Biology for Non-Majors Pre-Test Questions
Course Introduction
Biology for Non-Majors offers an engaging introduction to the fundamental principles of biology for students without a science background. This course explores core topics such as cell structure and function, genetics, evolution, ecology, and the diversity of life. Emphasizing real-world applications, it connects biological concepts to everyday experiences, health, and environmental issues, fostering scientific literacy and critical thinking skills. Through interactive lectures, discussions, and laboratory activities, students gain a deeper appreciation for the living world and how it impacts their lives and society.
Recommended Textbook
Biology Now Core 1st Edition by Anne
Houtman
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Page 2
Chapter 1: The Nature of Science
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Sample Questions
Q1) Living organisms maintain a constant internal environment by sensing and responding to their internal conditions.This stable maintenance of internal conditions is known as
A)homeostasis.
B)evolution.
C)reproduction.
D)sensation.
Answer: A
Q2) Whenever we ________,we are proceeding scientifically.
A)invoke a supernatural power as an explanation for how a natural phenomenon occurred
B)stop questioning our observations
C)try to solve a problem by systematically evaluating the plausibility of various solutions
D)develop an unchangeable and definitive explanation
Answer: C
Q3) The first two steps of the scientific process typically include making ________ and forming a ________.
Answer: observations;hypothesis
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3
Chapter 2: Chemistry of Life
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Sample Questions
Q1) One of the symptoms of kidney disease is the presence of proteins in a patient's urine.To quickly test for kidney disease using a urine sample,a doctor might add a chemical that causes a color change when
A)nitrogen,but not oxygen,is present.
B)nitrogen,but not phosphorus,is present.
C)only oxygen and hydrogen are present.
D)only carbon and hydrogen are present.
Answer: B
Q2) store and transmit genetic information
A)lipids
B)carbohydrates
C)nucleic acids
D)proteins
Answer: C
Q3) A solution with a pH of 3 is
A)acidic.
B)basic.
C)nonpolar.
D)neutral.
Answer: A
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Chapter 3: Life Is Cellular
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Sample Questions
Q1) A screen door allows breezes to enter and aromas to exit but keeps out insects.Its function most resembles
A)the cytosol.
B)the plasma membrane.
C)the ER lumen.
D)a ribosome.
Answer: B
Q2) Which of the following would be the best analogy for the function of the Golgi apparatus?
A)the machine that assembles a product
B)a worker in a factory who places labels on products and then packs them into a shipping box
C)the garbage truck that hauls away the wastes produced as a product is made
D)the blueprints for making the product
Answer: B
Q3) The smallest and most basic units of life are microscopic,self-contained units enclosed by a water repelling membrane and are called ________.
Answer: cells
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Chapter 4: How Cells Work
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Sample Questions
Q1) Photosynthesis and cellular respiration are both complementary and relatively balanced,but early history of life on Earth showed increasing oxygen concentrations.This indicates that
A)both photosynthesis and respiration were occurring at approximately the same levels.
B)neither photosynthesis nor respiration were occurring.
C)the amount of photosynthesis occurring exceeded the amount of cellular respiration. D)the amount of cellular respiration occurring exceeded the amount of photosynthesis.
Q2) Which of the following is either consumed or synthesized in virtually every cellular reaction?
A)sugars
B)enzymes
C)DNA
D)ATP
Q3) Excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is increasing climate change.How do photosynthesis and cellular respiration relate to this issue and how can we use this knowledge to help decrease this problem?
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Chapter 5: Cell Division
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Sample Questions
Q1) G phase
A)Duplicated chromosomes are separated during this phase.
B)Cells prepare to divide and check that the proper steps have occurred for division.
C)Phase in which cells duplicate the genetic material.
D)Resting stage assumed by cells that exit the cell cycle.
E)Two new daughter cells grow in preparation for division.
Q2) When examining the rapidly dividing cells of a fish embryo,you notice a cell that seems to contain two nuclei.The middle of the cell is pinched inward.This cell must be in ________ of mitosis.
A)prophase
B)telophase
C)metaphase
D)anaphase
Q3) The successful union of one male and one female gamete forms a new single cell known as a
A)chromatid.
