Practice Biology Mid-term Test

1. A red flower (RR) is crossed with a white flower

(WW) and results in 100% pink flowers (RW). What
pattern of inheritance does this represent?
a. dominance
b. multiple alleles
c. recessiveness
d. incomplete dominance
2. Refer to the illustration below to answer the
question: In pea plants, Tall (T) is dominant to short (t).
Consider the following cross between two pea plants.
Tt X Tt
What percentage of the offspring will be short?
a. 25%
b. 50%
c. 75%
d. 100%
3. Muscular dystrophy is a sex-linked recessive trait.
Which of the following describes the probability of
muscular dystrophy in the offspring of a man who does
not have muscular dystrophy and a woman who is a
heterozygous carrier?
a. There is a 100% chance that their sons will have
muscular dystrophy.
b. There is a 25% chance that their sons will have
muscular dystrophy.
c. There is 0% chance that their daughters will have
muscular dystrophy.
d. There is a 50% chance that their daughters will have
muscular dystrophy.
4. During DNA replication, a DNA strand that has the
bases ATAGGC produces a complementary strand with
the bases
a. TCGAAC
b. TATCCG
c. UAUCCG
d. GAUCCA
5. Over several years, a scientist successfully isolates a
species of flower for red color. This year, when a new
generation of flowers blooms, one white flower is found
in the population. Which is the best reason for the
appearance of a new flower color within the species?
a. replication
b. adaptation
c. homologous recombination
d. genetic mutation

6. Sickle cell anemia is a condition that affects the shape

of a persons red blood cells. Normal red blood cells are
round, but the red blood cells of a person with sickle
cell anemia are shaped like crescent moons. Sickle cell
anemia is passed from parent to offspring. How did a
change from the normal red blood cell shape most like
originate?
a. from prolonged exposure to chemicals
b. from a parasitic infection
c. from excessive exposure to sunlight
d. from a mutation in the DNA of a gene
7. What will happen to a cell that is placed in a
hypotonic solution?
a. Salt will enter the cell causing the cell to swell
b. water will exit the cell causing the cell to shrink
c. Salt will exit the cell causing it to shrink
d. Water will enter the cell causing it to swell
8. Which process moves an ion across a cell membrane
against the concentration gradient?
a. diffusion
b. exocytosis
c. facilitated diffusion
d. active transport
9. The cell membrane only allows certain molecules to
exit and enter the cell. Which term best describes the
capability of a cell membrane?
a. semipermeable
b. impervious
c. resilient
d. unyielding
10. Which of the following structures is found only in
plant cells and not animal cells?
a. Nucleus
b. Cytoplasm
c. Mitochondria
d. Cell wall
11. Prokaryotes lack the following structure:
a. cytoplasm
b. nucleus
c. cell membrane
d. genetic material
12. To which of the four major categories of biological
macromolecules do enzymes belong to?
a. carbohydrates
b. lipids
c. proteins
d. nucleic acids

13. Monosaccharides can be broken down to be used as

a quick source of energy. What macromolecule group is
a monosaccharide part of?
a. carbohydrates
b. lipids
c. proteins
d. nucleic acids

20. Which one of the following is not part of the cell

theory?
a. cell parts such as organelles and DNA replicate during
interphase
b. cells are the basic units of structure and function of
living things
c. new cells are produced only from existing cells
d. all living things are composed of cells

14. What is the primary function of Nucleic acids?

a. Provide the coded instructions to build proteins
b. Act as a message center to control the bodies
functions
c. Provide the molecular structure for DNA/RNA
d. is the basis of genes and heredity in the body
15. Which statement best explains why a new scientific
investigation would be performed to test a theory that
is already accepted?
a. the discovery of new evidence
b. loss of funding for new theories
c. the lack of availability of new theories
d. public pressure and demand for change
16.Identical amounts of potato slices were weighed and
placed in beakers containing 50mL of tap water. Sugar
was added in different amounts to each beaker. The
potato slices were weighed again after 24 hours. The
percent change in mass for the slices from each beaker
were determined. Which is the independent variable in
this investigation?
a. the mass of the potato slices
b. the temperature of the water
c. the amount of water in each beaker
d. the amount of sugar in each beaker

