55. Which of following statements concerning the mechanism of long-term potentiation (LTP) in the vertebrate brain is INCORRECT?
(A) LTP involves an increase in the strength of synaptic transmission that occurs when presynaptic neurons produce a brief, high-frequency series of action potentials.
(B) The presynaptic neuron release acetylcholine (ACh). ACh binds to its receptor, opening the receptor channel  and depolarizing the postsynaptic membrane. 
(C) Ca^{2 +} diffuses into the postsynaptic neuron. Ca^{2 +} initiates the phosphorylation of the receptor, making them more responsive.
(D) stimulates the postsynaptic neuron to produce NO.
(E) NO diffuses into the presynaptic neuron, causing it to release more neurotransmitters.

51. Which of the following statements concerning biogeochemical cycles is NOT correct? (A) Plants and algae can use two inorganic forms of nitrogen: ammonium and nitrate. (B) Photosynthesis by plants and phytoplankton removes substantial amounts of atmospheric CO2 each year. (C) The largest accumulations of phosphorus are in sedimentary rocks of marine origin. There are also large quantities of phosphorus in soils, in the oceans and in organisms. (D) Under anaerobic conditions, nitrifying bacteria use NO3- in their metabolism instead of O2, releasing N2 in a process known as nitrification. (E) The major pathway for nitrogen to enter an ecosystem is via nitrogen fixation, the conversion of N2 by bacteria to forms that can be used to synthesize nitrogenous organic compounds.

52. The breathing in human is controlled by all of the following mechanisms EXCEPT (A) The sensors in the walls of the aorta and carotid arteries in the neck detect changes in blood pH and send nerve impulses to the medulla. (B) The sensors in the aorta and carotid arteries also detect changes in O2 levels in the blood and signal the medulla to increase the breathing rate. (C) Nerves from a breathing control center in the medulla oblongata of the brain send impulses to the diaphragm and rib muscles, stimulating them to contract and causing inhalation. (D) Sensors in the medulla detect changes in the pH of the blood and interistial fluid bathing the surface of the brain. (E) The control center in the medulla sets the basic rhythm, and a control center in the pons moderates it, smoothing out the transitions between inhalations and exhalations.

53. Which of the following statements concerning appetite-regulating hormones is NOT correct? (A) Leptin suppresses appetite as its level increase. (B) The hormone PYY, secreted by the small intestine after meals, acts as an appetite suppressant. (C) Insulin can suppress appetite by acting on the brain. (D) Ghrelin is one of the signals that triggers feelings of hunger as mealtimes approach. (E) Amino acids or fatty acid in the duodenum trigger the release of Cholecystokinin (CCK), an appetite suppressant.

54. Which of the following statements about both C4 and crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) plant is INCORRECT? (A) Both adaptations are characterized by preliminary incorporation of CO2 into organic acids, followed by transferring of CO2 to the Calvin cycle. (B) In C4 and CAM plants, carbon fixation and the Calvin cycle occur in the same cells at different time. (C) The C4 and CAM pathways are two evolutionary solutions to the problem of maintaining photosynthesis with stomata partially or completely closed on hot, dry days. (D) The C4 plants are so named because they preface the Calvin cycle with an alternate mode of carbon fixation that forms a four-carbon compound as its first product. (E) The mesophyll cells of CAM plants store the organic acids they make during the night in their vacuoles until morning, when the stomata close.

56. In what order would you pass through tissues when moving from the pith to the epidermis in a plant possessing secondary vascular tissue? (A) primary phloem  →  primary xylem  →  secondary phloem  →  secondary xylem. (B) primary xylem → secondary xylem  → . vascular cambium  →  secondary phloem  →  primary phloem.(C) primary phloem  →  secondary phloem  →  secondary xylem →  primary xylem. (D) secondaryxylem  →  primary xylem  →  primary phloem  →  secondary phloem. (E) secondary phloem  →  primary phloem →  primary xylem  → secondary xylem.

57. Following clear-cutting of a deciduous forest several hundred years ago, the land was colonized by herbaceous species which, over time, were replaced largely by shrubs, then by forest trees. Assuming the growth of the shrubs and trees was enhanced by the soil-holding properties of the herbaceous plants, which of the following processes best describes the progression from herbaceous plants to forest trees? (A) secondary succession; inhibition. (B) primary succession; toleration. (C) secondary succession; facilitation. (D) primary succession; inhibition. (E) primary succession; facilitation.

58. Which of the following statements about fire is INCORRECT? (A) Fire is one kind of disturbance. (B) Communities such as grasslands and· chaparrals depend on periodic fire to .maintain. (C) Fire suppression by humans may increase the severity of the fires. (D) Fire suppression is necessary for the protection of threatened and endangered forest species. (E) Secondary succession follows a fire.

59. Which of the following is the CORRECT sequence that occurs during the excitation and contraction of a muscle cell?  1. Tropomyosin shifts and unblocks the cross-bridge binding sites.  2. Calcium is released and binds to the troponin complex.  3. Transverse tubules depolarize the sarcoplasmic reticulum.  4. The thin filaments are ratcheted across the thick filaments by the heads of the myosin molecules using energy from ATP.  5. An action potential in a motor neuron causes the axon to release acetylcholine, which depolarizes the muscle cell membrane.  (A) 5, 2, 3, 1, 4 (B) 2, 1, 3, 5, 4 (C) 2, 3, 4, 1, 5 (D) 5, 3, 1, 2, 4 (E) 5, 3, 2, 1, 4

60. Tetanus refers to (A) the partial sustained contraction of major supporting muscles. (B) the all-or-none contraction of a single muscle fiber. (C) a stronger contraction resulting from the activation of multiple motor units. (D) a smooth and sustained contraction, resulting from wave summation. (E) a state of muscle fatigue caused by the depletion of ATP and the accumulation of lactate.

61. Which of the following best describes how an axon grows toward its target cell? (A) The axon grows in a direct path, attracted by signal molecules released by target cells. (B) Cells along the growth path release signal molecules that either attract or repel the axon, and the interaction of CAMs on the growth cone and neighboring cells may provide tracks that guide axon growth. (C) Nerve growth factor released by astrocytes stimulates a neural progenitor cell to differentiate into a neuron, whose axon then grows toward an increasing concentration of signal molecules. (D) The axon produces growth-promoting proteins only in its growth cone, causing the axon to grow in an outward direction toward its target cells. (E) Glia first migrate to the target cells, leaving a trail of CAMs along the path that the growth cone of the axon follows.