Practice Test 29 - High School Biology

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

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1. Claim: A population of mice in a desert evolved lighter fur color over generations. Evidence collected: 1) In 1990, the population had 20% light-fur mice and 80% dark-fur mice. In 2020, it had 75% light-fur mice and 25% dark-fur mice. 2) Predation trials show hawks catch dark-fur mice more often than light-fur mice on pale sand. 3) In 2020, both light and dark fur colors are present in the population. 4) A single mouse's fur looked lighter after spending several days in a dusty enclosure. Which choice best assesses sufficiency of evidence for the claim?
2. A fertilized egg is a single cell, but an adult human has trillions of cells organized into tissues like muscle, skin, and nerves. Which statement best describes how cell division and differentiation work together to produce this growth and organization?
3. A student claims: "If two DNA segments have the same counts of A, T, G, and C, they must store the same genetic information." Which response best addresses this claim?
4. A student is asked to list the major genetic sources of variation in a sexually reproducing population. Which answer best includes the key mechanisms and their roles?
5. Two fields experience the same insect outbreak. Field 1 is a diverse prairie with many plant species; Field 2 is a wheat monoculture (one crop species). After the outbreak, the prairie's overall plant cover and insect predator populations recover quickly, but the wheat field remains severely damaged. Which factor most likely helped the prairie recover?
6. A wetland provides three key resources for frogs. The estimated maximum frogs each resource could support is shown below: - Insects (food): 2,400 frogs - Clean water (breeding habitat): 1,800 frogs - Hiding cover (plants): 2,100 frogs Assuming frogs need all three resources, what is the best prediction of the wetland's carrying capacity $K$ for frogs?
7. A population of lizards in a stable environment reproduces asexually for many generations, producing offspring that are genetically identical. A new disease appears that can infect these lizards. Compared with a sexually reproducing population, what is a likely disadvantage of the asexual population?
8. Which sequence correctly describes the flow of information in gene expression for making a protein, including the step of translation?
9. A scientist records fur color in a rabbit population (n = 200): - Brown: 110 - Gray: 70 - White: 20 What does this data show about variation in the population?
10. In a meadow ecosystem, sunlight shines on grasses. Rabbits eat the grass, and foxes eat the rabbits. When organisms die, fungi and bacteria break down the dead material and return nutrients to the soil. Which statement best explains why producers are essential in this ecosystem?
11. Two siblings have the same parents but are not identical twins. Which option best explains why siblings usually have different combinations of alleles? Context: During meiosis, chromosome pairs separate randomly (independent assortment) and can swap segments (crossing over), producing many different gametes. Then, any one sperm can fertilize any one egg (random fertilization).
12. Put the following in order from smallest to largest: (1) heart, (2) cardiac muscle cell, (3) circulatory system, (4) cardiac muscle tissue.
13. In a plant, red fruit (A) is dominant over yellow fruit (a). Two heterozygous plants are crossed: $Aa \times Aa$. What is the probability an offspring will be heterozygous ($Aa$)?
14. Why is packaging DNA into chromosomes important for cells?
15. A farmer notices that it takes many kilograms of corn (producer) to produce a small amount of chicken meat (primary consumer biomass). Which option best explains this observation using energy transfer between trophic levels?
16. During a 2-minute sprint, a student breathes faster and their heart rate increases. How do the respiratory and circulatory systems work together to help the leg muscles keep contracting during the sprint?​
17. A bacterial population infecting a patient contains heritable variation: most bacteria are susceptible to Antibiotic X, but a few have a mutation that makes them resistant. After the patient takes Antibiotic X, most susceptible bacteria die, while resistant bacteria survive and reproduce. After several days, the infection is mostly resistant bacteria. Which option best explains this outcome by natural selection?
18. In a basic Mendelian trait, a recessive allele (a) produces a recessive phenotype only when an organism is aa. Which statement best explains why an Aa organism typically shows the dominant phenotype?
19. A starfish can reproduce asexually when a piece breaks off and grows into a new starfish (fragmentation). Compared with sexual reproduction, what is the most likely genetic outcome for starfish produced by fragmentation?
20. A teacher draws this energy idea on the board: "Sunlight hits a leaf → chlorophyll absorbs the light → glucose is produced." Which statement best describes the energy transformation represented by this sequence?

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