BI 171 - First Exam 2002

BI 171 - First Exam - 2002

NOTE - the numbers link to related information in the book. Not all information on old exams is in the new book (so some numbers have no link), and if something looks unfamiliar, you can check to see if it's from a chapter you're supposed to be studying for your current exam.

Multiple Choice.

Place the letter of the choice that best answers the question on the line to the left.
Two Points Each. NOTE: "e" answers are never the correct answer.

_______ 1. An element in Column 7 of the Periodic Table will most likely exist in Nature as a(n)

                        a. +1 ion            b. Uncharged atom             c. -1 ion            d. Radioactive atom
                                                    e. Little lump of something-or-other

_______ 2. The most important contribution of a control test is that it provides

                        a. Reproducibility            b. Logic            c. Measurements
                        d. A comparison                    e. Ummm, control?

_______ 3. Uniformitarianism was a concept formed to explain

                        a. Extinct species                         b. Layers of sedimentary rocks
                        c. Evolution                                 d. Inheritance of traits
                                            e. How very long words are invented

_______ 4. The tendency of asexual reproducers to generate large numbers of offspring is
                                                    related to their

                       a. Size                 b. Need for variation            c. Adaptive ability
                       d. All of these                        e. General lack of self-esteem

_______5. Solution A has a pH of 12. Solution B has a pH of 10. Of the two, Solution A is

                        a. Twice as acidic                                b. 100 times as acidic
                        c. Twice as basic                                 d. 100 times as basic
                                       e. English system, while B is metric system

_______6. Which of these is a hypothesis?

                        a. The dog looks bigger now than it did earlier
                              b. The dog does not like me
                              c. The dog is growling
                              d. The dog has very white teeth
                              e. Why am I still standing here??

_______7. We know that a horse’s hoof is a version of a fingernail because the two are

                        a. Analogous only                         b. Both analogous and homologous
                             c. Homologous only                      d. Neither analogous nor homologous
                                    e. Equally attractive with a peach gloss

_______8. Malthus’ ideas about how populations are controlled, which were used by Darwin
                                                when he developed his theories, were originally

                        a. Only about Nature                                         b. Really about humans
                            c. Dealt only with gradual changes                      d. All of these
                                                            e. Available only online

_______9. Almost all of the growth areas in current biology-related careers depend on a
                                        day-to-day basis upon an intimate knowledge of

                        a. Evolution                     b. Ecology                     c. Classification
                        d. Molecules                             e. Various smells and slimes

_______10. The atomic number of any atom or ion matches the number of

                        a. Electrons                                             b. Protons plus neutrons
                        c. Valence electrons                                d. Protons
                                   e. Is this some sort of "pick a number" game?

_______11. What term describes a role in an ecosystem that can be filled by some type of organism?

                        a. Community                 b. Species                    c. Niche
                        d. Variant                                e. Ecosystems have call sheets-?

_______12. The first concept to challenge a widely-accepted interpretation of the Bible was

                        a. Genetics                 b. Extinction                c. Uniformitarianism
                        d. Evolution                        e. Serpents are really cuddly



_______13. Isotopes of an element vary due to

                        a. Neutron number             b. Proton number                c. Electron number
                        d. How the atoms are arranged            e. Different upbringing

_______14. A saturated version of a molecule would differ how from the unsaturated version?
                                        The saturated version would have

                        a. More hydrogens                             b. More double bonds
                        c. More covalent bonds                     d. Fewer hydrogens
                                                        e. A certain je ne sais quoi

_______15. A two-atom stable molecule has a double bond in it. The participating elements
                                      should be

                        a. Both from Column 6
                             b. One from Column 6, one from Column 2
                        c. Both from Column 2
                        d. One from Column 7, one from Column 1
                             e. Very happy with each other

_______16. Quantitative data is preferred over qualitative data because it

                             a. Is the only type that can be collected in biology
                             b. Can be mathematically manipulated easier
                             c. Is the only type that can be reproduced
                             d. Can be used in a bigger study group
                             e. People really like those "n"-containing words much better

