Core questions for 10th grade biology

Scientific method

  1. Which of the following observations is qualitative and not quantitative?
  2. Surveying the size of a goose population.
  3. Observing the nocturnal behavior of coyote populations.
  4. Recording the date when goose migrations begin every year.
  5. Counting the number of goose nests that are robbed of eggs in an area.
  1. What is true of all hypotheses?
  2. They are true.
  3. They are false.
  4. They are testable.
  5. They are indisputable.
  1. In an experiment, what happens to the control group?
  2. It receives no experimental treatment.
  3. It receives experimental treatment last.
  4. It receives experimental treatment first.
  5. It receives more experimental treatments than the other groups.
  1. In a controlled experiment, what do scientists measure?
  2. how many dependent variables they have
  3. how many independent variables they have
  4. how the dependent variables change in response to changes in the independent variable
  5. how the independent variables change in response to changes in the dependent variable
  1. Regarding the scientific method, which statement is false?
  2. Hypotheses are proven as absolutely true or false.
  3. The control is not subjected to the experimental variable.
  4. Statistical tests may be used to analyze the results of the experiment.
  5. Results of the experiment are often summarized in a graph or table.
  1. Which of the following is true about theories and hypotheses?

a.A hypothesis is highly tested, but a theory is not testable.

b.A hypothesis is a general explanation, but a theory is a specific prediction.

c.One hypothesis can lead to many theories.

d.Several related hypotheses can be incorporated into a theory

7. Each of the following steps is involved in scientific thought except

a. questioning ideas.

b. evaluating bias.

c. making observations.

d. expressing your personal opinions.

8. List the following steps of the scientific method in order from first (1) to last (4):

____ Collect experimental data

____ Making a hypothesis

____ Analyze the data

____ Make an observation

9. Look at the graph below. What is the dependent variable? What is the independent variable?

Use the table below to answer question 10.

Students’ Observations of a Pond Ecosystem

Quantitative / Qualitative
37 fish and 3 frogs / Leaves lie on the bottom of the pond
2 types of aquatic grass / Water insects move along the water’s surface
12 small rocks and 1 medium rock / All 3 frogs are sitting on a pond bank
sand
  1. A group of students measured a ten-square-meter section of a pond ecosystem and recorded observations. Which statement is a testable hypothesis?
  2. The frogs living in the pond represent a population.
  3. Water is an abiotic component in the pond ecosystem.
  4. If the fish are given more food, then they will be happier.
  5. If the frogs are startled, then they will jump into the water.

Introduction to biology

  1. Which level of biological organization is composed of tissues?
  2. Cell
  3. Organ
  4. Molecule
  5. Atom
  1. Look at the pictures below of the cheetahs and the paramecium ( a single-celled organism). Then answer the question that follows.

Which of the following statements about the cheetahs and paramecium is false?

  1. These organisms respond to their environment.
  2. The cells of these organisms have the same basic structure.
  3. Homeostasis and metabolism are important for the cheetah but not for a paramecium.
  4. Reproduction means that the organisms will be able to produce more of their own kind.
  1. We sent an unmanned spacecraft to another planet to detect other life forms that might be quite different from those on earth. If the probe can only send back one still picture, which property of life would be most evident?
  2. Organization
  3. Homeostasis
  4. Growth and development
  5. Response to stimuli
  1. The smallest unit that has all of the characteristics of life is the
  2. Cell
  3. Tissue
  4. Organ
  5. Organism
  1. Autotrophs obtain energy through ______, while heterotrophs obtain energy through ______.
  2. photosynthesis, food eaten
  3. decomposition, reproduction
  4. food eaten, photosynthesis
  5. reproduction, decomposition
  1. Growth and/or development is not observed in the human organism during
  2. childhood
  3. adolescence.
  4. repair of an injury.
  5. death.
  1. Which of the following is NOT an example of a response to a stimulus?
  2. A plant growing towards the sunlight.
  3. A caterpillar changing into a butterfly.
  4. The pupil of the eye changes in size with changes in light intensity.
  5. Stingers are discharged from the tentacles of a jellyfish when touched.
  1. Give one advantage each of sexual and asexual reproduction.
  1. Using a butterfly as an example, compare and contrast the processes of growth and development.
  1. Define homeostasis and give two examples of homeostasis in living things.

Biochemistry

  1. Proteins are a major part of every living cell and have many different functions within each cell. Carbohydrates also perform numerous roles in living things.

