Biology End of Year Practice Tests

Biology End of Year Practice Tests

Heredity

Response options may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Demonstrating how the complementary DNA base pairing within genes determines the sequence of amino acids in a protein;

• Illustrating how non-Mendelian genetics affects inheritance (including Punnett squares);

• Predicting the probability of two traits in offspring given the parental genotypes;

• Comparing and contrasting the genetic makeup of two different types of cells in the same organism;

• Given chi-squared test data, making an inference about the inheritance of a set of genes;

• Demonstrating how sorting and recombination of genes in sexual reproduction and meiosis result in variation of traits in offspring;

• Explaining how gene mutations might impact organisms;

• Interpreting data from a real-world scenario involving biotechnology (e.g., gel electrophoresis, gene therapy, cloning);

• Explaining the importance of historical discoveries after Mendel to our understanding of the structure and function of DNA; • Explaining the scientific implications of a biotechnology (e.g., oil-eating bacteria);

• Given a scenario, making and justifying conclusions about the type of inheritance involved;

• Designing or conducting an investigation involving genetics and inheritance (e.g., fruit flies, fast plants, matching genes to traits);

• Explaining the effect that a gene mutation can have on protein synthesis or traits.

Distractors may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Common misconceptions:

o Mutations are all bad;

o Unrealistic idea of mutations;

o All mutations have effects;

o “Cloning” refers to only the whole organism;

o Each type of cell has unique genetic material;

o Male genes are always dominant;

o Dominant genes are more frequent in a population;

o Chromosomes are totally dominant or recessive;

o All dominant genes are advantageous.

Evolution

• Using mathematical reasoning related to the Hardy-Weinberg Law to explain or predict changes in a population;

• Predicting how factors affect evolution of a population or populations;

• Given evidence, determining the relatedness of groups;

• Comparing the survivability of traits between populations in different environments;

• Comparing evolutionary mechanisms illustrated in a variety of populations;

• Using mathematical reasoning related to Hardy-Weinberg’s Law to explain or predict changes in a population;

• Given data and/or a scenario, making and justifying a conclusion about evolutionary mechanisms in a population;

• Explaining how variations within populations in a changing environment can lead to evolution;

• Describing how speciation occurred in two related populations;

• Using examples to explain how evidence supports the theory of evolution;

• Given a real-world example, explaining and predict how a population has responded to environmental changes.

Distractors may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Common misconceptions:

o Evolution always results in new species;

o Non-genetic traits can be passed to offspring;

o Genetic traits can be acquired when needed or lost when not needed;

o Evolution happens to an individual;

o Individual organisms choose to evolve;

o Variation is a response to selection pressure;

o The “strongest” organisms survive.

Cells

Response options may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Interpreting graphs or data (e.g., temperature, pH, light, concentration) to explain the rate of enzyme activity in a cell;

• Explaining how the structure of cellular parts facilitates their function;

• Describing regulation of the cellular environment (e.g., homeostasis);

• Comparing organic molecules and their role in cells;

• Describing how photosynthesis and cellular respiration impact the concentration of chemicals in a system;

• Using a diagram of the basic stages of photosynthesis (light and dark reactions) identify the major reactants/products (CO2, H2O, ATP, O2, glucose) involved in each stage;

• Explaining how cell components work together to perform the functions of the cell;

• Analyzing graphs displaying data about enzyme activity and how that impacts a cell;

• Designing an experiment to determine the effect of external factors (e.g., pH, temperature, concentration) on the cellular function (e.g., transport, enzyme rate, photosynthesis, cellular respiration);

• Evaluating or improving the design of an industrial application of cellular processes (e.g., optimal environment for fermentation, genetically modified organisms).

Distractors may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Common misconceptions:

o Plant cells only produce oxygen;

o Only animal cells perform cellular respiration;

o Most of plants mass is from water or soil (gases have no mass);

o Oxygen is produced from the carbon dioxide in photosynthesis;

o Energy can be created by cellular processes;

o Molecules can only move downward;

o Equilibrium means no movement of molecules;

o Prokaryotic cells lack membranes;

o Only plant cells have cell walls;

o Plants are prokaryotic and animals are eukaryotic;

o All lipids are “bad.”

Diversity and Interdependence

• Using mathematical reasoning to interpret exponential or logistic growth models;

• Designing or simulating a population growth model by manipulating environmental conditions;

• Given population graphs or charts containing data, analyzing the history or predict the future of an ecosystem;

• Predicting the effect of geological, biological, or environmental changes on a population within an ecosystem (e.g., climate change, deforestation, human development);

• Completing cladograms to determine relationships among organisms;

• Predicting the effect of geological, biological, or environmental changes on a population within an ecosystem (e.g., climate change, deforestation, human development);

• Discussing the implications of technology or engineering on an ecosystem (e.g., power plant increasing water temperature);

• Using mathematical models to explain carrying capacity and homeostasis within ecosystems;

• Given a scenario, designing an experiment to predict the effect of several possible factors on the carrying capacity; • Using cladograms to compare and contrast the degree of relatedness between organisms.

Distractors may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Common misconceptions:

o Carrying capacity never changes;

o Environmental change is always responsible for genetic variation;

o Environmental changes are always detrimental;

o A stable ecosystem is graphically represented by a static horizontal line;

o All usable energy is conserved and passed on in a usable form in an ecosystem.

Questions:

1. Scientists are studying the protein in the Na+-K+ pump found in nerve and muscle cells from a pig. They are interested in learning how DNA and proteins from two different types of cells from the same organism compare to one another. Describe the results scientists should see if they test both cells for the presence of the gene that produces this protein in the Na+-K+ pump.Describe how protein synthesis is required to express the gene that produces this protein in the Na+-K+ pump.

1. Scientists study the evolutionary relationships of species to better understand the history of life on Earth. Describe two methods that scientists can use to determine whether two species (modern or extinct) are closely related.

1. A scientist isolates a number of non-photosynthetic prokaryotes.

Which structure would be found in these cells?

A. cell walls

B. chloroplast

C. golgi

D. nucleus

4.Which statement explains the effect of temperature on the rate of photosynthesis?

A. Oxygen molecules break down at temperatures above 25°C.

B. The rate of photosynthesis is unaffected by the temperature of the water.

C. The number of chloroplasts in the cell decreases as temperature increases.

D. Enzymes involved with plant photosynthesis are disrupted at temperaturesabove 25°C.

5.A scientist is examining a pedigree that includes several generations of anorganism with XX/XY chromosome sex determination.Which pattern of inheritance would support the hypothesis that the trait beingstudied is a recessive sex-linked trait found on the X chromosome?

A. The trait is only expressed in males who have a father with the trait.

B. The trait is expressed in half of the female organisms and all of themale organisms.

C. The trait is mostly expressed in males who have a maternal grandfather withthe trait.

D. The trait is mostly expressed in females who have a paternal grandmotherwith the trait.

A scientist is trying to determine the evolutionary relationships among species with very similar physical characteristics. One method to determine the relationships is by comparing amino acid sequences of proteins. Why would the scientist compare the amino acid sequences of proteins common to those similar species?

A. Amino acid sequence differences provide evidence of gene flow among the species.

B. Amino acid sequence differences reflect the accumulated differences in the DNA of the species.

C. Amino acid sequence differences are the only useful data for constructing accurate cladograms of the species.

D. Amino acid sequence differences are the result of mutations caused by different selection pressures experienced by the species.

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