260 Biology Trivia Questions (Ranked From Easiest to Hardest)

Biology trivia questions are a great way to test your understanding of the living world around you.

From plants to animals, biology covers a wide range of topics, and these trivia questions are sure to challenge your knowledge.

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Question: What type of virus at a Chipotle near the Boston College campus sent over 80 students, including much of the men's basketball team, to the hospital in the fall of 2015?

Answer: Norovirus

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260 Biology Trivia Questions Ranked From Easiest to Hardest (Updated For 2024)

1. An average human performs what basic eye function about 20 times a minute, or over ten million times a year? At year's end, your eye must be really moist.
   
   Answer: Blink
   
   
2. Twenty percent of the oxygen in the Earth’s atmosphere is provided exclusively by what large rainforest?
   
   Answer: The Amazon
   
   
3. Your heart is nestled in your chest between the two halves of what other organ?
   
   Answer: Lungs
   
   
4. The prevalence sexual cannibalism in which after mating the female consumes the male inspired the name for what type of spiders? There are theories that this behavior may increase the survival odds of eventual offspring.
   
   Answer: Black widow spiders
   
   
5. An anoxic environment wouldn’t be great for humans, but certain organisms thrive in them. Anoxic means that which element needed by most life to survive is absent?
   
   Answer: Oxygen
   
   
6. Strangely enough, the Guinness Book of World Records has an entry for the "fastest wing beat of a bird" and the record holder has an astonishing 200 beats/flaps per SECOND. This record-holder is the ruby-throated variety of what type of bird?
   
   Answer: Hummingbird
   
   
7. What creature with an equine name has no teeth or stomach, mates for life, and is the only species on Earth where the male carries the unborn offpsring?
   
   Answer: Seahorse
   
   
8. What is the three-letter name of the second-tallest (standing) bird on the planet? This animal is found only in Australia and is related to the ostrich.
   
   Answer: Emu
   
   
9. The rare condition of a dorsal cutaneous appendage on a human being is more commonly known as what four-letter vestigial body part?
   
   Answer: Tail
   
   
10. A microscopic organism that is a microaerophile is most stable at a very low level of what atmospheric element, atomic number 8?
    
    Answer: Oxygen
    
    
11. Waxy buildup in the human ear is actually a form of what moisture exuded from pores on the skin, usually associated with exercise or high temperatures?
    
    Answer: Sweat
    
    
12. What largest extant bear species, and largest extant land carnivore, species U. maritimus, is difficult to see on infrared cameras, due to blubber and fur blocking their heat?
    
    Answer: Polar Bear
    
    
13. What bacterium, better known in its partially abbreviated name, is Gram-negative and rod-shaped? It had a famous outbreak in 1993 when “Jack In The Box” inadvertently spread it across four states.
    
    Answer: E. Coli
    
    
14. What larger variant of the "sweet" banana is frequently used for cooking?
    
    Answer: Plantains
    
    
15. Name the species of bird that has a tongue so long it wraps around the back of their skull when not in use, protecting their brains while they tap into trees.
    
    Answer: Woodpecker
    
    
16. Also called a "molecular machine," what organelle found in the cytoplasm of living cells builds proteins from amino acids?
    
    Answer: ribosome
    
    
17. A study has revealed that 40 percent of ______-tailed deer have had the Coronavirus. Fill in the one word colorful blank, also the color of the room with black curtains in a Cream song.
    
    Answer: white
    
    
18. Beginning with L are which molecules that are the primary building blocks of the plasma membrane in cells?
    
    Answer: Lipids
    
    
19. Sometimes, foxes are able to pounce upon small prey because they can sense what kind of fields that are naked to the human eye? The foxes can sense changes in the electrostatic attraction between objects.
    
    Answer: Magnetic fields
    
    
20. Omphalophobia is the specific fear of what body part biologically classified as the umbilicus?
    
    Answer: Navel
    
    
21. In eukaryotic cells, the citric acid cycle, also known as the Krebs cycle, takes place in which double-membrane bound organelle discovered in 1857?
    
    Answer: Mitochondria
    
    
22. What dozy treetop mammal can hold its breath underwater for a whopping 40 minutes, even longer than dolphins?
    
    Answer: Sloth
    
    
23. The most common DNA test used for paternity testing is performed by collecting buccal cells, which are found in what specific body part?
    
    Answer: Cheek
    
    
24. The varicella-zoster virus causes skin outbreaks in children, and in 1995 the FDA approved a vaccine to prevents its infection. What's the common name for the disease this virus causes?
    
    Answer: Chicken pox
    
    
25. Diatoms, protozoans, and tiny crustaceans make up the collection of sea life on which many fish and whales feed, known as what P-word?
    
    Answer: Plankton
    
    
26. All amino acids contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and what other element that starts and ends with the same letter?
    
    Answer: Nitrogen
    
    
27. In the US, basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of what type of cancer?
    
    Answer: Skin cancer
    
    
28. The Proverbs 17:22 passage "a merrie heart doth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones" led to the popular idiom that "______ is the best medicine." What word fills in the blank? In fact, this idiom has been validated by scientific researchers that indicate painful experiences may indeed be lessened with this "treatment."
    
    Answer: Laughter
    
    
29. John Postgate’s 1969 book about the role of microorganisms in society was called “______ And Men.” Fill in the one word blank, the “M” plural of a synonym of microorganism often used to describe disease-causing agents.
    
    Answer: Microbes And Men
    
    
30. The term "ctDNA" refers to DNA from cancerous cells that is found in the bloodstream. What does "ct" stand for in this context?
    
    Answer: Circulating Tumor
    
    
31. The two subunits of the organelle known as the endoplasmic reticulum are typically abbreviated RER and SER. What do the "R" and "S" stand for in these abbreviations?
    
    Answer: Rough, Smooth
    
    
32. Turtles, toads, and tarantulas are all ectothermic animals, which is typically referred to by what more common term?
    
    Answer: Cold blooded
    
    
33. The largest living lizard can't breathe fire but it does have a venomous bite that inhibits blood clotting. What creature is this?
    