21. Which of the following identifies the process shown

at point Z?
a. Translocation
b. Replication
c. Transcription
d. Translation

17. What is the purpose of chloroplasts in plant cells?

a. protein synthesis
b. cellular respiration
c. photosynthesis
d. support and structure

22. What point of the cell cycle does DNA replication

occur and why?
a. After a cell divides, to provide each of the two
resulting cells with a complete set of DNA instructions
b. Before a cell divides , to ensure that the DNA will fit
into the resulting cell
c. Before a cell divides, provide each of the two
resulting cells with a complete set of DNA instructions
d. During cell division, to ensure that the DNA will fit
into the resulting cell

18. Which organelle would help to digest lipids and

clean up toxins in the cell?
a. lysosomes
b. mitochondria
c. rough endoplasmic reticulum
d. golgi apparatus

23. Which of the following carries amino acids to make

protein?
a. mRNA
b. rRNA
c. tRNA
d. nRNA

19. What role do ribosomes serve?

a. protein synthesis
b. osmosis
c. cellular respiration
d. photosynthesis

24. Which property of water allows water to resist

temperature change; cooling and heating slowly.
a. High specific heat
b. Cohesion
c. Adhesion
d. Capillary action
25. Sickle cell anemia is the result of a change in one
nucleotide of the normal DNA strand. Decide which of
the following sequence of events is most likely to create
misshapen sickle blood cells.
a. The substitution of a nucleotide changes the pattern
in the corresponding mRNA strand, which changes the
protein that is attached by the tRNA molecule changing
the makeup of proteins in the red blood cells
b. The substitution of a nucleotide changes the pattern
in the corresponding tRNA strand, which changes the
protein that is attached by the mRNA molecule
Ba
changing the makeup of protein in the red blood cells
c. The substitution of a nucleotide changes the pattern
in the corresponding tRNA strand, which changes the
amino acid that is attached by the mRNA molecule
changing the makeup of proteins in the red blood cells
d. The substitution of a nucleotide changes the pattern
in the corresponding mRNA strand, which changes the
amino acid that is attached by the tRNA molecule
changing the makeup of proteins in the red blood cells
26. A scientist poured a solution of bromthymol blue
indicator into three test tubes. Then, he placed an aquatic
plant in two of the test tubes, as shown below. He placed
a stopper on each test tube and placed them all in the
dark for 24 hours. Bromthymol blue turns from blue to
yellow in the presence of CO2.

After 24 hours, which test tube(s) will be yellow?

A. Test tube 1
B. Test tube 1 and 3
C. Test tube 2 and 3
D. Test tube 3 only

27. A scientist set up a respiration chamber as shown

below. She placed a rat in flask B for one hour. Into
flasks A, she poured distilled water mixed with the pH
indicator phenolphthalein. In neutral solutions,
phenolphthalein is pink, but in acidic solutions,
phenolphthalein turns clear. Carbon dioxide when
dissolved into distilled water will create carbonic acid.

Based on the figure above, how will the scientist be able

to detect whether the mouse is carrying out cellular
respiration?
a. The phenolphthalein in flask A will turn from pink to
clear.
b. The phenolphthalein in flask A will remain pink.
c. The phenolphthalein in flask B will start to form
condensation.
d. The phenolphthalein in flask A will start to form air
bubbles.
28. Plants perform photosynthesis by converting carbon
dioxide and water using sunlight to produce oxygen and
glucose. Hypothesize what would happen to those
organisms that require cellular respiration for energy
production if all photosynthetic organisms were to
perish (die off).
a. The population of organisms whom perform
respiration would increase because of less oxygen in the
atmosphere due to less photosynthetic organisms.
b. The population of organisms whom perform
respiration would decrease because of less oxygen in
the atmosphere due to less photosynthetic organisms.
c. The population of organisms whom perform
respiration would remain unchanged because oxygen
levels would remain unchanged.
d. The population of organisms whom perform
respiration would increase because there would be an
increase in carbon dioxide levels due to less
photosynthetic organisms.