B)spindle.
C)zygote.
D)gametocyte.
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Page 7
Chapter 6: Patterns of Inheritance
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following statements regarding genes is NOT true?
A)Genes are located on chromosomes.
B)Genes consist of a long sequence of DNA.
C)Genes are the basic unit of information affecting a genetic trait.
D)In sexually reproducing species,each cell contains a single copy of every gene.
Q2) An allele is
A)a version of a gene.
B)a trait that can be affected by the external environment.
C)always codominant to its counterpart in another chromosome.
D)the result of a change in phenotype.
Q3) Which of the following is the mechanism described by Mendel that results in a new combination of alleles in a pea plant seed?
A)the mutation of multiple alleles during mitosis
B)the mutation of multiple alleles during meiosis
C)the separation of alleles for two different genes during meiosis
D)the separation of alleles for a single gene during meiosis
Q4) ________ dominance is expressed in a genetic cross in which the heterozygous phenotype is intermediate between the two homozygous phenotypes.
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Page 8
Chapter 7: Chromosomes and Human Genetics
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Sample Questions
Q1) What information is NOT visible in a karyotype?
A)the individual's sex
B)the number of autosomes
C)whether the individual carries genetic mutations
D)whether deletions have occurred
Q2) If an individual has two alleles at a given locus that are different,the individual is said to be ________ for the gene.
Q3) What characteristics of inheritance would allow you to distinguish whether a disorder is recessive autosomal,dominant autosomal,or sex-linked?
Q4) Autosomal dominant diseases are exhibited by anyone who carries at least one dominant allele for that gene.How is it that dominant lethal genes,such as the one that causes Huntington disease,can persist in a population?
A)The disease-causing allele can "hide" in the heterozygous condition.
B)The disease develops only under the influence of other genes.
C)These diseases usually take effect later in life after people have had children.
D)The environment plays a large role in determining whether the gene is expressed.
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Page 9
Chapter 8: What Genes Are
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Sample Questions
Q1) A mutation is due to the addition of two bases in a strand of DNA.This is called a(n)________.
Q2) Which of the following is true of eukaryotic genomes?
A)They consist of a single chromosome.
B)Most of the DNA codes for proteins.
C)Genes are organized by function.
D)The DNA is in the nucleus of the cell.
Q3) DNA replication
A)involves the copying of only the parts of a chromosome that encode protein.
B)occurs before mitosis in the cell cycle.
C)is constantly occurring in all the cells in your body.
D)converts the double helix to two single helices.
Q4) The enzyme that copies DNA is called ________.
Q5) Animal genes are not turned on and off as one unit because they are not
Q6) Along one side of a DNA molecule,the nucleotides are connected to each other by
A)covalent bonds between phosphate groups and sugar molecules.
B)hydrogen bonds between adenine and guanine.
C)covalent bonds between bases and sugar molecules.
Page 10
D)hydrogen bonds between adjacent sugar molecules.
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Chapter 9: How Genes Work
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Sample Questions
Q1) More ribosomes are produced.
A)Transcription is up-regulated
B)Transcription is down-regulated
C)Translation is up-regulated
D)Translation is down-regulated
Q2) The importance of tRNA is that it
A)carries a specific amino acid to the mRNA.
B)reads the DNA molecule.
C)contains codons that specify amino acids.
D)is important in the construction of ribosomes.
Q3) In bacteria,the antibiotic erythromycin prevents ribosomes from functioning.The most likely reason that bacteria die from treatment with erythromycin is because the antibiotic
A)inhibits transcription.
B)inhibits translation.
C)causes the wrong bases to be added to the growing mRNA strand.
D)causes the wrong amino acids to be bound to the tRNA strands.
Q4) A mutation that changes the anticodon of a tRNA is generally much more detrimental to a cell than a mutation that changes the codon of an mRNA.Explain why this might be the case.
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Chapter 10: Evidence for Evolution
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Sample Questions
Q1) A species of cave beetle that lives in total darkness is blind but has remnants of what looks like eyes.These "eyes" are
A)vestigial.
B)homologous.
C)analogous.
D)convergent.
