8th Grade Science Released Tests - Life 3 - Genetics, Organization, & More

All of these can be inherited by people EXCEPT —
1. height
2. eye color
3. blood type
4. language
(2003) Most of the hereditary information within the cell is carried in the —
1. ribosomes
2. vacuoles
3. chromosomes
4. Golgi bodies
(2003) Mendel’s early work with pea plants demonstrated a significant genetic discovery. The crossing of homozygous tall pea plants with homozygous short pea plants always resulted in tall plants and demonstrated that tallness in pea plants is a trait that is —
1. blended
2. dominant
3. mutated
4. recessive
(2004) Which of these is due entirely to inheritance in humans?
1. Reading skill
2. Eye color
3. Endurance
4. Broken bones
(2004) Ranchers historically have used genetics to produce new varieties of cattle. Buffalo can tolerate both hot and cold temperatures but have meat that is not as tasty and tender as beef. Cattle that are subjected to severe temperature extremes produce meat that is neither tender nor good-tasting. What good qualities might a “beefalo” (cross between cattle and buffalo) possess?
1. Animals that tolerate heat and cold but do not have good-tasting meat
2. Animals with good-tasting meat but not tolerance to heat
3. Animals that tolerate heat and cold and have good-tasting meat
4. Animals that tolerate cold but do not have good-tasting meat
DNA is essential to living organisms because it —
1. carries the genetic code
2. is a spiral helix
3. can prevent diseases
4. can break apart
Mendel proposed that traits observed in pea plants resulted from a combination of “factors” inherited from each parent. His description of these “factors” can be considered the first scientific definition of the role of —
1. ribosomes
2. meiosis
3. genes
4. cell nuclei
What most likely happened to species that are found in the fossil record but have no living members?
1. They had offspring of a different species.
2. They mutated to other species.
3. They became extinct.
4. They never really existed.
Human sweat is the direct result of which life functions?
1. Respiration and cellular growth
2. Digestion and disease prevention
3. Reproduction and cellular transport
4. Waste removal and temperature control
(2003) Sponges are classified as animals because they cannot —
1. move from place to place
2. make their own food
3. get rid of waste products
4. catch their own food
In this diagram of a single-celled organism, which organelle functions as a place to store extra water?
1. Cell membrane
2. Vacuole
3. Cytoplasm
4. Nucleus
Robert Hooke looked at a piece of cork under a microscope. The little boxes he saw in the cork are called —
1. cells
2. genes
3. nuclei
4. chromosomes
The quality of pond water can be determined by identifying the number and types of organisms found living in the water. Which piece of equipment will best help students identify some of these organisms?
1. Microscope
2. pH paper
3. Binoculars
4. Pan balance
Which of these shows the correct sequence of development?
1. Organs → cells → tissues → systems
2. Cells → tissues → organs → systems
3. Systems → tissues → cells → organs
4. Tissues → cells → systems → organs
(2003) Which of these best completes the statement about the interaction of the respiratory system with the circulatory system? The lungs add —
1. nutrients to the blood
2. bile to the blood
3. oxygen to the blood
4. carbon dioxide to the blood
Which of the following classification groups contains organisms that have the most characteristics in common?
1. Kingdom
2. Phylum
3. Class
4. Species
Which characteristic is used to classify frogs into a different phylum from squid, snails, and jellyfish?
1. Frogs are predators.
2. Frogs breathe oxygen.
3. Frogs have backbones.
4. Frogs live on land.
Botanists often use leaves to identify plants. Which trait of the leaves shown would be most useful in identifying the plants they came from?
1. Color of the leaf
2. Function of the leaf
3. Arrangement of leaves on a stem
4. Presence or absence of veins
(2003) Which level of organization below is the most basic or primary level of organization?
1. Cell
2. Tissue
3. Organ
4. Organ system
(2004) The sea urchin shown has radial symmetry. This means that its body parts are —
1. equally arranged around a central point
2. designed to function in seawater
3. likely to be reformed if any part of the body is damaged
4. able to function on land and in the water
(2004) What is next in this series?
1. Habitats
2. Organisms
3. Systems
4. Organelles
(2004) Lions usually live in prides made up of a few adult females, an adult male, and some younger lions. The females hunt together and the kill is shared with the pride. The lions’ method of hunting best illustrates —
1. cooperation
2. competition
3. territoriality
4. parasitism
(2003) A tick that feeds on the blood of animals is a —
1. predator
2. host
3. competitor
4. parasite
A tapeworm lives in human intestines, absorbing the nutrients that would normally be absorbed by the person. This eventually causes the person health problems. The relationship between the tapeworm and the human is —
1. parasite/host
2. predator/prey
3. herbivore/omnivore
4. consumer/producer
(2004) Which of these has the greatest influence over how big a baby elephant will grow?
1. The amount of oxygen in the air
2. The amount of food available
3. The size of the trees in the jungle
4. The type of grass on the plains