Life science basics: classification, evolution, genetics. - Question Bank

1. Which of the following is a key difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells?
A) Presence of a cell wall
B) Presence of cytoplasm
C) Presence of a nucleus
D) Presence of ribosomes
2. The process of protein synthesis from an mRNA template is called:
A) Transcription
B) Replication
C) Translation
D) Transduction
3. Which of the following is a concept central to Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection?
A) Inheritance of acquired characteristics
B) Random mutation
C) Differential reproductive success
D) Use and disuse of organs
4. The study of how traits are passed down from one generation to the next is called:
A) Evolution
B) Genetics
C) Ecology
D) Taxonomy
5. Which of the following is NOT a mechanism of evolution?
A) Mutation
B) Natural selection
C) Genetic drift
D) Gene silencing
6. The genetic code is read in units of three nucleotides called:
A) Genes
B) Codons
C) Alleles
D) Chromosomes
7. What is the process where a single cell divides into two or more daughter cells?
A) Mutation
B) Replication
C) Cell division
D) Transcription
8. The idea that organisms evolve through the inheritance of traits acquired during their lifetime is attributed to:
A) Charles Darwin
B) Alfred Russel Wallace
C) Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
D) Gregor Mendel
9. Which of the following is a characteristic of the domain Eukarya?
A) Cells lack a nucleus
B) Cells have membrane-bound organelles
C) Usually unicellular
D) Ribosomes are the largest type
10. What is the term for the complete set of genes or genetic material present in a cell or organism?
A) Phenotype
B) Karyotype
C) Genome
D) Allele
11. The study of the development of an organism from fertilization to birth is called:
A) Genetics
B) Evolution
C) Embryology
D) Ecology
12. Which kingdom in the five-kingdom system includes multicellular, eukaryotic organisms that are heterotrophic and have cell walls made of chitin?
A) Protista
B) Plantae
C) Animalia
D) Fungi
13. The process of transcription involves the synthesis of:
A) DNA from RNA
B) RNA from DNA
C) Protein from RNA
D) RNA from protein
14. Which of the following is a major driving force of evolution?
A) Genetic drift
B) Gene flow
C) Mutation
D) All of the above
15. The classification of organisms into a hierarchical system is known as:
A) Evolution
B) Genetics
C) Taxonomy
D) Ecology
16. DNA replication results in:
A) Two identical DNA molecules
B) Two different DNA molecules
C) One DNA molecule
D) Four DNA molecules
17. Which term describes the process where organisms with traits better suited to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce?
A) Genetic drift
B) Artificial selection
C) Natural selection
D) Gene flow
18. The study of fossils is called:
A) Genetics
B) Evolution
C) Paleontology
D) Taxonomy
19. Which of the following is an example of an analogous structure?
A) The forelimb of a human and the wing of a bat
B) The fins of a fish and the flippers of a dolphin
C) The wings of a bird and the wings of an insect
D) The heart of a mammal and the heart of a reptile
20. According to modern synthesis, evolution is defined as:
A) The change in allele frequencies in a population over time
B) The accumulation of mutations
C) The survival of the fittest individuals
D) The inheritance of acquired traits
21. The gradual change in the inherited traits of a population over many generations is the definition of:
A) Adaptation
B) Evolution
C) Speciation
D) Mutation
22. Which of the following is a source of genetic variation?
A) Mitosis
B) Meiosis
C) Natural selection
D) Genetic drift
23. The process of cell division that results in two daughter cells each having the same number and kind of chromosomes as the parent nucleus, typical of ordinary tissue growth is called:
