WorksheetsBIOLOGY STAAR COMP
Total questions: 24
Worksheet time: 48mins
A student conducted an investigation to study phototropism in grasses. The only difference between the control group and the experimental group was the light conditions. The control group was provided full light, while the experimental group was shaded on one side. The diagrams show the average heights and positions of blades of grass in the investigation. (View Image)
Which statement best explains why the grass tips of the experimental group bent toward the light?
Water evaporated faster on the side of the plant having full light.
Light sensors in the grass tips simulated a hormone in the shoot system.
The xylem in the roots system absorbed more nutrients from the shaded side.
The side facing the light has greater chance of absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
The energy pyramid shows the energy made available by producers. (View Image)
Base on the energy flow between trophic levels in an energy pyramid, how much energy would be expected to be found at the secondary consumer level in this pyramid?
100 joules
500 joules
1,000 joules
50 joules
Some students used vinegar to dissolve away the shells of three eggs and used the eggs as models of human red blood cells. The students observed the changes in the eggs when they were placed in different solutions. (View Image)
Which statement best describes the role of the cell membrane in this model?
The cell membrane is an impermeable barrier that prevents water from entering the cell.
The cell membrane allows solutes to enter the cell, which causes the cell to shrink.
The cell membrane allows water to enter and leave the cell.
The cell membrane removes solutes from the environment.
The diagram shows cells in different phases of mitosis. A student is trying to find a cell in a particular phase of mitosis. The student is looking for evidence that spindle fibers are separating the chromosomes to ensure that each new nucleus has one copy of each chromosome. (View Image)
Which cell is in the phase of mitosis that the student is searching for?
Cell 1
Cell 2
Cell 3
Cell 4
The diagram represents one way an enzyme can be inhibited. (View Image)
Which statement explains the effect of an inhibitor on an enzyme?
A substrate will be able to bond with the enzyme.
The enzyme will likely be attacked by immune cells.
The enzyme will be unable to produce more enzymes.
A substrate will be unable to attach to the enzyme.
A cladogram of five species is shown. Based on the diagram, the ancestral species most likely had -
a vertebral column
a vertebral column and hair
sharp teeth and retractable claws
the ability to purr
Farmers spray pesticides on their plants to protect the plants from being eaten by insects. Some individual insects have a genetic mutation that makes them resistant to the toxins in the pesticides. Which statement best describes how only a few resistant individuals resulted in the pesticide becoming ineffective?
The resistant insects change the toxin on the plants, making it safe for others.
The resistant insects grow larger and eat less of the plants.
The resistant insects eat the contaminated surface and leave the rest for others.
The resistant insects are able to survive to reproduce and create a population that is also resistant.
Based on the information provided, which two species are most closely related? LOOK CAREFULLY
Northern cricket frog and bullfrog
Northern leopard frog and green treefrog
Northern cricket frog and green treefrog
Northern leopard frog and bullfrog
Based on the diagram, which two populations best represent trophic levels that RECIEVE the LEAST amount the total energy provided to the ecosystem by the grass?
Crickets and sparrows
Toads and spiders
Rabbits and mice
Hognose snakes and owls
When cells lose their ability to regulate the cell cycle, they divide at accelerated rate and form a mass of cells. This mass of cells is referred to as -
a tumor
an embryo
a gland
an organ
Based on the diagram, which set of bat species is the least related?
Ptenochirus minor and Megaerops niphanae
Dyacopterus spadiceus and Otopteropus cartilagondus
Haplonycteris fisheri and Ptenochirus jagori
Cynopterus sphinx and Chironax melancephalus
Farmers spray pesticides on their plants to protect the plants from being eaten by insects. Some individual insects have a genetic mutation that makes them resistant to the toxins in the pesticides. Which statement best describes how only a few resistant individuals resulted in the pesticide becoming ineffective?
The resistant insects change the toxin on the plants, making it safe for others.
The resistant insects grow larger and eat less of the plants.
The resistant insects eat the contaminated surface and leave the rest for others.
