BOT 1103 - BIOLOGY OF PLANTS - PRACTICE EXAM I – SAMPLE QUESTIONS

PART I - Multiple Choice: Choose the best answer. Be sure to look over all possible choices before making
your selection. Keep in mind that some of these questions are based entirely on
information in the required reading assignments or tidbits of lecture material not
found necessarily on the Internet online notes.

1. What historical figure was renowned by Carolus Linnaeus as the “father of botany” for his writings around 300
B.C. on plants?
A. Confucius
B. Marco Polo
C. Ch'in also known as Cheng, the first emperor of China
D. Theophrastus
E. Shen Nung

2. Which of the following is not a characteristic of most plants?

A. modular construction (repeating units due to localized areas of growth)

B. the lack of mitochondria in living plant cells
C. the presence of centrioles in living plant cells
D. autotrophy
E. Choices B and C are both correct.

3. ___________________ is thought to have been domesticated by Native American Indians from the wild plant
called teosinte.

A. Maize or corn
B. Indian Pipe
C. Wheat
D. Sorghum
E. Rice

4. Which of the following is an example of a characteristic of life known as metabolism found in plants?

A. A plant produces seeds, perpetuating the species.

B. An unattended potted plant that gets knocked over in the greenhouse produces a shoot that bends toward the
light and away from the pull of gravity.
C. Cell division occurring in the apical meristem of the stem and root extends the length of these modules.
D. A plant attracts a pollinating insect by producing brightly colored flowers to increase the likelihood of
successful a mating event leading to seed production.
E. Sunlight energy is captured by a plant leaf through the process called photosynthesis.

5. In which phase of mitosis in plant cells does the nucleolus or nucleoli in the nucleus seem to reappear?

A. interphase
B. prophase
C. metaphase
D. anaphase
E. telophase
6. Chromosomes exist in an unduplicated form (i.e., unreplicated DNA associated with protein) during what
phase(s) of the cell cycle?

A. prophase
B. telophase
C. metaphase
D. G1 of interphase
E. G1 of interphase and telophase

7. Which of the following is a living simple tissue involved as strengthening tissue for the plant body?

A. parenchyma
B. collenchyma
C. sclerenchyma
D. epidermis
E. Choices B and C are correct.

8. Which of the following subcellular components is likely to be absent in a plant root?

A. large vacuoles
B. mitochondria
C. chloroplasts
D. leucoplasts
E. ribosomes

9. Elaioplasts are a type of leucoplast found in higher plants that may synthesize and store __________.

A. starch
B. protein
C. oils
D. carotenoids
E. Choices A and C are both correct.

10. Which of the following is a primary or transitional meristem?

A. root hair
B. ground meristem
C. collenchyma
D. intercalary meristem of grasses
E. vascular cambium

11. In woody dicots, the periderm eventually replaces the _____________________.

A. epidermis
B. phloem
C. xylem
D. apical meristem
E. terminal and axillary buds
12. The channels of protoplasm that exists through cell walls that connect one cell to another are called __________.

A. plasmodesmata
B. stomata
C. watsamata
D. cytoplasmic threads
E. None of the above choices are correct.

13. Which of the following cells are a conspicuous component of the hard shells of nuts and hard coverings of
certain types of seeds? These also create the gritty texture associated with certain fruit (i.e., pears).

A. companion cell
B. parenchyma cell
C. sclereid
D. stone cell
E. Both C and D are correct choices.

14. Starting from the outside of a cell and moving towards the inside of a cell, which of the following components of
a 'typical plant' cell are organized correctly?

A. plasma membrane ==> primary cell wall ==> secondary cell wall ==> middle lamella–>cytoplasm

B. cytoplasm ==> plasma membrane ==> middle lamella ==> secondary cell wall ==> primary cell wall

C. plasma membrane ==> cytoplasm ==> secondary cell wall ==> primary cell wall ==> middle lamella

D. middle lamella ==> secondary cell wall ==> primary cell wall ==> plasma membrane ==> cytoplasm

E. middle lamella ==> primary cell wall ==> secondary cell wall ==> plasma membrane ==> cytoplasm
PART II. TRUE AND FALSE: Answer TRUE if the statement is correct and FALSE if the statement is incorrect or false. Keep in mind that some of these
questions are based entirely on information in the required reading assignments or tidbits of lecture material not found necessarily on the Internet online
notes.

15. In microscopy, the term resolution refers to the ability to distinguish two objects that are very close to one another as separate
entities.

16. Based on the fossil and archeological record, humans throughout most of their existence on this planet have engaged in
agriculture and the domestication of plants and animals for food and other products.

17. The spindle apparatus that develops during mitosis is made up of a polymer of tubulin (a protein) that creates tension among the
chromosomes lined up during metaphase and anaphase through a process of polymerization (push) and depolymerization (pull).

18. Indian pipe is an example of a flowering plant that is no longer capable of photosynthesis. By means of the root system, Indian
pipe gets food from a fungus, which in turn gets it from the roots of a nearby tree.

19. The quality of human life is minimally impacted by the presence of plants in the world.

20. Salicylic acid or aspirin were originally extracted from kudzu by native American Indians as a remedy for aches and pains.

21. The white potato was first domesticated and eaten by the Celts of Ireland. White potatoes therefore originated in the Old World
and not in the Americas.