Content accessed from https://tea.texas.gov/student-assessment/testing/staar/staar-released-test-questions
Copyright information provided below.
All content on this site is copyrighted by the Texas Education Agency and cannot be used without the express written permission of TEA, except under the following conditions:
Texas public school districts, charter schools, and education service centers can copy materials for district and school educational use.
Residents of the state of Texas can copy materials for personal use.
Do not alter or make partial copies of web content. Do not charge for the reproduced materials or any document containing them except to cover the cost of reproduction and distribution.
If you are in Texas but are not an employee of a Texas public school district or charter school, you must get written approval from TEA to copy materials and enter into a license agreement that may involve paying a licensing fee or a royalty fee.
For more information, email Copyrights@tea.texas.gov.
1
1.
When the skin comes in contact with an irritant, receptors in the skin send signals to the spinal cord. The signal is then sent to the brain for processing, and the individual begins to scratch the affected area. Which two systems are most likely interacting when a person experiences itching caused by a skin irritant?
B.C.10A
B.C.3A
1
2.
During the cell cycle, proteins called cyclins bind to enzymes that send signals for the cell to progress through stages of cell replication. At the end of this cycle, the cyclins degrade to prevent further signaling for the cell to divide. Uncontrolled production of cyclins will most likely result in —
B.C.5C
1
3.
An illustration of how a particular DNA mutation will most likely affect the polypeptide produced is shown.
What type of mutation is illustrated?
B.C.6E
B.C.2G
1
4.
Farmers spray pesticides on their plants to protect the plants from being eaten by insects. Some individual insects have a genetic mutation that makes them resistant to the toxins in the pesticides. Which statement best describes how only a few resistant individuals resulted in the pesticide becoming ineffective?
B.C.7C
1
5.
The defenses of two flightless birds that live in different habitats are shown.
How do the wings of the Gentoo penguin and the legs of the common ostrich provide an advantage in their habitat?
B.C.12B
B.C.2G
1
6.
Which property is shared by the cells of all living things?
B.C.6B
1
7.
The flow of energy in a grassland ecosystem is shown.
Based on the diagram, which two populations best represent trophic levels that receive the LEAST amount of the total energy provided to the ecosystem by the grass?
B.C.12C
B.C.2G
1
8.
The life cycle of a frog is illustrated in the diagram.
Which statement best explains how the cell cycle is important to the life cycle of the frog?
B.C.5A
Which graphic organizer best compares the energy inputs and outputs of cellular respiration and photosynthesis?
1
9.
Which graphic organizer best compares the energy inputs and outputs of cellular respiration and photosynthesis?
B.C.9B
B.C.2H
1
10.
Overfishing is causing the decline of fish populations, such as Eastern Atlantic bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean. Eastern Atlantic bluefin tuna are caught faster than they can reproduce.
Which statement describes the most likely effect that overfishing will have on this ecosystem?
B.C.12E
1
11.
A segment of DNA is shown in the diagram.
Which of these identifies the part of the DNA segment labeled X?
B.C.6A
1
12.
Which statements best compare the function of an ATP molecule to a DNA molecule?
B.C.9A
1
13.
A cladogram of five species is shown.
Based on the cladogram, the ancestral species most likely had —
B.C.7A
B.C.2H
Students created note cards comparing characteristics of eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. Which set of note cards most accurately compares these cells?
1
14.
Which set of note cards most accurately compares these cells?
B.C.4A
B.C.2H
1
15.
The Mexican long-nosed bat roosts in Big Bend National Park in West Texas. The bat feeds on nectar and pollen and hovers while it feeds. Additionally, its tongue can extend up to eight centimeters. The features of Mexican long-nosed bats are evidence of natural selection because the features are adaptations that —
B.C.7E
B.C.3A
1
16.
Which statement describes the process of osmosis in an animal cell?
B.C.4B
1
17.
Sand dunes along the coast are formed of bare sand. Eventually, grasses take root on the dunes. Over time, larger plants such as shrubs and trees are able to grow at the edge of the sand dune ecosystem. This gradual change in plant communities of a sand dune ecosystem can result in —
B.C.11B
1
18.
A researcher determines an organism to be eukaryotic, unicellular, and autotrophic. In which taxonomic group should this organism be classified?
B.C.8C
B.C.2G
1
19.
For an enzyme to be able to catalyze a reaction, the active site must —
B.C.9C
1
20.
Snowshoe hares can be found living in the Rocky Mountains of New Mexico. During the summer months, when there is no snow on the ground, the snowshoe hare’s coat color is typically brown. During the winter months, when the mountains are covered in snow, the snowshoe hare’s coat is typically white. Which statement describes the genetic basis for the seasonal changes in coat color?
B.C.6D
B.C.3A
In an experiment, two plants are grown together for a time and then separated. Plant 2 is a parasite of Plant 1. Which graph best predicts the growth of Plant 1 and Plant 2 during the experiment?
1
21.
Which graph best predicts the growth of Plant 1 and Plant 2 during the experiment?
B.C.12A
B.C.2G
1
22.
When multiple transitional fossils are found in many rock layers, they provide evidence of —
B.C.7B
B.C.3A
1
23.
Environmental factors typically activate genes in a cell by causing the cell to —
B.C.5B
1
24.
A flower that has both male and female reproductive structures is shown.
Which statement best describes an interaction that will allow a flowering plant to reproduce by self-pollination?
B.C.10B
B.C.2H
1
25.
