Biology HESI A2 Practice Exam - Nurselytic

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C: Cell membrane. The cell membrane, also known as the plasma membrane, is largely protective in function as it serves as a selectively permeable barrier that surrounds the cell, providing structural support and helping to maintain cell integrity. It regulates the movement of substances in and out of the cell, thus protecting the cell from harmful external factors while allowing essential nutrients to enter. Mitochondrion (choice
A) is responsible for energy production, not primarily protective. Vacuole (choice
B) is mainly involved in storage and transport. Ribosome (choice
D) is involved in protein synthesis, not protective functions.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: Correct answer: If a test has poor internal consistency, it means that the items do not correlate or measure similar things. This lack of correlation indicates that the items in the test are not measuring the same underlying construct or concept, leading to unreliable results.
Choice A is incorrect because poor internal consistency is not about producing different results at different times but rather about the lack of correlation among items.
Choice C is incorrect because the issue lies within the test itself, not with different researchers.
Choice D is incorrect because poor internal consistency implies that the items do vary in their measurement, contributing to the unreliability of the test.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The anther is the part of the flower that produces pollen. It is located at the tip of the stamen, the male reproductive organ of a flower. The anther contains pollen sacs where pollen grains are produced. The style is the part of the pistil that connects the stigma to the ovary, playing a role in pollen tube growth. The stigma is the part of the pistil that receives pollen during fertilization. The pistil is the female reproductive organ of a flower, consisting of the stigma, style, and ovary, and does not produce pollen.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The light-independent reaction in plants is also known as the Calvin cycle. This biochemical pathway, named after Melvin Calvin who discovered it, takes place in the stroma of chloroplasts and is responsible for converting carbon dioxide into glucose using ATP and NADPH generated during the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis. The Calvin cycle does not directly require light to function, hence the alternative name as the light-independent reaction.

Choices A, C, and D are incorrect. Photosynthesis is the overall process of converting light energy into chemical energy, which includes both light-dependent and light-independent reactions. Germination is the process where a seed sprouts into a new plant. The phosphorus cycle is the biogeochemical cycle that describes the movement of phosphorus through the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: During telophase, the final stage of mitosis, the separated chromosomes reach opposite poles of the cell. At this stage, a new nuclear envelope forms around each set of chromosomes, creating two distinct nuclei. This marks the completion of cell division.

Choices A, B, and C are incorrect because the disappearance of the nuclear envelope typically occurs during prophase, organelles do not double in number during telophase, and chromosomes separate during anaphase, not telophase.