1.E: The Study of Life (Exercises)
1.1: The Nature of Science
Multiple Choice
Which of the following sciences is not considered a natural science?
A. biology
B. astronomy
C. physics
D. computer science
- Answer
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D
The type of logical thinking that uses related observations to arrive at a general conclusion is called ________.
A. deductive reasoning
B. inductive reasoning
C. hypothesis-based science
D. the scientific method
- Answer
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B
The process of ________ helps to ensure that a scientist’s research is original, significant, logical, and thorough.
A. publication
B. public speaking
C. peer review
D. the scientific method
- Answer
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C
A person notices that her houseplants that are regularly exposed to music seem to grow more quickly than those in rooms with no music. As a result, she determines that plants grow better when exposed to music. This example most closely resembles which type of reasoning?
A. inductive reasoning
B. deductive reasoning
C. neither, because no hypothesis was made
D. both inductive and deductive reasoning
- Answer
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A
Free Response
Name two topics that are likely to be studied by biologists, and two areas of scientific study that would fall outside the realm of biology.
- Answer
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Answers will vary.
Example: Two topics studied by biologists might include the genetic basis for an inherited disease and the mating behaviors of the North American Grizzly Bear. Two areas of scientific study that fall outside the realm of biology include astronomy and geology.
Thinking about the topic of cancer, write a basic science question and an applied science question that a researcher interested in this topic might ask.
- Answer
-
Answers will vary.
Example: A basic science question related to cancer might be, " How does gene expression of a particular gene change in cancerous cells compared to healthy cells?" An applied science question could be, " How well does a particular drug molecule target cancer cells and what effect does this targeting have on drug side effects experienced by the patient?"
1.2: The Scientific Process
Multiple Choice
A suggested and testable explanation for an event is called a ________.
A. hypothesis
B. variable
C. theory
D. control
- Answer
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A
The thing (or things) that you are measuring as the outcome of your experiments are called ________.
A. independent variables
B. controlled variables
C. confounding variables
D. dependent variables
- Answer
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D
Free Response
Although the scientific method is used by most of the sciences, it can also be applied to everyday situations. Think about a problem that you may have at home, at school, or with your car, and apply the scientific method to solve it.
- Answer
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Answers will vary. One example of how the scientific method can be applied to an everyday situation is as follows:
- Observation: My television won't turn on
- Question: Why will my television not turn on?
- Hypothesis: The batteries in the remote are no longer working.
- Prediction: If the batteries (independent variable) are replaced then the remote will work and the TV will turn on (dependent variable).
- Experiment: Replace the batteries and attempt to turn on the the TV.
- Analyze: The TV did turn on!
- Conclusion: My hypothesis was correct. The batteries were no longer functional and replacing them solved the problem.
1.3: Themes and Concepts of Biology
Multiple Choice
Viruses are not considered living because they ________.
A. lack nuclei
B. are not made of cells
C. do not contain DNA or RNA
D. cannot reproduce
- Answer
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B
The smallest unit of biological structure that meets the functional requirements of “living” is the ________.
A. organ
B. organelle
C. cell
D. macromolecule
- Answer
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C
Which of the following sequences represents the hierarchy of biological organization from the most complex to the least complex level?
A. organelle, tissue, biosphere, ecosystem, population
B. organ, organism, tissue, organelle, molecule
C. organism, community, biosphere, molecule, tissue, organ
D. biosphere, ecosystem, community, population, organism
- Answer
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D
Free Response
Select two items that biologists agree are necessary in order to consider an organism “alive.” For each, give an example of a nonliving object that otherwise fits the definition of “alive.”
- Answer
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Answers will vary.
Example: Living things must be able to reproduce their own kind. An robot might exhibit many of the other properties of life (order, response to stimuli) but it can not reproduce.
Consider the levels of organization of the biological world, and place each of these items in order from smallest level of organization to most encompassing: skin cell, elephant, water molecule, planet Earth, tropical rainforest, hydrogen atom, wolf pack, liver.
- Answer
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Hydrogen atom, water molecule, skin cell, liver, elephant, wolf pack, tropical rainforest, planet Earth
Using examples, explain how biology can be studied from a microscopic approach to a global approach.
- Answer
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Researchers can approach biology from the smallest to the largest, and everything in between. For instance, an ecologist may study a population of individuals, the population’s community, the community’s ecosystem, and the ecosystem’s part in the biosphere. When studying an individual organism, a biologist could examine the cell and its organelles, the tissues that the cells make up, the organs and their respective organ systems, and the sum total—the organism itself.
Contributors and Attributions
Remixed and/or curated from the following works:
Clark, M. A., Douglas, M., & Choi, J. (2018). 1.1.7 Review Questions and 1.1.8 Critical Thinking Questions . In Biology 2e . OpenStax (CC BY 4.0; Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/biology-2e/pages/1-introduction ).