Biology for Non-Majors
Exam Answer Key
Course Introduction
Biology for Non-Majors is an introductory course designed to provide students from various academic backgrounds with a foundational understanding of biological concepts and processes. Emphasizing relevance to everyday life, the course covers topics such as cell structure and function, genetics, evolution, ecology, and the diversity of living organisms. Through lectures, discussions, and laboratory exercises, students will develop scientific literacy, critical thinking skills, and an appreciation for the impact of biology on society, health, and the environment. This course requires no prior background in science and is ideal for those seeking a comprehensive overview of biology without the depth required for science majors.
Recommended Textbook
Biology The Core 1st Edition by Eric J. Simon
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12 Chapters
699 Verified Questions
699 Flashcards
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Chapter 1: An Introduction to the Science of Life
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following is the correct organizational hierarchy,from largest to smallest,in the hierarchical order of life? (Some levels have been omitted,so you are looking for the correct order.)
A)Community Ecosystem Population Tissue Organ Cell Organelle Atom
B)Ecosystem Community Population Organ Tissue Cell Molecule Atom
C)Biosphere Community Population Tissue Organ Cell Atom Molecule
D)Ecosystem Population Community Organ System Organ Cell Molecule Atom
Answer: B
Q2) Archaea are a distinct group of organisms that are about the size and shape of bacteria.Although they lack a nucleus or any other organelle,they produce enzymes similar to those produced by animal cells.Which cell type are they?
A)Eukaryotes
B)Prokaryotes
C)Neither of these
D)Both of these
Answer: B
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3
Chapter 2: The Chemistry of Life
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Sample Questions
Q1) Proteins are diverse molecules that perform a wide variety of functions.Which of the following is not a typical function of proteins?
A)Defense
B)Catalyze reactions
C)Movement
D)Energy storage
Answer: D
Q2) Penicillin is a competitive inhibitor produced by a fungus in order to kill invading bacteria.It does this by mimicking the substrate required by the bacterium to build and repair its cell wall.Describe how mimicking the substrate would result in the death of the bacterium.
Answer: As a competitive inhibitor,it must bind to the active site of the bacterial enzyme where the correct substrate typically binds.Binding to the active site blocks the correct substrate from binding and prevents the correct products from being formed.Without these products,the bacterium cannot repair its cell wall and will die.
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4
Chapter 3: The Cell: The Fundamental Unit of Life
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which type of cell,if any,does not have a plasma membrane?
A)Bacteria
B)Plant
C)Animal
D)Bacteria,plant,and animal cells all have a plasma membrane. Answer: D
Q2) How is the nuclear membrane different from the plasma membrane?
A)The nuclear membrane is completely sealed,whereas the plasma membrane is not.
B)The nuclear membrane is chemically active,whereas the plasma membrane is not.
C)The nuclear membrane has two phospholipid bilayers,whereas the plasma membrane has one.
D)The nuclear membrane has no structural proteins,whereas the plasma membrane has structural proteins. Answer: C
Q3) Identify the prokaryotic organism.
A)Fungus
B)Bacteria
C)Animal
D)Plant
Answer: B
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Chapter 4: Energy and Life
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Sample Questions
Q1) Select the term which best defines the movement of an object against an opposing force.
A)Work
B)Play
C)Energy
D)Entropy
Q2) Which stage of photosynthesis,if any,can function in the dark?
A)Stage 1
B)Stage 2
C)Both Stage 1 and Stage 2
D)Neither Stage 1 nor Stage 2
Q3) Select the ultimate source of energy for nearly every organism on this planet.
A)Plants
B)Heat
C)The sun
D)Sugar
Q4) What color of light is not used for photosynthesis? How could you know this just by looking at a leaf?
Q5) What does it mean to "fix" carbon and during which stage of photosynthesis is carbon fixed?
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Chapter 5: Chromosomes and Inheritance
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Sample Questions
Q1) When does one allele alter another allele?
A)Mitosis
B)Meiosis I
C)Meiosis II
D)Never
Q2) Which type of gene expression typically generates a continuum (spectrum)of varying phenotypes?
A)Pleiotropy
B)Polygenic
C)Epistasis
D)Single-gene traits
Q3) What is the name of the syndrome that produces the XXY combination of sex chromosomes?
A)Jacob's syndrome
B)Down syndrome
C)Klinefelter syndrome
D)Turner syndrome
Q4) A common form of chemotherapy used to kill cancer cells is to administer drugs that disrupt cell division.Why might this also result in anemia,hair falling out,and sores in the stomach and on the skin?
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Chapter 6: DNA: The Molecule of Life
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Sample Questions
Q1) The spread of cancer cells from their site of origin to sites distant in the body is called
A)metastasis
B)epistasis
C)peristalsis
D)transformation
Q2) A collection of cloned DNA fragments representing the organism's entire genome is called a ________.
