High School Biology

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Questions 1 - 10
1

At what age does a female's ovary have the most eggs she will ever have in her lifetime?

At birth

In adolescence, at the start of puberty

At menopause

In the reproductive years: ages 20-30

During childhood

Explanation

The ovaries contain 1-2 million eggs at birth. This number slowly declines throughout the female's life. The quality of eggs remaining after age 35 is low, whereby years of spontaneous mutation have occurred.

2

Sharon has blonde hair. Her husband is heterozygous for brown hair, with brown being the dominant autosomal trait. What percent chance will their daughter have blonde hair?

50%

100%

25%

75%

0%

Explanation

The genotype for Sharon is rr, because blonde is a recessive trait therefore in order to have blonde hair she must be homozygous recessive. Her husband is Rr, because it states that he has brown hair, which is dominant, in addition to being heterozygous. When drawing out a punnet square, you will find the offspring will be Rr, Rr, rr and rr. Therefore, their daughter has 50% chance of having brown hair and 50% chance of having blonde hair.

3

What is the function of the digestive system?

Breakdown and absorb nutrients for use by the body

Provide a site for gas exchange

Deliver oxygen gas to the tissues of the body

Expel wastes and maintain stable internal water balance

Explanation

This is a fundamental question that checks for clear understanding of the purpose of the digestive system. The digestive system includes the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and large intestine. The primary functions of these structures are to break down and absorb nutrients from ingested food.

The respiratory system is responsible for providing a site for gas exchange (namely the alveoli). The circulatory system delivers oxygen to tissues, while the excretory system removes nitrogenous wastes and maintains water balance via kidney function.

4

At what age does a female's ovary have the most eggs she will ever have in her lifetime?

At birth

In adolescence, at the start of puberty

At menopause

In the reproductive years: ages 20-30

During childhood

Explanation

The ovaries contain 1-2 million eggs at birth. This number slowly declines throughout the female's life. The quality of eggs remaining after age 35 is low, whereby years of spontaneous mutation have occurred.

5

Which of the following organelles is commonly referred to as the powerhouse of the cell?

Mitochondria

Golgi apparatus

Rough endoplasmic reticulum

Lysosome

Nucleus

Explanation

The mitochondria are responsible for synthesis of the majority of the cell's ATP. This is why mitochondria are commonly referred to as the powerhouse of the cell. The rough endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus are involved in protein synthesis and delivery. The nucleus houses the DNA and is the site of transcription and ribosome assembly (nucleolus). The lysosome contains hydrolytic enzymes that are used for degradation of certain materials.

6

Which of the following hormones stimulates the secretion of hydrochloric acid by specialized stomach cell?

Gastrin

Insulin

Gylcogen

Aldosterone

Thyroxine

Explanation

The chemical digestion of food is facilitated by the secretion of the hormone gastrin, which stimulates the secretion of hydrochloric acid. Insulin is secreted by the pancreas in response to high levels of blood glucose. Glucagon is secreted in response to low levels of blood glucose. Aldosterone is secreted by the adrenal cortex and increases reabsorption of salt in the kidney, subsequently increasing water retention and blood volume. Thyroxine is secreted by the thyroid and increases the metabolic rate of most body cells.

7

Many people consume alcohol and drugs on a daily occasion. The body needs a detoxification system against these toxins to prevent harmful accumulation of metabolites from the breakdown of these toxins. What organelle is responsible for this detoxification?

Smooth endoplasmic reticulum

Rough endoplasmic reticulum

Golgi apparatus

Nucleus

Explanation

Smooth endoplasmic reticulum is primarily responsible for the production of lipids and for the detoxification of drugs and toxins from the body.

8

Which of the following replication proteins is used to unwind the DNA double helix?

Helicase

Primase

DNA polymerase

DNA ligase

Explanation

DNA helicase unwinds the double helix, separating the two strands so they may be replicated by DNA polymerase.

Primase adds an RNA primer to help initiate DNA replication. DNA ligase is responsible for joining Okazaki fragments on the lagging strand during replication.

9

Which product of glycolysis will enter the citric acid cycle?

Pyruvate

ATP

Glucose

Citric acid

Explanation

The purpose of glycolysis is to generate pyruvate and NADH from glucose. The pyruvate will enter the citric acid cycle and the NADH will be used to donate a proton and electron to the electron transport chain, helping to generate the proton gradient for ATP synthesis. The first step of the citric acid cycle is the conversion of pyruvate to acetyl-CoA.

10

How did Darwin's finches help support his theory of evolution?

The size and shape of their beaks varied, allowing them to consume a greater variety of food sources

The finches all lived on different islands in order to survive

Only the largest birds had survived on the island, while the smaller ones went extinct

The birds were different colors, which allowed for camouflage in different habitats

Explanation

Darwin's finches were distinct from one another due to the size and shape of their beaks. Darwin noted that these distinct beaks allowed the different birds to eat specific food groups. The varying food groups allowed the animals to coexist in the same habitat, without resorting to competing for natural food resources. Each species had evolved to occupy a unique ecological niche in order to survive with minimal competition for resources.

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