End of Course Biology - 2002 VDOE Released Items

Himalayan rabbits are white with black fur on their ears and the tips of their feet. If an icepack is placed on a rabbit’s back, the fur will grow in black. In this case, hair color is determined by —
1. length of fur
2. competition
3. environmental conditions
4. predation pressure
1. A bird
2. A moth
3. A hydra
4. A grasshopper
DNA that is derived from the DNA of two or more different species is called —
1. recombinant DNA
2. mitochondrial DNA
3. chloroplast DNA
4. plasmid
In 1928, the scientist Alexander Fleming was trying to grow the bacterium Staphylococcus, and by chance, discovered that it would not grow in the presence of a mold that he named Penicillium. In 1939, Ernst Chain and Howard Florey purified penicillin, and in 1941, penicillin was first used to treat bacterial diseases. In 1945, Alexander Fleming, Ernst Chain, and Howard Florey received the Nobel Prize in medicine for the discovery and isolation of penicillin. These facts show that —
1. Florey and Chain unfairly used Fleming’s work and should not have received the Nobel Prize
2. chance plays no role in scientific discoveries
3. scientific progress often requires the efforts of many people working together
4. whenever possible, the Nobel Prize should be given to more than one person
Long ago, people thought that the smallpox virus could be carried through the air. For this reason, many people moved from crowded cities to the more open country during smallpox epidemics, carrying with them family members who had the virus but had not yet contracted the disease. When the pox erupted on these family members, other members living in the home soon contracted the disease too. Which of these was then discovered to be the means of transmission?
1. Drinking water from local wells
2. Directly contacting a person with smallpox
3. Being bitten by mosquitoes that carry the virus
4. Eating food that contains the virus
1. is a double helix
2. contains paired bases
3. can copy itself
4. is a very long molecule
Which of the following statements describes the process of natural selection?
1. Farmers select animals with desirable variations for breeding.
2. Populations sharing the same gene pool interbreed and create new species.
3. Individuals survive that have inherited traits adapted to their environment.
4. New species are formed via genetic engineering.
1. Eggplant
2. Pumpkin
3. Pepper
4. Okra
Which of these does not depend on muscle contraction?
1. Eye movement
2. Arm movement
3. Reflexes
4. Pain perception
1. This animal spends much of its time digging.
2. This animal usually hunts for food at night.
3. This animal is herbivorous.
4. This animal has poor hearing.
1. One in four
2. Two in four
3. Three in four
4. Four in four
If a student needs to do research on heredity for a science project, which of these sources is the most reliable resource?
1. A weekly news magazine
2. A newspaper tabloid
3. A national newspaper
4. A professional journal
The island of Aldabra lies 400 kilometers off the coast of Africa and is home to the Aldabra Rail, a long-legged wetland bird. The Aldabra Rail is flightless and much different from the rails living on the mainland. This bird became a distinctly different species through —
1. reproductive isolation
2. adaptive radiation
3. convergence
4. geographic isolation
1. legs
2. antennae
3. jointed appendages
4. an elongated body
1. cell walls
2. nuclei
3. cell membranes
4. mitochondria
1. Wheat plants exposed to high-intensity ultraviolet light produce fewer seeds.
2. Chloroplasts of wheat are able to filter out low-intensity ultraviolet light.
3. High-intensity ultraviolet light may be used to control weed growth.
4. No exposure to ultraviolet light increases pollination in wheat plants.
1. Horse: Met-Gly-Ser-Ser-Tyr-Arg-Arg-Asp-His-Glu-Lys-Asp
2. Dog: Met-Gly-Ser-Tyr-Tyr-Arg-His-Asp-Glu-Lys-Asp
3. Cat: Met-Gly-Ser-Tyr-Tyr-Arg-His-His-Arg-Cys-Thre-Asp
4. Mouse: Met-Gly-Ser-Tyr-Tyr-Arg-His-Glu-Val-Val-Leu
1. It has ribosomes to make proteins.
2. It stores its genetic information in DNA.
3. It has no membrane-bound nucleus.
4. It has a cell membrane.
Cells are the functional units that make up tissues. Tissues then become the functional units that make up —
1. enzymes
2. organs
3. other cells
4. DNA
The concentration of glucose must be maintained within a fairly narrow range in most vertebrates. This statement is an example of —
1. homeostasis
2. excretion
3. glycolysis
4. fermentation
Peroxidase is an enzyme that breaks down hydrogen peroxide in cells. It accomplishes this because of its structure. What part of the enzyme is involved in catalytic activity?
1. Binding pocket
2. Pleated sheet
3. Active site
4. Quaternary structure
Which of these processes is carried out in the same way in both plants and animals?
1. Cellular respiration
2. Asexual reproduction
