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    Regents Exams and Answers: Living Environment Revised Edition
    Regents Exams and Answers: Living Environment Revised Edition
    Regents Exams and Answers: Living Environment Revised Edition
    Ebook775 pages7 hours

    Regents Exams and Answers: Living Environment Revised Edition

    By Barron's Educational Series and Gregory Scott Hunter

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    About this ebook

    Barron’s Regents Exams and Answers: Living Environment provides essential review for students taking the Living Environment Regents, including actual exams administered for the course, thorough answer explanations, and comprehensive review of all topics.

    This edition features:
    • Four actual Regents exams to help students get familiar with the test format
    • Comprehensive review questions grouped by topic, to help refresh skills learned in class
    • Thorough explanations for all answers
    • Score analysis charts to help identify strengths and weaknesses
    • Study tips and test-taking strategies

     
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBarrons Educational Services
    Release dateJan 5, 2021
    ISBN9781506278247
    Regents Exams and Answers: Living Environment Revised Edition

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      Regents Exams and Answers - Barron's Educational Series

      BARRON’S

      REGENTS EXAMS

      AND ANSWERS

      Living Environment

      Gabrielle I. Edwards

      Former Science Consultant

      Board of Education

      City of New York

      Former Assistant Principal Supervision

      Science Department

      Franklin D. Roosevelt High School

      Brooklyn, New York

      Marion Cimmino

      Former Teacher, Biology and Laboratory Techniques

      Franklin D. Roosevelt High School

      Brooklyn, New York

      Frank J. Foder

      Teacher, Advanced Placement Biology

      Franklin D. Roosevelt High School

      Brooklyn, New York

      G. Scott Hunter

      Former Teacher, Biology and Advanced Biology

      Former Consultant, State Education Department Bureaus of Science and Testing

      Former School Business Administrator, Schodack, NY

      Former Superintendent of Schools

      Mexico and Chatham, New York

      Table of Contents

      Barron’s Regents Exams and Answers: Biology the Living Environment 2020

      Cover

      Title Page

      Copyright Information

      How to Use This Book

      Organization of the Book

      How to Study

      Test-Taking Tips—A Summary

      Tips for Teachers

      Study Questions and Answers

      Questions on Standard 1, Key Idea 1—Purpose of Scientific Inquiry

      Questions on Standard 1, Key Idea 2—Methods of Scientific Inquiry

      Questions on Standard 1, Key Idea 3—Analysis in Scientific Inquiry

      Questions on Standard 4, Key Idea 1— Application of Scientific Principles

      Questions on Standard 4, Key Idea 2—Genetic Continuity

      Questions on Standard 4, Key Idea 3—Organic Evolution

      Questions on Standard 4, Key Idea 4—Reproductive Continuity

      Questions on Standard 4, Key Idea 5—Dynamic Equilibrium and Homeostasis

      Questions on Standard 4, Key Idea 6—Interdependence of Living Things

      Questions on Standard 4, Key Idea 7—Human Impact on the Environment

      Student Self-Appraisal Guide

      Glossary

      Prominent Scientists

      Biological Terms

      Regents Examinations, Answers, and Student Self-Appraisal Guides

      June 2018 Exam

      August 2018 Exam

      June 2019 Exam

      August 2019 Exam

      Guide

      Table of Contents

      © Copyright 2021, 2020, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996 by Kaplan, Inc., d/b/a Barron’s Educational Series

      All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this eBook on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.

      Published by Kaplan, Inc., d/b/a Barron’s Educational Series

      750 Third Avenue

      New York, NY 10017

      www.barronseduc.com

      ISBN: 978-1-5062-7824-7

      10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

      How to Use This Book

      Organization of the Book

      Study Questions

      Section 1 of the book consists of 173 questions taken from past Regents examinations in biology. Most of the questions require that you select a correct response from four choices given. A few questions provide you with a list of words or phrases from which to select the one that best matches a given description. Others are constructed-response, graphical analysis, or reading comprehension questions. You should become familiar with the formats of the questions that appear on the Living Environment Regents examination.

      Each question in Section 1 of this book has a well-developed answer. Each answer provides the number of the correct response, the reason why the response is correct, and explanations of why the other choices are incorrect.

