Practice Test 9 - 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 human is made up of multiple organ systems (like the circulatory and digestive systems) working together. What level of biological organization is a human?
2. A pedigree shows that an affected father and an unaffected mother have four children: all daughters are affected and all sons are unaffected. Which inheritance pattern best matches this evidence?
3. In a bacterial population, a few bacteria have a heritable mutation that makes them resistant to an antibiotic, while most are susceptible. After the antibiotic is used repeatedly, the population becomes mostly resistant. Which option best explains this change through natural selection?
4. After a meal, blood glucose rises above normal. The body releases a signal that causes cells to take up glucose from the blood, lowering blood glucose back toward normal. How should this feedback mechanism be classified?
5. Claim: A lizard population evolved longer legs after colonizing an island with wider tree branches. Evidence: 1) On the mainland (source population), mean hind-leg length is 32 mm; on the island 15 years later (about 15 generations), mean hind-leg length is 39 mm. 2) On the island, lizards with longer legs run faster on wide branches in performance tests. 3) A few island lizards were observed stretching their legs while basking. 4) Genetic data show that alleles associated with longer legs are more common in the island population than in the original mainland population. Which evaluation is most accurate?
6. Claim: Group living increases survival. Evidence from an experiment on an insect species: - Researchers placed insects into identical enclosures with equal food and shelter. - Treatment: groups of 10 individuals (10 enclosures). - Control: solitary individuals (10 enclosures). - After 14 days, survival was 90% in group enclosures and 88% in solitary enclosures. Which choice best evaluates whether this evidence supports the claim?
7. A farmer plants a crop where some plants carry a fungal-resistance allele ($F$). The frequency of $F$ was tracked across generations after a fungus outbreak began just before Generation 1. Generation 0: $f(F)=0.08$ Generation 1: $f(F)=0.14$ Generation 2: $f(F)=0.27$ Generation 3: $f(F)=0.46$ Generation 4: $f(F)=0.62$ Which statement best describes what is happening?
8. DNA stores information using a four-letter "alphabet" of bases (A, T, G, C). Two short DNA segments are shown: Segment 1: ATGCCG and Segment 2: GCATCG. Even though both segments use the same types of bases, they can encode different genetic information. Why does the base order matter in DNA?
9. A researcher studies a sample that contains many similar cells arranged in a layer that covers and protects a surface (like the lining of the mouth). This sample is best described as which level of biological organization?
10. For a single gene in a diploid organism (like humans), which statement correctly describes alleles and inheritance?
11. Two cloned strawberry plants (same genotype) are grown in the same soil and water, but one is kept at cooler temperatures and produces smaller, darker berries, while the other is kept warmer and produces larger, lighter berries. Which statement best describes what this demonstrates?
12. In rabbits, black fur (B) is dominant over white fur (b). A heterozygous black rabbit is crossed with a white rabbit: $Bb \times bb$. What is the probability that an offspring will have genotype $bb$?​
13. A grassland produces about 12,000 kg of edible grass each year. A pronghorn antelope needs about 300 kg of edible grass per year to survive and reproduce. Using $K = \frac{\text{total resource}}{\text{resource per individual}}$, what is the carrying capacity (K) for pronghorns on this grassland (assuming grass is the limiting resource)?
14. After eating a meal, a student's energy level rises over the next hour. You are making a simple concept map to show how nutrients from food reach body cells. Which model best shows the key system interactions involved?
15. A student says: "Any mutation in DNA will definitely change the protein and be harmful." Which response is most accurate?
16. A plant is grown in air with normal CO2 but in soil that lacks usable nitrogen (no nitrate or ammonium). The plant can still make glucose in its leaves. Which outcome best explains what will happen to protein production, using atom tracking?
17. Two identical twins have the same genotype. Twin A trains with resistance exercise for a year and develops larger muscles. Twin B does not exercise and has smaller muscles. Which statement best explains the difference?
18. A colony of cliff-nesting birds is approached by a hawk. Dozens of adult birds fly together toward the hawk, calling loudly and diving at it until it leaves the area. A single bird defending alone is often chased away. What is the main advantage of this cooperative defense?
19. A student says, "Energy cycles between photosynthesis and respiration the same way carbon does." Which response best corrects the student while still comparing the two processes?
20. A coastal reef with many coral species and many fish species is hit by a strong storm. A nearby reef is algae-dominated with low coral diversity. Five years later, the diverse reef has many corals again, while the algae-dominated reef remains mostly algae. What best explains how biodiversity affects resilience and population recovery after disturbance?

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