End-of-Term Life Science Connections

Gene Basics

1. 100 What is the basic unit of heredity? Response: gene The Mendelian gene is a basic unit of heredity. Source: Wikipedia, “Gene”
2. 200 A molecular gene is a sequence of what material? Response: nucleotides in DNA The molecular gene is a sequence of nucleotides in DNA that is transcribed to produce RNA. Source: Wikipedia, “Gene”
3. 300 Mutations can produce which different variants of a gene? Response: alleles A gene can acquire mutations in its sequence, leading to different variants, known as alleles, in the population. Source: Wikipedia, “Gene”
4. 400 What is the basic unit shared by all living things? Response: A cell The cell is the basic structural and functional unit of all forms of life or organisms. Source: Wikipedia, “Cell (biology)”
5. 500 Which process lets plants make food using light? Response: Photosynthesis Photosynthesis is a process in which green plants make their own food from sunlight, using the help of leaves to produce sugar. Source: Simple English Wikipedia, “Photosynthesis”

Cell Division

1. 100 What part of the cell cycle separates replicated chromosomes into two new nuclei? Response: mitosis Mitosis () is a part of the cell cycle in eukaryotic cells in which replicated chromosomes are separated into two new nuclei. Source: Wikipedia, “Mitosis”
2. 200 Which DNA-copying stage precedes mitosis? Response: S phase of interphase Mitosis is preceded by the S phase of interphase (during which DNA replication occurs) and is followed by telophase and cytokinesis, which divide the cytoplasm, organelles, and cell membrane of one cell into two new cells containing roughly equal shares of these cellular components. Source: Wikipedia, “Mitosis”
3. 300 What process divides the cytoplasm after the nuclear stages? Response: cytokinesis Mitosis is preceded by the S phase of interphase (during which DNA replication occurs) and is followed by telophase and cytokinesis, which divide the cytoplasm, organelles, and cell membrane of one cell into two new cells containing roughly equal shares of these cellular components. Source: Wikipedia, “Mitosis”
4. 400 Which structures pull chromosome copies toward opposite sides of a cell? Response: spindle fibers During mitosis, the chromosomes, which have already duplicated during interphase, condense and attach to spindle fibers that pull one copy of each chromosome to opposite sides of the cell. Source: Wikipedia, “Mitosis”
5. 500 What do we call an animal whose diet contains only plants? Response: An herbivore A herbivore is an animal anatomically or physiologically evolved to feed on plants, especially upon vascular tissues such as foliage, fruits or seeds, as the main component of its diet. Source: Wikipedia, “Herbivore”

Neuron Signals

1. 100 Which excitable nerve cell fires electric signals called action potentials? Response: neuron A neuron (American English), neurone (British English), or nerve cell, is a cell that is excitable, firing electric signals called action potentials. Source: Wikipedia, “Neuron”
2. 200 What specialized connections let neurons communicate with target cells? Response: synapses They communicate with other cells via synapses, which are specialized connections that commonly use minute amounts of chemical neurotransmitters to pass the electric signal from the presynaptic neuron to the target cell through the synaptic gap. Source: Wikipedia, “Neuron”
3. 300 Which neurons respond to touch, sound, or light? Response: sensory neurons Sensory neurons respond to stimuli such as touch, sound, or light that affect the cells of the sensory organs, and they send signals to the spinal cord and then to the sensorial area in the brain. Source: Wikipedia, “Neuron”
4. 400 Signals from the brain and spinal cord reach muscles through which neurons? Response: motor neurons Motor neurons receive signals from the brain and spinal cord to control everything from muscle contractions to glandular output. Source: Wikipedia, “Neuron”
5. 500 Most outgoing neuron signals travel down which filament? Response: axon Most neurons receive signals via the dendrites and soma and send out signals down the axon. Source: Wikipedia, “Neuron”
6. 600 Which transformation turns a caterpillar into a butterfly? Response: Metamorphosis As holometabolous insects, butterflies undergo complete metamorphosis, meaning that their life cycle comprises four stages. Source: Wikipedia, “Butterfly”

Immune Defenses

1. 100 Which network of biological systems protects an organism from diseases? Response: immune system The immune system is a network of biological systems that protects an organism from diseases. Source: Wikipedia, “Immune system”
2. 200 Which subsystem gives a preconfigured response to broad groups of situations? Response: innate immune system The innate immune system provides a preconfigured response to broad groups of situations and stimuli. Source: Wikipedia, “Immune system”
3. 300 Which subsystem learns to recognize molecules it encountered before? Response: adaptive immune system The adaptive immune system provides a tailored response to each stimulus by learning to recognize molecules it has previously encountered. Source: Wikipedia, “Immune system”
4. 400 What term names the place where an organism lives? Response: A habitat Habitat can be defined as the natural environment of an organism, the type of place in which it is natural for it to live and grow. Source: Wikipedia, “Habitat”

Selection Over Time

1. 100 What process describes differential survival and reproduction tied to relative fitness? Response: natural selection Natural selection is the differential survival and reproduction of individuals due to differences in the relative fitness endowed on them by their own particular complement of observable characteristics. Source: Wikipedia, “Natural selection”
2. 200 Natural selection changes which inherited features of a population over generations? Response: heritable traits It is a key law or mechanism of evolution which changes the heritable traits characteristic of a population or species over generations. Source: Wikipedia, “Natural selection”
3. 300 Successful traits are more likely to pass to which group? Response: the next generation Thus, these traits are more likely to be passed on to the next generation. Source: Wikipedia, “Natural selection”
4. 400 Which intentional process is contrasted with non-intentional natural selection? Response: artificial selection Charles Darwin popularised the term "natural selection", contrasting it with artificial selection, which is intentional, whereas natural selection is not. Source: Wikipedia, “Natural selection”
5. 500 Which organ circulates blood by pumping it through the body? Response: The heart The heart functions as a pump in the circulatory system to provide a continuous flow of blood throughout the body. Source: Wikipedia, “Heart”

Final round: Cells and Heredity

This process separates replicated chromosomes into two new nuclei. Response: mitosis Mitosis () is a part of the cell cycle in eukaryotic cells in which replicated chromosomes are separated into two new nuclei. Source: Wikipedia, “Mitosis”