      A useful feature of Section 1 is the student Self-Appraisal Guide. This device allows you to determine where your learning strengths and weaknesses lie in the major topics of each unit. For specific topics within the units, the numbers of related questions are given. As you attempt to answer each question in Section 1, you may wish to circle on the appraisal form the numbers of the questions that you are unable to answer. The circled items then help you to identify at a glance subject matter areas in which you need additional study.

      New York State Learning Standards

      Commencement Standards

      There are several commencement standards required of students in New York State public schools regarding their performance in math, science, and technology. The Core Curriculum for The Living Environment addresses two of these standards:

      Standard 1: Students will use mathematical analysis, scientific inquiry, and engineering design, as appropriate, to pose questions, seek answers, and develop solutions.

      Standard 4: Students will understand and apply scientific concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the historical development of ideas in science.

      The Core Curriculum for The Living Environment was built from these two commencement standards. It is important to recognize that the Core Curriculum is not a syllabus. It does not prescribe what will be taught and learned in any particular classroom. Instead, it defines the skills and understandings that you must master in order to achieve the commencement standards for life science.

      Instead of memorizing a large number of details at the commencement level, then, you are expected to develop the skills needed to deal with science on the investigatory level, generating new knowledge from experimentation and sharpening your abilities in data analysis. You are also expected to read and understand scientific literature, taking from it the facts and concepts necessary for a real understanding of issues in science. You are required to pull many facts together from different sources to develop your own opinions about the moral and ethical problems facing modern society concerning technological advances. These are thinking skills that do not respond to simple memorization of facts and scientific vocabulary.

      Key Ideas, Performance Indicators, and Major Understandings

      Each commencement standard is subdivided into a number of Key Ideas. Key Ideas are broad, unifying statements about what you need to know. Within Standard 1, three Key Ideas are concerned with laboratory investigation and data analysis. Together, these unifying principles develop your ability to deal with data and understand how professional science is carried out in biology. Within Standard 4, seven Key Ideas present a set of concepts that are central to the science of biology. These Key Ideas develop your understanding of the essential characteristics of living things that allow them to be successful in diverse habitats.

      Within each Key Idea, Performance Indicators are presented that indicate which skills you should be able to demonstrate through your mastery of the Key Idea. These Performance Indicators give guidance to both you and your teacher about what is expected of you as a student of biology.

      Performance Indicators are further subdivided into Major Understandings. Major Understandings give specific concepts that you must master in order to achieve each Performance Indicator. It is from these Major Understandings that the Regents assessment material will be drawn.

      Laboratory Component

      A meaningful laboratory experience is essential to the success of this or any other science course. You are expected to develop a good sense of how scientific inquiry is carried out by the professional scientist and how these same techniques can assist in the full understanding of concepts in science. The Regents requirement of 1,200 minutes of successful laboratory experience, coupled with satisfactory written reports of your findings, should be considered a minimum.

      Students are required to complete four laboratory experiences required by the New York State Education Department and tested on the Regents Examination. See Barron’s Let’s Review: Biology—The Living Environment for a complete treatment of this requirement.

      Regents Examinations

      Section 2 of the book consists of actual Biology Regents examinations and answers. These Regents examinations are based on the New York State Core Curriculum for the Living Environment.

      Assessments: Format and Scoring

      The format of the Regents assessment for The Living Environment is as follows, based on actual Regents examinations.

      Part A: Variable number (usually 30) of multiple-choice questions that test the student’s knowledge of specific factual information. All questions must be answered on Part A.

      Part B: Variable number (usually 25) of questions, representing a mixture of multiple-choice and constructed-response items. Questions may be based on the student’s direct knowledge of biology, interpretation of experimental data, analysis of readings in science, and ability to deal with representations of biological phenomena. All questions must be answered on Part B1-B2.

      Part C: Variable number (usually 17) of multiple-choice and constructed-response questions. Questions may be based on the student’s direct knowledge of biology, interpretation of experimental data, analysis of readings in science, and ability to deal with representations of biological phenomena. All questions must be answered on Part C.

      Part D—Laboratory component: Variable number (usually 13) of multiple choice and constructed response items. This component of the examination aims to assess student knowledge of and skills on any of four required laboratory experiences supplied to schools by the New York State Education Department. The content of these questions will reflect specific laboratory experiences. You are strongly encouraged to include review of these laboratory experiences as part of your year-end Regents preparation activity.

