BIOLOGY NYA PRACTICE QUESTIONS: INTRODUCTION

NOTE: these questions provide an overview only. They do not cover all the material that was presented
in the course (hand-outs, lecture notes, Learning objectives).
Read all questions carefully. Circle the letter beside the BEST answer.
1. Cells that have DNA but lack a nucleus are members of the domain
A) Archaea B) Protista C) Plantae D) Fungi E) Virusae F) Prokaria

2. Living and nonliving things are different in that only

A) nonliving things are made of cells.
B) nonliving things are made of atoms.
C) living things are made of atoms.
D) living things are made of cells.

3. Humans belong to the Domain

A) Chordata B) Mammalia C) Animalia D) Eukarya

4. If a particular protein were being produced in excess of the cell's needs, then _________mechanisms
intervene to stop production.
A) metabolic B) negative feedback C) positive feedback D) anabolic

5. If the levels of a particular protein were below the cell's needs, then _________mechanisms intervene to
increase production.
A) metabolic B) negative feedback C) positive feedback D) anabolic

6. The domain Eukarya includes (circle as many as you think):

A) spiders. B) mushrooms. C) bears. D) E coli (bacteria) E) yeast

7. Given our current understanding of life, which of the following is an attribute of a living organism? It must be
able to
A) evolve B) breathe oxygen. C) reproduce sexually.
D) convert a source of energy into one that it can use E) all of the above

8. All the changes that take place during an organism's life are described as
A) growth. B) metabolism C) development D) homeostasis E) evolution

9. Choose the correct hierarchy of biological organization

A) atoms and molecules, cells, organelles, organs, tissues, organ systems, organism
B) cells, organelles, atoms and molecules, organs, tissues, organ systems, organism
C) atoms and molecules, cells, organelles, tissues, organs, organ systems, organism
D) atoms and molecules, organelles, cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, organism
E) populations, communities, ecosystems, biosphere

10. According to Darwin's theory of evolution

A) all members of a population are equally adapted for survival.
B) the environment selects the best adapted organisms for survival.
C) individual members of the same species show very little variation from one another.
D) all offspring of an organism are likely to survive and reproduce.

11. The organisms that act as decomposers in an ecosystem are

A) plants and algae B) autotrophs C) bacteria D) fungi E) bacteria and fungi.

12. Which of the following best represents the general pattern of energy flow within an ecosystem? Sun’s energy
then:
A) producers - consumers – decomposers
B) decomposers – producers- consumers
C) consumers - producers – decomposers
D) decomposers - consumers – producers
General Biology I S. Kunicki, Dawson College Page 1 of 2
13. Autotrophs (producers):
A) usually rely on sunlight as an energy source.
B) produce food molecules, such as sugars.
C) include plants.
D) all of the above.

14. Which of the following does NOT represent homeostasis?

A) Sensors detect CO2 levels in the blood and trigger an increase or decrease in the rate of breathing.
B) When body temperature drops, you shiver to generate heat; when your body heats up, you sweat and the
evaporation cools you.
C) Feelings of hunger and then fullness affect the length of time and quantity of food you eat, keeping your
weight near a "set point."
D) Cells adjusting the openings on the bottom of leaves respond to differences in water stress in order to
maintain moisture inside the leaf.
E) Energy is captured by plants, then transferred to consumers and decomposers, and eventually lost as
heat.

15. A university biology department wishes to hire a scientist to work on the relationships among the wolves,
moose, trees and grass species on an island. If you were charged with writing the job announcement, you
should title the position
A) population geneticist.
B) molecular biologist.
C) community ecologist.
D) organismic physiologist.
E) island zoologist.

16. The two parts of a species name, in order, are the _____ names.
A) kingdom and genus.
B) family and species.
C) kingdom and family.
D) genus and species.
E) species and genus.

Multiple choice Answers:

1A (there are 3 domains; Archaea, Bacteria and Eukarya) 2D 3D 4B
5B (remember: you get back to the target value by negative feedback). 6A,B,C,E (yeast are fungi)

7D ok, I admit that this is a difficult question, but I wrote it like this to break down a couple of misconceptions that
students typically have: 1. POPULATIONS, not individuals, evolve.
2. Breathing is a term that we use when describing organisms that have respiratory systems. In addition, not all
organisms use oxygen (for some, oxygen is toxic). 3. Many organisms (including bacteria) reproduce asexually.

8C 9D (E is ecological organization) 10B 11E 12A 13D 14E 15C 16D

Short answer questions

1. Other than the fact that viruses are not cells, and so do not contain organelles, identify at least one other way
in which viruses are different from cells.
2. Is it possible to have two different populations made up of the exact same species?
3. Could an ecosystem survive indefinitely (forever) without any decomposers?

Answers to short-answer questions

1. Unlike cells, viruses cannot maintain homeostasis, nor do they grow & develop, they can only reproduce by
using a host cell... (review lecture 1 & what you found out about viruses).
2. Yes. Go back to your notes to see the definition of a population.
3. No. Eventually all the nutrients would be locked up in dead organisms.

General Biology I S. Kunicki, Dawson College Page 2 of 2