A) Meiosis
B) Mitosis
C) Binary fission
D) Budding
24. What are the four main types of biological macromolecules?
A) Carbohydrates, Lipids, Proteins, Nucleic Acids
B) Amino Acids, Fatty Acids, Nucleotides, Sugars
C) Vitamins, Minerals, Water, Oxygen
D) Cells, Tissues, Organs, Organ Systems
25. The study of the distribution of species and ecosystems in geographic space and through geological time is called:
A) Ecology
B) Biogeography
C) Paleontology
D) Taxonomy
26. Which of the following is a vestigial structure in humans?
A) The appendix
B) The thumb
C) The brain
D) The heart
27. The process by which genetic material is exchanged between different organisms, leading to new combinations of genes, is called:
A) Mutation
B) Recombination
C) Segregation
D) Independent assortment
28. Lamarck's theory of evolution was primarily based on the concept of:
A) Differential survival
B) Inheritance of acquired characteristics
C) Genetic mutation
D) Common descent
29. Which domain of life includes organisms with cells that lack a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles?
A) Eukarya
B) Archaea
C) Bacteria
D) Both Archaea and Bacteria
30. The genetic makeup of an organism is called its:
A) Phenotype
B) Genotype
C) Karyotype
D) Chromotype
31. Which of the following is an example of a homologous structure, indicating common ancestry?
A) The wings of a butterfly and the wings of a bird
B) The flippers of a whale and the arms of a human
C) The eyes of a squid and the eyes of a human
D) The thorns of a cactus and the spines of a porcupine
32. What is the term for the observable physical characteristics of an organism?
A) Genotype
B) Phenotype
C) Allele
D) Karyotype
33. Fossil evidence suggests that life on Earth first appeared approximately how many billion years ago?
A) 1.5
B) 2.5
C) 3.5
D) 4.5
34. The mechanism by which genes are passed from parents to offspring is called:
A) Evolution
B) Heredity
C) Mutation
D) Adaptation
35. Which of the following is a characteristic of a prokaryotic cell?
A) Presence of a nucleus
B) Membrane-bound organelles
C) Lack of a nucleus
D) Complex multicellularity
36. The study of the evolutionary history of species is called:
A) Ontogeny
B) Phylogeny
C) Embryology
D) Paleontology
37. What is the structure that carries genetic information in most organisms?
A) Ribosomes
B) Mitochondria
C) Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
D) Endoplasmic reticulum
38. The process where an organism better adapted to its environment tends to survive and produce more offspring is called:
A) Genetic drift
B) Gene flow
C) Natural selection
D) Artificial selection
39. Which scientist is known as the 'Father of Genetics'?
A) Charles Darwin
B) Louis Pasteur
C) Gregor Mendel
D) James Watson
40. The common ancestor of all life on Earth is believed to be:
A) A simple eukaryotic cell
B) A multicellular organism
C) A universal common ancestor (LUCA)
D) A virus
41. The different forms of a gene are called:
A) Chromosomes
B) Genotypes
C) Alleles
D) Phenotypes
42. Which of the following is a key component of Darwin's theory of evolution?
A) Inheritance of acquired characteristics
B) Use and disuse of organs
C) Survival of the fittest
D) Lamarckian inheritance
43. A change in the DNA sequence is called a:
A) Gene expression
B) Mutation
C) Replication
D) Transcription
44. The process of change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations is known as:
A) Genomics
B) Development
C) Evolution
D) Metabolism
45. What are the basic building blocks of DNA?
A) Amino acids
B) Nucleotides
C) Fatty acids
D) Sugars
46. The theory of evolution by natural selection was proposed by:
A) Gregor Mendel
B) Charles Darwin
C) Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
D) Alfred Russel Wallace
47. Which of the following is the smallest unit of heredity?
A) Chromosome
B) DNA
C) Gene
D) Allele
48. Mendel's experiments with pea plants primarily demonstrated the principles of:
A) Natural Selection
B) Genetic Inheritance
C) Cellular Respiration
D) Photosynthesis
49. The process by which new species arise is called:
A) Adaptation
B) Natural Selection
C) Speciation
D) Mutation
50. Which biological classification system places organisms into domains and kingdoms?
A) Linnaean Taxonomy
B) Whittaker's Five Kingdoms
C) Woese's Three Domains
D) Aristotelian Classification
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