Q&A Hero

Q: Examine the figure above that shows negative feedback in a thermostat. If the room becomes too warm, the next thing that will occur is ________. A) heating stops B) the set point decreases C) the room cools D) the heater is turned off

Q: The figure below shows that ________. A) homeostatic mechanisms allow cats to sense their external environments B) homeostatic mechanisms allow cats to use their internal conditions to affect their external environments C) cats experience no variations in their internal conditions D) homeostatic mechanisms allow cats to maintain relatively constant internal conditions even when the external environment changes

Q: One function of this organ system is ________. A) excretion of urea B) production of gametes C) protection of the body D) thermoregulation

Q: One function of this organ system is ________. A) thermoregulation B) excretion C) exchange of gases between the blood and air D) transport of substances throughout the body

Q: In humans, goosebumps are a vestige of a mammalian adaptation related to ________. A) thermoregulation B) water conservation C) osmoregulation D) positive feedback

Q: A diuretic is a substance that ________. A) promotes sweating B) regulates the contraction of cardiac muscle C) inhibits urinary water loss D) promotes urinary water loss

Q: Which process describes the forcing of water and other small molecules from the blood into a kidney tubule? A) absorption B) filtration C) secretion D) excretion

Q: Excretion is the movement of substances from the ________ to the ________. A) filtrate... blood B) kidney... urinary bladder C) blood... filtrate D) kidneys... outside

Q: Secretion is the movement of substances from the ________ to the ________. A) nephron... blood B) filtrate... blood C) kidney... urinary bladder D) blood... filtrate

Q: Reabsorption is the movement of substances from the ________ to the ________. A) blood... nephron B) filtrate... blood C) kidney... urinary bladder D) blood... filtrate

Q: Which of the following is a function of the kidneys? I) elimination of urea II) reabsorption of valuable solutes III) reabsorbing water A) I B) II C) III D) all of the above

Q: Which of the following is a source of water loss in humans? I) urination II) defecation III) breathing A) I B) II C) III D) I, II, and III

Q: Which of the following statements apply to freshwater fish? A) They lose water by osmosis. B) The concentration of solutes in their internal fluids is lower than in the surrounding water. C) They pump out ions via the gills. D) They produce dilute urine.

Q: Which of the following is a physiological response that takes place in many animals when they get too hot? A) slowing of the heart rate B) constriction of blood vessels in the skin C) contraction of muscles D) increased blood flow to the skin

Q: When body temperature is too low, which of the following occurs? A) Blood vessels in the skin constrict. B) Muscles relax. C) Sweat glands are activated. D) Blood vessels at the body surface dilate and fill with blood.

Q: Which of the following animals is generating (producing) body heat to warm itself? A) a beetle that absorbs solar radiation B) a moth that shivers its wings before flight C) a lizard that lies on a warm rock D) a turtle that moves to a warm, shallow part of a pond

Q: Which of the following animals is an ectotherm? A) human B) parrot C) spiny lobster D) field mouse

Q: Most homeostatic mechanisms depend on ________. A) positive and negative feedback B) negative feedback C) predictable environmental conditions D) predictable internal conditions

Q: Which of the following is most likely to be responsible if, when your blood sugar level rose, the level went back down? A) the use of the sugar for energy by your cells B) a homeostatic mechanism based on negative feedback C) type 2 diabetes D) a homeostatic mechanism based on positive feedback

Q: The vertebrate kidney helps to keep the acidity of the body fluids constant by varying the amount of hydrogen ions (H+) it secretes into the urine. You can confidently predict that this aspect of kidney function, like other mechanisms of homeostasis, will be controlled by ________. A) a negative feedback mechanism B) nerve impulses from the brain C) a hormone produced in the brain D) a hormone produced in the kidney itself

Q: Homeostasis ________. A) is the maintenance of an unchanging internal state B) is a pathological condition C) is the maintenance of a relatively stable internal environment D) is the way the internal environment influences the external environment

Q: Imagine an invertebrate that lives in an estuary where salinity varies cyclically with the tides. If this animal practices homeostasis with respect to the salt concentration of its body fluids, its salt concentration will show ________. A) no fluctuations B) slight, continuous fluctuations C) a more concentrated state than the surrounding water at all times D a more diluted state than the surrounding water at all times

Q: The fact that every organism continuously exchanges chemicals and energy with its surroundings indicates that organisms ________. A) are open systems B) are closed systems C) have tightly controlled thermoregulation D) osmoregulate

Q: Which of the following is NOT a true statement about organs? A) An organ represents a higher level of structure than the tissues composing it. B) An organ consists of several tissues. C) An organ can carry out only the functions of its component tissues. D) An organ consists of many cells.

