• 129 questions

Biology Questions

A biology quiz you can aim at one topic, from molecules to ecology, with the reason after every answer.

Fatty acids are a major component of which group of molecules?

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Unofficial practice questions, not affiliated with any school, district, state or college. Bank checked October 7, 2026.

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All 129 questions

Molecules of life 13

  • A substance gives off hydrogen ions when it is in water. What is it? NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute), entry "acid". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-3
  • The enzyme amylase helps digest starch, and the enzyme pepsin breaks down proteins. What does this show about enzymes? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Enzyme"; NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms, entries "amylase" and "pepsin". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-6
  • Fatty acids are a major component of which group of molecules? NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute), entry "fatty acid". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-6
  • In science, what is a solvent? NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute), entry "solvent". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-3
  • What is an atom or a molecule that has a positive or negative electrical charge called? NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute), entry "ion". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-3
  • What makes an amino acid an "essential" amino acid? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Amino Acids". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-6
  • Which atoms make up one molecule of water? NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute), entry "molecule". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-6
  • Which bonds join the amino acids in a protein chain? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Peptide". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-6
  • Which carbohydrate is a building block of plant cells that people cannot digest? NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute), entry "cellulose". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-6
  • Which carbohydrate, made of sugar molecules joined together, is found in high levels in potatoes, rice, corn and wheat? NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute), entry "starch". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-6
  • Which particles make up the nucleus of an atom? NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute), entry "atom". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-6
  • Which protein in red blood cells carries oxygen from the lungs to the tissues? NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute), entry "hemoglobin". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-1
  • Which sugar is found in the nucleotides of RNA? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Nucleotide". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-1

Cells and membranes 14

  • By which process does a cell form vesicles to bring particles in from outside? NCI SEER Training Modules, Anatomy and Physiology, page "Cell Function". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-3
  • How does a virus make copies of itself? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Virus". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-1
  • How does smooth endoplasmic reticulum differ from rough endoplasmic reticulum? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Endoplasmic Reticulum (Smooth)". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-2
  • In plant cells and bacteria, what is attached to the outside of the plasma membrane? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Plasma Membrane". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-2
  • What does a receptor on the surface of a cell do? NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute), entry "receptor". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-3
  • What is a group of similar cells that work together to perform a specific function called? NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute), entry "tissue". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-2
  • What is a virus made of? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Virus". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-1
  • What is an organelle? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Organelle". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-2
  • What is the gelatinous liquid that fills the inside of a cell called? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Cytoplasm". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-2
  • Which network of long fibers gives a cell its shape and helps it move and divide? MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine), "What is a cell?". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-2
  • Which of these is a job of the proteins in a cell membrane? NCI SEER Training Modules, Anatomy and Physiology, page "Cell Structure". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-2
  • Which paired, barrel-shaped organelles of animal cells help organize microtubules? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Centriole". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-2
  • Which statement about mitochondria is true? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Mitochondria". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-2
  • Which structure inside the nucleus produces and assembles ribosomes? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Nucleolus". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-2

Photosynthesis and respiration 10

  • A cell breaks down glucose by glycolysis. What changes when it also uses the reactions that need oxygen? NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute), entry "glycolysis". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS2-3
  • A plant uses sugar from photosynthesis to build amino acids. What does the sugar supply? Next Generation Science Standards, high school life science, core idea LS1.C (Organization for Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms). Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-6
  • About how much of the oxygen produced on Earth comes from the ocean? NOAA National Ocean Service, "How much oxygen comes from the ocean?". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS2-5
  • At hydrothermal vents in the deep ocean, which chemical do vent bacteria oxidize to get the energy to make sugar? NOAA Ocean Exploration, "What is the difference between photosynthesis and chemosynthesis?". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS2-3
  • In biochemistry, what does the word aerobic describe? NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute), entry "aerobic". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-7
  • What does ATP stand for? NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute), entry "ATP". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-7
  • What is the name for the chemical changes that take place in a cell or an organism and make the energy and materials it needs? NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute), entry "metabolism". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-7
  • Where do the carbon atoms in the sugar made by photosynthesis come from? NOAA Education, "Carbon cycle". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS2-5
  • Which living things use oxygen for cellular respiration? NOAA National Ocean Service, "How much oxygen comes from the ocean?". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-7
  • Why are phytoplankton found near the surface of the water? NOAA National Ocean Service, "What are plankton?". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-5

