Biology · Science General

Diversity in Living Organisms

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The diversity in living organisms deals with the classification of life forms into various kingdoms and phyla. This topic covers specific traits of bacteria, animal body cavities, and structural adaptations for survival. These fundamentals are crucial for biology sections in medical entrance and state board exams.

Animal phyla characteristicsBacteria and flagellaBiological adaptationsKingdom Animalia classificationBody cavity typesExtinct organism subphylaJawless animals identification

Diversity in Living Organisms Questions

Multiple choice biology selection and evolution phylogeny cladistics speciation

When originally classified, whales and hippopotamuses were placed into different orders. Molecular analysis recently suggested that whales (order Cetacea) and hippopotamuses (order Artiodactyla) are extremely closely related, sharing a recent common ancestor.
This has led some taxonomists to create a new phylogenetic tree that puts the two orders together into a single clade. It is still unclear as to whether the whales diverged from Hippopotamuses before or after the divergence of other species in the order Artiodactyla.
An interesting physical feature of whales is the presence of vestigial pelvic bones.
If scientists determine that whales diverged from the artiodactyl order after llamas and giraffes, what should be true of the vestigial pelvic bones of whales?

  1. They are a shared ancestral feature of whales, llamas, and giraffes.

  2. They are a shared derived feature of whales, llamas, and giraffes.

  3. They are a shared ancestral feature of whales.

  4. They are a shared derived feature of whales.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation
The presence of vestigial pelvic bones is a characteristic of whales, even though pelvic bone was present in the species that diverged Hippopotamuses. It was not used in whales and hence vestigial. The bone being vestigial is characteristic of whales
So, the correct answer is 'They are a shared derived feature of whales'

Multiple choice biology what do animals eat? introduction to animal nutrition food for life types of nutrition

Which mode is used by snakes for taking food?

  1. Swallowing

  2. Chewing

  3. Sucking

  4. Biting
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation
Snakes are carnivores. They eat their food by mechanism of swallowing. it is the process that allows for a substance to pass from the mouth, to the pharynx and into esophagus. Swallowing is done by raking with the lower jaw until the prey is far enough back to be helped down by body undulations.
So, the correct answer is 'Swallowing'.
Multiple choice evs seeds and seeds interdependencies among organisms hunting plant interdependence between plants and animals

Diversity of organisms include three Domains such as

  1. bacteria, archae, eukarya

  2. binomial system of classification

  3. monera, protista, fungi, plantae, animalia

  4. membrane bound organelles, no peptidoglycan in cell walls, introns
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The three-domain system, proposed by Carl Woese, classifies all cellular life into Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya based on ribosomal RNA sequences.

Multiple choice biology habitat and adaptation terrestrial adaptations in plants desert ecosystem adaptation in terrestrial plants

Which of the following is an important adaptation of animals too the cold climate?

  1. Thin layer of body fat

  2. Aestivation

  3. Increased tendency to shivering

  4. Reduced surface area to volume ratio
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Temperature affects the the absolute size of an animal and the relative proportions of various body parts, Birds and mammals attain grater body size in cold regions than in warm areas. But poikilotherms are smaller in cold region. This is Bargeman's rue. This is true because small animals have larger surface area relative to their volume, so if they are in cold, they lose their body heat very fast. In cold climate, reduced surface area to volume ratio is ideal. So, the correct answer is 'Reduced surface area to volume ratio'.

Multiple choice biology habitat and adaptation terrestrial adaptations in plants desert ecosystem adaptation in terrestrial plants

Which of the following is not an important adaptation of animals to cold climate?

  1. Thin layer of body fat

  2. Aestivation

  3. Increased tendency to shiver

  4. Reduced surface area to volume ratio
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The animals living in cold climate have various physiological adaptations like:

1) A thick layer of body fat called as Blubber to avoid loss of heat from body tissue.

2) Hibernation is a property of suspended metabolism in these organisms to surpass cold conditions.similar mechanism called aestivation exists in desert animals to survive in arid and hot conditions.

3) Increased tendency to shiver causes an increase in body temperature because of exercise thus help to withstand low temperatures.

4) The reduced surface area to volume ratio to prevent heat loss from the body surface. So, the correct answer is 'Aestivation'.

Multiple choice biology habitat and adaptation terrestrial adaptations in plants desert ecosystem adaptation in terrestrial plants

Animals living in cold regions have?

  1. legs to run fast

  2. fat for additional insulation

  3. long necks

  4. long eye lashes
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Animals that live in colder areas have to protect their bodies against extremely cold environmental conditions. Their bodies cannot withstand such cold climates. So, they have a thick white fur over their bodies. This provides an additional layer over their skin. As a result, the air gets trapped in this layer and it cannot pass through it, keeping their bodies insulated against the excessive cold.

So, option B " fat for additional insulation" is the correct answer.

Multiple choice biology cell and cell organelles cell membrane and cell wall cell wall cell division in embryo development

Consider the following and choose correct features w.r.t. bacillariophycean members. 
(a) Girdle
(b) Cnidoblast
(c) Sewage pollution indicator
(d) Zygotic meiosis
(e) Auxospores
(f) Diplontic life cycle

  1. $\text{a, d, e & f}$
  2. $\text{b, c, d & e}$
  3. $\text{c, d, e & f}$
  4. $\text{c, e & f}$
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Bacillariophyceae (diatoms) are characterized by features like auxospores, zygotic meiosis, and a diplontic life cycle. Girdle refers to their frustule structure.

