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Introduction Pre-Test Life Sciences at NASA Drosophila
Flies In Space - close-up of a Drosophila fly with Space Shuttle in background
Immune System Scientific Method Ask an Expert Post-Test

 

 

Flies in Space: Post-Test

Directions: Choose the correct answer for each question.



Life Sciences at NASA

1. The target destinations of human space exploration in the near future are:
 a) the Moon and Mars
 b) Pluto and Jupiter
 c) Saturn and Venus


2. What do life sciences researchers at NASA study?
 a) What kind of life exists on Pluto
 b) How high astronauts can jump on the Moon
 c) Identifying and reducing risks to humans on long-duration spaceflight


3. Which of the following sounds like an experiment that NASA’s life sciences researchers might conduct?
 a) Does exercising prevent bones from getting weaker in space?
 b) What color are the rocks on Mars?
 c) Is Pluto’s gravitational field stronger than Saturn’s gravitational field?


4. What are some known effects of long-duration spaceflight on humans?
 a) Bones and muscles get stronger
 b) Sleep patterns are disrupted, muscles get weaker, and bones lose mass
 c) Sleep patterns are normal


Drosophila

5. Why do scientists use model specimen?
 a) Astronauts would rather take flies to Mars than humans, so we need to understand how they respond to space flight.
 b) Flies are better adapted for space travel than humans.
 c) Biological systems are similar in many species, so studying small organisms that reproduce quickly can give insights to humans.


6. How does the structure of Drosophila’s head affect its function?
 a) The head is small
 b) The head skeleton is made of a hard material to protect the soft tissues inside
 c) The head skeleton is soft, just like the organs inside


7. Sequence the stages of Drosophila’s life cycle:
 a) Egg, larva, prepupa, pupa, adult
 b) Larva, pupa, prepupa, adult, egg
 c) Egg, caterpillar, cocoon, butterfly


Immune System

8. Which body system is primarily responsible for keeping humans (and animals) healthy?
 a) Hair
 b) Musculoskeletal system
 c) Immune system


9. What does innate immunity do?
 a) Protects you from previous illnesses by recognizing previous exposure
 b) Destroys a large range of bacteria and other pathogens
 c) Activates white blood cells to eliminate specific viruses


Scientific Method

10. What are the complete steps of the scientific method in the correct order?
 a) State the problem, make observations, form a hypothesis, do the experiment, draw conclusions.
 b) Do the experiment, find the results, make a hypothesis.
 c) Observe the subjects in your experiment.



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Last Updated: June 2005
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