29. Photosynthesis is a vital process to the survival of

plants. Which of the following are the products of
photosynthesis?
a. carbon dioxide and glucose
b. carbon dioxide and oxygen
c. oxygen and water
d. oxygen and glucose
30. How is the role of enzymes in biochemical activity
best explained?
a. Enzymes work at all pH levels
b. Enzymes decrease the rate of metabolism
c. Enzymes enable reactions to occur at lower
temperatures by lowering activation energy
d. Enzymes raise the activation energy needed for a
reaction

31. Using the diagram above, which letter represents

the catalyst (enzyme)?
a. A
b. C
c. E
d. None of the above
32. Some individuals are unable to digest the lactose
found in the milk of cows. The digestive systems of
these individuals most likely lack which?
a. a lipid that coats lactose molecules
b. an ability to produce lactose internally
c. an enzyme that catalyzes lactose breakdown
d. a tolerance to lactose developed during childhood
33. Which property of water makes water a good
solvent of crystalline salts?
a. weak conductivity
b. high viscosity
c. polarity
d. low pH

34. What does the figure above represent?

a. independent assortment
b. anaphase I of meiosis
c. crossing over
d. replication
35. Mitosis is an essential process of the cell cycle.
What is the end result of mitosis?
a. two haploid cells
b. four haploid cell
c. four diploid cells
d. two diploid cells
36. What is the main point of meiosis?
a. to reduce the chromosome number in half to make
sex cells
b. to make a zygote
c. to make more cells like skin and kidney cells
d. to make exact copies of parent cells
37. Why is sexual reproduction more advantageous in
an evolutionary sense over asexual reproduction?
a. makes clones
b. produces many cells
c. requires only one parent
d. produces genetic variation
38. Mitosis and meiosis both occur during cell division.
These processes are very similar, but do have unique
differences that are essential to living organisms.
Which of the following describes an event that results from
mitosis but NOT meiosis?
a. daughter cells that are identical to the parent cell
b. two stages of cell division
c. four daughter cells that a produced from each parent cell

d. replication of cellular genetic material

39.

Which activity most directly involves the process

represented in the diagram above?
a. An animal somatic (body) cell replicating itself.
b. A sperm or egg cell reproducing sexually.
c. A sperm cell being produced in the testes.
d. Replication of DNA during meiosis.
40. Scientists have developed techniques to sequence
the bases in a sample of DNA. How has the technique
for DNA sequencing led to new scientific technologies?
a. by proving that all humans have the same genetic
traits
b. by changing the DNA sequences to cure disease
c. by identifying sequences that cause genetic diseases
d. by creating new genes using DNA sequences
41. Stem cells in adult organisms function as repair
systems for the body because they can become any
type of cell. Future research involving stem cells will
likely produce new techniques that will be used to
accomplish which?
a. using stem cells to correct DNA mismatches
b. using stem cells to increase the rate of cell growth in
organisms
c. using stem cells to create new life forms
d. using stem cells to cure diseases
42. Advances in technology has allowed scientists to
develop new methods for replacing abnormal human
genes with healthy copies of the same genes. Which is
the most likely use for this gene therapy?
a. killing viruses
b. healing wounds
c. treatment of airborne infections
d. treatment of inherited diseases
43. Which advancement in technology would best be
used to test to see if two individuals are related?
a. observing behaviors of the two individuals
b. tracking their daily habits and frequently visited
locations
c. analyzing and comparing DNA from the two
individuals
d. become guest on the next Maury show

Answers:
1. D
2. A
3. C
4. B
5. D
6. D
7. D
8. D
9. A
10.D
11. B
12. C
13. A
14. A
15. A
16. D
17. C
18. A
19. A
20. A
21. D
22. C
23. C
24. A
25. D
26. C
27. A
28. B
29. D
30. C
31. B
32. C
33. C
34. C
35. D
36. A
37. D
38. A
39. A
40. C
41. D
42. D
43. C