      The following chart summarizes the current laboratory requirement for New York State public schools:

      Laboratory Requirements

      Studying questions from past Regents examinations is an invaluable aid in developing a mind set that will enable you to approach questions with understanding. Although exact questions are not repeated, question types are repeated. If you practice questions that require interpretation, problem solving, and graph construction, you will do well on the entire exam. During the school year, the 30 required laboratory lessons teach you certain manipulative skills. Questions involving identification, measurement, and other laboratory procedures are based on the laboratory exercises. Review of past materials gives you insight as to the types of questions that you may be asked to answer. Study the questions in the Regents exams in this book diligently.

      How to Study

      General Suggestions for Study

      You’ve spent all year learning many different facts and concepts about biology — far more than you could ever hope to remember the first time around. Your teacher has drilled you on these facts and concepts; you’ve done homework, taken quizzes and tests, performed laboratory experiments, and reviewed the material at intervals throughout the year.

      Now it’s time to put everything together. The Regents exam is only a few weeks away. If you and your teacher have planned properly, you will have finished all new information about 3 weeks before the exam. Now you have to make efficient use of the days and weeks ahead to review all that you’ve learned in order to score high on the Regents.

      The task ahead probably seems impossible, but it doesn’t have to be! You’ve actually retained much more of the year’s material than you realize! The review process should be one that helps you to recall the many facts and concepts you’ve stored away in your memory. Your Barron’s resources, including Barron’s Let’s Review: The Living Environment, will help you to review this material efficiently.

      You also have to get yourself into the right frame of mind. It won’t help to be nervous and stressed during the review process. The best way to avoid being stressed during any exam is to be well rested, prepared, and confident. We’re here to help you prepare and to build your confidence. So let’s get started on the road to a successful exam experience!

      To begin, carefully read and follow the steps outlined below.

      Start your review early; don’t wait until the last minute. Allow at least 2 weeks to prepare for the Regents exam. Set aside an hour or two a day over the next few weeks for your review. Less than an hour a day is insufficient time for you to concentrate on the material meaningfully; more than 2 hours daily will yield diminishing returns on your investment of time.

      Find a quiet, comfortable place to study. You should seat yourself at a well-lighted work surface, free of clutter, in a room without distractions of any kind. You may enjoy watching TV or listening to music curled up in a soft chair, but these and other diversions should be avoided when doing intense studying.

      Make sure you have the tools you need, including this book, a pen and pencil, and some scratch paper for taking notes and doing calculations. Keep your class notebook at hand for looking up information between test-taking sessions. It will also help to have a good review text, such as Barron’s Let’s Review: The Living Environment, available for reviewing important concepts quickly and efficiently.

      Concentrate on the material in the Study Questions and Answers section of this book. Read carefully and thoughtfully. Think about the questions that you review, and try to make sense out of them. Choose the answers carefully. (See the following section, Using This Book for Study, for additional tips on question-answering techniques.)

      Use available resources, including a dictionary and the glossary in this book, to look up the meanings of unfamiliar words in the practice questions. Remember that the same terms can appear on the Regents exam you will take, so take the opportunity to learn them now.

      Remember: study requires time and effort. Your investment in study now will pay off when you take the Regents exam.

      Using This Book for Study

      This book is an invaluable tool if used properly. Read carefully and try to answer all the questions in Section 1 and on the practice exams. The more you study and practice, the more you will increase your knowledge of biology and the likelihood that you will earn a high grade on the Regents exam. To maximize your chances, use this book in the following way:

      Answer all of the questions in the section entitiled Study Questions and Answers. Check your responses by using Answers to Topic Questions, including Wrong Choices Explained, following each question set. Record the number of correct responses on each topic in the Self-Appraisal Guide at the end of the section to identify your areas of strength and weakness. Use a good review text, such as Barron’s Let’s Review Regents: Living Environment,to study each area on which you did poorly. Finally, go back to the questions you missed on the first round and be sure that you fully understand what each question asks and why the correct answer is what it is.

      When you have completed the questions in Study Questions and Answers, go on to the examination section. Select the first complete examination and take it under test conditions.

      Interpret the term test conditions as follows:

      Be well rested; get a good night’s sleep before attempting any exam.

      Find a quiet, comfortable room in which to work.

      Allow no distractions of any kind.

      Select a well-lighted work surface free of clutter.

      Have your copy of this book with you.

