Chapter 1 Worksheet

Name: ____________________________________________
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Date:

1. List all of the levels of organization from element to community and

then define each level of organization.

2. Write what level(s) of organization is/are being applied in each of the

following situations:
a. Scientists are studying the
migration pattern of a group of
zebras in Africa.
b. Microbiologists have
discovered a new strain of
pneumonia-causing, unicellular
bacteria.
c. Farmers have released
ladybugs onto their crops in
order to decrease the
destruction of an increasing
aphid population.

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d. The doctors are analyzing

which muscles are causing the
runner pain when he goes
jogging.

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e. Geneticists are doing genetic

testing of the DNA of a couple
who are planning to start a
family.

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f. Neuroscientists are evaluating

the nervous system of their
patient who appears to suffer
from a new disorder.

3. Define natural causality. Explain Francisco Redis experiment (you can use
a diagram if you wish). What did he show? How did his experiment provide
evidence for natural causality?

4. Why is it important that scientists base their conclusions only on what

they perceive? What would happen if scientists let their emotions or value
systems integrate into their experiments?

5. List the steps of the scientific method.

6. Matt was growing tomato plants on his windowsill when he noticed that
the tomato plants that were facing the sun produced bigger tomatoes. Being
a curious biology student, Matt decided to make an experiment. He
hypothesized that the plants in the sun would produce bigger tomatoes. For
his experiment, Matt grew 20 tomato plants. 10 of the plants were grown in
sunlight conditions and 10 tomato plants were grown in a dark closet in
Matts house. Matt ensured that all 20 plants received the same amount of
water and that the temperature in both the light and dark conditions was
kept the same. After 20 days, Matt collected the tomatos from the plants
and measured the diameter of each tomato. The measurements Matt
collected showed that the tomatoes were bigger on the plants that were
grown in the sun.
a. Did Matt conduct a controlled experiment? If not, how could he make the
experiment controlled?

b. What was the independent variable (factor that was changed)?

c. What was the dependent variable (factor that was measured or observed)?
d. Based on the data Matt collected, should Matt accept or reject his
hypothesis?

7. Are their limitations to the scientific method? If so, what are they?

8. What is the difference between a theory as it is used in everyday

language and a scientific theory?

9. Define natural selection and explain the three natural processes that
allow evolution to occur.

10. List the 8 characteristics of life and explain them in detail.

11. In the chart below, list the differing characteristics of prokaryotes and
eukaryotes.
Prokaryote

Ex. Do not have a nucleus;

genetic information is in the
cytoplasm

Eukaryote

Ex. Have a nucleus that contains

the cells genetic information

What are some similarities between prokaryotes and eukaryotes?