EOCT Prep
• 1.
In 1850 there was a large snowshoe rabbit population in
Manitoba, Canada. Over the years, the winter coloration (the color of the rabbit's fur) of the surviving rabbit population changed. The graph shows the change in winter coloration of rabbits between 1850 to 2000. Based on the data, we could hypothesize that:
• A) the winters are longer in length.
• B) the snowshoe rabbit has migrated to another area.
• C) there is less snow on the ground during the winter.
• D) more snowshoe rabbit predators have moved into Manitoba.

ANSWER
• C) there is less snow on the ground during the winter.

EOCT Prep
2. In some freshwater organisms there is a structure called a contractile vacuole that regulates water movement into and out of the cell. What explains the existence of the CV?
• A)The CV prevents the organism from drying out.
• B) The CV assists the organism in capturing prey.
• C) The CV helps the organism move through the water.
• D) The CV helps the organism maintain osmotic pressure.

ANSWER
• D) The CV helps the organism maintain osmotic pressure.

EOCT Prep
3. James was sick, went to the doctor, and was diagnosed with a bacterial throat infection. His infection was treated with antibiotics. In a few days, James felt much better, but some resistant bacteria survived and, overnight, James was sick again. This time, he had to take a much stronger antibiotic.
The resistant bacterial cells illustrate what characteristic of life?
• A) All living things respond to stimuli.
• B) All living things maintain homeostasis.
• C) All living things adapt to changes in their environment.
• D) All living things contain genetic material and reproduce.

ANSWER
• C) All living things adapt to changes in their environment.

EOCT Prep
4. Strawberry plants typically reproduce by making runners, which are miniature versions of themselves, that grow off of the roots and stems of the parent. This type of vegetative reproduction is known as
• A) budding.
• B) pollination.
• C) fragmentation.
• D) binary fission.

• A) budding.
ANSWER

EOCT Prep
5. In a(n) ___________ecosystem, the numbers pyramid would be distorted.
• A) desert
• B) forest
• C) marsh
• D) ocean

ANSWER
• Explanation: A forest ecosystem contains fewer producers than consumers because, primarily, a tree has a lot of energy and biomass in a single organism. This would mean that the numbers pyramid would be distorted because usually we see many more numbers of producers than consumers at each succeeding trophic level.

EOCT Prep
6. In which of the following ecosystems would this organism
MOST LIKELY live?
• A) desert
• B) marine
• C) dry grassland
• D) freshwater wetland

• B) marine
ANSWER

EOCT Prep
7. All of the following biotechnological advances are possible EXCEPT one. That is the
• A) reproductive cloning of humans.
• B) production of transgenic animals.
• C) use of gene therapy to treat diseases.
• D) production of disease-resistant agricultural crops.

ANSWER
• A) reproductive cloning of humans.

EOCT Prep
8.This image shows four different finches Charles
Darwin found while on the
Galapagos Islands.
Which of these would be most adapted to eating small insects found in tiny holes of trees?
• A) Geopiza fortis
• B) Geopiza parvula
• C) Certhidea olivacea
• D) Geospiza magnirostris

ANSWER
• C) Certhidea olivacea

EOCT Prep
9. Which of these would be considered a learned behavior for dogs?
• A) sleeping when tired
• B) barking when hungry
• C) shivering when cold
• D) sitting when commanded

ANSWER
• D) sitting when commanded

EOCT Prep
10. According to Mendel’s law of dominance, we would expect
_________ percent of the offspring to have white flowers.
• A) 0
• B) 25
• C) 50
• D) 75
• R = red flowers r = white flowers

• B) 25
ANSWER

•
EOCT Prep
11. What type of biomolecule will be produced at the end of the process shown in the illustration?
• A) a fat
• B) a sugar
• C) a lipid
• D) a protein

• D) a protein
ANSWER

EOCT Prep
12. All of the statements about the nitrogen cycle are true EXCEPT one. That is
• A) lightning adds extra nitrogen molecules to the atmosphere and the cycle.
• B) adding man-made fertilizers to farm fields adds excess nitrogen to the cycle.
• C) bacteria located in the soil trap excess nitrogen and help to remove it from plant roots.
• D) although nitrogen is the most abundant atmospheric gas, plants cannot use it from the air.

ANSWER
• C) bacteria located in the soil trap excess nitrogen and help to remove it from plant roots.