Multiple choice zoology structural organization of animals structural organization of leech phylum annelida annelida structural organization of rabbit

Presence of suckers are characteristic of which of the following class?

  1. Polychaeta

  2. Oligochaeta

  3. Hirudinea

  4. Archiannelida
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Class Hirudinea belongs to phylum Annelida. These are parasitic in nature which is equipped with suckers used for creeping. Leeches are primarily freshwater annelids, but some live in the ocean and some in moist soil or vegetation. The majority of leeches are predators on small invertebrates, most swallow their prey whole, but some suck the soft parts from their victims. Some leeches are parasites rather than predators and suck the body fluids of their victims without killing them.

Therefore, the correct answer is option C.

Multiple choice zoology structural organization of animals structural organization of leech phylum annelida annelida structural organization of rabbit

A suctorial mouth is present in 

  1. Leech

  2. Ascaris

  3. Tapeworm

  4. Earthworm
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation
  • Leeches are ectoparasites and they mostly live on the blood of vertebrate animals, like - humans, cattle, etc. They have a sanguivorous i.e. blood-sucking feeding habit. The blood-sucking habit of Leeches is supported by a special adaptation in their mouth.
  • Their mouth is a narrow triradiate aperture that sits at the center of the pre-oral chamber of the oral sucker. The oral sucker (or anterior sucker) is a tiny hollow muscular organ present at the anterior end of the animal body. 
  • The pre-oral chamber is actually a cup-like depression at the ventral surface of the oral sucker. One ray of the mouth is in medio-dorsal position, while the other two are placed ventro-laterally. 
  • This specially modified mouth of the Leeches is called suctorial mouth. When a feeding leech firmly adheres to the host body, its suctorial mouth moves like a saw and makes a triradiate (i.e. Y-shaped) painless incision in the victim's skin. Then the oozing blood of the host is sucked by the Leech. 
Multiple choice zoology structural organization of animals structural organization of leech phylum annelida annelida structural organization of rabbit

Match the locomotory organs given with the phylum, in which they are seen. Choose the answer which gives the correct combination of the alphabets of the two columns:

Locomotory organ Phylum
A. Pseudopodia p. Mollusca
B. Parapodia q. Chondrichthyes
C. Muscular foot r. Protozoa
D. Fins s. Annelida


  1. A- r, B- p, C- s, D- q

  2. A- p, B- r, C- s, D- q

  3. A- s, B- r, C- q, D- p

  4. A- r, B- s, C- p, D- q
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Pseudopodia are the temporary extensions of the cytoplasm. These are used in locomotion and feeding. These are used by the protozoans and some of the flagellate protozoans. Polychaete worms  are the group of worms which belong to the phylum of Annelids. They are characterized by an elongated and segmented body. They bear a pair of appendages called parapodia on each metamere. These are used for locomotion. The organisms which are mollusc and belongs to the class of Gastropoda, have a flattened muscular foot for locomotion. They have a head that bears stalked eyes. Chondrichthyans are the group of cartilagenous fishes. Many chondrichthyans possess two dorsal fins, one anterior (just behind the head) and another posterior (in front of the tail).

Thus, the correct answer is option D. 

Multiple choice zoology structural organization of animals structural organization of leech phylum annelida annelida structural organization of rabbit

Which one of the following is a matching pair of a body feature and the animal possessing it?

  1. Ventral heart - Scorpion

  2. Post anal tail - Octopus

  3. Ventral central nervous system - Leech

  4. Pharyngeal gill slits absent in embryo- Chamaeleon
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The scorpion heart is a strong, muscular organ extending along the dorsal mid-line of the heart.
Octopus has four pairs of arms, like all cephalopods.
Chamaeleon has pharyngeal gill slits in the embryo stage.
The central nervous system in leech is ventral.

Thus, the correct answer is option (C).

Multiple choice zoology structural organization of animals structural organization of leech phylum annelida annelida structural organization of rabbit

External segmentation is absent but internal segmentation is present in

  1. Polychaeta

  2. Oligochaeta

  3. Archiannelida

  4. Hirudinea
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Archiannelids are a group of annelids that show internal segmentation by septa, but lack the external segmentation (annuli) characteristic of other annelid classes.

Multiple choice zoology structural organization of animals structural organization of leech phylum annelida annelida structural organization of rabbit

Choose the correct answers from the alternatives given.


Earthworms differ from most of the marine annelids as in that earthworms:

  1. Lack setae that marine annelids have

  2. Lack paddle-like parapodia that marine annelids have

  3. Have segments, whereas marine annelids do not

  4. Have well-developed brains and sensory organs in the head region, whereas marine annelids do not
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

In polychaetes (or marine annelids) parapodia are present that help in gaseous exchange and in movement. Parapodia is absent in earthworm and in earthworms respiration is through skin. So, the correct answer is 'lack paddle-like parapodia that marine annelids have'.