In taxonomy, bacteria, protista, fungi, plantae, and animalia are known as the _____ of life.
kingdoms
- Archaebacteria: bacteria-like organisms; little is known about them
- Eubacteria: bacteria
- Protista: amoebae, some algaes
- Fungi: mushrooms, yeast, mold
- Plantae: moss, plants
- Animalia: mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects
Which English scientist developed early theories about evolution in the 1800s?
Charles Darwin
In 1859 Darwin wrote On the Origin of Species, which introduced concepts such as natural selection and evolution.
The idea that humans could have evolved from bacteria was revolutionary at the time, and has since sparked vigorous ongoing debates between evolutionary biologists and religions that support creationism.
Fun fact: according to evolutionary theory, the modern bird evolved from the Tyrannosauroids.
______ are the parts of a cell that work together to allow the cell to function properly.
Organelles
Some organelles include the nucleus, which acts as the brain of the cell, and mitochondria, which take in and process nutrients for the cell.
______ creatures convert food into energy in order to maintain a stable body temperature (through a process called homeostasis).
Warm-blooded
Cold-blooded creatures, on the other hand, convert food to body mass, but their body temperatures vary based on the temperature of the environment.
Cold-blooded (ectothermic) creatures include fish, amphibians, reptiles, and insects.
Warm-blooded (endothermic) creatures include mammals and birds.
What is Dolly the Sheep’s claim to fame?
She was the first mammal to be cloned
Dolly was cloned by the Roslin Institute in Scotland on the 5th of July, 1996 from an adult somatic cell.
The cloning was successful by using the process of nuclear transfer from a cell taken from a mammary gland.
This led to a controversy regarding the ethics of cloning, a subject that is still debated today.
What group of vertebrate organisms are cold-blooded and spend their life both on land and in water?
amphibian
It is common for amphibians to experience some type of metamorphosis. For example, a tadpole matures into a frog.
Amphibians include the following: frogs, salamanders, and toads.
Amphibians were the first land animals to evolve from fish, even before reptiles, about 370 million years ago.
What group of vertebrate organisms are warm-blooded, produce their own milk, and, with very few exceptions, give birth to live young?
mammal
Most mammals (e.g. bears, mice, whales, and humans) can also be categorized as giving birth to live young and for producing milk from a teat. The exception to this rule are the monotremes: egg-laying mammals that include the duck-billed platypus and the echidna, both Australian animals.
There are 11 human body systems of which 9 are listed below. Which 2 are missing?
- Skeletal System
- Muscular System
- Reproductive System
- Immune System
- Cardiovascular System
- ________
- Urinary System
- Integumentary System
- ________
- Endocrine System
- Digestive System
- Respiratory System
- Nervous System
Try using the mnemonic: _S_ir, _M_y _R_egular _L_esson _I_s _C_ompletely _RUINED_.
What is the largest bone in the human body?
femur
The human femur is extremely strong, and can only be broken when great forces are applied to it. A broken femur can take 4-6 months to heal.
What is the name for the process by which plants use energy from sunlight to create their food?
photosynthesis
Water and carbon dioxide are absorbed and stored within a part of plant cells called chloroplasts.
Energy from sunlight converts the water and carbon dioxide to glucose and oxygen. Chlorophyll is the compound that allows plants to grab sunlight.
Plants use the glucose as food and respire the oxygen into the atmosphere.
What is the name of the disease caused when cells in some part of the body grow out of control?
Cancer
Instead of dying in normal life cycles like normal cells, cancer cells keep growing and can invade other healthy cells.
This process can form large concentrations of mutated cells, called tumors, which spread to other parts of the body.
Cancer is the general name used for over 100 different diseases.
Plant cells contain organelles called ______, which are used in the process of photosynthesis to make the plant’s food.
chloroplasts
Plant cells also have a thicker outer cell wall and are always rectangular in shape.
Animal cells, on the other hand, only have a thin outer cell membrane and a rounder shape
There are many more major differences between plant and animal cells.
What is the largest living structure on Earth?
The Great Barrier Reef
Comprised of 3,000 different coral reefs, the Great Barrier Reef spans 1,243 miles (2,000 km) and covers an area of about 135,136 square miles (350,000 sq.km) off the coast of Queensland, Australia.
The reef has been gradually shrinking, mostly due to global warming, pollution, and the acidification of the oceans. In fact, some scientists believe it will cease to exist by the middle of this century, although others believe it will regenerate itself.
What impacts human blood type?
The antigens on a person’s blood cells.
Human blood antigens include A, B, and Rh. Antigens are hooks in a cell’s surface that control what enters and exits the cell
Antibodies are complex chemicals that can attach to a specific antigen, often to kill a pathogen.
People make antibodies for antigens that they do not have. For example, a person with type A blood will produce antibodies for the type B antigen.
What are the four major human blood types?
A, B, AB, and O
These types can be further divided into Rh+ and Rh- based on the presence of the Rh factor.