_______17. Which best fits the terms?

                             a. Individuals have genomes, populations have genes, species have gene pools
                             b. Individuals have gene pools, populations have genomes, species have genes
                             c. Individuals and populations have gene pools, species have genomes
                             d. Individuals have genes, populations have gene pools, species have genomes
                             e. Denim must be quite popular in BiologyLand

_______18. Evolutionary rates are most likely to be

                        a. Slow and gradual
                        b. Punctuated
                        c. Patterned after environmental changes
                        d. Dictated by what the ultimate goal of the changes are
                             e. As difficult to understand as changes in the stock market

Short Answer.

Pick NINE questions to answer in the spaces provided.
NOTE: if you answer MORE than nine, only the first nine will be corrected.
Four Points each. Partial credit is possible.

1. LaMarck had an idea, other than about passing on acquired characteristics, that still affects attitudes toward evolution today. What was it?

2. Why did Avogadro come up with his Number? What’s it supposed to represent?

3. Briefly explain why ionic bonds rarely are found in biological compounds.

4. Define confounding factors without using the words "confound" or "factor".

5. What are two aspects of viruses that might indicate that they are not "officially" alive?

6. Briefly explain why Hydrogen bonds can vary widely in strength. (What causes this?)

7. Place in order so each contains the groups that follow (Largest to Smallest): Community, Ecosystem, Individual, Population.

1. 2. 3. 4.

8. Give the general terms for the specific parts of this reaction:

                                                               LIGHT
         C₆H₁₂O₆       +        O₂                 ---------->               H₂O        +                 CO₂
        _________         _________         _________         _________                _________

9. The two most critical aspects that make a hypothesis legitimately scientific.

10. For peer review:

How it
helps
science:
How it
can hurt
science:

11. Briefly explain why evaporation is a cooling process.

12. How did the concept of artificial selection fit into Darwin’s theories?

13. What is an isomer?

14. Briefly describe what happens during an ecological invasion. Use proper terms.

15. What exactly is it about anecdotal evidence that makes it scientifically unreliable? This will be an explanation, not a definition.

Long Answer.

Select and answer completely any four of the following questions.
Note: if you answer more than four, only the first four will be corrected.
Seven Points Each. Partial credit is possible.

1. Describe how, step-by-step according to Darwin’s Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection, a change in the environment "produces" a change in a resident species. There is no "set" number of steps, so don’t assume that from the number of lines below.

2. Determine from bonding properties what each of the atoms (Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen) is in the molecule and put the symbol in the box

Haven't figured out yet how to put these up here...

3. For sexual reproduction

Basic
definition:

Advantage
over Asexual
Reproduction:

Evolutionary
Strategy for
Success:

4. For the five Kingdoms identified in the textbook, give the name and the enough characteristics to clearly differentiate that Kingdom from all of the others.

5. According to your textbook, living things can be seen as representing four major themes. What are they?

6. For three different properties of water:

Property: How produced on molecular level:

7. This question is a bit backwards. Based upon the Hardy-Weinberg Principle, what are four things that will produce evolutionary change?

Link to Answer Key

BONUS QUESTIONS.

Answer as many or as few as you wish. You can't lose points on the rest of the exam by getting these wrong. Partial credit is possible.

What’s a post-doc? Three Points.

Briefly describe any single study from the Mark of Cain handout. Four Points

What are the two definitions of vestigial? Two Points Each.

What happened to Wallace’s first major collection of field specimens? Three Points.

As a naturalist, Darwin investigated what type of organism in England? Three Points.

How can a trait be inherited if it is not genetic? Three Points.

How is water an example of emergent properties? Three Points

What is the second (non-radioactivity) meaning of half-life in Biology? Three Points.

What is a common role for Sulfur in a protein molecule? Three Points.

What is the historical progression of definitions for organic chemistry? Four Points.

Hit Counter