Life Science Study Guide

Please Review your notes from Chapter 5 and 6 to help review for the Life Science Assessment

Diversity of Life

  1. Give examples that show that in any particular environment, some kinds of plants and animals survive well, some less well, and some cannot survive at all.
  1. Identify and describe features and behaviors of some of the plants and animals living in a familiar environment and explain ways that these organisms are well suited to their environment.

Example 1: The snowshoe hare sheds its fur twice a year. In the summer, the fur of the hare is brown. In the winter, the fur is white. Which of these statements best explains the advantage of shedding fur?

  1. Shedding fur keeps the hare clean.
  2. Shedding fur helps the hare move quickly.
  3. Shedding fur keeps the hare's home warm.
  4. Shedding fur helps the hare blend into its habitat.

Example 2: Some plants live in very dry conditions, such as a desert.

The plant best adapted to survive in a desert climate is

  1. Plant 2, because the spines attract insects
  2. Plant 1, because the leaves provide shade for the roots
  3. Plant 1, because the leaves are far away from the hot soil
  4. Plant 2, because the spines allow less water to evaporate
  1. Based on information about the features and behaviors of animals and plants from very different environments describe reasons that they might not survive if their environment changed or if they were moved from one environment to another.

Example 3: Some organisms require little water to live. Which organism is least likely affected by a drought?

Example 4: Use the information and diagram below to answer the following.

A troglobite is any animal that lives in dark caves. These animals have special features that help them live in cool, dark places, like the caves in western Maryland. Many cave millipedes, a type of troglobite, have long antennae that feel vibrations. Northern cave fish, another troglobite, have very little skin coloring and cannot see. Animals in caves eat bat waste, material from dead plants, and animals that wash into the cave.

A population of troglobite cave fish is moved from a cave habitat to an open-air pond.

The cave-fish population in the open-air pond will most likely

  1. increase because their food supply increased
  2. decrease because they are too large to live in a pond
  3. increase because their reproduction rate will increase
  4. decrease because they do not have features needed to survive in sunlight

Flow of Matter and Energy

  1. Recognize that some source of energy is needed for all organisms to grow and survive.
  1. Identify the sun as the primary source of energy for all living organisms.

·  Plants use sunlight to make food

·  Plants and animals use food for energy and growth

  1. Cite evidence from observations and research that some insects and various other organisms depend on dead plant and animal material for food.

Example 5: The drawing below shows a field habitat.

Which of these organisms is a producer in the field habitat?

  1. Bird B. butterfly C. grass D. mouse

Example 6: What is the main source of energy in the field habitat?

  1. the sun B. the plants C. the butterfly D. the soil
  1. Provide examples that justify the statement "Most animals' food can be traced back to plants." Create a food chain that shows this.