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PRAXIS II Biology Content Knowledge, Part 2 Exam

The Biology: Content Knowledge, Part 2 exam is administered to future high school biology teachers to evaluate their ability to teach biology. This is a one hour exam consisting of 75 multiple choice questions. The subjects covered in this exam are indicative of topics that are taught in beginning biology courses in college. There are four areas of subject matter that the questions cover, and they are divided as follows:

28 questions covering Diversity of Life, Plants, and Animals
18 questions covering Classical Genetics and Evolution
16 questions covering Molecular and Cellular Biology
13 questions covering Ecology

In the category of Diversity of Life, questions will cover the subjects of classifications and kingdoms. Questions pertaining to Plants will cover the evolution of plants, anatomy and physiology of plants, and the features of reproduction for plants. For Animals, questions will be asked about evolution, organ systems and functions, reproduction, and behavior, both inherent and learned.

Classical Genetics and Evolution is composed of topics such as Mendelian inheritance, genetic disorders, and population genetics and various aspects of evolution.

The topics that are questioned in Molecular and Cellular Biology include structures and characteristics of cells and chemicals associated with life forms, such as meiosis and enzymes, and the subject of molecular genetics which includes topics such as DNA and nucleic acids.

The areas of questioning under the category of Ecology include energy flow, ecosystems, communities of species, niches, and factors associated with various aspects of populations.

PRAXIS II Biology: Content Knowledge, Part 2 Practice Questions

1. Life science is divided into the following groups:

A. botany
B. zoology
C. microbiology
D. All of the above

2. Which of the following is not a unifying principle of biology?

A. Cell theory
B. Evolution
C. DNA
D. Homeostasis

3. Which of the following sciences is not required to understand agricultural science?

A. Physical science
B. Anthropology
C. Life science
D. Economics

4. Water resources include:

A. wetlands
B. watersheds
C. floodplains
D. All of the above

5. Mendelian inheritance states genes:

A. are responsible for variations in characteristics
B. offspring inherit one allele from each parent
C. alleles come together in random combinations
D. All of the above

Answer Key For Biology Content Knowledge, Part 2

1. Answer: D

Life science, or biology, is the study of living organisms, their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, and distribution. The word biology is Greek: "bio" means life, and "logos" means speech. Biology literally means, "to talk about life." Biology studies how living things began, divides them into species, describes what they do, how they interact with and relate to each other and the rest of the natural world. There are four unifying principles in biology: cell theory, evolution, genetics, and homeostasis.

The disciplines in the life sciences are grouped by the organisms they study. Botany studies plants, zoology studies animals, and microbiology studies microorganisms. These groups are further divided into smaller, specialized categories based on the level at which they are studied and the methods used to study them; i.e., biochemistry studies the chemistry of life, while ecology studies how organisms interrelate in the natural world. Applied fields of the life sciences, such as medicine and genetic research, combine multiple specialized categories.

2. Answer: C

CELL THEORY: The cell is the basic building block of all living things. It is the smallest unit of life able to function on its own. In higher organisms, groups of cells form the organs and tissues. There are two kinds of cells: prokaryotic, which are present only in bacteria, and eukaryotic, which are found in all other life forms. New cells form by dividing from existing cells.

EVOLUTION: As a result of natural selection and changes in the gene pool (genetic drift), inherited traits morph from one generation to the next.

GENE THEORY: The traits of all living organisms are encoded in their DNA, the chromosome component that carries genetic information. These traits are passed from generation to generation. The physical or biochemical characteristics are capable of adapting to changes in the environment, but the only way these adaptations can be transferred to the genes is through evolution.

HOMEOSTASIS is a self-regulating, physiological process that keeps biological systems stable and in proper balance internally no matter what is happening in the external environment.

3. Answer: B

Webster's New Explorer Desk Encyclopedia defines agriculture as the "science or art of cultivating the soil, growing and harvesting crops, and raising livestock. Using this basic definition, agricultural science is the study and care of soil, plants, and animals and how their relationships produce and process food, fiber, and fuel. It is an interdisciplinary science that requires knowledge in and understanding of a wide range of fields.

PHYSICAL SCIENCE is the study of the interaction of matter, motion, energy, space, and time.
LIFE SCIENCE or biology is the study of living organisms, their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, and distribution.
SOCIAL SCIENCE studies human behavior.
EARTH SCIENCE studies all things related to the earth: geology, hydrology, meteorology, and oceanography.
ENGINEERING is the application of physical, mathematical, and mechanical principles to design, construct, and operate structures.
MATHEMATICS explains the logic of and relationship between numbers.
ECONOMICS studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.

4. Answer: D

Wetlands link land and water resources. Programs to protect wetlands usually work with programs designed to protect and manage other surface and ground water systems. These may include storm, flood and pollution control, protection of fish and wildlife, and creation and maintenance of public recreation areas.

A watershed or drainage basin is the area where water, sediment, and other material flows from a landmass into a body of water: i.e., river, lake, ocean, sea. Watershed conservation programs take a systemic approach and consider the entire ecosystem including water, air, and land.

A floodplain is a low area of land next to a body of water. Floodplains and adjacent water resources form a complex, dynamic ecosystem, which provides flood and erosion control, water filtering, natural habitats for plants and animals, and areas for public recreation and scientific study.

5. Answer: D

Gregor Mendel, a monk in the nineteenth century, developed an explanation for why characteristics are passed from parents to progeny. His work, combined with Thomas Hunt Morgan's chromosome theory of inheritance, became the basis of modern genetics. The Mendelian Inheritance is composed of the Law of Segregation and the Law of Independent Assortment.

Mendel's First Law (Law of Segregation) states that genes are responsible for variations in inherited characteristics (alleles). The offspring inherits one allele from each parent, whether they are true-breeding organisms (the same) or hybrids (different). During gestation, the alleles from each parent come together in various combinations.

The Inheritance Law (Law of Independent Assortment) states that receiving one trait does not affect reception of a second trait. Characteristics are created half from maternal alleles in the egg and half from paternal alleles in the sperm. This random combination is responsible for the variation found is the offspring produced by the same parents.