School Improvement in Maryland

Public Release Item: Public Release items have appeared on HSA forms and then are released for public viewing and use. Releasing items is one step to ensuring that schools, districts, and other stakeholders understand how the core learning goals are assessed on the HSA.

Goal 3 Concepts Of Biology

Expectation 3.3 The student will analyze how traits are inherited and passed on from one generation to another.

Indicator 3.3.2 The student will illustrate and explain how expressed traits are passed from parent to offspring.

Assessment Limits:

  • phenotypes (expression of inherited characteristics)
  • dominant and recessive traits
  • sex-linked traits (X-linked only; recessive phenotypes are more often expressed in the male)
  • genotypes (represented by heterozygous and homozygous pairs of alleles)
  • punnett square (use to predict and/or interpret the results of a genetic cross; translate genotypes into phenotypes - monohybrid only)
  • Pedigree (use to interpret patterns of inheritance within a family)

Selected Response Item - Released in 2003

A group of students wanted to determine how the ability to taste PTC, a nontoxic chemical, is passed from one generation to the next. The students decided to test families in their community for this ability. The students gave each family member a paper strip coated with a small amount of PTC. Those who experienced the bitter taste of PTC when they touched the paper strips to their tongues were called "tasters"; those who could not taste the PTC were called "nontasters."

The results of the experiment are shown in the table below.

Based on the data the students collected, the allele for tasting PTC is most likely

  1. dominant
  2. heterozygous
  3. recessive
  4. sex-linked
/share/clg/xml/public_release/science/2003_332_bio18.xml

Correct Answer:
A

Selected Response Item - Released in 2003

In humans, the allele for dimples (D) is dominant. The allele for not having dimples (d) is recessive. A woman (DD) and a man (Dd) have four children. Which of these is the predicted ratio of the children with dimples to the children without dimples?

  1. 1:0
  2. 1:1
  3. 1:3
  4. 3:1
/share/clg/xml/public_release/science/2003_332_bio36.xml

Correct Answer:
A

Selected Response Item - Released in 2003

In humans, the allele for unattached earlobes (E) is dominant. The allele for attached earlobes (e) is recessive. A woman who is heterozygous for this trait marries a man who has attached earlobes. What is the probability that this couple's child will have unattached earlobes?

  1. 25%
  2. 50%
  3. 75%
  4. 100%
/share/clg/xml/public_release/science/2003_332_bio41.xml

Correct Answer:
B

Selected Response Item - Released in 2004

The presence or absence of freckles is determined by one gene. The allele for freckles (F) is dominant and the allele for the absence of freckles (f) is recessive.

A couple has several children. All of the children have freckles because their parents' genotypes can only produce children with freckles.

Which of these are most likely the genotypes of the two parents?

  1. Ff and ff
  2. FF and ff
  3. Ff and Ff
  4. ff and ff
/share/clg/xml/public_release/science/2004_332_bio08.xml

Correct Answer:
B

Selected Response Item - Released in 2004

In horses, the allele for straight hair (B) is dominant to the allele for curly hair (b). Which of these sets of parents can produce offspring with curly hair?

  1. a heterozygous male with straight hair and a homozygous female with straight hair
  2. a homozygous male with curly hair and a homozygous female with straight hair
  3. a heterozygous male with straight hair and a heterozygous female with straight hair
  4. a homozygous male with straight hair and a homozygous female with straight hair
/share/clg/xml/public_release/science/2004_332_bio36.xml

Correct Answer:
C

Selected Response Item - Released in 2003

Use the information and the table below to answer the following.

A group of students wanted to determine how the ability to taste PTC, a nontoxic chemical, is passed from one generation to the next. The students decided to test families in their community for this ability. The students gave each family member a paper strip coated with a small amount of PTC. Those who experienced the bitter taste of PTC when they touched the paper strips to their tongues were called "tasters"; those who could not taste the PTC were called "nontasters."

The results of the experiment are shown in the table below.

Which of these explains how two taster parents could produce a nontaster child?

  1. Both parents are heterozygous and produce a homozygous recessive child.
  2. Both parents are homozygous recessive and produce a homozygous dominant child.
  3. Both parents are heterozygous and produce a heterozygous child.
  4. Both parents are homozygous dominant and produce a homozygous recessive child.
/share/clg/xml/public_release/science/2003_332_bio17.xml

Correct Answer:
A

Selected Response Item - Released in 2005

Which of these combinations results in the expression of a recessive trait?

