Biology STAAR Review

Invasive plant species affect the the interactions of living and nonliving components of an ecosystem, so the removal of invasive plants is often necessary. The goal of most plant-control methods is to disrupt or inhibit the function of different plant systems. For example, insects can be used to chew through roots in order to reduce a plant's ability to absorb water. Which of these functions would be most immediately affected bu a reduction in water uptake by roots?

• disease resistance

• seed dispersal

• sunlight absorption

• photosynthesis

• The ecosystem will become unstable because predators will have fewer prey, the birds will have fewer nesting sites, and the area downriver will become vulnerable to flooding without the burrows to aerate the soil and provide drainage for monsoon rains.

• The ecosystem will become more stable because the pika will be replaced by other species of small mammals that can fill the niche, bird species will adapt to nesting aboveground, and the soils will become compacted without the burrows.

• The ecosystem will become unstable because the predators will migrate to nearby ecosystems, the birds will nest in nearby trees, and the soil will be aerated by other small mammals.

• The ecosystem will become more stable because the pika will no longer be there to eat the grasses, the birds will migrate to other ecosystems during the nesting season, and the sims will be able to absorb more of the monsoon rains without the pika burrows.

Which body systems are directly responsible for regulating these nodes and protecting the body from harmful materials in tissue fluid?

• Immune and lymphatic systems

• digestive and nervous systems

• endocrine and digestive systems

• circulatory and nervous systems

Students were given a list of seven elements and asked to identify the four elements that are most abundant in biomolecules. Which answer correctly identifies the four most abundant elements in biomolecules?

• carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen

• hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus

• carbon, fluorine, oxygen, phosphorus

• carbon, hydrogen, iodine, oxygen

This diagram demonstrates why the ocean is a large carbon sink. An increase in the amount of carbon dioxide in then atmosphere can cause atmospheric temperatures to increase. Which statement explains how this could affect the ocean as a carbon sink?

• Less atmospheric carbon dioxide would be available to phytoplankton

• dissolved carbon dioxide gas int he ocean would increase because surface winds would cause a deeper circulation pattern, making more room for the gas.

• Less carbon dioxide gas would be contained in the ocean because increasing precipitation would dilute the carbon entering the ocean

• Less carbon dioxide would be dissolved in the ocean because increasing atmospheric temperatures would cause ocean temperatures to increase

The energy pyramid shows the energy made available by producers. Based on the energy flow between trophic levels in an energy pyramid, how much energy would be expected to be found at the secondary consumer level in this pyramid?

• 100 joules

• 500 joules

• 1,000 joules

• 50 joules

Which tree does the unknown leaf come from?

• Ungnadia speciosia

• Sophora secundiflora

• Salix nigra

• Quercus laceyi

A student studying interactions between body systems constructs this table. The student plans to fill out the table with phrases that describe an interaction between each pair of systems. Which of these phrases could be placed in the position marked with an X?

• provides nutrients to kidney cells

• provides nutrients to brain cells

• provides nutrients to nerve cells

• provides nutrients to muscle cells

Four common relationships between organisms are listed in the box. Which statements best describe these relationships?

• Relationships 1 and 4 are examples of mutualism.

  Relationship 2 is an example of commensalism.

  Relationship 3 is an example of parasitism.

• Relationships 1 and 2 are examples of commensalism.

  Relationships 3 and 4 are examples of mutualism.

• Relationships 1 is an example of commensalism.

  Relationships 2 and 4 are examples of mutualism.

  Relationship 3 is an example of predation.

• Relationships 1, 2, and 4 are examples of mutualism.

  Relationship 3 is an example of parasitism.

Cells can generate as many 36 to 38 molecules of ATP from the mechanism of one molecule of glucose. Which cellular process results in this amount of ATP production?

• Anaerobic cellular respiration

• Protein synthesis

• Aerobic cellular respiration

• photosynthesis