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Biology SOL Practice Test Review (with explanations)

Total questions: 54

Worksheet time: 28mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Different proteins have different properties because -

a)

some proteins include sugar molecules and amino acids

b)

each protein molecule has a unique number and sequence of amino acids

c)

proteins that function as enzymes do not contain nitrogen

d)

different proteins have nucleotides arranged in a different order

2.

Fructose is an organic molecule that can be a source of energy for the body. What are the monomers of fructose

a)

amino acids

b)

carbohydrates

c)

monosaccharides

d)

fatty acids

3.

Microtubules are groups of proteins that provide structure to cells and are important during cell division. Which of the following pathways produces microtubule proteins in cells?

a)

DNA \rightarrow polypeptide \rightarrow mRNA \rightarrow protein

b)

DNA \rightarrow mRNA \rightarrow polypeptide \rightarrow protein

c)

mRNA \rightarrow DNA \rightarrow polypeptide \rightarrow protein

d)

mRNA \rightarrow polypeptide \rightarrow DNA \rightarrow protein

4.

Scientists studying a certain species of bacteria hypothesize that these bacteria use active transport to take in sugar. Which of the following best supports this hypothesis?

a)

Sugar intake rate increases as the use of ATP increases

b)

Sugar intake rate increases as the number of ribosomes inside the bacteria increases

c)

Sugar intake rate increases as the temperature increases

d)

Sugar intake rate increases as the concentration of sugar outside the bacteria increaes

5.

A portion of a DNA strand is shown.

5' - AATTGCATAT - 3'

What is the sequence of the complementary DNA strand?

a)

UUAACGUAUA

b)

CCGGATGCGC

c)

TATACGTTAA

d)

TTAACGTATA

6.

Enzymes speed up chemical reactions in cells because they -

a)

increase the activation energy of the reaction

b)

increase the amount of energy stored in the products

c)

decrease the activation energy needed for the reaction

d)

decrease the amount of energy stored in the products

7.

The graph above shows the amount of product produced in an enzyme-controlled reaction at different pH levels. What is a valid conclusion that can be made from this data?

a)

All enzymes work best at a pH of 7

b)

This reaction occurs mostly in acidic environments

c)

The optimum environment for this enzyme has a neutral pH

d)

No enzymes are able to work on substrates in basic environments.

8.

In an experiment to determine the effect of exercise on cellular respiration, students participated in the same aerobic exercise for 1 minute, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, and 7 minutes. After each exercise interval, students blew into a respirometer (a devise that measures gasses). The experiment was repeated each day for 2 weeks. What is the dependent variable that is being measured in this experiment?

a)

The amount of sugar produced by the students

b)

The amount of oxygen produced by the students

c)

The amount of exercise completed by the students

d)

The amount of carbon dioxide produced by the students.

9.

Which of the following is true of the cells in a multicellular organism?

a)

None of them contain ribosomes

b)

All are descended from one cell.

c)

All of them express the same genes at the same time

d)

All are prokaryotes

10.

An osmosis investigation was conducted using chicken eggs to represent cells with semipermeable membranes. The mass of each egg was measured to determine how much water diffused into or out of the egg. The eggs were first dissolved in vinegar to dissolve the shell. Each egg was then placed in one of the three different solutions for 24 hours. The table shows the results of the investigation.

Based on this experiment, which of the following should be inferred about cells with semipermeable membranes?

a)

Substances other than water may also cross the cell membrane

b)

Substances other than water may block pores in the cell membrane

c)

Water enters the cells when placed in environments of high water concentration

d)

Water leaves the cell when placed in environments with low concentration of solutes

11.

A student looks at a cell under a microscope. Which of the following observations would indicate that the cell is from a plant rather than an animal?

a)

a nucleus located inside the cell

b)

numerous cilia on the outside of the cell

c)

chloroplasts in the cytoplasm of the cell

d)

a thin membrane around the edge of the cell

12.

All six codons shown in the image code for the same amino acid during protein synthesis.

Which of the following statements describes the advantage of having multiple codons for the same amino acid?

a)

The length of the protein chain will be reduced

b)

The effect of mutations in the DNA could be reduced

c)

The ribosome will more quickly read the order of the bases during translation

d)

The cell could use the bases that are most available in the nucleus to assemble DNA

13.

During protein synthesis, specific amino acids are brought to the ribosome by specific

a)

transfer RNA molucles

b)

messenger RNA molecules

c)

ribosomal RNA molecules

d)

synthetic RNA molecules

14.

What is one of the roles of DNA polymerase during replication?

a)

It unzips molecules of DNA

b)

It "proofreads" each new DNA strand

c)

It degenerates the old DNA strand

d)

It uses one strand of DNA to build a strand of RNA

15.