Q: The basic unit of nervous tissue is the ________. A) dendrite B) axon C) neuron D) brain

Q: Which type of tissue forms an electrical communication system within the body? A) nervous B) blood C) connective D) muscle

Q: Involuntary muscle includes ________. A) skeletal muscle only B) smooth muscle only C) smooth muscle and cardiac muscle D) smooth muscle, cardiac muscle, and some skeletal muscle

Q: Which of the following generally makes skeletal muscle different from both smooth and cardiac muscle? A) Skeletal muscles are made of cells called "fibers." B) Skeletal muscle cannot be contracted voluntarily. C) Skeletal muscle can be contracted voluntarily. D) Skeletal muscle cells have nuclei.

Q: Which of the following is TRUE of a typical skeletal muscle? A) It is found in the walls of organs such as the digestive tract. B) Its fibers do not have a striped appearance under the microscope. C) It can be enlarged by exercise. D) It is only found in heart tissue.

Q: Which is the most abundant kind of tissue in most animals? A) connective B) epithelial C) blood D) muscle

Q: Which of the following is the most common type of connective tissue in the typical human body? A) fibrous connective tissue B) adipose tissue C) loose connective tissue D) bone

Q: What kind of connective tissue has a matrix that is strong and flexible? A) bone B) adipose tissue C) loose connective tissue D) cartilage

Q: Which one of the following types of tissue stores fat in the body? A) cartilage B) bone C) adipose tissue D) fibrous connective tissue

Q: Connective tissue is different from the other major tissue types in that ________. A) it is made up of cells B) the cells are sparsely scattered through an extracellular matrix C) it is not made up of cells D) it is found only in humans

Q: A main function of most types of epithelial tissue is ________. A) sensation B) support C) covering surfaces D) absorption

Q: Bone is a type of ________. A) connective tissue B) epithelial tissue C) extracellular matrix D) adipose tissue

Q: A physiologist is a biologist who studies the ________. A) structure of living things B) structure of body parts C) evolution of animals D) function of body parts

Q: In animals, individual cells are grouped into ________. A) organs B) tissues C) organisms D) organ systems

Q: If a person is suffering from heat stroke, which organ system is failing? A) skeletal system B) digestive system C) nervous system D) circulatory system

Q: Use the following information to answer the following questions. In East Java, Indonesia, a mud volcano has been erupting since 2006. One controversial hypothesis is that the mud volcano in East Java is erupting because a gas mining company was drilling a deep hole nearby. When a mud volcano erupts, hot water deep below the earth's surface mixes with various minerals, and this mud spews out over the surface of the earth. The hot mud flow destroys organismal habitats, including the homes and livelihoods of people. When the mud volcano stops erupting, colonization of the disturbed area would be ________. A) primary succession if there is no biomass inside the area B) primary succession if primary production relies on plants that survived the disturbance C) secondary succession if there are no biotic components of the carbon cycle D) secondary succession if there is no organic matter in the area

Q: Use the following information to answer the following questions. In East Java, Indonesia, a mud volcano has been erupting since 2006. One controversial hypothesis is that the mud volcano in East Java is erupting because a gas mining company was drilling a deep hole nearby. When a mud volcano erupts, hot water deep below the earth's surface mixes with various minerals, and this mud spews out over the surface of the earth. The hot mud flow destroys organismal habitats, including the homes and livelihoods of people. When the mud volcano stops erupting, the disturbed area will be colonized by a variety of species. This process of colonization is called ________. A) biological magnification B) species diversity C) ecological succession D) disturbance

Q: Use the following information to answer the following questions. Malaria is an infectious disease caused by a unicellular eukaryotic organism belonging to the genus Plasmodium. These eukaryotic organisms are transmitted from one person to another by the female Anopheles mosquito when it feeds on human blood. Within humans, the Plasmodium species destroy red blood cells and, without effective treatment, serious infections can lead to death. Currently, more than 400 million people are afflicted with malaria and between 1 and 3 million people die from it each year. Historically, a chemical compound called quinine has been used in developing effective drugs against malaria. In its natural environment, quinine is produced by certain trees native to South America. This chemical is synthesized in the outer layer of tree trunks and acts as an herbivore deterrent. Despite being used for many years, quinine-based drugs have not led to the eradication of malaria and currently there are parasites that are resistant to the compound. Which of the following were likely important in the development of this resistance to quinine? A) natural selection B) mutualism C) interspecific competition D) biological magnification

