Discovery of Deep Time - Past Paper

**Question 1**\ Which of the following is a primary function of ribosomes in a cell?\ A) DNA replication\ B) Protein synthesis\ C) Lipid synthesis\ D) Cellular respiration\ E) Cell division **Question 2**\ The concept of genetic drift primarily affects \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.\ A) large populations\ B...

**Question 1**\ Which of the following is a primary function of ribosomes in a cell?\ A) DNA replication\ B) Protein synthesis\ C) Lipid synthesis\ D) Cellular respiration\ E) Cell division **Question 2**\ The concept of genetic drift primarily affects \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.\ A) large populations\ B) small populations\ C) all populations equally\ D) only sexual populations\ E) only asexual populations **Question 3**\ What is the primary purpose of PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) in molecular biology?\ A) To translate RNA into proteins\ B) To amplify a specific DNA segment\ C) To sequence DNA\ D) To edit genes\ E) To visualize DNA on a gel **Question 4**\ Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of living organisms?\ A) Ability to grow and develop\ B) Ability to reproduce\ C) Response to stimuli\ D) Ability to fly\ E) Ability to maintain homeostasis **Question 5**\ In a controlled experiment, the variable that is manipulated is known as the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ variable.\ A) dependent\ B) independent\ C) controlled\ D) extraneous\ E) categorical **Question 6**\ Which of the following best describes the function of mitochondria?\ A) Photosynthesis\ B) Protein synthesis\ C) Energy production\ D) DNA storage\ E) Lipid metabolism **Question 7**\ In Mendelian genetics, a trait that masks the expression of another trait is known as \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.\ A) recessive\ B) dominant\ C) codominant\ D) incomplete\ E) phenotypic **Question 8**\ Which of the following processes occurs during prophase I of meiosis?\ A) Chromosomes line up at the equatorial plane\ B) Sister chromatids separate\ C) Homologous chromosomes undergo crossing over\ D) Cytoplasm divides\ E) DNA is replicated **Question 9**\ The Hardy-Weinberg principle describes a population that is \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.\ A) undergoing evolution\ B) in genetic equilibrium\ C) experiencing genetic drift\ D) being affected by natural selection\ E) undergoing mutation **Question 10**\ Which of the following is an example of a vestigial structure?\ A) The wing of a bat\ B) The tailbone in humans\ C) The gills of a fish\ D) The eye of an octopus\ E) The beak of a finch **Question 11**\ Which type of mutation involves a change in a single nucleotide base?\ A) Deletion\ B) Insertion\ C) Point mutation\ D) Frame shift\ E) Duplication **Question 12**\ What is the role of the enzyme ligase in DNA replication?\ A) Unwinds the DNA helix\ B) Synthesizes new DNA strands\ C) Joins Okazaki fragments\ D) Creates RNA primers\ E) Proofreads DNA **Question 13**\ In ecology, the term \"niche\" refers to \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.\ A) the physical space an organism occupies\ B) the role an organism plays in its environment\ C) the evolutionary history of an organism\ D) the genetic makeup of a population\ E) the food web in an ecosystem **Question 14**\ Which type of natural selection favors intermediate phenotypes over extreme ones?\ A) Directional selection\ B) Disruptive selection\ C) Stabilizing selection\ D) Sexual selection\ E) Artificial selection **Question 15**\ The theory of endosymbiosis explains the origin of \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.\ A) multicellular organisms\ B) chloroplasts and mitochondria\ C) prokaryotic cells\ D) the nucleus\ E) ribosomes **Question 16**\ Which of the following structures is found in plant cells but not in animal cells?\ A) Mitochondria\ B) Nucleus\ C) Cell wall\ D) Ribosomes\ E) Endoplasmic reticulum **Question 17**\ What is the primary function of the Golgi apparatus?\ A) Protein synthesis\ B) Energy production\ C) Modifying and packaging proteins\ D) DNA replication\ E) Lipid synthesis **Question 18**\ Which of the following is a biotic factor in an ecosystem?\ A) Temperature\ B) Water\ C) Soil nutrients\ D) Predation\ E) Sunlight **Question 19**\ What term describes the genetic makeup of an organism?\ A) Phenotype\ B) Genotype\ C) Allele\ D) Chromosome\ E) Trait **Question 20**\ Which of the following processes converts glucose into ATP?\ A) Photosynthesis\ B) Glycolysis\ C) Fermentation\ D) Cellular respiration\ E) All of the above **Question 21**\ Which type of RNA carries amino acids to the ribosome during protein synthesis?\ A) mRNA\ B) rRNA\ C) tRNA\ D) sRNA\ E) cDNA **Question 22**\ The process of evolution by natural selection was first articulated by \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.\ A) Gregor Mendel\ B) Charles Darwin\ C) Alfred Russel Wallace\ D) Jean-Baptiste Lamarck\ E) Thomas Malthus **Question 23**\ Which of the following is an example of a density-dependent factor affecting population growth?\ A) Natural disasters\ B) Disease\ C) Climate\ D) Habitat destruction\ E) Pollution **Question 24**\ What is the primary function of chloroplasts?