    Answer: Komodo dragon
    
    
34. There are non-image-forming ganglion cells in the human eye (and other mammals) that are still photosensitive and receive light signals that can help regulate and suppress the production of what "M" hormone that helps regulate the sleep-wake schedule?
    
    Answer: Melatonin
    
    
35. What is the common name for photoreceptor cells in the human eye that are often considered a pair with rod cells?
    
    Answer: Cone cells
    
    
36. Announced in 2020, the program AlphaFold 2 program became record-settingly good at using AI algorithms to accurately predict the structure of what biomolecules?
    
    Answer: Proteins
    
    
37. Pour yourself another gin and tonic: What mosquito-borne, parasitic disease causes red blood cells to explode after they've served as a mating ground?
    
    Answer: Malaria
    
    
38. Organ transplants in the United States are dominated by one organ, which is involved in over 50% of all organ transplants that occur. What organ is this?
    
    Answer: The Kidney
    
    
39. The goal of any operating room is what “A” term, the state of being free from contamination from bacteria, viruses, or other microorganisms?
    
    Answer: Aseptic
    
    
40. TMV, the first virus to ever be identified, is a "mosaic" virus that strikes what New World cash crop--represented by the "T" in "TMV?"
    
    Answer: Tobacco
    
    
41. Adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and thymine (T) are the four nucleobases that DNA is comprised of. The first three are also components of RNA, however instead of thymine the fourth companent of in RNA is what nucleobase represented by the letter U?
    
    Answer: Uracil
    
    
42. Which C-term refers to all the “stuff” that’s encased in a cell membrane except the nucleus? (Hint: “Stuff” here could be organelles and the gel-like fluid around them)
    
    Answer: Cytoplasm
    
    
43. What “P” term refers to a virus, bacteria, or other agent that causes disease?
    
    Answer: Pathogen
    
    
44. A Latin word for a type of cake gives us the name of what temporary, nutrient-rich fetal organ?
    
    Answer: Placenta
    
    
45. The ______fish shares its name with a striped land animal and is studied for the amazing properties of its heart, which is regenerative and can mend itself quickly. What word fills in the blank?
    
    Answer: Zebrafish
    
    
46. Sharing their name with a common cleaning tool, what is the more common name of the worlds most simple animals from the phylum Porifera?
    
    Answer: Sponges
    
    
47. Officially recognized as its state berry in 1991, Maine is one the world’s top producers of the wild variety of what fruit that is actually deep purple due to its anthocyanin antioxidants?
    
    Answer: Blueberry
    
    
48. What five-letter word means a single-celled reproductive unit that is capable of giving rise to a new organism without sexual fusion, such as those found in fungi?
    
    Answer: spore
    
    
49. The extremophile Deinococcus radiodurans holds the Guinness World Record as the toughest bacterium, owing to its ability to survive in many harsh situations much like the fearless barbarian of a 1982 Schwarzenegger film. Fill in the blank to complete its fan-given nickname: ________ the bacterium.
    
    Answer: Conan
    
    
50. With exclamations that can travel as far as 5km, one of the loudest land animals is what aptly named monkey group?
    
    Answer: Howler monkeys
    
    
51. With well over 50 million downloads, it is one of the most popular science podcasts around. Which show hosted by Allie Ward has episodes entitled “Food Anthropology”, “Molecular Neurobiology” and “Potterology”?
    
    Answer: Ologies
    
    
52. Which infectious disease that’s spread to humans by mosquito bites is caused by Plasmodium spp?
    
    Answer: Malaria
    
    
53. Queen Alexandra's birdwing of Papua New Guinea is, somewhat surprisingly, not a bird. Instead, this creature is the world's largest variety of what colorful winged animal?
    
    Answer: Butterfly
    
    
54. Measuring up to 23 feet long when spread out from end to end, what “petite” gastrointestinal organ has three regions called the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum?
    
    Answer: Small intestine
    
    
55. The phenomenon of cryptophasia is a language developed between which type of relatives that can be described as monozygotic or dizygotic?
    
    Answer: Twins
    
    
56. Often appended with "tea" to distinguish it from a culture of bacteria and yeast, what is the fermented, slightly effervescent, sweetened tea drink that is often consumed for purported health benefits? Although its origins are not fully known, it is believed to have originated in China.
    
    Answer: Kombucha
    
    
57. Benadryl is what type of medicine due to its impact on blocking the effects of a naturally occurring chemical?
    
    Answer: Antihistamine
    
    
58. What "P" word refers to an individual organism's observable traits, such as eye color and body size, which result from both genomic and environmental factors?
    
    Answer: Phenotype
    
    
59. Drosophila melanogaster is perhaps the world's most famous "model organisms" used in scientific research. What's the better known alliterative name of this "common" insect?
    
    Answer: Fruit fly
    
    
60. What jelly-like substance obtained from the cell walls of red algae is often used as a substrate in Petri dishes?
    
    Answer: Agar
    
    
61. What is the organelle most commonly referred to as the "powerhouse of the cell?"
    
    Answer: Mitochondria
    
    
62. The last widely-accepted sighting of a certain bird species was in 1662 on the island nation of Mauritius. Intriguingly, due to the bird's remote home, the creature was considered mythological for a period of time. What is this bird?
    
    Answer: Dodo
    
    
63. There was a boom in sales of frill-necked lizards as domesticated pets after the release of what 1993 film featuring a similar, very extinct critter?
    
    Answer: Jurassic Park
    
    
64. A unicellular eukaryote called Plasmodium, which develops in blood-feeding insects like mosquitoes and then spreads to vertebrate hosts, is the cause of what deadly disease?
    
    Answer: Malaria
    
    
65. What Philadelphian R&B group spent over 50 cumulative weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 charts with their iconic style of emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies? The band was named after a New Edition song title.
    
