Supplemental Test Items to accompany OpenStax College Concepts of Biology. Note that not
all chapters of OpenStax College Concepts of Biology have accompanying test items. Building
on the community-oriented nature of OpenStax College resources, we invite you to submit
items to be considered for future inclusion.
Chapter 01: Introduction to Biology
1. A scientist observes that when she opens the back door of her house to let her
cat out, the songs of a certain species of bird abruptly change. She wants to
follow up on her observations with an informal experiment. Which of the
following is the best hypothesis for explaining the birds’ song changes?
(Outcome #Ia) (DOK 2) (Paired Item 1)
A. The bird species switches from song to warning call whenever it sees a
potential predator.*
B. The bird species has a variety of songs that it sings, regardless of what is
happening in its environment.
C. The scientist is mistaken and the songs do not change.
2. A scientist wants to test the hypothesis that a certain bird species in her back
yard changes its songs to warning calls whenever it detects the presence of a
potential predator. Which of the following most likely describes her initial
observations? (Outcome #Ia) (DOK 2) (Paired Item 2)
A. The scientist noticed that whenever she opened a door to her house, she
heard birds beginning to sing.
B. Each time the scientist let her cat outside, the birds abruptly changed
their songs.*
C. The scientist noticed that the birds only appeared at certain times of the
day, always singing the same song during those times.
3. What is the main purpose of conducting experiments? (Outcome #Ib) (DOK 1)
(Paired Item 1)
A. proving a theory
B. making initial observations
C. disproving a hypothesis*
4. The attempt to disprove a hypothesis is accomplished by which of the following
tasks? (Outcome #Ib) (DOK 1) (Paired Item 2)
A. conducting experiments*
B. making initial observations
C. proposing a theory
5. A scientist wishes to test a new antibiotic’s ability to treat stubborn bacterial
infections. He tests his hypothesis that the antibiotic works better than existing
treatments by giving bacterial infections to mice and treating them with the
antibiotic. He then determines how many of the mice recover from their
, infections. What is missing from his experimental design? (Outcome #Ib) (DOK
3) (Paired Item 1)
A. He is missing a control group of mice that received a half dose of the new
antibiotic.
B. He is missing a control group of mice that did not receive the new
antibiotic.*
C. Nothing is missing—he has done everything he needs to do for this to be
a successful experiment.
6. A scientist wants to determine whether a new chemical she isolated can cure a
certain disease. To test her hypothesis that the new chemical cures the disease
more effectively than current treatments, she infects mice with the disease and
gives them the new chemical. She then assesses how many mice were cured of
the disease. What is missing from her experimental design? (Outcome #Ib) (DOK
3) (Paired Item 2)
A. She is not missing anything—her experimental design is adequate to test
her hypothesis.
B. She is missing a control group of mice that received a half dose of the new
chemical.
C. She is missing a control group of mice that did not receive the new
chemical.*
7. A scientist believes that she has found a new life form. Which of the following
conditions is not considered essential in determining whether the putative new
life form is alive? (Outcome #Ic) (DOK 2) (Paired Item 1)
A. The creature possesses purposeful anatomical structures that differ from
one another.