Q: Use the following information to answer the following questions. Malaria is an infectious disease caused by a unicellular eukaryotic organism belonging to the genus Plasmodium. These eukaryotic organisms are transmitted from one person to another by the female Anopheles mosquito when it feeds on human blood. Within humans, the Plasmodium species destroy red blood cells and, without effective treatment, serious infections can lead to death. Currently, more than 400 million people are afflicted with malaria and between 1 and 3 million people die from it each year. Historically, a chemical compound called quinine has been used in developing effective drugs against malaria. In its natural environment, quinine is produced by certain trees native to South America. This chemical is synthesized in the outer layer of tree trunks and acts as an herbivore deterrent. Humans, mosquitoes, and Plasmodium together would be considered a(n) ________. A) population B) community C) ecosystem D) population and community

Q: Use the following information to answer the following questions. Malaria is an infectious disease caused by a unicellular eukaryotic organism belonging to the genus Plasmodium. These eukaryotic organisms are transmitted from one person to another by the female Anopheles mosquito when it feeds on human blood. Within humans, the Plasmodium species destroy red blood cells and, without effective treatment, serious infections can lead to death. Currently, more than 400 million people are afflicted with malaria and between 1 and 3 million people die from it each year. Historically, a chemical compound called quinine has been used in developing effective drugs against malaria. In its natural environment, quinine is produced by certain trees native to South America. This chemical is synthesized in the outer layer of tree trunks and acts as an herbivore deterrent. Based on the relationship between Plasmodium spp. and humans, Plasmodium would be considered ________. A) parasites B) hosts C) producers D) carnivores

Q: Refer to the following figure. If there were an additional trophic level that consisted of organisms that prey on snakes, about how much energy would be available to organisms at that trophic level? A) 100 kcal B) 90% C) 1 kcal D) 10 kcal

Q: The figure below shows the growth curves of two populations of Paramecium, P. aurelia andP. caudatum. From the data, we can conclude that ________. A) the ecological niches of the two species are very different B) P. aurelia is a predator of P. caudatum C) P. aurelia and P. caudatum have a mutualistic relationship D) P. aurelia is the superior competitor in this habitat

Q: Please refer to the following art to answer the following questions. In the ecosystem shown above, a toxin that accumulates in body tissues would have the largest effect on ________. A) corals that obtain their food from photosynthesizing dinoflagellates B) herbivorous shrimp C) fish that eat shrimp and other invertebrates D) The toxin would affect all of these equally.

Q: Please refer to the following art to answer the following questions. Refer to the accompanying figure. All of the living components of the coral reef represent a(n) ________. A) population B) species C) community D) ecosystem

Q: What is the estimated annual value of ecosystem services? A) $1 billion B) $33 trillion C) $33 billion D) $1 trillion

Q: One problem with eradicating invasive species is that sometimes the disturbed area is unable to be colonized by native species. For example, in forests where the invasive plant garlic mustard has been removed, native plants and animals do not recolonize because they are extinct in that patch of forest. How should restoration ecologists increase species diversity and recover ecosystem function? A) Introduce tertiary consumers. B) Develop movement corridors for primary producers. C) Develop movement corridors for species with similar niches. D) Eliminate keystone species.

Q: E. O. Wilson coined the term ________ for our innate appreciation of wild environments and living organisms. A) bioremediation B) bioethics C) biophilia D) biophobia

Q: Sustainable development ________. I) will require making difficult decisions regarding the environment and lifestyle II) must be achieved if the human species is to survive III) will require global, multinational cooperation A) I only B) II only C) III only D) I, II, and III

Q: Movement corridors are ________. A) always created by humans B) found only along stream sides C) not harmful, but are beneficial because they allow for dispersal D) harmful because they allow for the spread of disease and beneficial because they allow for dispersal

Q: A movement corridor ________. A) is a path used by migratory animals when they move to their winter habitats B) is the path most commonly used by an animal within its home range C) connects otherwise isolated patches of quality habitat for a species D) is a natural component of the environment

Q: Landscape ecology ________. A) is the application of ecological principles to the study of land-use patterns B) focuses primarily on how to restore human-altered ecological systems C) deals primarily with ecosystems in urban settings D) deals with the study of the ranges of different species

Q: A regional assemblage of interacting ecosystems is a ________. A) community B) landscape C) movement corridor D) hot spot

Q: Small areas that have a large number of endangered and threatened species are referred to as ________. A) biologically magnified B) endemic environments C) biodiverse environments D) biodiversity hot spots

Q: Species found in only one place on Earth are called ________ species. A) hot spot B) exotic C) keystone D) endemic