    Answer: Boyz II Men
    
    
66. A widespread system for classifying viruses is named for a researcher with what last name, which also happens to be the city where John Hopkins University and its prestigious medical school is located?
    
    Answer: Baltimore
    
    
67. What “A” marine animal is a predator of order Actinaria, who gets its name from the Earth flower it resembles with its brightly colored sticky exterior? It sits on the sea floor and captures unassuming prey.
    
    Answer: Anemone
    
    
68. A company called Mycorrhiza Biotech's products include pine seedlings inoculated with the bianchetto variety of what fungus that is highly valuable to chefs?
    
    Answer: truffle
    
    
69. The presence of an abnormal number of chromosomes in a cell, such as 45 or 47 instead of the usual 46 for a human, is known by what "A" word?
    
    Answer: Aneuploidy
    
    
70. Metabolic reactions can be described as "anabolic," meaning energy is consumed to build up compounds, or what other term, which refers to reactions in which energy is released by the breaking down of compounds?
    
    Answer: Catabolic
    
    
71. Sea-dwelling creatures in the genus Mobula frequently feature what Biblical, diabolical word in their name? They were once the name of an American baseball franchise as well.
    
    Answer: Devil Rays
    
    
72. What is the longest type of cell in the human body?
    
    Answer: Nerve cell (neuron)
    
    
73. Also known as the Brazilian Treatment, what alternative moniker (named after the protein it uses which is naturally found in hair shafts) describes the hair straightening method where the namesake protein is added to the hair and then run over with a hot flat iron? This treatment is known to add shine to hair and lasts for approximately 6 months.
    
    Answer: Keratin
    
    
74. Amino acids are organic compounds that unsurprisingly contain the amine functional group, and what other functional group do they always contain?
    
    Answer: Carboxyl
    
    
75. What infectious disease characterized by a painful rash is caused by the reactivation of a varicella zoster virus in a person's body?
    
    Answer: Shingles
    
    
76. Encephalitis is an inflammation of which organ in our body?
    
    Answer: Brain
    
    
77. Though zymology spreads out to all sorts of stuff, "Zymurgy Magazine" caters to home hobbyists playing around with yeast to produce what potable stuff?
    
    Answer: Beer
    
    
78. A person is about 1 cm taller in the morning, compared to when they go to bed. This is because what “C” tissue that connects bones is squished over the course of a day?
    
    Answer: Cartilage
    
    
79. Artists who are scared of using Sherwin Williams paint hues Forstythia and La Luna Amarilla might have xanthophobia – which is the fear of the what color?
    
    Answer: Yellow
    
    
80. If you want to distinguish a spirochaete from other bacteria, you can ask "Are you a spirochaete?" or just look for what whippy F-word appendages?
    
    Answer: Flagella
    
    
81. What "A" word in cell biology means the period in mitosis or meiosis in which chromosomes move away from one another to opposite poles of the spindle?
    
    Answer: Anaphase
    
    
82. What is the name of the process in which one germ cell divides twice, and the result is four “daughter” cells that each have just one copy of the “parent” cell’s chromosomes?
    
    Answer: Meiosis
    
    
83. Cyt or cyto are common medical prefixes with what meaning?
    
    Answer: Cell
    
    
84. Australia built a 3,000-mile-long fence during the 1880s just to block the movement of what baby-snatching species?
    
    Answer: Dingo
    
    
85. Used to indicate a measurement of medicine, what does the abbreviation “cc” stand for?
    
    Answer: Cubic centimeter
    
    
86. BRCA1 is a human gene and protein pairing most commonly associated with what disease?
    
    Answer: Breast cancer
    
    
87. What is the alliterative name for the shark that has a distinctly circular bite mark? Technically it is the species Isistius brasiliensis but its more common name comes from a kitchen utensil which is also used to create distinctly-cut shapes.
    
    Answer: Cookiecutter shark
    
    
88. Biology is the field of science concerned with life and living organisms, but what is the name for the scientific field focused the relationships between organisms and their environments?
    
    Answer: Ecology
    
    
89. The bacterium Acetobacter Aceti is used in the production of which acidic condiment?
    
    Answer: Vinegar
    
    
90. What is the name of the biological phenomenon that allows certain living organisms, like fireflies, to emit light?
    
    Answer: Bioluminescence
    
    
91. “Peasants cabbage” was an early term used for what cruciferous plant that spiked in popularity in the 2000s?
    
    Answer: Kale
    
    
92. When a spermatozoon and an ovum love each other very much, they come together to form what alphabetically-disadvantaged cell with a full set of chromosomes?
    
    Answer: Zygote
    
    
93. Sarah Bernhardt and Ben Harrison were the oddly human-sounding names of two creatures that were first brought to Golden Gate Park in 1890 and have become a fixture ever since. Or, their descendants have. What type of animal were Sarah and Ben?
    
    Answer: Bison
    
    
94. All living cells have a nucleic acid called ______RNA (rRNA), which makes up about 80% of all the RNA in the cell.
    
    Answer: Ribsomal
    
    
95. Mycologists often spend a lot of time digging through dirt as they study what type of natural organism?
    
    Answer: Fungi
    
    
96. What common vegetable is the most-cultivated member of the Allium genus, has an unknown country of origin, has been used for at least 7,000 years by humans, and is considered toxic for cats and dogs?
    
    Answer: Onion
    
    
97. If a bacterium is described as "pyogenic," it means that an infection with that bacterium will lead to the production of what icky substance?
    
    Answer: Pus
    
    
98. Dikaryotic means that there are two separate ______ inside a single cell?
    
    Answer: Nuclei
    
    
99. The species Ramphastos sulfuratus is also known as the keel-billed, sulfur-breasted, or rainbow-billed species of what colorful Latin American bird?
    
    Answer: Toucan
    
    
100. Buzzard, John crow, and carrion crow are all alternate names for what bird with a two-word name? Each of the two words is a bird in its own right, one of which is popularly associated with an autumnal holiday. This bird lacks the vocal organ of birds so its only vocalizations are grunts or low hisses.
     
