NY Released Regents Exam - Living Environment (Jun 2025)
Quiz by NYSED Living Environment
Tag the questions with any skills you have. Your dashboard will track each student's mastery of each skill.
Which of these components are found in all living organisms?
Two types of molecules directly involved in cellular communication are
When mountain lions consume large prey, they often leave large pieces of their prey behind. The carcass that is left becomes a food source for other organisms. A scientist reported a count of24,000 beetles in an area where mountain lions had left partially eaten carcasses. Wolves, bears, and other animals also take advantage of the remains of the prey.
The role of the mountain lion in this ecosystem is an example of the concept that
Mutations are an important part of evolution. One reason for this is that mutations
The best-adapted individuals in a population are most likely to be successful in passing on their traits to the next generation because
Some structures found in living organisms are shown below.
Which statement best describes the relationship among the three structures?
Scientists found that over a period of 300 years, a pond slowly transformed into a meadow and then a forest. During that time, communities of organisms were replaced by different communities.
The best explanation for why new communities were able to replace the older communities is that
Many species of warblers, including the Blackburnian warbler shown below, migrate from Central and South America to New York State, where they breed each summer. Warblers primarily prey on insects and nest in hemlock trees.
An invasive insect, the wooly adelgid, is killing hemlock trees across the entire state. If this continues, fewer warblers will be able to find suitable nesting sites. One consequence of this may be that
Seagrass populations decrease significantly in size when sea turtles overgraze the area in which the grasses grow. When predators such as sharks have a constant presence in the same area, the turtles leave and the seagrass population increases. This is an example of how organisms
Strawberry plants grow runners off of the main parent plant, as shown in the photo below.
New strawberry plants that are genetically identical to the parent plant develop along the runners. This phenomenon can be best explained by the fact that these strawberry plants are produced by
During a class field trip, a student measured and recorded some abiotic factors present in a pond. Which data did the student most likely include in their record of abiotic factors?
Mammals, including humans, dolphins, and cows, produce milk for their young. Surprisingly, researchers have discovered that certain spiders also produce a milk-like fluid for their young. The spider leaves droplets of her “milk” around the nest for the babies after they hatch from their eggs. After one week, the babies will feed on the “milk” directly from her body for at least 20 days.
Which statement best describes this recent discovery?
As part of the “Charge NY” energy plan, New York drivers are being encouraged to purchase electrically powered cars. Many believe that this will help the environment by
The New Mexico whiptail is a female-only species of lizard that exhibits an unusual form of asexual reproduction. Researchers discovered that these lizards produce eggs that have a full set of chromosomes and have the genetic diversity of sexually reproducing lizards.
Which statement best describes the offspring of these lizards?
In humans, the placenta is important to the developing embryo. Which essential life functions are carried out by the placenta?
Injecting individuals with a vaccine composed of killed bacteria protects them from a disease because the proteins from the killed bacteria
Which statement about amino acids and simple sugars is correct?
Protein chains may break. This can cause a problem for living cells because
Enzymes are essential to maintaining homeostasis and helping to regulate human metabolism. They are also examples of molecules that are
The process by which DNA molecules separate and add new molecular bases to form another DNA molecule is called
Which row in the chart below correctly describes activities that occur in each of the two organelles shown?
The amount of fossil fuels consumed from 1800 until 2017 is shown in the graph below.
The increased demand for and use of fossil fuels is a direct result of an
Some prescription drugs come with a warning that these drugs should be avoided during the early stages of pregnancy. The reason that pregnant women should avoid certain medications early in their pregnancy is because the drug may
Lions in East Africa are night hunters. They are most successful during the darker phases of the moon, when they are less visible. Prey animals, such as the wildebeest shown below, are also influenced by the moon cycles and amount of darkness. During the dark phases of the moon, they are less active.