A researcher adds an enzyme to a sample of human DNA to see if the DNA changes. Which result would best support the conclusion the the enzyme had no effect on the DNA?

a)

The researcher observes that the DNA has uracil bases

b)

The researcher observes that the DNA has unpaired nitrogenous bases

c)

The researcher observes that the DNA has a single strand with nucleotides and a sugar-phosphate backbone

d)

The researcher observes that the DNA has a double helix shape with nucleotide pairs and sugar-phosphate backbones

16.

A substitution mutation occurs in a DNA sequence, as represented below

TAC GCC AAG ATT

\downarrow

TAC GCC AGG ATT

The table in the image shows the mRNA codons for some amino acids. Based on this information, what is the expected effect of the mutation?

a)

The polypeptide will have fewer amino acids

b)

The polypeptide will have the same amino acids

c)

The polypeptide will contain a different amino acid

d)

The polypeptide will contain an additional amino acid

17.

The diagram pictured shows Rosalind Franklin's x-ray image of DNA. How did this evidence affect the work of Watson and Crick?

a)

It was used to determine the physical structure of DNA

b)

It was used to identify the four bases that make up DNA

c)

It was used to develop the theory of independent assortment

d)

It was used to show that DNA was the molecule of inheritance

18.

Which of these best completes this concept map?

a)

an animal cell

b)

a prokaryotic cell

c)

a virus

d)

a plant cell

19.

A cell from heart muscle would probably have an unusually high proportion of

a)

lysosomes

b)

mitochondria

c)

mRNA

d)

Golgi bodies

20.

A photomicrograph of onion root tip cell during mitosis is shown in the image. What stage of mitosis would occur after the stage occurring in the cell indicated by the arrow?

a)

prophase

b)

metaphase

c)

anaphase

d)

telophase

21.

Which of these must occur during S phase of the cell cycle so that two daughter cells can be produced during the M phase?

a)

The DNA must be replicated

b)

The chromosomes must be joined

c)

The cytoplasm must be separated

d)

The cell membrane must be expanded

22.

Which of these organisms are most helpful in preventing Earth from being covered with the bodies of dead organisms?

a)

herbivores

b)

producers

c)

parasites and viruses

d)

fungi and bacteria

23.

Which of the following require a host cell because they are not able to make proteins on their own?

a)

blue-green algae

b)

bacteria

c)

protozoans

d)

viruses

24.

Having a standard taxonomic system benefits the scientific community by allowing scientists from all over the world to do which of the following?

a)

Have a common system for the classification of locations containing fossils

b)

Use a similar system to classify the impact of removing species from ecosystems

c)

Have a common system for the classification of known, as well as newly discovered, organisms

d)

Understand how other scientists classify predator-prey relationships

25.

A student collected the animal shown in the image on a field trip. The student used a dichotomous key and a microscope to classify the animal. How should this animal be classified?

a)

Arthropoda

b)

Annelida

c)

Mollusca

d)

Platyhelminthes

26.

Both euglena and cyanobacteria are photosynthetic unicellular organisms found in the pond water. The feature that distinguishes euglena from cyanobacteria is the -

a)

ability to maintain homeostasis

b)

presence of ribosomes

c)

ability to reproduce

d)

presence of a nuclear membrane

27.

For many years, biologists disagreed about whether giant pandas are more closely related to raccoons or bears. Which of the following types of evidence was most useful in determining the evolutionary relationship of giant pandas to other animals?

a)

diet

b)

behavior

c)

genetic sequences

d)

anatomical features

28.

The diagram shows taxonomic groups and a major distinguishing characteristic of all but two of them. Which characteristics will be used to complete the chart?

a)

b)

c)

d)

29.

A researcher is studying a sample of cells taken from an organism found in the Arctic Ocean. The researcher makes the following observations about the cells:

they do not make their own food

they each have a nucleus

they do not have cell walls

Based on these observations, the organism should be classified as which of the following?

a)

a plant

b)

a fungus

c)

an animal

d)

a bacterium

30.

Although viruses enter living cells and can cause diseases such as chicken pox and hepatitis A and B, the viruses themselves are not living organisms. Which of the following characteristics do viruses share with living organisms?

a)

growth

b)

homeostasis

c)

metabolism

d)

replication

31.

The hypothesis that germs cause disease is called germ theory. Before the 1880s, many scientists believed in the idea of spontaneous generation - the sudden appearance of living organisms from nonliving matter. Today germ theory is accepted as one of the great discoveries of medicine. Which of the following is a way in which germ theory has had an impact on modern health care?

a)

the development of safer anethetics

b)

the development of genetic medicine

c)

the development of vaccines against childhood disease

d)

the rise in public awareness about the causes of heart disease

32.

