Test Bank
,Name: Class: Date:
Chapter 1 - Defining Life and Its Origins
1. What are scientists using the NASA rover Perseverance to search for on Mars?
a. ancient microbial life
b. fossilized stromatolites
c. sedimentary strata
d. water in Jezero Crater
ANSWER: a
2. Which of the following would you take into account if you wanted to define viruses?
a. They are between the biotic and abiotic worlds.
b. They are able to live outside a host organism.
c. They are able to synthesize their own proteins.
d. They are able to remain unchanged.
ANSWER: a
3. Which of the following describes the order of emergence of various organisms on Earth?
a. land plants, first prokaryotes, animals, first eukaryotes, humans
b. first prokaryotes, first eukaryotes, animals, land plants, humans
c. animals, first prokaryotes, first eukaryotes, land plants, humans
d. humans, animals, land plants, first eukaryotes, first prokaryotes
ANSWER: b
4. How old is Earth?
a. about 4.6 million years old
b. about 1 billion years old
c. about 3.6 billion years old
d. about 4.6 billion years old
ANSWER: d
5. The presence of which of these factors is the most important requirement in order for life to emerge?
a. liquid water
b. air
c. soil
d. sunlight
ANSWER: a
6. In the 1920s, Aleksandr Oparin and John Haldane each made independent proposals about the formation of
life on Earth. What did they say about essential organic molecules?
a. that these could not have been made in the absence of life in the conditions on primordial Earth
b. that these could have been made in the presence of life in the conditions on primordial Earth
c. that these could have been made in the absence of life in the conditions on primordial Earth
d. that these could have been made in the absence of life in the conditions on modern Earth
ANSWER: c
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,Name: Class: Date:
Chapter 1 - Defining Life and Its Origins
7. Aleksandr Oparin and John Haldane postulated that the early atmosphere was a reducing atmosphere. What
does this postulation imply?
a. The atmospheric molecules contained the maximum possible number of protons that can be easily
donated in reactions that lead to synthesis of complex molecules.
b. The atmospheric molecules contained the minimum possible number of electrons that can be easily
donated in reactions that lead to synthesis of complex molecules.
c. The atmospheric molecules contained the maximum possible number of protons that can be easily
accepted in reactions that lead to synthesis of complex molecules.
d. The atmospheric molecules contained the maximum possible number of electrons that can be easily
donated in reactions that lead to synthesis of complex molecules.
ANSWER: d
8. What is the importance of the Miller–Urey experiment?
a. It showed that molecules crucial to life could be produced biotically.
b. It showed that molecules crucial to life could be produced abiotically.
c. It showed that molecules not crucial to life could be produced biotically.
d. It showed that molecules not crucial to life could be produced abiotically.
ANSWER: b
9. If an electrode is analogous to the Miller–Urey experiment, which of the following is analogous to primordial
Earth?
a. water vapour
b. a strongly reducing atmosphere
c. lightning
d. a primeval sea
ANSWER: c
10. If a condenser is analogous to the Miller–Urey experiment, which of the following is analogous to
primordial Earth?
a. a primeval sea
b. water vapour
c. cold temperature
d. lightning
ANSWER: c
11. If a warmed flask of water is analogous to the Miller–Urey experiment, which of the following is analogous
to primordial Earth?
a. a strongly reducing atmosphere
b. lightning
c. a primeval sea
d. water vapour
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, Name: Class: Date:
Chapter 1 - Defining Life and Its Origins
ANSWER: c
12. Which of the following is NOT a reason that selection favoured DNA over RNA?
a. RNA is less chemically stable than DNA and degrades more readily.
b. The doubled-stranded nature of DNA means that mutations found on one strand are easy to repair using
information from the other strand.
c. Replacement of the base uracil in RNA with thymine in DNA means that mutations in DNA containing uracil
are easily recognized and repaired.
d. Compared to DNA, RNA is very slow to be transcribed into ribozymes necessary for catalysis of proteins used
in gene expression.
ANSWER: d
13. Which of the following contribute to evolutionary change over time?
a. changes in RNA
b. changes in DNA
c. changes in proteins
d. changes in cells
ANSWER: b
14. Which of the following is NOT one of the three key properties of cell evolution to be considered when
explaining an all-encompassing model for the origin of life?
a. All cells must develop a cell wall for stability and structure, and to protect them from harmful microbes.
b. Cells must be able to take in energy and use it to carry out necessary functions.
c. Cells must have replicable information storage mechanisms that can be shared with other cells.
d. Processes within the cell must occur within defined compartments separate from the outside environment.
ANSWER: a
15. What is the flow of information that the central dogma refers to?
a. DNA RNA protein
b. DNA protein RNA
c. RNA protein DNA
d. RNA DNA protein
ANSWER: a
16. Which property of RNA makes some RNA molecules able to act as catalysts?
a. They are single-stranded molecules that can fold into very specific shapes.
b. They are single-stranded molecules that cannot fold into very specific shapes.
c. They are double-stranded molecules.
d. They are double-stranded molecules that can fold into very specific shapes.
ANSWER: a
17. Why was ATP a primary molecule in connecting energy-releasing and energy-requiring reactions in early
cells?
