ap biology multiple choice practice exam

A student sets up a compost bin outdoors. Inside the bin microorganisms convert the student’s vegetable and paper scraps into rich fertilizer. Which of the following best describes the role that these microorganisms play in natural habitats?

• The microorganisms help balance the numbers of producers and consumers.
•  The microorganisms help keep nutrients cycling through the ecosystem.
•  The microorganisms turn solar energy into sugars.
• The microorganisms function as autotrophs.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

A student is studying the ecology of a playa lake, which forms after a rainfall in a dry lake bed. The table lists the organisms that the student observed.
Which level of biological organization has the student described in the table?

•  Biosphere
• Organelle
• Ecosystem
• Community

Tags

NGSS.HS-LS2-2

NGSS.HS-LS2-1

Plant hormones serve as chemical messengers between cells and tissues. Auxin is a plant hormone that causes the cells on the shady side of a plant shoot to elongate. The response enabled by auxin is known as —

• geotropism
• thigmotropism
• phototropism
• photosynthesis

Characteristics such as a widow’s peak or attached earlobes are determined by the genetic code. Which components of DNA are referred to as the genetic code?

• Phosphate groups
• Nitrogenous bases
•  Deoxyribose sugars
• Hydrogen bonds

Tags

NGSS.HS-LS1-1

NGSS.HS-LS3-1

Which cellular process takes place in the ribosomes that are bound to the endoplasmic reticulum?

• The breakdown of waste material
• The conversion of radiant energy to glucose
•  The synthesis of new proteins
• The replication of nucleic acids

Arthropods are joint-legged animals. Spiders, crabs, pill bugs, centipedes, and millipedes are examples of the many types of arthropods. Which of these arthropods are most closely related?

• Arthropods of the same family
• Arthropods of the same class
• Arthropods of the same genus
• Arthropods of the same species

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

Crossing-over between nonsister chromatids during meiosis is significant in heredity. This process most likely leads to an increase in which of the following?

• The expression of dominant traits
• Number of gametes
• The occurrence of polyploidy
• Genetic variation

Tags

NGSS.HS-LS3-2

Both euglena and cyanobacteria are photosynthetic unicellular organisms found in pond water. The feature that distinguishes euglena from cyanobacteria is the —

• ability to maintain homeostasis
• presence of ribosomes
• ability to reproduce
•  presence of a nuclear membrane

 Proteins and polysaccharides are polymers. These polymers are formed by dehydration synthesis. Which statement correctly identifies a difference in the structure of proteins and polysaccharides?

•  Only polysaccharides are comprised of repeating units of cytosine, adenine, guanine, and thymine.
• Only proteins are formed from amino acids joined by peptide bonds.
• Only polysaccharides can be folded and twisted to very specific shapes. 
• Only proteins can be large molecules with thousands of subunits.

The concept of gene flow is demonstrated when a cow is driven off from its herd, joins another herd, and reproduces. When the cow contributes to the gene pool of the new herd, which of these most likely increases?

• natural selection
• genetic variation
• environmental fitness
• reproductive mutations

Tags

NGSS.HS-LS4-2