1. In living things, whether plant or animal, the carrier of hereditary instructions is

A. DNA.
B. genetic vacuole.
C. messenger RNA.
D. mitochondria in animals, chloroplasts in plants.
E. ATP
2. A type of cell that can exist in a broad range of environmental conditions, can rapidly multiply, and lacks a nucleus is known as what type of cell?

A. prokaryotic
B. eukaryotic
C. mammal
D. plant
E. reptile
3. Half of Wendy's chromosomes came from her mother and half from her father. Few of her chromosomes are identical to those of either parent because most of the genes on them have been exchanged with genes on other chromosomes. What process accounts for this?

A. independent assortment
B. transcription
C. crossing over
D. nondisjunction
E. segregation
4. Which of the following is a seed-producing plant?

A. protozoans
B. mushroom
C. lichen on rocks
D. moss with sporophyte stalk
E. maple tree
5. In an energy pyramid, the bottom level represents:

A. primary consumers
B. producers
C. scavengers
D. decomposers
E. secondary consumers
6. The diagram below represents a section of undisturbed layers of sedimentary rock in New York State and shows the location of fossils of several closely related species. According to currently accepted evolutionary theory, which is the most probable assumption about species A, B, and C?

A. Species B is more abundant than species C.
B. Species C existed before species B.
C. Species A and B are genetically identical.
D. Species B descended from species A.
E. Species C evolved from Species B
7. Which of the following macromolecules are a prominent part of animal tissues that function in insulation, helping animals conserve heat?

A. carbohydrates
B. lipids
C. proteins
D. nucleic acids
E. water
8. The phosphorous cycle differs from the water, carbon, and nitrogen cycles in that

A. the reservoir for phosphorous exists in mineral form in rocks rather than in the atmosphere.
B. phosphorous is far more abundant than water, carbon, or nitrogen.
C. phosphorous is less important to biological systems than water, carbon, or nitrogen.
D. phosphorous, once used by an organism, does not cycle back to the environment.
E. Phosphorous is not used by living organisms and its cycle is not dependent on living organisms

1. DNA is the macromolecule responsible for carrying the herederitary information of all cells, and even some viruses, with the exception of retroviruses.

2. Prokariotic cells (eubacteria and archeas) are cosmopolite, and lacks a membrane defined nucleus.

3. Crossing over.

During meiosis, homolog chromosomes pair and exchange genetic material, is also known as genetic recombination. This makes the chromosomes inherited not exactly equal to the corresponding from our fathers, or grandfathers.

4. Maple tree belongs to the clade Angiosperms: flowering plants, which produce seeds. Moss is a flowerless plant, this does not produce seeds. Lichen are composed from algae and cyanobacteria (so, not plants). Mushrooms are not plants.

5. Primary producers, such as bacteria and algae, can make organic molecules from an abiotic source of energy.

6. DIAGRAM NOT SHOWN

7. Lipids are the main component of all biological membranes. In animals, specially cholesterols prevents the membrane from freezing, due its molecular structure. Tryglicerids, for example, provides besides thermal insulation, energy storage, filling space for keeping the organs together, among other functions.

8. The phosphorous is very slow, since it requires the extraction from rocks, starting from metereological processes (rain, erosion), Once in the soil, bacteria, fungi, plants and animals start to absorb it.