Part 1. Describe how the structures of proteins differ from the structures of carbohydrates.

Part II. Describe how the functions of proteins and carbohydrates differ.

  1. In the picture below, is one of many water molecules that would be found in a beaker of water.

***Hand-draw picture***

Part I. Draw 3 additional water molecules surrounding the one given. Each molecule drawn must be properly oriented to the molecule given.

Part II. Draw a box around 1 possible hydrogen bond in the above diagram.

Part III. Draw a box around a covalent bond in the above diagram.

Part IV. Label the partial charges on both hydrogens and the oxygen on one molecule.

  1. Which of the following organic molecules can never be used as a source of energy?
  2. Carbohydrates
  3. Lipids
  4. Proteins
  5. Nucleic acids
  1. Match the following organic molecules to the appropriate structures.
  2. Carbohydrate
  3. Lipid
  4. Protein

  1. Match the monomer to the appropriate polymer. Write the letter of the monomers beside the corresponding polymer.

  1. Amino acid
  2. Monosaccharide
  3. Fatty acid & glycerol
  4. Nucleotide
  1. Lipid ___
  2. Carbohydrate ___
  3. Nucleic acids ___
  4. Proteins ___
  1. Which statement is correct regarding acids and bases?
  2. Acids increase the pH and bases decrease the pH.
  3. Acids release hydrogen (H+) ions [or hydronium (H3O+) ions] and bases release hydroxide (OH-) ions.
  4. Acids are harmful but bases are not harmful.
  5. Acids combine with bases to form sugars.
  1. Which of the following is NOT a main component of living cells?
  2. Aluminum
  3. Hydrogen
  4. Carbon
  5. Nitrogen
  1. Which word association is NOT correct?
  2. Nucleic acid – DNA
  3. Carbohydrate – steroid
  4. Lipid – long-term energy storage
  5. Protein –enzyme
  1. Compounds are formed when
  2. atoms of an element lose an electron.
  3. atoms of an element gain an electron.
  4. atoms of the same element join together.
  5. atoms of two different elements join together.
  1. What allows you to fill a glass of water above the rim without the water spilling over the edge?
  2. Cohesion of water molecules.
  3. Breaking of the ionic bonding of water.
  4. Balance between H+ and OH- ions.
  5. The vibrational movements of water molecules.

Cell structure and function

  1. Which statement best describes a difference between prokaryotic cells and eukaryotic cells?
  2. The presence of both DNA and ribosomes in prokaryotic cells indicates that they are more complex than eukaryotic cells.
  3. The larger size of prokaryotic cells indicates than they are more complex than eukaryotic cells.
  4. The presence of membrane-bound organelles in eukaryotic cells indicates that they are more complex than prokaryotic cells.
  5. The larger size of eukaryotic cells indicates than they are more complex than prokaryotic cells.
  1. Ribosome : protein synthesis :: nucleus :
  2. Controlling cell activities.
  3. energy release.
  4. nutrient storage.
  5. protein transport.
  1. According to the cell theory,
  2. the smallest unit of life is a nucleus.
  3. animals but not plants are composed of cells.
  4. a multicellular organism is composed of many cells.
  5. new cells arise only from pre-existing cells.
  1. Which is not a correct association of organelles and functions?
  2. Lysosome–intracellular digestion
  3. Cell wall – regulation of molecule passage in and out of animal cells
  4. Vacuole – storage
  5. Golgi apparatus (bodies) – packing materials for transport
  1. If an active cell produces a material that will later be sent out of the cell, which is the correct sequence of organelles through which that material would travel?
  2. ER  ribosomes  golgi apparatus
  3. Ribosome  ER  golgi apparatus
  4. ER  golgi apparatus  ribosome
  5. Golgi  ER  ribosome
  1. Both plant and animal cells have mitochondria because they both
  2. carry out photosynthesis.
  3. have a large central vacuole.
  4. have endoplasmic reticulum.
  5. need ATP for energy.
  1. Considering the history of microscopy, which of these organelles would have been discovered first?
  2. Ribosome
  3. Nucleus
  4. Lysosome
  5. ER
  1. Considering the measures of surface area and volume, explain why our bodies are composed of trillions of very small cells rather than a few hundred very large cells.
  1. Besides the mitochondria, identify one similarity and two differences between plant and animal cells.
  1. Explain why complex organisms tend to be multicellular as opposed to unicellular.

