1st Quarter Review Questions
1. Which of the following is responsible for the “rough” appearance of endoplasmic reticulum?
A. DNA C. lysosomes
B. enzymes D. ribosomes
2. A biology class of 24 students decides to measure the height of each student and then calculate
the average height for the class. Which of these is a possible source of error in this activity?
A. the accuracy of making and recording measurements
B. the total number of students in the class
C. the number of males and females in the class
D. the difference in the ages of the students in the class
3. The energy in the food produced by autotrophs or taken into the bodies of heterotrophs must be
changed into a form that cells can use. The energy-transferring molecule used by cells is
A. DNA C. ATP
B. RNA D. CO2
4. Both lipids and carbohydrates are important in animal cells because both
A. store energy C. form cell walls
B. contain nitrogen D. provide insulation
5. Algae and multicellular plants are autotrophs because they
A. decompose dead organisms C. break down starches to glucose
B. absorb nutrients from soil D. capture sunlight to produce sugars
6. Some unicellular organisms are motile (have the ability to move), and some are non-motile.
Which cellular structures are associated with movement?
A. ribosomes C. chloroplasts
B. flagella D. vacuoles
7. What repackages proteins into forms the cell can use, expel, or keep stored?
A. lysosomes C. golgi apparatus/bodies
B. mitochondria D. centrioles
8. Which of these is the best model of a prokaryotic cell?
A. C.
B. D.
9. A company that produces Brand X flea shampoo claims to have the most effective shampoo
for killing fleas. Which of these sets of data supports the Brand X claim?
A. # of dogs
with fleas
B. # of dogs
with fleas
C. # of dogs
with fleas
D. # of dogs
with fleas
10. Change in species is described as a process that usually occurs over long periods of time. Yet,
even though antibiotics have only been widely used for fifty years, scientists recognize that
overuse of antibiotics has led to antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. The reason this can
occur in a relatively short span of time is that
A. bacteria are very small C. there are many different types of bacteria
B. bacteria reproduce rapidly D. travelers carry bacteria around the world
11. Amino acids link together by peptide bonds to form proteins. In which cellular organelle
would this process occur?
A. mitochondrion C. lysosome
B. ribosome D. golgi body
12. Harvester ants often strip a bush of all of its leaves. Some people believe this helps the plant
grow thicker, healthier stems. In an experiment, a student stripped off all the leaves from a set
of plants. In a second set of identical plants, the student allowed ants to strip off the plants’
leaves. In order to improve this experimental design, it is MOST important to add a set of plants
A. exposed to a different ant species C. with its leaves left intact
B. of a different species D. that are dormant
13. Most cellular activities are processes regulated by the action of
A. carbohydrates C. lipids
B. enzymes D. polysaccharides
14. Which question cannot be answered scientifically because the quantity cannot actually be
measured?
A. how fast can a tiger swallowtail butterfly fly?
B. how heavy is a mature female elephant?
C. how happy is a chimpanzee when it finds its favorite food?
D. how much food does a water buffalo consume in one day?
15. Unlike plants, fungi cannot make their own food because they do not have
A. roots C. spores
B. hyphae D. chloroplasts
16. In 1869, DNA was discovered within the nuclei of cells. By the 1940s, scientists knew that
chromosomes were made of both DNA and protein but did not know which was the genetic
material of cells. In the 1950s, scientists demonstrated that DNA is the material responsible
for heredity. In 1953, using information collected by other scientists, an American biologist
and an English physicist built a 3-dimensional model of DNA. These discoveries BEST
illustrate the importance of
A. independent research C. collaborative efforts among scientists
B. replication of results D. recent improvements in the scientific method
17. Comparison of Disinfectants
Disinfectant / Bacterial Colony Size (mm)Trial 1 / Trial 2
none / 6.0 / 5.5
1 / 3.0 / 2.0
2 / 2.5 / 1.5
3 / 4.0 / 4.0
4 / 1.5 / 1.5
Four disinfectants were tested in two trials, each for their effectiveness in controlling bacterial
growth. The table above shows the bacterial growth in each trial after four days. Which of the
following conclusions is BEST supported by the results of this study?
A. disinfectants kill most bacteria on contact
B. strong concentrations of disinfectants can be harmful
C. some disinfectants are more effective than others
D. disinfectants cannot be used to control bacterial infections
18. A park ranger notices that the fish in one of the ponds in a park are smaller than the fish of the
same species in other ponds in the same park. Before conducting an experiment to find the
cause of this difference, she states, “The pond with the smaller fish contains less algae, therefore
the fish eat less and do not grow as large as the fish in other ponds.” What kind of statement did
she make?
a. analysis of the data c. statement of the problem
b. evaluation of the data d. statement of the hypothesis
19. Studying improves test scores. If we were to experimentally test this hypothesis, what
would the independent variable be?
a. amount of time spent studying c. amount of time spent on other activities
b. test scores d. failure rates
20. From where do autotrophs get the energy that produces their food?
a. fungi c. the sun
b. plants d. a lower trophic level
21. A scientist is working with a liquid culture containing genetically modified E. coli bacteria.
Which would be the BEST precaution to take when cleaning his work area?
a. add media to the culture
b. add a virus to the culture
c. wash tabletops with a mild bleach solution
d. wash the culture down the sink drain with plenty of water
22. In her journal, Sandy recorded that it rained yesterday because after school she noticed that the
sidewalks were all wet. Which of the following describes her journal entry?
a. fact c. prediction
b. inference d. theory
23. What would the dependent variable be in an experiment where grass is being grown using
different amounts of fertilizer?
