaryotes and eukaryotes?
We reviewed this in class. Also see p. 20 of the textbook.

12. Consider hierarchical classification going from species to genus to… to domain.
Which is the most inclusive? Which is the most exclusive?
See slides 16-17.

13. Which of the following scientific names is written in the correct format?
a. Phaseolus Vulgaris
b. Phaseolus vulgaris
c. Phaseolus Vulgaris
d. Phaseolus vulgaris
See slide 17.

14. When comparing the large flightless birds (Rheas, Emus, and Ostriches), what was
the major question?
Recall that they share lots of similarities, but are found in South America, Australia,
and Africa, respectively. See slide 2.

15. The study of comparative anatomy of vertebrates showed that the bones in the
forearms of humans and legs of dogs and wings of bats are the same bones. What
question did that raise?
See slide 4. The basic question: WHY?! (write a full sentence). Also see Figure 18.7
on p. 449 of textbook.

16. The study of comparative anatomy of vertebrate embryos showed that these embryos
go through similar developmental stages early on. What question did that raise?
See slide 4. The basic question: WHY?! (write a full sentence)

17. What was the interest in the extinct fossils versus their modern contemporaries, such
as glyptodonts and armadillos, or giant ground sloths and modern sloths?
See slides 5-6. Recall that they are found in the same general geographic area.
Similar, but not identical. One is extinct, the other extant.

18. Charles Lyell’s theory of uniformity was important to Darwin’s thought process.
Explain why.
We reviewed this in class. See slide 7. Also very briefly mentioned in textbook
section 18.1 on p. 444.

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19. What did Malthus say about human populations and how did that influence Darwin’s
theory of natural selection?
See slide 8. Also see p. 445 of textbook.

20. How did the work of animal and plant breeders relate to Darwin’s theory of natural
selection?
See slides 11-12. What does artificial selection accomplish?

21. What are Darwin’s 4 tenets of evolution through natural selection?

We reviewed these in class. You should learn these by heart.

22. Consider the slide showing the bird hunting the insects of different colors. Why are
there different colors to begin with? What will happen to the colors in the next
generation? Explain.
See slide 14. Refer to Darwin’s 4 tenets of evolution through natural selection.

23. All of the following statements are part of Charles Darwin's concept of natural
selection except
a. Slight heritable variations within a population may make an individual
significantly more or less likely to survive in its environment, and thus to
reproduce.
b. Every organism has the potential to produce more offspring than the local
environment can support.
c. Characteristics of organisms are inherited as genes on chromosomes.
d. Better adapted members of a species will survive and reproduce more
successfully.
e. Most individuals in a species do not survive to reproduce.
Refer to Darwin’s 4 tenets of evolution through natural selection.

24. A substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by ordinary
chemical or physical techniques is a(n) ____.
a. molecule
b. chemical
c. compound
d. element
e. biological compound
See p. 30 of textbook.

25. 14C is heavier than 12C because it has ______.

a. two more electrons than 12C
b. two more neutrons than 12C
c. two more protons than 12C
d. one more proton and one more electron than 12C
e. one more proton and one more neutron than 12C
See p. 32 of textbook.

26. For something to be considered living, what characteristics must it exhibit?

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See the list we made in class.

27. Why is a change in the 12C : 13C ratio about 3.7 BYA considered to be evidence for
life?

28. What are 3 possible hypotheses we reviewed in class for the question: where did the
first cells on Earth come from?

29. What does the seeding hypothesis state?

Concerns living cells as well as building blocks such as amino acids and nucleotides,
etc.
30. Explain how “partial” charges can lead to the formation of a hydrogen bond
See p. 41 in chapter 2.

31. What is the difference between an ionic bond and a polar covalent bond?
See pp. 39-40 in chapter 2.

32. In the structure above, circle and label one polar covalent bond, one non-polar
covalent bond, and one hydrogen bond.

33. Which of the following types of chemical linkages is the weakest?

a. polar covalent bonds
b. van der Waals forces
c. ionic bonds
d. hydrogen bonds
e. nonpolar covalent bonds
See p. 41 of textbook.

34. Review the structures for Fructose and Glucose. They have the same chemical
formula and the same functional groups. How come they are considered two different
sugars?

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Notice the location of the functional groups. See pp. 62-63 of textbook.

35. What kind of reaction is shown below?

See p. 60 of textbook. Consider whether it is using water or making water in the
process, and whether a larger molecule is being broken into smaller units or smaller
molecules are being joined to make a larger molecule.

36. Review the figures for the structures of amylose and cellulose. Do not memorize the
figures. What do the two structures have in common? Enzymes in our bodies can
digest amylose but not cellulose. What is the difference between amylose and
cellulose that leads to this difference in digestibility?
See pp. 67-68 in textbook. What is the monomer? Look at the orientation of the
monomers.

37. What is the difference between a phospholipid and a triglyceride?

See p. 75 of textbook.

38. Which of the following is saturated versus unsaturated? Is either one “cis” or
“trans”?
See p. 73 of textbook and class notes.

39. In general, molecules consisting only of carbon and hydrogen atoms are called ____.
a. hydrocarbons
b. carbohydrates
c. polymers

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d. functional groups
e. organic molecules
See p. 49 of textbook.

40. A phospholipid is said to be amphipathic. What does that mean?

See p. 75 of textbook.

41. Select all that apply: Glycerol forms the backbone of

a. triglycerides.
b. polysaccharides.
c. nucleic acids.
d. polypeptides.
e. phospholipids.
See slides 37 and 39 and pp. 71-75 of textbook.

© 2014 Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning

42. The two amino acids depicted above both have side groups (R groups) that are
a. acidic and polar.
b. uncharged and nonpolar.
c. basic and polar.
d. positively and negatively charged and nonpolar.
e. uncharged and polar.
Review polar and non-polar functional groups. Also see p. 79 of textbook.