Miscellaneous Cells Trivia Quiz

Answer: Prokaryotes

Prokaryotes include all of the smallest independent single celled life: eubacteria and the newest grouping, archaea. Eukaryotes include the single cells which specialize to create the "higher" life forms: animals, plants, fungi and the odd group called protists. Eukaryotes tend to be more sophisticated and about 10 times larger than prokaryotes.

Although all of the more than 5000 viruses so far identified are much smaller than the prokaryotes, viruses are not considered independent cell organisms. In fact, some biologists do not consider viruses to be alive.

Like viruses, prions are smaller than prokaryotes. As of 2014 and again, like viruses, biologists do not consider prions to be independent cell organisms or properly alive. At the moment prions are considered "disease agents," consisting solely of proteins, but exceptions to this definition have already been found.

Answer: Pulse Storm

Pulse storms are usually single cell disturbances, distinguished by the characteristic of producing notable weather for a short period of time, then weakening considerably while gathering energy for the next burst of more intense weather.

A cyclone is an area of circular atmospheric motion rotating in the same direction as the Earth. Dust devils, tornadoes and hurricanes are all types of cyclone.

Wind shear is the difference in wind speed and direction of contiguous vertical or horizontal "slices" of atmosphere over a relatively short distance. Wind shear is created by storm cells as well as other phenomena, like jet streams and inversions. Different kinds of wind shear help determine the size and intensity of storm cells.

Generally, a thunderstorm is a severe air disturbance which may or may not produce precipitation and often travels as part of a group along a squall line. According to a study published in "Popular Mechanics" in January, 1953 (page 86), a typical thunderstorm's energy output during its "life" is roughly equal to 50 Hiroshima type A-bombs.

Answer: Spreadsheet cell

Cells are elements in a spreadsheet where one stores data, formulae or macros. Most people think of these elements only as row and column locations; but, spreadsheets can have many more dimensions, depending on the sophistication of the software used. Virtually all modern spreadsheet packages provide for at least three dimensions, allowing multiple spreadsheets to be grouped together and easily share the contents of each cell across their relational universe.

A supercell is the nastiest sort of thunderstorm, very much the opposite of a pulse storm.

A galvanic cell is an invention which produces electrical energy via electrochemical reactions.

Some multi-core microprocessors are being built on an design called CELL. It's short for Cell Broadband Engine Architecture, the name of a joint project spearheaded by Sony, Toshiba and IBM. The first commercial application using CELL was Sony's PlayStation 3.

Answer: Both a Basic Service Set (BSS) and a wireless phone

Both the BSS and the phones which use it are called cells. The phones have many other common names: mobile phone, mobile, cellular phone, cell phone, or just phone. The BSS consists of the hardware and software used to provide the cellular network. To confuse things more, a cellular tower is often simply called a cell or cell site. Similarly, the term "Basic Service Set" is used in computing to identify the components of LANs, WANs, etc.

An open wiring rack used to cross connect circuits is part of a piece of telephony equipment called a distribution frame, or frame for short.

Answer: A cell which produces electrical energy from electrochemical reactions

It's another name for a galvanic cell, what we call a battery these days. FYI, originally a battery by definition contained more than one voltaic cell, like the multi-celled equipment used in cars; but, in that way language has, usage has changed.

"Old Sparky" is the nickname of the electric chairs formerly used by Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia to execute prisoners.

"Old Smoky" is the the nickname of the electric chairs formerly used in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.

The KGB/CIA entry is pure fiction, of course... I think.

Answer: All of these

King's novel speculates on one of the lesser known possible dangers of cell phone use. And, we thought TV had a downside.

Released in late 2004, "Cell" is the tenth album by the alternative rock group, Plastic Tree.

Cell is an artificial life form in "Dragon Ball Z," having the ability to absorb the characteristics of other lifeforms.

Answer: An inner circle of advisors

Politicians and their people borrowed the term from the military. In warfare a cell structured organization is used by intelligence operations and guerrilla armies to keep members from knowing too much about the organization to which they belong. The other three options are fiction.

Answer: Latin for room or shrine

Cell was derived from the Latin word "cella," meaning a small room or the innermost shrine of a temple. The English word cellar comes from the same root. All the other responses are made up.

Answer: The abode in a monastery in which a monk or nun lives

Cenobite comes from Old Greek roots which mean "common" and "life." Cenobitic communities are an alternative to the solitary life of a hermit.

Hermit crabs call their scavenged shells "home," not prison. Despite their name, hermit crabs are very social.

Memorial markers over empty graves are called cenotaphs.

Cenobites, even the grumpy ones who won't talk to others, live communally. Hermits live alone. The term for their lifestyle is "eremitic."

Answer: Richard Lovelace

Lovelace wrote:
"Stone walls do not a prison make,
Nor iron bars a cage;
Minds innocent and quiet take
That for a hermitage.
If I have freedom in my love,
And in my soul am free,
Angels alone, that soar above,
Enjoy such liberty." - "To Althea, from Prison".

Wilde wrote "The Ballad of Reading Gaol" after his own imprisonment, expressing entirely different sentiments.

Johnny Cash never did any time in prison although he did spend single nights in jail on seven occasions. While he never wrote any songs about his jail time, he did entertain prisoners at three different prisons.

Edmond Dantès is the birth name of Alexandre Dumas' fictional Count of Monte Cristo. Dantès was much too busy in prison to write poems which celebrated his love for Mercédès.