Mr. Salerno's Living Environment Review 5

The carrying capacity of an environment may be decreased by

• maintaining biodiversity

• replacing lost minerals

• removing dead organisms

• preventing deforestation

The offspring of a species of bird known as the European roller possess an effective defense mechanism. When they sense a threat by predators, the young birds vomit and cover themselves with a foul-smelling liquid. Which two systems work together to alert the young birds of danger and help produce the vomit?

• respiratory and excretory

• circulatory and immune

• nervous and digestive

• reproductive and muscular

A decrease in the biodiversity of an ecosystem usually leads to

• an increase in predator and prey populations

• the elimination of material cycling

• a decrease in stability

• an increase in dynamic equilibrium

Down syndrome occurs when an individual has an extra copy of chromosome 21. This additional genetic material alters development and results in Down syndrome. This genetic abnormality is an example of

• a mutation

• fertilization

• a substitution

• differentiation

Most of the reactions by which energy from carbohydrates is released for use by the cell take place within the

• mitochondria

• nuclei

• ribosomes

• vacuoles

Which human activity best represents a method for recycling nutrients?

• mixing lawn clippings with vegetable waste to produce compost used to fertilize gardens

• raking and bagging lawn clippings in plastic bags for disposal in landfills

• collecting lawn and garden wastes for burning

• clearing a forested area to provide open land for cattle

Rabbit populations vary in size over time. An increase in which factor would likely prevent the rabbit population from steadily increasing?

• food

• mates

• predators

• prey

The diagrams represent two reproductive processes used by different organisms. When compared to organisms that utilize process A, organisms that utilize process B would most likely produce offspring with

• a greater variety of genetic combinations

• fewer genetic differences

• more genetic combinations

• more DNA within each nucleus

A weightlifter has spent years building his muscular strength. His newborn daughter has normal strength for a baby. Which statement best explains this situation?

• A daughter inherits most of her traits from her mother. The daughter’s muscles are unlikely to resemble her father’s.

• The weightlifter’s wife probably did not lift weights. Both parents must have this trait before the baby can inherit it.

• Babies do not have strong muscles. The daughter’s muscles will be unusually strong in a few more months.

• The weightlifter’s highly developed muscles resulted from exercise. A characteristic such as this will not be inherited.

When it is disturbed, the bombardier beetle is able to produce and release a hot spray of irritating chemicals from the end of its body, as shown in the photo. As a result, most animals that have experienced this defense avoid the beetles in the future. The beetle’s defense mechanism has developed as a result of

• the need for an effective protection against its enemies

• competition with its predators

• natural selection over many generations

• ecological succession over hundreds of years