For example, type AB+ contains both A and B antigens, as well as the Rh factor. Type O- contains neither A nor B antigens and has no Rh factor.
Which blood type is known as the ‘universal donor’ because anyone can accept their blood?
Type O-
The person receiving blood must not make antibodies for any of the donated blood’s antigens.
People with type AB+ blood have A, B, and Rh antigens, so they do not produce any antibodies.
They are known as “universal recipients” because they can be given any type of blood.
Which Swedish scientist developed binomial nomenclature, a system for categorizing and naming species, in the 1700s?
Carl Linnaeus
For example, the binomial nomenclature for a dog is Canis familiaris. Canis (the genus) means dog and familiaris (the species) means domestic.
Which thread-like structures, located in the nucleus of a cell, contain all of the DNA of an organism?
chromosomes
Chromosomes are made up of protein and a single DNA molecule.
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is the substance that carries genetic information about a lifeform.
When cells divide, chromosomes ensure that our genetic information is transmitted from cell to cell.
What phrase refers to your body’s natural ability to regulate and carry out functions over a 24-hour cycle?
circadian rhythm
Circadian rhythms are physical, mental, and behavioral.
They regulate the body’s sleeping patterns, temperature, and hormones.
The study of circadian rhythms is called chronobiology.
What chronic disease disrupts the body’s ability to produce or process insulin correctly?
diabetes
There are two major types of diabetes:
- Type I: A person with Type I diabetes (aka “juvenile diabetes”) is not producing enough insulin for their body.
- Type II: A person with Type II diabetes (aka “adult onset”) does not react to insulin properly typically through poor diet. This may result in insulin deficiency.
People with diabetes can lead normal, happy lives. They just need to monitor their blood sugar levels and take insulin if necessary.
Brown eyes, brown hair, and curly hair are all examples of _____ traits, whereas blue eyes, blonde hair, and straight hair are all examples of _____ traits.
dominant; recessive
Dominant traits are more likely to be passed on to future generations, whereas recessive traits require both parents to carry the gene and are therefore less often passed on.
A cold-blooded animal that uses lungs to breathe and has a backbone and scales is called a ______.
reptile
Examples of reptiles include snakes, alligators, and lizards.
Besides hearing, what other function does the inner ear serve?
balance
While hearing is widely thought to be the only function of the ear, fluid in the inner ear is part of the system that helps us to maintain our balance.
What kind of organism infects another organism, multiplies inside it, and deprives it of resources like nutrients?
parasite
- Mutualism: both parties benefit (example: bees pollinating flowers)
- Commensalism: one party benefits, the other neither benefits nor suffers (example: bird living in a tree)
- Parasitism: one party benefits, the other suffers (example: tick latching onto a human)
What is the term for a microscopic organism that can infect living things?
germ
(also: microbe)
It’s important to note that not all germs are bad. In fact, many help humans and other living things actually maintain their health.
“Germ” serves as an umbrella term for bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa.
Which body system is responsible for transporting blood and other nutrients throughout the body?
the circulatory system
The heart, brain, and lungs are the major organs that comprise the circulatory system.
The image reveals the exchange of blood between the heart and lungs.
What is term is applied to organisms whose genes have been altered using genetic engineering techniques?
GMO
(Genetically Modified Organism)
Genetic modification is common in modern food, especially crops, to make them bigger, sweeter, more visually appealing (colorful), or more weather or bug resistant.
There exists a vigorous debate over the efficacy and safety of GMOs. Here are links to further study of arguments both for and against their use.
Which scientist conducted the famous experiment with pea plants that demonstrated how dominant and recessive traits are passed from parents to children?
Gregor Mendel
Today, Mendel (1822-1884) is often described as the father of modern genetics.
What life-threatening medical condition occurs when part of the heart muscle doesn’t get enough blood, possibly due to a blockage in an artery?
heart attack
(also: myocardial infarction)
This lack of oxygen, which is delivered via bloodflow, results in the muscles of that part of the heart weakening and eventually dying.
What term is used to describe the body’s ability to maintain a state of steady internal, physical, and chemical conditions?
homeostasis
Homeostasis may also refer to an organism achieving equilibrium within a changing environment.
Homeostasis is a process that occurs at multiple levels: within an organism, an entire ecosystem, or a social circle.
The way that warm-blooded animals maintain their body temperature is one example of homeostasis.
How many bones does the adult human skeleton have?
206
Babies are born with 300-350 bones, but these fuse to form the 206 bones that the average adult has.
Who was the first scientist to discover bacteria?
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek used a single-lens microscope to make the first observations of bacteria and protozoa in 1674.
As the first recognized microbiologist, his work has impacted the field of modern medicine and the biological sciences.
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek is known as the “Father of Microbiology.”
Which body system contains a complex network of cells, tissues, and organs that help the body fight infections and other diseases?
the immune system
There are two systems the body uses to fight off and develop immunity to infections:
- Innate immunity includes general immune cells, like macrophages. These are white blood cells that attack all types of pathogens, engulfing and breaking them down.