Q: Modern conservation science increasingly aims at ________. A) protecting federally listed endangered species B) countering pollution C) sustaining entire ecosystems D) maintaining genetic diversity within species

Q: The primary goal of conservation biology is to ________. A) catalog species B) maximize the land set aside for wildlife C) integrate human culture back into nature D) counter the loss of biodiversity

Q: With regard to nutrient pollution in aquatic ecosystems, when is the worst time to apply fertilizer to your lawn? A) when it is raining, or is about to rain B) when it is cold, or is about to get cold C) at the same time you apply pesticides D) at night

Q: The major abiotic reservoir for phosphorus is ________. A) the oceans B) the atmosphere C) rock D) dead organic matter

Q: ________ convert nitrogen from nitrates to N2. A) Nitrifying bacteria B) Nitrogen-fixing bacteria living in the soil C) Denitrifying bacteria D) Nitrogen-fixing bacteria living in the root nodules of legumes

Q: Which of these organisms convert atmospheric nitrogen gas to a form that can be utilized by plants? A) bacteria B) protists C) animals D) fungi

Q: Plants can most readily utilize the ________ form of nitrogen. A) nitrous oxide B) N2 C) amino D) nitrate

Q: The atmosphere is approximately 80% ________ gas. A) CO2 B) H2O C) CH4 D) N2

Q: Besides the atmosphere, abiotic reservoirs of carbon dioxide include ________. A) fossil fuels and dissolved carbon compounds in the oceans B) rocks and dissolved carbon compounds in the oceans C) fossil fuels only D) rocks only

Q: Why are most food chains limited to three to five trophic levels? A) The higher the trophic level, the larger the organism; the larger the organism, the less likely it will be prey. B) The nutritional quality of existing biomass decreases with increasing trophic level. C) Most ecosystems have insufficient space to support the increased number of organisms that more trophic levels would require. D) There is insufficient energy to support more trophic levels.

Q: Which type of ecosystem has low primary production but nonetheless contributes a large proportion of Earth's total net primary production? A) tropical rain forest B) coral reef C) open ocean D) desert

Q: On average, what percentage of the energy in one trophic level becomes incorporated into the next higher trophic level? A) 10% B) 30% C) 50% D) 90%

Q: The rate at which an ecosystem's producers convert solar energy to chemical energy stored in biomass is called ________. A) energy flow B) chemical cycle C) primary productivity D) trophic structure

Q: Biomass is the total amount of ________ an ecosystem. A) organic matter tied up in the consumers of B) organic matter tied up in the producers of C) chemical elements recycled by the detritivores of D) living organic material in

Q: Approximately what percentage of the visible light that reaches Earth's producers is converted to chemical energy? A) 10% B) 0.1% C) 1% D) 0.01%

Q: What is one way in which energy flow differs from chemical cycling? A) Energy flow is unidirectional; chemical elements can be recycled. B) Energy can enter but cannot leave an ecosystem; chemical elements can leave but cannot enter an ecosystem. C) Energy flows from lower to higher trophic levels; chemicals cycle from higher to lower trophic levels. D) Energy can both enter and leave an ecosystem; chemical elements always remain within a single ecosystem.

Q: Two lakes have the same number of species. Most of the fish in Lake 1 are of a single species, with a few individuals each for the remaining species. Lake 2, on the other hand, has about equal numbers of each species. Which lake has higher species diversity? A) Lake 1 B) Lake 2 C) They are equally diverse. D) The number and relative abundance of species are not related to diversity.

Q: In Yellowstone National Park, wolves were hunted to extinction in the 1920s. A current restoration project has reintroduced wolves to Yellowstone National Park. Predict the response of the Yellowstone ecological community if wolves are a keystone species. A) Species richness should decrease. B) The relative abundances of each species should become more unequal. C) Species diversity should decrease. D) Species richness should increase, and the relative abundances of each species should be about equal.

Q: In order to assess the species diversity of a community, you would need to know the number of different species present as well as ________. A) the number of trophic levels in the community B) the intensity of interspecific competition in the community C) the fraction of these species that are plants D) the relative abundance of the different species

Q: Herbivory is an example of a ________ interaction. A) +/+ B) -/- C) 0/+ D) +/-

Q: Bears eat berries, humans, and large fish; large fish eat smaller fish and insects; humans eat bears, large fish, and berries; Venus flytraps eat insects. The scenario described here is an example of ________. A) an ecosystem B) parasitism C) a food web D) a food chain

Q: Most decomposers are ________. A) plants and fungi B) bacteria and plants C) fungi and prokaryotes D) animals