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MCAS Biology Prep

Total questions: 15

Worksheet time: 15mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

When proteins are broken down, phenylalanine is sometimes produced. Phenylalanine contains the elements carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, and oxygen. Phenylalanine is which type of compound?

a)

amino acid

b)

fatty acid

c)

monosaccharide

d)

phospholipid

2.

Plants in floodplains often get covered by water during floods. Some plants survive the floods because they can continue photosynthesis underwater. However, the plants’ rates of photosynthesis are much lower underwater than above water.


Which of the following helps to explain why the rates of photosynthesis are lower underwater than above water?

a)

The available light is less intense underwater.

b)

The chloroplasts do not function underwater.

c)

There is too much oxygen in the water.

d)

There is no carbon dioxide in the water.

3.

What directly supplies the energy a cell needs for activities such as moving its cilia or transporting molecules against a concentration gradient?

a)

ATP

b)

Hemoglobin

c)

RNA

d)

Triglycerides

4.

Which of the following describes how DNA determines genetic inheritance?

a)

A long sequence of nucleotides in a specific order codes for a genetic trait.

b)

A set of three nucleotides in a specific order codes for a genetic trait.

c)

A pair of complementary nucleotides codes for a genetic trait.

d)

A single nucleotide codes for a genetic trait.

5.

Inhalation is the process that draws air into the lungs. How does the muscular system work with the respiratory system to make inhalation possible?

a)

The diaphragm muscle contracts to expand the chest and draw air into the respiratory system.

b)

The smooth muscles of the esophagus relax to let air flow into the respiratory system.

c)

The skeletal muscles of the neck contract to pull on the pharynx and draw air into the respiratory system.

d)

The chest muscle relaxes to let air flow into the respiratory system.

6.

Which of the following is always part of normal sexual reproduction?

a)

The male produces gametes by mitosis.

b)

An offspring receives half its chromosomes from each parent.

c)

An offspring looks identical to the parents at birth.

d)

The female carries only one fertilized egg at a time.

7.

Which part of the digestive system eliminates solid wastes from the human body?

a)

rectum

b)

kidneys

c)

liver

d)

pharynx

8.

Because most nerve cells do not typically undergo mitosis, they are generally not capable of which of the following?

a)

generating more nerve cells

b)

producing enzymes

c)

performing cellular respiration

9.

A cell membrane has a double layer of molecules. These molecules are made up of a phosphorus-containing “head” and two long, fatty acid “tails.”

Which of the following best explains why the molecules are classified as lipids?

a)

They are made up of fatty acids.

b)

They form a double layer

c)

They contain phosphorus

d)

They are found in the cell membrane

10.

Which of the following does the human digestive system break down for the body’s cells to use for energy, repair, and growth?

a)

carbohydrates, fats, and proteins

b)

carbohydrates and proteins only

c)

carbohydrates, fats, and oxygen

d)

carbohydrates and fats only

11.

The growth of plants in many ecosystems is limited by the supply of nitrogen. Which of the following groups of organisms plays the largest role in moving nitrogen between the atmosphere and plants?

a)

bacteria

b)

earthworms

c)

insects

d)

protists

12.

The different finch beaks are the result of natural selection. Which of the following conditions was required for natural selection to occur in the Galápagos finches?

a)

some genetic variation in the ancestral population

b)

low death rates for the finches

c)

low mutation rates for the finches

d)

unequal number of males and females in ancestral population

13.

Placental mammals are one group of mammals. Using DNA evidence, scientists have concluded that the ancestor of placental mammals diverged from other mammal groups about 160 million years ago. The analysis of which of the following types of evidence would best verify this conclusion?

a)

fossils

b)

oxygen

c)

carbon dioxide

d)

sunlight

14.

Snakes such as boa constrictors and pythons have tiny leg bones buried in their muscles. These leg bones are vestigial structures that have little or no known function in snakes.

Which best explains the presence of these vestigial structures in snakes?

a)

Snakes evolved from organisms with legs.

b)

Snakes evolved from organisms without legs

c)

Modern day snakes are organisms with legs

15.

Valvular stenosis is a condition in which the heart valves are stiff and do not open completely. In people with this condition, blood flow to the body is decreased. How will valvular stenosis most likely affect body cells?

a)

Body cells will receive less oxygen than usual.

b)

Body cells receive less CO2 than usual.