B. The creature’s body is bilaterally symmetrical.*
C. The creature seems to react to being touched.
8. A scientist discovers a putative new life form and notes that the creature’s body
is bilaterally symmetrical and consequently satisfies the criteria for defining life
in which of the following categories? (Outcome #Ic) (DOK 2) (Paired Item 2)
A. none, symmetry is not a basic characteristic of life*
B. order
C. growth and development
9. Which of the following lists correctly presents levels of organization from
simplest to most complex? (Outcome #Ic) (DOK 2) (Paired Item 1)
A. organs, organ systems, organelles, organisms
B. biosphere, atoms, communities, organisms
C. molecules, cells, populations, ecosystems*
10. Which of the following lists correctly presents levels of organization from most
complex to simplest? (Outcome #Ic) (DOK 2) (Paired Item 2)
, A. cell, organelle, atom, molecule
B. biosphere, community, organism, organ system*
C. macromolecule, population, community, ecosystem
11. An “educated guess” as to what causes an observed phenomenon is known as a:
(Outcome #1) (DOK 1)
A. theory
B. hypothesis*
C. control
12. Why are theories stronger and more reliable than hypotheses? (Outcome #1)
(DOK 2)
A. because we believe in them more
B. because they have a control group
C. because they are based on many experimentally tested hypotheses*
Supplemental Test Items to accompany OpenStax College Concepts of Biology. Note that not
all chapters of OpenStax College Concepts of Biology have accompanying test items. Building
on the community-oriented nature of OpenStax College resources, we invite you to submit
items to be considered for future inclusion.
Chapter 02: Chemistry of Life
1. Water molecules have one oxygen atom that is more electronegative than the
two hydrogen atoms bound to it. As a result, which type of bonding holds water
molecules together? (Outcome #Id) (DOK 2) (Paired Item 1)
1. non-polar covalent bonding
2. polar covalent bonding*
3. ionic bonding
2. Which of the following statements correctly identifies and describes the type of
covalent bond found between oxygen and hydrogen in water molecules?
(Outcome #Id) (DOK 2) (Paired Item 2)
A. polar covalent bonds because hydrogen is more electronegative than
oxygen
B. hydrogen bonds because hydrogen is more electronegative than oxygen
C. polar covalent bonds because oxygen is more electronegative than
hydrogen*
3. A team of researchers is investigating a new carbon-rich molecule important to
life. They find evidence for the presence of both cis and trans isomers of the
molecule in a mixture of near-pure molecules. Which of the following must be
contained in the new molecule? (Outcome #Id) (DOK 2) (Paired Item 1)
A. a double bond*
B. an aliphatic hydrocarbon
C. a hydrocarbon ring structure
, 4. A team of researchers is investigating a new carbon-rich molecule important to
life. They find evidence for the presence of a carbon-carbon double bond in the
molecule. This observation means that the new molecule likely exists as which of
following? (Outcome #Id) (DOK 2) (Paired Item 2)
A. a hydrocarbon ring
B. both cis and trans isomers*
C. an aliphatic hydrocarbon
5. Consider the following chemical equation which depicts the mechanism by
which humans maintain an acid-base balance in the blood:
H+ + HCO3- ↔ H2CO3 ↔ H20 + CO2
What happens if the carbon dioxide on the right is not removed from the blood
via the lungs? (Outcome #Id) (DOK 3) (Paired Item 1)
A. The reaction will be driven toward the left, resulting in the blood
becoming more acidic.*
B. The reaction will be driven toward the left, resulting in the blood
becoming more basic.
C. The reaction will be driven toward the center, and the pH of the blood
will remain neutral.
6. Consider the following chemical equation which depicts the mechanism by
which humans maintain an acid-base balance in the blood:
H+ + HCO3- ↔ H2CO3 ↔ H20 + CO2
What happens in this reaction if the blood becomes more acidic, and what is the
physiological response? (Outcome #Id) (DOK 3) (Paired Item 2)
A. The reaction will be driven toward the left, and the blood will become
more basic.
B. The reaction will be driven toward the right, and more CO 2 will be
removed via exhalation.*
C. The reaction will be driven toward the center, and the pH of the blood
will remain neutral.
7. A biologist isolates a large, unidentified molecule from some cells in his lab.
What type of reaction could he initiate to determine whether the molecule is a
polymer and, thus, a macromolecule? (Outcome #Ie) (DOK 2) (Paired Item 1)
A. condensation
B. dehydration
C. hydrolysis*
8. A biologist isolates a large, unidentified molecule from some cells in his lab. He
determines that the macromolecule breaks into smaller pieces with the
concomitant loss of water. What reaction has he observed? (Outcome #Ie) (DOK
2) (Paired Item 2)
A. hydrolysis*
all chapters of OpenStax College Concepts of Biology have accompanying test items. Building
on the community-oriented nature of OpenStax College resources, we invite you to submit
items to be considered for future inclusion.
