Life Science (Grade 7) Midterm — Full-Course Review

Part 1: Multiple Choice

1. In which organelle does photosynthesis take place?
   1. A. Mitochondrion
   2. B. Chloroplast
   3. C. Lysosome
   4. D. Ribosome
2. Which organelle contains the cell's DNA and controls its activities?
   1. A. Nucleus
   2. B. Vacuole
   3. C. Cell membrane
   4. D. Ribosome
3. Which organelles build proteins?
   1. A. Chloroplasts
   2. B. Vacuoles
   3. C. Ribosomes
   4. D. Lysosomes
4. What is the basic unit of structure and function in all living things?
   1. A. The cell
   2. B. The organ
   3. C. The atom
   4. D. The tissue
5. Which list shows levels of organization from smallest to largest?
   1. A. Cell, organ, tissue, organ system
   2. B. Organ, tissue, cell, organ system
   3. C. Tissue, cell, organ, organ system
   4. D. Cell, tissue, organ, organ system
6. What are different forms of the same gene called?
   1. A. Chromosomes
   2. B. Proteins
   3. C. Phenotypes
   4. D. Alleles
7. Which tool is used to predict the possible genotypes of offspring?
   1. A. Pedigree of fossils
   2. B. Dichotomous key
   3. C. Food web
   4. D. Punnett square
8. An organism with the genotype Tt is described as what?
   1. A. Purebred
   2. B. Heterozygous
   3. C. Homozygous recessive
   4. D. Homozygous dominant
9. Two Tt pea plants are crossed. What percent of offspring are expected to be tt?
   1. A. 50%
   2. B. 25%
   3. C. 0%
   4. D. 75%
10. Sex cells such as eggs and sperm are produced by which process?
    1. A. Fertilization
    2. B. Mitosis
    3. C. Binary fission
    4. D. Meiosis
11. Which is an example of camouflage?
    1. A. A skunk spraying a predator
    2. B. A bear hibernating through the winter
    3. C. Geese flying south for the winter
    4. D. An arctic fox's white winter fur blending with snow
12. Why is variation within a population important?
    1. A. It stops natural selection from happening
    2. B. Some individuals may survive if the environment changes
    3. C. It makes every individual identical
    4. D. It guarantees every individual survives
13. What is a mutation?
    1. A. A new species forming overnight
    2. B. A trait learned during life
    3. C. A change in an organism's DNA
    4. D. A type of cell division
14. What is an adaptation?
    1. A. An inherited trait that helps an organism survive and reproduce
    2. B. A change an organism chooses to make
    3. C. A skill an animal learns from its parents
    4. D. A trait shared by every species on Earth
15. A reduced structure that no longer performs its original function, such as tiny hip bones in whales, is called what?
    1. A. A camouflage trait
    2. B. A vestigial structure
    3. C. A homologous structure
    4. D. A mutation
16. Mushrooms and yeasts are fungi. How do fungi get their food?
    1. A. They absorb nutrients from their surroundings
    2. B. They take in food through roots and leaves
    3. C. They make food by photosynthesis
    4. D. They hunt and swallow prey
17. A scientific name such as Canis lupus is made of which two parts?
    1. A. Genus and species
    2. B. Family and order
    3. C. Kingdom and phylum
    4. D. Class and genus
18. Which classification level is the most specific?
    1. A. Kingdom
    2. B. Family
    3. C. Genus
    4. D. Species
19. Which description best fits bacteria?
    1. A. Nonliving particles that need a host
    2. B. Single-celled organisms without a nucleus
    3. C. Many-celled organisms with a nucleus
    4. D. Single-celled organisms with a nucleus
20. Which of these animals is a vertebrate?
    1. A. Jellyfish
    2. B. Earthworm
    3. C. Frog
    4. D. Spider
21. Which body system uses electrical signals to control and coordinate the body?
    1. A. Nervous system
    2. B. Digestive system
    3. C. Skeletal system
    4. D. Endocrine system
22. What is the main job of white blood cells?
    1. A. Carrying oxygen
    2. B. Fighting infections
    3. C. Clotting blood
    4. D. Digesting food
23. Sweating on a hot day to keep body temperature steady is an example of what?
    1. A. Homeostasis
    2. B. Reproduction
    3. C. Circulation
    4. D. Digestion
24. Which blood vessels carry blood away from the heart?
    1. A. Arteries
    2. B. Alveoli
    3. C. Veins
    4. D. Capillaries
25. In the lungs, oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged in tiny air sacs called what?
    1. A. Bronchi
    2. B. Alveoli
    3. C. Trachea
    4. D. Diaphragm
26. All the deer living in one forest make up a what?
    1. A. Population
    2. B. Community
    3. C. Biome
    4. D. Ecosystem
27. In a food web, what do the arrows show?
    1. A. Which organisms are related
    2. B. Which animal is the largest
    3. C. Where each animal lives
    4. D. The direction energy flows
28. A relationship in which both species benefit is called what?
    1. A. Parasitism
    2. B. Predation
    3. C. Mutualism
    4. D. Commensalism
29. Which organism is a producer?
    1. A. Mushroom
    2. B. Grass
    3. C. Rabbit
    4. D. Hawk
30. What is the largest population that an environment can support over time called?
    1. A. Succession
    2. B. Limiting factor
    3. C. Carrying capacity
    4. D. Biodiversity

Part 2: Written Response

31. Use an example (such as peppered moths or Darwin's finches) to explain how natural selection can change a population over many generations.
32. Describe a simple food chain in a local ecosystem. Explain how energy moves through it and what might happen if one population disappeared.