a. the grass itself c. the (amount of) fertilizer used
b. the growth of the grass (height) d. there isn’t one
24. A cell stores food or waste products in
a. chloroplasts c. ribosomes
b. nuclei d. vacuoles
25. Emily normally uses tap water to water her garden. She wanted to find out how tap water
compared to water from other sources. Emily grew beans in four separate groups under identical conditions. Each group received either rain water, distilled water, salt water, or tap water. She used equal amounts of water for each group. At the end of three weeks, her results were as follows:
Group # / Watered with / Average Growth1 / Rain water / 7.0 mm
2 / Distilled water / 4.5 mm
3 / Salt water / 0.1 mm
4 / Tap water / 5.5 mm
Which of the following could be considered a control in this experiment?
a. the beans that were not watered
b. the beans watered with tap water
c. the beans watered with salt water
d. another group watered for half the number of days as the original groups
26. Which organism is a heterotroph?
a. moss c. oak tree
b. algae d. frog
27. An herbivore might eat all of the following EXCEPT
a. plants c. leaves
b. animals d. algae
28. The overall organization of the human body follows which general pattern (from smallest to largest)?
a. tissues, cells, organs, organ systems c. cells, tissues, organs, organ systems
b. organ systems, organs, cells, tissues d. cells, organs, organ systems, tissues
29. All cells must have a
a. cell membrane c. nucleus
b. cell wall d. centiole
30. Which of the following are most likely to be found in all unicellular and multicellular organisms?
a. nervous systems c. chloroplasts
b. nucleic acids d. organs
31. Koolaid would best be an example of a(n)
a. element c. solution
b. compound d. mixture
32. A scientific explanation for a natural occurrence is called
a. guesswork c. detection
b. an observation d. a hypothesis
33. Which of the following statements regarding cells is true?
a. all types of cells have the same life span
b. the size of each type of cell varies greatly
c. most cells are unable to reproduce independently
d. in humans, each tissue is composed of multiple cell types
34. Which of the following describes homeostasis?
a. a cat chases a ball of string c. a child inherits brown hair color
b. a dog barks at a television set d. a boy’s heart rate increases when running
35. All of the following are subjects for scientific study EXCEPT
a. the size of the universe c. the behavior of fish
b. the pollution of water d. the right to die
36. A bucket containing several different types and sizes of rocks is an example of a(n)
a. element c. solution
b. compound d. mixture
37. Carbohydrates are used by the body as a source of quick energy, and are made up of
a. carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen c. potassium, oxygen, and carbon
b. oxygen, hydrogen, and protein d. hydrogen, cholesterol, and oxygen
38. A scientist passes a pond every day on the way to work. The scientist notices that the fish are
near the surface of the pond on cloudy days, but on clear days the fish are near the bottom
of the pond. She decides to investigate. The first step is to
a. formulate a question c. develop a theory and gather data
b. formulate a possible conclusion d. determine the experimental variables
39. After eating a large meal, the glucose concentration in the blood increases. When this happens, insulin is released to help transport the excess glucose out of the blood and into specific tissues. The blood glucose concentrations then return to normal. This process is an example of
a. respiration c. metaphase
b. homeostasis d. immune response
40. Many animals have internal or external skeletons that provide support and structure. Which of the following parts of plant cells play a similar role?
a. cell membranes c. chloroplasts
b. cell walls d. cytoplasm
41. Cyanide is a powerful poison because it inhibits (stops) an enzyme in mitochondria, preventing the transfer of energy during one of the steps in cellular respiration. This poison would DIRECTLY affect the production of which of the following molecules?
a. ATP c. oxygen
b. glucose d. RNA
42. To be considered valid, the results of a scientific experiment must be
a. mathematically verified c. repeatable
b. simple and elegant d. written up in detail
43. Some cells, such as human nerve and muscle cells, contain many more mitochondria than do other cells, such as skin cells. Why would some cells have more mitochondria than other cells?
a. the cells use more energy c. the cells degrade more proteins
b. the cells store more nutrients d. the cells divide more frequently
44. Athletes are often concerned with the question of how much protein they need in their diets because of the requirement of growing muscles for protein. Just as muscles need the basic building block of protein, protein itself has basic building blocks also. Which of the following are the basic building blocks of protein?
a. nitrates c. monosaccharides
b. amino acids d. nucleotides
45. Enzymes speed up chemical reactions in the cell by
a. raising the activation energy c. releasing the products of the reaction
b. lowering the activation energy d. emerging from the reaction unaltered
46. What are the basic building blocks of all matter?
a. electrons c. atoms
b. protons d. molecules
47. Which of the following pairs is unrelated?
a. sugar – carbohydrate c. amino acid – protein
b. fat – lipid d. starch – nucleic acid
48. In a solution of 20 mg of sugar dissolved in a gallon of water, the solvent is
a. the water c. both the sugar and water
b. the sugar d. neither the sugar nor the water
49. Data that is quantitative can be
a. described in words c. recorded on a tape recorder
b. measured in numbers d. seen through a microscope
50. Atoms in a liquid have
a. more kinetic energy than those in a gas c. more kinetic energy than those in a solid
b. less kinetic energy than those in a solid d. less potential energy than those in a gas
1st Quarter Review Solutions
1. D 21. C 41. A
2. A 22. B 42. C
3. C 23. B 43. A
4. A 24. D 44. B
5. D 25. B 45. B
6. B 26. D 46. C
7. C 27. B 47. D
8. B 28. C 48. A
9. B 29. A 49. B
10. B 30. B 50. C
11. B 31. C
12. C 32. D
13. B 33. B
14. C 34. D
15. D 35. D
16. C 36. D
17. B 37. A
18. D 38. A
19. A 39. B
20. C 40. B