Bio EOC Topics for Living Things, Metric Measurement, Microscope and The Scientific Method Laboratory Equipment o Identification of laboratory equipment; for example beaker, triple beam balance, microscope, Erlenmeyer flask o Reading values from tools such as graduated cylinders, thermometers, balances and rulers Metric measurement o Identification of tools or equipment, and units of measurement o Be able to do some simple metric conversions & measurements Compound Light Microscope Identification of parts and their functions (including a diagram) o Determining total magnification o Field of view calculations o General methods for use of microscope Scientific Methodo Know the steps in the scientific method o Be able to identify which part of the scientific method is illustrated by examples o Controlled experiment design, importance o What is the basis for developing a hypothesis? o Identify the variable and control groups in an experiment and their purpose. o Identify independent vs. dependent variables. o Identify factors which are held constant. Why is this done? o What is the difference between a hypothesis and a theory? o Valid vs. invalid conclusions, data, etc. Quantitative and qualitative data definitions, advantages & examples of each. o Preparation, use & interpretation of data tables Graphing o Developing an appropriate scale for a graph o Be able to construct both a line and bar graph o Develop an appropriate title, legend/key, and labels for each axis o Drawing conclusions from graphed data Bio EOC Questions for Living Things, Metric Measurement, Microscope and The Scientific Method Note: These questions may or may not be the same form or content as the questions on the EOC test. They are provided as a study guide and to help remind you of concepts that you have learned this year. 1) Which procedure would most likely provide valid results in a test to determine if drug A would be effective in treating cancer in white mice? (a) injecting 1 ml of drug A into 100 white mice with cancer (b) injecting 1 ml of drug A into 100 white mice with cancer and 0.5 ml of drug X into 100 white mice without cancer (c) injecting 1 ml of drug A into 100 white mice with cancer and 0.5 ml of drug X into another group of 100 white mice with cancer (d) injecting 1 ml of drug A into 100 white mice with cancer and 1 ml of distilled water Into another group of 100 white mice with cancer 1
2) A biologist used the Internet to contact scientists around the world to obtain information about declining amphibian populations. He was able to gather data on 936 populations of amphibians, consisting of 157 species from 37 countries. Results showed that the overall numbers of amphibians dropped 15% a year from 1960 to 1966 and continued to decline about 2% a year through 1997. What is the importance of collecting an extensive amount of data such as this? (a) Researchers will now be certain that the decline in the amphibian populations is due to pesticides. (b) The data collected will prove that all animal populations around the world are threatened. (c) Results from all parts of the world will be found to be identical. (d) The quantity of data will lead to a better understanding of the extent of the problem. 3) A biologist collected the data shown in the table below. Which statement is supported by the data in the table? (a) Populations do not vary from month to month. (b) The populations are highest in September. (c) The grasshoppers increased in length in July. (d) Seasonal variations may affect populations. 4) In 1910, Thomas Morgan discovered a certain pattern of inheritance in fruit flies known as sex linkage. This discovery extended the ideas of inheritance that Gregor Mendel had discovered while working with garden peas in 1865. Which principle of scientific inquiry does this illustrate? (a) A control group must be part of a valid experiment. (b) Scientific explanations can be modified as new evidence is found. (c) The same experiment must be repeated many times to validate the results. (d) Values can be used to make ethical decisions about scientific discovery. 5) A student prepared a slide of pollen grains from flower. First the pollen was viewed through the low power objective lens and then, without moving the slide, viewed through the high power objective lens of a compound light microscope. Which statement best describes the relative number and appearance of the pollen grains observed using these two objectives? (a) low power: 25 small pollen grains high power: 100 large pollen grains (c) low power: 25 large pollen grains high power: 100 small pollen grains (b) low power: 100 small pollen grains (d) low power: 100 large pollen grains high power: 25 small pollen grains high power: 25 large pollen grains 2
Use your knowledge of biology, along with the following information, to answer this question. A student studied the location of single celled photosynthetic organisms in a lake for a period of several weeks. The depth at which these organisms were found at different times of the day varied greatly. Some of the data collected are shown in the table below. 6) A valid inference based on these data is that (a) most photosynthetic organisms live below a depth of 150 centimeters (b) oxygen production increases as photosynthetic organisms move deeper in the lake (c) photosynthetic organisms respond to changing light levels (d) photosynthetic organisms move up and down to increase their rate of carbon dioxide production 7) Which materials would the student most likely have used in this investigation? (a) microscope, pipettes (droppers), meter sticks, and slides with coverslips (b) graduated cylinder, triple beam balance, and chromatography paper (c) thermometer, electric balance, and biological stains (d) computer, ph paper, and gel electrophoresis apparatus 8) What is the approximate length of the earthworm shown in the diagram below? (a) 9 mm (c) 10.6 cm (b) 90 mm (d) 106 cm 9) While viewing a specimen under high power of a compound light microscope, a student noticed that the specimen was out of focus. Which part of the microscope should the student turn to obtain a clearer image under high power? (a) eyepiece (c) fine adjustment (b) coarse adjustment (d) nosepiece Base your answer to this question on the information in the chart and on your knowledge of biology. 3
