1 The ability to grow in size is a characteristic of
living organisms. Although an icicle may grow in
size over time, it is considered nonliving because
there is
A an increase in matter, but no increase in the
number of icicles
B an interaction between the icicle and the
environment
C no way for the icicle to move away from heat
D no metabolic activity present
The diagram below represents a woodpecker
finch.
2 This bird may best be described as
A a decomposer that most likely feeds on
nectar (a sugary liquid) from flowers
B a heterotroph that may eat insects and is
more closely related to a robin than to an
earthworm
C a scavenger that feeds on animals and
reproduces asexually
D an autotroph that probes tree bark for
insects and is pathogenic
Base your answers to questions 3 and 4 on the
diagram below and on your knowledge of biology. The
diagram represents possible evolutionary pathways of
certain organisms.
3 Which species is most closely related to
species L?
AE
BG
CF
DI
4 Which statement can best be inferred based
on the information in the diagram?
A Natural selection occurs only as a result of
mutations.
B Natural selection requires a minimum of
5 million years to occur.
C Each new species that develops continues to
exist through present time.
D Some species that are no longer successful in
their environment may become extinct.
Biology Bucket #26
5 Researchers have reported that the number of
different species of fish found in certain areas of
the ocean has been greatly reduced over the past
50 years. This situation is an example of
A a loss of biodiversity
B an increase in ecological succession
C a lack of differentiation
D an increased carrying capacity
The arrows in the diagram below indicate the
development of four different varieties of vegetable
plants from wild mustard.
6 Each of these varieties was most likely produced
as a result of
A asexual reproduction in the wild for many years
B competition between plants
C changes in light availability
D selective breeding over many generations
The daphnia shown below has produced three
egg cells, eats live single-celled organisms, lives
in freshwater, and is caught and eaten by animals
known as hydra.
7 Which terms would most likely be used in a
description of this organism?
A asexual reproduction, herbivore, prey,
aquatic, heterotrophic
B sexual reproduction, predator, aquatic,
heterotrophic, prey
C asexual reproduction, autotrophic, predator,
terrestrial, scavenger
D sexual reproduction, carnivore, aquatic,
autotrophic, prey
8 Which types of organisms developed first due to
the early environmental conditions on Earth?
A prokaryotic and aerobic
B prokaryotic and anaerobic
C eukaryotic and aerobic
D eukaryotic and anaerobic
9 Both DNA and RNA
A contain phosphate
C are a double helix
B contain amino acids
D are inorganic
Base your answers to questions 10 through 11 on the
passage below and on your knowledge of biology.
A New Theory on Malaria Transmission
Plasmodium falciparum, one parasite that causes
malaria, spreads rapidly, infecting up to 500 million
people every year. Malaria spreads when an infected
mosquito bites an uninfected human, who then
becomes infected. This infected human is bitten by an
uninfected mosquito, which then becomes infected.
This infected mosquito then bites and infects an
uninfected human. Malaria transmission is
illustrated below.
Scientists have a new idea about how this disease
spreads. When the malaria parasite is passed to
humans through the bite of an infected mosquito,
there is a great possibility that this action alters the
chemical scent of the human. The altered human
body scent then attracts more uninfected mosquitoes,
which bite the infected person, thus spreading the
disease.
To test this hypothesis, an experiment was conducted
on humans infected with malaria. The results indicate
that malaria gametocytes (a stage of the parasite)
may trigger the production of chemicals that change
the scent of the human. The change in human scent
makes humans more appealing to mosquitoes.
Scientists are now studying ways to copy this chemical
scent for use in traps that would attract mosquitoes.
10 Which statement best describes the role of
gametocytes in the spread of malaria?
A They give off a scent that attracts infected
mosquitoes.
B They absorb human body scents that attract
mosquitoes.
C They release a scent into the human body.
D They cause a chemical reaction that alters
human scent.
11 Malaria is easily spread because uninfected
mosquitoes are attracted to
A humans without malaria
B humans infected with gametocytes
C gametocytes in other mosquitoes
D mosquitoes that are uninfected in a cell of the
digestive tract that produces a different enzyme
12 Which reproductive adaptation is more
characteristic of mammals than amphibians?
A external fertilization with internal development
B internal fertilization with internal development
C external fertilization with external development
D internal fertilization with external development
13 What kingdoms did Carolus Linnaeus
originally use for his classification system?
A Fungi and Protista
B Fungi and Animalia
C Plantae and Protista D Plantae and Animalia
14 Which kingdoms have photosynthetic organisms?
A fungi and plants
B fungi and protists
C protists and plants
D plants and animals
15 Which structure in the leaf controls
the opening and closing of the stoma?
A cuticle
B epidermis
C guard cell
D spongy mesophyll
Plants grow in various environments. Some plants, like
mangroves, grow in salty wetlands. Mangroves have
specialized structures that prevent salt from entering
their cells. Other mangroves have specialized glands
that can excrete excess salt.
16 Glands that excrete salt in the mangroves are
examples of
A meiosis
B osmosis
C adaptations
D successions
The table below provides information about nutrition
and cellular structure for organisms in different
kingdoms.
17 What information best completes the table?
A autotrophic, no, unicellular
B autotrophic, yes, multicellular
C heterotrophic, no, unicellular
D heterotrophic, yes, multicellular
18 A student is looking at a picture of a cell taken
through a microscope. The presence of which of the
following would indicate that the cell is eukaryotic?
A cytoplasm
B DNA
C nucleus
D plasma membrane
19 Which of the following characteristics is most
useful when classifying a eukaryote into a kingdom?
A how the organism feeds
B how the organism moves
C the organism’s color and mass
D the organism’s form and structure
20 Which situation indicates a serious organ system
malfunction?
A The ovary releases estrogen, which quickly
binds to cell receptors.
B Blood flow throughout the entire body is
suddenly reduced.
C White blood cells release enzymes in
response to the proteins on inhaled pollen.
D Mitochondria stop functioning in a unicellular
organism exposed to pollutants.