Practice Test 73 - High School Biology

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

Start practice test

1. In a crowded chicken coop, a contagious respiratory disease begins spreading. When the flock is small, outbreaks are rare, but when the flock becomes large and crowded, the disease spreads quickly and many birds die. Which description best matches this limiting factor?
2. A coastal community has a coral reef where fish populations have dropped sharply due to heavy fishing, especially of large predatory fish. Scientists propose creating a no-fishing marine reserve that covers 25% of the reef, while allowing fishing in the remaining 75%. Which evaluation best supports this strategy as a way to preserve reef biodiversity over time?
3. Cells break down glucose (C6H12O6) during cellular respiration. What happens to the chemical energy stored in glucose during this process?
4. Cellular respiration can be summarized by the equation $\mathrm{C_6H_{12}O_6 + 6O_2 \rightarrow 6CO_2 + 6H_2O + ATP\ energy}$. Which substances are the reactants (inputs) of cellular respiration?
5. A school of small fish swims in a tight, coordinated group. When a larger fish attacks, the school suddenly changes direction together, making it hard for the predator to focus on one fish. Which benefit of group living does this best illustrate?
6. Which definition best describes ecosystem stability?
7. In a lizard population, a gene has alleles $H$ and $h$. Under normal conditions (no new predators, no drought, no disease), survival and reproduction are similar for all genotypes, so allele frequencies are stable. If conditions remain the same, what does Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium predict about allele frequencies?
8. A student gets a shallow cut on their finger. Over the next week, new skin forms and the cut closes. Which model best explains how the body repairs the skin using cell division and differentiation?
9. A diagram uses arrows to show energy flow: Sun --(light energy)--> Chlorophyll --(X)--> Glucose --(chemical energy used)--> Cellular respiration The label X is missing. Which label best completes the model for arrow X?
10. A wildlife reserve can support up to 1,000 deer based on available food, up to 1,200 deer based on available water, and up to 650 deer based on available shelter sites. Which value best predicts the reserve's carrying capacity (K) for deer?
11. Claim: Decomposition helps cycle matter by returning nutrients to the environment. A student places equal masses of dead leaves into two mesh bags: - Bag X: placed on forest soil (normal conditions) - Bag Y: placed on dry sand (very few decomposers) After 2 months: 1) Bag X leaf mass decreases by 60%; soil nitrate and phosphate levels increase. 2) Bag Y leaf mass decreases by 5%; sand nutrient levels change very little. 3) More insects and fungi are observed near Bag X than Bag Y. 4) The leaves in Bag X look darker. Which evidence most strongly supports the claim?
12. Two DNA segments have the same length (12 bases) but different sequences: Segment A: ATGCCGTTAGCA Segment B: TGCATGCTTACG What is the best conclusion about the genetic information in these two segments?
13. A student lists these structures: (1) red blood cell, (2) blood, (3) heart, (4) circulatory system. Which choice correctly orders them from smallest to largest level of organization?
14. A flock of small birds feeds on the ground. When one bird spots a hawk, it gives an alarm call and the flock takes cover. Compared with a single bird feeding alone, what is the best advantage of flocking shown here?
15. Consider the food chain: algae → zooplankton → small fish → larger fish. When the larger fish dies, bacteria and fungi decompose it. Which choice best explains the role of decomposers in matter cycling?
16. In a population of beetles, a rare DNA change occurs in a pigment gene and creates a new allele that produces a lighter shell color. Over time, this new allele becomes part of the population's gene pool. Which statement best explains how this kind of genetic variation originates and why it matters for diversity?
17. A city park has 360 suitable tree cavities for a species of bat. Each bat needs 2 cavities (one for roosting and one for raising young). If tree cavities are the limiting resource, what is the carrying capacity (K) for bats in this park?
18. An invasive predatory fish was introduced into a pond in Year 0. Biologists tracked the population of a native small fish (minnows) and the number of aquatic plant species (plant species richness). Data: - Pre-introduction: minnows 900; plant species 18 - Year 1: minnows 250; plant species 12 - Year 3: minnows 120; plant species 9 - Year 6 (after invasive fish removal in Year 3): minnows 520; plant species 14 - Year 10: minnows 820; plant species 17 Which conclusion is best supported?
19. A researcher recorded the frequency of a color morph in a beetle population on an island with no major environmental changes reported. Year → dark morph frequency: - 2010: 0.49 - 2012: 0.50 - 2014: 0.48 - 2016: 0.51 - 2018: 0.49 - 2020: 0.50 Which interpretation best matches the data?
20. In a class discussion, a student says: "Random fertilization increases genetic diversity because any one of many possible sperm can fertilize any one of many possible eggs." Which best explains why this increases variation in offspring?

Practice tests