
NY Released Regents Exam - Living Environment Jun 2021(v202)
Quiz by NYSED Living Environment
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The respiratory system of an elephant functions in a similar way to which organelle in a single-celled organism?
The carrying capacity of an environment may be decreased by
The offspring of a species of bird known as the European roller possess an effective defense mechanism. When they sense a threat by predators, the young birds vomit and cover themselves with a foul-smelling liquid.
Which two systems work together to alert the young birds of danger and help produce the vomit?

A decrease in the biodiversity of an ecosystem usually leads to
Down syndrome occurs when an individual has an extra copy of chromosome 21. This additional genetic material alters development and results in Down syndrome. This genetic abnormality is an example of
Most of the reactions by which energy from carbohydrates is released for use by the cell take place within the
Which human activity best represents a method for recycling nutrients?
Rabbit populations vary in size over time. An increase in which factor would likely prevent the rabbit population from steadily increasing?
The diagrams below represent two reproductive processes used by different organisms.
When compared to organisms that utilize process A, organisms that utilize process B would most likely produce offspring with

A weightlifter has spent years building his muscular strength. His newborn daughter has normal strength for a baby. Which statement best explains this situation?
When it is disturbed, the bombardier beetle is able to produce and release a hot spray of irritating chemicals from the end of its body, as shown in the photo below. As a result, most animals that have experienced this defense avoid the beetles in the future.
The beetle’s defense mechanism has developed as a result of

Rejection of a newly transplanted organ is caused by
One of the largest and oldest organisms on Earth is located in Fishlake National Forest in Utah. Pando is an 80,000-year-old grove of aspen trees that covers 100 acres. Although it looks like a forest, DNA analysis of several of the “trees” has confirmed it is really just one huge organism. Therefore, the “trees” must have been reproduced

Many female mammals, such as dogs, give birth to litters consisting of multiple offspring. All of the characteristics described below are reproductive adaptations that female dogs have for giving birth and caring for several offspring at once, except
As blood glucose levels increase, hormones are released to return glucose levels to normal. This is an example of
BRCA genes are human genes that normally work to help shut down cancer cells before they can harm the body. Scientists have learned that individuals inheriting a damaged form of a BRCA gene are at greater risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer. This discovery is an important first step in
In humans, embryonic development during the first two months is more sensitive to environmental factors than during the remaining months. The best explanation for this statement is that
Gene editing can be used to swap out an unwanted gene for a desirable one from the same species. Which statement best explains why the desired gene will be found in all cells that come from the genetically edited cell?
Which sequence of events best represents ecological succession?
Which human activity has the potential to greatly affect the equilibrium of an ecosystem?
Which statement describes a failure of homeostasis in humans?
Some environmental engineering companies have recently designed “manufactured wetlands” to serve as natural sewage treatment plants. Utilizing the ability of wetland organisms to reduce human wastes makes use of naturally occurring
A hummingbird may need to consume up to 50% of its body weight in sugar each day, just to meet its energy needs. Some of this energy is stored and some is used for metabolic activities, but much of the energy is
Sustainable development occurs when people use their resources without depleting them. Which human activity is the best example of sustainable development?
Ringworm is a skin infection common among school-aged children. Although the name suggests that a worm causes the disease, it is actually caused by a fungus that lives and feeds on the dead outer layer of the skin. The relationship between ringworm and humans can be described as
Genetically identical yarrow plants were grown at different altitudes. Even though their genetic makeup was identical, the plants grew to different heights. One likely explanation for the different heights of the plants at each altitude is that
Which biological process is represented in the diagram below?

The diagram below shows specialized plant cells that control openings called stomates.
The proper function of these cells is vital to the survival of the plant because they regulate the

Substance X directly supplies energy for various life functions, as shown in the diagram below.
Which substance is represented by X in the diagram?

A student set up an experiment to test the effect of the number of seedlings planted in one pot on the rate of growth. All conditions in the experiment were the same, except for the number of plants in each pot. The results are shown in the graph below.
The most likely reason for the differences in plant growth in the different pots was

A student set up an experiment to test the effect of the number of seedlings planted in one pot on the rate of growth. All conditions in the experiment were the same, except for the number of plants in each pot. The results are shown in the graph below.
According to the graph, which statement is true concerning the growth of the plants?

A student set up an experiment to test the effect of the number of seedlings planted in one pot on the rate of growth. All conditions in the experiment were the same, except for the number of plants in each pot. The results are shown in the graph below.
The dependent variable for this experiment was

The diagram represents interactions between organisms in an ecosystem.
Which statement correctly identifies a possible role of one organism in this ecosystem?

Which statement correctly describes an interaction that contributes to the stability of this ecosystem?

