BIOD 210 Module 1 Exam – Genetics Portage Learning – (2026) Actual Questions
& Answers.
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Practice Questions 1-25: Foundations & History of Genetics
1. In a few sentences, what is the best summary of Darwin's theory of natural
selection?
A. Organisms change because they "try harder," and traits gained in life are
inherited.
B. Species are fixed; variation is an illusion caused by environment.
C. More offspring are produced than can survive; those with heritable traits
better suited to the environment leave more offspring, so populations change
over time.
D. Evolution is completely random and unrelated to the environment.
Answer: C
Rationale: Darwin proposed that limited resources create competition; individuals
with advantageous inherited traits are more likely to survive and reproduce. Over
many generations, these traits become more common, leading to evolutionary
change in the population .
,2. Genetics was first defined as the study of heredity in the early 1900s. What
does this field primarily focus on?
A. The classification of living organisms into kingdoms.
B. The understanding of genes and how they contribute to the passing of traits.
C. The chemical composition of the cell wall.
D. The behavior of animals in their natural habitat.
Answer: B
Rationale: Genetics specifically studies heredity and the variation of inherited
characteristics, focusing on genes and their role in passing traits from parents to
offspring .
3. The chromosomal theory of inheritance, introduced in the 1910s,
demonstrated that:
A. Development depends solely on environmental factors.
B. Heredity and development depend on genetic information passing via gametes.
C. Only the father contributes genetic material to the offspring.
D. Proteins are the main molecules of heredity.
Answer: B
Rationale: This theory showed that genes are located on chromosomes, and the
behavior of chromosomes during meiosis explains inheritance patterns .
,4. Charles Darwin's publication that outlined his evidence for evolution is titled:
A. Evolution in a Modern Age
B. The Cell Theory
C. The Origin of Species
D. Principles of Genetics
Answer: C
Rationale: Darwin’s full title, "On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural
Selection," transformed biological science by outlining natural selection .
5. The theory of ______ posits that living things can spontaneously generate from
nonliving matter.
A. Natural selection
B. Epigenesis
C. Spontaneous generation
D. Cell theory
Answer: C
Rationale: This was an early, incorrect hypothesis (e.g., maggots from meat) later
disproved by Pasteur’s experiments .
, 6. Matthias Schleiden and Theodor Schwann are famous for introducing:
A. The Origin of Species
B. The Cell Theory
C. Germ Theory of Disease
D. Chromosomal Theory of Inheritance
Answer: B
Rationale: They concluded that all organisms are composed of cells and that the
cell is the basic unit of life .
7. What type of plants did Gregor Mendel use in his famous experiments on
heredity?
A. Corn plants
B. Pea plants
C. Tomato plants
D. Wheat plants
Answer: B
Rationale: Mendel chose garden peas because they have easily observable traits,
short generation times, and can be easily cross-pollinated .
8. How does preformation differ from epigenesis?
& Answers.
.
Practice Questions 1-25: Foundations & History of Genetics
1. In a few sentences, what is the best summary of Darwin's theory of natural
selection?
A. Organisms change because they "try harder," and traits gained in life are
inherited.
B. Species are fixed; variation is an illusion caused by environment.
C. More offspring are produced than can survive; those with heritable traits
better suited to the environment leave more offspring, so populations change
over time.
D. Evolution is completely random and unrelated to the environment.
Answer: C
Rationale: Darwin proposed that limited resources create competition; individuals
with advantageous inherited traits are more likely to survive and reproduce. Over
many generations, these traits become more common, leading to evolutionary
change in the population .
,2. Genetics was first defined as the study of heredity in the early 1900s. What
does this field primarily focus on?
A. The classification of living organisms into kingdoms.
B. The understanding of genes and how they contribute to the passing of traits.
C. The chemical composition of the cell wall.
D. The behavior of animals in their natural habitat.
Answer: B
Rationale: Genetics specifically studies heredity and the variation of inherited
characteristics, focusing on genes and their role in passing traits from parents to
offspring .
3. The chromosomal theory of inheritance, introduced in the 1910s,
demonstrated that:
A. Development depends solely on environmental factors.
B. Heredity and development depend on genetic information passing via gametes.
C. Only the father contributes genetic material to the offspring.
D. Proteins are the main molecules of heredity.
Answer: B
Rationale: This theory showed that genes are located on chromosomes, and the
behavior of chromosomes during meiosis explains inheritance patterns .
,4. Charles Darwin's publication that outlined his evidence for evolution is titled:
A. Evolution in a Modern Age
B. The Cell Theory
C. The Origin of Species
D. Principles of Genetics
Answer: C
Rationale: Darwin’s full title, "On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural
Selection," transformed biological science by outlining natural selection .
5. The theory of ______ posits that living things can spontaneously generate from
nonliving matter.
A. Natural selection
B. Epigenesis
C. Spontaneous generation
D. Cell theory
Answer: C
Rationale: This was an early, incorrect hypothesis (e.g., maggots from meat) later
disproved by Pasteur’s experiments .
, 6. Matthias Schleiden and Theodor Schwann are famous for introducing:
A. The Origin of Species
B. The Cell Theory
C. Germ Theory of Disease
D. Chromosomal Theory of Inheritance
Answer: B
Rationale: They concluded that all organisms are composed of cells and that the
cell is the basic unit of life .
7. What type of plants did Gregor Mendel use in his famous experiments on
heredity?
A. Corn plants
B. Pea plants
C. Tomato plants
D. Wheat plants
Answer: B
Rationale: Mendel chose garden peas because they have easily observable traits,
short generation times, and can be easily cross-pollinated .
8. How does preformation differ from epigenesis?