      Bring to the room a pen, a pencil, some scratch paper, and a watch or alarm clock set for the 3-hour exam limit.

      Take a deep breath, close your eyes for a moment, and RELAX! Tell yourself, I know this stuff! You have lots of time to take the Regents exam; use it to your advantage by reducing your stress level. Forget about your plans for later. For the present, your number 1 priority is to do your best, whether you’re taking a practice exam in this book, or the real thing.

      Read all test directions carefully. Note how many questions you must answer to complete each part of the exam. If test questions relate to a reading passage, diagram, chart, or graph, be sure you fully understand the given information before you attempt to answer the questions that relate to it.

      When answering multiple-choice questions on the Regents exam, TAKE YOUR TIME! Pay careful attention to the stem of the question; read it over several times. These questions are painstakingly written by the test preparers, and every word is chosen to convey a specific meaning. If you read the question carelessly, you may answer a question that was never asked! Then read each of the four multiple-choice answers carefully, using a pencil to mark in the test booklet the answer you think is correct.

      Remember that three of the multiple-choice answers are incorrect; these incorrect choices are called distracters because they seem like plausible answers to poorly prepared or careless students. To avoid being fooled by these distracters, you must think clearly, using everything you have learned about biology since the beginning of the year. This elimination process is just as important to your success on the Living Environment Regents exam as knowing the correct answer! If more than one answer seems to be correct, reread the question to find the words that will help you to distinguish between the correct answer and the distracters. When you have made your best judgment about the correct answer, circle the number in pencil in your test booklet.

      Constructed-response questions appear in a number of different forms. You may be asked to select a term from a list, write the term on the answer sheet, and define the term. You may be asked to describe some biological phenomenon or state a biological fact using a complete sentence. You may be asked to read a value from a diagram of a measuring instrument and write that value in a blank on the answer paper. When answering this type of question, care should be exercised to follow directions precisely. If a complete sentence is called for, it must contain a subject and a verb, must be punctuated, and must be written understandably in addition to answering the scientific part of the question accurately. Values must be written clearly and accurately and include a unit of measure, if appropriate. Failure to follow the directions for a question may result in a loss of credit for that question.

      A special type of constructed-response question is the essay or paragraph question. Typically, essay or paragraph questions provide an opportunity to earn multiple credits for answering the question correctly. As in the constructed-response questions described above, it is important that you follow the directions given if you hope to earn the maximum number of credits for the question. Typically, the question outlines exactly what must be included in your essay to gain full credit. Follow these directions step by step, double-checking to be certain that all question components are addressed in your answer. In addition, your essay or paragraph should follow the rules of good grammar and good communication so that it is readable and understandable. And, of course, it should contain correct information that answers all the parts of the question asked.

      Graphs and charts are a special type of question that requires you to organize and represent data in graphical format. Typically for such questions, you are expected to place unorganized data in ascending order in a data chart or table. You may also be asked to plot organized data on a graph grid, connect the plotted points, and label the graph axes appropriately. Finally, questions regarding data trends and extrapolated projections may be asked, requiring you to analyze the data in the graph and draw inferences from it. As with all examination questions, always follow all directions for the question. Credit can be granted only for correctly following directions and accurately interpreting the data.

      When you have completed the exam, relax for a moment. Check your time; have you used the entire 3 hours? Probably not. Resist the urge to quit. Go back to the beginning of the exam, and, in the time remaining, retake the exam in its entirety. Try to ignore the penciled notations you made the first time. If you come up with a different answer the second time through, read over the question with extreme care before deciding which response is correct. Once you have decided on the correct answer, mark your choice in ink in the answer booklet.

      Score the exam using the Answer Key at the end of the exam. Review the Answers Explained section for each question to aid your understanding of the exam and the material. Remember that it’s just as important to understand why the incorrect responses are incorrect as it is to understand why the correct responses are correct!

      Finally, focus your between-exam study on your areas of weakness in order to improve your performance on the next practice exam. Complete all the practice exams in this book using the techniques outlined above.

      Be sure to sign the declaration on your answer sheet. Unless this declaration is signed, your paper cannot be scored.

      Test-Taking Tips—A Summary

      The following pages contain seven tips to help you achieve a good grade on the Living Environment Regents exam.

      Tip 1

      Be confident and prepared.

      SUGGESTIONS

      Review previous tests.

