Life Science: Biology — Midterm exam
Parent / teacher answer keyAn independent assessment of the core chapters listed below, followed by corrections and discussion.
12 questions · 28 points · suggested 60 minutes
Student instructions
- Suggested time: 60 minutes; allow breaks or accommodations and record them.
- Work independently with a calculator, blank paper and the reference relationships printed in this paper. Grades 9, 11 and 12 may also use the course-linked NYSED reference tables. Use no lesson notes or answer key during an assessed attempt.
- Show reasoning and units for written tasks. All supplied datasets are illustrative; do not present them as measurements you collected.
- Objective items: 1 point each. Written items: 3 points each, one per criterion. A parent or teacher marks the written work; the app never grades an explanation automatically.
- Sample exam: try the whole paper before opening the worked key, then revisit the linked chapters. The sample and final are different papers; this is a course assessment, not an official Regents examination.
Reference relationships
| Relationship or tool | Conditions |
|---|---|
| Cell geometry | Cube area=6L², volume=L³, area/volume=6/L. A geometry model simplifies actual shapes. |
| Genetic probabilities | Specify genotypes and the inheritance model. Each offspring is a probability event; ratios are not guaranteed small-family counts. |
| Population accounting | New population=old+births+immigration−deaths−emigration. |
| Energy transfer | Next-level production=available production×the supplied efficiency, not a universal fixed 10%. |
| Molecular pathways | Replication copies DNA; transcription makes RNA; translation makes polypeptide. Track matter and energy separately. |
Coverage and marks
| Chapter | Questions | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Investigating the Chemistry of Life | 1, 2, 3 | 7 |
| Cells, Membranes & Exchange | 4, 5, 6 | 7 |
| Body Systems, Signals & Homeostasis | 7, 8, 9 | 7 |
| Matter & Energy in Living Systems | 10, 11, 12 | 7 |
Name: ____________________ Date: ____________________
Question 1 · 1 point
Which type of bond forms when two atoms share a pair of electrons?
- Metallic bond
- Ionic bond
- Covalent bond
- Hydrogen bond
Question 2 · 3 points
Three independent reaction rates are 8, 10, and 9 units/min. How should you summarize them?
Question 3 · 3 points
Evaluate the evidence in this supplied classroom investigation: Investigate Enzyme Activity with Replicates. State a supported claim, cite two specific entries from the dataset, and identify one limitation plus an improvement.
Question 4 · 1 point
A microscope has a 10× eyepiece and a 40× objective lens. What is the total magnification?
Question 5 · 3 points
A bacterium that is truly 0.05 mm long appears 20 mm long through a microscope whose eyepiece magnifies 10×. What is the magnification of the objective lens in use?
Question 6 · 3 points
Evaluate the evidence in this supplied classroom investigation: Interpret Membrane Exchange Data. State a supported claim, cite two specific entries from the dataset, and identify one limitation plus an improvement.
Question 7 · 1 point
In a negative feedback loop, the response
- permanently raises the set point
- reverses the change and pushes the condition back toward its set point
- amplifies the change until a process finishes
- has no effect on the condition
Question 8 · 3 points
A cell needs glucose and oxygen for respiration. Trace their different entry routes.
Question 9 · 3 points
Evaluate the evidence in this supplied classroom investigation: Evaluate a Feedback Model. State a supported claim, cite two specific entries from the dataset, and identify one limitation plus an improvement.
Question 10 · 1 point
Under stated standard biochemical conditions, ATP hydrolysis releases 7.3 kcal/mol. Using that value, how much free energy is released by 5 mol?
Question 11 · 3 points
An ATP molecule undergoes hydrolysis to ADP and phosphate. Account for phosphates and energy.
Question 12 · 3 points
Evaluate the evidence in this supplied classroom investigation: Account for Carbon and Gas Exchange. State a supported claim, cite two specific entries from the dataset, and identify one limitation plus an improvement.