Cell division 12

  • A brain cell and a liver cell from one person look and act very differently. Why? MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine), "Can genes be turned on and off in cells?". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-4
  • A cell holds two complete sets of chromosomes, one set from each parent. Which term describes it? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Diploid". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-1
  • A human cell is found to have 47 chromosomes. Which term describes a chromosome number other than the usual 46? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Aneuploidy". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-2
  • A human sperm and egg unite at fertilization. How many chromosomes does the resulting cell have? NCI SEER Training Modules, Anatomy and Physiology, page "Cell Function". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-1
  • A proto-oncogene plays a role in regulating normal cell division. What does it become if it is mutated? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Oncogene". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-4
  • In humans, which cells are haploid? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Haploid". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-1
  • What are the cells of the body other than sperm and egg cells called? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Somatic Cells". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-4
  • What does the protein made from a tumor suppressor gene normally do? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Tumor Suppressor Gene". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-4
  • What happens to the telomeres at the ends of chromosomes each time a cell divides? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Telomere". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-4
  • What is special about stem cells? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Stem Cell". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-4
  • Which cells of the human body are produced by meiosis and not by mitosis? NCI SEER Training Modules, Anatomy and Physiology, page "Cell Function". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-4
  • Which statement describes a benign tumor? NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute), entry "benign". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-4

Genetics 19

  • A father cannot pass an X-linked trait to his sons. Which chromosome do his sons get from him? MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine), "If a genetic disorder runs in my family, what are the chances that my children will have the condition?". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-1
  • A parent has one copy of an altered gene that causes an autosomal dominant condition. What is the chance of passing the altered gene to each child? MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine), "If a genetic disorder runs in my family, what are the chances that my children will have the condition?". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-3
  • A plant with two alleles for purple flowers (PP) is crossed with a white-flowered plant (pp). Purple is dominant. What are the offspring like? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Dominant". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-3
  • An animal inherits an allele for one coat pigment and an allele for another, and both pigments show in its coat. Which pattern of inheritance is this? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Codominance". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-3
  • An individual inherited the same version of a gene from each parent. Which term describes that individual? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Homozygous". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-1
  • From which parent is mitochondrial DNA inherited? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Mitochondrial DNA". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-1
  • How do identical twins arise? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Identical Twins". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-2
  • How many pairs of autosomes do humans have? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Autosome". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-1
  • How much of their genomes do fraternal twins share? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Fraternal Twins". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-2
  • In genetics, what is a carrier of a recessive condition? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Carrier". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-3
  • In humans, sex-linked traits most often involve genes on which chromosome? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Sex Linked". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-1
  • In monosomy, how many chromosomes of one pair are present in a cell? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Monosomy". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-2
  • The symbols BB, Bb and bb are ways of writing an individual's what? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Genotype". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-3
  • Two carriers of an autosomal recessive condition have a first child who has the condition. What is the chance that their next child has it? MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine), "If a genetic disorder runs in my family, what are the chances that my children will have the condition?". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-3
  • Two genes lie very close together on the same chromosome. What does that make more likely? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Linkage". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-1
  • What does a single-nucleotide polymorphism, or SNP, involve? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Polymorphism". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-2
  • What is a locus? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Locus". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-1
  • Which laboratory image shows a person's chromosomes arranged in numerical order? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Karyotype". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-1
  • Who worked out basic patterns of inheritance from experiments with pea plants? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Mendelian Inheritance". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-1