The Venus flytrap is a plant that uses specialized leaves in order to capture and digest small insects.
Although the Venus flytrap uses its prey to obtain certain molecules that it needs, it is still classified as a producer because it

The Venus flytrap is a plant that uses specialized leaves in order to capture and digest small insects.
Enzymes secreted by cells in the leaves of the Venus fl ytrap can digest

Ulcers: Mystery Solved
Stomach ulcers are painful sores that develop in the stomach. Doctors once thought that ulcers were caused by stress. In the 1980s, a pair of physicians, Barry J. Marshall and J. Robin Warren, questioned the cause of ulcers. They found the bacterium Helicobacter pylori in the ulcer tissue of their patients. Even though they repeatedly presented their findings to colleagues, they were ignored until Marshall performed an astonishing experiment: He drank broth containing the bacteria and made himself sick with an ulcer! He then cured himself by taking an antibiotic.
The results were published in 1985, but it took another 10 years for doctors to regularly use antibiotics to treat ulcers. Marshall and Warren received a Nobel Prize in 2005 for this discovery.
Which choice represents a possible hypothesis for Marshall’s experiment?
Ulcers: Mystery Solved
Stomach ulcers are painful sores that develop in the stomach. Doctors once thought that ulcers were caused by stress. In the 1980s, a pair of physicians, Barry J. Marshall and J. Robin Warren, questioned the cause of ulcers. They found the bacterium Helicobacter pylori in the ulcer tissue of their patients. Even though they repeatedly presented their findings to colleagues, they were ignored until Marshall performed an astonishing experiment: He drank broth containing the bacteria and made himself sick with an ulcer! He then cured himself by taking an antibiotic.
The results were published in 1985, but it took another 10 years for doctors to regularly use antibiotics to treat ulcers. Marshall and Warren received a Nobel Prize in 2005 for this discovery.
The work of Marshall and Warren shows that
The structural formulas shown below represent parts of two different complex carbohydrate molecules composed of glucose subunits. Molecules 1 and 2 differ in their overall structure.
Due to the differences in structure, each of these molecules most likely

To capture their prey, spiders have fangs, which pierce the body wall of insects and inject venom. Spider venoms usually contain specific proteins that attack the cell membranes of the prey. The membranes and most of the contents of the insect’s body turn into a liquid that the spider then ingests for food.
These specifi c venom proteins are most likely

Lymphatic capillaries are found throughout the body. Both the lymphatic and circulatory systems transport substances between the bloodstream and body tissues. These two systems are also involved in fighting infections.
The arrows shown in the diagram that go from the blood capillaries to the interstitial fluid most likely represent the

The graph below shows how the introduction of the opossum shrimp, as a food source for salmon, affected a lake ecosystem in Montana.
Based on the data in this graph, one likely conclusion that can be made is that over approximately ten years

Peregrine falcons are an endangered species in New York State. This crow-sized predator feeds primarily on birds. Starting in the 1940s, exposure to the pesticide DDT in their prey caused declines in the peregrine falcon population. These pesticides caused eggshell thinning, which drastically lowered breeding success. By the early 1960s, peregrine falcons no longer nested in New York State. After the United States banned DDT in 1972, efforts were made to reintroduce peregrine falcons into the Northeast. Since the 1980s, the peregrine falcons are once again breeding in many areas of New York State.
The table below shows the number of peregrine falcon offspring produced in New York State over a 20-year period.
Which conclusion is best supported by the information presented in the graph?

A scientist added an antibiotic to a Petri dish containing bacterial colonies. A day later, the scientist noticed that many colonies had died, but a few remained. The scientist continued to observe the dish and noted that, eventually, the remaining colonies of bacteria increased in size.
The survival of some bacterial colonies was most likely due to
The diagrams below provide information about two separate species of tree frogs found in the United States. The shaded areas represent the habitats of each of the two species.
One likely reason that the gray tree frog occupies a larger environmental area than the green tree frog is that the gray tree frog species

Finding Relationships Between Organisms
Organisms living in the same environment may have similar body structures, but this does not always indicate a close biological relationship. The chart below provides information about four organisms that live in an Antarctic Ocean ecosystem.
Two features that would be the most useful in determining which of these organisms are most closely related are

Finding Relationships Between Organisms
Organisms living in the same environment may have similar body structures, but this does not always indicate a close biological relationship. The chart below provides information about four organisms that live in an Antarctic Ocean ecosystem.
Which lab procedure can be done to find molecular evidence for relationships between these Antarctic marine organisms?

As an extension of the lab activity Making Connections, a biology teacher asked students to brainstorm variables other than exercise that would affect heart rate. The students hypothesized that eating a lunch high in protein would decrease heart rates. They recorded resting heart rates of 20 students, had them eat high protein meals, and then recorded their heart rates again. The heart rates of 15 students were lower while the heart rates for 5 students were higher after lunch.
The best explanation for the observation that the heart rates of 5 students were higher after lunch is
A recent study of Darwin’s finches in the Galapagos Islands identified the gene, HMGA2, that is involved in beak size. It played a role in which finches feeding on smaller seeds survived a severe drought in 2004-2005. Following the drought, the average size of the medium ground finch beak decreased. This change was traced directly to changes in the frequency of the HMGA2 gene. Previous studies have shown that HMGA2 affects body size in animals, including dogs and horses, and even humans.
One possible reason that such diverse species could be affected by the HMGA2 gene is that
The diagram represents a sugar cube being dropped into an undisturbed beaker of water at room temperature. One sugar molecule is labeled.
Which diagram below represents the distribution of sugar molecules in the water a day later?

In an effort to determine how closely related several plant species are, a student performed the laboratory test shown below.
The method used by the student to compare plant extracts from the different species is
