2026 (Jan.): NY Regents - Life Science: Biology

A fertilized egg cell divides into muscle and bone cells with different DNA.

An egg cell and a sperm cell can each change into muscle or bone cells in the developing fetus.

A cell in a developing fetus can divide into muscle and bone cells with the same DNA, but the cells have different shapes and functions.

A developing fetus has some muscle and bone cells from its mother and some from its father.

Use splicing enzymes to remove the methyl groups on the amino acid sequence of the gene that causes diabetes.

Develop and use medications that would remove methyl groups to allow normal gene expression.

Develop medications that are able to add methyl groups to other regions of the DNA of twin C.

Using splicing enzymes to add methyl groups to twin C’s proteins to prevent diabetes.

Do the new Hydrilla offspring have traits identical to the original because they received half of their DNA from each of their parent plants?

Do the offspring have traits identical to the original population because the DNA in the new Hydrilla population is the same as the DNA in the broken pieces of the parent plant?

Do the plants in the new population of Hydrilla have different traits from the parent plants because they have different amounts of DNA from each other?

Do the gametes produced by Hydrilla have the same DNA as the leaf cells of the plant, resulting in identical physical traits in the offspring?

Hydrilla can produce more branches in five weeks than native pondweed, resulting in more oxygen being produced by cellular respiration. This causes a decrease in the number of other organisms found in the ecosystem.

Hydrilla can double its new growth every week, which uses excessive amounts of nitrogen from the environment for lipid production. This results in fewer organisms being able to survive.

Hydrilla form longer branches than native pondweed, which absorb sunlight at a faster rate. This reduces a needed resource and decreases biodiversity.

Hydrilla produce roughly 15 times the number of branches than that of native pondweed. This allows them to consume other plant species faster and decreases biodiversity.

recruiting volunteers to remove pondweed out of a local waterway before fishing season

applying herbicides to waterways where Hydrilla are located at the start of boating season

applying chemicals that coat the surface of water, blocking light in ponds

requiring boats to be inspected for Hydrilla before entering a waterway

When both pike and phytoplankton populations increase in number, the ecosystem remains stable, indicating that all the organisms survive.

As either pike or phytoplankton decrease in number, the stability of the ecosystem is greatly reduced.

A significant increase in zooplankton population will cause a top-down ecosystem to become unstable but have no effect on bottom-up ecosystems.

In a top-down cascade, zooplankton help maintain ecosystem stability, while carp help maintain ecosystem stability in a bottom-up cascade.

The phytoplankton return carbon to the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide by photosynthesis, and that carbon can be consumed by other organisms.

The atmosphere absorbs carbon as part of the products excreted by phytoplankton, and that carbon can be used by other animals.

The phytoplankton return carbon to the geosphere in the form of carbon dioxide by decomposing, and that carbon can be consumed by other organisms.

The hydrosphere provides carbon dioxide to the phytoplankton, which allows phytoplankton to provide nutrients to other animals.

The GPS information showed that larger elk herds had identical survival rates to elk traveling alone.

The GPS information indicated that elk herds began to graze in different regions of the park where the number of wolves was lower.

The GPS information indicated that the change in the grazing pattern of elk herds increased the chances that some elk would be safe while most of the population would be preyed upon.

The GPS information indicated that as wolves moved into areas where elk herds feed, the elk herds remained in the same areas.

Proteins within the DNA of cat cells store the code for specific amino acids that are required to produce Fel d 1.

DNA within cat cells codes for a specific sequence of amino acids resulting in the production of Fel d 1 in some cells.

The specific amino acid sequence present in cat cells produces the necessary DNA to synthesize Fel d 1 in some cells.

DNA needed by cat cells is stored within the nucleus and released when Fel d 1 production is required.

The antibodies in the food acted as a genetic factor by preventing the cells of the salivary glands in the cat from producing as much $Fel\ d\ 1$.

The antibodies in the food acted as an environmental factor by preventing the cells of the salivary glands in the cat from producing as much $Fel\ d\ 1$.

The antibodies in the food acted as a genetic factor by binding to much of the $Fel\ d\ 1$ produced by the cats.

The antibodies in the food acted as an environmental factor by binding to much of the $Fel\ d\ 1$ produced by the cats.

All cells within the bodies of the kittens will contain the genetic change, so it can be passed on to future offspring.

Only the skin and salivary gland cells of the kittens will inherit the genetic change, so it can not be passed on to future offspring.

Half of the kitten’s cells will contain the edited genes, so it will have a 50% chance of passing the new gene on to future offspring.

Only the reproductive cells will contain the genetic change from the edited DNA, so the trait will be passed on to future offspring.

The proportion of the population that was resistant to butane-fipronil decreased over time because moths with resistance are less likely to survive and reproduce.

The proportion of the population that was resistant to butane-fipronil increased over time because moths without resistance are more likely to survive and reproduce.

The proportion of the population that was resistant to butane-fipronil increased over time because moths with resistance are more likely to survive and reproduce.

Total resistance in the moth population does not change, but the proportion of resistant moths increases because the offspring are more likely to survive and reproduce.

Does pesticide resistance in larvae result from a body cell mutation?

Do larval forms with pesticide resistance have DNA that is identical to the adult form?

Do the parents have a gene that provides pesticide resistance within their gametes?

Do all of the offspring inherit identical DNA from both parents?

Group 1 larvae most likely have the trait for resistance to Bt toxins because the mortality is higher.

Group 2 larvae most likely have the trait for resistance to Bt toxins because the mortality is lower.

