BGS, BSGS Bachelor of General Studies BSGS Natural Sciences 5

Question 1

What type of natural selection favors individuals at one extreme of a trait distribution over the other extreme?

Accepted Answer

Directional selection

Answer

Directional selection shifts the population mean toward one phenotypic extreme, such as larger beak size during drought.

Question 2

In chemistry, which term describes a reaction that releases heat to the surroundings?

Accepted Answer

Exothermic

Answer

Exothermic reactions have a negative ΔH (enthalpy change), meaning energy is released as heat, as in combustion.

Question 3

Which phenomenon explains why planets orbit the Sun in elliptical paths rather than perfect circles?

Accepted Answer

Kepler's first law

Answer

Kepler's first law states that each planet's orbit is an ellipse with the Sun at one of the two foci.

Question 4

Which macromolecule class serves as enzymes, structural components, and signaling molecules in living organisms?

Accepted Answer

Proteins

Answer

Proteins perform a vast range of functions including catalysis (enzymes), structural support (collagen), and cell signaling (hormones and receptors).

Question 5

What is the primary driver of plate tectonics on Earth?

Accepted Answer

Convection currents in the mantle

Answer

Heat-driven convection currents in the semi-fluid asthenosphere exert drag on tectonic plates, causing them to move.

BGS, BSGS Bachelor of General Studies Practice Test