Evolution and Inheritance: Learn about Natural Selection, DNA, and Genetics

Question 1

Which of these is NOT a way that variation can occur in a population?

Accepted Answer

Natural selection

Answer

Mutation

Answer

Genetic recombination

Answer

Gene flow

Question 2

In an environment where temperatures are rising, which trait would likely become more common over time due to natural selection?

Accepted Answer

Lighter-colored skin

Answer

Thicker fur

Answer

Smaller body size

Answer

Longer limbs

Question 3

DNA and genes are found in cells and carry the instructions for making proteins. Which of the following is true about DNA and genes?

Accepted Answer

They pass on traits from parents to offspring.

Answer

They are only found in plant cells.

Answer

They cause mutations.

Answer

They are not involved in making proteins.

Question 4

Genetic engineering involves altering the genetic makeup of organisms. What is a potential ethical concern associated with genetic engineering?

Accepted Answer

Unintended consequences for future generations

Answer

Limited to curing diseases

Answer

Always beneficial and should be widely used

Answer

No ethical implications

Question 5

How do mutations contribute to genetic variation within a group of living things?

Accepted Answer

Mutations introduce new versions of genes into the group.

Answer

Mutations reduce genetic diversity by removing some genes.

Answer

Mutations only occur in cells that produce offspring.

Question 6

Scientists compare the wings of different birds, like eagles, penguins, and hummingbirds, to understand how they may have changed over time. What type of evidence is this?

Accepted Answer

Comparative anatomy

Answer

Fossil record

Answer

DNA evidence

Answer

Direct observation

Question 7

How does the study of homologous structures help us understand evolution?

Accepted Answer

It suggests that organisms with similar homologous structures share a common ancestor.

Answer

It shows that homologous structures always serve the same function.

Answer

It demonstrates that homologous structures are always visible on the outside of organisms.

Answer

It proves that homologous structures are identical in all organisms.

Question 8

How does natural selection explain why some bacteria become resistant to antibiotics?

Accepted Answer

Resistant bacteria are more likely to survive and reproduce when antibiotics are present.

Answer

Antibiotics kill all bacteria, so only resistant bacteria survive.

Answer

Antibiotics create new, resistant bacteria.

Answer

Natural selection has no effect on antibiotic resistance.

Question 9

The passing on of genetic material from parents to offspring is called:

Accepted Answer

Inheritance

Answer

Evolution

Answer

Adaptation

Answer

Mutation

Question 10

What is the smallest unit of heredity?

Accepted Answer

Gene

Answer

Cell

Answer

Chromosome

Answer

DNA

Question 11

A change in the DNA sequence is called a:

Accepted Answer

Mutation

Answer

Variation

Answer

Adaptation

Answer

Inheritance

Question 12

Who developed the theory of evolution by natural selection?

Accepted Answer

Charles Darwin

Answer

Gregor Mendel

Answer

Carl Linnaeus

Answer

James Watson

Question 13

The gradual change of organisms over many generations is called:

Accepted Answer

Evolution

Answer

Adaptation

Answer

Mutation

Answer

Inheritance

Question 14

Which of the following is not evidence for evolution?

Accepted Answer

Breeding new plants or animals with specific traits

Answer

Fossils

Answer

Similar body parts in different animals

Answer

Body parts that are no longer used

Question 15

When humans choose and breed plants or animals with certain characteristics, it is called:

Accepted Answer

Artificial selection

Answer

Natural selection

Answer

Genetic engineering

Answer

Evolution

Question 16

The transfer of genetic material from parents to offspring is called:

Accepted Answer

Inheritance

Answer

Reproduction

Answer

Natural selection

Answer

Adaptation

Question 17

Which of the following is an example of a trait passed down through inheritance?

Accepted Answer

Eye color

Answer

Ability to play the piano

Answer

Favorite type of food

Answer

Religious beliefs

Question 18

The basic component of heredity that carries genetic information is called the:

Accepted Answer

Gene

Answer

Chromosome

Answer

Nucleus

Answer

Cell

Question 19

When a population reaches a state where gene frequencies remain constant over generations, it is said to be in:

Accepted Answer

Genetic equilibrium

Answer

Natural selection

Answer

Genetic drift

Answer

Population growth

Question 20

The theory of evolution by natural selection explains that organisms:

Accepted Answer

Change gradually through generations

Answer

Remain unchanging over time

Answer

Are created by a divine force

Answer

Evolve rapidly in random bursts

Question 21

Who is known as the father of the theory of evolution by natural selection?