\ A) Energy production\ B) Photosynthesis\ C) Protein synthesis\ D) Respiration\ E) Lipid storage **Question 25**\ Which of the following best defines homeostasis?\ A) Growth and reproduction\ B) Maintaining a stable internal environment\ C) Responding to environmental changes\ D) Adapting to new conditions\ E) Evolving over time **Question 26**\ What type of ecological interaction is characterized by one organism benefiting while the other is harmed?\ A) Mutualism\ B) Commensalism\ C) Parasitism\ D) Competition\ E) Predation **Question 27**\ Which process involves the transfer of pollen from the male part of a flower to the female part?\ A) Germination\ B) Pollination\ C) Fertilization\ D) Photosynthesis\ E) Seed dispersal **Question 28**\ What is the primary role of transcription in gene expression?\ A) DNA replication\ B) RNA synthesis\ C) Protein synthesis\ D) Cell division\ E) Mutation repair **Question 29**\ Which of the following best describes a mutation?\ A) A stable trait\ B) A change in the DNA sequence\ C) A reproductive strategy\ D) An adaptation\ E) A phenotype **Question 30**\ What is the primary mechanism by which genetic variation is introduced in sexually reproducing organisms?\ A) Mitosis\ B) Meiosis\ C) Cloning\ D) Binary fission\ E) Fragmentation **Question 31**\ The process by which organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring is called \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.\ A) Natural selection\ B) Genetic drift\ C) Mutation\ D) Speciation\ E) Evolution **Question 32**\ Which of the following best describes coevolution?\ A) Evolution of a single species\ B) Evolution of species in isolation\ C) Mutual influence of two or more species on each other\'s evolution\ D) Evolution due to random chance\ E) Change in gene frequency within a population **Question 33**\ In what part of the cell does cellular respiration occur?\ A) Nucleus\ B) Ribosome\ C) Mitochondria\ D) Golgi apparatus\ E) Endoplasmic reticulum **Question 34**\ Which of the following is a primary greenhouse gas?\ A) Oxygen\ B) Nitrogen\ C) Carbon dioxide\ D) Hydrogen\ E) Argon **Question 35**\ What is a keystone species?\ A) A species that is the most abundant in an ecosystem\ B) A species that has a disproportionately large effect on its environment relative to its abundance\ C) A species that is endangered\ D) A species that is an apex predator\ E) A species that is invasive **Question 36**\ Which scientist is known for the concept of \"survival of the fittest\"?\ A) Charles Darwin\ B) Gregor Mendel\ C) Jean-Baptiste Lamarck\ D) Alfred Russel Wallace\ E) Thomas Malthus **Question 37**\ Which of the following processes leads to the formation of new species?\ A) Speciation\ B) Extinction\ C) Genetic drift\ D) Adaptive radiation\ E) Both A and D **Question 38**\ The movement of individuals into or out of a population is known as \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.\ A) Emigration\ B) Immigration\ C) Migration\ D) Dispersal\ E) All of the above **Question 39**\ Which type of selection occurs when individuals at both extremes of a phenotypic range have higher fitness than those in the middle?\ A) Stabilizing selection\ B) Directional selection\ C) Disruptive selection\ D) Sexual selection\ E) Artificial selection **Question 40**\ Which structure in a cell is responsible for maintaining homeostasis by regulating what enters and leaves the cell?\ A) Cell wall\ B) Cytoplasm\ C) Plasma membrane\ D) Nucleus\ E) Ribosome **Question 41**\ Which type of symbiotic relationship benefits one organism without affecting the other?\ A) Mutualism\ B) Commensalism\ C) Parasitism\ D) Competition\ E) Predation **Question 42**\ What is the primary purpose of the scientific method?\ A) To validate hypotheses\ B) To make accurate predictions\ C) To test and refine ideas through experimentation\ D) To gather data\ E) To publish research findings **Question 43**\ In DNA, adenine pairs with \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.\ A) Cytosine\ B) Guanine\ C) Thymine\ D) Uracil\ E) Ribose **Question 44**\ Which of the following is an example of a primary consumer in an ecosystem?\ A) Grass\ B) Lion\ C) Rabbit\ D) Eagle\ E) Fungus **Question 45**\ What type of cell division is responsible for growth and repair in multicellular organisms?\ A) Meiosis\ B) Binary fission\ C) Mitosis\ D) Budding\ E) Fragmentation **Question 46**\ Which of the following is a method of asexual reproduction?\ A) Budding\ B) Fertilization\ C) Pollination\ D) Copulation\ E) Spore formation **Question 47**\ Which part of the neuron receives signals from other neurons?\ A) Axon\ B) Dendrites\ C) Cell body\ D) Synapse\ E) Myelin sheath **Question 48**\ The primary component of the cell membrane is \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.\ A) Nucleic acids\ B) Proteins\ C) Carbohydrates\ D) Lipids\ E) Minerals **Question 49**\ Which of the following is an autotroph?\ A) Lion\ B) Eagle\ C) Oak tree\ D) Fungus\ E) Earthworm **Question 50**\ The process by which water vapor is released from plant leaves into the atmosphere is called \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.\ A) Evaporation\ B) Transpiration\ C) Condensation\ D) Respiration\ E) Precipitation