     Answer: Turkey vulture
     
     
101. Carbon fixation, reduction, carbohydrate formation, and regeneration are the four basic phases of what photosynthesis cycle that's presumably pretty good friends with a comic strip tiger?
     
     Answer: Calvin cycle
     
     
102. A gigaannum is a term that represents a very long time. One billion years in fact. About 3.5 gigaannumms ago was when what critical process used to convert light energy into chemical energy is estimated to have begun?
     
     Answer: Photosynthesis
     
     
103. Which of the four standard bases in DNA typically pairs with thymine?
     
     Answer: Adenine
     
     
104. Yeast extracts, which are used as food additives or flavorings, consist of the cell contents of yeast without which structural layer? This structural layer is absent from animal cells.
     
     Answer: Cell wall
     
     
105. In very simple terms, a ______ is a virus that infects bacteria. The second half of the word comes from the Greek term for “devour.”
     
     Answer: Bacteriophage
     
     
106. In DNA, the four nucleotide bases are adenine, cytosine, guanine, and thymine; in RNA, what base replaces thymine?
     
     Answer: Uracil
     
     
107. Paternity testing by DNA is considered 99.9% accurate. However, there are rare instances in which individuals have at least two different set of genes rather than one set, which can lead to a false negative test. What is the "mythological" term for these folks?
     
     Answer: Chimera
     
     
108. Vascular plants have two kinds of transport tissue: xylem, which transports water from roots to stems and leaves, and what other kind of tissue, which you can remember by imagining nutrients "flowing" from leaves to roots?
     
     Answer: Phloem
     
     
109. A famous square diagram used to predict the genotypes of a particular cross or breeding experiment is named for what British geneticist?
     
     Answer: Reginald C. Punnett
     
     
110. There are three conventional groups of mammals. The monotremes (including the platypus and echidna) are the oldest and the placentals (including humans) are the most recent to evolve. What third group evolved in between these two other groups?
     
     Answer: Marsupials
     
     
111. What’s the term for an organism that loves and thrives in an environment with a pH under 4?
     
     Answer: Acidophile
     
     
112. The Mantoux and Heaf are PPD tests used to diagnose what deadly infectious disease?
     
     Answer: Tuberculosis
     
     
113. What is the common name for the group of flatfish species well-known for their camouflage abilities and for the peculiar positioning of both eyes on one side of the body? Interestingly, at hatching, one eye is on either side of the body but an eye moves over to join the other before reaching adulthood.
     
     Answer: Flounder
     
     
114. The process by which bacteria reproduce is called ______ fission. Fill in the one word “B” blank, a word meaning relating to two things, sometimes applied to star systems.
     
     Answer: Binary Fission
     
     
115. Separating bacteria into 'positive' or 'negative' groups based on their cell wall composition is what 2-word testing method beginning with G?
     
     Answer: Gram stain
     
     
116. Since they lead a more aquatic life than other salamanders, the wild-looking axolotl don't shed what external respiratory organ?
     
     Answer: Gills
     
     
117. Though their stinging tentacles aren't actually snakes, jellyfish are part of a subphylum named for what Gorgon?
     
     Answer: Medusa
     
     
118. The "electric organ," unsurprisingly, creates an electric field that is used for navigation, communication, defense, mating and more. It's a very multifaceted organ. In what type of animal will you find this organ? We're looking for a common four-letter word that technically is a group of four classes of animals.
     
     Answer: Fish
     
     
119. What is the four-letter name for the jelly-like substance obtained from red algae that is often used as a solid growth medium in Petri dishes to culture microorganisms?
     
     Answer: Agar
     
     
120. Thrombocytopenia, which may cause symptoms such as easy bruising or bleeding gums, is an abnormally low level of what specific component of blood?
     
     Answer: Platelets
     
     
121. What type of virus at a Chipotle near the Boston College campus sent over 80 students, including much of the men's basketball team, to the hospital in the fall of 2015?
     
     Answer: Norovirus
     
     
122. The smallest known owl is only 5-6 inches tall and weighs less than two ounces. It has a name reminiscent of Middle Earth or Will Ferrell. What is this owl?
     
     Answer: Elf Owl
     
     
123. Drosophila is a genus of what type of winged animal which lives in rural and urban environments all around the world? One of the more than 1,000 species plays an ongoing critical role as a common model organism in reproduction and genetics research.
     
     Answer: Fly
     
     
124. What marine invertebrate typically lives in a compact colony composed of many identical, individual polyps?
     
     Answer: Coral
     
     
125. "It’s Every Monkey for Themselves: A True Story of Sex, Love and Lies in the Jungle" is a memoir by what well-known Australian scientist about her time in Costa Rican jungles?
     
     Answer: Vanessa Woods
     
     
126. There is a small area at the base of the brain consisting of several groups of nerve cell bodies that is considered the most important part of the brain for sexual functioning. What is this brain portion?
     
     Answer: Hypothalamus
     
     
127. Dubbed "Stereo Sue" in.a New Yorker article from 2006, who is the professor of neurobiology at Mount Holyoke that maintains a blog on the topic on the neuroplasticity of the brain? Quite literally, that is her writing on the topic of the changing physical shape of the brain.
     
     Answer: Susan Barry
     
     
128. Pathogenicity means the ability of an infectious organism to cause disease; what V-word means the severity of the symptoms it causes?
     
     Answer: Virulence
     
     
129. What contagious disease causes symptoms including the formation of small white abrasions called Koplik’s spots and is also known as rubeola and morbilli?
     
     Answer: Measles
     
     
130. An assay using Salmonella typhimurium bacteria to identify carcinogens by measuring bacterial mutagenicity is known by what A-name?
     
     Answer: Ames
     
     
131. The highly poisonous blue-ringed octopus warns people to "buzz off" by lighting up super bright rings powered partly by what G-word nucleobase that's in DNA and Monster energy drinks?
     