This behavior shows that
The removal of three consecutive base-subunits from a gene would most directly affect the
Some medications have been found to damage mitochondria. This can upset metabolism because mitochondria
The Labrador retriever is a breed of dog that is characterized by a solid yellow, brown, or black coat and a friendly personality. In order to increase the chances of Labrador retriever puppies having these traits, breeders should
An example of a harmful immune response occurs when immune cells cause the breakdown of
Individuals who use tanning beds have an increased risk of getting skin cancer. Their skin cancer may
Male Pacific field crickets make a loud song that travels a long distance to attract females. They use their wings to create the sound. On the island of Kauai, the loud calls not only attract mates, but also a specific fly species. The fly deposits larvae on the cricket. As the fly larvae mature, they eat the cricket from the inside out.
One summer, observers on Kauai noticed that the crickets were unusually quiet. They also noticed that the wings of these quiet crickets were shaped differently. The scientists hypothesized that the wing mutation helped crickets escape the fly. They collected the following data while testing their hypothesis:
Which statement most accurately describes the relationship between the data and the original hypothesis?
Male Pacific field crickets make a loud song that travels a long distance to attract females. They use their wings to create the sound. On the island of Kauai, the loud calls not only attract mates, but also a specific fly species. The fly deposits larvae on the cricket. As the fly larvae mature, they eat the cricket from the inside out.
One summer, observers on Kauai noticed that the crickets were unusually quiet. They also noticed that the wings of these quiet crickets were shaped differently. The scientists hypothesized that the wing mutation helped crickets escape the fly. They collected the following data while testing their hypothesis:
Scientists have noticed that crickets with the mutation are still able to attract mates. Based on the data, which prediction is valid if this particular fly remains part of the cricket’s environment?
Sea Otters at Risk
A single-celled parasite is responsible for the death of a large number of sea otters. Scientists have traced the origin of the parasite to multiple sources, including domestic cat feces. Rain washes some litter box wastes, which contain cat feces, into the ocean kelp forests where sea otters live.
Failure to properly dispose of contaminated cat litter is an example of
Lead in the Environment
Soil contaminated with lead is a source of lead exposure in people and is a worldwide health concern. Scientists examined the relationship between exposure to lead in the topsoil and the occurrence of learning difficulties in children. Soil clings to fingers, toys, and other objects. When young children are exposed to lead, they can experience difficulty with remembering, concentrating, and learning.
Lead was used as a gasoline additive until 1996, when it was banned. Emissions from cars and trucks resulted in a buildup of lead in the soil along the side of the road. In a recent study, scientists measured the concentration of lead along sections of the interstate highway system. They then compared the levels of lead in the soil along the side of the road with the number of children in the area experiencing cognitive difficulties. The scientists discovered that where the level of lead in the soil is high, the number of children with learning difficulties is also high.
In order to support the claim that lead in the soil can result in learning difficulties in children, the scientists should
Lead in the Environment
Soil contaminated with lead is a source of lead exposure in people and is a worldwide health concern. Scientists examined the relationship between exposure to lead in the topsoil and the occurrence of learning difficulties in children. Soil clings to fingers, toys, and other objects. When young children are exposed to lead, they can experience difficulty with remembering, concentrating, and learning.
Lead was used as a gasoline additive until 1996, when it was banned. Emissions from cars and trucks resulted in a buildup of lead in the soil along the side of the road. In a recent study, scientists measured the concentration of lead along sections of the interstate highway system. They then compared the levels of lead in the soil along the side of the road with the number of children in the area experiencing cognitive difficulties. The scientists discovered that where the level of lead in the soil is high, the number of children with learning difficulties is also high.
After discovering where lead levels in the topsoil are high, what could parents do to reduce the chances of learning difficulties in their children?
Beavers have been migrating north and impacting Arctic ecosystems. By building dams on streams, beavers are creating new bodies of water where there were none. These new bodies of water contribute to the thawing of the frozen permafrost soil, which is a huge natural reservoir of stored greenhouse gases. In a study of beaver dams located on Alaska’s Baldwin Peninsula, there was a total of 94 dams in 2010, and by 2019 there was a total of 409 dams.