A species of toad living in an area is similar in form to toad fossils found in very old rock. Which hypothesis does this observation support?

a)

Toads living near the area have evolved slowly over time

b)

Toads evolved rapidly, because there are many variations in form

c)

This species of toad burrowed into the rock and became fossilized

d)

The toads living today migrated to the area from a different region

33.

How does the system used to classify protists differ from other classification systems?

a)

Because protists share characteristics with members of other kingdoms, protists are classified by the way in which they obtain nutrients

b)

Unlike other systems, the system used to classify protists has not changed significantly in decades

c)

Because protists are similar to each other, the classification of protists is much simpler than other classifications

d)

There is no significant difference between the classification of protists and the classification of other organisms

34.

Approximately 200 kinds of trees and shrubs are found in Grand Canyon National Park. The chart lists the common and scientific names of some of the trees in the park. Identify the two trees listed in the chart that are most closely related.

a)

Douglas fir and White fir

b)

Arizona walnut and Utah juniper

c)

Fremont cottonwood and Quaking aspen

d)

Blue spruce and Ponderosa pine

35.

Rasheed crossed plants that were hybrid for the traits of flower color, seed color, and seed shape as part of an investigation to verify the results of Gregor Mendel's experiments. He created the summary table shown to display his results. Based on the information in the table, which of the following is a valid conclusion?

a)

White flowers are dominant

b)

Yellow seeds are a recessive trait

c)

Wrinkled seeds are a recessive trait

d)

Flower color is the result of incomplete dominance

36.

Sexual reproduction increases genetic variation in populations. Which is a way that meiosis and fertilization lead to genetic variation?

a)

Alleles are recombined when gametes from different parents join together

b)

Mutations are usually repaired by cellular machinery before genes are expressed

c)

DNA is replicated when a fertilized egg becomes a growing embryo through mitosis

d)

Parents that are homozygous for the same trait will have offspring that are also homozygous for that trait

37.

Which of the following statements correctly describes meiosis?

a)

Cells divide only once during meiosis

b)

Meiosis does not occur in reproductive cells

c)

The cells produced at the end of meiosis are genetically identical to the parent cell

d)

The cells produced at the end of meiosis contain half the number of chromosomes as the parent cell

38.

The diagram show homologous chromosomes during prophase I of meiosis. Which of the following correctly describes the process being illustrated?

a)

mutation in which the DNA content of the gene is altered

b)

segregation of sister chromatids

c)

condensation and segregation of alleles

d)

crossing-over in which alleles are exchanged

39.

In certain breeds of dogs, deafness is due to a recessive allele (d) of a particular gene, and normal hearing is due to the dominant allele (D). What percentage of the offspring of a normal heterozygous dog and a deaf dog would be expected to have normal hearing?

a)

0%

b)

25%

c)

50%

d)

100%

40.

Researchers inserted a gene for bioluminescence into a variety of organisms, such as mosquito larvae. What is this technology called?

a)

gel electrophoresis

b)

DNA sequencing

c)

polymerase chain reaction

d)

genetic engineering

41.

Speciation results from reproductive isolation. What does reproductive isolation result from?

a)

behavioral isolation

b)

geographic isolation

c)

temporal isolation

d)

all of the above

42.

The limbs of several organisms are shown in the illustration. Scientists compare the limbs of these organisms to look for evidence of common ancestry. These limbs provide evidence of common ancestry because they -

a)

perform the same function

b)

have the same basic structure

c)

are the same size

d)

are parts of mammals

43.

The concept of gene flow is demonstrated when a cow is driven off from its herd, joins another herd, and reproduces. When the cow contributes to the gene pool of the new herd, which of these most likely increases?

a)

natural selection

b)

genetic variation

c)

environmental fitness

d)

reproductive mutations

44.

Some organisms have genes that improve their ability to survive and reproduce. If the genes also help their offspring survive and reproduce, then which of the following will most likely increase?

a)

The frequency of the genes in one individual

b)

The frequency of the genes in the population

c)

The number of genes in one chromosome

d)

The number of genes in the species

45.

The shape of songbird wings affects the efficiency of flight. Birds with more pointed wings fly long distances more efficiently, and birds with more rounded wings fly short distances more efficiently.

Over the last 100 years, large portions of forests have been cut down, forcing many songbirds to travel to other forests to find mates. Which of the following evolutionary changes has most likely occurred in these bird populations as a result?

a)

Bird wings are more pointed than they previously were

b)

Bird wings are more rounded than they previously were

c)

Young birds learn to use their pointed wings later than they previously did

d)

Young birds learn to use their rounded wings earlier than they previously did

46.

