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2023 (Jan.): NY Regents - Living Environment

By Sara Cowley
Last updated about 2 months ago
85 Questions
Note from the author:
From the New York State Education Department. The University of the State of New York REGENTS HIGH SCHOOL EXAMINATION LIVING ENVIRONMENT. Internet. Available from https://www.nysedregents.org/LivingEnvironment/123/lenv12023-exam.pdf; accessed 23, June, 2023.
From the New York State Education Department. The University of the State of New York REGENTS HIGH SCHOOL EXAMINATION LIVING ENVIRONMENT. Internet. Available from https://www.nysedregents.org/LivingEnvironment/123/lenv12023-exam.pdf; accessed 23, June, 2023.
1.

The removal of mitochondria from a typical animal cell would have an immediate effect on the cell’s production of

2.

Which factor would be an abiotic limiting factor for fish living in a lake in New York State?

3.

A native species is competing for resources with a nonnative species that was accidentally introduced into the area. The nonnative species is more likely to survive than the native species when

4.

Evidence suggests that a large meteorite hit Earth 65 million years ago, causing a layer of dust to block the Sun, cooling the planet. It is estimated that 70% of all plant and animal species, including the dinosaurs, died off as a result. The best explanation for the deaths of these organisms is that

5.

DNA is formed using four kinds of base subunits. In a double-stranded segment of DNA, the percentage of the base C is 18%. What is the approximate percentage of base T?

6.

Students were studying the different species of organisms in two different pond ecosystems. Their findings are summarized in the chart below.

Based on the information in the chart, how does the biodiversity present in pond A compare to the biodiversity present in pond B?

7.

When a person receives a transplanted organ, many medications are necessary to keep the organ from being rejected. The process of organ rejection is similar to the one involved in

8.

Hydrilla, a plant native to Central Africa, was widely used in home aquaria. Hydrilla was often dumped with aquarium water into drains, sewers, or ponds. It then thrived and has become an invasive species, disrupting aquatic ecosystems from Florida through the northeast United States. Removing Hydrilla from these ecosystems will most likely require either physically removing it or adding chemicals to the affected waters to kill it.

The result of the introduction of Hydrilla into native ecosystems in the United States has shown that

9.

One result of the ability of organisms to detect and appropriately respond to stimuli is

10.

The tube-lipped nectar bat, found in Madidi National Park in Ecuador, has the longest tongue in relation to its size of any mammal. Its 8.5 cm tongue can reach into the deepest flowers.

It is likely that the population of these bats with exceptionally long tongues will increase in the Madidi National Park ecosystem if

11.

Some organisms have variations. Two sources of these variations are

12.

In order to prepare for a future outbreak of Ebola, a harmful virus, two vaccines were tested. In order for either of these vaccines to be effective, they must

13.

The population of reindeer has been decreasing over the last 20 years in the Arctic because climate change has led to more rainfall there. The rain freezes on top of the snow, preventing the reindeer from getting through the snow to find food. Which action by humans has most likely contributed to climate change?

14.

Which statement about the functioning of the human reproductive system is correct?

15.

A Christmas tree farmer cuts down a native forest to plant Frasier fir trees. Compared to the original forest, the newly planted Christmas tree farm will most likely be

16.

A major environmental concern in urban areas is pollution produced by automobiles. Fluids, such as oil and gasoline, may leak out of vehicles and end up in lakes, streams, and rivers. One reason why scientists are concerned about this type of pollution is that

17.

When a plant is in a hot and dry environment, the guard cells may close the stomate openings in the leaves. This action will directly

18.

Destruction of ocean habitats by pollution today means that the organisms living there may not survive in the future. By polluting the oceans, humans are

19.

Each of the cells present in a woman contains a complete set of chromosomes. The only exceptions are her

20.

The diagram below represents two processes that occur in some living organisms.

X most likely represents

21.

Which row in the chart below contains the correct sequence of events involved in the formation of a human embryo?

22.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is the bacterium responsible for most ulcers and many cases of stomach inflammation. An antibiotic has been found to kill these bacteria. It works because H. pylori makes a particular enzyme that happens to react with the antibiotic and makes it poisonous to the bacterium. The sequences in the diagram below show the effects of antibiotic treatment on two strains of H. pylori, one of which does not produce the enzyme.

The overall series of events best illustrates the process of

23.

