Biology Regents Practice Exam

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Prepare for your Biology Regents Exam. Use flashcards, multiple choice questions with tips and explanations. Be confident for test day!

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Which life function is not necessary for an individual organism to stay alive?

Nutrition
Reproduction
Regulation
Excretion

The correct answer is: Reproduction

Reproduction is a vital life function for the continuation of a species, but it is not necessary for the survival of an individual organism. An organism can live and maintain its metabolic processes without reproducing. The other life functions listed—nutrition, regulation, and excretion—are essential for the individual to maintain homeostasis, obtain energy, and remove waste products from the body. Nutrition is needed to provide energy and building materials, regulation helps coordinate various systems within the organism, and excretion removes harmful byproducts of metabolism. Without these functions, an organism would not be able to sustain itself, highlighting why reproduction is not critical for the life of an individual.