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Cultural Literacy Test - Life Science II

Take your time with the following cultural literacy test. If you select the correct answer it will be highlighted in green and the related information will be shown. If the first answer selected is incorrect, it will be highlighted in yellow, indicating try again. If the second answer selected is incorrect, the correct answer will be displayed. See the Bibliography to learn more about this test.

Wrong Answer Try Again Correct
1. The term scientific method refers to
a system in which numbers are expressed as prod­ucts of a one-digit number and a power of 10
the classification and labeling of organisms
a process involving hypothesizing, collecting data, and testing the hypothesis
the belief that science can explain social and cosmic disorders
2. To be classified as a mammal, an animal must
live on land
have hair and be warm-blooded
have a three-chambered heart
all of the above
3. How is aerobic respiration different from anaerobic respiration?
One is internal; one is external.
One involves oxygen; the other does not.
One is performed by animals; the other is performed by plants.
One applies to living matter; the other does not.
4. The process of germination involves
the beginning of growth in a plant embryo
the dispersal of seeds by wind or water
a variation in the genes of an organism
the spread of contagion from one organism to an­other
5. What is DNA?
a series of genes that determine a specific charac­teristic
a pair of chromosomes found in the nucleus of a cell
the product of the joining of a male and female gamete
a chain of nucleotides containing genetic informa­tion
6. When you refer to an organism's habitat, you mean
the behavior it exhibits
the relationship between it and its environment
the type of region in which it lives
the population of its community
7. Which list gives the correct order for the classification of living things?
kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, spe­cies
kingdom, phylum, family, class, order, species, ge­nus
kingdom, class, phylum, order, genus, species, fam­ily
kingdom, order, class, phylum, family, genus, spe­cies
8. Which statement about symmetry is not true?
Only animals with backbones are bilaterally sym­metrical.
A hydra and a sea anemone are radially symmetrical.
An earthworm and a spider are bilaterally symmet­rical.
Taxonomists use symmetry as a classifying trait.
9. An example of a food chain might be
carbohydrate - protein - fat
fungus - oak - robin
algae - fish - heron
salivary gland - stomach - small intestine
10. The reptiles known today as dinosaurs roamed the earth
about 1 million years ago
at the same time as the first birds and mammals
at the same time as Cro-Magnon man
for about five thousand years
11. Meiosis and mitosis are both processes of
cell division
human digestion
phototropism
liquid absorption
12. What is an enzyme?
a kind of virus that attacks bacteria
the part of the red blood cell that carries oxygen
a protein that activates chemical conversions
a ductless gland found in mammals and birds
13. Which of these steps is not part of the carbon cycle?
Animals release carbon dioxide through respiration.
Plants use carbon dioxide in photosynthesis.
Microorganisms break down carbon compounds.
Incomplete combustion forms carbon monoxide.
14. What is a protein?
the nucleus of the hydrogen atom
the water and other cells in a living organism
any of a certain class of single-celled organisms
a molecule made up of chains of amino acids
15. Which of the following is an example of a parasitic relationship?
mistletoe growing on a cottonwood tree
cellulose-digesting microorganisms in a deer's stom­ach
wolves attacking a herd of caribou
a cattle egret eating insects stirred up by a cow
16. Which of these animals is likely to migrate?
elk
whale
bald eagle
all of the above
17. Bacteria differ from most single-celled organisms in that
they lack a nuclear membrane
they cause numerous diseases
they have no means of locomotion
they do not reproduce
18. The French naturalist Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck was responsible for a theory stating that
molecules of ATP are formed during cellular respi­ration
plants produce a substance that restores air
organisms can pass on traits acquired during their lifetimes
genetic material can move from one bacterium to another
19. When a chemist refers to synthesis, he or she means
change that does not alter the chemical composition of a substance
creation of a complex compound through combining of elements or simple compounds
separation of combined liquids into individual liq­uids
chemical decomposition of a substance into simpler substances
20. Which of the following statements is not true of muta­tions?
They can be caused by radiation.
They are caused by a change in DNA.
They invariably are passed on to offspring.
They may be harmful or beneficial.
21. The reproductive organs of certain plants are contained in the
fruit
flower
stem
root
22. What is the difference between organic and inorganic chemistry?
Organic chemistry is concerned with physical prop­erties of materials.
Inorganic chemistry is the study of energy; organic chemistry is the study of entropy.
Organic chemistry focuses on carbon compounds.
Inorganic chemistry deals with living organisms.
23. What takes place during photosynthesis?
Chlorophyll converts light energy into food.
Carbohydrates break down and release energy.
A new plant is formed from an existing plant part.
Roots respond to water in the soil by growing downward.
24. Ecology may best be defined as the study of
distribution of resources
natural interrelationships
technological advances
toxic substances
25. How is AIDS transmitted?
by contact between skin and skin
by exchange of body fluids
by bacterial infection
by an airborne virus
SCORING KEY
90-100%
Excellent. You are on your way to true cultural literacy.
80-89%
Good. You have more than a passing knowledge of this subject.
70-79%
Fair. You have a competent grasp of many aspects of this subject.
60-69%
Poor. You could use some improvement in this area.
Below 60%
Time for literacy training.
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