Darwin's Discoveries
Creature Features
Systems at Work
Nature's Nuances
100
What accounts for the variation in beak shapes among these finches?
A. Environmental changes have modified the available food sources, enabling finches with appropriate beaks to thrive and reproduce.
B. Birds from various regions have migrated to mate with the finches, leading to the finches inheriting traits from other species.
C. The finches underwent artificial selection to develop distinct genetic traits.
D. The beaks of the finches altered shape as they matured from juveniles to adults.
A. Environmental changes have modified the available food sources, enabling finches with appropriate beaks to thrive and reproduce.
100
The left side contains a photograph of two young water fleas inside a female water flea, positioned above her digestive tract. The right displays a photograph of a group of ducklings. Female water fleas can reproduce asexually by developing embryos without fertilization, while the ducklings result from sexual reproduction. Use the images to answer the questions that follow.
2. The young water fleas differ from the ducklings in that all the young water fleas produced through asexual reproduction are guaranteed to—
A. exhibit genetic diversity.
B. live to the same age.
C. possess identical DNA.
D. inhabit similar environments.
C. possess identical DNA.
100
4. One of the main roles of the digestive system is to—
A. produce white blood cells that eliminate harmful bacteria found in food.
B. generate hormones that prompt waste release.
C. use the lungs for the exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen.
D. utilize the small intestine to absorb nutrients from digested food.
D. utilize the small intestine to absorb nutrients from digested food.
100
14. Mr. Esparra applies a type of pesticide in his garden to eliminate the insects damaging his plants. Initially, the insect population decreased, but over time, fewer insects were affected by the pesticide. What best explains why the pesticide became less effective?
A. Natural selection, as the insects that survived the first application reproduced offspring likely resistant to the pesticide.
B. Selective breeding, as the pesticide targeted only certain insects, allowing other types to thrive.
C. Selective breeding, as surviving insects could choose how their offspring would react to pesticides.
D. Natural selection, as the pesticide evolved over time to adapt to the garden environment where it was applied.
A. Natural selection, as the insects that survived the first application reproduced offspring likely resistant to the pesticide.
200
8. The image displays a light-colored Peppered Moth alongside a dark-colored one. Before the Industrial Revolution in England, the light-colored moth was more prevalent, while the dark-colored moth was rare. Due to industrial pollution from coal burning, the dark moth population surged, making them the dominant form by the late 19th century. What is the most likely reason for the swift evolution of dark moths?
A. Dark moths could blend in better and evade predators because of soot on the trees.
B. Dark moths were able to fly faster in polluted air to escape predators.
C. Dark moths outcompeted light moths for food by being active during the day.
D. Dark moths found mates for reproduction more easily than light moths.
A. Dark moths could blend in better and evade predators because of soot on the trees.
200
3. Which feature is characteristic of sexual reproduction but not of asexual reproduction?
A. Produces varied offspring
B. Creates new individuals
C. Involves a form of cell division
D. Requires one or more parents
A. Produces varied offspring
200
16. What is the primary function of the muscular system?
A. To enable hormone secretion in various body parts
B. To facilitate blood circulation throughout the body
C. To assist in gas exchange
D. To help the body maintain balance and movement
D. To help the body maintain balance and movement
200
17. Which statement serves as a specific example of how artificial selection is applied in society?
A. Pesticides used on plant-eating beetles result in a pesticide-resistant beetle population.
B. Two racehorses with desirable traits are bred to produce a superior racing horse.
C. Genes from a bacterial cell are inserted into a cell of an apple tree.
D. The nucleus from a cow's skin cell is placed into an egg cell of a female cow.
B. Two racehorses with desirable traits are bred to produce a superior racing horse.
300
9. What does the process of artificial selection entail?
A. An animal's genes experience a mutation that results in a specific trait.
B. Humans choose animals to breed for offspring with desired traits.
C. A new species is created through cloning and genetic recombination.
D. Animals mate randomly, leading to beneficial traits in their offspring.
B. Humans choose animals to breed for offspring with desired traits.
300
6. Jan is anticipating her cat's upcoming kittens and wonders how much they will resemble their mother. What best explains the physical similarities that kittens typically share with their mother?
