BL1020 Introductory Biology
Midterm Practice Exam Study
Guide
Which gas began to increase in the atmosphere as a result of photosynthesis by
autotrophic prokaryotes approximately 2.7 billion years ago?
A) hydrogen
B) carbon dioxide
C) methane
D) oxygen - Answer D) oxygen
From what can pre-cells spontaneously form?
A) ribozymes
B) fatty acids
C) DNA
D) RNA - Answer B) fatty acids
Recent scientific studies of the impact of microbiota on the amount of fat versus lean
body mass (i.e., body composition) are described in your text. How do those studies
illustrate the importance of microbiota communities in our bodies?
A) The study suggest that mice are an unreliable model organism to use for studies of
human intestinal microbiota and obesity
B) the studies suggest that intestinal microbiota may be involved in regulating our
digestive processes
C) if transferred to lean humans, intestinal microbiota of obese humans will cause
obesity
D) if transferred to obese humans, intestinal microbiota in lean humans will cause
exaggerated obesity - Answer B) the studies suggest that intestinal microbiota may be
involved in regulating our digestive processes
Trichomonas vaginalis is a protozoan that feeds on white blood cells and bacteria living
on the cells lining the female human vagina, thereby creating a common sexually
transmitted disease often known as "trich". The feeding mechanism of this protozoan
makes it a ____________.
,A) parasite
B) producer
C) autotroph
D) mixotroph - Answer A) parasite
In the soil, some _________ help to decompose dead organisms and other waste
materials, returning vital chemical elements such as nitrogen to the environment
A) pre-cells
B) protozoans
C) prokaryotes - Answer C) prokaryotes
Which group of prokaryotes aids digestion in cattle, deer, and other animals that obtain
nutrition from cellulose?
A) dinoflagellates
B) cocci
C) halophiles
D) methanogens - Answer D) methanogens
Scientists hypothesize that disrupting our __________ communities may increase our
susceptibility to infectious diseases, predispose us to certain cancers, and contribute to
conditions such as asthma and other allergies, irritable bowel syndrome, crohn's
disease, and autism
A) plant
B) pathogen
C) protist
D) microbial - Answer D) microbial
Why is RNA thought to have been the first genetic material?
A) RNA is capable of self-replication
B) RNA has been found on meteorites
C) RNA is structurally simpler than DNA - Answer A) RNA is capable of self-replication
In Yellowstone national park, hot springs can reach temperatures of 205F (96C). Despite
these high temperatures, aquifex bacteria flourish. How might one best classify aquifex
bacteria?
,A) amoebas
B) slime molds
C) algae
D) extremophiles - Answer D) extremophiles
spherical bacteria that occur in clusters are ________
A) spirochetes
B) staphylococci
C) bacilli
D) streptococci - Answer B) staphylococci
Which group of organisms colonized land during the Paleozoic era approximately 500
million years ago?
A) bacteria, plants, and fungi
B) plants, fungi, and insects
C) plants, protists, and insects
D) protists, bacteria, and fungi - Answer B) plants, fungi, and insects
Eukaryotes arose about ______ years after the first prokaryotes.
A) 1.7 billion
B) 3.5 billion
C) 3.0 billion
D) 4.0 billion - Answer A) 1.7 billion
Prokaryotes reproduce by the means of _________
A) binary fission
B) budding
C) mitosis
D) meiosis - Answer A) binary fission
Which statement is FALSE?
A) the great diversification of animals occurred during the Cambrian explosion
, B) the first organisms to colonize land were animals
C) the evolution of multicellularity took place after the origin of the eukaryotes
D) for most of biological history, life was confided to aquatic habitats - Answer B) the
first organisms to colonize land were animals
Variation among pre-cells was due to ________.
A) the bottleneck effect
B) natural selection
C) genetic drift
D) mutation - Answer D) mutation
What is a potential benefit of testing indoor and outdoor sites as well as sites with heavy
flooding and light flooding?
A) there is no benefit associated with testing in multiple sites
B) testing multiple sites takes less time and requires less equipment
C) testing multiple sites allows for fewer scientists to be exposed to the air endotoxins
D) the data collected would allow scientists to compare endotoxin levels under multiple
conditions - Answer D) the data collected would allow scientists to compare endotoxin
levels under multiple conditions
Based on fossil evidence, eukaryotes evolved about ________ years ago.
A) 500,000
B) 3.5 billion
C) 1.8 billion
D) 1 billion - Answer C) 1.8 billion
The absence of ______ in the primitive atmosphere was essential to the origin of life on
Earth.
