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WorksheetsSTAAR Science 8 - Cat 4 Practice
Total questions: 50
Worksheet time: 34mins
(7.12D) This organelle is a rigid outer layer that protects plant cells.
Cell Membrane
Cell Wall
Nucleus
Chloroplast
(7.12D) The _?_ holds the DNA and controls the functions of plant and animal cells.
nucleus
nuclear membrane
cytoplasm
chloroplasts
endoplasmic reticulum
(6.12D) Which kingdom is autotrophic, eukaryotic and reproduces sexually?
Bacteria
Fungi
Plantae
Protista
Animalia
What term best describes the non-living things in an ecosystem.
biotic
abiotic
biodiversity
ecosystem
community
"Only those organisms best suited to a particular environment are likely to survive." This statement best describes ...
diapause.
selective breeding.
migration.
natural selection,
producers
(7.10B) In a desert ecosystem, snakes are predators that eat kangaroo rats. What affect would the sudden disappearance of snakes have on the ecosystem?
The population of kangaroo rats would stay the same because their food source did not increase.
The population of kangaroo rats would decrease because they would reproduce less.
The population of kangaroo rats would increase because their predators have disappeared.
The population of kangaroo rats would stay the same because their water supply is limited.
Which of the following would be an example of a parasitic relationship?
fleas living on dog and ingesting its blood
lady bugs eating aphids on a plant
lichen living on a tree for support
clown fish living in a sea anemone for protection
What is one way humans are trying to positively impact the ocean?
over fishing
creating artificial reefs
havrvesting oil and natrual gas
transporting goods in ocean vessels
over fertilizing crops
Because of the increase in rainfall in an ecosystem one year, the mosquito population increases. The next year, the amount of rainfall returns to normal levels. How will these changes in rainfall totals affect the bird population in the ecosystem that feeds on the mosquitoes?
It will cause the bird population to decrease.
It will cause the bird population to increase.
It will have no effect on the bird population.
It will cause the bird population to increase and then decrease.
(7.10C) This diagram best illustrates ...
primary succession.
secondary succession.
volcanic disruption.
plate tectonics.
crop planting.
(7.10B) One indicator that biodiversity in an ecosystem is decreasing is ...
a decrease in annual rainfall and temperature.
a decrease in the number of different species in the area.
a decrease in the number of tourists visiting the area.
fewer sightings of coyotes and bobcats.
Which of the following describes a producer/consumer relationship in a marine environment?
Green plants in the ocean are food for many fish.
Sea otters catch and eat clams and oysters.
Plants compete for space and sunlight in a garden.
Turtles depend on ocean currents to travel.Select
Which of the following describes a negative consequence of commercial fishing?
removal of invasive species
ocean food webs become unbalanced
increased dissolved oxygen concentration
fishing vessels cause water to warm up
Wild Soay sheep live in a cold environment on a small Scottish island. The sheep used to be large because they gained extra weight during the summers in order to survive the harsh winters. A recent change in the island’s climate has caused grass to be available for a longer period each year, so survival conditions for the sheep have become less challenging. How might this effect the sheep?
size
life expectancy
reproduction rates
body temperature
(7.5C) The turtle gets it energy from?
Carp
Sun
Alligator
Bladderwort
Raccoon
(7.5C) The rabbit in this food web would be considered a ...
decomposer.
producer.
secondary consumer.
primary consumer.
apex predator.
Which two organisms are in a producer - consumer relationship?
Gray Wolf and Fruits
Vole and Grass
Elk and Coyote
Elk and Gray Wolf
(7.5C) How many organisms are HERBIVORES?
1
2
3
4
If the grasshopper were to be removed completely from the food web, what organism would be most affected?
squirrel
shrew
deer
rabbit
The northern elephant seal was almost hunted to extinction in the 1800s. By the late 1890s, approximately one hundred seals were left, reducing the gene pool of the population. What will be the consequence of this reduction?
Competition within the population will increase.
The surviving elephant seals will be better able to adapt.
Inbreeding will be less frequent among the remaining population.
The elephant seals will be more vulnerable to environmental change.
(7.14C) In what part of the cell is the material that governs inherited traits found?
1
2
3
4
not labeled
Which of the following best describes a parasite/host relationship in the marine ecosystem?
Fish consume zooplankton for food energy.
