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Quiz about So Big
Quiz about So Big

So Big! Trivia Quiz


Everybody knows that the blue whale is the biggest animal on the planet, but there are some other organisms that are its rivals for size. Learn about these non-animal organisms that are some of the largest of their kind.

A multiple-choice quiz by adams627. Estimated time: 6 mins.
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Author
adams627
Time
6 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
326,279
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Tough
Avg Score
5 / 10
Plays
3164
Awards
Top 5% quiz!
Last 3 plays: bakeryfarm (8/10), Guest 130 (5/10), Ean28 (10/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. The mimivirus is of particular biological interest because of its incredible size (for a virus). With a genome twice as large as the next-largest virus and a capsid diameter of 400 nanometers, the mimivirus might hold an important clue for biologists. What is the significance of the virus? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Thiomargarita namibiensis, an organism that can be up to 0.75 mm wide and is visible to the naked eye, was discovered in 1997 off the coast of southwest Africa. The organism is Gram-negative and has a coccoid shape. To which kingdom does it belong? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Growing at a rate of two feet per day and up to two hundred feet long (60 meters), this group of organisms is truly exceptional. Despite popular belief, these organisms are actually a type of protist, not a marine plant. What is this large producer, which grows in namesake underwater "forests?" Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. This plant towers over the African savanna and parts of Australia, with a height up to nearly 100 feet (30 meters). The tree's diameter, though, is more impressive: it can grow up to 52 feet (16 meters) across. What is this famous African tree belonging to the genus Adansonia? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. The title for world's largest flower is sadly disputed between several organisms, but one contender for the title is the titan arum, a plant that grows in Sumatran forests and has an unbranched inflorescence up to 10 feet (3 meters) in circumference. What else is notable about the titan arum? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. A species of marine grass was discovered in the Mediterranean Sea and at first was never considered a single organism; however, further investigation showed that the grass spanned 8 kilometers, with every section having exactly the same DNA. It's estimated to be 100,000 years old. Which Greek god was the plant named after? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. The largest non-clonal tree in the world is located in the United States' Sequoia National Park, in California. The redwood tree is 275 feet (84 meters)tall and is believed to be up to 2700 years old. It was named in 1879 for a Union general during the American Civil War. What name is given to this massive tree? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Pando, or "The Trembling Giant," is one of the heaviest organisms on the planet, even though you'd never guess by looking at it that it's a single organism. It's actually a grove of trees that are genetically identical and share a massive root system, which has been growing for 80,000 years. What species of tree makes up this superorganism? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. The largest organism by area on the planet, according to most accounts, is located in Malheur National Forest in Oregon. It covers 2200 acres (8.9 square kilometers), and may be up to 2400 years old. Which of the following best describes this enormous organism? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Despite all of the massive organisms in this quiz, some people propose that the largest living organism, is, well, the Earth itself. James Lovelock was the progenitor of this theory, which states that the planet's biosphere, atmosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and other components regulate life on the planet in a strange variant on homeostasis. What name did he give this hypothesis? Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Mar 22 2024 : bakeryfarm: 8/10
Mar 21 2024 : Guest 130: 5/10
Mar 09 2024 : Ean28: 10/10

Score Distribution

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. The mimivirus is of particular biological interest because of its incredible size (for a virus). With a genome twice as large as the next-largest virus and a capsid diameter of 400 nanometers, the mimivirus might hold an important clue for biologists. What is the significance of the virus?

Answer: It represents a "missing link" in the evolution of bacteria from less complicated organisms.

The mimivirus is exceptionally large, so evolutionary biologists believe that the virus, discovered only in 1992 by accident, could hold the as-yet uncertain key to the evolution of bacteria. Viruses are considered non-living by many scientists because they do not have cellular characteristics and cannot reproduce without a host; on the other hand, they do have genes and are affected by natural selection. Because viruses are generally much smaller than bacteria, the mimivirus is heralded as an important exception by some scientists and may represent a transitional species in the evolution of prokaryotic organisms.
2. Thiomargarita namibiensis, an organism that can be up to 0.75 mm wide and is visible to the naked eye, was discovered in 1997 off the coast of southwest Africa. The organism is Gram-negative and has a coccoid shape. To which kingdom does it belong?

Answer: Bacteria

When Thiomargarita namibiensis was discovered, it was the largest-known bacteria, more than four times as large as some protists like Paramecium. "Thiomargarita" means "sulfur pearl" in English, because the organism stores small granules of sulfur inside its body, which reflect light to make the organism look like small pearls.

The bacteria is also interesting because it can use inorganic nitrates as energy sources for metabolic processes- such an organism is called a lithotroph.
3. Growing at a rate of two feet per day and up to two hundred feet long (60 meters), this group of organisms is truly exceptional. Despite popular belief, these organisms are actually a type of protist, not a marine plant. What is this large producer, which grows in namesake underwater "forests?"

Answer: Kelp

Giant kelp are a variety of brown algae that belong in the order Laminariales. They are protists, members of a diverse group of organisms not readily classified as animals, plants, fungi, or bacteria. Kelp forests are some of the most fertile ecosystems on the planet, supporting a wide diversity of life, primarily along the eastern shores of the Pacific Ocean.

They are also used in ecological case studies on the role of "keystone species," or organisms that have a critical role in maintaining the balance of an environment.

The interactions between sea otters, starfish, and sea urchins keeps kelp forests alive and healthy. Kelp is also used commercially, to produce glass, soap, thickening agents, and fertilizer. Many cultures, particularly in eastern Asia, consume a type of edible kelp, called kombu, directly. Scientists also study the possibility of using kelp as a possible renewable energy resource because it produces usable sugars through photosynthesis.
4. This plant towers over the African savanna and parts of Australia, with a height up to nearly 100 feet (30 meters). The tree's diameter, though, is more impressive: it can grow up to 52 feet (16 meters) across. What is this famous African tree belonging to the genus Adansonia?