The illustrations below are of an organism called Archeopteryx, which lived approximately 150 million years ago. Archeopteryx had teeth and claws like a dinosaur and wings with feathers like a bird.


Such fossils allow scientists to conclude that

24.

Infestation with bedbugs is a serious health problem, and scientists seeking to control bedbug reproduction are constantly researching new options. It has now been shown that freezing any articles of clothing or bedding containing bedbugs at a temperature below -15°C for 3.5 days will kill all of the bedbugs and their eggs.

Using the technique of freezing is preferable to using chemical insecticides because a major disadvantage of using chemical pesticides is that they

25.

Human society has become increasingly dependent on industry and technology. While this has had many benefits, it also has had the disadvantage of

26.

Within a specific kind of tissue, there are different types of cells. In bone tissue, there are four different cell types, as shown below.
Since the four types of cells contain the same genetic instructions, how is it possible for them to have different shapes and carry out different functions?

27.

The series of fossil snail shells below represents 10 samples that were collected from deposits laid down from 10 million years ago to 3 million years ago. The shells are arranged in order by age. The shells shown represent how they looked at various times over a 7-million-year period.

It would be most accurate to conclude that the snails of this species

28.

When a person is threatened, the pituitary gland releases a hormone that stimulates the adrenal glands to release stress hormones. These stress hormones can cause a temporary increase in heart rate. This is an example of

29.

A plant commonly referred to as “Mother of Thousands” has lost its ability to produce seeds. In order to reproduce, the edges of the plant’s leaves asexually develop miniature plants that drop off and grow into mature plants.

The cells of the offspring would have

30.

The diagram below represents part of a biological process that begins with a chromosome containing a specific human gene being removed from a human cell.

The overall process is important because it

Base your answers to questions 31 and 32 on the information and graph at the left and on your knowledge of biology.

The graph at the left shows changes in dissolved oxygen in a pond in the summertime over a 24-hour period.
31.

What is the most likely reason for the variation in the dissolved oxygen levels in the pond over the 24-hour period?

32.

A large population of fish was introduced into the pond. During which part of the day would these fish affect the dissolved oxygen level in the pond?

33.

An enzyme that rapidly breaks down a protein molecule in the stomach may break down that same protein much more slowly in the small intestine or mouth because

34.

A graph of population changes of two animal species over time is shown below.

Using the information on the graph, what is the most likely relationship between these two populations?

35.

Base your answer to question 35 on the information and diagram below and on your knowledge of biology. The diagram represents the energy relationships in a forest ecosystem.

The best explanation for the decrease in the amount of energy available as one moves up the pyramid is that

36.

Researchers have shown that environmental factors, such as exposure to toxins, can bring about epigenetic effects. This research suggests that an organism’s traits

37.

Based on the diagram, an explanation for why these identical twins are not identical in all traits is that

Base your answers to questions 38 and 39 on the passage below and on your knowledge of biology.

Copy Cat
In February 2002, Cc — the first-ever cloned cat — was introduced to the public by researchers at Texas A&M University. The kitten had been born December 22, 2001, but announcement of the successful cloning was delayed until the animal had completed its shot series and its immune system was fully developed. In the cloning process, DNA [the nucleus] was transplanted from the 2-year-old donor mother cat into an egg cell whose nucleus had been removed. This embryo then was implanted into the surrogate mother cat. …

Source: Discover Science Almanac. 2003:452-453. Editors of Discover Science Magazine. Stonesong Press: New York, NY.
38.

Which statement represents an explanation for why it is necessary to remove the nucleus from the egg cell used during the cloning process?

39.

If a donor cat was black and the surrogate mother was white, then the cloned cat would likely be

40.

Bacteria reproduce asexually by a process known as binary fission. In binary fission, the bacterium’s single chromosome is copied and the cell splits in half, with each new cell receiving a copy of the chromosome. The biggest advantage that binary fission often has over sexual reproduction is that

41.

For years, scientists believed that flight evolved when ancestral birds climbed trees and then glided back to the ground. Recent fossil evidence suggests that flight may have evolved from the ground up, as early birds used to jump off the ground as a way to avoid predators. These discoveries suggest that

42.

Colombia is a country in South America that grows and exports a large portion of the coffee that is used by Americans. A group of scientists in Colombia conducted an experiment on the effects of coffee on the development of Alzheimer’s disease in elderly people. Their conclusion was that drinking coffee every day will decrease the occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease, and they recommended that Americans drink coffee several times a day. In order to evaluate this conclusion and before they encourage Americans to drink more coffee, scientists in the United States should

43.

