Q1. Biosystematics aims at
(a) identification and arrangement of organisms on the basis of their cytological characteristics
(b) the classification of organisms based on broad morphological characters
(c) delimiting various taxa of organisms and establishing establishing their relationships
(d) the classification of organisms based on their evolutionary history and establishing their phylogeny
Correct Answer: (d)
Q2. Species are considered as
(a) real units of classification devised by taxonomists
(b) real basic units of classification
(c) the lowest units of classification
(d) artificial concept of human mind which cannot be defined in absolute terms
Correct Answer: (c)
Q3. Taxonomy without phylogeny is similar to bones without flesh is the statement of
(a) Oswald Tippo
(b) John Hutchinson
(c) Takhtajan
(d) Bentham and Hooker
Correct Answer: (c)
Q4. The common characteristics between tomato and potato will be maximum at the level of their
(a) Genus
(b) Family
(c) Order
(d) Division
Correct Answer: (b)
Q5. First life on earth was
(a) Cyanobacteria
(b) Chemoheterotrophs
(c) Autotrophs
(d) Photoautotrophs
Correct Answer: (b)
Q6. The practical purpose of classification of living organisms is to
(a) explain the origin of living organisms
(b) trace the evolution of living organisms
(c) name the living organisms
(d) facilitate identification of unknown organisms
Correct Answer: (d)
Q7. Phenetic classification is based on
(a) sexual characteristics
(b) the ancestral lineage of existing organisms
(c) observable characteristics of existing organisms
(d) dendograms based on DNA characteristics
Correct Answer: (c)
Q8. It is much easier for a small animal to run uphill than for a large animal, because
(a) it is easier to carry a small body weight.
(b) smaller animals have a higher metabolic rate.
(c) small animals have a lower O2 requirement.
(d) the efficiency of muscles in large animals is less than in the small animals.
Correct Answer: (b)
Q9. Sequence of taxonomic categories is
(a) Class – Phylum – Tribe – Order – Family – Genus – Species
(b) Division – Class – Family – Tribe – Order – Genus – Species
(c) Phylum – Class – Order – Family – Tribe – Genus – Species
(d) Phylum – Order – Class – Tribe – Family – Genus – Species
Correct Answer: (c)
Q10. Binomial nomenclature consists of two words
(a) Genus and species
(b) Order and family
(c) Family and genus
(d) Species and variety
Correct Answer: (a)
Q11. The most important feature of all living systems is to
(a) utilize oxygen to generate energy
(b) replicate the genetic information
(c) produce gametes
(d) utilize solar energy for metabolic activities
Correct Answer: (b)
Q12. The book Genera Plantarum was written by
(a) Bessy
(b) Hutchinson
(c) Engler and Prantl
(d) Bentham & Hooker
Correct Answer: (d)
Q13. Homeostasis is organism's
(a) tendency to change with change in environment
(b) tendency to resist change
(c) disturbance in regulatory control
(d) plants and animal extracts used in homeopathy
Correct Answer: (b)
Q14. An important criterion for modern day classification is
(a) resemblances in morphology
(b) anatomical and physiological traits
(c) breeding habits
(d) presence or absence of notochord
Correct Answer: (b)
Q15. Basic unit or smallest taxon of taxonomy/ classification is
(a) species
(b) kingdom
(c) family
(d) variety
Correct Answer: (a)
Q16. Which of the following is against the rules of ICBN?
(a) Generic and specific names should be written starting with small letters.
(b) Hand written scientific names should be underlined.
(c) Every species should have a generic name and a specific epithet.
(d) Scientific names are in Latin and should be italized.
Correct Answer: (a)
Q17. Biological organisation starts with
(a) cellular level
(b) organismic level
(c) atomic level
(d) submicroscopic molecular level
Correct Answer: (d)
Q18. Employment of hereditary principles in the improvement of human race is
(a) Euthenics
(b) Eugenics
(c) Euphenics
(d) Ethnology
Correct Answer: (b)
Q19. Which one of the following organisms is scientifically correctly named, correctly printed according to the International Rules of Nomenclature and correctly described?
(a) Musca domestica - The common house lizard, a reptile.
(b) Plasmodium falciparum – A protozoan pathogen causing the most serious type of malaria.
(c) Felis tigris – The Bengal tiger, is well protected in Gir forests.
(d) E.coli – Full name Entamoeba coli, a commonly occurring bacterium in human intestine.
Correct Answer: (b)
Q20. Linnaeus evolved a system of nomenclature called
(a) mononomial
(b) vernacular
(c) binomial
(d) polynomial
Correct Answer: (c)
Q21. Nomenclature is governed by certain universal rules. Which one of the following is contrary to the rules of nomenclature?
