UMKC BIO 108 UNIT 1 EXAM
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS GRADED A+
2026
All organisms are composed of what? - ANS Matter
Matter is - ANS anything that takes up space and has mass
What is an element? - ANS substance that cannot be broken down to other substances by
chemical reactions
what is a compound? - ANS substance consisting of 2 or more elements
How many elements are essential to life? - ANS About 25 of the 92
What 4 elements make up 96% of living matter? - ANS carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen
(CHON)
What 4 elements make up the remaining 4% of living matter? - ANS calcium, phosphorus,
potassium, sulfer (CaPKS)
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1
,What is an atom? - ANS smallest unit of matter that still retains the properties of an element
What are the 3 subatomic particles? - ANS protons+, neutrons, electrons-
What 2 subatomic particles are found in the nucleus? - ANS Protons+, neutrons
What is the mass of protons and neutrons? - ANS 1 Dalton (Da)
What is an atomic number? - ANS amount of protons in an atom
What is a mass number aka atomic mass? - ANS sum of protons and neutrons
What is an isotope? - ANS atoms with a different number of neutrons
What is a radioactive isotope? - ANS nucleus of an isotope spontaneously decays off particles
and energy
What are 3 things we use radioactive isotopes for in biological research? - ANS Dating fossils,
tracing atoms through metabolic processes, diagnosing medical disorders
How is energy defined? - ANS capacity to cause change by doing work
What is potential energy?** - ANS energy that matter possesses because of its location or
structure
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2
, How to electrons have potential energy? - ANS because of how they are arranged in relation
to the nucleus
What ratio of location to potential energy do electrons have?** - ANS more distant from the
nucleus the greater potential energy
Electrons can change shells by absorbing or losing energy in what amounts? - ANS exact
amounts i.e. they can't stop in between shells
What factor determines the chemical behavior of an atom? - ANS distribution of electrons in
the outermost shell
How many electrons can be stored in the first shell? - ANS 2
How many electrons can be stored in all other shells except the first? - ANS 8
What are electrons on the outermost shell called? - ANS valence electrons
What is an atom with a complete valence shell? - ANS unreactive
What is an orbital? - ANS 3D space where an electron can be found 90% of the time
How many electrons can occupy an orbital? - ANS no more than 2
@COPYRIGHT 2026/2027 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
3
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS GRADED A+
2026
All organisms are composed of what? - ANS Matter
Matter is - ANS anything that takes up space and has mass
What is an element? - ANS substance that cannot be broken down to other substances by
chemical reactions
what is a compound? - ANS substance consisting of 2 or more elements
How many elements are essential to life? - ANS About 25 of the 92
What 4 elements make up 96% of living matter? - ANS carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen
(CHON)
What 4 elements make up the remaining 4% of living matter? - ANS calcium, phosphorus,
potassium, sulfer (CaPKS)
@COPYRIGHT 2026/2027 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
1
,What is an atom? - ANS smallest unit of matter that still retains the properties of an element
What are the 3 subatomic particles? - ANS protons+, neutrons, electrons-
What 2 subatomic particles are found in the nucleus? - ANS Protons+, neutrons
What is the mass of protons and neutrons? - ANS 1 Dalton (Da)
What is an atomic number? - ANS amount of protons in an atom
What is a mass number aka atomic mass? - ANS sum of protons and neutrons
What is an isotope? - ANS atoms with a different number of neutrons
What is a radioactive isotope? - ANS nucleus of an isotope spontaneously decays off particles
and energy
What are 3 things we use radioactive isotopes for in biological research? - ANS Dating fossils,
tracing atoms through metabolic processes, diagnosing medical disorders
How is energy defined? - ANS capacity to cause change by doing work
What is potential energy?** - ANS energy that matter possesses because of its location or
structure
@COPYRIGHT 2026/2027 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
2
, How to electrons have potential energy? - ANS because of how they are arranged in relation
to the nucleus
What ratio of location to potential energy do electrons have?** - ANS more distant from the
nucleus the greater potential energy
Electrons can change shells by absorbing or losing energy in what amounts? - ANS exact
amounts i.e. they can't stop in between shells
What factor determines the chemical behavior of an atom? - ANS distribution of electrons in
the outermost shell
How many electrons can be stored in the first shell? - ANS 2
How many electrons can be stored in all other shells except the first? - ANS 8
What are electrons on the outermost shell called? - ANS valence electrons
What is an atom with a complete valence shell? - ANS unreactive
What is an orbital? - ANS 3D space where an electron can be found 90% of the time
How many electrons can occupy an orbital? - ANS no more than 2
@COPYRIGHT 2026/2027 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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