Cell Membrane and Transport

  1. Why are phospholipids ideal for making up the selectively permeable cell membrane?
  2. They repel small ions
  3. They react readily with water molecules
  4. They form triple layers that insulate the cell
  5. They have a nonpolar and polar region
  1. A cell begins to swell when placed in an unknown solution. What can you conclude about the solution?
  2. The solution is isotonic
  3. The solution is hypotonic
  4. The solution is saturated
  5. The solution is hypertonic
  1. The movement of molecules against the concentration gradient requires the use of energy from what molecule?
  2. ATP
  3. mRNA
  4. Protein
  5. Lipid
  1. Proteins DO NOT easily pass through the phospholipid bilayer of cell membranes because
  2. The membrane is made of protein
  3. They contain nitrogen
  4. They are very large molecules
  5. They cause digestion of the cell
  1. Once a solute and solvent are evenly distributed in a solution, they will
  2. Stop moving about
  3. Move back toward a concentration of the solvent
  4. Continue to move about but with no net movement to higher concentration
  5. Be totally out of equilibrium

  1. Using the above diagram and assuming K+ ions readily cross the cell membrane, which statement best describes the movement of the K+ ions.
  2. Bottom to top
  3. Top to bottom
  4. Equally in both directions
  5. The cell is already at equilibrium

  1. Use the above diagram to answer the following question:

Which component of this plasma membrane contains a hydrophobic region and acts as the primary barrier to most foreign substances.

  1. Protein
  2. Cholesterol
  3. Carbohydrate chain
  4. Phospholipid bilayer
  1. Which of the following terms includes all of the others
  2. Pinocytosis
  3. Endocytosis
  4. Active transport
  5. Phagocytosis
  1. Compare and contrast active and passive transport in terms of energy use and concentration gradient
  1. Differentiate between diffusion and osmosis by giving an example of each.

Cell Reproduction

  1. Using the above diagram, which event most likely occurs next in the cell cycle
  2. The chromatin condenses
  3. The nuclear envelope dissolves
  4. The chromosomes double in number
  5. The cell membrane pinches inward to divide the cytoplasm
  1. Mitosis and meiosis are processes by which animal and plant cells divide. Which statement best describes a difference between mitosis and meiosis?
  2. Meiosis is a multi step process
  3. Mitosis occurs only in eukaryotic cells
  4. Meiosis is used in the repair of an organism
  5. Mitosis produces genetically identical daughter cells
  1. What might happen if cytokinesis was omitted from the cell cycle
  2. The daughter cells would die
  3. The cell would lose its mitochondria
  4. The daughter cells would not have nuclei
  5. The cell would not divide into two daughter cell
  1. If the total number of chromosomes in a cell is 6, then after mitosis there will be
  2. 6 chromosomes in each daughter cell
  3. 3 chromosomes in each daughter cell
  4. 12 chromosomes in each daughter cell
  5. 2 chromosomes in each daughter cell, one from each parent
  1. If the total number of chromosomes in a cell is 6, then after meiosis there will be
  2. 6 chromosomes in each daughter cell
  3. 3 chromosomes in each daughter cell
  4. 12 chromosomes in each daughter cell
  5. 2 chromosomes in each daughter cell, one from each parent
  1. In meiotic cell division, which phase is not repeated
  2. Interphase
  3. Prophase
  4. Metaphase
  5. Cytokinesis
  1. Using 3 of the boxes on the diagram above correctly label fertilization, meiosis and mitosis.
  1. Which of the following increases genetic variation during meiosis?
  2. Spindle fiber formation
  3. Crossing over
  4. Condensing of chromatin into chromosomes
  5. Centromere formation
  1. In terms of chromosome number why is meiosis (instead of mitosis) used to produce gametes?
  1. Contrast cytokinesis in animal and plant cells.

DNA and Protein Synthesis

  1. A mutation occurs at the midpoint of a gene, altering all amino acids encoded after thepoint of mutation. Which mutation could have produced this change?
  2. Deletion of two nucleotides
  3. Deletion of three nucleotides
  4. Insertion of six nucleotides
  5. Insertion of twelve nucleotides
  1. Look at the picture below. Which of the following correctly identifies the processes occurring at A and B?
  2. replication and transcription
  3. transcription and translation
  4. translation and transcription
  5. transcription and replication
  1. If a species contains 23% adenine in its DNA, what is the percentage of guanine it would contain?
  2. 46%
  3. 25%
  4. 23%
  5. 27%
  1. Which is most directly responsible for the sequence of amino acids in a protein?
  2. The sequence of codons in mRNA.
  3. The number of codons in mRNA.
  4. The proteins associated with rRNA.
  5. The sequence of the anti-codons.