(a) Biological names can be written in any language
(b) The first word in a biological name represents the genus name, and the second is a specific epithet
(c) The names are written in Latin and are italicised
(d) When written by hand, the names are to be underlined
Correct Answer: (a)
Q22. Organisms which obtain energy by the oxidation of reduced inorganic compounds are called
(a) photoautotrophs
(b) chemoautotrophs
(c) saprozoic
(d) coproheterotrophs
Correct Answer: (b)
Q23. Linnaeus is credited with
(a) binomial nomenclature
(b) theory of biogenesis
(c) discovery of microscope
(d) discovery of blood circulation
Correct Answer: (a)
Q24. Binomial nomenclature was introduced by
(a) de Vries
(b) Carlous Linnaeus
(c) Huxley
(d) John Ray
Correct Answer: (b)
Q25. The term phylum was given by
(a) Cuvier
(b) Haeckel
(c) Theophrastus
(d) Linnaeus
Correct Answer: (b)
Q26. Study of fossils is
(a) palaeontology
(b) herpetology
(c) saurology
(d) organic evolution
Correct Answer: (a)
Q27. The contrasting characteristics generally in a pair used for identification of animals in Taxonomic Key are referred to as :
(a) Alternate
(b) Lead
(c) Couplet
(d) Doublet
Correct Answer: (c)
Q28. The term New Systematics was introduced by
(a) Bentham and Hooker
(b) Linnaeus
(c) Julian Huxley
(d) A.P. de Candolle
Correct Answer: (c)
Q29. The living organisms can be unexceptionally distinguished from the non-living things on the basis of their ability for
(a) interaction with the environment and progressive evolution
(b) reproduction
(c) growth and movement
(d) responsiveness to touch.
Correct Answer: (d)
Q30. ICBN stands for
(a) International Code of Botanical Nomenclature
(b) International congress of Biological Names
(c) Indian Code of Botanical Nomenclature
(d) Indian Congress of Biological Names.
Correct Answer: (a)
Q31. Which of the following has proved helpful in preserving pollen as fossils?
(a) Pollenkitt
(b) Cellulosic intine
(c) Sporopollenin
(d) Oil content
Correct Answer: (c)
Q32. Which one of the following is not a correct statement ?
(a) Botanical gardens have collection of living plants for reference.
(b) A museum has collection of photographs of plants and animals.
(c) Key is taxonomic aid for identification of specimens.
(d) Herbarium houses dried, pressed and preserved plant specimens.
Correct Answer: (b)
Q33. What is true for individuals of same species?
(a) Live in same niche
(b) Live in same habitat
(c) Interbreeding
(d) Live in different habitat
Correct Answer: (c)
Q34. Angiosperms have dominated the land flora primarily because of their
(a) power of adaptability in diverse habitat
(b) property of producing large number of seeds
(c) nature of self pollination
(d) domestication by man
Correct Answer: (a)
Q35. What is true for photolithotrophs?
(a) Obtain energy from radiations and hydrogen from organic compounds
(b) Obtain energy from radiations and hydrogen from inorganic compounds
(c) Obtain energy from organic compounds
(d) Obtain energy from inorganic compounds
Correct Answer: (b)
Q36. Which one of the following animals is correctly matched with its particular named taxonomic category?
(a) Tiger - tigris, the species
(b) Cuttle fish - mollusca, a class
(c) Humans - primata, the family
(d) Housefly - musca, an order
Correct Answer: (a)
Q37. A taxon is
(a) a group of related families
(b) a group of related species
(c) a type of living organisms
(d) a taxonomic group of any ranking
Correct Answer: (d)
Q38. Static concept of species was put forward by
(a) de Candolle
(b) Linnaeus
(c) Theophrastus
(d) Darwin
Correct Answer: (b)
Q39. Binomial nomenclature means
(a) one name given by two scientists
(b) one scientific name consisting of a generic and specific epithet
(c) two names, one latinised, other of a person
(d) two names of same plant
Correct Answer: (b)
Q40. Select the correctly written scientific name of Mango which was first described by Carolus Linnaeus:
(a) Mangifera indica Car. Linn.
(b) Mangifera indica Linn.
(c) Mangifera indica
(d) Mangifera Indica
Correct Answer: (b)
Q41. Which one of the following aspects is an exclusive characteristic of living things?
(a) Isolated metabolic reactions occur in vitro
(b) Increase in mass from inside only
(c) Perception of events happening in the environment and their memory
(d) Increase in mass by accumulation of material both on surface as well as internally.
Correct Answer: (c)
Q42. Species is a
(a) unit of classification
(b) unit in the evolutionary history of a tree
(c) specific class of evolution
(d) not related to evolution
Correct Answer: (a)