BIO 148 EXAM 1 QUESTIONS WITH
COMPLETE SOLUTIONS 2026
All living things are made up of MANY cells? - ANSWERSfalse
What is TRUE about cells? - ANSWERSNot all cells are the same size and shape, and
not all living things are made up of many cells
Tardigrades, also called water bears, are microscopic segmented
animals with eight legs. They are normally about 70 percent body
water, but they can survive extreme dehydration (to just a few percent
body water) for up to 10 years! After a decade you can add water and
the tardigrades will start swimming around. You enter a lab and your
new boss gives you five dehydrated tardigrades and asks you to
demonstrate that the tardigrades are alive in their dehydrated state.
How would you demonstrate this? - ANSWERSRecord their energy use, because all
living organisms acquire and use energy
Which of the following is/are TRUE about all living things? - ANSWERSAll living things
make proteins using ribosomes
How many of these statements are true? (Choose a number)
All prokaryotic cells have a cell membrane.
All prokaryotic cells contain DNA and RNA.
All currently living prokaryotic cells came from other cells.
Prokaryotic cells contain ribosomes
Prokaryotic cells use the same genetic code as humans - ANSWERS5, all of them
In biology, "fitness" is defined as the relative ability of an individual to
survive long enough to produce viable, fertile offspring (pass on its
genes) in a given environment relative to others of the same species.
According to this definition, which of the following is the most fit? - ANSWERSA beetle
who reproduces once, has 10 surviving, fertile offspring, then dies
According to the biological definition of evolution, an individual can evolve. -
ANSWERSfalse
Which of the following is a characteristic shared by all living things? - ANSWERSThey
are composed of one or more cells AND they contain ribosomes
What statement is TRUE about cells on Earth today? - ANSWERSAll cells come from
pre-existing cells.
,A eukaryotic organism.... - ANSWERSpossess membrane bound organelles AND uses
the same type of genetic material as prokaryotes
A population is a group of individuals of the same species. According to the theory of
natural selection, what is likely to happen to a population when a change occurs in its
environment (for example, the amount of rainfall decreases or the temperature
increases)? - ANSWERSThe individuals that have traits better suited to the changed
environment would be more likely to survive and reproduce than those with less suitable
traits.
What does it mean to say that a characteristic of an individual organism is heritable? -
ANSWERSThe characteristic can be passed on to offspring
Refer to the following description of moths shown in the image. Based on this
information, which of the following would be predicted if trees became covered in soot,
which makes tree bark darker in color? - ANSWERSdarker colored moths increase in
frequency
Refer to the description of moths in the image below. Based on this information, which
of the following would be predicted if all predators of the moths died and the trees
became covered in lichens (which makes the bark lighter in color)? - ANSWERSno
change in the moth population ratio
Evolutionary change occurs in_______________. Natural selection acts on
__________. When natural selection occurs, the genetic characteristics of a _________
change(s) over time. - ANSWERSpopulations, individual organisms; population
In the "Boars with personality" worksheet from class, you learned that boar aggression
varies in the population and that female boars with low aggression scores have, on
average, more offspring per year than those with high aggression scores. Which of the
following do you need to know to determine if evolution by natural selection will occur in
this population with regard to the trait of aggression? Choose ALL that apply -
ANSWERSthe environment that the boars live in and if aggression is a heritable trait in
this boar population
In which of the following situations is evolution by natural selection most likely to occur?
- ANSWERSA population of mountain gorillas in which individuals with genes for long
hair survive the cold better
One individual in a population fathers more offspring than all the other males in that
population. Which statement best describes this situation? - ANSWERSThat male has a
greater fitness than the other males
The variation natural selection operates on is due to random mutations. Which of the
following statements about natural selection is TRUE? - ANSWERSNatural selection is
, a directed (non-random) process—the likelihood one variant will be favored in a given
environment over another is predictable, even if the origin of the variation is not.
Based on the phylogenetic tree below, which of the following groups has a bony
skeleton? - ANSWERSRay finned fish and amphibians
Based on the phylogenetic tree below, which is more closely related to crocodiles:
amphibians, rabbits or birds? - ANSWERScrocodiles are more closely related to birds
Today's prokaryotes and their MRCA are a clade. - ANSWERSfalse
Bacteria and their MRCA are a clade - ANSWERStrue
Which of the following was/ were present in the common ancestor of Bacteria, Archaea
and Eukarya? - ANSWERSproteins, rna and dna
Which of the following could be present in the cytoplasm of a prokaryotic cell? -
ANSWERSproteins, ribosomes, a circular chromosome and a circular plasmid
Which of the following can be used to distinguish between a bacterial cell (Bacteria) and
an archaeal cell (Archaea)? - ANSWERSthe presence of peptidoglycan in the cell wall
Which feature is shared by Archaea and Bacteria but not found in any member of
Eukarya - ANSWERSLack of a nucleus
A characteristic that evolved in the MRCA of all eukaryotes would be: - ANSWERSa
nucleus
Which of the following pieces of information would support the endosymbiotic theory? -
ANSWERSMitochondria reproduce by fission (like bacteria), Mitochondria have their
own ribosomes that are similar in structure to those of bacteria, Mitochondrial contain
circular DNA and Mitochondrial have double membranes
Which of the following supports the infolding theory to explain the origin of the nuclear
membrane? - ANSWERSThe nuclear envelope is a double membrane
According to the theory of endosymbiosis, the outer mitochondrial membrane is derived
from: - ANSWERSthe plasma membrane of an ancient eukaryote ancestor
Which of the following organelles would NOT have been observed in the most recent
common ancestor of all eukaryotes. - ANSWERSChloroplasts
The pictured cell wall, with a thick peptidoglycan layer on the outside of the cell wall, is
characteristic of: - ANSWERSgram-positive bacteria
COMPLETE SOLUTIONS 2026
All living things are made up of MANY cells? - ANSWERSfalse
What is TRUE about cells? - ANSWERSNot all cells are the same size and shape, and
not all living things are made up of many cells
Tardigrades, also called water bears, are microscopic segmented
animals with eight legs. They are normally about 70 percent body
water, but they can survive extreme dehydration (to just a few percent
body water) for up to 10 years! After a decade you can add water and
the tardigrades will start swimming around. You enter a lab and your
new boss gives you five dehydrated tardigrades and asks you to
demonstrate that the tardigrades are alive in their dehydrated state.
