Practice Test 10 - High School Biology

20 questions. Answer them in any order, then submit to see your score and every explanation.

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1. A prairie grass population grows poorly even though the area receives plenty of sunlight and rainfall. Soil tests show very low nitrogen. After farmers add nitrogen-rich fertilizer, the grass grows taller and produces more seeds, and the population increases. Which factor was most limiting the grass population before fertilization?
2. A student says, "If my cells have plenty of glucose but no oxygen, they can keep doing aerobic cellular respiration normally." Which statement best corrects the student?
3. A student says: Transcription makes a double-stranded RNA molecule that stays attached to DNA. Based on a high school model of transcription (DNA unwinds, RNA polymerase builds RNA using one DNA strand as a template, RNA separates, DNA re-zips), which correction is most accurate?
4. Modern snakes have tiny internal bones that resemble the pelvis and hind limb bones of lizards, but these bones do not form functional legs. What is the best identification of this evidence and what it indicates?
5. A person stands up quickly and their blood pressure briefly drops. The body responds by increasing heart rate and narrowing some blood vessels, which raises blood pressure back toward normal. Which type of feedback is described?
6. Two different reproduction methods are compared: Method 1: requires two parents; gametes are made by meiosis and fuse during fertilization. Method 2: requires one parent; offspring are produced by mitosis (or binary fission) and are clones. Which statement correctly describes a disadvantage of Method 2 compared with Method 1?
7. A fox population lives in two different regions. Region 1 has high biodiversity: rabbits, voles, mice, birds, and insects are all available as prey. Region 2 has low biodiversity: rabbits are the main prey available. One year, the rabbit population crashes due to disease. How does biodiversity most likely affect fox population stability in these regions?
8. In a bacterial population, the percent of cells resistant to Antibiotic X was recorded after the drug was introduced in a hospital. 2012: 3% 2014: 7% 2016: 18% 2018: 41% 2020: 72% Which statement best matches the pattern shown by the data?
9. A fertilizer spill entered a river in spring of Year 0. Scientists measured dissolved oxygen (DO) and counted a sensitive fish species (trout) at the same river section each summer. Measurements: - Pre-spill (Year -1): DO 8.1 mg/L; trout 240 - Year 0: DO 2.6 mg/L; trout 35 - Year 1: DO 4.3 mg/L; trout 90 - Year 3: DO 6.7 mg/L; trout 170 - Year 5: DO 7.9 mg/L; trout 225 Which statement best describes the evidence for recovery?
10. In a plant species, tall (T) is dominant over short (t). Two short plants are crossed: $tt \times tt$. What is the probability that an offspring will be tall?
11. After eating a sandwich, a student's blood nutrient levels rise and then their cells use those nutrients for energy. Which model best represents how the digestive and circulatory systems interact to deliver nutrients to body cells?
12. In a penguin colony during an Antarctic storm, penguins pack tightly together and rotate positions so individuals on the outside move inward over time. Compared with a penguin standing alone, what is the main advantage of this behavior?
13. A coral reef experiences a heat wave that causes bleaching (many corals lose their symbiotic algae). Over the next several years, the corals regain algae and the reef community becomes similar to what it was before the heat wave. This best illustrates which concept?
14. A fossil called Tiktaalik has both fish-like traits (fins and scales) and tetrapod-like traits (a neck and robust bones that could support weight). Which statement best explains why this fossil is important evidence for evolution?
15. A meadow contains many flowering plant species and at least five pollinator species (bees, butterflies, flies, beetles, and hummingbirds). A nearby greenhouse grows one flowering crop and relies mostly on one managed bee species for pollination. In one season, a disease sharply reduces the managed bee population. The meadow still produces many seeds, but the greenhouse crop sets few seeds. Which statement best connects biodiversity to population stability and ecosystem function?
16. A seabird species nests only in holes in coastal cliffs. On one cliff, there are about 60 suitable nesting holes. Even when fish are plentiful offshore, the number of breeding pairs on that cliff never rises above about 60, and extra adults are seen resting nearby without nesting. What is the limiting factor for the breeding population on this cliff?
17. A farmer compares two fields during a summer with an unexpected insect outbreak. Field 1 is a wheat monoculture (one crop species). Field 2 is planted with a mix of wheat, oats, clover, and several wildflower strips that support many insect predators and pollinators. After the outbreak, wheat plants in both fields are attacked, but Field 2 still produces a moderate harvest while Field 1 fails almost completely. How does biodiversity most likely affect population stability in this situation?
18. A hydra produces a small outgrowth (a bud) that develops into a new hydra and then breaks off. The new hydra has the same DNA as the parent hydra (except rare mutations). What is the best classification of this process?
19. Two tissues are compared after injury: skin and heart muscle. Skin often heals well, but heart muscle heals poorly. Which explanation best uses the idea of stem cells, cell division, and differentiation to account for this difference?
20. A person takes medicine that is absorbed through the small intestine and then affects tissues throughout the body. Which description best explains the interaction between the digestive and circulatory systems in this situation?

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