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WorksheetsBiology STAAR Review
Total questions: 105
Worksheet time: 1hrs 2mins
The Indian leaf butterfly has traits that allow it to resemble a leaf. The bright colors of the monarch butterfly indicate that the butterfly tastes bad and can be poisonous.
How does the appearance of these butterflies help them to survive?
The Indian leaf butterfly is able to avoid predators while the monarch butterfly warns predators away.
The Indian leaf butterfly frightens predators away while the monarch butterfly poisons predators before they can eat it.
Both butterflies rely on camouflage to avoid predation.
Both butterflies cooperate with one another to avoid predation.
Which of these best demonstrates mutualism between certain types of bacteria and humans?
Intestinal bacteria obtain nutrients from the gut and produce vitamin K used by humans.
Bacteria become resistant to antibacterial medication that humans use for treatment.
Invasive bacteria at an area of injury produce toxins that damage healthy tissues of the human body.
Bacteria in improperly prepared food is consumed by humans, causing food poisoning.
In the mid-1980s, an aggressive strain of algae known as Caulerpa was accidentally introduced into the Mediterranean Sea when a seaside aquarium cleaned out its tanks. The algae contains a toxin that prevents native herbivores form consuming it. Caulerpa quickly spread over the sea floor, crowding out many species including sponges, corals, sea fans, and lobsters.
Which statement explains the most likely impact Caulerpa has had on the biodiversity in the Mediterranean Sea?
The presence of Caulerpa within an ecosystem is an indicator of the ecosystem's health.
The spread of Caulerpa improved the habitat for many species of sea grasses, and increased the biodiversity.
Caulerpa interbred with native species with the same adaptations within the ecosystem.
Caulerpa became dominant within the ecosystem and reduced the biodiversity.
A small town in the piney woods of East Texas has a soccer field composed of native grasses. The soccer field is mowed once a week.
What effect does continual mowing have on the ecology of the field?
Mowing increases the likelihood of nonnative species displacing native species.
Mowing increases the number of species found in the field.
Mowing causes different types of communities to form across the field.
Mowing maintains a low species diversity by inhibiting further succession.
The table lists some organisms found in a swamp ecosystem and their sources of energy.
When constructing an energy pyramid of the swamp ecosystem, which of these would be placed at the top of the pyramid?
Grass carp
American alligator
Eastern mud turtle
Great blue heron
Saprophytes are fungi that feed on dead and decomposing organisms. They secrete enzymes that digest components of cell walls, such as cellulose and lignin.
Which statement explains why these fungi are an important part of the biogeochemical system?
Saprophytes perform gas exchange that assist the cellular activities of autotrophs.
Saprophytes extract minerals from living tissue to recycle tehm back into the soil.
Saprophytes transport nutrients through the xylem and phloem in autotrophs.
Saprophytes return organic material to the soil for use by living organisms.
Scientists have observed many types of tropical fish moving beyond their traditional ocean ranges into waters that have historically been more temperate. These fish compete for food with native fish, consuming much from the kelp forests and beds of sea grass.
The expansion of the ranges of tropical fish was most likely caused by -
agricultural runoff that contributes to dead zones in the ocean
global droughts that raise the salt concentration of ocean waters
the rising temperatures of ocean waters
acid rain pollution that lowers the pH of ocean waters
Enchanted Rock State Natural Ara is located in Central Texas. Enchanted Rock is a dome of granite. The area contains four easily identifiable communities. The table describes characteristics of each type of community in the area.
A student studying primary succession should focus on which of these communities?
Open oak woodland
Mesquite grassland
Floodplain
Granite rock
In North American forests, two species of birds, nuthatches and brown creepers, forage on the same trees for insects. Brown creepers feed on insects found near the bottom of the tree trunk, while nuthatches feed on insects in the top part of the tree.
The difference in foraging behavior most likely affects the nuthatches and brown creepers by -
allowing the birds to avoid many types of predators
reducing competition between the birds for resources
preventing the birds from interbreeding with each other
establishing dominance between the birds for nesting sites
As part of the nitrogen cycle, animals acquire some amino acids by doing which of the following?
Breathing air
Eating plants
Drinking water
Producing waste
A partial meadow food web is shown.
Based on this food web, which organisms are direct sources of energy for secondary consumers?
Aphid
Bird
Rabbit
Ladybug
Fox
Dragonfly
Frog
Butterfly
Berries
Mouse
Snake
Hawk
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9A Which statements best compare the function of an ATP molecule to a DNA molecule?
