HiSET Science: Life Science Practice Test 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which organelle is responsible for producing ATP through cellular respiration in eukaryotic cells?
- Ribosome
- Mitochondrion (Correct answer)
- Golgi apparatus
- Lysosome
Correct answer: Mitochondrion
Mitochondria generate ATP through cellular respiration, converting glucose and oxygen into usable energy.
Question 2: A plant placed in a dark room for several days turns yellow and stops growing. Which process has been disrupted?
- Cellular respiration
- Transpiration
- Photosynthesis (Correct answer)
- Osmosis
Correct answer: Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis requires light to produce glucose; without light, chlorophyll breaks down, causing yellowing and halting growth.
Question 3: Which of the following best describes the role of decomposers in an ecosystem?
- They produce oxygen through photosynthesis
- They break down dead organic matter and return nutrients to the soil (Correct answer)
- They consume living plants for energy
- They convert nitrogen gas into ammonia
Correct answer: They break down dead organic matter and return nutrients to the soil
Decomposers such as fungi and bacteria break down dead organisms, recycling nutrients back into the environment.
Question 4: In humans, which type of blood vessel carries oxygenated blood away from the heart?
- Veins
- Capillaries
- Arteries (Correct answer)
- Venules
Correct answer: Arteries
Arteries carry oxygenated blood away from the heart to body tissues, except the pulmonary artery which carries deoxygenated blood to the lungs.
Question 5: What is the primary function of the large intestine in the human digestive system?
- Protein digestion
- Absorption of nutrients into the bloodstream
- Absorption of water and formation of solid waste (Correct answer)
- Production of bile
Correct answer: Absorption of water and formation of solid waste
The large intestine absorbs water from indigestible food matter and compacts waste into feces for elimination.
Question 6: A population of rabbits is introduced to an island with abundant food and no predators. Which population growth pattern would most likely occur initially?
- Logistic (S-curve) growth
- Exponential (J-curve) growth (Correct answer)
- Gradual decline
- Stable equilibrium
Correct answer: Exponential (J-curve) growth
With unlimited resources and no predators, populations grow exponentially, following a J-shaped curve.
Question 7: Which molecule serves as the primary carrier of genetic information from the nucleus to the ribosome?
- tRNA
- rRNA
- mRNA (Correct answer)
- DNA
Correct answer: mRNA
Messenger RNA (mRNA) carries the genetic code from DNA in the nucleus to ribosomes where proteins are synthesized.
HiSET Science: Life Science Practice Test 2
Which organelle is responsible for producing ATP through cellular respiration in eukaryotic cells?