Practice Test 95 - 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 lab culture contains a small number of stem cells from skin. Over several days, the culture produces many more cells, including cells that look and function like specialized skin cells. Which option best models the sequence of events that produced this result?
2. A mature forest shows similar tree species, animal populations, and nutrient cycling from year to year, even though weather varies slightly each season. Which statement best defines ecosystem stability in this context?
3. During mitosis, in which stage do sister chromatids separate and move toward opposite poles of the cell?
4. An endangered frog is threatened by habitat loss and an introduced predatory fish that eats tadpoles. A conservation team proposes a combined plan: protect remaining pond habitat from development, remove the predatory fish from key breeding ponds, and breed frogs in captivity to release young frogs back into restored ponds. Which evaluation best explains why this combined plan is more likely to succeed than captive breeding alone?
5. Leaves are often broad and flat. How does this adaptation relate to the energy conversion that occurs in photosynthesis?
6. A plant makes glucose (C6H12O6) during photosynthesis. Later, the plant stores energy by building starch, which is a long chain made of many glucose units. Which statement best describes how glucose molecules become starch?
7. A mountain park is created to protect a rare plant community from logging and development. However, climate warming is shifting suitable temperature zones uphill, and some plants may lose habitat even inside the park. Which evaluation best describes a limitation of protected areas in this situation?
8. A fruit begins to ripen and releases a chemical that causes nearby fruit to ripen faster. As more fruit ripens, even more of the chemical is released, speeding ripening further until the fruit becomes fully ripe. Which type of feedback is this?
9. Two different mRNA molecules have different codon sequences. What is the most likely result after translation occurs at ribosomes?
10. Two parents are both heterozygous for a trait: Aa × Aa (A is dominant, a is recessive). A Punnett square can be used to list possible offspring genotypes. Which set lists all possible offspring genotypes from this cross?
11. In a crowded rabbit population, a contagious virus spreads rapidly. When rabbit density is low, outbreaks are rare; when density is high, many rabbits become infected and die, and fewer rabbits reproduce. Which best describes the virus as a limiting factor?
12. Which event best describes cytokinesis?
13. In a grassland, a plant species grows densely after a wet season. As the plants become crowded, many seedlings die and surviving plants remain small. Tests show water is still available, but soil nitrate levels become very low. Which factor is most likely limiting further growth of this plant population?
14. Two students draw models of how road construction through a wetland affects biodiversity. Model 1: [Road construction] → [Wetland drained/filled] → [Loss of breeding sites] → [Amphibian populations decline] → [Reduced wetland biodiversity] Model 2: [Road construction] → [Cars drive faster] → [More noise] → [Road gets wider] → [Reduced biodiversity] Which model more completely represents an impact pathway from a human activity to a biodiversity outcome, and why?
15. Which pair of stages is correctly matched with what happens to the nuclear envelope?
16. Claim: Cooperative breeding (non-parents helping) increases offspring survival. Three independent findings about the same species: - Study A (observational, 5 years): nests with 2+ helpers fledged 2.8 chicks on average; nests with no helpers fledged 1.6 chicks. - Study B (experimental): researchers temporarily removed helpers from some nests; those nests fledged 1.7 chicks on average, while control nests (helpers not removed) fledged 2.6 chicks. - Study C (observational): nests with helpers were more common in areas with higher food availability. Which choice best evaluates the overall support for the claim?
17. Compare the chemical energy in glucose and the chemical energy in ATP during cellular respiration. Which statement is most accurate?
18. A quantitative model shows: $100$ units of light energy reach a leaf. The model indicates $4$ units are stored as chemical energy in glucose and the rest is released as heat or reflected. According to the model, what percent of the incoming light energy is stored in glucose?
19. A city plans to reduce its contribution to climate change, which is affecting nearby ecosystems through increased heat waves and drought. Two proposals are discussed: Proposal 1: Replace coal-generated electricity with wind and solar power. Proposal 2: Plant trees in city parks while keeping coal electricity unchanged. Which evaluation best focuses on effectiveness at addressing the root cause of the impact?
20. Scientists have found a sequence of whale-related fossils in rock layers of increasing age: older fossils show a land mammal with four legs; younger fossils show semi-aquatic animals with shorter hind limbs; the youngest fossils show fully aquatic whales with tiny rear limb bones. Which type of evidence for evolution is this, and what does it indicate?

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