ATP carries and transmits the genetic information of organisms. DNA serves as a biological catalyst that speeds up the rate of chemical reactions.
ATP provides energy for chemical reactions in the cell. DNA carries and transmits the genetic information of organisms.
ATP serves as a biological catalyst that speeds up the rate of chemical reactions. DNA acts as a structural sugar in the cell walls of plants.
ATP acts as a structural sugar in the cell walls of plants. DNA provides energy for chemical reactions in the cell.
9A Which cellular function of carbohydrates and lipids should be placed in the shared section of the Venn diagram?
Hormone production
Structural support of cell walls
Energy storage
Catalyst for chemical reactions
9B Which graphic organizer best compares the energy inputs and outputs of cellular respiration and photosynthesis?
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9C For an enzyme to be able to catalyze a reaction, the active site must —
be occupied by an inhibitor
increase the activation energy level
have a complementary shape to the substrate
cause the enzyme to be destroyed in the reaction
10A 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
10A Which statement best describes an interaction between the muscular system and the respiratory system?
The hormone adrenaline causes blood vessels to contract and send more blood to major muscles.
Metabolic wastes generated by muscle cells are eliminated in urine.
The diaphragm contracts causing the chest cavity to expand, which draws air into the lungs.
Nutrients absorbed in the small intestine are transported in blood to the brain.
10B What caused the shoots of the seedlings on the windowsill to bend toward the window?
Hormones produced in response to a light stimulus
Sugars produced in response to a gravity stimulus
Carbon dioxide produced in response to a water stimulus
Water produced in response to a nitrogen stimulus
10B Which statement best describes an interaction that will allow a flowering plant to reproduce by self-pollination?
An anther is transferred from a filament to another filament within the same flower
An ovule is transferred from the ovary to a petal on a different flower
A pollen grain is transferred from an anther to the stigma of the same flower
An ovary is transferred from a flower on one plant to a flower on a different plant.
10C Which term does the letter X represent in the graphic organizer?
Cell
Organism
Ecosystem
Biosphere
9A Which statements best compare a function of proteins and lipids in a human cell?
Proteins provide energy for cellular processes. Lipids catalyze chemical reactions inside the cell.
Proteins catalyze chemical reactions inside the cell. Lipids allow for the transport of certain molecules into and out of the cell.
Proteins allow for the transport of certain molecules into and out of the cell. Lipids store genetic information for cells.
Proteins store genetic information for cells. Lipids provide energy for cellular processes.
9B What are the products of the cellular processes in these organelles?
I: glucose and carbon dioxide II: oxygen and water
I: carbon dioxide and oxygen II: glucose and water
I: oxygen and glucose II: water and carbon dioxide
I: carbon dioxide and water II: glucose and oxygen
9C Which model best represents the molecules at the end of the reaction?
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10A Biting flies can transmit diseases and cause loss of blood for animals in nature. Horses have developed behaviors to repel biting flies such as ear twitching, head tossing, leg stomping, and tail swishing. Which statement best describes the interaction between body systems that allows horses to repel biting flies?
The nervous system senses the biting flies and sends a signal to the muscular system to move.
The circulatory system senses the biting flies and sends a signal to the nervous system to move.
The muscular system senses the biting flies and sends a signal to the integumentary system to move.
The integumentary system senses the biting flies and sends a signal to the circulatory system to move
10A Which sequence best describes an interaction between the integumentary and excretory systems that helps maintain homeostasis?
Heart rate increases Blood vessels constrict Blood pressure increases
Blood vessel is damaged Platelets begin to clump Blood vessel ruptures
Blood sugar levels rise Pancreas secretes insulin Blood sugar continues to rise
Body temperature increases Glands release sweat Body temperature decreases
10A Which system must interact with the respiratory and digestive systems to transport gases and nutrients throughout the body?
Endocrine
Integumentary
Immune
Circulatory
Which of the following is an example of the endocrine system directly interacting with the nervous system?
The vertebrae protect the spinal cord from injury.
Hormones provide feedback that affects neural processing.
Sensory receptors in bones send signals about body position to the brain.
The brain sends signals that control the speed at which food moves through the intestines.
A student studying interactions between body systems constructs this table. The student plans to fill out the table with phrases that describe an interaction between each pair of systems. Which of these phrases could be placed in the position marked with an X?
Provides nutrients to kidney cells
Provides nutrients to brain cells
Provides nutrients to nerve cells
Provides nutrients to muscle cells.
