How Biology A quizzes actually ask questions

Chemistry of Life

7 questions · most 3 pts · one 4-pt written · scored 22/22

• Items tagged (01.02 MC).
• Several showed a picture of a molecule (glucose ring, DNA helix, glycerol + three fatty-acid tails) and asked which macromolecule or which monomer.
• Some were wording: “which statement BEST describes structure and function.”
• One enzyme-energy graph: why enzymes matter (they lower activation energy).
• One two-part written: fever graph + what happens to an enzyme above ~50 °C (denature / lose shape / stop working).

Earth's Early Atmosphere

5 questions · 4 pts each · all text multiple choice · no pictures · scored 16/20

• Items tagged (01.03 LC) or (01.03 MC).
• Short stems: “which was likely present…”, “which major processes…”, “which hypothesis…”.
• Answer choices look alike on purpose — same four ideas recycle (lots of oxygen, very cold, inorganic molecules, low UV).
• RNA World showed up twice in different costumes: once as “why we all share a genetic code” (self-replicating RNA), once as “what proved proteins aren’t the only biological catalysts.” That second one is the one that was missed.
• Meteorites as a source of organic molecules, and “conditions in space vs early Earth.”

1. Read every word of lookalike choices. One swap (oxygen vs carbon dioxide, increase vs decrease) is the whole question.
2. Pictures: name the building block first (hexagon / tails / amino acid / nucleotide), then the macromolecule.
3. Hypothesis questions: match the claim, not the famous name you remember from a different page.
4. Point weights are lumpy. Missing one 01.03 item cost 4 points (20% of the quiz).
5. The Module 01 exam will mix 01.01 scientific method, 01.02 shapes/enzymes, and 01.03 origin-of-life hypotheses.