Category 5 Review

11A In a recent study, scientists investigated the effects of microorganisms naturally found in the body. They raised mice in two different environments and compared their immune system functions in response to a bacterial infection. Their data are shown.

Which conclusion about the microorganisms naturally found in the body is most likely supported by these data?

• All microorganisms are harmful to the body.

• Microorganisms are important in promoting healthy immune systems.

• All bacteria in the body increase the effectiveness of the immune system.

• Bacteria that cause infections decrease the number and variety of immune cells in the body.

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11B After a wheat field is cleared, wild grasses and weeds begin growing. This process is considered —

• primary succession because pioneer species appear

• primary succession because there are no large trees

• secondary succession because soil is already present

• J secondary succession because the field contains inorganic matter

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12A Leaf-cutter ants harvest leaves and carry them to fungi that convert plant material into a usable form for the ants to digest. The fungi depend on the leaves for nutrients. The ants also produce an antibiotic on their bodies that helps protect the fungi from harmful bacteria. Which of these explains the relationship between the leaf-cutter ants and the fungi?

• Predation, because the ants feed on the fungi

• Mutualism, because both the ants and the fungi benefit from each other

• Competition, because both organisms consume the same resource for energy

• Commensalism, because the ants receive energy from the fungi and the fungi are unaffected

12A In some coral reefs, a symbiotic relationship exists between pygmy seahorses and sea fans. The pygmy seahorse can wrap its tail around the branches of the sea fan. This allows the pygmy seahorse to be camouflaged within the sea fan, protecting it from predators. The pygmy seahorse does not harm or benefit the sea fan while it grasps the branches with its tail.

What is the correct classification of this symbiotic relationship?

• Predator/prey

• Mutualism

• Commensalism

• Parasite/host

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12B White clovers, Trifolium repens, are plants that are native to Europe and Central Asia and are able to produce the poison cyanide within their cells. Skunk cabbage, Symplocarpus foetidus, is a plant that is native to eastern North America and can produce a chemical that makes it have a strong, foul odor and bitter taste. The chemicals produced by both the white clovers and skunk cabbages are adaptations that allow them to —

• attract more pollinators

• survive a long-term drought

• protect against herbivores

• grow better in colder habitats

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NGSS.MS-LS2-4

12C In a Central Texas grassland, the producers incorporate 12,000 kJ of energy from the sun into their tissues. About how much energy would be incorporated into the tissues of herbivores?

• 12,000 kJ

• G 1,200 kJ

• 10,800 kJ

• 1,080 kJ

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12C Which energy pyramid best models energy flow in the Texas Gulf Coast community?

• 
• 
• 
• 

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12D Which component can be added to the flask to reduce the concentration of carbon dioxide in the model atmosphere created by the disks?

• Bacteria to use carbon during nitrification

• Plants to absorb carbon in the process of photosynthesis

• H Snails to use carbon through cellular respiration

• Mushrooms to absorb carbon during decomposition

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12E During an extended dry season in an area, the majority of the ground cover dried up. Which description best explains how this would affect the ecosystem in that area?

• The ecosystem would become less stable because the ranges of many organisms would expand and overlap.

• The ecosystem would become more stable because there would be less competition among canopy plants.

• The ecosystem would become less stable because less energy would be available to it from the decrease in producers

• The ecosystem would become more stable because organisms in higher trophic levels would be able to find prey more easily.

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11B Sand dunes along the coast are formed of bare sand. Eventually, grasses take root on the dunes. Over time, larger plants such as shrubs and trees are able to grow at the edge of the sand dune ecosystem. This gradual change in plant communities of a sand dune ecosystem can result in —

• reduced symbiotic relationships between producers and bacteria

• reduced energy absorption by consumers

• greater erosion rates

• greater species diversity

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