     Answer: Guanine
     
     
132. What “A” term refers to a microorganism that requires oxygen to live and grow?
     
     Answer: Aerobe
     
     
133. What “v” is the name of the infectious entities affecting plants that are smaller than viruses and consist only of nucleic acid without a protein coat?
     
     Answer: Viroids
     
     
134. Svedbergs, a non-SI unit for sedimentation coefficients, are commonly used to distinguish between which macromolecular machines found within cells? These macromolecular machines are sometimes called Palade granules.
     
     Answer: Ribosomes
     
     
135. What “E” astronomical event, during which the moon blocks Earth’s sunlight, can also affect the flight patterns of certain birds?
     
     Answer: Eclipse
     
     
136. It might be surprising to learn that the human tongue has about 8,000 taste ______ covering its surface and helping people taste their food. Fill in the one word “B” blank, also the term for growths on plants that develop into a new leaf or flower.
     
     Answer: Taste Buds
     
     
137. What is the five-letter name of the neurotoxin produced by the Gram-positive bacterium Clostridium botulinum? This neurotoxin is used for cosmetic purposes?
     
     Answer: Botox
     
     
138. Martin Chalfie, an American scientist who got his PhD in neurobiology from Harvard in 1977 , was a co-winner of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discovering a fluorescent protein of what color? It is a color often associated with envy, and also Kermit The Frog.
     
     Answer: Green Fluorescent Protein
     
     
139. Which body of water in Brooklyn is too polluted for humans, but a perfect breeding ground for new microbes?
     
     Answer: Gowanus Canal
     
     
140. If an infectious microbe is pyrogenic, that means that it causes what condition, defined by the CDC as a body temperature of more than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, in humans?
     
     Answer: Fever
     
     
141. What “i” refers to the attachment between a newly born organism and its caretaker? Nobel Prize winner Konrad Lorenz was known for his research into this behavior.
     
     Answer: Imprinting
     
     
142. In which subdiscipline of microbiology would you study marimo, giant kelp, and other algae?
     
     Answer: Phycology
     
     
143. Which type of lymphocyte has enzyme-filled particles inside it that get released during an allergic reaction? (Hint: Their name implies that they stain well—a dark purple—with a basic dye).
     
     Answer: Basophil
     
     
144. Hydrolysis is the process of using which substance to break down polymers into smaller molecules? (Hint: The chemical name is H2O!)
     
     Answer: Water
     
     
145. Eddie Murphy plays Dr. Sherman Klump, the titular university teacher of biology in what 1996 Disney live-action comedy, which is a remake of the 1963 film of the same name?
     
     Answer: The Nutty Professor
     
     
146. Which C-term describes the protective protein coating or “shell” around a virus?
     
     Answer: Capsid
     
     
147. What fungal microorganism, thanks to its associations with bread and beer, was likely the first organism "domesticated" by human beings?
     
     Answer: Yeast
     
     
148. What kind of gene transfer, which is abbreviated HGT and is the primary cause of antibiotic resistance in bacteria, is the movement of genetic material between organisms that are not parent and offspring?
     
     Answer: Horizontal Gene Transfer
     
     
149. Which group of organisms in the Eurkaryote domain often do not have mitochondria, but have a somewhat alternative organelle instead (for example, mitosome)? (Hint: The name sounds a bit like a piece of construction equipment or something you’d do at an archeological site)
     
     Answer: Excavata
     
     
150. You’ve got your organisms with many cells (multicellular) and just one cell (unicellular), so what do you call an organism with no cells?
     
     Answer: Acellular
     
     
151. What proteins, found in eukaryotic cell nuclei, act as "spindles" around which DNA is wound to create structures called nucleosomes?
     
     Answer: Histones
     
     
152. What "A" word means the fetal membrane formed in many vertebrates that, in placental mammals, is intimately associated with the chorion in formation of the placenta?
     
     Answer: Allantois
     
     
153. What substance causes an immune response in the body that leads to the production of antibodies?
     
     Answer: Antigen
     
     
154. It sounds like something you’d bring on a plane, but which term actually refers to dead animal matter that makes a tasty meal for scavengers? (Hint: It’s what comes before detritus)
     
     Answer: Carrion
     
     
155. Which term describes a specific gene variant that can be dominant or recessive?
     
     Answer: Allele
     
     
156. Macrophages are an example of which type of white blood cell that can engulf a pathogen?
     
     Answer: Phagocytes
     
     
157. Which subfield of biology involves studying the structures of cells, tissues, and organs by looking at them with a microscope? (Hint: It’s sometimes called microanatomy)
     
     Answer: Histology
     
     
158. Which subfield of biology studies the structures of cells, tissues, and organs by looking at them with a microscope? (Hint: It’s sometimes called microanatomy)
     
     Answer: Histology
     
     
159. What is the term for the non-protein molecules that an enzyme needs to be a catalyst?
     
     Answer: Cofactor
     
     
160. Known for their pale skin, buck teeth, and near hairlessness, what strange-looking rodents can live for up to 18 minutes without oxygen?
     
     Answer: Naked mole rats
     
     
161. What is the Latin "C" word that is used in English to refer to either an eyelash (when speaking anatomically) or an organelle on eukaryotic cells that projects from a much larger cell body (when speaking microbiologically)?
     
     Answer: Cilium
     
     
162. A microbiologist at UC Berkeley discovered DNA that had aspects of multiple species of bacteria, and named it after what cybernetic villains of “Star Trek: The Next Generation?” They similar build their race by assimilating other species into their own.
     
     Answer: Borg
     
     
163. What word means a female dairy animal that has not yet given birth and therefore does not produce milk?
     
     Answer: Heifer
     
     
164. When speaking in English, the name of this animal shares its name with a country. In French and Russian, the animal has a name meaning "from India" or "bird of India." And in Portuguese the animal is named "peru" deriving from the eponymous country. What is this confusingly named animal?
     