Phytoplankton produce their own food energy.
Lice attach to whales and cause skin damage.
Seagulls swoop down and catch a fish to eat.
(7.11A) Using this dichotomous key, identity the name of the circled fish.
band-tail puffer
spotted goat fish
peacock flounder
trumpet fish
(7.11A) An illustration and a dichotomous key are given. What is the correct classification for this organism?
Class Insecta
Order Amblygygi
Order Araneae
Order Scorpiones
If a disease were to infect frogs and kill them off, what would be the likely impact of this system?
Decrease the amount of flies
Increase the amount of frogs
Decrease the amount of algae
Increase the amount of algae
(7.12B) The body system that controls growth and homeostasis by secreting hormones from glands in known as the _?_.
skeletal system
nervous system
endocrine sytem
integumentary system
pulmonary system
(7.12D) Which of the following organelles is only found in a plant cell?
nucleus
chloroplast
mitochondria
cell membrane
vacuole
Which two types of organisms in this aquatic food web have a producer–consumer relationship?
Microscopic algae and white suckers
Small invertebrates and amphipods
Phytoplankton and mummichogs
Amphipods and channel catfish
(7.11A) Based on the dichotomous key, in what order should this insect be classified?
Mantodea
Raphidioptera
Coleoptera
Lepidoptera
(7.11C) Some dairy farmers want to increase the amount of milk produced by their cows. How can the farmers use selective breeding to increase milk production?
By increasing the age of the cows that are bred
By choosing cows that are high milk producers
By limiting the number of offspring per cow
By choosing cows that can produce milk after eating the most food
(7.12B) Part of a human body system is pictured. The main function of this system is to —
control reproduction.
transport oxygen.
produce hormones.
remove waste.
exchange gases.
(7.14C) The diagram shows parts of a cell. Which organelle stores water?
1
2
3
4
(7.11C) A few years ago the population of male blue moon butterflies on the island of Samoa declined. One hypothesis for the decline of the male butterflies is that a parasite infected the cells of female butterflies. The parasite was passed to offspring through the females’ eggs and killed the male butterfly embryos. At one point during the decline, nearly all the butterflies in the population were females, but after five years the number of males in the population increased significantly. Which explanation most likely accounts for the increase in the number of male butterflies in the five years after the initial parasite problem?
Male butterflies in the population that survived were able to prey on the parasites living in the females’ egg cells.
Female butterflies in the population that survived had a genetic adaptation that allowed them to transform into male butterflies.
Male butterflies in the population that survived had a gene that made them resistant to the parasite, and they passed the gene on to their offspring.
Female butterflies in the population that survived were able to protect the male eggs from the parasite and provide extra care for the male offspring.
(7.10B) Students in a science class visited four local ecosystems. The students observed the species present in each ecosystem and recorded their observations in the table. Based on these observations, which ecosystem is likely to be the least sustainable?
Ecosystem 1, because it has the fewest species
Ecosystem 2, because it includes both aquatic and terrestrial species
Ecosystem 3, because it has few predators
Ecosystem 4, because it supports many animals
A scientist added bacteria and a nutrient medium that could support the growth of the bacteria to a sterilized petri dish. No other materials were added. The graph models growth of the bacteria over time. Which of these most likely explains why the bacterial population stopped growing?
The bacteria competed for nutrients and died after all the nutrients were consumed.
The bacteria did not reproduce in the system, and eventually each individual died at the end of its life cycle.
The bacteria mutated from photosynthetic to carnivorous organisms and consumed one another until all the individuals were dead.
The bacteria became diseased and were unable to survive in the closed system.
The strangler fig is a vine that starts out as a seed in the tree canopy of the rain forest. It drops its roots down from the canopy to the forest floor. By sprouting in the rain-forest canopy, the strangler fig seedling is exposed to more —
sunlight.
soil.
nutrients.
consumers.
A coastal area that once supported a thriving fishing industry is overfished. The number of species found living in the marine ecosystem decreases. Which of these activities is most likely to increase the natural biodiversity in the area?
Building artificial reefs and limiting fishing activity
Introducing non-native species to fill unoccupied habitats and banning fishing
Building artificial reefs and increasing fishing activity
Eliminating non-native species and encouraging fishing for large predatory fish
(7.11C) When Charles Darwin visited the Galápagos Islands in the 1800s, he observed many types of organisms that were similar but lived on different islands. The four species of mockingbirds found on the Galápagos Islands are shown below. Each species lives on a different island. These species are very similar, but the Hood mockingbird has a longer beak than the other three species. Which of the following best explains this difference?