EOCT Prep
13. In a eukaryotic cell, DNA is found in
• A) a vacuole.
• B) a nucleus.
• C) a cytoplasm.
• D) an endoplasmic reticulum

• B) a nucleus.
ANSWER

EOCT Prep
14. Facilitated diffusion and
________________ are alike since neither requires energy.
• A) endocytosis
• B) phagocytosis
• C) active transport
• D) simple diffusion

ANSWER
• D) simple diffusion

EOCT Prep
15. Which example illustrates commensalism and NOT mutualism?
• A) Hippo dung is eaten by a large species of catfish native to African lakes. The catfish typically follow the hippo herds.
• B) Cattle have protozoa living in their gut that digest cellulose. The cows are able to feed on grass, while the protozoa are sheltered inside the cow.
• C) Oxpeckers remove parasitic fly larvae from the skin of buffalo. In exchange, they are protected from predatory cats, who will not challenge a buffalo.
• D) Ants 'farm' aphid insects like cattle. Aphids suck the sap out of trees, which ants also feed on. In turn, the ants sting predators that attack the aphids.

ANSWER
• A) Hippo dung is eaten by a large species of catfish native to African lakes. The catfish typically follow the hippo herds.
• (This is commensalism. Hippos don't receive any benefit from the catfish, but are not harmed either.)

EOCT Prep
16. An increase in pesticide use has resulted in a decrease in the local blue jay population. What is the BEST explanation for the decreased blue jay population?
• A) Blue jay food supply increased.
• B) Blue jay food supply decreased.
• C) Many blue jays moved into the area.
• D) Infection with the pesticide destroyed most of the blue jay population.

ANSWER
• B) Blue jay food supply decreased.
• (With less insects, there is less food for the birds.)

EOCT Prep
17. A single strand of DNA contains the following nine nucleotides in this order:
ACT TAT GGA. What sequence of bases will be present on the complementary strand of DNA?
• A) UGA AUA CCT
• B) ACT TAT GGA
• C) ACU UAU GGA
• D) TGA ATA CCT

ANSWER
• D) TGA ATA CCT

EOCT Prep
18. Scientists find a particle only visible with an electron microscope and is the shape of a soccer ball. The particle is non-cellular but has a
DNA core. The core is enclosed in a protein coat and the coat has spike-like projections all over its surface. This must be a(n)
• A) archebacteria.
• B) eubacteria.
• C) protist.
• D) virus.

• D) virus.
ANSWER

EOCT Prep
19. Humans and bacteria live in a close relationship with one another. For example, the bacteria that dwell in the human large intestine helps to complete the digestive process. The organism gains nutrients and protection in our intestine.
• The relationship between humans and their digestive bacteria can be described as
• A) commensalism.
• B) competition.
• C) mutualism.
• D) predation.

• C) mutualism.
ANSWER

EOCT Prep
20. Which of these groups includes organisms that are MOST closely related?
• A) class
• B) family
• C) genus
• D) species

• D) species
ANSWER

EOCT Prep
21. Which piece of information would be useful to someone studying evolution, but also to someone trying to identify and classify an unknown organism that they think is new to science?
• A) A general biology book.
• B) A phylogenetic tree diagram.
• C) A copy of Darwin's book, 'On the Origin of Species'.
• D) A chart, showing the complete DNA sequence of the new organism.

ANSWER
• B) A phylogenetic tree diagram.

EOCT Prep
22. Which of the following groups of organisms are found in oceans and use stinging cells called cnidocytes to capture prey?
• A) cartilagenous fish
• B) coral
• C) mollusks
• D) segmented worms

• B) coral
ANSWER
The phylum Cnidaria includes a diverse group of about
10,000 living species.
The phylum includes many brightly colored and beautiful animals: jellyfish, sea anemones, sea fans, corals and hydras.

EOCT Prep
23. Scientists typically transgenically alter
________ to produce more desirable species.
• A) bacteria
• B) humans
• C) livestock
• D) plants

ANSWER
• D) plants
• (An example would be producing sweet, white corn from yellow, starchy cow corn.)

EOCT Prep
24. The products of cellular respiration include
• A) energy and oxygen.
• B) glucose and oxygen.
• C) carbon dioxide and water.
• D) glucose and carbon dioxide.

ANSWER
• C) carbon dioxide and water.