Based on these numbers of beaver dams constructed between 2010 and 2019, a reasonable claim that scientists can make concerning beaver activity in the Arctic is that beavers
White-tailed deer in New York State breed once a year. The timing of the breeding season and birth of offspring is represented in the chart below.
Which statement best helps explain why this breeding cycle is successful for deer?
The diagram below represents human body cells and their interactions with the hormone, insulin.
Insulin resistance results when the body produces insulin but cells are not able to respond to it. This resistance could result in
Why Do Marimo Balls Float and Sink?
Marimo are fuzzy, round balls of a rare algae that is native to some cold, freshwater lakes. They have been observed to float after dawn and sink after dusk. A group of scientists conducted experiments to determine the cause of this floating and sinking action.
In one experiment, a marimo ball was placed in a graduated cylinder with 500 mL of water and exposed to light for four minutes. After four minutes, the light was turned off and the marimo was kept in the dark for another four minutes. The position of the marimo was measured each minute by recording the location of the marimo in the graduated cylinder with respect to the mL lines.
The scientists observed that when the marimo were floating, they were covered with tiny bubbles. They hypothesized that these bubbles were products of photosynthesis. Therefore, the bubbles were most likely
Why Do Marimo Balls Float and Sink?
Marimo are fuzzy, round balls of a rare algae that is native to some cold, freshwater lakes. They have been observed to float after dawn and sink after dusk. A group of scientists conducted experiments to determine the cause of this floating and sinking action.
In one experiment, a marimo ball was placed in a graduated cylinder with 500 mL of water and exposed to light for four minutes. After four minutes, the light was turned off and the marimo was kept in the dark for another four minutes. The position of the marimo was measured each minute by recording the location of the marimo in the graduated cylinder with respect to the mL lines.
In order to determine if the floating of marimo was due to photosynthesis, the scientists treated them with DCMU, a chemical that prevents cells from carrying out photosynthesis. The DCMU-treated marimo were exposed to light continuously for 48 hours. No bubbles were observed on the surface of the treated marimo and they did not float.
Based on these results, scientists can conclude that
Adirondack Logging Results
A forested area in the Adirondacks was heavily logged in the early 1900s. The logging ended in 1915, leaving empty fields of grasses and some shrubs. Over the next 80 years, until 1995, the abundance of different plant species was recorded periodically to show the changes that occurred in the area. A graph representing these changes is shown below.
Which inference is reasonable, based on the data in the graph?
Lemurs of Madagascar
Lemurs are primates found only on the island of Madagascar, which is located about 250miles off the coast of Africa. The ancestral species of lemurs arrived 40-50 million years ago(mya), long after Madagascar became an island. This concept is illustrated in the diagram below.
Since the arrival of the single ancestral species on Madagascar, there are now over 100 species of lemurs. Which statement is a likely explanation for the current diversity of lemurs?
Lemurs of Madagascar
Lemurs are primates found only on the island of Madagascar, which is located about 250miles off the coast of Africa. The ancestral species of lemurs arrived 40-50 million years ago(mya), long after Madagascar became an island. This concept is illustrated in the diagram below.
Which is an example of physical evidence that could be used to support a possible evolutionary relationship among lemur species?
Drastic environmental changes are occurring on an island. Which graph below best represents the variation in finch beak sizes that would most likely provide the greatest chance for survival?
The chart below compares some of the characteristics of four different plant species.
According to the information provided in the chart, which two plant species appear to be the most closely related?
A recent newspaper headline read, “Expert Warns About Effect of Rock Salt on Plants”. The de-icing chemical, rock salt, has been used on highways for years. The concern expressed by the expert is most likely that
Some runners prepare for a race by completing a variety of warmups. These exercises are beneficial because they