Science Bootcamp 2024

Which of the following is something that all living organisms have in common?

• They all contain at least one cell. 

• They all need a source of oxygen.

• They all use other organisms for food.

• They all find mates to reproduce.

Answer explanation

All living organisms have in common the fact that they all contain at least one cell, making this the correct choice among the options provided.

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NGSS.MS-LS1-1

In an animal, a muscle cell requires more energy than other cells. Because of this, you would expect to find more of which type of organelles in muscle cells than in other cells?

• vacuoles

• chloroplasts

• cell walls

• mitochondria

Answer explanation

Muscle cells require more energy, so they have more mitochondria to produce ATP through cellular respiration, making mitochondria the organelles you would expect to find more of in muscle cells.

It is very important for all living organisms to regulate their bodies. The cell membrane allows some substances to enter the cell while holding others inside. Which of the following is the condition in a cell when equal amounts of substance enter and leave the cell?

• Active Transport

• Diffusion

• Homeostasis

• Osmosis

Answer explanation

Homeostasis is the condition in a cell when equal amounts of substance enter and leave, maintaining internal balance.

When studying heredity, Punnett squares are often used to predict the probability of traits in offspring. How can the traits of offspring be predicted using a Punnett square?

• The offspring receives all of each parent's genetic material

• The offspring receives half of its genetic traits from each parent

• The offspring only receives the dominant traits from their parents

• The male offspring receives the traits from the father, and the female from the mother

Answer explanation

The offspring receives half of its genetic traits from each parent

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NGSS.MS-LS3-2

Genes can be found at specific locations on a chromosome. Which of the following statements explains the relationship that is most similar to the relationship between genes and chromosomes?

• a blueprint for building a house

• a sail that allows wind to move a boat

• the fur that covers and insulates a polar bear

• the stairs that lead from the first floor to the second floor

Answer explanation

The relationship between genes and chromosomes is most similar to a blueprint for building a house, as genes are the instructions for building organisms, just like a blueprint is for constructing a house.

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NGSS.HS-LS3-1

Jermaine crosses a heterozygous seed (Dd) with a homozygous recessive (dd) for wrinkled seed.  What percent of this cross will show the phenotype for wrinkled seeds?

• 100 %

• 50%

• 25%

• 0%

Answer explanation

50% of the cross will show the phenotype for wrinkled seeds because the Punnett square for the cross results in 50% of the offspring having the genotype for wrinkled seeds (dd).

Jay-Z and Beyonce are both heterozygous for brown eyes, which is a dominant trait. What is the likelihood that they will have a blue-eyed baby?

• 25% Blue

• 50% Blue

• 75% Blue

• 100 % Blue

Answer explanation

Since both Jay-Z and Beyonce are heterozygous for brown eyes, there is a 25% chance they will have a blue-eyed baby due to the recessive gene being present in their genetic makeup.

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NGSS.HS-LS3-1

NGSS.HS-LS3-2

NGSS.HS-LS3-3

While growing on a lawn, some weeds, such as dandelions, struggle to get the nutrients and water that other plants, such as grass, also need to survive. This is an example of which of the following?

• predation

• commensalism

• parasitism

• competition

Answer explanation

The struggle for nutrients and water between dandelions and grass on a lawn represents competition, where both plants are vying for the same resources to survive.

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NGSS.MS-LS2-1

Which of the following is an example of parasitism?

• bees and flowers

• a tick on a dog

• barnacles attached to a whale

• a wolf and a rabbit

Answer explanation

Parasitism is a relationship where one organism benefits at the expense of another. A tick on a dog is an example of parasitism as the tick benefits by feeding on the dog's blood.

Soil organisms, such as fungi, worms and bacteria are parts of a forest ecosystem.  What is the role of these organisms in a food web?

• To break down the remains of once living things.

• To obtain dissolved oxygen from moisture.

• To store chlorophyll for photosynthesis.

• To provide oxygen for the animals

Answer explanation

Soil organisms like fungi, worms, and bacteria break down the remains of once living things in a forest ecosystem, playing a crucial role in the food web by decomposing organic matter.

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NGSS.MS-LS2-3