A)transgenic assembly
B)genomic library
C)clonal anthology
D)complementary DNA collection
Q3) Does the clone have a belly button?
A)Yes
B)No
C)It depends on whether it is male or female.
Q4) Will the clone be sterile or fertile?
A)Sterile
B)Fertile
C)It depends on whether it is male or female.
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Chapter 7: Darwinian Evolution
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Sample Questions
Q1) The modern evolutionary synthesis of the 1930s and 1940s melded together evolutionary theory with ________.
A)genetics
B)sociology
C)psychology
D)chemistry
Q2) What is the smallest unit that can evolve?
A)The community
B)The population
C)The individual
D)The cell
Q3) The varieties of species found on the different Galapagos Islands is most likely an example of which form of speciation?
A)Sympatric
B)Parapatric
C)Allopatric
D)Disruptive
Q4) How can the use of chemical control agents (antibiotics,herbicides,pesticides)lead to their decreased effectiveness?
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Chapter 8: Biodiversity 1: Microscopic Organisms
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Sample Questions
Q1) A degenerative brain disorder transmitted by cannibalism is called ________.
A)kuru
B)scrapie
C)Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
D)herpes
Q2) Why is there no cure for prion-related diseases?
Q3) Plants are in the domain ________.
A)Prokarya
B)Plantae
C)Archaea
D)Eukarya
Q4) Halophiles are found in which environment?
A)Anoxic
B)Hot
C)Salty
D)Dry
Q5) The "protists" are grouped together simply for convenience.Why are they not considered to be in a specific taxon like a kingdom or a phylum?
Q6) Describe all the possible forms of nucleic acids found in viruses.
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Chapter 9: Biodiversity 2: Fungi and Plants
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Sample Questions
Q1) In which tissue system of plants would you expect to find the guard cells?
A)Dermal tissue system
B)Vascular tissue system
C)Germ tissue system
D)Ground tissue system
Q2) The male part of the flower is the ________.
A)petal
B)stamen
C)carpel
D)sepal
Q3) What do grasses,rose bushes,and cactus all have in common?
A)They are all wind pollinators.
B)They all have flowers.
C)They all have cones.
D)They all have thorns.
Q4) Why do pine trees have two different types of cones?
A)One type produces the gametophyte,the other type produces the sporophyte.
B)One type produces ovules,the other type produces pollen.
C)One type is produced in the fall,the other type is produced in the spring.
D)One type produces seeds,the other type produces fruit.
Page 11
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Chapter 10: Biodiversity 3: Animals
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following is human's closest living relative?
A)Gibbons
B)Gorillas
C)Chimpanzees
D)Baboons
Q2) In terms of food collection,what is an advantage of radial and bilateral symmetry? Include examples of both forms of symmetry in your answer.
Q3) How might an early primate's environment lead to the evolution of a large brain in relation to body size?
Q4) What do the nonanthropoid primates have in common?
A)Live in trees
B)Grasping tails
C)Nocturnal
D)All are traits common to the nonanthropoid primates.
Q5) Which chordate trait evolved first?
A)Skeleton hardened with calcium
B)Amniotic egg
C)Four limbs
D)Jaw
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Chapter 11: Human Body Systems
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Sample Questions
Q1) Select the feature which is not directly involved in the clotting process.
A)Platelets
B)Hemoglobin
C)Fibrin
D)All of these are involved in the clotting process.
Q2) Which medication prevents viral infections by priming the immune system against a specific virus?
A)Vaccine
B)Antibiotic
C)Diuretic
D)Anti-inflammatory
Q3) Which of the following forms of contraception is removable?
A)A tubal ligation
B)A vasectomy
C)An intrauterine device
D)None of these
Q4) Describe the role of the two antagonistic hormones involved in the feedback loop that maintains the level of glucose in the blood.Which organs are involved and what type of feedback is this?
Q5) Of the four chambers of the human heart,which has the thickest walls and why?
Page 13
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Chapter 12: Ecology
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Sample Questions
Q1) The responsible management (use and conservation)of the earth's resources indefinitely using science-driven policies and practices is called ________.
A)the maximum sustainable yield
B)landscape ecology
C)an environmental conservation trust
D)sustainable development
Q2) A biome characterized by warm,fairly dry climate that primarily contains grasses with scattered,isolated trees is a ________.
A)savanna
B)chaparral
C)tundra
D)temperate grasslands
Q3) A dispersion pattern refers to ________.
A)the density of organisms in a habitat
B)the extinction rates of a species
C)the spacing of organism throughout a habitat
D)the diversity of species found in a habitat
Q4) Why do some nonnative species spread so quickly and inflict so much devastation when introduced to a new area?
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