EOCT Prep
25. Cloning is huge advancement in the medical and genetic arena, but there is also much debate surrounding the practice. There are several concerns tied to this debate. Which of the following statements is a concern about cloning
?
• A) Cloning might produce greater understanding of the causes of miscarriages; this might lead to a treatment to prevent spontaneous abortions.
• B) Risk of abuse of the technology. There are powerful leaders in every generation who will seek to abuse this technology for their own purposes.
• C) Treatment for damage ot the brain or nervous system might be possible due to cloning since damaged nerve tissue in adults does not regenerate on its own.
• D) Cancer researchers believe that through cloning a method may be found to stop the division of a human ovum then a technique for terminating the growth of a cancer might be found.

ANSWER
• B) Risk of abuse of the technology. There are powerful leaders in every generation who will seek to abuse this technology for their own purposes.

EOCT Prep
26. Which technology allows strands of DNA to be transferred from the cells of one species into the cells of another species?
• A) gene splicing
• B) hormone growth
• C) binary fission
• D) gene cultivation

ANSWER
• A) gene splicing

EOCT Prep
27. Which of these pairs of body structures
BEST illustrates a homologous relationship?
• A) the leg of a horse and the leg of a dog
• B) the wing of a bat and the wing of a bird
• C) the fin of a dolphin and the fin of a shark
• D) the beak of a bird and the beak of a turtle

ANSWER
• A) the leg of a horse and the leg of a dog
• (Homologous structures are structures that may look different but develop from the same embryological tissues and indicate a close evolutionary relationship.)

EOCT Prep
28. flatworms crabs starfish
• These may all be classified as
• A) crustaceans.
• B) invertebrates.
• C) predators.
• D) vertebrates.

ANSWER
• B) invertebrates.

EOCT Prep
29. There are several sources of land or soil degredation. All BUT _________ is a cause of soil or land degredation.
• A) overgrazing
• B) over farming
• C) water erosion
• D) crop rotation

ANSWER
• D) crop rotation
• (The other choices all describe causes of land degredation, while crop rotation is a method used to conserve soil fertility.)

EOCT Prep
• 30. Compare the Venn diagram of sexual reproduction and asexual reproduction in plants. Where in the diagram would you add offspring different from parents ?
• A) A
• B) B
• C) C
• D) D

• A) A
ANSWER

EOCT Prep
31. Which of the following technological advances had positive impacts on diet and food distribution systems, but also had an adverse effect on the atmosphere when the system malfunctioned?
• A) gas stove
• B) refrigerator
• C) running water
• D) indoor plumbing

• B) refrigerator
ANSWER
• (The refrigerator not only revolutionized the food distribution industry and improved people's diet, but if gas escapes from the refrigeration unit the Earth's atmosphere is adversely effected.)

EOCT Prep
32. Some species in the weasel family, such as skunks, protect themselves by spraying a foul-smelling musk oil when threatened. Why would a spray defense be a useful mechanism for a species ?
• A) Predators would confuse the species with others that produce foul smells.
• B) Spray can turn a predator away before an individual is harmed.
• C) It is hard for other species to mimic a spraying defense.
• D) There is no known defense against foul-smelling sprays.

ANSWER
• B) Spray can turn a predator away before an individual is harmed.

EOCT Prep
33. Molecular biologists are using
__________ to directly manipulate genes for practical purposes.
• A) DNA cloning
• B) DNA polymerization
• C) genetic engineering
• D) bacteriophage infestation

ANSWER
• C) genetic engineering

EOCT Prep
34. The graph illustrates the relative activity levels of three common digestive enzymes. Which enzyme is most active at a neutral pH of 7?
• A) pepsin
• B) trypsin
• C) amylase
• D) pepsin and amaylase

• C) amylase
ANSWER

EOCT Prep
35. What adaptation allowed reptiles to reproduce on land?
• A) amniotic egg
• B) body scales
• C) clawed toes
• D) warm bloodedness

ANSWER
• A) amniotic egg

EOCT Prep
36. All of the following are effects of crossing over of homologous chromosomes during prophase I of meiosis with the EXCEPTION of
• A) increased genetic variety.
• B) increased number of chromosomes in the offspring.
• C) the appearance of new phenotypes in the offspring.
• D) possible harmful mutations from cross-over errors.

ANSWER
• B) increased number of chromosomes in the offspring.

EOCT Prep
37. If we were to compare the cells in the plant leaves to the cells in the plant roots, we would expect the leaf cells to contain many more
• A) chloroplasts.
• B) leucoplasts.
• C) nuclei.
• D) ribosomes.

ANSWER
• A) chloroplasts.