      Use a clock or watch, and take previous exams at home under examination conditions (i.e., don’t have the radio or television on).

      Get a review book. (The preferred book is Barron’s Let’s Review Regents: Living Environment.)

      Talk over the answers to questions on these tests with someone else, such as another student in your class or someone at home.

      Finish all your homework assignments.

      Look over classroom exams that your teacher gave during the term.

      Take class notes carefully.

      Practice good study habits.

      Know that there are answers for every question.

      Be aware that the people who made up the Regents exam want you to pass.

      Remember that thousands of students over the last few years have taken and passed a Biology Regents. You can pass, too!

      Complete your study and review at least one day before taking the examination. Last-minute cramming may hurt, rather than enhance, your performance on the exam.

      Visit www.barronseduc.com or www.barronsregents.com for the latest information on the Regents exams.

      Use Barron’s website to communicate directly with subject specialists.

      Be well rested when you enter the exam room. A good night’s sleep is essential preparation for any examination.

      On the night before the exam day: lay out all the things you will need, such as clothing, pens, and admission cards.

      Bring with you two pens, two pencils, an eraser, and, if your school requires it, an identification card. Decide before you enter the room that you will remain for the entire 3-hour examination period, and either bring a wristwatch or sit where you can see a clock.

      Once you are in the exam room, arrange things, get comfortable, and attend to personal needs (the bathroom).

      Before beginning the exam, take a deep breath, close your eyes for a moment, and RELAX! Repeat this technique any time you feel yourself tensing up during the exam.

      Keep your eyes on your own paper; do not let them wander over to anyone else’s paper.

      Be polite in making any reasonable demands of the exam room proctor, such as changing your seat or having window shades raised or lowered.

      Tip 2

      Read test instructions carefully.

      SUGGESTIONS

      Be familiar with the format of the examination.

      Know how the test will be graded.

      Read all directions carefully. Be sure you fully understand supplemental information (reading passages, charts, diagrams, graphs) before you attempt to answer the questions that relate to it.

      Underline important words and phrases.

      Ask for assistance from the exam room proctor if you do not understand the directions.

      Tip 3

      Read each question carefully and read each choice before recording your answer.

      SUGGESTIONS

      When answering the questions, TAKE YOUR TIME! Be sure to read the stem of the question and each of the four multiple-choice answers very carefully.

      If you are momentarily stumped by a question, put a check mark next to it and go on; come back to the question later if you have time.

      Remember that three of the multiple-choice answers (known as distracters) are incorrect. If more than one answer seems to be correct, reread the question to find the words that will help you to distinguish between the correct answer and the distractors.

      When you have made your best judgment about the correct answer, circle the appropriate number in pencil on your answer sheet.

      Tip 4

      Budget your test time (3 hours).

      SUGGESTIONS

      Bring a watch or clock to the test.

      The Regents examination is designed to be completed in 1¹⁄² to 2 hours.

      If you are absolutely uncertain of the answer to a question, mark your question booklet and move on to the next question.

      If you persist in trying to answer every difficult question immediately, you may find yourself rushing or unable to finish the remainder of the examination.

      When you have completed the exam, relax for a moment. Then go back to the beginning, and, in the time remaining, retake the exam in its entirety. Pay particular attention to questions you skipped the first time. Once you have decided on a correct response for multiple-choice questions, mark an X in ink through the penciled circle on the answer sheet.

      Plan to stay in the room for the entire three hours. If you finish early, read over your work—there may be some things that you omitted or that you may wish to add. You also may wish to refine your grammar, spelling, and penmanship.

      Tip 5

      Use your reasoning skills.

      SUGGESTIONS

      Answer all questions.

      Relate (connect) the question to anything that you studied, wrote in your notebook, or heard your teacher say in class.

      Relate (connect) the question to any film, demonstration, or experiment you saw in class, any project you did, or to anything you may have learned from newspapers, magazines, or television.

      Look over the entire test to see whether one part of it can help you answer another part.

      Tip 6

      Don’t be afraid to guess.

      SUGGESTIONS

      In general, go with your first answer choice.

      Eliminate obvious incorrect choices.

      If still unsure of an answer, make an educated guess.

      There is no penalty for guessing; therefore, answer ALL questions. An omitted answer gets no credit.

      Tip 7

      Sign the Declaration.

      SUGGESTIONS

      Be sure to sign the declaration on your answer sheet.