How would you demonstrate this? - ANSWERSRecord their energy use, because all
living organisms acquire and use energy
Which of the following is/are TRUE about all living things? - ANSWERSAll living things
make proteins using ribosomes
How many of these statements are true? (Choose a number)
All prokaryotic cells have a cell membrane.
All prokaryotic cells contain DNA and RNA.
All currently living prokaryotic cells came from other cells.
Prokaryotic cells contain ribosomes
Prokaryotic cells use the same genetic code as humans - ANSWERS5, all of them
In biology, "fitness" is defined as the relative ability of an individual to
survive long enough to produce viable, fertile offspring (pass on its
genes) in a given environment relative to others of the same species.
According to this definition, which of the following is the most fit? - ANSWERSA beetle
who reproduces once, has 10 surviving, fertile offspring, then dies
According to the biological definition of evolution, an individual can evolve. -
ANSWERSfalse
Which of the following is a characteristic shared by all living things? - ANSWERSThey
are composed of one or more cells AND they contain ribosomes
What statement is TRUE about cells on Earth today? - ANSWERSAll cells come from
pre-existing cells.
,A eukaryotic organism.... - ANSWERSpossess membrane bound organelles AND uses
the same type of genetic material as prokaryotes
A population is a group of individuals of the same species. According to the theory of
natural selection, what is likely to happen to a population when a change occurs in its
environment (for example, the amount of rainfall decreases or the temperature
increases)? - ANSWERSThe individuals that have traits better suited to the changed
environment would be more likely to survive and reproduce than those with less suitable
traits.
What does it mean to say that a characteristic of an individual organism is heritable? -
ANSWERSThe characteristic can be passed on to offspring
Refer to the following description of moths shown in the image. Based on this
information, which of the following would be predicted if trees became covered in soot,
which makes tree bark darker in color? - ANSWERSdarker colored moths increase in
frequency
Refer to the description of moths in the image below. Based on this information, which
of the following would be predicted if all predators of the moths died and the trees
became covered in lichens (which makes the bark lighter in color)? - ANSWERSno
change in the moth population ratio
Evolutionary change occurs in_______________. Natural selection acts on
__________. When natural selection occurs, the genetic characteristics of a _________
change(s) over time. - ANSWERSpopulations, individual organisms; population
In the "Boars with personality" worksheet from class, you learned that boar aggression
varies in the population and that female boars with low aggression scores have, on
average, more offspring per year than those with high aggression scores. Which of the
following do you need to know to determine if evolution by natural selection will occur in
this population with regard to the trait of aggression? Choose ALL that apply -
ANSWERSthe environment that the boars live in and if aggression is a heritable trait in
this boar population
In which of the following situations is evolution by natural selection most likely to occur?
- ANSWERSA population of mountain gorillas in which individuals with genes for long
hair survive the cold better
One individual in a population fathers more offspring than all the other males in that
population. Which statement best describes this situation? - ANSWERSThat male has a
greater fitness than the other males
The variation natural selection operates on is due to random mutations. Which of the
following statements about natural selection is TRUE? - ANSWERSNatural selection is
, a directed (non-random) process—the likelihood one variant will be favored in a given
environment over another is predictable, even if the origin of the variation is not.
Based on the phylogenetic tree below, which of the following groups has a bony
skeleton? - ANSWERSRay finned fish and amphibians
Based on the phylogenetic tree below, which is more closely related to crocodiles:
amphibians, rabbits or birds? - ANSWERScrocodiles are more closely related to birds
Today's prokaryotes and their MRCA are a clade. - ANSWERSfalse
Bacteria and their MRCA are a clade - ANSWERStrue
Which of the following was/ were present in the common ancestor of Bacteria, Archaea
and Eukarya? - ANSWERSproteins, rna and dna
Which of the following could be present in the cytoplasm of a prokaryotic cell? -
ANSWERSproteins, ribosomes, a circular chromosome and a circular plasmid
Which of the following can be used to distinguish between a bacterial cell (Bacteria) and
an archaeal cell (Archaea)? - ANSWERSthe presence of peptidoglycan in the cell wall
Which feature is shared by Archaea and Bacteria but not found in any member of
Eukarya - ANSWERSLack of a nucleus
A characteristic that evolved in the MRCA of all eukaryotes would be: - ANSWERSa
nucleus
Which of the following pieces of information would support the endosymbiotic theory? -
ANSWERSMitochondria reproduce by fission (like bacteria), Mitochondria have their
own ribosomes that are similar in structure to those of bacteria, Mitochondrial contain
circular DNA and Mitochondrial have double membranes
Which of the following supports the infolding theory to explain the origin of the nuclear
membrane? - ANSWERSThe nuclear envelope is a double membrane
According to the theory of endosymbiosis, the outer mitochondrial membrane is derived
from: - ANSWERSthe plasma membrane of an ancient eukaryote ancestor
Which of the following organelles would NOT have been observed in the most recent
common ancestor of all eukaryotes. - ANSWERSChloroplasts
The pictured cell wall, with a thick peptidoglycan layer on the outside of the cell wall, is
characteristic of: - ANSWERSgram-positive bacteria