Answer: Baobab

The baobab tree is one of the most massive species of plants on the planets, often reaching circumferences between 25 and 50 feet (7.5 to 15 metres). The world's largest baobab, the Glencoe in South Africa, split apart in November 2009. The tree's girth allows it to maximize the amount of vascular tissue to fit inside the trunk, thus allowing it to move as much water as possible up, from roots to chutes.

The fruit and leaves of the baobab tree are directly consumed and also used to produce cream of tartar.
5. The title for world's largest flower is sadly disputed between several organisms, but one contender for the title is the titan arum, a plant that grows in Sumatran forests and has an unbranched inflorescence up to 10 feet (3 meters) in circumference. What else is notable about the titan arum?

Answer: It smells like rotten flesh.

No titan arum would be called the Christ flower: the plant is as famous for its enormous petals as for its absolutely disgusting smell, used to attract pollinators. The grouping of flowers on a plant is called an inflorescence, so the world's largest flower is often disputed to whether or not the title must be held by the largest inflorescence or not.

The Rafflesia arnoldii flower is the largest individual flower, is found in Indonesian forests, and, ironically enough, also produces the odor of decaying flesh (it's a completely different organism from the titan arum, however).

The titan arum is the flower with the largest unbranched inflorescence. The Talipot palm tree, native to southern India, has the largest branched inflorescence- flowers that grow approximately 15-25 feet (6-8 meters) long on a branch at the top of the tree.
6. A species of marine grass was discovered in the Mediterranean Sea and at first was never considered a single organism; however, further investigation showed that the grass spanned 8 kilometers, with every section having exactly the same DNA. It's estimated to be 100,000 years old. Which Greek god was the plant named after?

Answer: Poseidon

The species of Posidonia oceanica was discovered south of the Balearic Islands, spanning 4.3 miles across (8 kilometers). It was named for the Greek god of the seas and was first described by Linnaeus in his original classification system. Also known as Neptune grass, the species normally doesn't grow so large, but samples taken from the plant show identical DNA sequences.

The plant itself might be the largest in breadth on the planet. Underwater, it forms "meadows" of grass that span the ocean floor.
7. The largest non-clonal tree in the world is located in the United States' Sequoia National Park, in California. The redwood tree is 275 feet (84 meters)tall and is believed to be up to 2700 years old. It was named in 1879 for a Union general during the American Civil War. What name is given to this massive tree?

Answer: General Sherman

The General Sherman tree is completely massive, even for a redwood tree. With a volume of almost 1500 meters cubed and a diameter of 36 feet (11 meters), it towers over the rest of the national park. In early 2006, the largest tree branch on the General Sherman fell off, leaving a visible crater in the walkway around the trunk (thankfully, no one was hurt).

The General Sherman is not the famous drive-through tree, which is located further north in California from Sequoia National Park.
8. Pando, or "The Trembling Giant," is one of the heaviest organisms on the planet, even though you'd never guess by looking at it that it's a single organism. It's actually a grove of trees that are genetically identical and share a massive root system, which has been growing for 80,000 years. What species of tree makes up this superorganism?

Answer: Aspen

A single male Quaking Aspen tree (hence, "The Trembling Giant") is often considered the heaviest organism on the planet, weighing up to 6000 tons and located in Utah. The trees form a so-called "clonal colony," in which organisms reproduce asexually to form genetically identical offspring. Pando covers more than 100 acres and its longevity is debated between scientists as anywhere from 80,000 to one million years. in 2006, the American Postal Service created an honorary stamp for Pando, calling it a "Wonder of America."
9. The largest organism by area on the planet, according to most accounts, is located in Malheur National Forest in Oregon. It covers 2200 acres (8.9 square kilometers), and may be up to 2400 years old. Which of the following best describes this enormous organism?

Answer: It is an edible parasitic fungal colony

Armillaria ostoyae is a Honey mushroom also known as Shoestring Rot. It is very dangerous to plants in the western United States, especially fir and hemlock trees. However, the Shoestring Rot is probably most famous for the colony of fungus that weighs 605 tons located in a national park in eastern Oregon.

Interestingly, the mushroom of Armillaria is edible (though probably no truffle). The fungus' mycelium (underground network similar to a plant's roots) makes up a large portion of the mass, with the mushrooms themselves being only reproductive structures called fruiting bodies. And for my last piece of fungal trivia: humans are actually more closely related to fungi than they are to plants.
10. Despite all of the massive organisms in this quiz, some people propose that the largest living organism, is, well, the Earth itself. James Lovelock was the progenitor of this theory, which states that the planet's biosphere, atmosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and other components regulate life on the planet in a strange variant on homeostasis. What name did he give this hypothesis?

Answer: Gaia Hypothesis

The Gaia Hypothesis, simply put, states that the Earth itself creates a feedback mechanism that creates optimal conditions for life on the planet. In other words, the Earth is like an organism. Lovelock created the idea when he noted that atmospheric gas levels, ocean salinity, and global temperatures tended to remain fairly constant even when external conditions (like solar intensity) changed. William Golding, Nobel Prize Laureate in Literature and famous for his novel "Lord of the Flies," created the name "Gaia" for his friend in honor of the primitive Greek goddess of the Earth.

The idea was met with much skepticism from other biologists, including Stephen Jay Gould and Richard Dawkins.
Source: Author adams627

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor crisw before going online.
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