1. A student observed a group of ivy plants growing in a cool room and another group of the same kind of ivy growing in a warm room in the same building. The student wants to investigate why the two groups of plants grow at different rates. Describe how the student can conduct an experiment by following the scientific process.

Answer: To conduct the experiment, the student should take three ivy plants and plant them in separate pots. The conditions for these plants should be controlled so that the room temperature is kept constant for two of the plants. For the third plant, the student should select a temperature different from the other two and document the growth rate for all three plants.

(Score for Question 2: ___ out of 5 points)

2. Explain how photosynthetic organisms, like plants, convert light energy into usable chemical energy for all living organisms, including themselves. Please explain how energy flows from the sun to living things.

Answer: Photosynthesis turns sunlight into chemical energy, which is then utilized by an organism to make carbohydrate molecules. This energy that keeps the molecules together is released when an organism breaks down food. The cells then utilize this energy to perform various functions and cellular respiration.

(Score for Question 3: ___ out of 5 points)

3. A pet store has two guinea pigs. One has white fur (bb) while the other has one dominant allele (B) and one recessive allele (b) for fur color. What are the expected phenotypes of the offspring in a cross between these two guinea pigs, and explain your answer.

Answer: The expected phenotype ratio in a cross between these two guinea pigs is 1:1. Half of the offspring will have black fur, while half will have white fur. The genotype of the black offspring would be Bb, and the white offspring would be homozygous recessive bb.

(Score for Question 4: ___ out of 5 points)

4. Explain the fundamental parts of a significant theme in molecular biology: the DNA-RNA-Protein pathway. Give a general idea of what occurs in each stage.

Answer: The DNA-RNA-Protein pathway is crucial to molecular biology. The pathway starts with DNA, which stores genetic information. Transcription then occurs, in which the DNA is copied into RNA, which can be used to direct protein synthesis. Translation then occurs, where the proteins are synthesized on ribosomes using the mRNA template. These proteins are utilized in every aspect of cellular function and contribute to the organisms' traits and physiology.