Practice Test 87 - 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 plant absorbs phosphate (contains P) from the soil. The plant later makes DNA. In terms of atom sources and rearrangement, which statement is most accurate?
2. A person touches a hot pan and quickly pulls their hand away. How do the nervous and muscular systems interact to produce this rapid response?
3. A teacher says, "Phenotype equals genotype plus environment." Which example best supports this statement by keeping genotype constant but changing the environment?
4. Which example best represents an organ system (not a single organ or a tissue)?
5. A grassland habitat has three key resources for deer: - Food supply can support 900 deer - Water supply can support 1,100 deer - Winter shelter sites can support 650 deer Assuming deer need all three resources, what is the best estimate of the carrying capacity $K$ for deer in this habitat?
6. A mutation occurs in a gene, but the organism shows no change in traits. Which is a reasonable explanation that connects DNA changes to protein outcomes?
7. A gene can be thought of as a set of instructions in DNA, similar to a recipe in a cookbook. What most directly determines the specific instructions carried by a gene?
8. Scientists compared the protein cytochrome c in several species and counted amino-acid differences from the human version: - Chimpanzee: 0 differences - Dog: 13 differences - Tuna: 21 differences Which statement best summarizes what these data suggest about evolutionary relationships?
9. A fish species lives in two lakes. In Lake 1, the fish population has high genetic diversity (individuals vary in traits like disease resistance). In Lake 2, the fish population has low genetic diversity because it started from a small number of founders. When a new parasite arrives, Lake 1 loses some fish but the population persists, while Lake 2 experiences a severe crash. How does genetic diversity (a component of biodiversity) affect population dynamics?
10. A cell has plenty of glucose available but no oxygen. For aerobic cellular respiration (glucose + oxygen → carbon dioxide + water + ATP), what happens to ATP production from this pathway?
11. A plant leaf cell contains both chloroplasts and mitochondria. Which statement best explains why a plant needs both organelles?
12. A cell is doing aerobic cellular respiration. If oxygen (O2) is not available, which statement best describes what happens to the overall process described by glucose + oxygen → carbon dioxide + water + ATP?
13. A student claims: "The model shows that oxygen is where the plant stores the captured energy." Based on a typical energy-flow model of photosynthesis (light energy captured by chlorophyll and stored in glucose), which correction is most accurate?
14. In a large herd of antelope, a lion catches one antelope during an attack. Which statement best explains how being in a large group can reduce an individual antelope's chance of being caught?
15. A river is dammed to generate electricity. Before the dam, salmon migrated upstream to spawn each year. After the dam is built, salmon runs drop sharply, and fewer nutrients from decomposing salmon reach upstream forests. What is the most direct ecological effect of the dam on this ecosystem?
16. A student claims: "Chlorophyll produces energy for the plant." Using this model: Sunlight → chlorophyll (absorbs light) → photosynthesis reactions → glucose (stored chemical energy) Which statement best corrects the student using the model?
17. A coastal community proposes a marine protected area (MPA) to help an overfished reef. Plan: make 25% of the reef a no-take zone (no fishing allowed), while allowing regulated fishing in the remaining 75%. The goal is to increase fish population sizes and overall reef biodiversity. Which evaluation best describes why this strategy could be effective, and what key challenge could reduce its success?
18. A student claims: "Because humans and chimpanzees have very similar DNA, they must have evolved from each other." Which response best corrects this using molecular evidence and common ancestry?
19. A student grows genetically identical bean plants in two light conditions. In bright light, plants are short and green. In very low light, plants become taller and pale. Which term best describes the ability of the same genotype to produce these different phenotypes?
20. A biologist measured the beak depth (in mm) of 20 finches from the same island. Results: 8 mm (2 birds), 9 mm (5), 10 mm (7), 11 mm (4), 12 mm (2). Which statement best describes the variation in beak depth in this population?

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