Human Impact
A pesticide that kills an insect by interfering with the production of proteins in the insect would most directly affect the activity of:
A) ribosomes
B) minerals
C) chloroplasts
D) mitochondria
A) ribosomes
The buildup of waste products in muscle cells that are active might cause
A) digestion
B) cellular respiration
C) increased fatigue
D) decreased heart rate
C) increased fatigue
A structure involved in regulating the movement of materials into a cell is the
A) ribosome
B) centriole
C) Golgi complex
D) cell membrane
D) cell membrane
A change in genetic material that produces a variation in a species may be a result of
A) a mutation
B) competition
C) overproduction of a species
D) a struggle for survival
A) a mutation
Comparisons between species can be done using both structural and molecular evidence. An example of using structural evidence is comparing
A) seed characteristics
B) enzyme characteristics
C) amino acid sequences
D) DNA banding patterns
A) seed characteristics
Cutting down a rain forest and planting agricultural crops, such as coffee plants, would most likely result in
A) a decrease in biodiversity
B) an increase in the amount of energy recycled
C) a decrease in erosion
D) an increase in the amount of photosynthesis
A) a decrease in biodiversity
Photosynthesis and cellular respiration both involve the gases carbon dioxide and oxygen.
Which statement best identifies how these gases are involved in the two processes?
A) Photosynthesis and cellular respiration both use carbon dioxide and release oxygen.
B) Cellular respiration uses oxygen and releases carbon dioxide, while photosynthesis uses carbon dioxide and releases oxygen.
C) Cellular respiration uses carbon dioxide and releases oxygen, while photosynthesis uses oxygen and releases carbon dioxide.
D) Photosynthesis and cellular respiration both use oxygen and release carbon dioxide.
B) Cellular respiration uses oxygen and releases carbon dioxide, while photosynthesis uses carbon dioxide and releases oxygen.
Which cell structure is correctly paired with its primary function?
A) ribosome–protein synthesis
B) mitochondrion–movement
C) vacuole–cell division
D) nucleus–storage of nutrients
A) ribosome–protein synthesis
The sequence of amino acids that make up a molecule is determined by the sequence of
A) nitrogenous bases in DNA
B) sugars in RNA
C) cytoplasmic genes in the nucleus
D) ribosomes on the endoplasmic reticulum
A) nitrogenous bases in DNA
If scientists wanted to study the physical characteristics of an extinct animal that once lived in a specific area, the best source of information would be to investigate
A) plants living in habitats similar to those of long ago
B) the producer organisms living in that area at the current time
C) the animals that live in that area today
D) the fossil record of that area
D) the fossil record of that area
What will most likely happen if the human population continues to grow at current rates?
A) There will be fewer natural resources available for future generations.
B) There will be an increase in nitrogen levels in the atmosphere.
C) There will be a decrease in water pollution.
D) There will be an increase in the number of strong hurricanes.
A) There will be fewer natural resources available for future generations.
Cell membranes inside the cells that line the stomach pump hydrogen ions from areas of low concentration inside the cells to areas of higher concentration outside the cells.
Which activity produces the ATP that makes this pumping possible?
A) cellular respiration
B) active transport
C) carbohydrate digestion
D) enzyme synthesis
A) cellular respiration
The removal of a short sequence of bases from a gene would most directly affect the
A) diffusion of materials into a cell
B) shape of a protein molecule
C) pH of the cytoplasm
D) size of a cell’s nucleus
B) shape of a protein molecule
Energy drinks have become increasingly popular. Some of these drinks contain large amounts of caffeine, which is known to increase heart rates in most individuals. This effect on the heart rate can be dangerous because it can lead to
A) a disruption in the absorption of starch
B) an increase in blood volume
C) a decrease in oxygen levels
D) an imbalance in homeostasis
D) an imbalance in homeostasis
The first species of finch to inhabit the Galapagos Islands thousands of years ago was most likely an insect eater. Today, finch species on these islands feed on a great variety of plants and animals. One early event that probably occurred that led to this feeding diversity was that
A) members of the ancestral finch species had to decide if they would be better off feeding on seeds rather than on relatively scarce insect species
B) some of the finch ancestors were born with beaks that were different from the beaks of other finches, and could eat both insects and seeds
C) some members of the ancestral species that fed on insects began to die off, leaving few offspring
D) another species of bird, a seed eater, arrived on the islands and began to breed with members of the ancestral species
B) some of the finch ancestors were born with beaks that were different from the beaks of other finches, and could eat both insects and seeds
An invasive species, the spiny water flea, was recently found in a New York lake. These water fleas eat zooplankton, a food also consumed by native fishes. The fleas spread from lake to lake by attaching to fishing lines, anchor ropes, and boats.
Which statement best describes the effect of the water flea on the lake?
A) It will not compete with animals in the local food chain.