Students cut 20 rod shaped pieces of potato of the same diameter and length. Five pieces of potato were placed into each of four beakers containing different concentrations of sugar solutions. Each potato piece was measured again after 24 hours. The table below shows the results of their experiment. 10) Which graph below best represents the information in the data table? a) 1 b) 2 c) 3 d) 4 11) Students were asked to determine if they could squeeze a clothespin more times in a minute after resting than after exercising. An experiment that accurately tests this question should include all of the following except (a) a hypothesis on which to base the design of the experiment (b) a large number of students (c) two sets of clothespins, one that is easy to open and one that is more difficult to open (d) a control group and an experimental group with equal numbers of students of approximately the same age 12) How much water should be removed from the graduated cylinder shown to the right to leave 5 milliliters of water in the cylinder? (a) 6 ml (c) 11 ml (b) 7 ml (d) 12 ml 4
13) A science researcher is reviewing another scientist s experiment and conclusion. The reviewer would most likely consider the experiment invalid if : (a) the sample size produced a great deal of data (b) other individuals are able to duplicate the results (c) it contains conclusions not explained by the evidence given (d) the hypothesis was not supported by the data obtained Pulse rate data were collected from some students. The data are represented in the histogram below. 14) The histogram includes data from a total of how many students? (a) 6 (b) 7 (c) 10 (d) 27 15) The diagram below shows how a coverslip should be lowered onto some single celled organisms during the preparation of a wet mount. Why is this a preferred procedure? (a) The coverslip will prevent the slide from breaking. (b) The organisms will be more evenly distributed. (c) The possibility of breaking the coverslip is reduced. (d) The possibility of trapping air bubbles is reduced. 16) A student observing a specimen using the low power objective of a compound light microscope has difficulty viewing the image because the field of view is too dark. The student can correct the problem by A. adjusting the diaphragm C. switching to the high power objective B. using the coarse adjustment D. cleaning the high power objective 5
17) What information from the list below must be used to estimate the length of a cell under the low power objective of a compound light microscope? Information A. Type of cell in the field B. Magnification of the low power objective C. Magnification of the high power objective D. Diameter of the low power field of view E. Number of cells that fit end to end across the diameter of the low power field of view A. A and C, only B. A, B, C, and E, only C. D and E, only D. A, B, C, D, and E 18) The diagram below shows three cells in the field of view of a microscope. The diameter of the field of view is 1.5 millimeters. What is the approximate diameter of each cell? A. 50 μm B. 500 μ C. 250 μm D. 4,500 μm 19) The black walnut tree produces substances called allelochemicals which inhibit the growth of other nearby plants. A set of axes is shown below. When using this set of axes to show the effect of black walnut allelochemicals on the number of plants, which labels would be appropriate for axis X and axis Y? (a) X Number of Plants Y Distance from Walnut Tree Trunk (meters) (b) X Distance from Walnut Tree Trunk (meters) Y Number of Plants (c) X Number of Plants Y Time (days) (d) X Time (days) Y Number of Plants 6
20) Which statement best describes a scientific theory? (a) It is a collection of data designed to provide support for a prediction. (b) It is an educated guess that can be tested by experimentation. (c) It is a scientific fact that no longer requires any evidence to support it. (d) It is a general statement that is supported by many scientific observations. O PEN ENDED Base your answers to the questions/tasks in this section on the information provided and on your knowledge of biology. 1) The average level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has been measured for the past several decades. The data collected are shown in the table below. U sing the information in the data table, construct a line graph using the grid on the next page. Follow the directions below: Mark an appropriate scale on each labeled axis. Plot the data on the grid. Surround each point with a small circle and connect the points. 7
2) Two students collected data on their pulse rates while performing different activities. Their average results are shown in the data table below. State the relationship between activity and pulse rate. State one way that this investigation could be improved. ANSWERS: 1 D 11 C 2 D 12 A 3 D 13 C 4 B 14 D 5 B 15 D 6 C 16 A 7 A 17 C 8 B 18 B 9 C 19 B 10 B 20 D OO #1 OO #2 OO #3 Prepare line graph as directed. Ex) hypothesis might be Plants will grow better if they have more space.. Identify another controlled variable amount of light; identify dependent variable plant height (mm). Does data support the hypothesis? Yes if you use the hypothesis example above (your answer may vary depending on your hypothesis). Relationship: increased intensity of activity causes increase in pulse rate; Suggested improvements consistency among age/sex/weight of students; also the scientist could specify the amount of time required for each different type of activity (such as perform activity for 20 minutes). 8
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