Chapter 01: Introduction to Biology
1. A scientist observes that when she opens the back door of her house to let her
cat out, the songs of a certain species of bird abruptly change. She wants to
follow up on her observations with an informal experiment. Which of the
following is the best hypothesis for explaining the birds’ song changes?
(Outcome #Ia) (DOK 2) (Paired Item 1)
A. The bird species switches from song to warning call whenever it sees a
potential predator.*
B. The bird species has a variety of songs that it sings, regardless of what is
happening in its environment.
C. The scientist is mistaken and the songs do not change.
2. A scientist wants to test the hypothesis that a certain bird species in her back
yard changes its songs to warning calls whenever it detects the presence of a
potential predator. Which of the following most likely describes her initial
observations? (Outcome #Ia) (DOK 2) (Paired Item 2)
A. The scientist noticed that whenever she opened a door to her house, she
heard birds beginning to sing.
B. Each time the scientist let her cat outside, the birds abruptly changed
their songs.*
C. The scientist noticed that the birds only appeared at certain times of the
day, always singing the same song during those times.
3. What is the main purpose of conducting experiments? (Outcome #Ib) (DOK 1)
(Paired Item 1)
A. proving a theory
B. making initial observations
C. disproving a hypothesis*
4. The attempt to disprove a hypothesis is accomplished by which of the following
tasks? (Outcome #Ib) (DOK 1) (Paired Item 2)
A. conducting experiments*
B. making initial observations
C. proposing a theory
5. A scientist wishes to test a new antibiotic’s ability to treat stubborn bacterial
infections. He tests his hypothesis that the antibiotic works better than existing
treatments by giving bacterial infections to mice and treating them with the
antibiotic. He then determines how many of the mice recover from their
, infections. What is missing from his experimental design? (Outcome #Ib) (DOK
3) (Paired Item 1)
A. He is missing a control group of mice that received a half dose of the new
antibiotic.
B. He is missing a control group of mice that did not receive the new
antibiotic.*
C. Nothing is missing—he has done everything he needs to do for this to be
a successful experiment.
6. A scientist wants to determine whether a new chemical she isolated can cure a
certain disease. To test her hypothesis that the new chemical cures the disease
more effectively than current treatments, she infects mice with the disease and
gives them the new chemical. She then assesses how many mice were cured of
the disease. What is missing from her experimental design? (Outcome #Ib) (DOK
3) (Paired Item 2)
A. She is not missing anything—her experimental design is adequate to test
her hypothesis.
B. She is missing a control group of mice that received a half dose of the new
chemical.
C. She is missing a control group of mice that did not receive the new
chemical.*
7. A scientist believes that she has found a new life form. Which of the following
conditions is not considered essential in determining whether the putative new
life form is alive? (Outcome #Ic) (DOK 2) (Paired Item 1)
A. The creature possesses purposeful anatomical structures that differ from
one another.
