Living Environment Notes

Living Environment Regents High School Examination Notes

Part A

Question 1

When you cut your finger, new skin grows to repair the damage. This process is directed by the DNA of neighboring cells which divide by mitotic cell division.
Correct Answer: (3) DNA of neighboring cells, which divide by mitotic cell division.

Question 2

ATP is produced in the mitochondria.
Correct Answer: (3) mitochondria

Question 3

Some trees release toxins into the soil that can kill nearby plants. This ability is an evolutionary advantage, reducing competition for water, nutrients, and sunlight.
Correct Answer: (4) an evolutionary advantage, reducing competition for water, nutrients, and sunlight.

Question 4

When the frequency of a gene in a population changes, the most likely result would be biological evolution.
Correct Answer: (2) biological evolution

Question 5

The introduction of the Asian mongoose to the Hawaiian Islands to control the rat population is an example of humans altering ecosystems, resulting in unintended consequences.
Correct Answer: (3) humans altering ecosystems, resulting in unintended consequences

Question 6

Reducing the use of finite resources through recycling, reuse, and repair can ensure that finite resources will not be depleted as quickly.
Correct Answer: (2) Finite resources will not be depleted as quickly.

Question 7

A higher number of surviving offspring would give one species the greatest advantage over other species.
Correct Answer: (1) higher number of surviving offspring

Question 8

Ecological succession leads to a more stable community.
Correct Answer: (2) the community becomes more stable

Question 9

The increase in Earth’s temperature between 1880 and 2020 is best explained by changing concentrations of gases in the atmosphere.
Correct Answer: (3) changing concentrations of gases in the atmosphere

Question 10

Two different species of animal can successfully coexist if they eat different parts of the same plant because they do not compete for limited resources.
Correct Answer: (1) compete for limited resources

Question 11

Fluorescent tags allow scientists to visualize specific proteins as they are synthesized inside cells. This technology would be used to study the ribosome.
Correct Answer: (2) ribosome

Question 12

The shared prehatching position between theropod dinosaurs and birds is evidence that birds and theropod dinosaurs are related and share a common ancestor.
Correct Answer: (1) birds and theropod dinosaurs are related and share a common ancestor

Question 13

The amount of stored energy decreases between level 1 and level 4 of an energy pyramid because at each level some energy is released as heat.
Correct Answer: (3) at each level some energy is released as heat

Question 14

In a sexually reproducing species of plant, changes in the egg cells in the ovaries of the plants’ flowers could have an effect on the species in the future.
Correct Answer: (1) changes in the egg cells in the ovaries of the plants’ flowers

Question 15

The production of goods and use of energy can have both positive and negative effects.
Correct Answer: (4) can have both positive and negative effects

Question 16

Cellular process A is mitosis and Cellular Process B is fertilization.
Correct Answer: (4) mitosis, fertilization

Question 17

If a chemical was introduced into the environment that caused a decrease in the population of mice, this would most likely cause a decrease in the snake population.
Correct Answer: (4) a decrease in the snake population.

Question 18

A reduction in the algae populations would most likely affect the survival of all the other populations in this food chain.
Correct Answer: (3) A reduction in the algae populations would most likely affect the survival of all the other populations in this food chain.

Question 19

The protein in a hamburger is broken down into amino acids through digestion and the amino acids are absorbed into the bloodstream through diffusion.
Correct Answer: (2) digestion and diffusion

Question 20

One possible explanation for why the tuatara has survived since prehistoric times is that their large genome provided the members of the species with characteristics that gave them advantages for survival in changing environments.
Correct Answer: (2) provided the members of the species with characteristics that gave them advantages for survival in changing environments

Question 21

Two primary chemical messengers used in communication within the human body include hormones and chemicals produced by nerve cells.
Correct Answer: (4) hormones and chemicals produced by nerve cells

Question 22

A potential risk of the selective breeding process to future generations of Holstein dairy cows is that genetic diversity in the breed may become limited over time.
Correct Answer: (1) Genetic diversity in the breed may become limited over time.

