Living Environment Flashcards
7 cards from real Regents practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Living Environment flashcards as text
A species of bird develops a longer beak over many generations to reach nectar deep inside flowers. Which mechanism best explains this change?
Answer: Natural selection favoring longer beaks for survival
Natural selection favored birds with longer beaks that could access more food, increasing their survival and reproduction rates over generations.
Which best describes the function of the cell membrane?
Answer: It controls which substances enter and exit the cell
The cell membrane is selectively permeable, regulating the movement of substances into and out of the cell to maintain homeostasis.
Global warming is expected to cause the extinction of polar bear populations primarily because:
Answer: Melting sea ice reduces habitat and hunting grounds for polar bears
Polar bears rely on sea ice for hunting seals; as global warming melts Arctic ice, their habitat shrinks and food becomes inaccessible.
Which best explains why identical twins have the same DNA but may develop different traits?
Answer: Environmental factors influence gene expression differently
Environmental factors such as diet, stress, and experiences can influence gene expression (epigenetics), leading to different traits despite identical DNA.
A scientist studying a lake ecosystem notes that phosphorus levels are extremely low. This phosphorus limitation would most directly affect:
Answer: The growth rate of producers in the lake
Phosphorus is a key nutrient for plant growth; low phosphorus levels would limit the growth of algae and aquatic plants (producers) in the ecosystem.
Which statement best describes why vaccines are effective at preventing disease?
Answer: Vaccines stimulate the immune system to produce memory cells against specific pathogens
Vaccines introduce weakened or inactivated antigens, triggering the immune system to produce memory cells so future exposure causes a rapid immune response.
Two species of birds live in the same forest but feed at different times of day and in different areas of trees. This behavior most likely reduces:
Answer: Competition between the species
By using different resources (time and space), the two species reduce direct competition with each other, a concept called niche differentiation.