UMN BIOL 1009 Midterm 1 (Gibson) – Actual Practice
Questions with Answers & Explanations latest update
this year-just released
Summarized Covered Areas:
Scientific method and experimental design; chemical context of life including water
properties, pH, and bonding; carbon chemistry and molecular diversity including isomers
and functional groups; biological macromolecules including carbohydrates, lipids, proteins,
and nucleic acids; cell structure and function including organelles and the endomembrane
system; membrane structure and transport including diffusion, osmosis, and active
transport; energy, enzymes, and metabolism including thermodynamics, enzyme kinetics,
and feedback inhibition; cell division and reproduction including mitosis and meiosis;
evolution and ecology including natural selection and levels of biological organization; DNA
structure and replication; cell communication and signaling; microscopy and laboratory
techniques; viruses and prokaryotes
Section 1: Scientific Method & Foundations of Biology
1. In the context of BIOL 1009 scientific inquiry and experimental design, what term
describes a broad, well-supported explanation encompassing all living things that has
withstood extensive testing?
A. Hypothesis
B. Theory
,C. Observation
D. Prediction
A theory is a broad, well-supported explanation encompassing all living things that has been
extensively tested and validated through scientific inquiry .
2. In the context of BIOL 1009 scientific inquiry and experimental design, what term
describes a proposed explanation that applies to a specific phenomenon or observation?
A. Theory
B. Hypothesis
C. Law
D. Fact
A hypothesis is a proposed explanation that applies to a specific phenomenon or
observation and is testable through experimentation .
3. In the context of BIOL 1009 scientific inquiry and experimental design, what is the correct
sequence of steps in the scientific method?
A. Hypothesis, Observation, Experiment, Conclusion
B. Observation, Hypothesis, Experiment, Conclusion
C. Experiment, Observation, Hypothesis, Conclusion
D. Conclusion, Hypothesis, Experiment, Observation
The scientific method begins with observation, followed by hypothesis formation,
experimentation, and conclusion drawing.
,4. In the context of BIOL 1009 scientific inquiry and experimental design, which of the
following best describes the concept of emergent properties?
A. Properties that emerge only in non-living systems
B. Properties that arise from the arrangement and interactions of parts as complexity
increases
C. Properties that are present in isolated molecules
D. Properties that decrease with increasing complexity
Emergent properties are due to the arrangement and interactions of parts as complexity
increases, such as photosynthesis emerging at the cellular level .
5. In the context of BIOL 1009 scientific inquiry and experimental design, what is the primary
purpose of reductionism in biological study?
A. To increase the complexity of biological systems
B. To reduce complex systems to simpler components that are more manageable to
study
C. To eliminate the need for experimentation
D. To study only whole organisms
Reductionism is an approach that reduces complex systems to simpler components that are
more manageable to study .
6. In the context of BIOL 1009 scientific inquiry and experimental design, what is the
definition of a controlled experiment?
, A. An experiment without any variables
B. An experiment in which an experimental group is compared with a control group
that varies only in the factor being tested
C. An experiment conducted in a laboratory only
D. An experiment with no hypothesis
A controlled experiment compares an experimental group with a control group that varies
only in the factor being tested.
7. In the context of BIOL 1009 scientific inquiry and experimental design, what is the role of
a control group in an experiment?
A. To receive the experimental treatment
B. To provide a baseline for comparison against the experimental group
C. To introduce additional variables
D. To eliminate the need for a hypothesis
The control group provides a baseline for comparison against the experimental group,
ensuring that observed effects are due to the treatment.
8. In the context of BIOL 1009 scientific inquiry and experimental design, what is the
difference between a hypothesis and a prediction?
A. A hypothesis is broader than a prediction
B. A hypothesis is a proposed explanation, while a prediction is a specific
expectation based on that hypothesis
Questions with Answers & Explanations latest update
this year-just released
Summarized Covered Areas:
Scientific method and experimental design; chemical context of life including water
properties, pH, and bonding; carbon chemistry and molecular diversity including isomers
and functional groups; biological macromolecules including carbohydrates, lipids, proteins,
and nucleic acids; cell structure and function including organelles and the endomembrane
system; membrane structure and transport including diffusion, osmosis, and active
transport; energy, enzymes, and metabolism including thermodynamics, enzyme kinetics,
and feedback inhibition; cell division and reproduction including mitosis and meiosis;
evolution and ecology including natural selection and levels of biological organization; DNA
structure and replication; cell communication and signaling; microscopy and laboratory
techniques; viruses and prokaryotes
Section 1: Scientific Method & Foundations of Biology
1. In the context of BIOL 1009 scientific inquiry and experimental design, what term
describes a broad, well-supported explanation encompassing all living things that has
withstood extensive testing?
A. Hypothesis
B. Theory
,C. Observation
D. Prediction
A theory is a broad, well-supported explanation encompassing all living things that has been
extensively tested and validated through scientific inquiry .
2. In the context of BIOL 1009 scientific inquiry and experimental design, what term
describes a proposed explanation that applies to a specific phenomenon or observation?
A. Theory
B. Hypothesis
C. Law
D. Fact
A hypothesis is a proposed explanation that applies to a specific phenomenon or
observation and is testable through experimentation .
3. In the context of BIOL 1009 scientific inquiry and experimental design, what is the correct
sequence of steps in the scientific method?
A. Hypothesis, Observation, Experiment, Conclusion
B. Observation, Hypothesis, Experiment, Conclusion
C. Experiment, Observation, Hypothesis, Conclusion
D. Conclusion, Hypothesis, Experiment, Observation
The scientific method begins with observation, followed by hypothesis formation,
experimentation, and conclusion drawing.
,4. In the context of BIOL 1009 scientific inquiry and experimental design, which of the
following best describes the concept of emergent properties?
A. Properties that emerge only in non-living systems
B. Properties that arise from the arrangement and interactions of parts as complexity
increases
C. Properties that are present in isolated molecules
D. Properties that decrease with increasing complexity
Emergent properties are due to the arrangement and interactions of parts as complexity
increases, such as photosynthesis emerging at the cellular level .
5. In the context of BIOL 1009 scientific inquiry and experimental design, what is the primary
purpose of reductionism in biological study?
A. To increase the complexity of biological systems
B. To reduce complex systems to simpler components that are more manageable to
study
C. To eliminate the need for experimentation
D. To study only whole organisms
Reductionism is an approach that reduces complex systems to simpler components that are
more manageable to study .
6. In the context of BIOL 1009 scientific inquiry and experimental design, what is the
definition of a controlled experiment?
, A. An experiment without any variables
B. An experiment in which an experimental group is compared with a control group
that varies only in the factor being tested
C. An experiment conducted in a laboratory only
D. An experiment with no hypothesis
A controlled experiment compares an experimental group with a control group that varies
only in the factor being tested.
7. In the context of BIOL 1009 scientific inquiry and experimental design, what is the role of
a control group in an experiment?
A. To receive the experimental treatment
B. To provide a baseline for comparison against the experimental group
C. To introduce additional variables
D. To eliminate the need for a hypothesis
The control group provides a baseline for comparison against the experimental group,
ensuring that observed effects are due to the treatment.
8. In the context of BIOL 1009 scientific inquiry and experimental design, what is the
difference between a hypothesis and a prediction?
A. A hypothesis is broader than a prediction
B. A hypothesis is a proposed explanation, while a prediction is a specific
expectation based on that hypothesis
