Biology Pre-Assessment

Scientists have strict rules about how to gather data. One such rule involves the units used to report that data. What system do scientists use the world over?

Knowing about the subatomic particles helps us understand how the different elements will react. Which of the following subatomic particles has a negative charge?

Atoms and ions of the same element can have very different chemical reactivities. What kind of charge would an atom have?

Atoms are ordered into various structures that make up living organisms. How do atoms react chemically?

The atomic number for carbon is 6. If you find an atom of carbon-13, how many protons, neutrons and electrons does it have?

The valence electrons of an atom determine its chemical reactivity. Calcium has two valence electrons while chlorine has seven. What are the charges on calcium ions and chloride (an ion of chlorine)?

Ionic bonds play important roles in our physiology. Which of the following statements about ionic bonds is correct?

Covalent bonds help form the structures of life. Which of the following statements about covalent bonds is correct?

Carbohydrates are the main energy source for living organisms. Which of the following organisms are able to make their own carbs?

The four macromolecules are the keys to life as we know it, but only three of them form polymers. Which of the following statements properly pairs the macromolecules that form polymers with their subunits?

Protein means “first importance” — this is because proteins perform so many different functions in living organisms. Proteins have some similarities with carbohydrates, but some important differences too. What element do proteins have that carbohydrates lack?

The two nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) tell our cells what proteins to make. How does DNA store this genetic code?

Lipids can store energy, serve to insulate and absorb shocks, and form most of the cell membrane. What characteristic of phospholipids in the cell membrane help them create a phospholipid bilayer?

The Cell Theory helps us understand important ideas about what cells are and what they can do. Which of the following choices correctly states parts of the cell theory?

Cells are the fundamental unit of life. What structure serves to separate the internal environment from the external environment of the cell, regulates what enters and leaves the cell, and provides sensitivity to the environment?

Cells work hard getting the necessary substances in and out of their cell membranes. Which of the following statements correctly describes how cells transport substances across their membranes?

Out of all the cells in the world, there are actually only two categories. What is the main difference between prokaryotes and eukaryotes?

Perhaps the single most important job of a cell is the production of proteins. What structure stores the information on how to make the proteins and what structure actually assembles the proteins?

All living things can perform cellular respiration. What is the purpose of cellular respiration?

While aerobic cellular respiration is quite complicated, most of it occurs in one place. What is the name of the organelle where aerobic cellular respiration occurs?

Our cells can break down carbohydrates using cellular respiration or fermentation. What is a difference between cellular respiration and fermentation?

Photosynthesis allows photoautotrophs to form the biomass necessary for life on earth. What is one of the products of photosynthesis?

The cell cycle shows the process a cell usually goes through as it grows and divides. What part of the cell cycle do most cells spend most of their time in?

Cell division is a complicated process, but there are only two main steps: mitosis and cytokinesis. What are the differences between mitosis and cytokinesis?

If the inheritance of a single gene represented by the letter A follows a simple dominant/recessive pattern, which of these is true?

In the experiments done by Gregor Mendel, he determined that sweet pea plants have purple or white flowers, and purple is the dominant trait. If a plant that is homozygous dominant for purple flowers is crossed with a plant that is homozygous recessive for white flowers, what prediction can we make about their offspring?

Each gene represents a trait, and the appearance of an individual is a combination of the effects of all the genes it carries. In a diploid organism, such as most animals, two copies of each gene are inherited.  How do those two copies combine to produce the observable trait?

If a trait is said to be Y-linked, which of these are true?

Cell division is an important process in all organisms, but not all cell division is the same. What is the goal of meiosis in animals?

DNA is a popular subject on science shows, but how is it structured? Choose the best description of DNA.

Almost every cell in your body requires its own copy of your genetic code. What is DNA replication?

Making proteins is perhaps the single most important thing cells do. How are proteins made in a cell?

When you have to make trillions of copies of your DNA, sometimes mistakes happen. Which of these is true for genetic mutations?

