Hypotheses, Theories and Science

1. Which of the following best describes the logic of hypothesis-based science?

  1. If I generate a testable hypothesis, tests and observations will support it.
  2. If my prediction is correct, it will lead to a testable hypothesis.
  3. If my observations are accurate, they will support my hypothesis.
  4. If my hypothesis is correct, I can expect certain test results.
  5. If my experiments are set up right, they will lead to a testable hypothesis.

2. Which of the following statements best distinguishes hypotheses from theories in science?

  1. Theories are hypotheses that have been proved.
  2. Hypotheses are guesses; theories are correct answers.
  3. Hypotheses usually are relatively narrow in scope; theories have broad explanatory power.
  4. Hypotheses must be supported by lots of evidence.
  5. Theories are proved true in all cases; hypotheses are usually falsified by tests.

3. What are the two main types of cells?

  1. bacteria and archaea
  2. plant and animal
  3. bacteria and protists
  4. prokaryotes and eukaryotes
  5. bacteria and eukaryotes

4. Prokaryotic cells are found in the domain(s) _____.

  1. Bacteria and Archaea
  2. Bacteria and Eukarya
  3. Bacteria and Protista
  4. Bacteria
  5. Protista and Archaea

5. A theory is _____.

  1. a poorly supported idea that has little backing but might be correct
  2. a well-supported concept that has broad explanatory power
  3. the same thing as a hypothesis
  4. not correct unless it is several years old
  5. a concept that, once established in the scientific literature, can be modified but never rejected, even when new scientific methods produce data that don't fit

6. A man states that he saw Bigfoot in an isolated forest. He was alone and did not take pictures or collect any physical evidence of Bigfoot. Why would his observation be given little scientific credence?

This observation is not testable, falsifiable, measurable or reproducible. There is no tangible evidence to make it an accepted observation!

Would astrology begiven scientific credence?No; it is the study of the influence of heavenly bodies on humans. It is not testable, falsifiable, measurable or objective.

7. Biology is organized in a hierarchy, increasing in complexity each time you go (up/down). As complexity of the organization increases, more characteristics are known, which are called emergent properties. With this organization, we can usereductionism, in that we can look at simpler, smaller pieces of the whole instead of studying the hugely complex field of biology at once.

8. Where is a bacterial cell’s DNA found?

  1. Mitochondria
  2. Nucleus
  3. Peroxisome
  4. Nucleoid region
  5. Capsule

9. Gram-______bacteria havelipopolysaccharides on their cell wall,meaning they are ______resistant to antibiotics, which prevent peptidoglycan cross-linking.

  1. Negative…more
  2. Negative…less
  3. Positive…less
  4. Positive…more

10. Bacterial cells, but not eukaryotic cells, possess _____.

  1. Photosynthetic pigments
  2. A nucleoid with a circular chromosome
  3. Membrane-enclosed organelles
  4. Cell walls

11. Plasmids _____.

  1. Often contain antibiotic resistance genes.
  2. Are transferred from one bacterium to another.
  3. Allow bacteria to survive adverse conditions.
  4. All of the above.

12. Prokaryotes can either make their own energy, which are called autotrophs, or get energy from outside sources, called heterotrophs.

13. List reasons as to why bacteria are able to adapt so readily to their environment. How is this bad for humans?Bacteria have fast reproduction through binary fission (which allows for an advantageous mutation in a bacteria to spread quickly), they can create endospores which can survive adverse environments and horizontal transfer of DNA with other bacteria (allowing one bacteria to spread resistance or other advantageous traits quickly). This is bad for humans because they can become resistant to antibiotics quickly.