Question 23

Errors during meiosis would be the most likely reason for its inability to reproduce.
Correct Answer: (3) meiosis

Question 24

The correct sequence that identifies the flow of energy through an ecosystem is producer → consumer → decomposer.
Correct Answer: (4) producer → consumer → decomposer

Question 25

The cell membrane of the ameba is the most important in obtaining oxygen from its environment.
Correct Answer: (1) cell membrane

Question 26

The nucleus carries half the genetic information needed to form a zygote.
Correct Answer: (4) its nucleus carries half the genetic information needed to form a zygote

Question 27

If the amounts of carbon dioxide and water available increase, it is most likely that the first response by the producer organisms would be to increase glucose synthesis.
Correct Answer: (1) increase glucose synthesis

Question 28

When a female cat is spayed, the ovaries and uterus are most likely removed from the female cat during this surgery.
Correct Answer: (2) ovaries and uterus

Question 29

A likely reason the table recommends that children under the age of 15 and young women should not eat any of the fish caught in some bodies of water is that the chemicals may affect their development or harm potential unborn children.
Correct Answer: (2) the chemicals may affect their development or harm potential unborn children

Question 30

Examples of two abiotic resources present in an ecosystem are nitrogen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Correct Answer: (1) nitrogen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

Part B-1

Question 31

When viewing organisms through a microscope, organism B is larger since it fills the field of view at high magnification.
Correct Answer: (4) B is larger since it fills the field of view at high magnification

Question 32

The activity of autotrophs increases during the summer, removing $CO_2$ from the atmosphere.
Correct Answer: (4) The activity of autotrophs increases during the summer, removing $CO_2$ from the atmosphere.

Question 33

Altering the DNA of a muscle cell in a mouse by substituting one base pair with another could likely change one amino acid in a protein a muscle cell produces.
Correct Answer: (2) change one amino acid in a protein a muscle cell produces

Question 34

Structure X is best described as a receptor molecule that allows the cell to respond to changes.
Correct Answer: (4) receptor molecule that allows the cell to respond to changes

Question 35

Some individuals cannot produce insulin. As a result, their cells will not respond appropriately to changes in blood glucose levels.
Correct Answer: (3) not respond appropriately to changes in blood glucose levels

Question 36

The blood disorder can be inherited, and there are factors associated with the skin disorder that may be inherited.
Correct Answer: (3) The blood disorder can be inherited, and there are factors associated with the skin disorder that may be inherited.

Question 37

The ecosystem will be disrupted with the loss of this keystone species because the loss would lead to an increase in the plant populations.
Correct Answer: (3) an increase in the plant populations

Question 38

Scientists felt that, as a keystone species, it was important to reintroduce the wolves to increase the stability of the natural environment
Correct Answer: (1) increase the stability of the natural environment

Question 39

The genes of the hydrangea plants can be turned on and off by different soil pH levels.
Correct Answer: (3) The genes of the hydrangea plants can be turned on and off by different soil pH levels.

Question 40

The Maggie Creek area had 5 more months with green vegetation cover in 2006-2016, compared with the number of months of green cover in 1985-1994.
Correct Answer: (1) 5 months

Question 41

The change in the environmental conditions of Maggie Creek over time is an example of how changing agricultural practices can help to restore environmental stability to certain locations.
Correct Answer: (3) changing agricultural practices can help to restore environmental stability to certain locations

Question 42

One reason blue whales may contain a lower concentration of PCBs than killer whales is that blue whales eat krill, which have a lower accumulation of PCBs than penguins and elephant seals.
Correct Answer: (1) eat krill, which have a lower accumulation of PCBs than penguins and elephant seals

Question 43

This behavior has resulted in greater reproductive success of the ants, since it kills the enemies who would have fed on their offspring.
Correct Answer: (2) This behavior has resulted in greater reproductive success of the ants, since it kills the enemies who would have fed on their offspring.

Part B-2

Question 44

Identify the organism in the diagram that became extinct about 60 million years ago.
Answer: Species L became extinct approximately 60 million years ago.

Question 47

The best explanation for why loon populations did not show a rapid change in size during the Maine and New York studies is that loons take seven years to reach sexual maturity.
Correct Answer: (2) take seven years to reach sexual maturity

Question 48

Compare the trend in loon population sizes over time represented in the two New York graphs above to the trend observed in the data table for the southern part of Maine. Support your answer with information from the New York graphs and Maine data table.
Answer: The loon population in Maine and New York exhibited increasing trends between the years studied. The New York graph shows an increase in adult loons between 2001 and 2020, while the Maine population also shows increases in adult and chick loon numbers over the years from 1985 to 2020.

Question 49

Doctors claim that the earlier someone stops smoking, the lower the risk of dying of lung cancer. Which statement best describes evidence that supports this claim?
Correct Answer: (2) Men that continued to smoke had an approximately 16% risk of death, and those that stopped at age 30 had a lower risk.