The Hood mockingbird needs a longer beak for defense against predators.
The Hood mockingbird originated from a different type of bird than the other species.
The Hood mockingbird’s longer beak is an adaptation to the food available in the bird’s habitat.
The Hood mockingbird’s beak stretched to reach its food, and the longer beak was passed down to its offspring.
(7.12B) When people run long distances, their muscles require increased amounts of oxygen. Which system is responsible for carrying this oxygen to the muscles?
nervous
respiratory
digestive
circulatory
skeletal
(7.12F) In 1838 botanist Matthias Schleiden determined that all plants are composed of cells. In 1839 anatomist Theodor Schwann proposed that all animals are composed of cells. In 1855 biologist Rudolph Virchow added to Schleiden’s and Schwann’s observations and proposed that all living things are composed of cells. Which statement is also part of Virchow’s cell theory?
All cells have a cell wall.
All cells arise from pre-existing cells.
All cells are capable of photosynthesis.
All cells can develop into any other type of cell.
(7.14B) The hydra is a very small, simple animal that lives in water. Hydras reproduce asexually by budding, a process in which a bud breaks off an adult hydra and floats away. Which of the following best describes a hydra bud?
A hydra bud contains genetic material from its two parents.
A hydra bud is genetically identical to the parent hydra.
A hydra bud has different mutations than the parent hydra.
A hydra bud has half as much genetic material as the parent hydra.
(6.12D) Which list of characteristics describes organisms classified as animals?
Unicellular, prokaryotic, autotrophic
Multicellular, eukaryotic, heterotrophic
Unicellular, eukaryotic, heterotrophic
Multicellular, eukaryotic, autotrophic
(8.01B) Which of these human activities is most likely to cause the excessive growth of phytoplankton in the world’s oceans?
The use of chemical fertilizers that are carried by runoff into rivers
The logging of old-growth forests, which results in erosion
The spraying of chemical herbicides that reduce carbon dioxide in the air
The mining of fossil fuels, which requires digging underground tunnels
(7.14C) Three cousins have a similar appearance but different face shapes. Which of these cell components are most involved in determining the basic shape of each girl’s face?
Genes, chromosomes, and nucleus
Cytoplasm, chloroplasts, and genes
Vacuoles, nucleus, and chromosomes
Chromosomes, chloroplasts, and vacuoles
(7.14B) Certain species of whiptail lizards have only female individuals and no males. These lizards reproduce asexually. What is one disadvantage of asexual reproduction for these lizards?
A new population can be established by a single individual in a relatively short period of time.
All the members of a population are genetically very similar and less able to survive environmental changes.
They are smaller than lizards that reproduce sexually.
They are more likely to develop a variety of tail lengths.
(7.10C) Some students take care of a vegetable garden. When it is time to plant in the spring, the students leave part of the garden empty in order to observe ecological succession. Which of these will most likely occur first?
development of topsoil
growth of weeds and grasses
growth of trees and shrubs
development of a stream
(6.12D) The characteristics of a particular organism are listed in the table. In which kingdom should this organism be classified?
fungi
eubacteria
plantae
animalia
(7.10C) Both primary and secondary succession begin with pioneer species that —
change the area and make it safer from predatory organisms.
invade the area so that new organisms cannot be established.
modify the area and allow larger and more complex organisms to appear.
use up all the existing resources and prevent establishment of non-native organisms.
(7.14B) A group of students prepared a table listing the types of reproduction that occur in several organisms. Based on this information, which of the organisms can produce offspring that are genetically identical to the parent organism?
ferns only
amoebas and yeasts only
cats, hydras, frogs, and ferns only
amoebas, yeasts, hydras, and ferns only
frogs only
(7.12F) In the 1800s two scientists, Theodor Schwann and Matthias Schleiden, studied different types of organisms. After many years of studying a great variety of organisms, they drew similar but independent conclusions about their observations. What statement was developed most directly from these conclusions and is part of the modern cell theory?
The functions of living things occur in cells.
Cells exist only in multicellular organisms.
Living things are composed of cells.
Cells contain hereditary information.
