SAT II Biology M : SAT Subject Test in Biology

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SAT II Biology M

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Example Questions

Example Question #22 : Genetics

Which of the following conditions is not required to be true for a population in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium?

Possible Answers:

Random mating

Random mutations

No natural selection

No immigration or emmigration

Large population

Correct answer:

Random mutations

Explanation:

The Hardy-Weinberg principle asserts that allele frequencies in a population remain constant; for example, if 50% of people have blue eyes, then each successive generation will continue to have 50% of people with blue eyes as long as certain assumptions are met. The Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium assumes that within a population random mating occurs, no migration occurs, no mutations occur, no natural selection occurs, and the population is sufficiently large. If any of these assumptions are not met, the allele frequencies of the population will change, causing the population to evolve. For this question, all of the answer choices except "Random mutations" (remember there must be no mutations) are required assumptions for the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium to be in effect.

Example Question #23 : Genetics

A certain herd of horses contains black horses and brown horses. These horses are diploid organisms, and coat color is an autosomal trait. The gene for a brown coat (B) is completely dominant, while the gene for a black coat (b) is recessive. Assume that the population is in Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium.

If prevalence of the R allele in the herd of horses is 0.6, what is the prevalence of black horses in the herd?

Possible Answers:

0.36

0.4

0.18

0.16

0.8

Correct answer:

0.16

Explanation:

This is a Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium problem. The question stem gives you the prevalence of the dominant allele, 0.6. The prevalence of the dominant allele and the prevalence of the recessive allele must always add together to equal 1:

So, the prevalence of the recessive allele must be 0.4:

The prevalence of the recessive phenotype is equal to the prevalence of the recessive allele squared:

In this case, black coat color is a recessive trait, so the prevalence of this recessive phenotype is equal to the prevalence of the recessive allele squared, or 0.16.

Example Question #24 : Genetics

A given trait has two alleles. It is inherited in a completely autosomal dominance pattern in a diploid population. Which of the following is NOT true if this population is in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium? 

Possible Answers:

The frequency of the heterozygous genotype is equal to two times the frequency of the dominant allele times the frequency of the recessive allele.

The frequency of the recessive phenotype is equal to the frequency of the recessive allele squared.

The frequency of the dominant allele plus the frequency of the recessive allele must add up to 1.

The frequency of the dominant phenotype is equal to the frequency of the dominant allele squared.

Allele frequencies vary significantly from generation to generation.

Correct answer:

Allele frequencies vary significantly from generation to generation.

Explanation:

Let's say that the frequency of the dominant allele ("A") is represented by p, and the frequency of the recessive allele ("a") is represented by q. Since these are the only two alleles for the trait, their frequencies must add up to one:

The frequency of the AA genotype is , the frequency of the Aa genotype is , and the frequency of the aa genotype is .

Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium assumes the absence of external forces like genetic drift and selective pressure. In other words, it is based on the assumption that allele frequency is relatively constant across generations.

Example Question #1 : Systems Biology

Which of the following contribute to the upward movement of water through the xylem and throughout the plant's tissues?

I. Transpiration

II. Adhesion

III. Cohesion 

Possible Answers:

I, II, and III

I and III

I and II

III only

I only

Correct answer:

I, II, and III

Explanation:

All three given properties contribute to water's motion up the xylem of a plant, as transpiration brings up the water through evaporation due to heat and sunlight. However, as water is a polar molecule and has properties of cohesion and adhesion, molecules of water stick together and resist forces that would push the water out of the plant. This dynamic is referred to as the cohesion-tension theory.

Example Question #2 : Systems Biology

In plant vascular tissue, ____________ is primarily used to transport water from the roots to the other organs of the plant, and ___________ is primarily used to transport nutrients such as sucrose to the organs of the plant.

Possible Answers:

dermal tissue . . . phloem

xylem . . . phloem

xylem . . . ground tissue

phloem . . . xylem

ground tissue . . . dermal tissue

Correct answer:

xylem . . . phloem

Explanation:

The correct answer is "xylem . . . phloem." Water and nutrients move from the roots through plant stem to the rest of the plant. Stems are made from three tissues: ground, dermal, and vascular. Vascular tissue is primarily divided into xylem, which primarily transports water, and phloem, which primarily transports sugars.

Example Question #3 : Systems Biology

Which of the following glands is considered both part of the endocrine system and the nervous system?

Possible Answers:

Thalamus

Pituitary gland

Hypothalamus

Parathyroid gland

Thyroid gland

Correct answer:

Hypothalamus

Explanation:

The correct answer is hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is made of nervous tissue and is a part of all vertebrate brains, placing it as part of the nervous system. It also secretes a number of hormones that directly affect the pituitary gland, affecting a large number of bodily functions. In this way, the hypothalamus connects the nervous and endocrine systems and is part of both of them.

Example Question #1 : Stomach Cells And Enzymes

Lipase and trypsin are secreted by what digestive organ?

Possible Answers:

Stomach

Large intestine

Salivary glands

Pancreas

Small intestine

Correct answer:

Pancreas

Explanation:

Lipase and trypsin are enzymes secreted by the pancreas into the duodenum of the small intestine. These enzymes aid in the digestion of food. Salivary glands produce amylase in order to begin digestion in the mouth and the stomach aids in digestion primarily via stomach acid

Example Question #1 : Nervous System And Action Potentials

Which of the following neurotransmitters is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the human central nervous system?

Possible Answers:

Glutamate

Dopamine

Acetylcholine

GABA

Serotonin

Correct answer:

GABA

Explanation:

The correct answer is GABA. GABA is the primary inhibitor used to lower the activity of cells in the human central nervous system. Glutamate, serotonin, and dopamine usually increase the activity of cells, and acetylcholine can increase or decrease cell activity depending on what cell receptor is interacting with the acetylcholine.

Example Question #1 : Microbiology

An experiment was conducted in which motile bacteria were grown in petri dishes containing different concentrations of a collection of nutrients called yeast extract tryptone sea salts (YTSS). The bacterial growth of each dish was measured and the results are displayed in the given bar graph.

Graph

Which of the following is the most optimal concentration of YTSS for bacterial growth?

Possible Answers:

 YTSS

 YTSS

 YTSS

 YTSS

 YTSS

Correct answer:

 YTSS

Explanation:

This question examines your ability to read a graph correctly. The optimal concentration of YTSS for bacterial growth is the concentration of YTSS in the dish that allowed for the most bacterial growth in 24 hours. Looking across the vertical bars, which represent bacterial growth in millimeters, the dish that had the highest amount of bacterial growth was the dish containing a concentration of  YTSS with ~54mm. And so the optimal concentration of YTSS for bacterial growth must be  YTSS.

Example Question #121 : Sat Subject Test In Biology

Which of the following structures is not found in prokaryotic cells?

Possible Answers:

Plasmid

Nucleus

Cell wall

Plasma membrane

Ribosome

Correct answer:

Nucleus

Explanation:

The correct answer is the "nucleus." Prokaryotes generally do not have membrane-enclosed organelles, and they do not have a nucleus. Plasmids are found in all prokaryotes, as well as in fungi. The other structures are found in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes.

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