  1. two dominant alleles
  2. a dominant sex-linked allele and a Y chromosome
  3. two recessive alleles
  4. a dominant allele and a recessive allele
/share/clg/xml/public_release/science/2005_332_bio16.xml

Correct Answer:
C

Brief Constructed Response (BCR) Item - Released in 2005

Galactosemia is an inherited disorder in humans. A person with the disorder cannot digest the sugars in milk. The allele for normal digestion (G) is dominant; the allele for galactosemia (g) is recessive.

A female who is heterozygous for the galactosemia trait and a male who has galactosemia have a child.

Describe how this disorder could have been passed on in the family. In your response, be sure to

  • identify the genotype of the father
     
  • complete a Punnett square to show the possible genotypes and phenotypes of the child
     
  • describe the probability that the child will inherit galactosemia
     
  • describe all the possible genotypes and phenotypes of the father's parents; explain your answer
     
Type your answer in the answer box below.

/share/clg/xml/public_release/science/2005_332_bio38.xml

View Scoring Information

Brief Constructed Response (BCR) Item - Released in 2006

The length of a dog's tail is an inherited trait. The allele for short tails is dominant (T) over the allele for long tails (t). A dog breeder mates two short-tailed dogs (parents). One parent is homozygous and the other is heterozygous for this trait. A litter of twelve puppies, all with short tails, is produced (first generation). The breeder mates one of the first generation dogs with a short-tailed dog from another litter. A litter of ten puppies is produced (second generation). The breeder is surprised when one of the second generation puppies has a long tail.

Describe the genetic make-up of the parents and puppies that produced this inheritance pattern. In your response, be sure to

  • identify the genotype of the parents
  • use a Punnett square to show the possible genotypes of the first generation puppies
  • use a Punnett square to show the possible genotypes of the second generation puppies
  • identify the genotypic and phenotypic ratios of the first and second generation puppies
  • explain how a long-tailed dog can suddenly appear when all the other dog's were short-tailed

Write your answer in your Answer Book.

/share/clg/xml/public_release/science/2006_332_bio38.xml

View Scoring Information

Selected Response Item - Released in 2006

In humans, the allele for long eyelashes is dominant (L) and the allele for short eyelashes is recessive (l). A female who is heterozygous for long eyelashes and a male with short eyelashes have a child.

What is the probability that their offspring will have short eyelashes?

  1. 0%
  2. 25%
  3. 50%
  4. 75%
/share/clg/xml/public_release/science/2006_332_bio03.xml

Correct Answer:
C

Selected Response Item - Released in 2006

In a species of fly, the allele for red eyes (R) is dominant to the allele for brown eyes (r). Red eye color in the flies is not sex-linked. Students crossed male and female flies that had red eyes and recorded the eye color of their offspring. Their data are shown below.

What are the most likely genotypes of the parent flies?

  1. RR and rr
  2. Rr and Rr
  3. rr and rr
  4. RR and Rr
/share/clg/xml/public_release/science/2006_332_bio17.xml

Correct Answer:
B

Selected Response Item - Released in 2007

The allele for attached earlobes (e) is recessive to the allele for unattached earlobes (E). A woman with the genotype (Ee) and a man with the genotype (ee) have a child.

What is the probability that the child is heterozygous for attached earlobes?

  1. 0%
  2. 25%
  3. 50%
  4. 75%
/share/clg/xml/public_release/science/2007_332_bio09.xml

Correct Answer:
C

Selected Response Item - Released in 2007

Which of these is an example of a heterozygous genotype?

  1. Rr
  2. RR
  3. wrinkled
  4. round
/share/clg/xml/public_release/science/2007_332_bio29.xml

Correct Answer:
A

Selected Response Item - Released in 2007

Use the information and Punnett square below to answer the following question.

In guinea pigs, the allele for black fur (B) is dominant. The allele for brown fur (b) is recessive. Two guinea pigs were crossed as shown in the Punnett square below. Numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4 represent the types of offspring produced from the cross.

What is the probability that an offspring from this cross would have brown fur?

  1. 0%
  2. 25%
  3. 50%
  4. 75%
/share/clg/xml/public_release/science/2007_332_bio45.xml

Correct Answer:
A

Selected Response Item - Released in 2007

Use the information and Punnett square below to answer the following question.

In guinea pigs, the allele for black fur (B) is dominant. The allele for brown fur (b) is recessive. Two guinea pigs were crossed as shown in the Punnett square below. Numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4 represent the types of offspring produced from the cross.

Which of these describes the phenotypes of the parent guinea pigs?

  1. Both parents have black fur.
  2. Both parents have brown fur.
  3. One parent has black fur, and the other has brown fur.
  4. One parent has a mixture of black and brown fur, and the other has black fur.
/share/clg/xml/public_release/science/2007_332_bio46.xml

Correct Answer:
A