The resistant insects are able to survive to reproduce and create a population that is also resistant.
Based on the information provided, which two species are most closely related? LOOK CAREFULLY
Northern cricket frog and bullfrog
Northern leopard frog and green treefrog
Northern cricket frog and green treefrog
Northern leopard frog and bullfrog
How do the wings of the Gentoo penguin and the legs of the common ostrich provide an advantage in their habitat?
Allows them to find prey
Allows them to escape from predators
Allows them to control their body temperature
Allows them to be camouflaged in their environments
Overfishing is causing the decline of fish populations, such as Eastern Atlantic bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean. Eastern Atlantic bluefin tuna are caught faster than they can reproduce. Which statement describes the most likely effect that overfishing will have on this ecosystem?
Overfishing makes the ecosystem more stable by increasing competition for limited resources.
Overfishing decreases the stability of the ecosystem by disrupting food chains.
Overfishing has no effect on ecosystem's stability because it affects one species out of many.
Overfishing increase ecosystem stability by allowing prey populations to overproduce.
The aye-aye lemur is mammal that feeds mostly on insect larvae that live inside trees. When it hears a difference in the echo, it tear open the bark with its teeth until the insect tunnel is exposed. It uses its specialized finger to reach the insect larvae and remove it. Which selective pressure most likely resulted in the the aye-aye lemur's special adaptation?
Limited availability of water
Competing for mates
Large numbers of natural predators
Food sources that are hard to find
Conservation biologists studying cheetah populations have determined that the lack of genetic diversity among the cheetahs is due to genetic drift. Which statement explains the most likely consequence of having a low genetic diversity on the cheetah population?
The chances of a mutation occurring in the cheetah population are decreased, increasing the cheetah survival rate.
The gene pool remains in equilibrium and future generations of cheetah offspring are stronger and better adapted to their environments.
The cheetah population becomes less likely to survive an outbreak of a disease or an environmental change, increasing the chance of species extinction.
Genetic variability is maintained from older cheetah populations that have survived and endured environmental stressors.
The life cycle of a frog is illustrated in the diagram.
Which statement best explains how the cell cycle is important to the life cycle of the frog?
It enables frogs to produce tadpoles that are clones.
It allows frogs to grow, develop, and reproduce.
It prevents overproduction of frog offspring.
It ensures the best adapted frogs survive and pass on traits to offspring.
When the skin comes in contact with an irritant, receptors in the skin send signals to the spinal cord. The signal is then sent to the brain for processing, and the individual begins to scratch the affected area. Which two systems are most likely interacting when a person experiences itching caused by a skin irritant?
Circulatory and excretory
Integumentary and nervous
Digestive and muscular
Respiratory and lymphatic
An illustration of how a particular DNA mutation will most likely affect the polypeptide produced is shown. What type of mutation is illustrated?
Insertion
Translocation
Substitution
Deletion
A segment of DNA is shown in the diagram. Which of these identifies the part of the DNA segment labeled X?
Nucleotide
Phosphate group
Hydrogen bond
Deoxyribose
In Texas Longhorn cattle, coat coloration is an inherited trait. What is the genetic basis of coat-color variation in Texas Longhorn cattle?
Differences in the nucleotide sequences of genes
Differences in the numbers of chromosomes in cells
Differences in the diets of individual cattle
Differences in the environmental conditions of different geographic areas
8 A cellular process is shown. Which statement best describes the significance of this process?
The process allows organisms to grow and heal.
The process produces clones of the parent organism.
The process copies DNA before cell division
The process creates genetic variation in the resulting cells
The giant octopus lays 20,000 to 100,000 fertilized eggs. After hatching, most octopuses become prey to larger marine organisms, and less than 5% will reach adulthood to reproduce. One benefit of the giant octopus laying many eggs is to —
increase the average body size for surviving individuals to avoid predation
decrease competition between different octopus species to maintain resources in the population
increase the chance that more individuals will survive to maintain the population
decrease the likelihood of offspring being consumed by predators