The graphs below display the percent of monitoring stations where three different amphibian species were seen. The data were collected between 1995 to 2007 in the wetlands surrounding the Great Lakes.

Which claim is best supported by the data represented in the graphs?

44.

In the Show Your Work space:

a) Plot the data for green turtles on the grid, connect the points, and surround each point with a small circle.


b) Plot the data for loggerhead turtles on the grid, connect the points, and surround each point with a small triangle.

45.

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46.

Based on the information and data provided, identify which turtle population is having the most success in rebuilding their numbers. Support your answer.


47.

A trade-off was made by the local population that has increased the number of turtles in the area. Which statement best describes the trade-off?

48.

Explain one likely reason for the population-size changes, as indicated by the graph, between years 5 and 10.


49.

One factor that could result in an increase in the population size after year 10 would be

50.

What is the most favorable temperature for the growth of the yellow perch population?

51.
Several industries use water from a lake to cool their machinery. When this water is returned to the lake, it has been warmed by several degrees. Select one of the fish species and describe one way that a temperature increase from 20°C to 25°C could affect the growth rate of that species.

Fish species: _______
Description: _______
52.

The male peacock, illustrated below, attracts females (peahens) by fanning out his very long tail feathers in an elaborate display. However, the large fan of colorful feathers makes the males more noticeable to predators and makes it difficult for them to escape.

Explain why male peacocks continue to have large tail feathers, even though having the feathers may make them more likely to be killed by predators.


Base your answers to questions 53 through 55 on the information below and on your knowledge of biology.

Proteins are an important part of any diet. Many kinds of food can provide the proteins that we need.
53.

State what must happen to protein molecules in food before cells can use them.

54.
Identify the structure in a cell where proteins are synthesized: _______
55.

Identify which characteristic of a protein molecule allows it to perform a specific function.

Base your answer to question 56–58 on the information below and on your knowledge of biology.

Ecological succession and evolution are both processes that involve changes over time. However, these two processes are very different.
56.

Explain how ecological succession differs from evolution. In your answer, be sure to:

• describe the specific kinds of changes that occur when ecological succession takes place
• describe one way that a population of red foxes could be affected as a result of ecological succession in its habitat
• describe one way that a population of red foxes could be changed as a result of evolution


57.

[This question intentionally left blank to align with Regents numbering sequence]

58.

[This question intentionally left blank to align with Regents numbering sequence]

Base your answers to questions 59 through 61 on the information below and on your knowledge of biology.

Nose Antibiotics

Scientists have found what they think could be an important weapon in the fight against superbugs, and it lives in your nose. A new antibiotic made by nose-dwelling bacteria, Staphylococcus lugdunensis (S. lugdunensis) has been found to kill drug-resistant MRSA, Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), which kills up to 10,000 people a year in the United States. As a result of swabbing noses, scientists discovered that MRSA and S. lugdunensis are rarely found together. This discovery supports the idea that S. lugdunensis helps in fighting off MRSA. This bacterium produces an antibiotic, called lugdunin, which prevents MRSA from growing in Petri dishes. When applied to the skin of mice infected with MRSA, it reduced or eliminated the infection. MRSA shows no sign of antibiotic resistance to lugdunin. Although S. lugdunensis is effective in treating MRSA infections, it carries its own risk of causing infections in the heart, joints, skin, and eyes.
Normally, antibiotics are formed by soil bacteria and fungi. The idea that human bacteria may be a source of antimicrobial agents is a new discovery. A new class of antibiotics like this has not been found since the 1980s.
59.

State one concern that doctors might have about using S. lugdunensis to treat MRSA.

60.

State one way that the antibiotic formed by S. lugdunensis is different from most other antibiotics.

61.

Describe one observation made by scientists that led them to think that lugdunin would be effective against MRSA.

Base your answers to questions 62 and 63 on the information below and on your knowledge of biology.

