BIOLOGY 121 EXAM 1 STUDY GUIDE + PRACTICE
QUESTIONS (2026)
1. The study of life - answers-biology
2. What are the properties of living things? - answers-1) Order
2) Energy and matter processing
2) Growth and development
3) Response to the environment
4) Evolutionary Adaptations
3. Which of the following is not a characteristic of life?
A) the ability to move
B) the ability to grow
C) the ability to respond to the environment
D) the ability to reproduce - answers-A) the ability to move
4. Fire can move, grow, reproduce, use energy, consume oxygen, and interact
with its environment. Why is it not alive?
A) It does not consist of complex, well-ordered structures
B) all of the answers are accurate reasons why fire is not alive.
C) It does not pass on genesis for traits to its offspring
D) It does not have cells - answers-B) all of the answers are accurate reasons why
fire is not alive.
5. True or false: a virus has all properties of life. - answers-False
6. What are the life at different levels? - answers--Biosphere
-ecosystem
-community
-population
-organism
-organ system
-organ
-tissue
-cell
-organelle
-molecule
-atom
7. The statement, "There are 628 gray squirrels living on campus," describes the
______ of gray squirrels on campus.
, A) biosphere
B) species
C) population
D) community
E) ecosystem - answers-C) POPULATION
8. ____ is the fundamental unit of life - answers-cell
9.____ is the fundamental unit of matter - answers-atom
10. What provides the energy that drives nearly every ecosystem? - answers-Sun
11. What are genes made up of? - answers-DNA
12. ____ the descent with gradual modifications of ancestral species to modern-
day ones, explains the common characteristics throughout living things -
answers-Evolution
13. ____ is an approach to understanding the natural world through inquiry and a
search for information, evidence, explanations, and answers to specific
questions. - answers-science
12. ____ is a hypothesis test when conditions can be easily controlled. - answers-
Experiment
13. ____is used when investigating a hypothesis about aspects that cannot be
easily controlled, like ecology. - answers-Further observation
14. ____ is a well-substantiated explanation which is comprehensive and able to
explain a great many observations. - answers-scientific theory
15. _____ a test is run multiple times with only one variable changing - answers-
independent variable
16. _____ is the response, output, or effect under investigation - answers-
dependent variable
17. _____ is what is being manipulated as a potential cause. - answers-
independent variable
18. _____ is a group for which no change is expected. - answers-negative control
19. ____ is a group for which a change is expected. - answers-positive control
2O. ____ • a treatment that doesn't contain the substance being studied. -
answers-placebo
QUESTIONS (2026)
1. The study of life - answers-biology
2. What are the properties of living things? - answers-1) Order
2) Energy and matter processing
2) Growth and development
3) Response to the environment
4) Evolutionary Adaptations
3. Which of the following is not a characteristic of life?
A) the ability to move
B) the ability to grow
C) the ability to respond to the environment
D) the ability to reproduce - answers-A) the ability to move
4. Fire can move, grow, reproduce, use energy, consume oxygen, and interact
with its environment. Why is it not alive?
A) It does not consist of complex, well-ordered structures
B) all of the answers are accurate reasons why fire is not alive.
C) It does not pass on genesis for traits to its offspring
D) It does not have cells - answers-B) all of the answers are accurate reasons why
fire is not alive.
5. True or false: a virus has all properties of life. - answers-False
6. What are the life at different levels? - answers--Biosphere
-ecosystem
-community
-population
-organism
-organ system
-organ
-tissue
-cell
-organelle
-molecule
-atom
7. The statement, "There are 628 gray squirrels living on campus," describes the
______ of gray squirrels on campus.
, A) biosphere
B) species
C) population
D) community
E) ecosystem - answers-C) POPULATION
8. ____ is the fundamental unit of life - answers-cell
9.____ is the fundamental unit of matter - answers-atom
10. What provides the energy that drives nearly every ecosystem? - answers-Sun
11. What are genes made up of? - answers-DNA
12. ____ the descent with gradual modifications of ancestral species to modern-
day ones, explains the common characteristics throughout living things -
answers-Evolution
13. ____ is an approach to understanding the natural world through inquiry and a
search for information, evidence, explanations, and answers to specific
questions. - answers-science
12. ____ is a hypothesis test when conditions can be easily controlled. - answers-
Experiment
13. ____is used when investigating a hypothesis about aspects that cannot be
easily controlled, like ecology. - answers-Further observation
14. ____ is a well-substantiated explanation which is comprehensive and able to
explain a great many observations. - answers-scientific theory
15. _____ a test is run multiple times with only one variable changing - answers-
independent variable
16. _____ is the response, output, or effect under investigation - answers-
dependent variable
17. _____ is what is being manipulated as a potential cause. - answers-
independent variable
18. _____ is a group for which no change is expected. - answers-negative control
19. ____ is a group for which a change is expected. - answers-positive control
2O. ____ • a treatment that doesn't contain the substance being studied. -
answers-placebo