Question 50

The two labeled structures that function to produce gametes and hormones are ovaries and testes.
Correct Answer: (1) A and F

Question 51

Pelvic inflammatory disease and sexually transmitted infections can lead to a blockage of the structure represented by letter A. Explain how this blockage would interfere with the formation of a zygote.
Answer: Blockage of the fallopian tube (structure A) prevents the egg from traveling to the uterus and sperm from reaching the egg, therefore interfering with fertilization (the formation of a zygote).

Question 52

Explain why the decline and extinction of many species of detritivores may have negative consequences on the stability of an ecosystem.
Answer: Detritivores recycle essential nutrients back into the ecosystem. The decline and extinction of detritivores would lead to a buildup of dead organic matter, disrupting nutrient cycles and destabilizing the ecosystem.

Question 53

Identify one factor that would influence the rate at which the experimental enzyme breaks down this type of plastic.
Answer: Temperature, pH level, enzyme concentration, or the presence of inhibitors could influence the rate at which the experimental enzyme breaks down the plastic.

Question 54

Explain why the enzyme is not able to break down all types of plastics.
Answer: Enzymes are specific to their substrates due to the shape of their active site. If the plastic's molecular structure does not match the enzyme's active site, the enzyme will not be able to break it down.

Question 55

Identify one concern, other than its effectiveness, that people might have before using it in their home.
Answer: One concern may be the potential effect of the ultrasonic waves on pets or other non-target organisms in the home.

Part C

Question 56

Sometimes identical twins have different physical traits. Using the experiment Duke scientists performed on mice with the yellow fur color gene as a model, explain how epigenetics could be the cause of differences observed in identical twins.
Answer: Although identical twins have the same DNA sequence, epigenetic modifications (like methylation) can occur differently in each twin due to varying environmental factors (diet, stress, etc.). These epigenetic changes can alter gene expression, leading to differing physical traits despite identical DNA.

Question 57

Explain why epigenetic changes are not usually considered to be mutations.
Answer: Epigenetic changes do not alter the underlying DNA sequence, while mutations involve changes to the DNA sequence itself. Epigenetic changes affect how genes are expressed, but not the genes themselves.

Question 58

In a population of scorpions, a mutation occurred that resulted in the venom having no effect on its predators. Explain why the number of predators that feed exclusively on scorpions would decrease over time. Justify your answer.
Answer: If the scorpion's venom is no longer effective, predators that rely solely on scorpions for food would struggle to hunt them, which makes it harder for predators to obtain food, causing their population to decrease over time due to starvation.

Question 59

Identify the original source of the brown variation.
Answer: The original source of the brown variation is a genetic mutation in the fritillary plant population.

Question 60

Fritillary grows very slowly, taking five years to reproduce. Predict which flower color will be more common in areas accessible by humans after 20 years. Support your answer.
Answer: After 20 years, brown flowers will be more common in areas accessible by humans because they are less likely to be harvested and thus have a higher chance of reproducing. This is a result of natural selection favoring the dull brown variety in areas with high harvesting rates.

Question 61

Human efforts to cultivate this endangered species have not been successful. What argument could be made to justify continued efforts to preserve this species by cultivation?
Answer: Continued efforts to preserve this species by cultivation are justified because the species is medicinally important; it is used in traditional Chinese medicine, so its preservation could lead to the discovery of valuable medicinal compounds or treatments.

Question 62

Identify the food chain, (a), (b) or (c), in which there would be the least amount of energy available to the last consumer in the feeding sequence. Support your answer.
Answer: Food chain (a) will have the least amount of energy available to the last consumer because it has the most trophic levels.

Question 63

Describe a role of the uterus in the process of human reproduction.
Answer: The uterus provides the environment for the implantation and development of the embryo during pregnancy.

Question 64

Explain why a woman’s body would reject a transplanted uterus if she does not take the medication.
Answer: A woman’s body would reject a transplanted uterus if she does not take the medication because the immune system recognizes the transplanted organ as foreign and attacks it.

Question 65

Make a claim as to how human actions have affected biodiversity. Support your claim with evidence from the graph.
Answer: Human actions have negatively affected biodiversity. The graph shows that species extinctions have increased dramatically as the human population has increased, indicating that human activities have led to significant losses in biodiversity.

