LE Regents Review #1

Which organisms and set of characteristics are correctly paired?

• fungi—carry out photosynthesis and heterotrophic nutrition

• plants—carry out respiration and autotrophic nutrition

• decomposers—carry out photosynthesis and autotrophic nutrition

• animals—carry out autotrophic nutrition and heterotrophic nutrition

Humans have an effect on ecosystems when they use native grasslands or forested areas for farming or urban use. One negative effect of these changes on the ecosystem is that there will be

• less biodiversity

• more homes

• successful economic growth

• increased food production

Scientists have studied oceanic plastic garbage “patches” around the world. These are areas that accumulate plastic garbage from coastal regions. Their environmental effect ranges from killing sea life to blocking sunlight from reaching photosynthetic organisms. Without a change in human plastic usage, new garbage patches will continue to form. Which human activity would most directly reduce the amount of plastic garbage that enters the ocean?

• Ban the production and usage of all bags made from recycled plastic.

• Clean up plastic trash from shorelines, rivers, and other waterways that flow into the oceans

• Manufacture fewer reusable water bottles, so that people will be more likely to use disposable ones.

• Implement a glass bottle deposit system to discourage people from recycling plastic bottles.

Finches on the Galapagos Islands express a variety of traits. Variability in the offspring of these finches is a result of

• mutation and cloning

• meiosis and mutation

• mitosis and asexual reproduction

• mitosis and genetic recombination

Exposure to certain environmental toxins, such as pesticides, may reduce fertility in males by interfering with their ability to produce gametes. These toxins are most likely having an effect on the

• testes and progesterone

• ovaries and testosterone

• ovaries and estrogen

• testes and testosterone

Which change is an example of a response to a stimulus?

• The pupil of an eye decreases in size in bright light.

• A leaf absorbs sunlight in the morning

• The water level of a pond rises on a rainy day.

• A dead tree decays after many years.

After feeding at the surface of the ocean during the day, many ocean organisms migrate to deeper waters. While there, they release ammonia in their urine. Many bacteria use the nitrogen from the ammonia as they make amino acids, which eventually end up in food chains on both land and water. These amino acids may even be used in humans. Which statement best explains these observations?

• Chemical elements, including nitrogen, pass through food webs and are combined and recombined in different ways

• Chemical elements, including nitrogen, are removed from food webs and eliminated from ecosystems.

• Nitrogen is transferred directly from bacteria to humans

• All elements in the ocean remain there and are not transferred to other ecosystems.

The processes of diffusion and active transport are both used to

• break down molecules to release energy

• move molecules into or out of cells of the body

• bring molecules into cells when they are more concentrated outside of the cell

• move molecules against a concentration gradient, using ATP molecules

Botulinum toxin is a substance that can cause paralysis in humans. The effects of the toxin are due to the blocking of a signaling molecule that is necessary for communication between nerve cells. The toxin most likely interferes with the normal functioning of a

• chromosome

• DNA molecule

• receptor

• digestive hormone

Scientists who study rock formations in caves describe some of the formations as “living rock” because, under certain conditions, they increase in size. Which statement would best dispute the claim that these rock formations are living?

• Rocks are not composed of cells, while living organisms are.

• Rocks perform complex metabolic processes, but cannot grow.

• Rocks cannot reproduce sexually.

• Rocks remain stable in a wide range of physical conditions.