     Answer: Turkey
     
     
165. Lepidopterology is the branch of biology dedicated to the study of what winged creatures?
     
     Answer: Moths and butterflies
     
     
166. What is the general name for a protein that acts as a catalyst accelerating a chemical reaction? They typically do this by lowering activation energy needed for a reaction.
     
     Answer: Enzyme
     
     
167. The largest eyes of any animal on Earth are nearly 11 inches across, with lenses the size of oranges. That means the eyes are approximately the size of soccer balls. These eyes give "binocular-like" vision to the "colossal" variety of what sea-dweller?
     
     Answer: Squid
     
     
168. Used as a biological maker, green fluorescent proteins (GFPs) were first isolated from what type of marine creature?
     
     Answer: Jellyfish
     
     
169. Contrary to its consolatory name, what species of lethargic shark is responsible for the fourth most human bites on record?
     
     Answer: Nurse Shark
     
     
170. A monotrichous organism has only one of what “F” hairlike appendage that protrudes on the side of a microorganism?
     
     Answer: Flagellum
     
     
171. “Brille” is the name of the transparent, immovable disc-shaped skin or scale comprising part of which organs of some animals, particularly snakes?
     
     Answer: Eyes
     
     
172. “Micrographia” is the title of a ground-breaking 1665 book written by which English scientist? A law of elasticity is named after this man, a rival of Isaac Newton.
     
     Answer: Robert Hooke
     
     
173. In a feat of inter-species biotechnology, researchers at the University of Wyoming were able to insert the silk-producing gene from spiders into what mammal which enabled them to harvest long strands of spider milk from the animal's milk?
     
     Answer: Goats
     
     
174. Sounding like it might be made of a shiny metal, what is the name of the substance found in chromosomes that is a complex mixture of proteins, DNA, and RNA?
     
     Answer: Chromatin
     
     
175. What is the "R" name for DNA created by combining fragments from different sources? These are occasionally referred to as "chimeric" DNA and are considered a key feature in much of DNA biotechnology applications.
     
     Answer: Recombinant DNA
     
     
176. In mycology, what is the term for the threads that make up the mycelium of a fungus, which grow apically -- that is, at their tips?
     
     Answer: Hyphae
     
     
177. There are three basic shapes of bacteria: round, called "coccus," spiral, called "spirilla," and cylindrical, whose technical name is what B-word?
     
     Answer: Bacillus
     
     
178. Since they don't have lips to blow on them, Bassian thrushes draw worms out via moving leaves with what kind of expulsion?
     
     Answer: Farts
     
     
179. A commonly-sought fish in Minnesota is the "Muskellunge" which is often deemed the "ugly" variety of what family of fish? This family is distinguished by its torpedo-like form and sharp teeth.
     
     Answer: Pike
     
     
180. What “L” disease is a form of atypical pneumonia caused by its namesake bacteria? It is somewhat unique in disease nomenclature with its use of the “’s” and the word “Disease” in its full name.
     
     Answer: Legionnaires' Disease
     
     
181. Separating humans and some primates from other animals by allowing a specific type of movement, the Trapezium, one of the carpal bones, is found in which human appendage?
     
     Answer: Hand
     
     
182. Commonly found on live oaks and bald-cypresses, what is the name of the flowering plant with a doubly-inaccurate name that is referred to as "grandpas beard" in French Polynesia and is generally considered to be in a commensalistic relationship with the trees on which it lives?
     
     Answer: Spanish moss
     
     
183. Microbiologists were hired by Warner Bros. Pictures Canada to create a billboard made of growing bacteria in Petri dishes, which spelled the name of what 2011 pandemic-themed movie directed by Steven Soderbergh?
     
     Answer: Contagion
     
     
184. Functioning extremely differently than mammalian eyesight, two different groups of snakes developed "pits" that function as eyes by allowing them to see objects nearby based on what wavelength-based phenomenon?
     
     Answer: Infrared thermal radiation
     
     
185. In contrast to Gram negative bacteria, Gram positive bacteria have a cell wall with a thicker layer of what substance, which consists of sugars and amino acids?
     
     Answer: Peptidoglycan
     
     
186. What is the name of the genetic structure in a cell, typically circular in bacteria, that can replicate independently of the chromosomes and which is commonly used as a vector in genetic engineering?
     
     Answer: Plasmid
     
     
187. Often used to measure the mechanical properties of cells, which type of high-resolution microscopy is commonly abbreviated to AFM?
     
     Answer: Atomic force microscopy
     
     
188. Which term describes the breaking down of a cell’s membrane after the outer protection has been damaged?
     
     Answer: Lysis
     
     
189. In a popular example of Batesian mimicry, the black, red, and yellow coloring of the harmless milk snake look strikingly similar to what "underwater" type of snake?
     
     Answer: Coral snake
     
     
190. A unique mix of fatty tissues can cause dead bodies to mummify into what useful household substance?
     
     Answer: Soap mummies
     
     
191. What family of some of the largest flying birds includes "mute" and "trumpeter" species and weirdly has "teeth" which are actually jagged parts of their bill used for catching and eating fish?
     
     Answer: Swans
     
     
192. What “T” eight-legged segmented micro-animals can actually survive in the vacuum of space?
     
     Answer: Tardigrade
     
     
193. What is the name of the tubular sucking organ that butterflies use to extract nectar from flowers and elephants have in the form of a trunk?
     
     Answer: Proboscis
     
     
194. What is the name of the taxonomic domain of single-celled organisms that lack cell nuclei, and are distinct from the other two domains of Bacteria and Eukaryota?
     
     Answer: Archaea
     
     
195. Aptly named for its ghastly odor while in bloom, what gargantuan flower notoriously takes nearly ten years before blossoming?
     
     Answer: Corpse Flower
     
     
196. The opposite of the placebo effect, which effect is said to occur when a negative medical outcome results from a patient’s belief that medical intervention will be detrimental?
     
