Biology STAAR Review

The opossum, which is native to North America, and the kangaroo, which is native to Australia, are marsupials. The fact that both these mammals incubate their immature offspring in a pouch provides evidence that they —

• belong to the same species

• must range great distances to eat

• have very similar skeletal structures

• are descended from a common ancestor

Some students are instructed to put a celery stalk in a red dye solution for a lab activity. First the students carefully cut the bottom of the stalk with a scalpel. Then they put the stalk in the beaker with the solution and place the beaker on a shelf in the lab room. The next day they check the stalk and make observations. The students note that the leaves at the end of the stalk have changed color from green to red. The students cut across the celery stalk and use a hand lens to see that the small tube openings along the edge of the celery stalk are also red. The cross section is shown below. How do the plant systems work together to make this movement of liquid possible?

• The roots absorb water and minerals and move them up to the stem, while the stem moves food produced in the leaves down to the roots in tiny tubes.

• The roots anchor the plant in the soil, and the stem holds the leaves up.

• The roots absorb their own water and minerals, while the stem absorbs its water and minerals through the leaves.

• The roots lose water vapor to the soil, and the stem loses water vapor through the leaves.

The table below provides some information about the feeding methods of the five rhinoceros species. Which rhinoceros species is best adapted for feeding in the large open grasslands of Africa’s Serengeti ecosystem?

• Black rhinoceros

• White rhinoceros

• Sumatran rhinoceros

• Javan rhinoceros

Early-onset Alzheimer’s disease affects people under the age of 65. Less than five percent of people who are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease have this type. Many cases of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease are inherited, a type known as familial Alzheimer’s disease (FAD). Which statement is best supported by this information?

• FAD is the result of a genetic change in one or more chromosomes.

• Natural selection will continue to reduce the incidence of FAD.

• FAD affects only the genes of middle-aged people.

• Deletion of one amino acid causes FAD.

The cladogram shows the evolution of land plants as indicated by fossil records. Which discovery would challenge the validity of this cladogram?

• A large aquatic vascular plant about 200 million years old

• A species of algae that has existed for less than one million years

• A moss species that has existed for less than 380 million years

• A fossil of a fern more than 425 million years old

Atherosclerosis is a disease that obstructs blood flow and, therefore, oxygen supply to target organs. A major component of atherosclerosis is the excessive reproduction of smooth muscle cells of the blood vessels. Certain drugs may have the potential to reverse or prevent the unregulated reproduction of the diseased blood-vessel cells. Which of these processes is the most likely target of these drugs?

• Cell division

• Erythroblast differentiation

• DNA transcription

• Cellular respiration

The outermost layer of plant stems in dicotyledons consists of epidermal cells and guard cells that surround openings called stomata. The epidermal cells are usually covered with a waterproof layer that provides protection from injury and water loss. The stomata allow gas exchange. The epidermal cells and stomata have functions similar to those of which two human body systems?

• Skeletal and respiratory

• Cardiovascular and skeletal

• Integumentary and respiratory

• Cardiovascular and integumentary

Carbohydrates are more easily metabolized than lipids. However, on a gram-for-gram basis lipids provide cells with more —

• nitrogen

• proteins

• structure

• energy

Lord Howe Island is a volcanic island in the Tasman Sea that is about 11 km long and 2.8 km wide. The island has two species of palm trees, Howea forsteriana and the more abundant Howea belmoreana. The two species do not interbreed even when they grow very close to each other. Which evolutionary process fails to occur?

• Genetic drift of Howea forsteriana

• Natural selection of adaptive traits in both species

• Gene flow between the two specie

• Mutations in Howea belmoreana

Dead zones are low-oxygen areas that develop on the seafloor. Scientists hypothesize that phytoplankton blooms cause these dead zones. Phytoplankton blooms occur when excess nutrients are introduced by pollution from fertilizers, sewage plants, and the burning of fossil fuels. Which of the following would most likely cause an increase in these contributors to dead zones?

• Rainfall patterns that increase freshwater runoff from terrestrial ecosystems

• Replacing coal-fired power plants with windmills

• Farming practices that reduce nitrate and phosphate applications

• Constructing efficient water-recovery and treatment plants