DNA and proteins 22

  • A segment of a chromosome breaks off and reattaches to the same chromosome in reverse orientation. What is this change called? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Inversion". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-2
  • A stretch of mRNA has 300 nucleotides, all in codons that code for amino acids. How many amino acids does it code for? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Codon". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-1
  • An organism carries a DNA sequence that was introduced from another species in a laboratory. Which term describes the organism? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Transgenic". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-1
  • DNA wraps around which proteins to give a chromosome its compact shape? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Histone". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-1
  • How many different codons are there in the genetic code? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Codon". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-1
  • In a double-stranded DNA molecule, 30% of the bases are adenine. What percent are guanine? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "ACGT". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-1
  • In gel electrophoresis, which DNA molecules move through the gel fastest? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Electrophoresis". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-1
  • Non-coding DNA does not code for amino acids. What is one known role of some of it? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Non-Coding DNA". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-1
  • RNA polymerase binds to a region of DNA just before a gene to start transcription. What is that region called? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Promoter". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-1
  • What does a nonsense mutation do to a codon? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Nonsense Mutation". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-2
  • What holds the two strands of a DNA molecule together? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Base Pair". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-1
  • What is a chromosome made of? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Chromosome". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-1
  • What is a plasmid? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Plasmid". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-1
  • What is the backbone of each strand of DNA made of? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-1
  • What is the entire set of DNA instructions found in a cell called? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Genome". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-1
  • What is the role of messenger RNA? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Messenger RNA (mRNA)". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-1
  • What is the use of laboratory technologies to alter the DNA makeup of an organism called? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Genetic Engineering". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-1
  • Which field studies changes that turn genes on and off without altering the DNA sequence itself? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Epigenetics". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-1
  • Which laboratory technique rapidly makes millions of copies of one segment of DNA? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-1
  • Which mutation results in a different amino acid at one position in a protein? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Missense Mutation". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-2
  • Which regions of a gene are left out of the final, mature mRNA? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Intron". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-1
  • Which type of mutation is the loss of one or more nucleotides from a segment of DNA? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Deletion". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS3-2

Evolution 10

  • A gene variant gives resistance to one kind of bacteria. When is that variant an advantage? MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine), "How are gene variants involved in evolution?". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS4-4
  • A radioactive isotope in a rock has a half-life of 1 million years. What fraction of the parent atoms is left after 2 million years? U.S. Geological Survey, "Fossils, Rocks, and Time", section "The Numeric Time Scale". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS4-1
  • An antibiotic kills most of a population of bacteria, but a few that carry a resistance gene survive and reproduce. After many generations, what is the population like? Next Generation Science Standards, high school life science, core idea LS4.C (Adaptation). Course outline: NGSS HS-LS4-4
  • How does a large gene pool affect a population? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Gene Pool". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS4-5
  • What does the Law of Fossil Succession state? U.S. Geological Survey, "Fossils, Rocks, and Time", section "Fossil Succession". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS4-1
  • What is the name for all the genes and alleles present in a reproducing population? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Gene Pool". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS4-3
  • Which kind of rock forms from settled particles such as sand and mud and can hold fossils? U.S. Geological Survey, "Fossils, Rocks, and Time", section "Rocks and Layers". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS4-1
  • Which pair of processes raises and lowers biodiversity? Next Generation Science Standards, high school life science, core idea LS4.D (Biodiversity and Humans). Course outline: NGSS HS-LS2-7
  • Which process produces the new genomic variation that evolution depends on? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Evolution". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS4-2
  • Which statement about the DNA sequence differences among individuals is true? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Genomic Variation". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS4-2

Ecology 14

  • In a food web, what does an organism's trophic level tell you? NOAA Education, "Aquatic food webs". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS2-4
  • In which relationship does one organism feed off its host and harm it? NOAA Ocean Exploration, "What is symbiosis?". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS2-6
  • The pH of surface ocean water has fallen by 0.1 units since the industrial revolution. About how large an increase in acidity is that? NOAA Education, "Ocean acidification". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS2-7
  • Predation, competition and disease all have which effect on a population? Next Generation Science Standards, high school life science, core idea LS2.A (Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems). Course outline: NGSS HS-LS2-1
  • What happens to the pH of seawater as the ocean absorbs more carbon dioxide? NOAA Education, "Ocean acidification". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS2-7
  • What happens when corals bleach? NOAA National Ocean Service, "What is coral bleaching?". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS2-6
  • What is a group of organisms that live in the same area at the same time called? NOAA Education, "Aquatic food webs". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS2-6
  • What is an animal that eats both plants and animals called? NOAA Education, "Aquatic food webs". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS2-4
  • What kind of water is found in most estuaries, where rivers meet the sea? NOAA National Ocean Service, "What is an estuary?". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS2-2
  • What makes an algal bloom a harmful algal bloom? NOAA National Ocean Service, "What is a red tide?". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS2-6
  • Which greenhouse gas is emitted by livestock and by decaying waste in landfills? U.S. EPA, "Overview of Greenhouse Gases". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS2-7
  • Which organisms break down the remains of living things and recycle nutrients for producers? NOAA Education, "Aquatic food webs". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS2-3
  • Which two pollutants react in the atmosphere to form acid rain? U.S. EPA, "What is Acid Rain?". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS2-7
  • Why has group behavior, such as fish swimming in schools, evolved? Next Generation Science Standards, high school life science, core idea LS2.D (Social Interactions and Group Behavior). Course outline: NGSS HS-LS2-8