     Answer: Nocebo effect
     
     
197. A team of scientists investigates the effects of a deadly extraterrestrial microorganism in what 1969 Michael Crichton novel with a constellation in its name?
     
     Answer: The Andromeda Strain
     
     
198. What branch of microbiology specializes in the study of fungi?
     
     Answer: Mycology
     
     
199. What is the (quite fun to say or spell) name for an infection disease caused by an agent that has jumped from a non-human animal to a human?
     
     Answer: Zoonosis
     
     
200. What “P” word describes a group of single-celled eukaryotes, either free-living or parasitic, which feed on organic matter? Historically they were known as “once celled animals” because of their predatory behavior and because they lack plant-like cell walls.
     
     Answer: protozoa
     
     
201. At only one-half of one millimeter long, tardigrades are considered a microanimal found in marine environments that also happen to be one of the most resilient animals known. What is the more common two-word name for these animals based on their resemblance to a certain land-bound animal?
     
     Answer: Water bear (or moss piglet)
     
     
202. Free floating colonial tunicates, Pyrosomes are free floating cylinders that sometimes wash up on the shore, and are often referred to as the sea version of what common sandwich accompaniment?
     
     Answer: Sea Pickles
     
     
203. What weird evolutionary thing is shared by certain species of all these creatures? Gnats, jellyfish, squids. In North America this weird evolutionary thing is most frequently seen in the Photinus pyralis species.
     
     Answer: Bioluminescence
     
     
204. What is the hybrid fictional creature in Dungeons & Dragons that is a cross between an owl and one other animal? This creature attacks with its beak and also "hugs" its enemies.
     
     Answer: Owlbear
     
     
205. Robert Hooke was the first person to see cells when he examined what kind of plant tissue under a microscope? These days you might find it most easily in a wine shop.
     
     Answer: Cork
     
     
206. Rotational symmetry is the property in which a shape looks the same after a partial rotation or turn. When applied to biology such as in sea anemones, what other "R" term is used to describe this characteristic?
     
     Answer: Radial symmetry
     
     
207. Kopi luwak is coffee made from coffee cherries that have been eaten, partly digested, and defecated by what Asian mammal?
     
     Answer: Civet
     
     
208. Also known as the spiny anteater, what animal native to Australia and New Guinea is highly unusual in that it is a mammal that lays eggs?
     
     Answer: Echidna
     
     
209. In molecular biology, "mRNA" stands for "messenger RNA." What does the lowercase t in "tRNA," which is involved in bringing amino acids for protein synthesis, stand for?
     
     Answer: transfer
     
     
210. Which organelle found in most eukaryotic cells is named after an Italian physician with the first name Camillo who discovered it in 1897?
     
     Answer: Golgi apparatus
     
     
211. In ecosystems, the way different animals eat each other can be represented in a chart. Different from a food chain, name this chart made up of all the food chains in an ecosystem.
     
     Answer: Food Web
     
     
212. Units called ommatidia are the individual pieces that combine to create the type of eye often found in insects, crustaceans, and millipedes. What is this scientific-sounding name for an eye?
     
     Answer: Compound eye
     
     
213. Aside from the giraffe, what odd-looking "O" creature is the only living member of the giraffe family, or “Giraffids”?
     
     Answer: Okapi
     
     
214. The Delaware Bay is home to more of these "living fossils" than anywhere else in the world and they are currently used in biomedical research to study the human eye. What are these animals?
     
     Answer: Horseshoe Crabs
     
     
215. What slender-bodied shark is harmless to humans and named for the striking pattern of black saddle-like markings and large spots over its back?
     
     Answer: Leopard shark
     
     
216. If you wanted to blame a microbe for causing a disease outbreak in the 19th century, you might have used Koch's postulates to prove it. What was the first name of the German doctor the criteria were named for?
     
     Answer: Robert
     
     
217. Microbiology has many branches including virology (studies viruses), parasitology (studies parasites), and nematology (you guessed it -- studies nematodes). What is the more common compound-word name for a nematode?
     
     Answer: Roundworm
     
     
218. What “B” condition describes the presence of viable bacteria within the blood?
     
     Answer: Bacteremia
     
     
219. An overturned carnival truck near the home of a certain Mr. Black is one origin story for Brevard, North Carolina's weird squirrels with coats of what color?
     
     Answer: White
     
     
220. What is the name for any of the three bird species in the genus Fratercula? These birds all feature black and white plumage, hunt most of their food by diving into the water, and have beaks that turn a colorful bright orange in preparation for breeding season.
     
     Answer: Puffin
     
     
221. What 17th century English scientist was the first person to visualize a microorganism, using a microscope?
     
     Answer: Robert Hooke
     
     
222. What trapping agent is used in Gram staining to inhibit the decolorization of stained bacteria?
     
     Answer: Lugol's iodine
     
     
223. Also known as water bears or moss piglets, what eight-legged micro-animal has a name that means "slow stepper" in Latin?
     
     Answer: Tardigrade
     
     
224. What tube-like organ (generally more ball shaped on a human) makes up one to five percent of an owl's bodyweight, depending on species?
     
     Answer: The eye
     
     
225. What mosquito-borne tropical disease infects up to 500 million people per year, is typically transmitted by the Aedes aegypti, has the alternate name "breakbone fever," and is referred to in a Jin Dynasty Chinese encyclopedia as "water poison"?
     
     Answer: Dengue Fever
     
     
226. Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease and kuru are nasty diseases believed to be caused by what misfolded P-word proteins?
     
     Answer: Prions
     
     
227. What 2017 book, subtitled "An Intimate History," focuses on the history of human molecular codes while spanning biology, history, neuroscience and more? The author previously won a Pulitzer Prize for a book on cancer.
     
     Answer: The Gene
     
     
228. What taxonomic word describes a group of monophyletic organisms--meaning a common ancestor and all of its linear descendants?
     