Group 1 larvae most likely have the trait for resistance to chemical pesticides because the mortality is lower.

Group 2 larvae most likely have the trait for resistance to chemical pesticides because the mortality is higher.

$C_{6}H_{12}O_{6}$ (Glucose) + 6 $O_{2}$ (Oxygen) → 6 $CO_{2}$ (Carbon dioxide) + 6 $H_{2}O$ (Water) + ATP

6 $CO_{2}$ (Carbon dioxide) + ATP → $C_{6}H_{12}O_{6}$ (Glucose) + 6 $O_{2}$ (Oxygen) + 6 $H_{2}O$ (Water)

$C_{6}H_{12}O_{6}$ (Glucose) + 6 $O_{2}$ (Oxygen) + ATP → 6 $CO_{2}$ (Carbon dioxide) + 6 $H_{2}O$ (Water)

6 $H_{2}O$ (Water) + 6 $O_{2}$ (Oxygen) → $C_{6}H_{12}O_{6}$ (Glucose) + 6 $CO_{2}$ (Carbon dioxide) + ATP

If the instructions that code for Cys change, then a different amino acid might be included in the amino acid chain, decreasing the ability to form a disulfide bridge, which will change the structure of insulin.

If the instructions that code for Tyr change, then a different amino acid might be included in the amino acid chain, decreasing the ability to form a disulfide bridge, which will change the structure of insulin.

If the instructions that code for a different amino acid changed to code for Cys, the location of the disulfide bridge would change, decreasing the ability to form a disulfide bridge, which will maintain the structure of insulin.

If the instructions that code for a different amino acid changed to code for Tyr, the location of the disulfide bridge would change, increasing the ability to form a disulfide bridge, which will maintain the structure of insulin.

Being able to communicate through the waggle dance allows bees to find other hives and share resources with them.

Being able to communicate through the waggle dance allows bees in the hive to better avoid predators.

Being able to communicate through the waggle dance allows bees in the hive to gather resources more efficiently.

Being able to communicate through the waggle dance allows bees in the hive to recognize which plants are food sources.

This treatment would be effective because the number of living mites continues to decrease for several weeks after oxalic acid exposure.

This treatment would not be effective because an individual Varroa mite would become resistant to oxalic acid if they are treated frequently.

This treatment would not be effective because Varroa mites that have a natural resistance to oxalic acid would survive and reproduce.

This treatment would be effective because it gives the Varroa mites enough time to learn to avoid hives that contain oxalic acid.

Changes in mtDNA affected skull shape over generations.

The skulls of modern baboons are identical in groups A and C.

Changes in mtDNA originated from one location.

Longer facial fur resulted from nDNA changes in groups A and B.

The facial hair of $P.\ papio$ best protects it from desert sandstorms.

The jaw of $P.\ kindae$ makes it better suited for diverse environments.

The facial hair of $P.\ hamadryas$ allows it to blend in with the tall trees.

The jaw of $P.\ ursinus$ makes it better suited for a rainforest environment.

When average rainfall increases, increased grooming behavior decreases the probability of passing genes to offspring for the likelihood of participating in social grooming.

When average rainfall increases, increased grooming behavior increases the probability of passing genes to offspring for the likelihood of participating in social grooming.

When average rainfall decreases, increased grooming behavior decreases the probability of passing genes to offspring for likelihood of participating in social grooming.

When average rainfall decreases, increased grooming behavior increases the probability of passing genes to offspring for the likelihood of participating in social grooming.

The chemical energy in carbon dioxide is transformed into light energy for glucose and oxygen.

Light energy allows carbon dioxide to enter the leaf and allows glucose to exit.

Light energy is captured by the leaf and converted into stored energy within the chemical bonds of glucose.

The chemical energy in glucose is converted into light energy, stored in oxygen.

Carbon dioxide in the biosphere will move into the hydrosphere because the hydrosphere has a higher carbon dioxide concentration.

Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will move into the biosphere because the concentration of carbon dioxide is greater in the atmosphere.

Carbon dioxide from the hydrosphere will move into the biosphere because the concentration of carbon dioxide is greater in the biosphere.

Carbon dioxide from the biosphere will move into the atmosphere because the biosphere has a higher carbon dioxide concentration.

Pitcher plants that have sufficient nitrogen in their soil have less of a need to undergo photosynthesis, so they produce fewer pitchers.

The pitcher plants in higher-nitrogen soils have less of a need to consume insects, so they are able to use more of their leaves for photosynthesis.

The pitcher plants in high-nitrogen soils grow more fl at leaves because they need other elements from insects to combine with nitrogen.

Pitcher plants produce more fl at leaves so that they are better at obtaining nitrogen from the soil.

Are the pattern differences in the zebras the result of heritable variations in DNA between parents and their offspring?

Will the spotted coat pattern increase in frequency in the population because the trait is advantageous?

How does the amount of DNA in the spotted zebra’s skin cells compare with the amount in the skin cells of the parents?

Does the pattern in the offspring differ from the parents because it needs to blend in better with the environment?

1

2

3

4

The probability of finding zebras with varied coat patterns will be highest in Lake Mburo National Park because the population there is small and isolated.

The probability of finding zebras with varied coat patterns will be lowest in Lake Mburo National Park because the population there is small and isolated.

The probability of finding zebras with varied coat patterns will be highest in Etosha National Park because the population there is small and isolated.

The probability of finding zebras with varied coat patterns will be lowest in Etosha National Park because the population there is small and isolated.