3. Circulation of body fluids
4. Excretion of metabolic waste
What is the main cause of fish kills in rivers polluted by fertilizers?
1. Decreased mineral sources
2. Decreased oxygen levels
3. Increased water temperatures
4. Increased water levels
Bacteria are tremendously successful unicellular organisms, yet all large organisms are multicellular. Unicellular organisms cannot grow very large because the —
1. energy expenditures would be too great
2. locomotion of the organisms would be too slow
3. diffusion of nutrients into the cell’s interior would be too slow
4. respiratory rate would be too high
1. A pine tree
2. A mushroom
3. A dandelion
4. A caterpillar
In cows, long hair is dominant to short hair. In a cow that is heterozygous for long hair, what percentage of the cells undergoing meiosis will carry the dominant allele?
1. 25%
2. 50%
3. 75%
4. 100%
1. hawks
2. rabbits
3. green plants
4. mushrooms
During a trip to a rain forest, a scientist discovered a new organism living near some rotting logs. The scientist observed that the organism had moist skin, no hair, and an internal skeleton and that it laid its eggs under the logs. This organism was probably a new species of —
1. invertebrate
2. amphibian
3. mammal
4. reptile
1. A single, coiled tube
2. A double-helix shape
3. A long, branched tube
4. A six-sided cylinder
1. A fifth fertilizer was tested.
2. Only one plant was tested.
3. The plants were grown at variable temperatures.
4. A control without fertilizer was included for each plant.
Many of the forests of Virginia have been cleared for farmland. Which of these would least affect the time it would take to return a farm to forest conditions?
1. The number of viable tree seeds on the land
2. The amount of available nutrients in the soil
3. The density of the original forest on the farm
4. The ability of the farmland to retain moisture
Human red blood cells that lack sufficient hemoglobin would have a low amount of what substance?
1. Hydrogen
2. Nitrogen
3. Calcium
4. Oxygen
1. A
2. B
3. C
4. D
1. The pressure of blood vessels surrounding the GI tract
2. The production of fluids by the GI tract
3. The contraction of muscles in the GI tract
4. The electrical impulses from the nervous system to the GI tract
Tuberculosis is caused by a bacterium, Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Many years ago, streptomycin easily controlled the bacterium. Now streptomycin is much less effective against the resistant M. tuberculosis. The increasing resistance of
M. tuberculosis to streptomycin is most likely due to the increased —
1. use of streptomycin for bacterial infections
2. numbers of alternatives to streptomycin
3. artificial production of streptomycin
4. early detection of bacterial infections
1. Circulation
2. Catching prey
3. Movement
4. Attachment
1. germinated after a fire
2. tolerant of fire
3. found before a fire
4. placed in a fire
A student wanted to study the effect of temperature on algae levels in a local stream. Which items are most useful for gathering data and most appropriate for communicating the results of her observations?
1. Research on the Internet and videotapes of water samples
2. Microscopes and written descriptions of weather patterns
3. pH strips and written observations of stream water
4. Test tubes, thermometers, and graphs of results
Which characteristic do viruses possess in common with living cells?
1. They contain a nucleus and organelles.
2. They make their own food.
3. They contain nucleic acids such as DNA or RNA.
4. They are inactive outside the body of living cells.
The triplet code of bases for RNA may be represented by all of the following except —
1. CGT
2. CGA
3. CGG
4. CGU
1. arctic tundra
2. shallow marine
3. deciduous forest
4. tropical desert
People who have been exposed to excessive radiation often experience mutations. If these mutations only occur in somatic (body) cells, these people may —
1. pass on these mutations to their offspring
2. experience an increased risk of cancer
3. develop entirely new DNA sequences in all cells
4. experience difficulties replicating RNA
1. The thickness of its bill
2. The crest of feathers on its head
3. The shape of its feet
4. The color of its wings
1. Her measurements would lack precision.
2. Her measurements would be too high.
3. Her measurements would be too low for less dense liquids.
4. Her measurements would be very accurate.
1. Dytiscidae
2. Haliplidae
3. Gyrnidae
4. Noteridae
1. 10
2. 30
3. 50
4. 70
Photosynthesis is important for almost all life on Earth because it —
1. produces oxygen
2. uses simple elements
3. is responsible for most decay
4. releases usable forms of nitrogen
A student wants to view cells under the compound microscope at a total magnification of 400X. If the eyepiece is 10X, which of the following objective lenses should be used?
1. 4X
2. 10X
3. 40X
4. 100X