Q2) Explain how an intermediate fossil can provide evidence for the lineage of current species.
Q3) Why do human embryos develop gill slits?
A)The gill slits become the lungs.
B)The ancestor of humans had gills.
C)This helps the embryo breathe in the womb.
D)This is an unexplained mutation in humans that does not exist in other animals.
Q4) Neanderthal fossils
A)are likely to be found in layers above human fossils.
B)are likely to be found in layers below human fossils.
C)provide evidence of artificial selection during ancient times.
D)disprove evolutionary theory because they are not ancestors of humans.
Q5) Continental drift is the ________ of Earth's landmasses through geologic time.
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Chapter 11: Mechanisms of Evolution
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Sample Questions
Q1) Both insects and humans evolved jointed legs to allow locomotion on land.These structures are considered analogous because insects and humans
A)stopped evolving at different times in Earth's history.
B)evolved from different ancestors.
C)cannot breed.
D)faced different environmental challenges during evolutionary time.
Q2) New world vultures are related to raptors,while old world vultures are more closely related to storks.However,both of these birds eat carrion (decaying animals)and have a similar beak structure.Explain how this similarity in beak structures arose.
Q3) Evolution can be described as
A)predesigned change in the genetic characteristics of a population of organisms over time.
B)sudden shifts in the genetic characteristics of an individual in a population.
C)a change in the genetic characteristics of a population of organisms over time.
D)isolation of populations due to geologic forces.
Q4) The result of convergent evolution is ________ traits.
Q5) Compare and contrast bottleneck and founder effect.
Q6) The original source of genetic variation within a population is ________.
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Chapter 12: Adaptation and Species
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Sample Questions
Q1) an organism's physical characteristics
A)coevolution
B)biological species concept
C)morphological species concept
D)speciation
E)morphology
F)adaptation
Q2) Which of the following statements gives an example of coevolution?
A)Two unrelated species form at the same time after ancestral species populate a newly formed volcanic island.
B)Two closely related mice species on different mountaintops in the southwest United States both adapt the same trait because food sources are similar.
C)An ant species and a plant species both develop adaptations in response to changes in the other species.
D)A wild cat species and a wild dog species both have similar bacteria living in their guts,which allow them to produce vitamin K.
Q3) The great diversity of life on Earth is caused by the formation of new species in a process known as ________.
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14
Chapter 13: The History of Life
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Sample Questions
Q1) Why might many new species form in the aftermath of a mass extinction?
A)Gene flow among the remaining species would be increased,giving rise to many new genetic recombinations.
B)Changed environments and reduced competition would provide opportunities for new adaptations.
C)New environments would increase mutation rates.
D)Populations of remaining species would expand rapidly and reduce geographic isolation.
Q2) Resolving the relationship between the various kingdoms has been challenging because species often resemble one another.For example,the kingdom ________ contains some organisms that are animal-like and others that are plantlike.
A)Bacteria
B)Fungi
C)Archaea
D)Protista
Q3) The domain ________ encompasses the traditional four kingdoms of Protista,Plantae,Fungi,and Animalia.
Q4) Identify key characteristics for kingdom Fungi and provide three examples of members of this kingdom.
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Chapter 14: Human Evolution
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following groupings of animals are most closely related to each other?
A)starfish,butterflies,lizards
B)frogs,goldfish,birds
C)bats,kangaroos,elephants
D)lemurs,chimps,humans
Q2) Genus
A)Homo
B)Primates
C)Chordata
D)Homo sapiens
E)Mammalia
F)Animalia
G)Hominidae
Q3) Which of the following could NOT be used to describe humans?
A)eutherian
B)mammal
C)primate
D)marsupial
Q4) Briefly explain the difference between hominids and hominins.
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Chapter 15: General Principles of Ecology
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following does NOT represent evidence for global warming?
A)The 10 hottest years on record have occurred since 1990.
B)In Europe,bird and butterfly species have shifted their ranges northward.
C)The hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica has been growing in size.
D)Plants in northern latitudes have increased the length of their growing seasons.
Q2) The levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
A)peaked around 1950 and have begun slowly decreasing since then.
B)are high but not higher than the highest estimated levels in the last 420,000 years.
