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The galaxy in which we live, the Milky Way, is shaped like a:
Flying saucer
Bagel
Softball
Cucumber
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Based on the prevailing scientific view, Neanderthals
Interbred with early Homo sapiens to such an extent that many of their traits live on in modern humans
Were evolutionary cousins of early humans that likely interacted but didn’t interbreed with them
Lived in a completely different era from early humans and thus never crossed paths
Became extinct after a meteorite impact dramatically changed Earth’s climate
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What percentage of the Earth is covered by water?
62%
89%
80%
71
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Blood in the human body is carried within veins and arteries. The main difference between the two is that:
Arteries carry only un-oxygenated blood
Veins carry blood away from the extremities
Within veins, blood appears red
Arteries carry only red blood cells
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What is the most abundant gas in air?
Oxygen
Hydrogen
Nitrogen
Carbon Dioxide
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The “central dogma” of biology refers to which progression:
DNA to RNA to protein
RNA to DNA to protein
DNA to chromosome to RNA
DNA to protein to RNA
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The fourth planet from the Sun is:
Earth
Venus
Jupiter
Mars
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If both my mother and my father are carriers of a recessive genetic disorder, my chances of inheriting that disorder will be:
1/2
1
1/4
1/8
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Unlike most other fish, sharks have no:
Sense of smell
Gills
Bones
Blubber
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When an iceberg separates from an ice shelf, the process is known as:
Budding
Calving
Fissure
Mitosis
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Which organ forms hydrochloric acid?
Pancreas
Stomach
Gall Bladder
Liver
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The lowest layer of the Earth’s atmosphere is known as the:
Mesosphere
Stratosphere
Thermosphere
Troposphere
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The platypus and the echidna are the only mammals that
Abandon their young at birth
Are cold-blooded
Lack real hair
Lay eggs
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Proteins are composed of:
DNA
Amino acids
Lipids
Peptidoglycans
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A star that has exhausted most of its nuclear fuel and becomes extremely dense is known as a:
Nebula
Supernova
White dwarf
Red Giant
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When scientists discuss the “Cambrian Explosion,” they are talking about:
A stellar collision within the Orion constellation
A sudden burst of evolutionary changes more than 500 million years ago
A meteorite impact near the Yucatan Peninsula
A type of programmed cell death that causes cells to burst
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The main difference between prokaryotes and eukaryotes is that eukaryotic cells have:
Cytoplasm
A chromosome
A nucleus
A cellular membrane
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Helium, neon and argon belong to a group of elements known as:
The noble gases
The magnificent seven
Alkaline earth elements
The halogens
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Kinetic energy refers to:
The energy of life
The energy of movement
Potential energy
Energy transferred in the form of light
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The cellular component that allows plants to carry out photosynthesis is known as a:
chloroplast
mitochondria
vacuole
ribosome
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British naturalist Charles Darwin began developing his theory of evolution while aboard a ship named:
The Calypso
The Endeavour
The Intrepid
The Beagle
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The Earth’s magnetic field:
Sometimes reverses its polarity, so that the North Pole becomes the South Pole
Controls the ebb and flow of the planet’s tides
Propels the slowly-moving plates of the planet’s crust
Has gradually decreased in strength over millions of years