- Specific immunity include specialized immune responders called antibodies. These are proteins that bind only to certain pathogens and mark them for destruction.
Immunity results from the body’s production of antibodies.
Why are bees crucial to human survival?
They are pollinators of crops
If bees somehow died off, there would be a drastic reduction in plant pollination, which would devastate both food crops and the plants and trees that sustain a complex web of organisms, including animals, birds, and insects. The food chain would collapse and, amongst many other problems, humans would not have enough food.
Which English scientist is iconic for her research on chimpanzees and their social dynamics?
Jane Goodall
Goodall spent 60+ years studying the social dynamics of chimpanzees in Tanzania, starting in 1960.
She is a UN Messenger of Peace and a committed activist who educates the public on the importance of conservation.
Which human body system is responsible for transmitting signals throughout the body and controlling actions (both voluntary and involuntary)?
the nervous system
The brain, spinal cord, and nerves are the major components of the nervous system.
Which American medical researcher developed the first polio vaccine?
Jonas Salk
Polio is estimated to have paralyzed up to 20,000 people in the United States before Salk’s vaccine debuted in 1955.
What is the largest organ in the human body?
the skin
The skin accounts for 6-10% of your body weight. The liver weighs in second at about 2.5% of your body weight, barely edging out both the brain in 3rd place and the lungs in 4th.
To read about the top 10, click here.
Which 19th-century Frenchman, who was blinded as a child, later developed a system of reading and writing for the blind?
Louis Braille
The Braille system remains enormously important to the blind as a way to communicate and learn, and has been adapted for many languages.
Braille is used by approximately 150 million people worldwide.
What is the term for food grown without pesticides or harmful methods of fertilization?
organic food
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a specific 5-step plan to certify organic food which ensures that not just anybody can label their food as organic.
Organic food became popular after awareness increased about public health, the environment, and animal welfare.
What is the name of the technique used to kill bacteria in food and drink?
pasteurization
Food and drink are subjected to high temperatures for a short time, then cooled and packaged, which slows the spoiling process caused by bacteria.
Pasteurization was named for its creator, Louis Pasteur, who made this discovery in 1862.
Some common food and drink items that are pasteurized include: milk, cheese, beer, wine, and eggs.
What large, complex organic molecule is made up of strings of amino acids and plays a crucial role in all living things?
protein
Proteins do most of the work in our cells, and our bodies need them to maintain our muscles, tissues, and organs. Some important examples of proteins include enzymes, antibodies, and hormones.
Foods high in protein include turkey, chicken, fish, beans, eggs, milk, and nuts.
What medical emergency is characterized by a reduction or elimination of blood flow to the brain?
stroke
When this takes place, brain cells die because of a lack of oxygen and nutrients.
Which human body system is responsible for the inhalation of oxygen and the expulsion of carbon dioxide?
respiratory system
The lungs are the major organs of the respiratory system.
What do you call a biological preparation that is used to introduce a dead or weakened part of the virus, bacteria, or analogue into the body in order to strengthen the immune system against a threat?
vaccine
By introducing a weakened version of the virus, bacteria, or analogue, the immune system retaliates by producing the right antibodies to fight the specific infection. This causes you to either become fully immune, or feel less of the effects of a malicious agent.
There are various types of vaccines including:
* Inactivated vaccines
* Live-attenuated vaccines
* Messenger RNA vaccines
* Subunit, recombinant, polysaccharide, and conjugate vaccines
* Toxoid vaccines
* Viral vector vaccines
What is the term for a microorganism that is not a living cell but that reproduces by duplicating itself inside the cells of another organism?
virus
Viruses are the most abundant organisms on Earth. Scientists describe viruses as neither alive nor dead — they exist on the edge of the definition of life by exhibiting only some of the activities common to living things.
A virus is tiny compared to a bacteria; the smallest bacteria are about 0.4 micron (one millionth of a meter) in diameter, while a virus ranges from 0.02 to 0.25 micron.
Which two scientists are credited with the discovery of DNA?
James Watson & Francis Crick
James Watson, Francis Crick, and another scientist named Maurice Wilkins received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1962 for this discovery.
It was Rosalind Franklin’s Photo 51 that helped scientists learn more about and identify the three-dimensional structure of DNA.
What kind of bird is a bat?
TRICK QUESTION! Bats are actually mammals, not birds.
Bats are so common that, in fact, 1 in 5 of all mammals is a bat. While they may have a bad reputation, they almost never bite humans unless manhandled. They predominantly eat night-flying insects, like moths, mosquitoes, beetles, etc.
Bats are also unique in their use of echolocation – i.e. high frequency sounds that bounce off objects and help them navigate in the dark. This natural “sonar” has inspired many innovations in tracking technologies.
When two species cooperate to help each other grow and multiply, they are said to have a _____ relationship.
symbiotic
An example of symbiosis is the cleaner fish surrounding sharks. They keep the host shark clean of parasites and the surrounding waters clear of scraps, which keeps the shark healthier.