Question 66

An individual with a healthy pancreas eats a starchy snack. Explain why the pancreas would secrete more hormone a short time later. Support your answer with information from the diagram.
Answer: When an individual with a healthy pancreas eats a starchy snack, their blood sugar levels increase. According to the diagram, higher blood sugar levels cause the pancreas to secrete more of a hormone, which lowers blood sugar.

Question 67

Explain how the lack of nutrients can impact the cellular process needed to move molecule A into this cell.
Answer: Molecule A requires energy (such as ATP) for its transport, so a lack of nutrients would limit the cell's ability to produce ATP, hindering the active transport of molecule A.

Question 68

Explain why mitochondria are essential to the survival of complex organisms.
Answer: Mitochondria are essential to the survival of complex organisms because they are responsible for cellular respiration, which produces energy (ATP) required for cellular functions.

Question 69

Provide evidence from the mitochondrial inheritance chart that supports the claim that mitochondria are usually inherited from the mother.
Answer: The mitochondrial inheritance chart shows that if the mother has the disease (mutant mitochondria), all of her children will have the disease, while if the father has the disease, none of the children will have the disease. This indicates that mitochondria are inherited from the mother.

Question 70

State which cell type would probably be most affected by mitochondrial diseases. Support your answer.
Answer: Skeletal muscle cells would probably be most affected by mitochondrial diseases because they have a high number of mitochondria (1,200 per cell) and require a lot of energy to function properly.

Question 71

State one reason for supporting the use of this technology.
Answer: This technology could lead to a decrease in extreme temperatures, the intensity of tropical storms, ice loss, and sea-level rise.

Question 72

Explain why it would be important to continue efforts to reduce carbon emissions even if this technology were to be used.
Answer: It is important to continue efforts to reduce carbon emissions because stratospheric aerosol scattering does not address the root cause (carbon emissions) and as warming continues, more particles will need to be sprayed, which could lead to environmental issues like changing the sky's color from blue to white and damaging the ozone layer.

Part D

Question 73

When the proportion of a gene for a specific trait in a population of finches increases over time, the most likely cause of this increase would be
Correct Answer: (3) natural selection

Question 74

A scientist conducts an experiment in order to
Correct Answer: (2) test a hypothesis

Question 75

Which species is most closely related to species M?
Correct Answer: (2) F

Question 76

Which species appears to have been well adapted to its environment for a long period of time?
Correct Answer: (1) E

Question 77

The diagram was based on fossil evidence. Explain why other forms of evidence would help support the accuracy of the evolutionary pathways represented in the diagram.
Answer: Other forms of data such as DNA and protein similarities, comparative anatomy, and embryological evidence would help to strengthen the validity of the evolutionary relationships displayed within the evolutionary pathways diagram. Using different data sources to assess similar relationships is often done to determine the degrees of relatedness.

Question 78

When determining a pulse rate, why is it best to use the average of three readings?
Answer: It is best to use the average of three readings because pulse rate can vary due to different factors, so averaging the measurements gives a more reliable estimate than a single measurement would.

Question 79

Identify one selecting agent that could have a potential impact on the number of individuals in the various penguin populations living in the Antarctic Peninsula.
Answer: Climate change (changes in temperature, sea ice extent) could be a selecting agent.

Question 80

State one way the data would most likely be different if the pulse rates were collected immediately after gym class instead of during study hall.
Answer: The pulse rates would be higher than during study hall.

Question 81

Ground finches in the Galapagos Islands are seed eaters. The beaks of the offspring are very close in size to the beaks of their parents. The best explanation for this observation is that:
Correct Answer: (4) the size of the beak is determined mostly by genes

Question 82

A valid conclusion that can be drawn from these results is that
Correct Answer: (2) species M is most closely related to BC

Question 83

Identify another biochemical test that would provide data to support which of the three plant species is most closely related to Botana curus.
Answer: Compare amino acid sequences in certain proteins(cytochrome C), DNA sequencing, or gel electrophoresis.

Question 84

During physical activity, a person’s pulse rate changes. Choose one body system, other than circulatory, that would be involved in maintaining homeostasis, and describe one change that would occur in that system.
Answer: The respiratory system would increase breathing rate to provide more oxygen to the cells and remove carbon dioxide more efficiently.

Question 85

State one reason why it would be possible for a single island to support populations of both small tree finches and sharp-billed ground finches.
Answer: Small tree finches and sharp-billed ground finches can both live on the same island because they have different food sources. One eats animal food, and one eats plant food so they won't compete for fod.