     Answer: Clade
     
     
229. Which bacterium can survive refrigeration temperatures, is often linked to foodborne illness outbreaks involving raw milk, ice cream, cheese, and deli meats, and is especially dangerous for pregnant people because it can cross the placenta and infect a fetus?
     
     Answer: Listeria
     
     
230. The kakapo is a species of large, ground-dwelling birds endemic to New Zealand. These birds are also commonly referred to by what two-word name which includes another bird's name?
     
     Answer: Owl parrot
     
     
231. There's a "spooky" sea creature found only in extreme deep sea conditions that, despite its name, is more closely related to octopi than squids. It features rows of fleshy spines in its inner black "cloak." What is the name of this creature?
     
     Answer: Vampire squid
     
     
232. Frequently used in research laboratories, roundworms are also known by what name derived from the Greek for "thread?"
     
     Answer: Nematode
     
     
233. What 2017 book, subtitled "An Intimate History," focuses on the history of human molecular codes while spanning biology, history, neuroscience and more? The author previously won a Pulitzer Prize for a book on cancer.
     
     Answer: The Gene
     
     
234. What is the only part of the human body to have absolutely no blood supply? Due to the lack of blood vessels, it is virtually transparent.
     
     Answer: Cornea
     
     
235. What is the term for bacteremia that develops into a potentially life-threatening invasion of the bloodstream by bacteria and their toxins, accompanied by acute systemic illness?
     
     Answer: Septicemia
     
     
236. The EPV virus is named after Yvonne Barr and a British pathologist. What is the surname of this pathologist? This pathologist shares his surname with the manager of The Beatles.
     
     Answer: Epstein
     
     
237. Which E-term describes an organism that gets heat from its environment (as opposed to one that creates heat for itself)?
     
     Answer: Ectotherm
     
     
238. LUCA is an acronym for Last ______ Common Ancestor, and it refers to the most recent ancestor all living organisms on Earth right now share.
     
     Answer: Universal
     
     
239. Often found in freshwater habitats, what is the name of the type of single-celled protist known for its slipper shape and covering of short hairy structures called cilia?
     
     Answer: paramecium
     
     
240. Trepanging is the harvesting of what elongated, leathery Pacific creature you probably don't want in your gyro?
     
     Answer: Sea cucumber
     
     
241. Aside from marine mammals, what is the only kind of mammal native to New Zealand?
     
     Answer: Bats
     
     
242. What type of tree was widely planted in Australia as an erosion-control measure but is now regarded as an invasive weed across extensive ares of the country and is considered a 'Weed of National Significance'? Hint: the tree is often referred to by an alliterative nickname.
     
     Answer: Willow
     
     
243. What frequently-misnomered mammal has fingerprints so indistinguishable from humans that they have occasionally been wrongfully collected as evidence at crime scenes?
     
     Answer: Koalas
     
     
244. What “P” “-ology” describes the study eukaryotic organisms that do not classify as plant, animal or fungus? Its prefix sounds like it is in favor of things.
     
     Answer: protistology
     
     
245. What neuropeptide, produced by the hypothalamus, increases the frequency of contractions during childbirth, among other functions?
     
     Answer: Oxytocin
     
     
246. The three smallest bones in the human body are in the ear. They are the stapes, the incus, and what other hammer-like ossicle?
     
     Answer: Malleus
     
     
247. Micropia, a museum that houses exhibits focused on microbes, is located in which city Benelux city? The museum is adjacent to the city’s zoo, Artis.
     
     Answer: Amsterdam
     
     
248. Diatoms, amoebae, and dinoflagellates are examples of which type of simple eukaryotic organisms that don’t fit into the classification of plants, animals, or fungi?
     
     Answer: Protists
     
     
249. Copepods are small marine crustaceans found in nearly every saltwater and freshwater environment. Somewhat uniquely, these organisms have three of what part of the eye?
     
     Answer: Lens
     
     
250. Although plentiful when European settlers first arrived, the white-faced owl or whekau that was native to New Zealand was largely extinct by 1914. Because of its "mischievous-sounding" calls, the owl had what a common, comic name?
     
     Answer: Laughing owl
     
     
251. In 2013, there was an animal shot in Hart County that was the first verified sighting of the species in Kentucky in modern times. What was the animal?
     
     Answer: Gray wolf
     
     
252. Which light-producing enzyme can occur naturally in organisms such as fireflies?
     
     Answer: Luciferase
     
     
253. What is the collective name for any eukaryotic organism that is not a plant, animal, or fungus? These are found both on land and in marine environments.
     
     Answer: Protist
     
     
254. In what “G” French speaking West African nation, whose capital is Libreville, do chimpanzees use insects to treat their wounds?
     
     Answer: Gabon
     
     
255. What is the common two-word name of the carnivorous marsupial, the world’s largest until its extinction in the first half of the 20th century, associated with the island of Tasmania? This marsupial was characterized by transverse stripes along its back and is also known as a Thylacine or Tasmanian wolf.
     
     Answer: Tasmanian Tiger
     
     
256. Although the study of animal sex is still being actively researched, there's currently only one known demonstration of nasal sex in the animal kingdom, found in what type of Amazonian animal?
     
     Answer: Dolphin
     
     
257. A 60-foot-long marine invertebrate made up of thousands of individual clones that together form a long, free-floating cylinder wide enough for a person to enter has what name that comes from the Greek words for fire and body?
     
     Answer: Giant Pyrosome
     
     
258. Dating back to 3600 BCE in Persia, water-filled "bladder" mattresses were made from an oft-discarded organ of a particular domesticated animal. What is this animal?
     
     Answer: Goat
     
     
259. What “A” bacterium uses horizontal gene transfer to cause plant tumors? Its name is reminiscent of a prefix used to refer to plant production.
     
     Answer: Agrobacterium
     
     
260. Mucorales is a fungus better known by colorful name, and can cause a serious fungal infection in humans, especially those with repressed immune systems? It thrives in unsanitary conditions, such as on moldy bread.
     
     Answer: Black fungus
     
     

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