Regents Living Environment 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which statement correctly describes the relationship between DNA, genes, and chromosomes?
- Chromosomes are made of genes, which are made of DNA
- Genes are made of chromosomes, which are made of DNA
- DNA is made of genes, which contain chromosomes
- Chromosomes contain DNA, which is organized into genes (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Chromosomes contain DNA, which is organized into genes
Chromosomes are structures made of DNA that is organized into functional units called genes, each coding for a specific protein.
Question 2: A plant grown in a dark room will grow toward a small hole of light. This behavior is caused by the unequal distribution of:
- Glucose
- Chlorophyll
- Auxin (Correct answer)
- Water
Correct answer: Auxin
Auxin is a plant hormone that accumulates on the shaded side of a stem, causing those cells to elongate more and bend the plant toward light.
Question 3: During which phase of the cell cycle does DNA replication occur?
- Mitosis (M phase)
- G1 phase
- S phase (synthesis) (Correct answer)
- G2 phase
Correct answer: S phase (synthesis)
DNA replication occurs during the S (synthesis) phase of interphase, before the cell begins mitosis.
Question 4: A student notices that plants near a factory producing nitrogen compounds grow much taller than plants farther away. This best illustrates:
- The greenhouse effect
- The effect of abiotic factors on organisms (Correct answer)
- Symbiosis between plants and bacteria
- Evolution by natural selection
Correct answer: The effect of abiotic factors on organisms
Nitrogen availability is an abiotic (non-living) environmental factor that affects plant growth and development.
Question 5: Which best explains why surface proteins on human cells are important to the immune system?
- They produce antibodies that fight pathogens
- They allow the immune system to distinguish self from non-self cells (Correct answer)
- They carry oxygen to immune cells
- They break down foreign bacteria directly
Correct answer: They allow the immune system to distinguish self from non-self cells
Cell surface proteins act as markers (antigens) that allow immune cells to identify the body's own cells versus foreign pathogens.
Question 6: In an energy pyramid, which level contains the greatest amount of stored energy?
- Top carnivores
- Secondary consumers
- Primary consumers
- Producers (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Producers
Producers (plants) form the base of the energy pyramid and contain the most energy; each successive level loses about 90% of energy.
Question 7: A child inherits blood type AB from their parents. Which statement about this trait is correct?
- Type A is dominant over type B
- Both A and B alleles are recessive
- Both A and B alleles are expressed equally (codominance) (Correct answer)
- The B allele mutated from the A allele
Correct answer: Both A and B alleles are expressed equally (codominance)
Blood type AB results from codominance, where both the A and B alleles are fully expressed simultaneously in the phenotype.
Regents Living Environment 4
Which statement correctly describes the relationship between DNA, genes, and chromosomes?