Practice Test 41 - 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 cell has glucose available and needs to build different macromolecules for growth. Which choice best explains how glucose can contribute to building proteins as well as carbohydrates?
2. A seabird species nests in a large coastal colony, with many nests close together. Even though crowding can increase competition and disease spread, why can colony living still increase reproductive success compared with nesting alone?
3. Use the simplified carbon cycle diagram described below. DIAGRAM (boxes and arrows): [Atmosphere (CO2)] --(photosynthesis)--> [Plants] [Plants] --(feeding)--> [Animals] [Plants] --(respiration)--> [Atmosphere (CO2)] [Animals] --(respiration)--> [Atmosphere (CO2)] [Dead plants/animals] --(decomposition by decomposers)--> [Atmosphere (CO2)] Which arrow-labeled process removes carbon dioxide from the atmospheric reservoir and moves it into living biomass?
4. A rabbit population varies in running speed (slow, medium, fast), and the differences are heritable. After wolves move into the area, rabbits that are caught are eaten before reproducing. Which trait is most directly being selected for by this new environmental pressure?
5. A fish population has heritable variation in body color: some fish are silver and some are dark. A new predator is introduced that hunts mainly by sight in shallow, bright water. Dark fish are harder to see against the rocky bottom. Which option best describes what natural selection predicts over many generations in this environment?
6. A coastal fishery begins using larger nets and increases fishing effort. After several years, the population of large predatory fish (like tuna) drops sharply, while smaller fish and jellyfish become more common. Which statement best describes the ecosystem change?
7. Claim: Social learning improves foraging skill, so individuals that can observe experienced group members will find food more efficiently. Lab study with a bird species: - All birds were naïve to a new feeder that requires a specific action to open. - Group A (social-learning allowed): naïve birds lived with 2 trained birds. - Group B (social-learning blocked): naïve birds lived with 2 trained birds, but an opaque barrier prevented observing the trained birds at the feeder. - After 3 days, 18/20 birds in Group A learned to open the feeder; 6/20 birds in Group B learned. Which evaluation is most accurate?
8. Bone marrow produces new blood cells throughout life. A simplified model is: stem cell 0 0 0 0 0 0. Which option best completes this model for how blood cell replacement works?
9. In a forest, a tree takes in $CO_2$ from the air and builds wood. Years later, the wood burns in a wildfire. How does this relate to the carbon cycle?
10. A coastal fish species has declined due to overfishing. A management plan proposes: (1) setting an annual catch limit based on population surveys, (2) using larger mesh nets to reduce juvenile bycatch, and (3) creating a no-fishing marine reserve covering 20% of the breeding habitat. Which statement best evaluates this plan in terms of effectiveness and trade-offs?
11. A plant population experiences a long-term change to a drier climate. Some plants already have heritable traits that reduce water loss (for example, waxier leaf surfaces), while others do not. After many generations, most plants in the population have waxier leaves. Which statement best explains why this change is not goal-directed (not based on "need")?
12. An energy pyramid follows the 10% rule. Producers have 45,000 units of energy. About how much energy is available to secondary consumers?​
13. A child's genotype could allow an adult height anywhere from 165–185 cm (a reaction norm). Which situation best illustrates how environment influences where the person ends up within that range?
14. A student draws this model for a plant and a rabbit in a meadow: - Photosynthesis box: inputs CO2 and H2O; outputs glucose and O2. - Respiration box (rabbit): inputs glucose and O2; outputs CO2 and H2O. The student adds an energy arrow from the Sun into photosynthesis but is unsure where energy should go next. Which option correctly completes the energy part of the model while keeping matter cycling correctly?
15. In early development, embryos of fish, chickens, and humans share similar features (such as a tail and pharyngeal pouches) that later develop differently. Which type of evidence is this, and what does it support?
16. In a meerkat group, one individual climbs onto a rock and scans the area while the others dig for insects. When the sentinel spots a hawk, it gives a loud alarm call and the foragers rush into burrows. The sentinel is more visible while calling. Which option best identifies this behavior and its benefit?
17. A lake has frequent summer algal blooms and low oxygen levels that kill fish. Testing shows high nitrate and phosphate runoff from nearby farms. Two strategies are proposed: Strategy 1: Require farms to use buffer strips of native plants along streams and reduce fertilizer application (apply only when soil tests show need). Strategy 2: Skim and remove algae from the lake each week during bloom season. Which strategy is likely to be more effective long-term at reducing algal blooms, and why?
18. During photosynthesis, chlorophyll in plant cells absorbs sunlight. What happens to the energy from the absorbed light?
19. The fossil Tiktaalik has fish traits (scales, gills) and tetrapod-like traits (a neck and wrist-like bones that could support weight). Which conclusion best explains why Tiktaalik is important evidence for evolution?
20. Claim: Living in groups improves foraging success. Study results: - Researchers tracked 50 solitary individuals and 50 group-living individuals of the same species for 14 days. - Foraging success was measured as the percent of foraging attempts that found food. Results: - Solitary: 52% success - Group-living: 54% success Additional observation: - Group-living individuals spent less time scanning for predators than solitary individuals. Which choice best evaluates whether the evidence supports the claim?

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