HESI A2
Biology HESI A2 2024 Questions
Question 1 of 5
A cell is in a solution in which the concentration of solutes is higher inside the cell than outside the cell. What would you expect to happen to the cell?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: When a cell is in a solution where the concentration of solutes is higher inside the cell than outside, it is in a hypertonic environment. In this situation, water will move into the cell in an attempt to equalize the concentration of solutes on both sides of the cell membrane through the process of osmosis. As a result, the cell will swell as it takes in more water, potentially leading to bursting or cell lysis.
Choice B is incorrect because a cell in a hypertonic solution will not shrivel and shrink due to water moving into the cell.
Choice C is incorrect because the cell will not maintain its current size; it will swell.
Choice D is incorrect because growing a supportive cell wall is not the immediate response to being in a hypertonic environment.
Question 2 of 5
Three students measured the mass of a product of combustion. They recorded measurements of 14 g, 16 g, and 17 g. If the known mass of the product is 30 g, how would you describe the students' measurements?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The students' measurements are precise because they are consistently close to each other. However, they are not accurate because all the measurements deviate from the known mass of the product (30 g). Accuracy refers to how close a measurement is to the true or accepted value, while precision refers to the level of agreement among repeated measurements. Since the students' measurements are consistent but do not align with the true value, they can be considered precise but not accurate.
Choice A is incorrect because accuracy relates to the proximity of the measurements to the true value, which is not the case here.
Choice C is incorrect because although the measurements are precise, they are not accurate.
Choice D is incorrect because the measurements are precise as they show good agreement with each other, even though they are not accurate.
Question 3 of 5
In an example of a male with hemophilia and a female carrier, what ratio of the offspring is predicted to have the disease?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: In this scenario, the male offspring will inherit the hemophilia trait from their mother due to the sex-linked inheritance pattern. The female offspring will inherit one X chromosome from their mother, becoming carriers of hemophilia.
Therefore, the predicted ratio of offspring with the disease would be 1 female as a carrier and 2 males with hemophilia.
Choice A is incorrect because there would be male offspring with the disease.
Choice B is incorrect as there would be male offspring with hemophilia.
Choice D is incorrect as it does not reflect the inheritance pattern of hemophilia.
Question 4 of 5
The scientific name for a house cat is Felis catus. This indicates the house cat's ___________ and ___________.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The scientific name for an organism consists of its genus and species. In this case, 'Felis' refers to the genus, while 'catus' refers to the species, thus indicating the house cat's genus and species as Felis catus.
Therefore, the correct answer is 'D.'
Choices A, B, and C are incorrect because a scientific name does not include information about the kingdom, family, order, subspecies, phylum, or class of an organism.
Question 5 of 5
Why do we perceive chlorophyll as green?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Chlorophyll appears green to us because it primarily absorbs yellow and blue light while reflecting green light. The wavelengths of yellow and blue light are absorbed by chlorophyll for photosynthesis, which results in the green color we perceive.
Choice B is incorrect because chlorophyll absorbs yellow and blue light, not green light.
Choice C is incorrect because chlorophyll does absorb green light, but it also absorbs other wavelengths, primarily yellow and blue.
Choice D is incorrect because chlorophyll primarily absorbs yellow and blue light, not red light.