Accepted Answer

Charles Darwin

Answer

Gregor Mendel

Answer

James Watson

Answer

Albert Einstein

Question 22

What does evolution describe?

Accepted Answer

Changes in living things over time

Answer

How organisms become extinct

Answer

The variety of plants and animals

Answer

How organisms change to suit their surroundings

Question 23

Who is considered the 'Father of Evolution'?

Accepted Answer

Charles Darwin

Answer

Albert Einstein

Answer

Isaac Newton

Answer

Marie Curie

Question 24

How do traits pass from parents to offspring?

Accepted Answer

Genetics

Answer

Natural selection

Answer

Adaptation

Answer

Variation

Question 25

What molecule stores genetic information in cells?

Accepted Answer

DNA

Answer

RNA

Answer

Protein

Answer

Sugar

Question 26

What explains how organisms adapt to changing environments over time?

Accepted Answer

Evolution by natural selection

Answer

Theory of relativity

Answer

Germ theory of disease

Answer

Big Bang theory

Question 27

What process makes organisms with certain traits more likely to survive and reproduce?

Accepted Answer

Natural selection

Answer

Artificial selection

Answer

Genetic drift

Answer

Mutation

Question 28

Which of these is NOT an idea in Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection?

Accepted Answer

Evolution happens in a straight line from simple to more complex forms of life.

Answer

Living things that are better suited to their surroundings are more likely to survive.

Answer

Traits that help living things survive and reproduce are passed to their young.

Answer

All living things on Earth came from a single ancestor.

Question 29

What is the name for the genetic information that is passed down from parents to children?

Accepted Answer

DNA

Answer

RNA

Answer

Protein

Answer

Chromosome

Question 30

What is the process by which living things change to better fit their surroundings called?

Accepted Answer

Natural selection

Answer

Mutation

Answer

Genetic drift

Answer

Artificial selection

Question 31

Which of these is an example of a trait that is inherited?

Accepted Answer

Eye color

Answer

Ability to speak different languages

Answer

How well you play music

Answer

Your personality

Question 32

What is the name of the diagram that shows how traits are passed down through the generations?

Accepted Answer

Pedigree chart

Answer

Punnett square

Answer

Karyotype

Answer

Family tree

Question 33

Who is known as the father of modern genetics?

Accepted Answer

Gregor Mendel

Answer

Charles Darwin

Answer

James Watson

Answer

Francis Crick

Question 34

What is the term for when humans breed plants or animals to select for certain characteristics?

Accepted Answer

Selective breeding

Answer

Natural selection

Answer

Genetic engineering

Answer

Hybridization

Question 35

What is the name for the study of the inheritance of traits?

Accepted Answer

Genetics

Answer

Genomics

Answer

Epigenetics

Answer

Cytogenetics

Question 36

What is NOT a factor that affects how well a species survives?

Accepted Answer

Good luck

Answer

The weather and climate

Answer

The presence of predators

Answer

Competition for food and shelter

Question 37

What is the name of the idea that living things with helpful traits are more likely to survive and pass on those traits?

Accepted Answer

Natural selection

Answer

Adaptation

Answer

Inheritance

Answer

Mutation

Question 38

Who is known as the 'father of the idea of evolution'?

Accepted Answer

Charles Darwin

Answer

Gregor Mendel

Answer

Marie Curie

Answer

Albert Einstein

Question 39

What do we call the passing on of characteristics from parents to their children?

Accepted Answer

Inheritance

Answer

Reproduction

Answer

Adaptation

Answer

Mutation

Question 40

What is the name of the molecule that stores the information needed to make living things?

Accepted Answer

DNA

Answer

RNA

Answer

Protein

Answer

Lipid

Question 41

What is a characteristic that is passed on from parents to offspring called?

Accepted Answer

Inherited characteristic

Answer

Learned behavior

Answer

Acquired trait

Answer

Survival trait

Question 42

Which statement describes the concept of natural selection?

Accepted Answer

Organisms with traits that make them better suited to their environment are more likely to survive and pass on their genes.

Answer

Organisms with traits that make them less suited to their environment are more likely to survive and pass on their genes.

Answer

Only the strongest organisms survive and pass on their genes.

Answer

All organisms have an equal chance of surviving and passing on their genes.

Question 43

What is the molecule that carries genetic information?

Accepted Answer

DNA

Answer

RNA

Answer

Protein

Answer

Glucose

Question 44

Which is NOT a factor that can influence the evolution of a population?

