Biology Flashcards

Which type of neuron carries impulses from the central nervous system to effectors such as muscles?

Answer: Motor neuron

Motor neurons transmit electrical impulses from the CNS to effectors, causing muscles to contract or glands to secrete.

In a food web, what happens to the population of primary consumers if a large number of top predators are removed?

Answer: Primary consumer population increases

Removing top predators reduces predation pressure on primary consumers, allowing their population to increase — a classic trophic cascade.

What is the function of amylase in digestion?

Answer: It breaks down starch into maltose

Amylase is a carbohydrase enzyme that catalyses the hydrolysis of starch into maltose, produced in the salivary glands and pancreas.

Which process describes the movement of water from a region of high water potential to low water potential across a partially permeable membrane?

Answer: Osmosis

Osmosis is the net movement of water molecules across a partially permeable membrane down a water potential gradient.

What is the main function of the lymphatic system in relation to immunity?

Answer: Carrying white blood cells and draining tissue fluid

The lymphatic system transports lymph, containing white blood cells (lymphocytes), and returns excess tissue fluid to the bloodstream.

Which statement correctly describes the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes?

Answer: Type 1 occurs because the pancreas produces no insulin; type 2 involves insulin resistance

In type 1 diabetes, the immune system destroys insulin-producing beta cells; in type 2, body cells become resistant to insulin's effects.

What is a monohybrid cross?

Answer: A cross examining the inheritance of a single trait

A monohybrid cross studies the inheritance pattern of a single characteristic, typically using a Punnett square to predict offspring ratios.