A genetic cross involving two unlinked genes is represented.
AaGG x aaGg
Which genotype is NOT possible in the offspring produced by the cross?
B.C.6F
B.C.2H
1
26.
Breaking down food for nutrients involves many body systems. A student made a partial list of the processes that occur.
Which body systems interact most directly in the three listed processes?
B.C.10A
1
27.
A partial DNA segment and an mRNA codon chart are shown.
What amino acid sequence is encoded in the partial DNA segment?
B.C.6C
B.C.2G
1
28.
A farmer is struggling to control the population of a certain insect on his farm. After researching population control techniques, he discovers that a particular bird is a predator of this insect. The farmer purchases a number of these birds and releases them onto his farm. How might the farmer’s action most likely have a negative impact on the ecosystem?
B.C.12E
1
29.
Students examine images of a certain species of bat commonly found in Texas. Using the bat dichotomous key, they conclude that the bat species is a Mexican free-tailed bat due to its large, round ears.
Based on the dichotomous key, in addition to the shape of the bat’s ears, which other set of features should the students look for to confirm the identity of the bat?
B.C.8B
B.C.2H
1
30.
Materials are provided to students to build models of a prokaryotic cell, a eukaryotic cell, and a virus. The materials and the structures they represent are listed in the table shown.
Which material will students use in all three models?
B.C.4C
B.C.3E
1
31.
A student makes a Venn diagram to compare the functions of carbohydrates and lipids.
Which cellular function of carbohydrates and lipids should be placed in the shared section of the Venn diagram?
B.C.9A
B.C.2H
1
32.
Which statement is an example of how carbon moves through a food chain as part of the carbon cycle?
B.C.12D
Which table correctly identifies how the plasma membrane contributes to the maintenance of cellular homeostasis?
1
33.
Which table correctly identifies how the plasma membrane contributes to the maintenance of cellular homeostasis?
B.C.4B
B.C.2H
1
34.
In Texas Longhorn cattle, coat coloration is an inherited trait. What is the genetic basis of coat-color variation in Texas Longhorn cattle?
B.C.6A
1
35.
The taxonomic classifications of four species of amphibians are shown.
Based on the information provided, which two species are most closely related?
B.C.8B
B.C.2G
1
36.
Students construct a graphic organizer to illustrate the different levels of biological organization.
Which term does the letter X represent in the graphic organizer?
B.C.10C
B.C.2H
1
37.
When a new mutation occurs in a somatic cell of a sexually reproducing organism, what percentage of the individual’s offspring are likely to inherit the mutation?
B.C.6E
Researchers have observed striped hyenas and gray wolves hunting together in certain areas. One hypothesis suggests that changing hunting behavior aids both species in obtaining better and more resources. In this hypothesis the hyenas benefit because the wolves chase and take down large animals, such as goats, that the hyenas usually cannot catch alone. The wolves benefit from hyenas using their jaw strength to crack open large bones of prey to access additional nutrients from bone marrow. Which table best identifies the ecological relationships among the gray wolf, hyena, and goats?
1
38.
Which table best identifies the ecological relationships among the gray wolf, hyena, and goats?
B.C.12A
1
39.
The diagram shows the major stages of the cell cycle and the percentage of time spent in each phase.
Which statement best describes why a cell spends the majority of its time in interphase?
B.C.5A
B.C.2H
1
40.
The giant octopus lays 20,000 to 100,000 fertilized eggs. After hatching, most octopuses become prey to larger marine organisms, and less than 5% will reach adulthood to reproduce. One benefit of the giant octopus laying many eggs is to —
B.C.7D
Some angelfish colors are determined by codominance. Possible phenotypes and genotypes of angelfish colors are shown.
Which table shows the expected phenotypes of offspring resulting from a cross between a black angelfish and a black-lace angelfish?
1
41.
Which table shows the expected phenotypes of offspring resulting from a cross between a black angelfish and a black-lace angelfish?
B.C.6F
B.C.2G
1
42.
A food web representing a Gulf Coast ecosystem is shown.
Based on this food web, which organism occupies multiple trophic levels?
B.C.12C
B.C.2G
1
43.
A diagram of an HIV infection is shown.
Which conclusion about the HIV infection of a host cell is best supported by the diagram?
B.C.4C
B.C.2H
1
44.
Researchers analyzed a mitochondrial gene of different bat species to determine relatedness. A cladogram of their results is shown.
Based on the cladogram, which set of bat species is the least related?
B.C.7A
B.C.2H
1
45.
Which statement best describes how bacteria recycle matter in an ecosystem?
B.C.11A
1
46.
Students set up a controlled experiment by growing the same type of seedlings in two different locations. After a period of time, the students observed the seedlings and recorded their observations in the table shown.
What caused the shoots of the seedlings on the windowsill to bend toward the window?
B.C.10B
B.C.2E
1
47.
An illness caused by a certain virus includes fever, rash, joint pain, red eyes, and headache. The virus is transmitted to people by infected mosquitoes. Symptoms quickly occur within three to twelve days after contracting the virus. There is no vaccine for this virus. Which description best explains the reproductive cycle of this virus?
B.C.4C
1
48.
A cellular process is shown.
Which statement best describes the significance of this process?
B.C.6G
1
49.
Which statement best describes an interaction between the muscular system and the respiratory system?
B.C.10A
1
50.
Two scientists want to compare their research of fireflies. Which information must the two scientists provide to each other to determine if they studied the same type of fireflies?
