Reporting Cat 5 Biology STAAR 2022

Reporting Category 5

Biology STAAR 2022

These questions pertain to category 5 of the 2022 STAAR

Multiple Choice

Ringworm is a common skin infection that appears and as an itchy, red rash on exposed human skin. it is caused by approximately 40 different species of fungi called dermatophytes. These fungi require keratin. Which is present in human skin, for growth and reproduction. Which term describes the relationship between dermatophytes and humans? 

• Parasitism

• Commensalism

• Mutualism

• Predation

Open Ended

A student is drawing an energy pyramid. Examine the diagram and answer these questions:

1. What is the original source of all energy in the energy pyramid? 

2. How does the amount of energy available at each level of the pyramid change from the bottom to the top? 

Read the questions carefully then enter your answer in the Box provided.

Multiple Choice

A student Compares two different species of fox shown on the table. 

The student wants to explain why the two species are so different even though they have a common ancestor. 

Which statement best explains the differences between the two species?

• Different environments led to different adaptations.

• The same environment led to different adaptations.

• Each species develop the same adaptations to different environments.

•  Each species migrated to environments that match their adaptations.

Multiple Choice

Since the 1900s, sea surface temperatures over the Great Barrier Reef have been gradually increasing. These rising ocean temperatures have caused coral bleaching. Coral bleaching occurs when corals lose the symbiotic algae that give them their coloring and their main source of energy. Severely bleach corals usually develop disease and eventually die. 

How might Coral bleaching affect ecosystem stability in the Great Barrier reef? 

• Species that depend on Coral for protection and food will decline

•  Predators will adapt to fine alternative food sources.

• Genetic and species diversity will increase

• Vulnerable species will migrate to environments with healthy corals

Multiple Choice

This question has two parts. 

Two students giving the following presentation to their classmates:

Student One starts the presentation by describing members of one species.

Student Two adds informative information about members of another species and explain some members of both species interact with each other and with the abiotic factors of the environment.

Part A

 Which are the levels of biological organization presented by student one and student two of this presentation?

• Student one: organism

        Student two: population

• Student one: ecosystem

   Student two: organism

•  Student one: community

   Student two: population

•  Student one: population 

  Student two: ecosystem

Multiple Choice

Two students giving the following presentation to their classmates:

Student One starts the presentation by describing members of one species.

The student Two adds informative information about members of another species and explain some members of both species interact with each other and with the abiotic factors of the environment.

Part B

Which statement best explains the answer to part A?

•  Ecosystems consist of all organisms living and interacting in a given area, and individuals are organisms.

• An organism is a species, and many species living in the same area make up a population

• A population consists of a group of the same species, and ecosystems are communities interacting with abiotic factors.

•  Communities consist of organisms and organisms interacting with living and nonliving factors in the environment make up a population.

Multiple Choice

A student goes on a hike over the weekend. a student notices that a path created by all the hikers is compressed dirt with little plant life.

The trail shown is shown in the image.

 Which table best describes the stage of

 succession occurring on the trail?

Multiple Choice

What scenario will most likely result in the change of the nitrogen cycle that negatively affects plant growth?

• Increasing the variety of legumes within a field

• planting crops that do not need nitrogen for survival

•  decreasing the amount of nitrogen fixing bacteria in the soil

• regulating the amount of fertilizers used on farms

Multiple Choice

A student makes a model of energy pyramid by stacking cups as shown. the producers are represented at the bottom level of the four cups.

How much energy will be obtained at the top of the energy pyramid if the Cups represented by the primary consumers have 37,000 Kilojoules (KJ)  of energy?

• 37,000 kJ

• 3,700 kJ

• 370 kJ

• 3.7 kJ

Multiple Choice

A population of birds follows swarms of army ants and eats insects as they move out of the way of the ants. The birds do not eat any of the army ants. Which type of relationship between the birds and army ants is best represented by the scenario?

•  Mutualism

•  Commensalism

•  Parasitism

• Competition

Multiple Choice

2. Oil spills in the ocean affect marine food webs. Animals that are

initially affected by oil spills include sea otters, seabirds, and other

organisms that spend most of their time on the ocean surface.

