Biology

Practice Assessment

DIRECTIONS

Read each question carefully. Choose the best answer to each question. For open-response questions, determine the best answer to the question.

1 A scientist is examining an unknown cell using an electron microscope.

Which observed structure would indicate that the cell is MOST LIKELY prokaryotic?

A Mitochondrion

B Free-floating DNA

C Chloroplast

D Membrane-bound nucleus

2 Which environmental condition would MOST LIKELY result in the appearance of punctuated equilibrium in the fossil record?

A An environment that remains in a state of stasis

B An environment that undergoes steady changes over time

C An environment that experiences rapid large-scale destructive change

D An environment with many transitional fossils

3 A student is sweating after playing basketball.

Which body systems are MOST DIRECTLY interacting as a response to maintain homeostasis?

A Digestive and circulatory systems

B Immune and integumentary systems

C Nervous and integumentary systems

D Circulatory and nervous systems

4 Ringworm is a common skin infection that appears as an itchy, red rash on exposed human skin. It is caused by approximately 40 different species of fungi called dermatophytes. These fungi require keratin, which is present in human skin, for growth and reproduction.

Which term describes the relationship between dermatophytes and humans?

A Parasitism

B Commensalism

C Mutualism

D Predation

5 A student makes a model to compare the process of transcription and translation to the process of using a grocery store that prepares orders for customers.

A customer makes a copy of a grocery list at home.

The customer drives the grocery list to the grocery store.

The customer gives the grocery list to a cashier at the store.

A shopper picks up the items and brings them to the cashier.

The cashier assembles the order and a shopping cart with the order is produced.

Based on the student’s model and your knowledge of the biological process, which person or object represents tRNA?

A The cashier

B The grocery list

C The shopper

D The shopping cart

6 Students investigate osmosis using dialysis tubing. Dialysis tubing is a semipermeable membrane that allows water molecules to pass through while preventing salt ions from passing through.

The students follow this procedure:

1. Mix salt into water to make a 7.1% salt solution.

2. Add equal amounts of this saltwater solution to four small bags made of dialysis tubing.

3. Fill four beakers with different salt solutions, as shown in the image.

4. Place each small bag into one of the four beakers.

5. Observe changes in the size of the bags.

The setup for the investigation is shown.

In which beaker will osmosis cause expansion of the dialysis tubing bag?

A Beaker 1

B Beaker 2

C Beaker 3

D Beaker 4

7 Leguminous plants, such as bean plants, share a mutualistic relationship with certain rhizobium bacteria. The plants develop harmless nodules on their roots, where the bacteria live. In return, the bacteria convert an important element from the atmosphere into a nutrient form. that the plants can use.

What essential element is converted to a useable form. by the rhizobium bacteria?

8 Which organ and tissue interact MOST DIRECTLY to absorb and transport water and dissolved minerals inside a plant?

A Flower and phloem

B Root and phloem

C Flower and xylem

D Root and xylem

9 Which type of mutation is LEAST LIKELY to result in a frameshift mutation?

A Insertion

B Translocation

C Substitution

D Deletion

10 Which two components are MOST LIKELY found in both viruses and prokaryotic cells?

A Nucleic acids and carbohydrates

B Carbohydrates and lipids

C Lipids and proteins

D Proteins and nucleic acids

11 A student is drawing an energy pyramid.

Examine the diagram and answer these questions:

• What is the original source of all energy for the energy pyramid?

• How does the amount of energy available at each level of the pyramid change from the bottom to the top?

12 A population of organisms contains multiple alleles for a particular trait. A biologist assigns each allele a letter from M through T and tracks the frequency in a population. A small group of organisms travels to a new location and begins a new population.

The biologist tracked the allele frequency for the trait in the original population and the small group and recorded the data in the tables shown.

Which table shows the MOST LIKELY allele frequency of the new population?

13 Which of these is MOST LIKELY an indication that cells may have become cancerous?

A Cells undergoing slower rates of mitosis

B Cells with few or no mutations

C Cells not responding to checkpoints in the cell cycle

D Cells with decreased rates of protein synthesis

14 Which statement BEST describes how genes are expressed in an organism?

A Genes are always off even when resources are available.

B Genes are turned on and off in response to the environment.

C Genes are continuously turned on and off at random intervals of time.

D Genes are on until all the genes have been simultaneously expressed.

15 A cladogram for the six kingdoms of life is shown.

Based on the cladogram, which TWO kingdoms contain organisms with chloroplasts?

A Fungi and Archaea

B Archaea and Protista

C Protista and Plantae

D Plantae and Fungi

16 Which statement BEST describes how enzymes affect the speed of a metabolic reaction?

A Enzymes increase the concentration of reactants, which increases the speed of the reaction.

B Enzymes decrease the energy needed to start a reaction, which increases the speed of the reaction.

C Enzymes replace the reactants in a chemical reaction, which decreases the speed of the reaction.

D Enzymes prevent products from being converted back into reactants, which decreases the speed of the reaction.

17 This question has two parts. First, answer Part A. Then, answer Part B.

The table shows the number of differences in the amino acid sequence of a protein called cytochrome C in three species of fungi.

Fungi                                                                                   Differences in Cytochrome C

Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae                        27

Candida albicans and Neurospora crassa                                   43

Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Neurospora crassa                      41

Part A

Based on the data, which two species of fungi are MOST CLOSELY related?

A Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae

B Neurospora crassa and Candida albicans

C Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Neurospora crassa

Part B

Which evidence BEST supports the answer to Part A?

A The two species have anatomical similarities.

B The two species have high molecular homology.

C The two species are able to reproduce.

D The two species are both fungi.

18 A student compares two different species of fox as shown in the table.

Arctic Fox vs. Fennec Fox

Arctic Fox (Vulpes lagopus)                                                 Fennec Fox (Vulpes zerda)

• Lives in the arctic tundra                                                  • Lives in the desert

• Thick fur that varies in color based on the season               • Tan fur

• Short ears, legs, and snout                                               • Large ears

• Dense fur on foot pads                                                     • Slanted eyes

The student wants to explain why the two species are so different even though they have a common ancestor.

Which statement BEST explains the differences between the two species?

A Different environments led to different adaptations.

B The same environment led to different adaptations.

C Each species developed the same adaptations to different environments.

D Each species migrated to environments that matched their adaptations.

19 A student makes a diagram to demonstrate how DNA encodes traits for organisms.

Complete the diagram to accurately show the relationship among the structures and processes.

Select the correct answer for each box. Not all answers can be used in all boxes.

A Protein    B DNA    C mRNA    D Transcription    E Translation

20 There are different types of human blood cells. Depending on what type they are, some blood cells either carry nutrients throughout the body or destroy foreign substances in the body.

Which statement explains how genes control the differentiation of different types of blood cells?

A Different genes are expressed in the different types of blood cells.

B Some genes are deleted in one type of blood cell, changing the type of cell it is.

C Specific genes in blood cells are expressed only in response to an external environmental change.

D Genes found in all blood cells can change the cell to perform. any function needed.

21 Microorganisms are known to be present in some food products such as yogurt. One student claims that microorganisms in food always have a negative effect on human health, while a second student disagrees. The second student claims that some microorganisms in food can have a positive effect on human health.

Which statement BEST supports the second student’s claim?

A Microorganisms can destroy any pathogens that affect the immune system.

B Microorganisms reproduce too slowly to affect the immune system.

C Microorganisms known to be in food are no longer living and would not affect the digestive system.

D Microorganisms can aid in the absorption of nutrients from food within the digestive system.