Accepted Answer

The weather

Answer

Natural selection

Answer

Genetic drift

Answer

Mutation

Question 45

What is the term for the genetic makeup of an organism?

Accepted Answer

Genotype

Answer

Phenotype

Answer

Karyotype

Answer

Genome

Question 46

What is the difference between a scientific theory and a hypothesis?

Accepted Answer

A theory is a well-supported explanation based on evidence, while a hypothesis is a possible explanation that has not yet been tested.

Answer

A hypothesis is a well-supported explanation based on evidence, while a theory is a possible explanation that has not yet been tested.

Answer

A theory and a hypothesis are the same thing.

Answer

There is no difference between a theory and a hypothesis.

Question 47

What is the name for the preserved remains or traces of an organism from the past?

Accepted Answer

Fossil

Answer

Artifact

Answer

Relic

Answer

Specimen

Question 48

What is the name for the process by which organisms evolve over time?

Accepted Answer

Evolution

Answer

Natural selection

Answer

Adaptation

Answer

Inheritance

Question 49

Who is known for developing the theory of evolution through natural selection?

Accepted Answer

Charles Darwin

Answer

Albert Einstein

Answer

Isaac Newton

Answer

Marie Curie

Question 50

Which process allows organisms with traits that are better suited to their environment to have a greater chance of surviving and passing on their genes?

Accepted Answer

Natural selection

Answer

Genetic drift

Answer

Mutation

Answer

Recombination

Question 51

What molecule carries genetic information from parents to their children?

Accepted Answer

DNA

Answer

RNA

Answer

Protein

Answer

Carbohydrate

Question 52

Is it true that all mutations are harmful to an organism?

Accepted Answer

No

Answer

Yes

Question 53

What is the term for the passing on of characteristics from parents to offspring?

Accepted Answer

Inheritance

Answer

Natural selection

Answer

Adaptation

Answer

Mutation

Question 54

What is the process called when genetic material is exchanged between homologous chromosomes during meiosis?

Accepted Answer

Crossing over

Answer

Independent assortment

Answer

Segregation

Answer

Mitosis

Question 55

Which of these is an example of homologous structures?

Accepted Answer

Dolphin flippers and bat wings

Answer

Human legs and bird wings

Answer

Insect antennae and spider legs

Answer

Fish gills and human lungs

Question 56

What is the term for the gradual change in the frequency of traits within a population over generations?

Accepted Answer

Evolution

Answer

Adaptation

Answer

Natural selection

Answer

Genetic drift

Question 57

Bees with longer tongues can reach more nectar in flowers. How does this help the bees in the population?

Accepted Answer

Bees with longer tongues can survive better and have more offspring with long tongues.

Answer

Bees with longer tongues can find more flowers.

Answer

Bees with longer tongues can fly faster.

Answer

Bees with longer tongues can sting better.

Question 58

Pollution can harm the environment and affect the fish in a river. How does pollution affect the variety of genes in a fish population?

Accepted Answer

Pollution can kill fish, reducing the variety of genes in the population.

Answer

Pollution can make fish stronger, increasing the variety of genes in the population.

Answer

Pollution has no effect on the variety of genes in a fish population.

Question 59

Which process allows organisms that are better suited to their surroundings to live longer and make more offspring?

Accepted Answer

Natural selection

Answer

Artificial selection

Answer

Mutation

Answer

Adaptation

Question 60

Which of the following is not a source of genetic variation?

Accepted Answer

Natural selection

Answer

Mutation

Answer

Sexual reproduction

Answer

Gene flow

Question 61

Which molecule carries genetic data from one generation to the next?

Accepted Answer

DNA

Answer

RNA

Answer

Protein

Answer

Carbohydrate

Question 62

Which characteristic describes a recessive allele?

Accepted Answer

It only shows when there are two copies of the allele.

Answer

Even with only one copy of the allele, it always shows.

Answer

It is more prevalent in a population than a dominant allele.

Answer

It boosts an organism's chances of surviving and reproducing.

Question 63

Which theory describes how life on Earth has evolved over time?

Accepted Answer

Theory of evolution

Answer

Theory of natural selection

Answer

Theory of inheritance

Answer

Theory of adaptation

Question 64

Who developed the theory of evolution by natural selection?

Accepted Answer

Charles Darwin

Answer

Gregor Mendel

Answer

James Watson

Answer

Francis Crick