The body in balance 15

  • Carbon dioxide is a waste product made by the body. How does it leave? NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute), entry "carbon dioxide". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-3
  • Hormones travel all over the body in the blood, yet each one affects only certain cells. Why? NCI SEER Training Modules, Anatomy and Physiology, page "Characteristics of Hormones". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-3
  • How does insulin control the amount of sugar in the blood? NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute), entry "insulin". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-3
  • How is a nerve impulse usually carried across a synapse to the next cell? NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute), entry "synapse". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-2
  • What is any substance that causes the body to make an immune response against it called? NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute), entry "antigen". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-2
  • What is the job of white blood cells? NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute), entry "white blood cell". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-2
  • Where are red blood cells made? NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute), entry "red blood cell". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-2
  • Which body system is made up of glands and organs that release hormones directly into the blood? NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute), entry "endocrine system". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-2
  • Which gland, located beneath the larynx, helps regulate growth and metabolism? NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute), entry "thyroid". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-3
  • Which hormone made by the pancreas increases the level of glucose in the blood? NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute), entry "glucagon". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-3
  • Which organs remove waste and extra water from the blood as urine? NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute), entry "kidney". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-3
  • Which structure controls body temperature, hunger and thirst? NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute), entry "hypothalamus". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-3
  • Which two parts make up the central nervous system? NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute), entry "nervous system". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-2
  • Which type of cell receives and sends messages between the body and the brain? NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute), entry "neuron". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-2
  • Which white blood cells produce antibodies? NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms (National Human Genome Research Institute), entry "Lymphocyte". Course outline: NGSS HS-LS1-2

How it works

These high school biology questions are unofficial practice: 129 biology multiple choice questions of our own, sorted into nine topics. None is taken from a school, state or national exam.

Read the full guide

Nine topics

Molecules of life, cells and membranes, photosynthesis and respiration, cell division, genetics, DNA and proteins, evolution, ecology, and the body in balance. Choose one before a unit biology test, or leave them mixed for a biology exam review.

Where the facts come from

The topic list follows the high school life science standards of the Next Generation Science Standards (HS-LS1 to HS-LS4), read October 7, 2026. Facts were checked on NIH glossaries, MedlinePlus Genetics, NOAA, EPA and U.S. Geological Survey pages, named under each question.

Exam mode

Exam mode is a biology practice exam of 25 questions drawn from the whole bank, scored at the end. The 25 is our number, not the length of any real exam.

  • Miss a question twice? Open the source link under it and read the whole entry, not only the line you needed.
  • For a genetics cross, write the four outcomes down before you read the choices.

Questions and answers

Are these biology questions and answers free?

Yes, with no sign-up. Every question shows the right answer and a short reason as soon as you choose, with a link to the page the fact was checked on.

Is there a biology practice test PDF?

Yes. After a round, press Print, then Add all to put the whole bank on the sheet, with the answer key if you tick it. In the print window, choose Save as PDF to keep it.

Will this help with a biology placement test?

It can help you review. Each college sets its own biology placement test and decides what is on it, so ask the testing office what yours covers. This bank is the high school course.

Is this an honors biology practice test?

Each school sets its own honors course, so no bank matches it exactly. The harder questions here, on mutations, inheritance odds, gene regulation and feedback, are the closest to an honors class.

What topics are on a high school biology exam?

Each school or state sets its own. This page follows the Next Generation Science Standards for high school life science: structures and processes of organisms, ecosystems, heredity, and evolution. For a state end-of-course test, read that state's own blueprint.

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