MCAS Biology Review

Collagen is found in connective tissue throughout the human body. Collagen is made of three amino acid chains that are twisted around one another.

Which of the following best explains why collagen is classified as a protein?

• It is found in a tissue.

• It is made up of amino acids.

• It is made up of twisted chains.

• It is found throughout the human body.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS3-1

In tigers, the allele for orange fur is dominant to the allele for white fur. If two heterozygous tigers mate and produce offspring, what is the probability of an individual offspring having white fur?

• 0

• 1/4

• 1/2

• 1

A scientist is trying to determine how closely related two species of plants are. Which of the following would be most useful for the scientist to compare?

• the root depths of the plants

• the leaf structures of the plants

• the genetic sequences of the plants

• the nutrient requirements of the plants

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

S. epidermidis can sometimes infect wounds. The symptoms of the infection include swelling, pain, pus, skin that is warm to the touch, and redness at the infection site.

Based on the symptoms, which of these human body systems work together to restore homeostasis?

• circulatory system and immune system

• immune system and reproductive system

• skeletal system and respiratory system

• respiratory system and nervous system

Which of the following is a characteristic that distinguishes viruses from the bacteria B. thetaiotaomicron and S. epidermidis?

• Viruses lack mitochondria.

• Viruses lack genetic material.

• Viruses are unable to accumulate mutations.

• Viruses are unable to reproduce outside of host cells.

Which of the following best explains how antibiotic resistance spreads through some populations of the bacteria S. epidermidis?

• All S. epidermidis cells exposed to antibiotics respond by developing mutations.

• Some S. epidermidis cells exposed to antibiotics survive and pass their genes on to their offspring.

• Exposure to antibiotics causes S. epidermidis cells to learn simple behaviors that help the cells survive.

• Exposure to antibiotics causes an increase in the respiration rate of S. epidermidis cells living on the skin.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS3-1

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

A high respiratory rate usually indicates that a person’s body needs more

• antibodies.

• carbon dioxide.

• oxygen.

• platelets

Tags

NGSS.HS-LS1-7

A particular species of moth can have green or yellow scales on its wings. The scale color is controlled by a single gene with two alleles, the green allele and the yellow allele. When moths that are homozygous for green scales are mated with moths that are homozygous for yellow scales, 100% of the offspring have green scales.

Based on this information, how do the alleles for scale color interact?

• The green allele is dominant to the yellow allele.

• The green allele is recessive to the yellow allele.

• The green allele and the yellow allele are codominant.

• The green allele and the yellow allele are incompletely dominant.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS3-1

The dusky rattlesnakes that live in the mountains of Mexico have a variety of color patterns, body shapes, and behaviors. A recent study of dusky rattlesnake DNA concluded that there is a lot of genetic diversity within the species.

Which of the following statements describes what most likely caused this great genetic diversity in dusky rattlesnakes?

• Stable conditions decreased the population sizes of rattlesnakes.

• Climate change caused some rattlesnake species to become extinct.

• Rattlesnake populations inhabited various types of niches over time.

• Environmental extremes caused rattlesnakes to reproduce more often.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

Early explorers in the United States often observed huge flocks of passenger pigeons. In the 1800s, hunters began netting and shooting the birds in huge numbers to sell as food. In 1914, passenger pigeons were declared extinct when the last one died at the Cincinnati Zoo.

Which of the following best explains why passenger pigeons became extinct?

• Humans consumed the passenger pigeons’ main source of food.

• Zookeepers did not understand how to keep passenger pigeons alive.

• Hunters killed passenger pigeons faster than the pigeons could reproduce.

• Passenger pigeon populations were so large that there was not enough food for them to survive.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

NGSS.MS-LS2-1