BIOLOGY EOC QUESTIONS WITH
COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
theory - ANSWER-well-tested explanation that unifies a broad range of observations
fossil - ANSWER-preserved remains or evidence of an ancient organism
artificial selection - ANSWER-selection by humans for breeding of useful traits from
natural variation
struggle for existence - ANSWER-competition among members of a species for food,
living space, and the other necessities of life
fitness - ANSWER-ability of an organism to survive and reproduce in its environment
adaptation - ANSWER-inherited characteristic that increases an organism's chance
of survival
survival of the fittest - ANSWER-process by which the individuals that are better
suited to their environment survive and reproduce most successfully; also called
natural selection
food web - ANSWER-network of complex interactions formed by the feeding
relationships among the various organisms in an ecosystem
trophic level - ANSWER-step in a food chain or food web
ecological pyramid - ANSWER-diagram that shows the relative amounts of energy or
matter within each trophic level in a food chain or food web
biomass - ANSWER-total amount of living tissue within a given trophic level
biogeochemical cycle - ANSWER-process in which elements, chemical compounds,
and other forms of matter are passed from one organism to another and from one
part of the biosphere to another
evaporation - ANSWER-process by which water changes from a liquid into an
atmospheric gas
transpiration - ANSWER-loss of water from a plant through its leaves
nutrient - ANSWER-chemical substance that an organism requires to live
nitrogen fixation - ANSWER-process of converting nitrogen gas into ammonia
denitrification - ANSWER-conversion of nitrates into nitrogen gas
primary productivity - ANSWER-rate at which organic matter is created by producers
in an ecosystem
, limiting nutrient - ANSWER-single nutrient that either is scarce or cycles very slowly,
limiting the growth of organisms in an ecosystem
algal bloom - ANSWER-an immediate increase in the amount of algae and other
producers that results from a large input of a limiting nutrient
phytoplankton - ANSWER-population of algae and other small, photosynthetic
organisms found near the surface of the ocean and forming part of plankton
food vacuole - ANSWER-small cavity in the cytoplasm of protists that temporarily
stores food
cilium - ANSWER-short hairlike projection similar to a flagellum; produces movement
in many cells
contractile vacuole - ANSWER-Cavity in the cytoplasm of some protists that collects
water and discharges it from the cell
prokaryote - ANSWER-unicellular organism lacking a nucleus
nitrogen fixation - ANSWER-process of converting nitrogen gas into ammonia
natural selection - ANSWER-process by which the individuals that are better suited
to their environment survive and reproduce most successfully; also called survival of
the fittest
descent with modification - ANSWER-principle that each living species has
descended, with changes, from other species over time
common descent - ANSWER-principle that all living things were derived from
common ancestors
homologous structures - ANSWER-structures that have different mature forms in
different organisms but develop from the same embryonic tissues
vestigial organ - ANSWER-organ that serves no useful function in an organism
bacteriophage - ANSWER-kind of virus that infects bacteria
nucleotide - ANSWER-building block of a nucleic acid (DNA and RNA)
virus - ANSWER-a particle made up of nucleic acid, protein, and in some cases
lipids that can replicate only by infecting living cells
bacteriophage - ANSWER-virus that infects bacteria
retrovirus - ANSWER-virus that contains RNA as its genetic information
COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
theory - ANSWER-well-tested explanation that unifies a broad range of observations
fossil - ANSWER-preserved remains or evidence of an ancient organism
artificial selection - ANSWER-selection by humans for breeding of useful traits from
natural variation
struggle for existence - ANSWER-competition among members of a species for food,
living space, and the other necessities of life
fitness - ANSWER-ability of an organism to survive and reproduce in its environment
adaptation - ANSWER-inherited characteristic that increases an organism's chance
of survival
survival of the fittest - ANSWER-process by which the individuals that are better
suited to their environment survive and reproduce most successfully; also called
natural selection
food web - ANSWER-network of complex interactions formed by the feeding
relationships among the various organisms in an ecosystem
trophic level - ANSWER-step in a food chain or food web
ecological pyramid - ANSWER-diagram that shows the relative amounts of energy or
matter within each trophic level in a food chain or food web
biomass - ANSWER-total amount of living tissue within a given trophic level
biogeochemical cycle - ANSWER-process in which elements, chemical compounds,
and other forms of matter are passed from one organism to another and from one
part of the biosphere to another
evaporation - ANSWER-process by which water changes from a liquid into an
atmospheric gas
transpiration - ANSWER-loss of water from a plant through its leaves
nutrient - ANSWER-chemical substance that an organism requires to live
nitrogen fixation - ANSWER-process of converting nitrogen gas into ammonia
denitrification - ANSWER-conversion of nitrates into nitrogen gas
primary productivity - ANSWER-rate at which organic matter is created by producers
in an ecosystem
, limiting nutrient - ANSWER-single nutrient that either is scarce or cycles very slowly,
limiting the growth of organisms in an ecosystem
algal bloom - ANSWER-an immediate increase in the amount of algae and other
producers that results from a large input of a limiting nutrient
phytoplankton - ANSWER-population of algae and other small, photosynthetic
organisms found near the surface of the ocean and forming part of plankton
food vacuole - ANSWER-small cavity in the cytoplasm of protists that temporarily
stores food
cilium - ANSWER-short hairlike projection similar to a flagellum; produces movement
in many cells
contractile vacuole - ANSWER-Cavity in the cytoplasm of some protists that collects
water and discharges it from the cell
prokaryote - ANSWER-unicellular organism lacking a nucleus
nitrogen fixation - ANSWER-process of converting nitrogen gas into ammonia
natural selection - ANSWER-process by which the individuals that are better suited
to their environment survive and reproduce most successfully; also called survival of
the fittest
descent with modification - ANSWER-principle that each living species has
descended, with changes, from other species over time
common descent - ANSWER-principle that all living things were derived from
common ancestors
homologous structures - ANSWER-structures that have different mature forms in
different organisms but develop from the same embryonic tissues
vestigial organ - ANSWER-organ that serves no useful function in an organism
bacteriophage - ANSWER-kind of virus that infects bacteria
nucleotide - ANSWER-building block of a nucleic acid (DNA and RNA)
virus - ANSWER-a particle made up of nucleic acid, protein, and in some cases
lipids that can replicate only by infecting living cells
bacteriophage - ANSWER-virus that infects bacteria
retrovirus - ANSWER-virus that contains RNA as its genetic information