A. They inherit some traits from the mother cat through sexual reproduction.
B. They are exact copies of the mother cat due to sexual reproduction.
C. They are clones of the mother cat as a result of asexual reproduction.
D. They share some characteristics with the mother cat, which are passed down through asexual reproduction.
A. They inherit some traits from the mother cat through sexual reproduction.
300
15. The respiratory system delivers oxygen to the blood while eliminating carbon dioxide. Which system directly interacts with the respiratory system to help maintain homeostasis?
A. The excretory system when it expels liquid waste as urea
B. The skeletal system when oxygen and glucose around the ribs are absorbed
C. The nervous system when the brain regulates breathing and heart rate
D. The digestive system when food is broken down for nutrients to support growth and repair
C. The nervous system when the brain regulates breathing and heart rate
300
The illustration below depicts the finches that Darwin examined on the Galapagos Islands in 1835. Use the image to respond to the questions that follow.
What accounts for the variation in beak shapes among these finches?
A. Environmental changes have modified the available food sources, enabling finches with appropriate beaks to thrive and reproduce.
B. Birds from various regions have migrated to mate with the finches, leading to the finches inheriting traits from other species.
C. The finches underwent artificial selection to develop distinct genetic traits.
D. The beaks of the finches altered shape as they matured from juveniles to adults.
A. Environmental changes have modified the available food sources, enabling finches with appropriate beaks to thrive and reproduce.
400
7. Which statement is always true for animals that result from sexual reproduction?
A. They receive nursing care from their mothers.
B. They inherit genetic material from two parents.
C. They are exact copies of one of their parents.
D. They hatch from eggs.
B. They inherit genetic material from two parents.
400
12. The image below showcases the offspring of a cat. Which characteristic of these offspring indicates that they were produced through sexual reproduction?
A. The diversity among the offspring
B. The quantity of the offspring
C. The size of the offspring
D. The shape of the offspring
A. The diversity among the offspring
400
10. The increase in hormone production during puberty is primarily a function of the—
A. skeletal system.
B. excretory system.
C. circulatory system.
D. endocrine system.
D. endocrine system.
400
8. The image displays a light-colored Peppered Moth alongside a dark-colored one. Before the Industrial Revolution in England, the light-colored moth was more prevalent, while the dark-colored moth was rare. Due to industrial pollution from coal burning, the dark moth population surged, making them the dominant form by the late 19th century. What is the most likely reason for the swift evolution of dark moths?
A. Dark moths could blend in better and evade predators because of soot on the trees.
B. Dark moths were able to fly faster in polluted air to escape predators.
C. Dark moths outcompeted light moths for food by being active during the day.
D. Dark moths found mates for reproduction more easily than light moths.
A. Dark moths could blend in better and evade predators because of soot on the trees.
500
11. What is a key advantage of sexual reproduction compared to asexual reproduction?
A. It introduces genetic variation, enhancing a species' survival rate amid environmental changes.
B. It is a more dependable reproduction method, as it requires finding a mate that is a good match for offspring.
C. It requires internal fertilization, which is simpler and consumes less energy than asexual reproduction.
D. It has a slower reproduction rate, reducing the likelihood of mutations in offspring.
A. It introduces genetic variation, enhancing a species' survival rate amid environmental changes.
500
5. After Jax fell and injured his knee, he noticed a hard film forming over the wound by the end of the day. After two weeks, the injury healed completely, and new skin formed over the area. Which bodily system was responsible for the repair that protected the soft tissues beneath Jax's skin?
A. Integumentary
B. Circulatory
C. Endocrine
D. Respiratory
A. Integumentary
500
The illustration below depicts the human skeletal system. Use the illustration to respond to the questions.
13. Referring to the illustration, what primary role do the bones of the skull serve in the skeletal system?
A. Producing proteins
B. Facilitating movement
C. Protecting tissues and organs
D. Connecting muscles to tissues
C. Protecting tissues and organs
500
The left side contains a photograph of two young water fleas inside a female water flea, positioned above her digestive tract. The right displays a photograph of a group of ducklings. Female water fleas can reproduce asexually by developing embryos without fertilization, while the ducklings result from sexual reproduction. Use the images to answer the questions that follow.
2. The young water fleas differ from the ducklings in that all the young water fleas produced through asexual reproduction are guaranteed to—
A. exhibit genetic diversity.
B. live to the same age.
C. possess identical DNA.
D. inhabit similar environments.
C. possess identical DNA.