Invasive plant species affect the interactions of living and nonliving components of an ecosystem, so the removal of invasive plants is often necessary. The goal of most plant-control methods is to disrupt or inhibit the function of different plant systems. For example, insects can be used to chew through roots in order to reduce a plant's ability to absorb water.
Which of these functions would be most immediately affected by a reduction in water uptake by roots?
Disease resisitance
Seed dispersal
Sunlight absorption
Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis and cellular respiration both involve the use and release of gases. Which statement correctly identifies the role of gases in the two processes?
Photosynthesis and cellular respiration both use carbon dioxide and release oxygen.
Photosynthesis and cellular respiration both use oxygen and release carbon dioxide.
Cellular respiration uses oxygen and releases carbon dioxide, while photosynthesis uses carbon dioxide and releases oxygen.
Cellular respiration uses carbon dioxide and releases oxygen, while photosynthesis uses oxygen and releases carbon dioxide.
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A model of DNA is shown.
Which part of the DNA model is most directly associated with the coding of genetic information?
What components make up the backbone of a DNA molecule?
Purines and deoxyribose
Pyrimidines and purines
Deoxyribose and phosphate groups
Phosphate groups and pyrimidines
A segment of DNA is shown in the diagram.
Which of these identifies the part of the DNA segment labeled X?
Nucleotide
Deoxyribose
Phosphate Group
Hydrogen Bond
Which statement best describes a similarity among trees, cats, and amoebas?
They are prokaryotic organisms.
They are classified as members of the same kingdom.
They have genomes that consist of the same number of genes.
They contain DNA composed of the same four types of nucleotides.
Which property is shared by the cells of all living things?
The cells contain DNA composed of adenine, thymine, guanine, and cytosine.
The cells are surrounded by a phospholipid bilayer and a cell wall made of cellulose.
The cells have chromosomes that are located inside a membrane-bound nucleus.
The cells rely on mitochondria to carry out aerobic cellular respiration.
A model of transcription and a codon chart are shown.
Which amino acid would be coded first from the DNA strand being transcribed?
Phe
Met
Ile
Cys
A partial DNA segment and an mRNA codon chart are shown.
What amino acid sequence is encoded in the partial DNA segment?
Serine ‒ Threonine ‒ Tyrosine
Serine ‒ Serine ‒ Tyrosine
Serine ‒ Threonine ‒ Methionine
Serine ‒ Alanine ‒ Methionine
Which table best compares the events that occur during different stages of the cell cycle?
(5.A 2022)
Normal cells have a contact inhibition feedback mechanism that prevents the cells from replicating when other cells are touched. A diagram of cells with contact inhibition and cells without contact inhibition is shown.
Which statement best describes what will happen to cells in an organism that lack contact inhibition?
(5.C 2022)
The cells will continue to grow, causing a tumor in the body.
The cells will replicate normally, replacing body cells that die.
The cells will replicate until the food supply for each cell is used, causing each cell to die.
The cells will stop replicating once one layer is produced, as other body cells will crowd them out.
In domesticated dogs, hair type is controlled by two different alleles. The allele for wire hair is (H) and the allele for smooth hair is (h).
When two heterozygous dogs are crossed, what percentage of the offspring is expected to be homozygous for smooth hair?
0%
25%
50%
75%
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
Which statements explain how a mutation in a somatic cell is different from a mutation that occurs in gametes?
Somatic cell mutations occur in cells that give rise to gametes.
Gamete mutations occur in cells that result in apoptosis.
Somatic cell mutations are maintained in the gene pool.
Gamete mutations are expelled from the gene pool.
Somatic cell mutations are generally not passed to offspring.
Gamete mutations are usually passed to offspring.
Somatic cell mutations will not be expressed by the individual that contains the mutation.
Gamete mutations will be expressed by the individual.
Some angelfish colors are determined by codominance. Possible phenotypes and genotypes of angelfish colors are shown.
Which table shows the expected phenotypes of offspring resulting from a cross between a black angelfish and a black-lace angelfish?
A cellular process is shown.
Which of these is the most likely result of the process shown in the diagram?
Chromosome replication will cease to avoid errors that result in mutations.
Offspring will no longer express traits from previous generations.
Gametes will contain new allele combinations.
Chromatids will have less genetic variety.
Some angelfish colors are determined by codominance. Possible phenotypes and genotypes of angelfish colors are shown.
Which table shows the expected phenotypes of offspring resulting from a cross between a black angelfish and a black-lace angelfish?
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