6th Grade · Science · Quiz · shared by Luke Morgan
This 6th Grade Science quiz explores the ocean's microbial engine, Prochlorococcus, photosynthesis, oxygen production, and marine food webs.
Multiple Choice
1. _____ According to the passage, which organism is described as the most abundant photosynthetic creature on Earth today?
A. Rainforest trees
B. Prochlorococcus
C. Garden plants
D. Whales
2. _____ How many Prochlorococcus cells can fit inside a single drop of salty seawater?
A. Hundreds
B. Thousands
C. Millions
D. Billions
3. _____ To which group of ancient life forms does Prochlorococcus belong?
A. Cyanobacteria
B. Land plants
C. Drifting animals
D. Microscopic fungi
4. _____ Why did scientists not know about these organisms until the late 1980s?
A. They only live in the deep, dark ocean.
B. They were recently created by climate change.
C. They are so small they were difficult to see.
D. They only appear in the ocean during the summer.
5. _____ In which part of the ocean is Prochlorococcus typically found?
A. The dark, cold ocean floor
B. Inside the bodies of large whales
C. Frozen arctic ice caps
D. Warm, sunlit layers of the ocean
6. _____ What is the primary benefit of the simple design of these tiny cells?
A. It allows them to swim against strong currents.
B. It helps them thrive in nutrient-poor areas.
C. It makes them invisible to all predators.
D. It allows them to grow as large as rainforest trees.
7. _____ Which three things does Prochlorococcus use to create sugar for growth?
A. Oxygen, salt, and fish waste
B. Sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide
C. Sugar, light energy, and sand
D. Rainwater, soil, and oxygen
8. _____ What percentage of the world's total oxygen do scientists estimate these cells produce?
A. Five percent
B. Ten percent
C. Twenty percent
D. Fifty percent
9. _____ What happens to the oxygen released by Prochlorococcus?
A. It stays trapped at the bottom of the ocean forever.
B. It is used by the cells to make more sugar.