BIO EXAM UNIT 1

Question 1

What are the 6 Kingdoms of living things?

Answer 1

Animalia, Plantae, Fungi, Protista, Bacteria, Archaea.

Question 2

What are the characteristics of Animalia?

Answer 2

Multicellular, heterotrophic, no cell walls, motile.

Question 3

What are the characteristics of Plantae?

Answer 3

Multicellular, autotrophic (photosynthesis), cell walls (cellulose).

Question 4

What are the characteristics of Fungi?

Answer 4

Multicellular or unicellular, heterotrophic (decomposers), cell walls (chitin).

Question 5

What are the characteristics of Protista?

Answer 5

Mostly unicellular, very diverse, can be autotrophic or heterotrophic.

Question 6

What are the characteristics of Bacteria?

Answer 6

Unicellular, prokaryotic, various metabolism types.

Question 7

What are the characteristics of Archaea?

Answer 7

Unicellular, prokaryotic, found in extreme environments, unique cell membranes.

Question 8

What is the difference between a taxon and a rank?

Answer 8

Taxon is a group of one or more organisms; rank is the level in the classification hierarchy.

Question 9

What is the order of taxonomic ranks?

Answer 9

Domain → Kingdom → Phylum → Class → Order → Family → Genus → Species.

Mnemonic: Dear King Phillip Came Over For Good Soup.

Question 10

How are organisms named scientifically?

Answer 10

Using binomial nomenclature: Two-part Latin name — Genus species (e.g., Homo sapiens).

Question 11

What is taxonomy?

Answer 11

The science of classifying organisms.

Question 12

What is a phylogenetic tree?

Answer 12

A diagram showing evolutionary relationships; closer branches = closer relation.

Question 13

What is cladistics?

Answer 13

Classifies organisms by common ancestry and evolutionary traits.

Question 14

Why is a virus not considered ‘living’?

Answer 14

Viruses can’t reproduce or carry out metabolism on their own — they require a host cell.

Question 15

What are the common structures of viruses?

Answer 15

Genetic Material, Capsid, Envelope (optional), Surface Proteins.

Question 16

How do bacteriophages infect cells?

Answer 16

By injecting DNA into bacteria.

Question 17

How does H1N1 infect cells?

Answer 17

It is an RNA virus with an envelope, infects via respiratory droplets.

H1N1 relates to antigenic shift because it was created when different flu viruses (from humans, pigs, and birds) mixed their genetic material.
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Antigenic shift is a sudden, major change in the flu virus that happens when two different flu viruses infect the same cell and swap genes. This can create a new virus — like the 2009 H1N1 — that people have little or no immunity to, which can lead to a pandemic.

Question 18

What are the infection cycles of viruses?

Answer 18

Lytic: Inject DNA → replicate → burst host.
Lysogenic: DNA integrates into host → dormant → may later enter lytic.

Question 19

What are the characteristics of bacteria?

Answer 19

Unicellular, prokaryotic, circular DNA, reproduces via binary fission, various metabolism types.

Question 20

What are the basic shapes of bacteria?

Answer 20

Coccus (spherical), Bacillus (rod), Spirillum (spiral).

Question 21

What are the metabolism types of bacteria?

Answer 21

Obligate Aerobes, Obligate Anaerobes, Facultative Anaerobes.

Question 22

What are the preferred environments of bacteria?

Answer 22

Many thrive in warm, moist environments; Archaea prefer extreme environments.

Question 23

What are endospores?

Answer 23

Dormant bacterial cells with thick protective walls.

Question 24

Why are endospores called ‘ultimate survivors’?

Answer 24

They survive extreme conditions (heat, cold, radiation, chemicals).

Question 25

Describe binary fission.

Answer 25

DNA replicates, cell elongates, septum forms, splits into two identical cells.

Question 26

What is conjugation?

Answer 26

Transfer of genetic material between bacteria via a pilus.

Question 27

What are helpful bacteria?

Answer 27

Digestive aid, nitrogen fixation in soil, decomposers.

Question 28

What are harmful bacteria?

Answer 28

Cause infectious diseases (e.g., strep throat, tuberculosis).

Question 29

What are protocols to prevent harmful bacterial growth/infection?

Answer 29

Proper hygiene, cook/store food properly, vaccination, use antibiotics responsibly, disinfect surfaces.

Question 30

What are vaccines?

Answer 30

Vaccines stimulate the immune system using weakened or inactive antigens.

Question 31

How do vaccines work?

Answer 31

They prepare the body to fight actual infections if exposed later.

Question 32

What are antibiotics?

Answer 32

Antibiotics kill or inhibit bacterial growth.

Question 33

How does antibiotic resistance occur?

Answer 33

Random mutations allow survival, misuse/overuse selects for resistant strains.

Question 34

What is HIV?

Answer 34

A retrovirus that infects human T-cells.

Question 35

Why is HIV a health risk?

Answer 35

It destroys the immune system, making the person vulnerable to other infections (AIDS).

Question 36

What happens when HIV leaves the lysogenic cycle?

Answer 36

It enters the lytic cycle, actively producing viruses and killing T-cells.

Question 37

Differentiate between endemic and pandemic.

Answer 37

Endemic: Constant presence in a specific region (e.g., malaria in Africa). Pandemic: Global spread (e.g., COVID-19).

Question 38

What is an antigenic shift?

Answer 38

A major genetic change in a virus due to reassortment of genetic material.

Question 39

How does an antigenic shift occur?

Answer 39

Antigenic shifts occur when two different flu viruses infect the same cell and mix their genes. This creates a brand-new virus that the body doesn’t recognize.