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,Name: Class: Date:
Chapter 1 - Defining Life and Its Origins
1. What are scientists using the NASA rover Perseverance to search for on Mars?
a. ancient microbial life
b. fossilized stromatolites
c. sedimentary strata
d. water in Jezero Crater
ANSWER: a
2. Which of the following would you take into account if you wanted to define viruses?
a. They are between the biotic and abiotic worlds.
b. They are able to live outside a host organism.
c. They are able to synthesize their own proteins.
d. They are able to remain unchanged.
ANSWER: a
3. Which of the following describes the order of emergence of various organisms on Earth?
a. land plants, first prokaryotes, animals, first eukaryotes, humans
b. first prokaryotes, first eukaryotes, animals, land plants, humans
c. animals, first prokaryotes, first eukaryotes, land plants, humans
d. humans, animals, land plants, first eukaryotes, first prokaryotes
ANSWER: b
4. How old is Earth?
a. about 4.6 million years old
b. about 1 billion years old
c. about 3.6 billion years old
d. about 4.6 billion years old
ANSWER: d
5. The presence of which of these factors is the most important requirement in order for life to emerge?
a. liquid water
b. air
c. soil
d. sunlight
ANSWER: a
6. In the 1920s, Aleksandr Oparin and John Haldane each made independent proposals about the formation of
life on Earth. What did they say about essential organic molecules?
a. that these could not have been made in the absence of life in the conditions on primordial Earth
b. that these could have been made in the presence of life in the conditions on primordial Earth
c. that these could have been made in the absence of life in the conditions on primordial Earth
d. that these could have been made in the absence of life in the conditions on modern Earth
ANSWER: c
Page 1
,Name: Class: Date:
Chapter 1 - Defining Life and Its Origins
7. Aleksandr Oparin and John Haldane postulated that the early atmosphere was a reducing atmosphere. What
does this postulation imply?
a. The atmospheric molecules contained the maximum possible number of protons that can be easily
donated in reactions that lead to synthesis of complex molecules.
b. The atmospheric molecules contained the minimum possible number of electrons that can be easily
donated in reactions that lead to synthesis of complex molecules.
c. The atmospheric molecules contained the maximum possible number of protons that can be easily
accepted in reactions that lead to synthesis of complex molecules.
d. The atmospheric molecules contained the maximum possible number of electrons that can be easily
donated in reactions that lead to synthesis of complex molecules.
ANSWER: d
8. What is the importance of the Miller–Urey experiment?
a. It showed that molecules crucial to life could be produced biotically.
b. It showed that molecules crucial to life could be produced abiotically.
c. It showed that molecules not crucial to life could be produced biotically.
d. It showed that molecules not crucial to life could be produced abiotically.
ANSWER: b
9. If an electrode is analogous to the Miller–Urey experiment, which of the following is analogous to primordial
Earth?
a. water vapour
b. a strongly reducing atmosphere
c. lightning
d. a primeval sea
ANSWER: c
10. If a condenser is analogous to the Miller–Urey experiment, which of the following is analogous to
primordial Earth?
a. a primeval sea
b. water vapour
c. cold temperature
d. lightning
ANSWER: c
11. If a warmed flask of water is analogous to the Miller–Urey experiment, which of the following is analogous
to primordial Earth?
a. a strongly reducing atmosphere
b. lightning
c. a primeval sea
d. water vapour
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, Name: Class: Date:
Chapter 1 - Defining Life and Its Origins
ANSWER: c
12. Which of the following is NOT a reason that selection favoured DNA over RNA?
a. RNA is less chemically stable than DNA and degrades more readily.
b. The doubled-stranded nature of DNA means that mutations found on one strand are easy to repair using
information from the other strand.
c. Replacement of the base uracil in RNA with thymine in DNA means that mutations in DNA containing uracil
are easily recognized and repaired.
d. Compared to DNA, RNA is very slow to be transcribed into ribozymes necessary for catalysis of proteins used
in gene expression.
ANSWER: d
13. Which of the following contribute to evolutionary change over time?
a. changes in RNA
b. changes in DNA
c. changes in proteins
d. changes in cells
ANSWER: b
14. Which of the following is NOT one of the three key properties of cell evolution to be considered when
explaining an all-encompassing model for the origin of life?
a. All cells must develop a cell wall for stability and structure, and to protect them from harmful microbes.
b. Cells must be able to take in energy and use it to carry out necessary functions.
c. Cells must have replicable information storage mechanisms that can be shared with other cells.
d. Processes within the cell must occur within defined compartments separate from the outside environment.
ANSWER: a
15. What is the flow of information that the central dogma refers to?
a. DNA RNA protein
b. DNA protein RNA
c. RNA protein DNA
d. RNA DNA protein
ANSWER: a
16. Which property of RNA makes some RNA molecules able to act as catalysts?
a. They are single-stranded molecules that can fold into very specific shapes.
b. They are single-stranded molecules that cannot fold into very specific shapes.
c. They are double-stranded molecules.
d. They are double-stranded molecules that can fold into very specific shapes.
ANSWER: a
17. Why was ATP a primary molecule in connecting energy-releasing and energy-requiring reactions in early
cells?
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