EOCT Prep
38. According to Darwin's theory of evolution, which organisms are BEST able to survive in nature?
• A) those with the best camouflage and coloration
• B) organisms that possess the greatest number of mutations
• C) those that possess characteristics acquired during their lifetime
• D) organisms that possess overall characteristics best suited to their environment

ANSWER
• D) organisms that possess overall characteristics best suited to their environment

EOCT Prep
39. Where might you find a biome that is known for its large herbivores, few trees, and fire-dependent ecology?
• A) Alaska.
• B) Arizona.
• C) Oklahoma.
• D) South Florida.

ANSWER
• C) Oklahoma. (It is a grassland)
• (Fires help in encouraging the growth of the prairie, preventing woody species into grasslands and controlling insects)

EOCT Prep
40. Tay-Sachs Disease (TSD) is a neurological disease that is autosomal recessive. If a mother and father are both unaffected carriers for this gene, what will be true of their offspring?
• A) All will be homozygous for the disease.
• B) All will be heterozygous for the disease.
• C) There is a 75% chance that each child would have the disease.
• D) There is a 25% chance that each child would have the disease.

ANSWER
• D) There is a 25% chance that each child would have the disease.
• (If the parents are heterozygous then it would be
25%)

EOCT Prep
41. The human heart, composed of specialized muscle cells, beats to a specific rhythm. The heart cell rhythm partly depends on the opening and closing of series of gateways within the cell membrane, called ion channels. Some channels let certain ions flow out, others let different ions flow in. The same membrane system is at work in other cells, helping to regulate what stays and what leaves the cell.
• This cell membrane gateway system is specifically called the
• A) sodium-chlorine pump.
• B) hydrogen-oxygen pump.
• C) sodium-potassium pump.
• D) calcium-potassium pump.

ANSWER
• C) sodium-potassium pump.

EOCT Prep
42. Pickles are cucumbers preserved in a brine solution containing dill, alum, and salt.
Cucumbers shrink to a fraction of their normal size in the pickle jar. This happens because of the relative salt content of the pickling solution, which is a(n) ___________ solution.
• A) osmotic
• B) hypotonic
• C) isotonic
• D) hypertonic

• D) hypertonic
ANSWER

EOCT Prep
43. A parasitic way of life can be best demonstrated by the feeding adaptations of the
• A) earthworm.
• B) leech.
• C) shark.
• D) spider

• B) leech.
ANSWER

EOCT Prep
44. An animal with thick layers of blubber, dense fur, the tendency to hibernate, and light coloration is well-adapted to the
_____________biome.
• A) tundra
• B) grassland
• C) chapparal
• D) temperate forest

• A) tundra
ANSWER

EOCT Prep
45. The phylogenetic tree illustrates the relationship between humans and our closest living relatives. The tree was based on biochemical comparisons, including DNA and amino acid sequences.
•
What statement COULD we make about the four species based on the phylogenetic tree?
•
A) Humans are in no way similar to the other three organisms.
• B) The is no evidence of any connection between the four organisms.
• C) The orangutan has nothing in common with the other three organisms.
• D) The four have molecular similarities, but have their own unique traits.

ANSWER
• D) The four have molecular similarities, but have their own unique traits

EOCT Prep
46. The figure shows an energy pyramid for an ecosystem.
What happens to the amount of energy in the pyramid as it moves up through the different levels?
• A) It increases by a factor of about 10%.
• B) It decreases by a factor of about 90%.
• C) It increases by a factor of about 90%.
• D) It decreases by a factor of about 10%.

ANSWER
• B) It decreases by a factor of about 90%.
• (Only about 10% of the energy makes it from one level of an energy pyramid to the next. 90% of the energy is used for metabolism, etc.)

EOCT Prep
47. A biology student is using illustrations of a virus, a bacteria, an amoeba, and a human skin cell to show the relative size of these microscopic objects. Which of these is the smallest microscopic object?
• A) virus
• B) amoeba
• C) bacteria
• D) human skin cell

• A) virus
ANSWER

EOCT Prep
48. Which of these statements is true about plant and animal cells during the process of cell division?
• A) Both animal and plant cells develop a cell plate.
• B) Both animal and plant cells develop a cleavage furrow.
• C) Plant cells develop a cell plate while animal cells develop a cleavage furrow.
• D) Animal cells develop a cell plate while plant cells develop a cleavage furrow.

ANSWER
• C) Plant cells develop a cell plate while animal cells develop a cleavage furrow.

