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
  1. Unicellular or colonial

  2. Prokaryotic

  3. Non-filamentous

  4. Both (1) and (2)

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Kingdom Monera includes prokaryotic organisms (bacteria) that are unicellular or colonial in organization. They are prokaryotic (lack membrane-bound nucleus and organelles). They can be filamentous or non-filamentous depending on the species, so this is not a universal characteristic.

Multiple choice
  1. Radial

  2. Bilateral

  3. Biradial

  4. Spherical

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Roundworms (Nematoda) exhibit bilateral symmetry, where the body can be divided into two mirror-image halves along a single plane. This is different from radial symmetry (echinoderms, cnidarians) or spherical symmetry (some protozoans). Biradial symmetry is seen in ctenophores.

Multiple choice
  1. Chiton

  2. Balanoglossus

  3. Antedon

  4. Scoliodon

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Antedon is a genus of crinoids (sea lilies), which belong to the phylum Echinodermata. Chiton is a mollusk, Balanoglossus is a hemichordate, and Scoliodon is a cartilaginous fish (Chondrichthyes).

Multiple choice
  1. Calcium carbonate structures

  2. Water driven tube system

  3. Acoelomic cavity

  4. Triploblastic

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Echinoderms have a coelomic cavity (not acoelomic). The water vascular system (tube feet) is a key characteristic. They have calcium carbonate structures (ossicles/spicules) and are triploblastic. Acoelomate is a feature of flatworms, not echinoderms.

Multiple choice
  1. Arthropods

  2. Echinoderms

  3. Annelids

  4. Molluscs

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The water vascular system is a hydraulic system used by echinoderms, such as sea stars and sea urchins, for locomotion, food and waste transportation, and respiration.

Multiple choice
  1. Presence of limbs

  2. Presence of heart

  3. Presence of nervous system

  4. Presence of haemoglobin

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Chordates are defined by five fundamental characteristics: notochord, dorsal hollow nerve cord, pharyngeal slits, post-anal tail, and endostyle/thyroid gland. The presence of a nervous system (specifically the dorsal hollow nerve cord) is one of these defining features. Limbs, heart, and haemoglobin are not unique to chordates.

Multiple choice
  1. Both 1 and 2

  2. Both 2 and 3

  3. Both 1 and 3

  4. All three

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. The polyps belong to a group of animals known as Cnidaria, which also includes sea anenomes and jellyfish. Often called "rainforests of the sea", coral reefs form some of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth. They occupy less than 0.1% of the world's ocean surface, about half the area of France, yet they provide a home for 25% of all marine species including fish, mollusks, worms, crustaceans, echinoderms, sponges, tunicates and other cnidarians.

Multiple choice
  1. It has two thick layers of fur.

  2. It has long curved and sharp claws.

  3. It has a long tail.

  4. It has a thick layer of fat under its skin.

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Yes, it is not the adaptation of polar bear. The tail of a polar bear is not long rather it has a short tail. It has a stubby short tail which helps it to keep its body warm.

Multiple choice
  1. Toxoplasma gondii

  2. Cryptosporidium parvum

  3. Dinoflagellates

  4. Heterokonts

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Dinoflagellates exhibit the process of kleptoplasty; they take up algae as food and keep the plastid of the digested alga to profit from the photosynthesis; after a while, the plastids are also digested.

Multiple choice
  1. Euglena

  2. Giardia

  3. Trypanosoma

  4. Plasmodium

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Euglena is a unique organism that exhibits characteristics of both plants and animals. It contains chlorophyll and can perform photosynthesis like plants, but it's also motile and can ingest food like animals. This dual nature makes it the classic example of a photosynthetic protozoan studied in biology.

Multiple choice
  1. Fungi

  2. Bacteria

  3. Algae

  4. Virus

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Diatoms are unicellular algae that have unique silica-based cell walls. They are photosynthetic organisms found in aquatic environments and are classified as algae, specifically within the group of protists. They are neither fungi, bacteria, nor viruses.

Multiple choice
  1. Amoeba

  2. Paramecium

  3. Euglena

  4. Diatoms

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Diatoms are not protozoans - they are algae. Amoeba, Paramecium, and Euglena are all classified as protozoans. Diatoms are photosynthetic organisms with silica cell walls and belong to the algae group, making them the correct answer for 'not a protozoan'.

Multiple choice
  1. Spirogyra

  2. Mucor

  3. Volvox

  4. Chlamydomonas

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Mucor is a genus of fungi, not algae. Spirogyra, Volvox, and Chlamydomonas are all well-known types of algae. Mucor is a mold fungus commonly found in soil and decaying organic matter, making it the correct answer for 'not a type of algae'.