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Biology 30 · Worksheets

Diploma-style challenge

Ten questions of mixed difficulty, covering Development, Genetics, Nervous and endocrine, Reproduction, the senses. Print it, or work through it on screen — the answer key starts on its own page.

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Diploma-style challenge

Biology 30 · maddyhelps.com

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Circle the best answer for each question. Show your work in the space provided.

  1. A cell with a diploid number of 2n = 12 completes meiosis I. How many chromosomes are in each resulting cell?

    1. a) 3
    2. b) 6
    3. c) 12
    4. d) 24

  2. What does the Eustachian tube do?

    1. a) Detects rotation of the head
    2. b) Amplifies sound vibrations
    3. c) Carries impulses to the brain
    4. d) Equalizes air pressure on both sides of the eardrum

  3. You stop noticing the feel of your clothes soon after getting dressed. This is called:

    1. a) accommodation
    2. b) sensory adaptation
    3. c) a reflex arc
    4. d) the refractory period

  4. Pressing gently on closed eyelids can make you "see" flashes of light. What best explains this?

    1. a) The brain interprets any impulse from the eye as light
    2. b) Rods detect heat from the fingers
    3. c) The lens reflects light from the eyelids
    4. d) Pressure produces real light inside the eye

  5. Crossing over, which exchanges segments between homologous chromosomes, occurs during:

    1. a) prophase I of meiosis
    2. b) metaphase II of meiosis
    3. c) prophase of mitosis
    4. d) interphase

  6. Where does an early embryo normally implant?

    1. a) the ovary
    2. b) the oviduct
    3. c) the endometrium of the uterus
    4. d) the cervix

  7. Why are the testes located outside the main body cavity?

    1. a) It keeps them close to the kidneys
    2. b) Sperm develop best at a temperature slightly below body temperature
    3. c) It lets them receive more blood
    4. d) It protects them from injury

  8. Why is labour described as an example of positive feedback?

    1. a) Contractions stop once progesterone rises
    2. b) The body works to keep contractions at a steady level
    3. c) Contractions cause more oxytocin to be released, which causes stronger contractions until birth
    4. d) Oxytocin levels fall as contractions get stronger

  9. Which part of the brain coordinates balance and muscle movement?

    1. a) cerebellum
    2. b) medulla oblongata
    3. c) hypothalamus
    4. d) cerebrum

  10. Why does long exposure to very loud noise cause permanent hearing loss?

    1. a) It breaks the ossicles
    2. b) It damages hair cells in the cochlea, which do not grow back
    3. c) It tears the eardrum permanently every time
    4. d) It blocks the Eustachian tube

Answer key · Diploma-style challenge

Biology 30 · maddyhelps.com

  1. b) 6 — Meiosis I halves the chromosome number, so 12 becomes 6 per cell. Each of those 6 is still two sister chromatids until meiosis II splits them.
  2. d) Equalizes air pressure on both sides of the eardrum — It connects the middle ear to the throat. Yawning or swallowing on a plane opens it, which is why your ears "pop".
  3. b) sensory adaptation — Receptors respond less and less to a steady, unchanging stimulus, so the brain can focus on changes that matter.
  4. a) The brain interprets any impulse from the eye as light — Receptors only send impulses; the brain decides what they mean based on where they came from. An impulse arriving along the optic nerve is read as light, however it started.
  5. a) prophase I of meiosis — Homologues pair up as tetrads in prophase I, and that pairing is what allows the exchange. It is a major source of genetic variation.
  6. c) the endometrium of the uterus — The endometrium is the thick, blood-rich lining of the uterus. It is built up each cycle to be ready for an embryo.
  7. b) Sperm develop best at a temperature slightly below body temperature — Sperm production works best a few degrees cooler than core body temperature, which is why the scrotum sits outside the body.
  8. c) Contractions cause more oxytocin to be released, which causes stronger contractions until birth — Positive feedback amplifies a change instead of reversing it. Each contraction pushes the baby against the cervix, triggering more oxytocin, until birth ends the loop.
  9. a) cerebellum — The cerebellum fine-tunes movement and posture. The cerebrum handles thinking and voluntary action; the medulla runs breathing and heart rate.
  10. b) It damages hair cells in the cochlea, which do not grow back — Loud sound over-bends and destroys the delicate hair cells. In humans they are not replaced, so the loss is permanent — which is why hearing protection matters.