      Unless this declaration is signed, your paper cannot be scored.

      Tips for Teachers

      Classroom Use

      All teachers will be able to use this book with their students as a companion to their regular textbooks and will find that their students gain considerable self-confidence and ability in test taking through its consistent use.

      The Living Environment Core Curriculum (1999) defines the skills and abilities students should have at the point of commencement at the upper-secondary level. It is assumed that science concepts have been taught and assessed at an age-appropriate level throughout their career, so that little additional detail needs to be presented at the upper-secondary level.

      An excellent companion to this book (and any comprehensive biology text) is Barron’s Let’s Review: Biology—The Living Environment (Hunter). The factual material and organization of this book lend themselves well to the development of Standards-Based Learning Units (SBLUs) and Essential Questions. The level of detail is consistent with what students really have to know in order to do well on the New York State Regents Examination on the Living Environment.

      Application-Based Curriculum

      The curriculum focus can be characterized as application-based—one that is less concerned about content and more concerned about thinking. It is less about how much students know and more about what they can do with what they know. The latter, after all, is what real learning is all about; these are the abilities that will last a lifetime, not facts and scientific terminology.

      This being said, it is acknowledged that students will have a difficult time expressing their views and making moral and ethical judgments about science if they lack a working knowledge of scientific principles and do not have at least a passing understanding of the terms used by biologists. For this reason, teachers and administrators will need to develop local curricula that complement the Core Curriculum. It is up to the teacher or administrator to decide what examples and factual knowledge best illustrate the concepts presented in the Core Curriculum, what concepts need to be reinforced and enhanced, what experiences will add measurably to students’ understanding of science, and what examples of local interest should be included.

      The teacher will immediately recognize the need to go beyond this level in the classroom, with examples, specific content, and laboratory experiences that complement and illuminate these Major Understandings. It is at this level that the locally developed curriculum is essential. Each school system is challenged to develop an articulated K-12 curriculum in mathematics, science, and technology that will position students to achieve a passing standard at the elementary and intermediate levels, such that success is maximized at the commencement level.

      The addition of factual content must be accomplished without contradicting the central philosophy of the learning standards. If local curricula merely revert to the fact-filled syllabi of the past, then little will have been accomplished in the standards movement other than to add yet another layer of content and requirements on the heads of students. A balance must be struck between the desire to build students’ ability to think and analyze and the desire to add to the content they are expected to master.

      Laboratory Experience

      The reduction of factual detail in the Core Curriculum (1982–1999) should allow a more in-depth treatment of laboratory investigations to be planned and carried out than was possible under the previous syllabus. Laboratory experiences should be designed to address Standard 1 (inquiry techniques) but should also take into account Standards 2 (information systems), 6 (interconnectedness of content), and 7 (problem-solving approaches). They should also address the laboratory skills listed in Appendix A of the Core Curriculum.

      Part D of the examination assesses student knowledge of and skills on any of four required laboratory experiences supplied to schools by the New York State Education Department. The specific laboratory experiences required in any year will vary according to a preset schedule (see chart on next page).

      Questions on this section can be a combination of multiple-choice and constructed-response questions similar to those found in Parts A, B, and C of the Living Environment Regents Examination. The content of these questions reflect the four specific laboratory experiences required for a particular year. Teachers are strongly encouraged to include review of these laboratory experiences as part of their year-end Regents preparation activity.

      The following chart summarizes the current laboratory requirement for New York State public schools:

      Study Questions and Answers

      QUESTIONS ON STANDARD 1

      Students will use mathematical analysis, scientific inquiry, and engineering design, as appropriate, to pose questions, seek answers, and develop solutions.

      Key Idea 1—Purpose of Scientific Inquiry

      The central purpose of scientific inquiry is to develop explanations of natural phenomena in a continuing and creative process.

      Base your answers to questions 1 through 4 on the passage below and on your knowledge of biology.

      To Tan or Not to Tan

      Around 1870, scientists discovered that sunshine could kill bacteria. In 1903, Niels Finsen, an Icelandic researcher, won the Nobel Prize for his use of sunlight therapy against infectious diseases. Sunbathing then came into wide use as a treatment for tuberculosis, Hodgkin’s disease (a form of cancer), and common wounds. The discovery of vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin, reinforced the healthful image of the Sun. People learned that it was better to live in a sun-filled home than a dark dwelling. At that time, the relationship between skin cancer and exposure to the Sun was not known.