C)are estimated to be higher than at any time in the past 420,000 years.
D)began decreasing when the burning of fossil fuels increased.
Q3) A skeptic states that climate change may affect polar bears and other organisms,but not humans.Evaluate the validity of this statement.
Q4) Burning forests will
A)increase carbon levels in the atmosphere,which will increase climate change.
B)increase carbon levels in the atmosphere,which will decrease climate change.
C)decrease carbon levels in the atmosphere,which will increase climate change.
D)decrease carbon levels in the atmosphere,which will decrease climate change.
Q5) Describe how a decrease in plant populations can affect the water cycle.
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Chapter 16: Growth of Populations
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Q1) Which of the following is a true statement?
A)The population density is equal across all areas of China.
B)China has the largest human population in the world.
C)China's one-child policy allows one birth per couple every ten years.
D)Chinese citizens are allowed to apply for a waiver if they want multiple children.
Q2) Which of the following has been amplified by China's one-child policy?
A)an unbalanced age ratio with a growing population of younger people and a shrinking elderly population
B)an increase in the number of primary-school students in rural areas of China
C)a larger proportion of males compared to the proportion of females born in China annually
D)an increase in the number of children born annually to couples in which one parent is an only child
Q3) The definition of an area,relative to a population study,
A)is constant.
B)is always 1 square meter.
C)depends on the questions being asked.
D)depends on whether the area is terrestrial or aquatic.
Q4) Explain why logistic growth curves have an "S" shape.
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Chapter 17: Communities of Organisms
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Q1) Undisturbed communities with species compositions that remain stable over time are referred to as
A)climax communities.
B)primary successors.
C)secondary successors.
D)keystone communities.
Q2) Which of the following experiments would help to identify a keystone species?
A)Introduce more of the suspected species into the area and observe the effects on other community members.
B)Introduce an invasive species related to the suspected species into the area and observe the effects on the suspected species.
C)Remove the suspected species from the area and observe the effects on other community members.
D)Introduce additional individuals of the suspected species' food source into the area and observe the effects on community members.
Q3) Compare and contrast exploitative and interference competition.
Q4) A(n)________ may begin when a new habitat is formed,such as when rock and soil are deposited by a retreating glacier.
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19
Chapter 18: Ecosystems
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Sample Questions
Q1) To best use the Earth's net primary productivity to feed the most people,diets should be modified to include ________,and gathering the maximum amount of energy available from a given biomass of producers.
A)only meat,moving higher up the food chain
B)only meat,moving lower down the food chain
C)plant material only,moving lower down the food chain
D)plant material only,moving higher up the food chain
Q2) Energy does not cycle through an ecosystem.This is because energy enters an ecosystem through photosynthesis as it changes to chemical energy.This is then used to fuel metablic activities
A)in plants only,and all of the excess energy is lost as metabolic heat.
B)in consumers only,and all of the excess energy is lost as metabolic heat.
C)in decomposers only,and all of the excess energy is lost as metabolic heat.
D)in producers,consumers,and decomposers,and all of the excess energy is lost as metabolic heat.
Q3) Each level of an energy pyramid corresponds to a step in a food chain and is called a(n)________ level.
Q4) Explain why ecosystems do not always have sharply defined physical boundaries.
Q5) Describe how chemical nutrients enter and are recycled through an ecosystem.
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Chapter 19: Applying the Science
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Q1) The reliability of primary scientific literature is strengthened by the ________ in which the work is examined by other leaders in the same field.For instance,a scientific paper examining the evolution of tetrapods would be reviewed by other evolutionary biologists and paleontologists.
A)peer-review process
B)basic research process
C)applied research process
D)random research process
Q2) Peer-reviewed scientific journals,technical reports,conference proceedings,and dissertations are considered ________ literature.
Q3) You are reading an article in the National Geographic about Tiktaalik (believed to be the evolutionary transition from fish to terrestrial tetrapods).This article is an example of
A)primary literature.
B)secondary literature.
C)tertiary literature.
D)quaternary literature.
Q4) A statement about how the world works that can be supported,or not,by using the scientific method is a(n)________ claim.
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Page 21