Lysosomes–Not Just Garbage Disposals

Lysosomes are cellular organelles that have the ability to break down large organic compounds or old, worn-out cell organelles. Some of the products that are produced as a result of this breakdown process can be reused as building blocks, while other products are released as wastes from the cell.
Recently, studies have shown that lysosomes are more than just garbage disposals. New research has shown that lysosomes have the ability to sense how well-nourished a cell is. If lysosomes detect that there is a lack of nutrients for energy, the organelle prompts the cell to produce more enzymes. These enzymes can break down fat reserves and other cellular materials that could be used as a source of energy. On the other hand, if the cell has an abundance of nutrients, signals are sent from the lysosome that prompt the cell to grow or divide, making more cells.
62.
Identify one life function that lysosomes help the cell carry out, and describe how they help the cell perform this function.

Life function: _______
Description: _______
63.
Identify one additional cell structure and describe how the structure that you have selected interacts with the lysosome to carry out a specific cell function.

Cell structure: _______
Description: _______
Base your answers to questions 64 and 65 on the information below and on your knowledge of biology.

HVTN 702 – A New Vaccine

In November 2016, a new vaccine against HIV was tested in South Africa in a study identified as HVTN 702.
The vaccine has been developed to protect against the HVTN 702 strain that is most common in southern Africa. It is hoped that the new vaccine will provide greater and more long-lasting protection.
64.

Explain why most people who are infected with HIV generally do not die from the virus itself, but instead from infections caused by other viruses or bacteria.

65.

Describe what a vaccine, such as the one used in the HVTN 702 trial, might contain that would help to prevent an HIV infection in an individual.

Base your answers to questions 66 through 68 on the passage below and on your knowledge of biology.

Frostbite

Frostbite occurs when tissues freeze. This condition happens when you are exposed to temperatures below the freezing point of skin.
…In conditions of prolonged cold exposure, your body sends signals to the blood vessels in your arms and legs telling them to constrict (narrow). By slowing blood fl ow to the skin, your body is able to send more blood to the vital organs, supplying them with critical nutrients, while also preventing a further decrease in internal body temperature by exposing less blood to the outside cold.
As this process continues and your extremities (the parts farthest from your heart) become colder and colder, a condition called the hunting response is initiated. Your blood vessels are dilated (widened) for a period of time and then constricted again. Periods of dilation are cycled with times of constriction in order to preserve as much function in your extremities as possible. However, when your brain senses that you are in danger of hypothermia (when your body temperature drops significantly below 98.6°F), it permanently constricts these blood vessels in order to prevent them from returning cold blood to the internal organs. When this happens, frostbite has begun. …

Source: http://webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/frostbite#1
66.
Identify one substance that the blood transports to organs and tissues of the body and explain why this substance is necessary for organs and tissues to continue to function.

Substance: _______
Why necessary: _______
67.

Describe how the hunting response helps to preserve functioning of the muscle tissue in your extremities, such as your fingers.

68.

Describe one possible long-term result of frostbite and explain why this can happen.

69.

Describe one role of the sea urchin population in the kelp forest ecosystem. Support your answer with information from the food web.

70.

Describe one way a decrease in the number of sea urchins would affect the population of large fish. Support your answer with information from the food web.

71.

Another team of students predicted that, if they removed all of the sea stars, the ecosystem might remain stable. Explain why removing sea stars might seem like a good way to make up for the overharvesting of the sea urchins.


72.

Explain why removing the sea stars could result in the loss of the entire kelp ecosystem.


73.

Is the student’s conclusion valid?

74.

A student was jumping rope and noticed that her heart was beating faster. The student’s heart rate probably increased as a result of

75.

The species that has the band containing the smallest DNA fragment for the sample that was sequenced is

76.

The fragments of DNA separated into these bands because of their

77.

Based on these banding patterns, label the branching tree diagram in the Show Your Work space using the letters A, B, C, and D to represent their possible evolutionary relationships.

78.
What is the total number of students who participated in this data collection?
_______
79.

State one conclusion that can be drawn about heart rates from the data.

80.

Explain why the liquid level on the left side changed over the 20-minute period.


81.

If a 1% salt solution were substituted for the starch solution in this setup, the results would be

82.

During the Making Connections lab, several pulse readings are taken and averaged in order to

83.

A student using a clothespin “beak” during the Beaks of Finches lab obtained the results shown below.
Over the course of the four trials, an average of at least 13 seeds must be “eaten” in order to go to the next round. Will the student go on? Support your answer.


84.

The cactus finch and the sharp-billed ground finch both eat plants. Explain why these two finches may not be in competition for the same food.


85.

The small tree finch and the small ground finch occupy different niches. State one reason, other than food, why these finches might have different niches.