BIO 108 LAB UMKC EXAM QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT ANSWERS LATEST UPDATE 2026
What does it mean that science is based on empirical knowledge? - Answers It means that it's based
on observations.
Name two other characteristics of science. - Answers Based on empirical knowledge, rationality,
repeatability, testability, commitment to experimentation, looking for generalization.
If your hypothesis were that SO2 negatively affects plant growth, what's the dependent variable? -
Answers The length/growth of the plant.
What was the independent variable in the Monarch butterfly experiment? - Answers The butterflies
(both infected & uninfected)
What was the control in the Monarch butterfly experiment? - Answers The group of uninfected
butterflies.
What is a dependent variable? - Answers What you are measuring; it is dependent on other variables
What is an independent variable? - Answers The variable that you are manipulating and controlling in
the experiment.
What does it mean that "science depends on interactions within the scientific community"? - Answers
You ask the scientific community about your ideas and you study experiments done in the past in
order to help you, and therefore help science.
If a hypothesis is false, then what is the prediction? - Answers If the hypothesis is false, then the
prediction is true or false.
In microscopy, what is depth of field? - Answers The thickness of the specimen that may be seen in
focus at one time (the vertical range of focus)
What's the relationship between magnification and depth of field? - Answers The higher the
magnification, the smaller the depth of field.
What's the relationship between wavelength of light and optical resolution of a microscope? -
Answers The shorter the wavelength, the higher the resolution.
How does adding oil between the specimen and objective lens increase resolution? What do you
change in the equation? - Answers The oil disperses the light more, what is changed is the refractive
index.
Why is a microscope called a "compound microscope"? - Answers Because it has two or more lenses.
Which wavelength of light gives higher resolution in your microscope using the same objective lens
and n value?
700 nm or 300 nm - Answers 300 nm, the shorter the wavelength, the higher the resolution/
Your microscope's total magnification is 400x. The ocular is 10x. What is the magnification of the
objective lens? - Answers x=40x
ocular times objective= total magnification
What does the term "binocular" mean when it is used for a light microscope? - Answers Two ocular
lenses
What is the main reason why electron microscopes have much higher resolutions than light
microscopes? - Answers The shorter the wavelength, the higher the resolution
When you want to spot an objected/structure under the light microscope, what magnification would
you first use, & why? - Answers The lowest magnification because if has the highest field of view
What is diffusion? - Answers Movement of material from areas of high concentration to areas of low
concentration.
What is osmosis? - Answers The diffusion of water through a semipermeable membrane from an area
of higher concentration to an area of low concentration.
How do you know that starch did not diffuse in the bag? - Answers There's no iodine outside the bag,
you know this because the color didnt change
Benedict's solution turns yellow in the presence of glucose. This is because glucose is a _______ sugar.
- Answers reducing
When plant cells are placed in a hypertonic solution, their weight will ______. - Answers decrease
To tell the osmolarity of potato cells, you chose one sucrose solution out of 6. How did you know
which one to pick? - Answers You pick the isotonic solution (the one that had the least amount of
weight change)
Plasmolysis occurs when plant cells are placed in a _________. - Answers hypertonic solution
How do you know that in the dialysis experiment the membrane was not permeable to starch? -
Answers Because the potassium iodide didn't change color.
What does it mean that science is based on empirical knowledge? - Answers It means that it's based
on observations.
Name two other characteristics of science. - Answers Based on empirical knowledge, rationality,
repeatability, testability, commitment to experimentation, looking for generalization.
If your hypothesis were that SO2 negatively affects plant growth, what's the dependent variable? -
Answers The length/growth of the plant.
What was the independent variable in the Monarch butterfly experiment? - Answers The butterflies
(both infected & uninfected)
What was the control in the Monarch butterfly experiment? - Answers The group of uninfected
butterflies.
What is a dependent variable? - Answers What you are measuring; it is dependent on other variables
What is an independent variable? - Answers The variable that you are manipulating and controlling in
the experiment.
What does it mean that "science depends on interactions within the scientific community"? - Answers
You ask the scientific community about your ideas and you study experiments done in the past in
order to help you, and therefore help science.
If a hypothesis is false, then what is the prediction? - Answers If the hypothesis is false, then the
prediction is true or false.
In microscopy, what is depth of field? - Answers The thickness of the specimen that may be seen in
focus at one time (the vertical range of focus)
What's the relationship between magnification and depth of field? - Answers The higher the
magnification, the smaller the depth of field.
What's the relationship between wavelength of light and optical resolution of a microscope? -
Answers The shorter the wavelength, the higher the resolution.
How does adding oil between the specimen and objective lens increase resolution? What do you
change in the equation? - Answers The oil disperses the light more, what is changed is the refractive
index.
Why is a microscope called a "compound microscope"? - Answers Because it has two or more lenses.
Which wavelength of light gives higher resolution in your microscope using the same objective lens
and n value?
700 nm or 300 nm - Answers 300 nm, the shorter the wavelength, the higher the resolution/
Your microscope's total magnification is 400x. The ocular is 10x. What is the magnification of the
objective lens? - Answers x=40x
ocular times objective= total magnification
What does the term "binocular" mean when it is used for a light microscope? - Answers Two ocular
lenses
What is the main reason why electron microscopes have much higher resolutions than light
microscopes? - Answers The shorter the wavelength, the higher the resolution
When you want to spot an objected/structure under the light microscope, what magnification would
you first use, & why? - Answers The lowest magnification because if has the highest field of view
What is diffusion? - Answers Movement of material from areas of high concentration to areas of low
concentration.
What is osmosis? - Answers The diffusion of water through a semipermeable membrane from an area
of higher concentration to an area of low concentration.
How do you know that starch did not diffuse in the bag? - Answers There's no iodine outside the bag,
you know this because the color didnt change
Benedict's solution turns yellow in the presence of glucose. This is because glucose is a _______ sugar.
- Answers reducing
When plant cells are placed in a hypertonic solution, their weight will ______. - Answers decrease
To tell the osmolarity of potato cells, you chose one sucrose solution out of 6. How did you know
which one to pick? - Answers You pick the isotonic solution (the one that had the least amount of
weight change)
Plasmolysis occurs when plant cells are placed in a _________. - Answers hypertonic solution
How do you know that in the dialysis experiment the membrane was not permeable to starch? -
Answers Because the potassium iodide didn't change color.