End of Course Biology - 2002 VDOE Released Items

Multiple-Choice Exercise
Content © 2002 Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Education; Permission to Use Granted by VDOE; Author of Activity: Tami Maloney; All rights reserved.
No commercial, for-profit use of this material is allowed. E-mail comments and questions to Tami Maloney.

Himalayan rabbits are white with black fur on their ears and the tips of their feet. If an icepack is placed on a rabbit’s back, the fur will grow in black. In this case, hair color is determined by —

DNA that is derived from the DNA of two or more different species is called —

Which of the following statements describes the process of natural selection?

**Which of these does not depend on muscle contraction?**

If a student needs to do research on heredity for a science project, which of these sources is the most reliable resource?

The island of Aldabra lies 400 kilometers off the coast of Africa and is home to the Aldabra Rail, a long-legged wetland bird. The Aldabra Rail is flightless and much different from the rails living on the mainland. This bird became a distinctly different species through —

Cells are the functional units that make up tissues. Tissues then become the functional units that make up —

The concentration of glucose must be maintained within a fairly narrow range in most vertebrates. This statement is an example of —

Peroxidase is an enzyme that breaks down hydrogen peroxide in cells. It accomplishes this because of its structure. What part of the enzyme is involved in catalytic activity?

Which of these processes is carried out in the same way in both plants and animals?

What is the main cause of fish kills in rivers polluted by fertilizers?

Bacteria are tremendously successful unicellular organisms, yet all large organisms are multicellular. Unicellular organisms cannot grow very large because the —

In cows, long hair is dominant to short hair. In a cow that is heterozygous for long hair, what percentage of the cells undergoing meiosis will carry the dominant allele?

During a trip to a rain forest, a scientist discovered a new organism living near some rotting logs. The scientist observed that the organism had moist skin, no hair, and an internal skeleton and that it laid its eggs under the logs. This organism was probably a new species of —

**Many of the forests of Virginia have been cleared for farmland. Which of these would least affect the time it would take to return a farm to forest conditions?**

Human red blood cells that lack sufficient hemoglobin would have a low amount of what substance?

A student wanted to study the effect of temperature on algae levels in a local stream. Which items are most useful for gathering data and most appropriate for communicating the results of her observations?

Which characteristic do viruses possess in common with living cells?

**The triplet code of bases for RNA may be represented by all of the following except —**

People who have been exposed to excessive radiation often experience mutations. If these mutations only occur in somatic (body) cells, these people may —

Photosynthesis is important for almost all life on Earth because it —

A student wants to view cells under the compound microscope at a total magnification of 400X. If the eyepiece is 10X, which of the following objective lenses should be used?

End of Course Biology - 2002 VDOE Released Items

Multiple-Choice ExerciseContent © 2002 Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Education; Permission to Use Granted by VDOE; Author of Activity: Tami Maloney; All rights reserved. No commercial, for-profit use of this material is allowed. E-mail comments and questions to Tami Maloney.

Himalayan rabbits are white with black fur on their ears and the tips of their feet. If an icepack is placed on a rabbit’s back, the fur will grow in black. In this case, hair color is determined by —

DNA that is derived from the DNA of two or more different species is called —

Which of the following statements describes the process of natural selection?

Which of these does not depend on muscle contraction?

If a student needs to do research on heredity for a science project, which of these sources is the most reliable resource?

The island of Aldabra lies 400 kilometers off the coast of Africa and is home to the Aldabra Rail, a long-legged wetland bird. The Aldabra Rail is flightless and much different from the rails living on the mainland. This bird became a distinctly different species through —

Cells are the functional units that make up tissues. Tissues then become the functional units that make up —

The concentration of glucose must be maintained within a fairly narrow range in most vertebrates. This statement is an example of —

Peroxidase is an enzyme that breaks down hydrogen peroxide in cells. It accomplishes this because of its structure. What part of the enzyme is involved in catalytic activity?

Which of these processes is carried out in the same way in both plants and animals?

What is the main cause of fish kills in rivers polluted by fertilizers?

Bacteria are tremendously successful unicellular organisms, yet all large organisms are multicellular. Unicellular organisms cannot grow very large because the —

In cows, long hair is dominant to short hair. In a cow that is heterozygous for long hair, what percentage of the cells undergoing meiosis will carry the dominant allele?

During a trip to a rain forest, a scientist discovered a new organism living near some rotting logs. The scientist observed that the organism had moist skin, no hair, and an internal skeleton and that it laid its eggs under the logs. This organism was probably a new species of —

Many of the forests of Virginia have been cleared for farmland. Which of these would least affect the time it would take to return a farm to forest conditions?

Human red blood cells that lack sufficient hemoglobin would have a low amount of what substance?

A student wanted to study the effect of temperature on algae levels in a local stream. Which items are most useful for gathering data and most appropriate for communicating the results of her observations?

Which characteristic do viruses possess in common with living cells?

The triplet code of bases for RNA may be represented by all of the following except —

People who have been exposed to excessive radiation often experience mutations. If these mutations only occur in somatic (body) cells, these people may —

Photosynthesis is important for almost all life on Earth because it —

A student wants to view cells under the compound microscope at a total magnification of 400X. If the eyepiece is 10X, which of the following objective lenses should be used?

Multiple-Choice Exercise
Content © 2002 Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Education; Permission to Use Granted by VDOE; Author of Activity: Tami Maloney; All rights reserved.
No commercial, for-profit use of this material is allowed. E-mail comments and questions to Tami Maloney.

**Which of these does not depend on muscle contraction?**

**Many of the forests of Virginia have been cleared for farmland. Which of these would least affect the time it would take to return a farm to forest conditions?**

**The triplet code of bases for RNA may be represented by all of the following except —**