Skip to main content
Sign in Create a free account
Varsity Tutors
Sign in Sign up

Practice Test 37 - High School Biology

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

  1. A population of bacteria includes a rare antibiotic-resistant variant that grows slightly slower than susceptible bacteria when no antibiotic is present. In a hospital where antibiotics are used frequently, which statement best describes why resistance can become common?
  2. The forelimbs of a human, a bat, and a whale have the same basic bone pattern (humerus, radius, ulna, wrist bones, finger bones) even though they are used for different functions (grasping, flying, swimming). Which statement best explains why this is evidence for evolution?
  3. In a bowl of fruit, one ripe banana releases a gas that causes nearby bananas to ripen faster. As those bananas ripen, they release more of the gas, causing even more ripening. Which type of feedback is described?
  4. A scientist tracks bird numbers in two habitats over several years. Habitat A has many native plant species that produce seeds at different times of year. Habitat B is dominated by one plant species that produces seeds only in a short season. Which statement best describes how biodiversity affects bird population fluctuations?
  5. A scientist grows two cell types from the same human stem cell line. One type becomes a neuron that sends electrical signals; the other becomes a muscle cell that contracts. Both cell types still contain the same DNA. What is the most likely reason they function differently?
  6. Claim: Group living increases reproductive success because individuals can help care for offspring. Observations in a bird species over one breeding season: - Nests with 2 adult caregivers: average 2.1 chicks fledged per nest. - Nests with 4 adult caregivers (helpers present): average 3.4 chicks fledged per nest. Additional observation: nests with helpers were more common in territories with more food. Which choice best evaluates this evidence?
  7. Biological organization builds from smaller to larger levels. Consider this hierarchy: cardiac muscle cell → cardiac muscle tissue → heart → circulatory system → human. Which option correctly identifies the level of biological organization for the heart in this hierarchy?
  8. A student compared two schoolyard habitats by counting individuals of each plant species in a 1 m2^2 quadrat. Which habitat has higher species richness?
  9. A coastal marsh has two populations of crabs. In Year 1, both populations are similar in size. In Year 2, a sudden cold snap (unusually low temperature for several nights) kills many crabs in both areas, including places where crabs were sparse and places where they were crowded. Which statement best describes the cold snap as a limiting factor?
  10. A single genotype can produce a range of phenotypes across different environments. What term describes this ability of one genotype to result in different observable traits depending on environmental conditions?
  11. Which option best describes an organ system level of organization?
  12. During translation in a eukaryotic cell, an mRNA strand leaves the nucleus and attaches to a ribosome in the cytoplasm. Which statement best describes what happens next to build a protein?
  13. An energy pyramid shows Sun → Producers → Primary consumers → Secondary consumers, with arrows labeled "heat" leaving each trophic level. What does the diagram indicate about energy in this ecosystem?
  14. An invasive predatory fish was introduced into a small lake in Year 0. Managers removed the invasive fish starting in Year 4. Scientists tracked native small fish abundance and water clarity (Secchi depth, meters; higher values mean clearer water). Data: - Year -1 (before invasion): native fish 1,200; clarity 3.1 m - Year 2 (after invasion): native fish 260; clarity 1.4 m - Year 4 (removal begins): native fish 310; clarity 1.6 m - Year 6: native fish 700; clarity 2.4 m - Year 9: native fish 1,050; clarity 2.9 m Which evidence best indicates ecosystem recovery after management began?
  15. A mouse population includes light-colored and dark-colored individuals. In a habitat of light sand, hawks hunt by sight. Which trait is most likely to be favored by predation in this environment?
  16. A DNA comparison found the following approximate similarities to human DNA: chimpanzee 98–99%, gorilla 96–97%, dog 84–85%, chicken 65–70%. What is the best interpretation of these data as evidence for common ancestry?
  17. A bird population has two feather color morphs. In a count of 80 birds: Dark = 62, Light = 18. Which statement best describes the variation in feather color?
  18. A student compares two processes: Process 1: monomers → polymer Process 2: polymer → monomers The student says Process 1 is how a plant builds starch from glucose. Which statement correctly describes Process 1?​
  19. A forest food chain follows the 10% rule. If secondary consumers have 120 units of energy, approximately how much energy was available at the primary consumer level?
  20. A student says: "Plants get the nitrogen in their proteins directly from N2 gas in the air, the same way they get carbon from CO2." Which statement best corrects the student in an atom-source way (without using detailed pathways)?

Practice tests