Category 1
What defines an environment?
a) A specific location where organisms live
b) The sum of all living and non-living elements in a given area
c) The weather conditions over a short period
d) A collection of ecosystems
b) The sum of all living and non-living elements in a given area
Which of the following is a key principle of sustainability?
a) Maximizing resource extraction
b) Maintaining ecological balance
c) Prioritizing economic growth over environmental health
d) Ignoring social equity
b) Maintaining ecological balance
Which of the following describes properties of matter?
a) Only physical attributes
b) Characteristics that can be observed or measured
c) Attributes that are always changing
d) Only chemical attributes
b) Characteristics that can be observed or measured
A hypothesis is best defined as:
a) A proven fact
b) A testable prediction
c) A summary of existing knowledge
d) An opinion
b) A testable prediction
Glucose is important in a plant because:
a) It is a waste product
b) It is a primary energy source
c) It forms the structure of DNA
d) It is a type of protein
b) It is a primary energy source
A chemical reaction typically involves:
a) Changes in state only
b) The rearrangement of atoms to form new substances
c) Physical changes only
d) No changes to energy
b) The rearrangement of atoms to form new substances
Cellular respiration is a process that:
a) Produces glucose
b) Converts glucose and oxygen into energy
c) Occurs only in plants
d) Is unrelated to energy production
b) Converts glucose and oxygen into energy
ATP is best known as:
a) A type of protein
b) The energy currency of the cell
c) A waste product of respiration
d) A form of glucose
b) The energy currency of the cell
Which statement best describes an ecosystem?
a) A large area with similar climate
b) A community of organisms interacting with their physical environment
c) The population of a single species
d) A type of biome
b) A community of organisms interacting with their physical environment
Energy can be defined as:
a) The ability to do work or produce change
b) A physical substance
c) A constant quantity
d) A chemical property
a) The ability to do work or produce change
A tentative explanation is commonly referred to as a:
a) Conclusion
b) Theory
c) Hypothesis
d) Fact
c) Hypothesis
What characterizes a physical change?
a) A change in the chemical composition of a substance
b) A change that does not alter the chemical identity of a substance
c) A reaction that produces gas
d) A change that cannot be reversed
b) A change that does not alter the chemical identity of a substance
What is decomposition in ecological terms?
a) The process of energy transfer
b) The breakdown of organic matter into simpler substances
c) The formation of new species
d) The synthesis of complex molecules
b) The breakdown of organic matter into simpler substances
In a typical chemical reaction, what is a product?
a) The starting material
b) A substance that is consumed
c) A substance formed by the reaction
d) A catalyst
c) A substance formed by the reaction
Oxygen is essential for:
a) Photosynthesis only
b) Cellular respiration in aerobic organisms
c) The formation of glucose
d) Decomposition processes
b) Cellular respiration in aerobic organisms
Energy in biological systems is primarily derived from:
a) Water
b) Minerals
c) The sun, through photosynthesis
d) Air
c) The sun, through photosynthesis
What does the term "artificial" imply in ecological contexts?
a) Naturally occurring
b) Rarely found in nature
c) Completely synthetic
d) Created or altered by humans
d) Created or altered by humans
What is matter?
a) Anything that can be seen
b) Anything that has mass and occupies space
c) Only solid substances
d) A form of energy
b) Anything that has mass and occupies space
What does it mean to revise a scientific theory?
a) To discard all previous data
b) To update the theory based on new evidence
c) To make the theory more complicated
d) To ignore any conflicting evidence
b) To update the theory based on new evidence
Which of the following is an example of a chemical change?
a) Melting ice
b) Boiling water
c) Rusting iron
d) Dissolving sugar in water
c) Rusting iron
What are molecules?
a) The smallest unit of an element
b) Groups of two or more atoms bonded together
c) Only organic compounds
d) A type of energy
b) Groups of two or more atoms bonded together
What is the difference between a reactant and a product?
a) Reactants are found in the air, products are not
b) Reactants are consumed, products are formed during the reaction
c) Reactants can be gases, products cannot
d) There is no difference
b) Reactants are consumed, products are formed during the reaction
What role does carbon dioxide play in photosynthesis?
a) It is a waste product
b) It is a reactant used to produce glucose
c) It is not involved in photosynthesis
d) It is produced during cellular respiration
b) It is a reactant used to produce glucose
Matter is conserved in a chemical reaction, meaning:
a) Mass is lost
b) Mass remains constant; it cannot be created or destroyed
c) Matter changes into energy
d) Only products are counted
b) Mass remains constant; it cannot be created or destroyed
How does aquaponics benefit sustainable agriculture?
a) It uses large amounts of soil
b) It relies solely on chemical fertilizers
c) It combines aquaculture with hydroponics, conserving water
d) It is an outdated farming technique
c) It combines aquaculture with hydroponics, conserving water
What does the term "flow" refer to in ecological terms?
a) The movement of organisms
b) The transfer of energy and materials through an ecosystem
c) The change in population size
d) The physical movement of water only
b) The transfer of energy and materials through an ecosystem
Which statement best describes a scientific theory?
a) An untested assumption
b) A well-substantiated explanation of an aspect of the natural world
c) A collection of random facts
d) A personal belief
b) A well-substantiated explanation of an aspect of the natural world
What are reactants in a chemical reaction?
a) The products formed
b) Substances that undergo change during the reaction
c) The energy released
d) The final outcomes
b) Substances that undergo change during the reaction
Amino acids are best known as:
a) The building blocks of nucleic acids
b) The building blocks of proteins
c) The primary sources of energy
d) The main components of carbohydrates
b) The building blocks of proteins
The term molecules includes which of the following?
a) Only large organic compounds
b) Groups of atoms that can be the same or different
c) Only metals
d) Only gases
b) Groups of atoms that can be the same or different
Water is vital for all living organisms because:
a) It is a source of energy
b) It is the only element that exists in all three states of matter
c) It facilitates chemical reactions and is a solvent
d) It is not essential for life
c) It facilitates chemical reactions and is a solvent
Mass can be defined as:
a) The volume of an object
b) The amount of matter in an object
c) The weight of an object
d) The density of an object
b) The amount of matter in an object
What characterizes a system in scientific terms?
a) A random collection of parts
b) A set of interacting components forming a complex whole
c) A single entity
d) A temporary arrangement of elements
b) A set of interacting components forming a complex whole
The concept of a cycle in nature typically refers to:
a) A linear process
b) A repetitive sequence of events in ecosystems
c) A one-time event
d) An unchanging state
b) A repetitive sequence of events in ecosystems
A belief in a scientific context is:
a) Always based on empirical evidence
b) A personal conviction not necessarily grounded in evidence
c) A universally accepted principle
d) A testable statement
b) A personal conviction not necessarily grounded in evidence
In a chemical reaction, the products are:
a) The initial substances
b) The substances formed as a result of the reaction
c) The energy input
d) The catalysts
b) The substances formed as a result of the reaction
Nitrogen is essential for which process?
a) Photosynthesis
b) Cellular respiration
c) Protein synthesis
d) Decomposition
c) Protein synthesis
Atoms are defined as:
a) Substances that cannot be divided
b) The smallest unit of matter that retains the properties of an element
c) Only found in solids
d) A type of molecule
b) The smallest unit of matter that retains the properties of an element
Glucose is primarily stored in plants as:
a) Starch
b) Cellulose
c) Proteins
d) Lipids
a) Starch
In the context of ecosystems, energy flow refers to:
a) The movement of nutrients
b) The transfer of energy from one trophic level to another
c) The physical movement of organisms
d) The recycling of matter
b) The transfer of energy from one trophic level to another