Genetics can be a complicated subject with many different possible outcomes. When studying heredity, what does it mean to say that two genes are “linked”?

Biotechnology is one of the fastest growing sectors of the US economy. What is Biotechnology?

The world has been around for about 4.5 billion years and has seen a lot of things. Put these events in the appearance of life on Earth from earliest (first to appear) to latest (last to appear).

The first life on Earth dates from at least 3.7 billion years ago. Which of these is believed to be the first cell type to form on Earth?

Complete the sentence:

The 19th century naturalist __________ is well known for his observations of subtle differences between organisms in _______________ that led to an understanding of how species evolve.

Not all evidence that scientists discover is relevant. Which of these does not support the theory of evolution by itself? 

We have found fossils that are very old, even billions of years old. How do scientists determine the absolute age of an ancient specimen?

Not all organisms survive at the same rates. Choose the statement that is the best example of natural selection.

Scientists organize their information in a variety of ways.
What is this diagram and what is it used for?

We often use the term “species” in casual speech, but it doesn’t always have the same meaning as when scientists use it. In biology, what is the definition of a species? 

Evolution is one of the foundational ideas in all of biology. Which statement regarding evolution is false?

Science provides many tools to study populations. How is the Hardy-Weinberg equation used in the study of evolution? 

In studying relationships between organisms and the environment, ecologists describe levels of organization.  Which answer lists the levels of organization from the largest to smallest?

While some organisms can get their energy from chemical means, most producers rely on something else as a source of energy. What is the primary energy source for life on earth?

Complete the sentence:

In an ecosystem, energy _______ from one organism to another and the most of the biomass exists in  _________.

Certain elements are required for life to exist, but not all are easily accessible. Complete the sentence:

The most abundant element in Earth’s atmosphere is ________ and it enters an ecosystem by ________.

Every organism has its own unique way of using resources and interacting with the environment it lives in (the role it plays in the environment). What term describe this concept?

The earth is divided into different climate zones. Which climate zone has the widest variation in temperatures in a year and experiences four seasons?

Biomes are just one of several levels of ecological organization. What is a biome?

The Earth is a big place, but more than half of the surface is dominated by one zone. Which of these occupies the most area on the Earth?

Populations grow and decline, and sometimes disappear. Which of these will not directly affect the size of a population?

Animals in the genus Galago are commonly known as bush babies. These small primates are known to have large eyes and ears, long tails, and strong hands.

Based on these characteristics, which of these is not a behavioral adaptation of bush babies?

Human population has grown dramatically since the late 19th century. Which of these events was not a contributor to the dramatic change in success of humans in that time period?

Fossil fuels have been able to provide us with a stable and plentiful source of energy. What is the major drawback to fossil fuels?

It can sometimes be difficult to tell if something is alive, but scientists have listed the characteristics that all life shares. Which of these is not a criterion that a biologist would use to determine if something is alive?

Organisms have levels of organization. Which list shows the correct levels of organization for an animal, from smallest to largest level?

When studying the human body, it helps to divide it into different planes for reference. In the figure, which plane is represented by the letter “a”?

Using anatomical terms to describe the location of one structure as it compares to another structure is a key part of how scientists talk about the body. Which statement describing the orientation of structures is correct?

One of the characteristics of life is homeostasis. Which is the best definition of homeostasis?

The body maintains homeostasis using self-regulating control systems, often referred to as loops. Which of these is an example of a positive feedback loop in the body?

Organs that work together to perform a specific function in the body are grouped together in organ systems. Which of these is an incorrect pairing of an organ with its organ system?

Organ systems all have different roles to play in our bodies. Which is the best description of the purpose of the cardiovascular system?

The prefix “hypo-” shows up in many medical terms, like hypodermic needle or hypothermia. What does this prefix mean?

The calf muscle in the leg is called the gastrocnemius.  What does “gastro-” refer to in medicine?