Practice Test 30 - High School Biology

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

Start practice test

1. Two grassland plots were surveyed for insect biodiversity. The counts below show the number of individuals of each species found. Plot A: Beetle (25), Ant (24), Grasshopper (26), Butterfly (23) Plot B: Beetle (80), Ant (10), Grasshopper (5), Butterfly (5) Which statement best compares the biodiversity of Plot A and Plot B (considering both species richness and species evenness)?
2. A student draws an energy flow model for a grassland: Sun → Producers (grasses) → Primary consumers (rabbits) → Secondary consumers (hawks) From each trophic level box (producers, rabbits, hawks), an arrow labeled "heat" points outward to the environment. Which statement best matches what the arrows show about energy in this model?
3. In elephant herds, calves are often watched and protected by multiple adults, not just their mother. What advantage of group living does this best represent?
4. A city builds a new four-lane highway through a large forest. Over time, biologists notice that some small mammal populations on opposite sides of the highway become genetically different and fewer animals are seen crossing between forest patches. Which ecosystem impact is most directly caused by this human activity?
5. Where does the energy in ATP produced during cellular respiration come from?
6. In a marine ecosystem, tertiary consumers have 12 units of energy. Assuming the 10% rule and three transfers (producers → 1° → 2° → 3°), about how much energy did producers have?
7. 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?​
8. An endangered frog has about 50 adults remaining in the wild. The main threats are (1) loss of breeding ponds due to drainage and (2) a fungal disease that kills many tadpoles. A plan proposes captive breeding in a zoo and releasing offspring back into the same area without restoring ponds or reducing disease. How effective is this plan likely to be at preserving the frog long-term?
9. A lake has 48,000 m² of shallow shoreline that is suitable habitat for a territorial fish species. Each fish requires about 60 m² of territory to feed and breed successfully. Estimate the carrying capacity (K) for this fish in the shoreline habitat using $K = \frac{\text{habitat area}}{\text{area needed per individual}}$.
10. A student says: "A gene and an allele are the same thing." Which response best corrects the student using an example like B/b for eye color?
11. A population of lizards has two color morphs: light and dark. Researchers record the percentage of each morph over 30 generations. Generation 0: 70% light, 30% dark Generation 10: 52% light, 48% dark Generation 20: 35% light, 65% dark Generation 30: 22% light, 78% dark Which statement best describes what is happening in this population?
12. A forest currently has a carrying capacity of $K = 500$ squirrels based on its annual nut production. A severe drought reduces nut production by 40% for several years. Assuming squirrel needs stay the same and nuts are the limiting resource, what is the new carrying capacity?
13. A plant root is made of different tissues (such as tissue for transport and tissue for protection) working together as one structure that takes in water and anchors the plant. What level of biological organization is the root?
14. Which comparison correctly matches each process with what it primarily does to glucose and energy? Photosynthesis vs. Cellular respiration
15. A neuron (nerve cell) is a single living unit that can send electrical signals. What level of biological organization is a neuron?
16. A simple food chain is: algae → zooplankton → small fish → large fish. Decomposers break down all dead organisms. Which option correctly matches each organism to its role based on how it gets energy and matter?
17. A mountain ecosystem is warming, and a cold-adapted species is losing suitable habitat as temperatures rise. A local plan proposes creating a small protected area around the species' current range but does not address greenhouse gas emissions or allow movement to cooler areas. Which evaluation is most accurate?
18. Which set of arrows best completes a model of gas exchange during exercise using three boxes: "Lungs," "Blood (circulatory)," and "Muscles"? (Choose the option with correct directions and labels.)
19. A cell is building a long carbohydrate chain by repeatedly adding glucose monomers. During each linking step, the reaction is endergonic (requires energy). Which statement best describes why energy is needed?
20. A student shines a bright lamp on a green leaf and says, "The plant is getting energy from the light." In photosynthesis, what happens to the light energy absorbed by chlorophyll in the leaf?

Practice tests