In Florida, mice that live on the white sands of the barrier islands tend to be lighter in color than mice that live on the mainland. Which of the following statements describes how mice on the barrier islands most likely evolved their light coat color through natural selection?

a)

The light-colored mice were easier prey for birds than the dark-colored mice

b)

The light-colored mice learned to shed more of their fur than the dark-colored mice

c)

The light-colored mice had a greater reproductive advantage than the dark-colored mice

d)

The light-colored mice migrated from the mainland to the barrier islands more recently than the dark-colored mice.

47.

Which of the following observations most strongly supports evolutionary links between fossil organisms and modern organisms

a)

The fossil organisms and modern organisms have identical body sizes

b)

The fossil organisms and modern organisms have homologous body structures

c)

The fossil organisms are hundreds of thousands of years old, and modern organisms have been around for hundreds of years

d)

The fossil organisms are found in many different rock layers, and modern organisms live in many different habitats

48.

A student observes frequent deformities in a population of native frogs near her home. She hypothesizes that the acid rain that results from industrial pollution and collects in local waterways causes mutations during frog development. She tests the water of the pond near her home and discovers the pH is 5.9. To test her hypothesis, she places 100 frog eggs in an aquarium with water that is also a pH of 5.9.  When the frogs develop, she examines them for deformities and finds that 59 of the 100 frogs have a deformity. She concludes that the acid rain has a negative impact on frog populations and decides to share her results with the local government in an effort to place more restrictions on industrial pollution.  

What evidence should the student also include to support her conclusion that acid rain causes deformities in frog populations?

a)

She should include results from the exact same experiment with a different species of frog

b)

She should include information about the feeding habits of the frog

c)

She should include results from a control group of frogs raised in an aquarium with water that has a pH of 7.0

d)

She should include results from two other groups of frogs raised in aquariums with water that has a pH of 2.0 and 4.0 respectively

49.

For any natural ecosystem, which of the following statements applies to the energy pyramid, the biomass pyramid, and the numbers pyramid?

a)

Consumers form the bottom levels, and produces are at the top.

b)

Producers are at the bottom level of all three pyramids.

c)

Producers are at the bottom of the energy and biomass pyramids only.

d)

Consumers are at the bottom of the energy pyramid only.

50.

Surtsey is an island located south of Iceland. The island was formed by a volcanic eruption and first appeared in 1963. The statements below contains descriptions of changes in the population and diversity of species on Surtsey. Sequence the descriptions in the correct order of ecological succession on Surtsey.

a)

The lava and sands have few nutrients and are barren.

b)

Mosses, lichens, and plants that are adapted to dispersal by the sea or the wind and that grow in sand appear

c)

Sea lyme grass, sea rockets, oyster plants, and other vascular plants appear

d)

Dwarf willow trees colonize the island

1)
2)
3)
4)
51.

The acacia ant (Pseudomyrmex ferruginea) lives in the bullshorn acacia plant, as shown in the image

The acacia ant nests and feeds in the plant’s hollow thorns. The ant helps protect the bullshorn acacia by attacking insects and grazing animals that come near the plant. The relationship between the acacia ant and the bullshorn acacia is an example of which of the following?

a)

Commensalism

b)

Mutualism

c)

Neutralism

d)

Parasitism

52.

Rabbits introduced into Australia over 100 years ago have become a serious pest to farmers. Rabbit populations increased so much that they displaced many native species of plant eaters. What is the most logical explanation for their increased numbers?

a)

Rabbits have a high death rate.

b)

There are few effective predators.

c)

Additional rabbit species have been introduced

d)

There is an increase in rabbit competitors.

53.

A student sets up a compost bin outdoors. Inside the bin microorganisms convert the student’s vegetable and paper scraps into rich fertilizer. Which of the following best describes the role that these microorganisms play in natural habitats?

a)

The microorganisms help balance the numbers of producers and consumers.

b)

The microorganisms help keep nutrients cycling through the ecosystem.

c)

The microorganisms turn solar energy into sugars.

d)

The microorganisms function as autotrophs.

54.

The tropical rain forests have been called the lungs of the planet. They take huge quantities of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during photosynthesis and give off large quantities of oxygen. Vast tracts of tropical rain forests are being cleared for farms by people cutting down and burning the trees. Which of the following is the best hypothesis about the effect that rain forest destruction may have on atmospheric carbon dioxide levels?

a)

Rain forest destruction will not influence overall carbon dioxide levels, because it will affect only areas around the equator

b)

Any carbon dioxide added to the atmosphere because of rain forest destruction will fall into the oceans and be used in building coral reefs.

c)

Cutting down rain forest trees will decrease atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, because plants give off carbon dioxide as a result of cellular respiration.

d)

Cutting down trees, which take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and burning trees, which adds carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, will increase atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.