Biology Released EOC STAAR 2015 pt. 1 (20 Questions)

Parrotfish are herbivores that are found in coral reefs. To escape predation, a parrotfish will graze with a rabbitfish, which has venomous spines at the end of its pelvic fins. The rabbitfish does not benefit from this relationship. Which type of relationship do the parrotfish and the rabbitfish have in the coral-reef environment?

• commensal

• mutualistic

• predator-prey

• parasitic

A segment of DNA produces methionine, threonine, histidine, aspartate, and glycine when translated. A substitution mutation occurs and causes the synthesis of the segment as shown. Which is the new peptide chain when the new DNA segment is translated?

• Methionine, leucine, histidine, aspartate, glycine

• Methionine, phenylalanine, histidine, aspartate, glycine

• Methionine, proline, histidine, aspartate, glycine

• Methionine, serine, histidine, aspartate, glycine

Tags

NGSS.HS-LS1-1

NGSS.HS-LS3-2

Frogs and toads belong to the order Anura. The smallest organism in this order is about 7 millimeters long, while the largest is about 30 centimeters long. Which of these lists best describes this order?

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As ecosystems move through the stages of succession, the populations of organisms in them change. Which of the following describes the stage of succession likely to have the most species diversity?

• A newly formed volcanic island

• An agricultural field that has not been plowed for one year

• A temperate forest that has never been cleared by logging

• A field that is regularly mowed

Tags

NGSS.HS-LS4-5

On March 24, 1989, an oil tanker ran aground on Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska, and spilled millions of liters of crude oil. The graph shows pink salmon populations in Prince William Sound from 1970 to 1999. What do these data suggest about the effect the oil spill had on pink salmon?

• Pink salmon were nearly eliminated after the oil spill.

• Pink salmon populations steadily declined in the 10 years following the spill.

• Pink salmon populations declined and never fully recovered.

• Pink salmon populations seemed to be minimally affected.

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS3-1

NGSS.HS-LS2-6

NGSS.HS-LS4-5

Cells typically respond to DNA damage in three ways: by ceasing to grow and divide until the damage is repaired, by permanently ceasing to grow and divide, or by dying. In 2010 a group of scientists reported that a certain kind of immune reaction can cause DNA damage that leads to a fourth response. DNA damage can turn off genes involved in cell-signaling pathways. Turning off these genes can cause less-mature cells to divide too rapidly, often leading to the development of

• tumors

• allergies

• hemophilia

• cardiovascular disease

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS3-1

In recent years humans have interfered with the natural balance within deer populations in various ecosystems. The interference includes eliminating predators of the deer. Which of the following statements correctly describes the long-term outcome of this interference?

• The deer that are the fastest and most agile will survive and reproduce.

• The deer population will be too large to be supported by producers.

• Other browsing species will thrive and outcompete the deer.

• The producers will evolve into species that are less palatable to the deer.

Tags

NGSS.HS-LS2-6

NGSS.HS-LS2-7

NGSS.HS-LS4-5

A student wants to use the Venn diagram to show the characteristics of two kingdoms of organisms. The characteristics that the two kingdoms share will be listed in the shaded area where the circles intersect. Which of these is a characteristic that the student should list in the shaded part of the diagram?

• heterotrophic

• mobile

• prokaryotic

• multicellular

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

Part of an important cellular process involving a DNA strand is modeled. What is the purpose of this cellular process?

• Preserving genetic information for future generations

• Deleting the information in the sequence produced from the DNA template

• Transcribing information in the DNA sequence for use by the cell

• Producing more nucleotides for the DNA sequence

Tags

NGSS.HS-LS1-1

A student preparing for a hike wants to pack a snack that has biomolecules that provide quickly available energy but few excess calories. Which nutrition label lists the best combination of biomolecules that provide quickly available energy while providing the fewest calories from other types of biomolecules?

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