EOCT Prep
49. Sea stars (starfish) can reproduce asexually by fragmentation if their arms are cut off, or sexually by releasing sperm and eggs into the water. Which of these is the major difference between asexual and sexual reproduction in sea stars ?
• A) The chromosome number is reduced in sea stars during asexual reproduction.
• B) The number of chromosomes is increased in sea stars during sexual reproduction.
• C) The appearance of the sea stars is changed as a result of asexual reproduction.
• D) There is genetic variation in the sea stars as a result of sexual reproduction.

ANSWER
• D) There is genetic variation in the sea stars as a result of sexual reproduction.

EOCT Prep
50. Since the early 1990s, geneticists have produced
____________ crops that yield fruits and vegetables commonly found in U.S. supermarkets.
• A) large harvest
• B) genetically modified
• C) mutationally induced
• D) transgenically reduced

ANSWER
• B) genetically modified

EOCT Prep
51. White bunnies are a common sight on farms and in pet stores. Why are these domestic white rabbits uncommon in the wild?
• A) Domestic white rabbits and wild brown rabbits are different rabbit species.
• B) Genetically, it is impossible for two brown rabbits to produce white offspring.
• C) Domestic white rabbits are the result of selective breeding and are rarely found in the wild.
• D) White rabbits are as common in the wild as on farms, but they hide better than brown rabbits to avoid predators.

ANSWER
• C) Domestic white rabbits are the result of selective breeding and are rarely found in the wild.

EOCT Prep
52. Scientists believe that the first life forms to appear on planet Earth were probably similar to which modern organisms?
• A) viruses
• B) bacteria
• C) plant cells
• D) animal cells

• B) bacteria
ANSWER

EOCT Prep
53. There are many different ecological and environmental conservation methods.
Which of the following is not a conservation method?
• A) water harvesting
• B) fishing seasons and limits
• C) limiting of clear cutting of forests
• D) wind and wave erosion on coastal areas

ANSWER
• D) wind and wave erosion on coastal areas

EOCT Prep
54. If the somatic cells of a human contain
46 chromosomes, then after meiosis new sex cells would contain _____ chromosomes.
• A) 23
• B) 46
• C) 64
• D) 92

• A) 23
ANSWER

EOCT Prep
55. Which organisms have the most energy available to them?
• A) birds or omnivores
• B) plants or producers
• C) fungi or decomposers
• D) animals or carnivores

ANSWER
• B) plants or producers

EOCT Prep
• 56. How would global warming change the water cycle and the climate around bodies of water , like oceans and lakes?
• A) Warmer temperatures would cause in a drier, hotter climate.
• B) Warmer temperatures would cause more precipitation and less run-off.
• C) Warmer temperatures would cause more evaporation and more precipitation.
• D) Warmer temperatures would cause more evaporation and much less ground water.

ANSWER
• C) Warmer temperatures would cause more evaporation and more precipitation.

EOCT Prep
57. During the early stages of meiosis, two chromosomes in a homologous pair may exchange segments, producing genetic variation in sex cells. This process of exchange is called
• A) transcription.
• B) crossing over.
• C) nondisjunction.
• D) genetic shuffling.

ANSWER
• B) crossing over.

EOCT Prep
58. The governor of New York calls a press conference to address a major environmental problem in the state. In his speech, he mentions that pine forests in upstate New York are turning brown and dying, that fish in upstate rivers are being found dead on the shore, the soil quality all over the state is suffering, and that the metal in buildings in New York City is corroding.
• What environmental problem likely caused these all of these problems?
• A) Smog from city areas is causing acid rain.
• B) Global warming causes all of these problems.
• C) The groundwater has become polluted from city runoff.
• D) There is a hole in the ozone layer over New York state.

ANSWER
• A) Smog from city areas is causing acid rain.

EOCT Prep
59. Which of these organic molecules functions to help speed up biological chemical reactions?
• A) lipids
• B) proteins
• C) nucleic acids
• D) carbohydrates

ANSWER
• B) proteins
• *Remember- Enzymes are Proteins*

EOCT Prep
60. The early ancestors of the horse (shown in the picture) were adapted to life in tropical forests. Gradually the forests disappeared and were replaced with open grasslands.
Because of the gradual change in habitat, modern horses
• A) have five toes that allow them to walk well on soft ground.
• B) are herbivores instead of carnivores like their early ancestors.
• C) are taller with long legs and are capable of great speed to escape predators.
• D) have gradually grown larger, but show no major changes from the early ancestors.

ANSWER
• C) are taller with long legs and are capable of great speed to escape predators.