Practice Test 58 - 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 DNA segment is shown below as paired bases in the center of a double helix: Top strand: A G T C A Bottom strand: ? ? ? ? ? Which option correctly fills in the bottom strand using DNA base-pairing rules?
2. A student drafts a diagram for hydration during a long hike. They want to show how water taken in ends up available to body tissues. Which pair of arrows is most important to include to show system interaction?
3. A cell receives a signal to make more of a certain enzyme. The cell first makes an mRNA copy of the gene and then uses that mRNA to build the enzyme. Why is RNA synthesis essential for this process?
4. A person steps outside on a cold day and soon begins shivering. Which concept map connection best represents how the nervous, muscular, and integumentary (skin) systems work together to respond to the temperature change?
5. Which statement best describes the relationship among DNA, genes, and chromosomes in a human body cell?
6. A biologist sampled two tide pools for the number of different species present. Tide Pool 1 species list: sea star, mussel, crab, anemone, snail, algae. Tide Pool 2 species list: mussel, crab, algae. What is the species richness of each tide pool?
7. A carbon atom is in CO$_2$ in the atmosphere above a forest. Which sequence shows a realistic way that the same carbon atom could cycle through the ecosystem and return to the atmosphere?
8. Which description best matches the overall structure of DNA in cells?
9. A student compares two diagrams of an ecosystem. Diagram 1 shows: CO2 + H2O → Photosynthesis → Glucose + O2 → Cellular respiration → CO2 + H2O, and also shows Sun → Photosynthesis and Cellular respiration → Heat. Diagram 2 shows the same matter cycle, but also shows Heat → Sun (a return arrow), making energy a cycle. Which evaluation is correct?
10. A gene for insulin is transcribed in the nucleus. During transcription, the gene's DNA unwinds, one DNA strand is used as a template, RNA nucleotides pair with the template (A-U, T-A, G-C, C-G), and RNA polymerase links them to form mRNA. If the DNA template strand sequence is C C A T G G, what mRNA sequence will be produced?
11. In translation, the ribosome reads mRNA in groups of three bases called codons. Why does the cell read mRNA in non-overlapping triplets (codons) during translation?
12. A diverse prairie contains many plant species that use water differently (some have deep roots, some shallow). During a drought, some species decline but others continue growing, so overall prairie productivity stays closer to normal than in a nearby field planted with only one grass species. Which factor is most likely increasing the prairie's stability and resilience?
13. A coastal estuary has three major biodiversity threats: overharvesting of shellfish, loss of seagrass habitat from boat damage, and periodic pollution from stormwater runoff. Managers can choose one plan: Plan 1: Create a no-harvest reserve for shellfish only. Plan 2: Restore seagrass beds only. Plan 3: Combine a no-harvest reserve, seagrass restoration, and improved stormwater pollution controls. Which plan is most likely to preserve overall estuary biodiversity long term, and why?
14. In a pond ecosystem, algae are producers, small fish eat algae, and larger fish eat small fish. Decomposers break down dead organisms at the bottom of the pond. Which comparison correctly contrasts matter cycling with energy flow in this system?
15. Photosynthesis and cellular respiration can be summarized by these overall equations: Photosynthesis: $6CO_2 + 6H_2O + \text{light energy} \rightarrow C_6H_{12}O_6 + 6O_2$ Cellular respiration: $C_6H_{12}O_6 + 6O_2 \rightarrow 6CO_2 + 6H_2O + \text{ATP energy}$ Which statement correctly compares the two processes (including energy change and where they mainly occur in plant cells)?
16. Compare the role of glucose and ATP in cellular energy. Which statement is most accurate?
17. Which choice correctly compares transcription and translation in a eukaryotic cell?
18. A rabbit population includes heritable variation in coat color (white vs. brown). In a snowy habitat, white rabbits are less visible to predators. In a forest habitat without snow, brown rabbits are less visible. Which statement best explains how coat color can be an adaptation in each habitat without implying that rabbits change color because they "need to"?
19. A student claims: "Plants get their nitrogen directly from nitrogen gas (N2) in the air." Which option best corrects the student using a simplified nitrogen cycle?
20. Himalayan rabbits have the same genotype for fur color, but temperature affects the pigment that develops in their fur. A rabbit raised in a cold environment develops dark fur on its ears, nose, feet, and tail, while a rabbit with the same genotype raised in a warm environment develops mostly white fur. Which statement best explains this difference?

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