B) It will feed on organisms that are important to other species.
C) The number of water fleas will decrease due to a lack of food.
D) There will be no effect on native species in the lake.
B) It will feed on organisms that are important to other species.
Which statement best describes a change that usually takes place in the human body when the heart rate increases as a result of exercise?
A) More oxygen is delivered to muscle cells.
B) Blood cells are excreted at a faster rate.
C) The rate of digestion increases.
D) No hormones are produced
A) More oxygen is delivered to muscle cells.
Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disease characterized by weakness of the skeletal muscles. It occurs when normal communication between nerve and muscle cells is interrupted. The weakness is likely due to
A) the lack of ATP in the muscle caused by a decrease of available carbon dioxide
B) the brain failing to send the proper hormone signal to vacuoles within muscle cells
C) the failure of receptor molecules on the muscle to receive the chemical produced by nerve cells
D) the ribosomes in the muscle cells failing to produce enough sugar for muscle contraction
C) the failure of receptor molecules on the muscle to receive the chemical produced by nerve cells
Which structure is correctly paired with its function?
A) ovary — provides milk for newborns
B) testis — development of sperm
C) placenta — storage of released eggs
D) uterus — produces estrogen
B) testis — development of sperm
Dinosaur Extinction
The hypothesis that an asteroid strike led to the mass extinction of dinosaurs is widely accepted. It is understood that the asteroid strike caused a massive and quick shift in Earth’s temperature and blocked much of the sunlight. While devastating for the dinosaurs, this dramatic event provided opportunities for other species. For example, surviving birds and mammals underwent a time of rapid evolution, which led to the thousands of birds and mammal species present on Earth today.
Describe one way the temporary blocking of the sunlight could have impacted the survival of the dinosaurs.
Acceptable responses include, but are not limited to:
— Less sunlight would reduce plant growth, so the dinosaurs would have less food.
— It was colder, so the plants the dinosaurs ate died.
— Dinosaurs were not adapted to the changed environment, so they did not survive.
Humans have altered ecosystems by activities that are sometimes deliberate and sometimes accidental. In the United States, humans have altered ecosystems by introducing invasive species that outcompete native species.
Which activity resulted in the accidental introduction of an invasive species?
A) importing Japanese knotweed because it has an attractive flower
B) transporting zebra mussels to the Great Lakes by discharging water taken on in European ports
to stabilize large ships
C) releasing Chinese mitten crabs in the Hudson River to establish them as a food source
D) planting purple loosestrife that was brought here from Europe as a source of medicine
B) transporting zebra mussels to the Great Lakes by discharging water taken on in European ports to stabilize large ships
Which process illustrates a feedback mechanism in plants?
A) Chloroplasts take in more nitrogen, which increases the rate of photosynthesis.
B) Chloroplasts release more oxygen in response to a decreased rate of photosynthesis.
C) Guard cells change the size of leaf openings, regulating the exchange of gases.
D) Guard cells release oxygen from the leaf at night.
C) Guard cells change the size of leaf openings, regulating the exchange of gases.
Many adults lack the ability to digest the milk sugar, lactose. Often, this is due to the insufficient production of the enzyme lactase, which breaks down lactose. This is not due to an allergy to milk.
Milk allergies are different because they
A) are often not harmful to the person
B) result in a build-up of the substance in the body
C) are the result of the digestive system attacking the substance
D) result from an overreaction of the immune system to a harmless substance
D) result from an overreaction of the immune system to a harmless substance
Sickle-cell anemia is an inherited disease that occurs mainly in people from parts of Africa where malaria is common. It is caused by a gene mutation that may be harmful or beneficial. A person with two mutant genes has sickle-cell disease. The hemoglobin of a person with sickle-cell disease twists red blood cells into a crescent shape. These blood cells cannot circulate normally. Symptoms of the disease include bleeding and pain in bones and muscles. People with sickle-cell disease suffer terribly in childhood and, until modern medicine offered treatment, most of them died before reproducing. An individual who has one mutant gene is protected from malaria because the gene changes the hemoglobin structure in a way that speeds removal of malaria-infected cells from circulation. A person with two normal genes has perfectly good red blood cells, but lacks resistance to malaria.
Define the term mutation.
Mutation = changes in the genetic code
There are two different species of finch that live on the same small island, species A and species B. Both species successfully feed and reproduce on the island. Species A nests in pine trees and eats large seeds. Species B nests in hollowed-out dead logs and eats small insects.
A third species of finch, species C, migrates to the island. It nests in pine trees and eats small insects. Predict what most likely will happen to the populations of both species A and species B if species C successfully survives on the island.
Support your answer.
Possible responses include:
- Both species A and species B will decrease in number, since species C competes with each of them.
- Species A will compete with species C for nesting sites and species B will compete for food. Therefore, the populations of both A and B will decrease.
-Both will survive if there are adequate resources.