A) CO2
B) CH4
C) N2
D) O2 - Answer D) O2
Endotoxins are commonly found in the air, both inside and outside our homes. These
Midterm Practice Exam Study
Guide
Which gas began to increase in the atmosphere as a result of photosynthesis by
autotrophic prokaryotes approximately 2.7 billion years ago?
A) hydrogen
B) carbon dioxide
C) methane
D) oxygen - Answer D) oxygen
From what can pre-cells spontaneously form?
A) ribozymes
B) fatty acids
C) DNA
D) RNA - Answer B) fatty acids
Recent scientific studies of the impact of microbiota on the amount of fat versus lean
body mass (i.e., body composition) are described in your text. How do those studies
illustrate the importance of microbiota communities in our bodies?
A) The study suggest that mice are an unreliable model organism to use for studies of
human intestinal microbiota and obesity
B) the studies suggest that intestinal microbiota may be involved in regulating our
digestive processes
C) if transferred to lean humans, intestinal microbiota of obese humans will cause
obesity
D) if transferred to obese humans, intestinal microbiota in lean humans will cause
exaggerated obesity - Answer B) the studies suggest that intestinal microbiota may be
involved in regulating our digestive processes
Trichomonas vaginalis is a protozoan that feeds on white blood cells and bacteria living
on the cells lining the female human vagina, thereby creating a common sexually
transmitted disease often known as "trich". The feeding mechanism of this protozoan
makes it a ____________.
,A) parasite
B) producer
C) autotroph
D) mixotroph - Answer A) parasite
In the soil, some _________ help to decompose dead organisms and other waste
materials, returning vital chemical elements such as nitrogen to the environment
A) pre-cells
B) protozoans
C) prokaryotes - Answer C) prokaryotes
Which group of prokaryotes aids digestion in cattle, deer, and other animals that obtain
nutrition from cellulose?
A) dinoflagellates
B) cocci
C) halophiles
D) methanogens - Answer D) methanogens
Scientists hypothesize that disrupting our __________ communities may increase our
susceptibility to infectious diseases, predispose us to certain cancers, and contribute to
conditions such as asthma and other allergies, irritable bowel syndrome, crohn's
disease, and autism
A) plant
B) pathogen
C) protist
D) microbial - Answer D) microbial
Why is RNA thought to have been the first genetic material?
A) RNA is capable of self-replication
B) RNA has been found on meteorites
C) RNA is structurally simpler than DNA - Answer A) RNA is capable of self-replication
In Yellowstone national park, hot springs can reach temperatures of 205F (96C). Despite
these high temperatures, aquifex bacteria flourish. How might one best classify aquifex
bacteria?
,A) amoebas
B) slime molds
C) algae
D) extremophiles - Answer D) extremophiles
spherical bacteria that occur in clusters are ________
A) spirochetes
B) staphylococci
C) bacilli
D) streptococci - Answer B) staphylococci
Which group of organisms colonized land during the Paleozoic era approximately 500
million years ago?
A) bacteria, plants, and fungi
B) plants, fungi, and insects
C) plants, protists, and insects
D) protists, bacteria, and fungi - Answer B) plants, fungi, and insects
Eukaryotes arose about ______ years after the first prokaryotes.
A) 1.7 billion
B) 3.5 billion
C) 3.0 billion
D) 4.0 billion - Answer A) 1.7 billion
Prokaryotes reproduce by the means of _________
A) binary fission
B) budding
C) mitosis
D) meiosis - Answer A) binary fission
Which statement is FALSE?
A) the great diversification of animals occurred during the Cambrian explosion
, B) the first organisms to colonize land were animals
C) the evolution of multicellularity took place after the origin of the eukaryotes
D) for most of biological history, life was confided to aquatic habitats - Answer B) the
first organisms to colonize land were animals
Variation among pre-cells was due to ________.
A) the bottleneck effect
B) natural selection
C) genetic drift
D) mutation - Answer D) mutation
What is a potential benefit of testing indoor and outdoor sites as well as sites with heavy
flooding and light flooding?
A) there is no benefit associated with testing in multiple sites
B) testing multiple sites takes less time and requires less equipment
C) testing multiple sites allows for fewer scientists to be exposed to the air endotoxins
D) the data collected would allow scientists to compare endotoxin levels under multiple
conditions - Answer D) the data collected would allow scientists to compare endotoxin
levels under multiple conditions
Based on fossil evidence, eukaryotes evolved about ________ years ago.
A) 500,000
B) 3.5 billion
C) 1.8 billion
D) 1 billion - Answer C) 1.8 billion
The absence of ______ in the primitive atmosphere was essential to the origin of life on
Earth.
A) CO2
B) CH4
C) N2
D) O2 - Answer D) O2
Endotoxins are commonly found in the air, both inside and outside our homes. These