B. The creature’s body is bilaterally symmetrical.*
C. The creature seems to react to being touched.
8. A scientist discovers a putative new life form and notes that the creature’s body
is bilaterally symmetrical and consequently satisfies the criteria for defining life
in which of the following categories? (Outcome #Ic) (DOK 2) (Paired Item 2)
A. none, symmetry is not a basic characteristic of life*
B. order
C. growth and development
9. Which of the following lists correctly presents levels of organization from
simplest to most complex? (Outcome #Ic) (DOK 2) (Paired Item 1)
A. organs, organ systems, organelles, organisms
B. biosphere, atoms, communities, organisms
C. molecules, cells, populations, ecosystems*
10. Which of the following lists correctly presents levels of organization from most
complex to simplest? (Outcome #Ic) (DOK 2) (Paired Item 2)
, A. cell, organelle, atom, molecule
B. biosphere, community, organism, organ system*
C. macromolecule, population, community, ecosystem
11. An “educated guess” as to what causes an observed phenomenon is known as a:
(Outcome #1) (DOK 1)
A. theory
B. hypothesis*
C. control
12. Why are theories stronger and more reliable than hypotheses? (Outcome #1)
(DOK 2)
A. because we believe in them more
B. because they have a control group
C. because they are based on many experimentally tested hypotheses*
Supplemental Test Items to accompany OpenStax College Concepts of Biology. Note that not
all chapters of OpenStax College Concepts of Biology have accompanying test items. Building
on the community-oriented nature of OpenStax College resources, we invite you to submit
items to be considered for future inclusion.
Chapter 02: Chemistry of Life
1. Water molecules have one oxygen atom that is more electronegative than the
two hydrogen atoms bound to it. As a result, which type of bonding holds water
molecules together? (Outcome #Id) (DOK 2) (Paired Item 1)
1. non-polar covalent bonding
2. polar covalent bonding*
3. ionic bonding
2. Which of the following statements correctly identifies and describes the type of
covalent bond found between oxygen and hydrogen in water molecules?
(Outcome #Id) (DOK 2) (Paired Item 2)
A. polar covalent bonds because hydrogen is more electronegative than
oxygen
B. hydrogen bonds because hydrogen is more electronegative than oxygen
C. polar covalent bonds because oxygen is more electronegative than
hydrogen*
3. A team of researchers is investigating a new carbon-rich molecule important to
life. They find evidence for the presence of both cis and trans isomers of the
molecule in a mixture of near-pure molecules. Which of the following must be
contained in the new molecule? (Outcome #Id) (DOK 2) (Paired Item 1)
A. a double bond*
B. an aliphatic hydrocarbon
C. a hydrocarbon ring structure
, 4. A team of researchers is investigating a new carbon-rich molecule important to
life. They find evidence for the presence of a carbon-carbon double bond in the
molecule. This observation means that the new molecule likely exists as which of
following? (Outcome #Id) (DOK 2) (Paired Item 2)
A. a hydrocarbon ring
B. both cis and trans isomers*
C. an aliphatic hydrocarbon
5. Consider the following chemical equation which depicts the mechanism by
which humans maintain an acid-base balance in the blood:
H+ + HCO3- ↔ H2CO3 ↔ H20 + CO2
What happens if the carbon dioxide on the right is not removed from the blood
via the lungs? (Outcome #Id) (DOK 3) (Paired Item 1)
A. The reaction will be driven toward the left, resulting in the blood
becoming more acidic.*
B. The reaction will be driven toward the left, resulting in the blood
becoming more basic.
C. The reaction will be driven toward the center, and the pH of the blood
will remain neutral.
6. Consider the following chemical equation which depicts the mechanism by
which humans maintain an acid-base balance in the blood:
H+ + HCO3- ↔ H2CO3 ↔ H20 + CO2
What happens in this reaction if the blood becomes more acidic, and what is the
physiological response? (Outcome #Id) (DOK 3) (Paired Item 2)
A. The reaction will be driven toward the left, and the blood will become
more basic.
B. The reaction will be driven toward the right, and more CO 2 will be
removed via exhalation.*
C. The reaction will be driven toward the center, and the pH of the blood
will remain neutral.
7. A biologist isolates a large, unidentified molecule from some cells in his lab.
What type of reaction could he initiate to determine whether the molecule is a
polymer and, thus, a macromolecule? (Outcome #Ie) (DOK 2) (Paired Item 1)
A. condensation
B. dehydration
C. hydrolysis*
8. A biologist isolates a large, unidentified molecule from some cells in his lab. He
determines that the macromolecule breaks into smaller pieces with the
concomitant loss of water. What reaction has he observed? (Outcome #Ie) (DOK
2) (Paired Item 2)
A. hydrolysis*