      In the early twentieth century, many light-skinned people believed that a deep tan was a sign of good health. However, in the 1940s, the rate of skin cancer began to increase and reached significant proportions by the 1970s. At this time, scientists began to realize how damaging deep tans could really be.

      Tanning occurs when ultraviolet radiation is absorbed by the skin, causing an increase in the activity of melanocytes, cells that produce the pigment melanin. As melanin is produced, it is absorbed by cells in the upper region of the skin, resulting in the formation of a tan. In reality, the skin is building up protection against damage caused by the ultraviolet radiation. It is interesting to note that people with naturally dark skin also produce additional melanin when their skin is exposed to sunlight.

      Exposure to more sunlight means more damage to the cells of the skin. Research has shown that, although people usually do not get skin cancer as children, each time a child is exposed to the Sun without protection, the chance of that child getting skin cancer as an adult increases.

      Knowledge connecting the Sun to skin cancer has greatly increased since the late 1800s. Currently, it is estimated that ultraviolet radiation is responsible for more than 90% of skin cancers. Yet, even with this knowledge, about 2 million Americans use tanning parlors that expose patrons to high doses of ultraviolet radiation. A recent survey showed that at least 10% of these people would continue to do so even if they knew for certain that it would give them skin cancer.

      Many of the deaths due to this type of cancer can be prevented. The cure rate for skin cancer is almost 100% when it is treated early. Reducing exposure to harmful ultraviolet radiation helps to prevent it. During the past 15 years, scientists have tried to undo the tanning myth. If the word healthy is separated from the word tan, maybe the occurrence of skin cancer will be reduced.

      State one known benefit of daily exposure to the Sun. [1]

      Explain what is meant by the phrase the tanning myth. [1]

      Which statement concerning tanning is correct?

      Tanning causes a decrease in the ability of the skin to regulate body temperature.

      Radiation from the Sun is the only radiation that causes tanning.

      The production of melanin, which causes tanning, increases when skin cells are exposed to the Sun.

      Melanocytes decrease their activity as exposure to the Sun increases, causing a protective coloration on the skin.

      Which statement concerning ultraviolet radiation is not correct?

      It may damage the skin.

      It stimulates the skin to produce antibodies.

      It is absorbed by the skin.

      It may stimulate the skin to produce excess pigment.

      Current knowledge concerning cells is a result of the investigations and observations of many scientists. The work of these scientists forms a well-accepted body of knowledge about cells. This body of knowledge is an example of a

      hypothesis

      controlled experiment

      theory

      research plan

      In his theory of evolution, Lamarck suggested that organisms will develop and pass on to offspring variations that they need in order to survive in a particular environment. In a later theory of evolution, Darwin proposed that changing environmental conditions favor certain variations that promote the survival of organisms. Which statement is best illustrated by this information?

      Scientific theories that have been changed are the only ones supported by scientists.

      All scientific theories are subject to change and improvement.

      Most scientific theories are the outcome of a single hypothesis.

      Scientific theories are not subject to change.

      Base your answers to questions 7 and 8 on the passage below and on your knowledge of biology.

      The number in the parentheses ( ) at the end of a sentence is used to identify that sentence.

      They Sure Do Look Like Dinosaurs

      When making movies about dinosaurs, film producers often use ordinary lizards and enlarge their images many times (1). We all know, however, that although they look like dinosaurs and are related to dinosaurs, lizards are not actually dinosaurs (2).

      Recently, some scientists have developed a hypothesis that challenges this view (3). These scientists believe that some dinosaurs were actually the same species as some modern lizard that had grown to unbelievable sizes (4). They think that such growth might be due to a special type of DNA called repetitive DNA, often referred to as junk DNA because scientists do not understand its functions (5). These scientists studied pumpkins that can reach sizes of nearly 1,000 pounds and found them to contain large amounts of repetitive DNA (6). Other pumpkins that grow to only a few ounces in weight have very little of this kind of DNA (7). In addition, cells that reproduce uncontrollably have almost always been found to contain large amounts of this DNA (8).

      State one reason why scientists formerly thought of repetitive DNA as junk. [1]

      Write the number of the sentence that provides evidence supporting the hypothesis that increasing amounts of repetitive DNA are responsible for increased sizes

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