Based on the food web, how would a significant decrease in the sea

otter population due to an oil spill most likely affect this ecosystem?

• The sea urchin population would increase causing the kelp

  population to decrease.

• The fish population would increase in response to the changes in

  the mussel population.

• The mussel population would increase in response to the changes

  in the algae population.

• The killer whale population would increase causing the fish

  population to decrease.

Multiple Choice

10. In a Central Texas grassland, the producers incorporate 12,000 kJ of

energy from the sun into their tissues.

About how much energy would

be incorporated into the tissues of herbivores?

• 12,000 KJ

• 1,200 kJ

• 10,800 kJ

• 1,080 kJ

Multiple Choice

12. White clovers, Trifolium repens, are plants that are native to Europe

and Central Asia and are able to produce the poison cyanide within

their cells. Skunk cabbage, Symplocarpus foetidus, is a plant that

is native to eastern North America and can produce a chemical that

makes it have a strong, foul odor and bitter taste.

The chemicals produced by both the white clovers and skunk

cabbages are adaptations that allow them to —

• attract more pollinators

• survive a long-term drought

• protect against herbivores

• grow better in colder habitats

Multiple Choice

14. Leaf-cutter ants harvest leaves and carry them to fungi that convert

plant material into a usable form for the ants to digest. The fungi

depend on the leaves for nutrients. The ants also produce an antibiotic

on their bodies that helps protect the fungi from harmful bacteria.

Which of these explains the relationship between the leaf-cutter ants

and the fungi?

• Predation, because the ants feed on the fungi

• Mutualism, because both the ants and the fungi benefit from

  each other

• Competition, because both organisms consume the same resource

  for energy

• Commensalism, because the ants receive energy from the fungi

  and the fungi are unaffected

Multiple Choice

21. Students designed an experiment to model the carbon cycle. The

students combined water and carbon dioxide-producing disks in a

sealed flask. The flask represented Earth’s atmosphere, and the lamp

represented the sun. Their design is shown.

Which component can be added to the flask to reduce the

concentration of carbon dioxide in the model atmosphere created

by the disks?

• Bacteria to use carbon during nitrification

• Plants to absorb carbon in the process of photosynthesis

• Snails to use carbon through cellular respiration

• Mushrooms to absorb carbon during decomposition

Multiple Choice

26. In a recent study, scientists investigated the effects of microorganisms

naturally found in the body. They raised mice in two different

environments and compared their immune system functions in

response to a bacterial infection. Their data are shown.

Which conclusion about the microorganisms naturally found in the

body is most likely supported by these data?

• All microorganisms are harmful to the body.

• Microorganisms are important in promoting healthy

  immune systems

• All bacteria in the body increase the effectiveness of the

  immune system.

• Bacteria that cause infections decrease the number and variety

  of immune cells in the body.

Multiple Choice

32. Some relationships between species found in the Texas Gulf Coast are

shown in the food web.

Which energy pyramid best models energy flow in the Texas Gulf

Coast community?

Multiple Choice

35. In some coral reefs, a symbiotic relationship exists between pygmy

seahorses and sea fans. The pygmy seahorse can wrap its tail around

the branches of the sea fan. This allows the pygmy seahorse to be

camouflaged within the sea fan, protecting it from predators. The

pygmy seahorse does not harm or benefit the sea fan while it grasps

the branches with its tail.

What is the correct classification of this symbiotic relationship?

• Predator/prey

• Mutualism

• Commensalism

• Parasite/host

Multiple Choice

37. After a wheat field is cleared, wild grasses and weeds begin growing.

This process is considered —

• primary succession because pioneer species appear

• primary succession because there are no large trees

• secondary succession because soil is already present

• secondary succession because the field contains inorganic matte

Multiple Choice

40. During an extended dry season in an area, the majority of the ground

cover dried up. Which description best explains how this would affect

the ecosystem in that area?

• The ecosystem would become less stable because the ranges of

  many organisms would expand and overlap.

• The ecosystem would become more stable because there would be

  less competition among canopy plants.

• The ecosystem would become less stable because less energy

  would be available to it from the decrease in producers.

• The ecosystem would become more stable because organisms in

  higher trophic levels would be able to find prey more easily.