UNIT A – Answer Key

1. a 7. a 13. a
2. b 8. a 14. a
3. b 9. a 15. d
4. c 10. d 16. c
5. d 11. d 17. d
6. b 12. b 18. e

Written

1. a) #7 – highest number indicates MOST energy suggesting a producer. Energy decreases as you
go up the food chain due to the second law of thermodynamics. A 10% energy passage
between levels (90% used at level for life processes and some “lost” as thermal energy or
recycled as a result of death/decomposition)
b) #5 – the lowest number meaning the least amount of energy due to energy
c) Increased availability of resources therefore increased survival, increased reproduction –
hence more organisms
d) varied
2. Producers synthesis own food via photosynthesis or chemosynthesis. Consumers gain energy
by eating other organisms
3. Primary consumers eat plants. Second consumers eat other animals (the primary consumers)
4. Herbivores – eat only plants; Carnivores – eat only other animals; Omnivores – eat both plants
and animals; Decomposers – eat dead matter. Important part of all food webs at recycle energy
5. Food chain is simplistic and shows only one possible pathway for energy to flow or be
transferred (from producer, to primary consumer, secondary consumer etc).
A food web is a more realistic model of food (energy) transfer that shows connections among
food chains within one ecosystem
6. Varied
7. A) ozone depletion – use of CFC’s create holes in ozone layer, allowing greater amounts of solar
radiation to enter the atmosphere. Increased cancer rates in humans, affect growth cycles of
organisms etc
B) Acid Rain – burning of fossil fuels releases sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide into atmosphere,
react with water to form acids. Affects include altering pH of aquatic ecosystems, damage to
leaves/foliage, acidic ground water leeches aluminum from soil into bodies of water etc.
C) Enhanced greenhouse effect – burning fossil fuels releases CO2 into atmosphere, livestock
and other farming releasing methane (livestock) and NO2 (fertilizers) – increase in GH gases
means more heat energy is trapped, leads to increased global temp and climate change.
D) organic sewage – too much nitrates and phosphates, can seep into water systems and cause
algal blooms – decreased O2 levels during decomposition of biomass, decreased light
penetration etc
Unit B – Answer Key
1. c 13. c 25. c

2. d 14. d 26. d

3. a 15. b 27. c

4. a 16. b 28. d

5. d 17. c 29. b

6. d 18. d 30. b

7. a 19. b 31. b

8. d 20. b 32. a

9. b 21. a 33. d

10. c 22. d 34. d

11. d 23. a 35. a

12. a 24. c 36. b

1. A) True B) False C) True D)True E) False F) False

2. Niche – the role and position a species has in its environment; how it meets its needs for food and shelter,
how it survives, and how it reproduces. A species' niche includes all of its interactions with the biotic and
abiotic factors of its environment.
3. Evolution is change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations.
4. Evidence from Earth (direct evidence)
- Fossils – irrefutable data about organisms structures from many generations ago. Compared to
organisms today the fossilized organism is different. Change occurred over time
- Biogeography – patterns of geographical distribution of organisms can be found in different continents
indicating the continents were once joined (Pangea). Different species found in different continents
suggests species evolved in isolation from one another.
Evidence from biology (indirect evidence)

- Anatomy- homologous features suggest common ancestry but different functions for features indicate
that evolution has taken place. Vestigial features suggest common ancestry
- Embryology – in early development chordate embryos look very similar and only later in development
are there indications of change to species-specific shape. For example, human embryos possess a tail
and gill slits in early stages.
- Biochemistry – proteins are made from DNA instructions. Similar proteins in organisms indicate similar
DNA suggesting a common ancestor. For example, pig insulin is very similar to human insulin.
5. DDT and mosquitoes – resistant trait favoured since they are still alive to reproduce, creating future
generations that are not susceptible to DDT
Peppered moth and pollution – environment changed due to pollution, so the light coloured moths were no
longer favoured and the dark ones were surviving to reproduce. Birds acted as selecting agent since they,
not the pollution, were killing the moths.
6. Lamarck: Legs lost because of use and disuse theory – snaked needed to crawl into a small place so legs
were scraped off; since they were no longer needed they were lost. This acquired characteristic was passed
on to future generations.
Darwin: Over many generations lack of legs was favoured over having legs. Those snakes without legs
survived and reproduced because they were the fittest. Over many generations, more and more legless
individuals were born.
Unit C – Answer Key
1. b 18. a

2. a 19. d

3. d 20. a

4. a 21. b

5. d 22. b

6. c 23. c

7. c 24. d

8. a 25. a

9. d 26. d

10. a 27. d

11. b 28. a

12. c 29. c

13. b 30. d

14. c 31. b

15. a 32. a

16. d 33. c

17. d 34. a
Unit D – Answer Key
Digestive System Respiratory System Circulatory & Excretory System Muscular System
Immune Systems
1. A 28. C 75. A 90. B
2. A 29. D 51. C 76. B 91. A
3. D 30. B 52. D 77. B 92. A
4. C 31. D 53. B 78. C 93. B
5. A 32. D 54. A 79. A 94. B
6. D 33. A 55. D 80. C 95. D
7. B 34. C 56. B 81. A 96. C
8. B 35. C 57. D 82. C 97. C
9. A 36. A 58. A 83. A
10. A 37. D 59. B 84. A
11. A 38. C 60. A 85. D
12. D 39. C 61. D 86. C
13. A 40. A 62. D 87. B
14. B 41. D 63. A 88. B
15. D 42. C 64. C 89. C
16. B 43. D 65. B
17. C 44. A 66. C
18. A 45. B 67. B
19. C 46. C 68. A
20. D 47. B 69. D
21. A 48. B 70. C
22. D 49. D 71. B
23. D 50. C 72. C
24. B 73. A
25. C 74. D
26. B
27. D
Unit D – Written Questions – Answer Key
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