Questions 65–66 refer to the mRNA sequence CUC–AAG–UGC–UUC and the table below, which lists mRNA codons.

65. Which of the following would represent the sequence of DNA from which the mRNA sequence was made?

a.CUC–AAG–UGC–UUC

b.GAG–UUC–ACG–AAG

c.GAG–TTC–ACG–AAG

d.AGA–CCT–GTA–GGA

66. Which of the following represents the portion of the protein molecule coded for by the mRNA sequence above?

a.serine–tyrosine–arginine–glycine

b.valine–aspartic acid–proline–histidine

c.leucine–lysine–cysteine–phenylalanine

d.glutamic acid–phenylalanine–threonine–lysine

67. What is the control variable in this experiment?

a. No hormone

b. Hormone A

c. Hormone B

d. Hormone A and B

68. What can you conclude about the effect Hormone B has on the rate of gene transcription compared to the control treatment?

a. It increases gene transcription rate.

b. It decreases gene transcription rate.

c. It does not change gene transcription rate compared to the control.

d. It has a smaller effect on transcription rate than Hormone A does.

69. Explain how RNA differs from DNA.

70. Compare the roles of mRNA and tRNA in the making of a protein.

Genetics

71. A scientist observes that a certain trait is determined by a single allele. An organism

inherited one version of the trait from one parent and another version from the other

parent. Both versions of the trait are expressed in the phenotype of the offspring. Which

pattern of inheritance best classifies the observed trait?

  1. dominance
  2. sex-linkage
  3. co-dominance
  4. incomplete dominance

72. An organism that has inherited two of the same alleles of a gene from its parents is ______for that trait.

a. hereditary

b. heterozygous

c. homozygous

d. hemizygous

73. If a characteristic is X-linked, it

a. occurs mostly in males.

b. occurs only in males.

c. occurs mostly in females.

d. occurs only in females.

Questions 74–75 refer to the figure below, which shows a cross between two
rabbits. In rabbits, black fur (B) is dominant to brown fur (b).

74. The fur in both of the parents in the cross is

a.black.

b.brown.

c. homozygous dominant.

d.homozygous recessive.

75. The phenotype of the offspring indicated by Box 3 would be

a.brown.

b.a mixture of brown and black.

c.black.

d.The phenotype cannot be determined.

76. If an individual with a dominant phenotype is crossed with an individual with a recessive phenotype, four of their nine offspring show the recessive phenotype. What is the genotype of the first parent?

a. AA

b. Aa

c. aa

d. The answer cannot be determined from this information.

77. If the genotype of an organism is YySsTt, then yST would represent

  1. the genotype of the offspring.
  2. a possible phenotype of the offspring.
  3. a gamete of the parent.
  4. a possible zygote.

78. A man with blood type AB could not be the father of a child with

a. blood type A.

b. blood type B.

c. blood type AB.

d. blood type O.

79. Crossing a snapdragon that has red flowers with one that has white flowers produces a snapdragon that has pink flowers. The trait for flower color exhibits

a.multiple alleles.

b. incomplete dominance.

c. complete dominance.

d. codominance.

80. What is the relationship between DNA, chromosomes, and genes?

Evolution

81. Which of the following is a way in which variations can arise in a population?

a. natural selection

b. mutation

c. crossing over during meiosis

d. both B and C

Use the graph below to answer the following question.

82. Tail length in mice varies within a population. Scientists observed change in the distribution of tail lengths in a mouse population over time. At the genetic level, what has most likely happened to the allele for the shortest tail lengths?

a. The allele changed from being dominant to being recessive.

b. The allele changed from being autosomal to being sex-linked.

c. The allele became less frequent than the alleles for longer tail lengths.

d. The allele began to code for long tail lengths instead of the shortest ones.

83. Which of the following best describes natural selection?

a. Individuals who adapt during their lifetime are more likely to survive and reproduce.

b. Individuals born with certain favorable traits are more likely to survive and reproduce.

c. There are little or no variations in populations, which makes adaptations rare over time.

d. Individuals with little or no variation are more likely to survive and reproduce.

84. The frequency of an allele in a fly population changes from 89% to 20% after three generations. Which other events most likely occurred during the same time period?

a. An environmental change and a fly population increase.

b. An environmental change and a fly population decrease.