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

Which of the following organisms are the diatoms?

  1. Unicellular algae

  2. Protozoan

  3. Free floating bryophytes

  4. Detritivore
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Diatoms are unicellular algae that belong to the group of photosynthetic phytoplankton. They are characterized by their unique silica-based cell walls called frustules, which are often intricately patterned. Diatoms are not protozoans, bryophytes, or detritivores - they are primary producers in aquatic ecosystems.

Multiple choice

Nostoc is characterized in having

  1. sexual reproduction

  2. uniflagellated zoospores

  3. cellulose cell wall

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The cell wall of Nostoc is made up of cellulose and mucopolymer.

Multiple choice

Which of the following features characterises Gram-positive genus Brocothrix?

  1. Aerobic filament forming non-motile rods

  2. Facultatively anaerobic non-motile rods occurring as long kinked filaments

  3. Aerobic non-motile short rods

  4. Aerotolerant long to very short non-motile rods often in chains
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Correct Answer: Facultatively anaerobic non-motile rods occurring as long kinked filaments

Multiple choice

Match organisms in Group I with shapes in Group II and flagellar arrangements in Group III and select the correct answer.

   
Group I
Group II
Group III
P. Escherichia coli i. Spherical 1. Peritrichous
Q. Staphylococcus aureus ii. Comma-shaped 2. Atrichous
R. Vibrio cholerae iii. Rod-shaped 3. Monotrichous

  1. P - ii - 3, Q - iii - 1, R - i - 2

  2. P - iii - 1, Q - i - 2, R - ii -3

  3. P - i - 2, Q - ii - 3, R - iii - 1

  4. P - ii - 2, Q - iii - 1, R - i - 3

  5. P - i - 2, Q - ii - 1, R - iii - 3
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Escherichia coli is a Gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped bacterium. The flagella in E. coli have a peritrichous arrangement. Staphylococcus aureus is an atrichous, Gram-positive, sphere-shaped bacteria that form clusters. Vibrio cholerae is a monotrichous, Gram-negative, comma-shaped bacterium.

Multiple choice

Directions: For this question, select the best of the answer choices given.

Some species of dolphins find their prey by echolocation; they emit clicking sounds and listen for echoes returning from distant objects in the water. Marine biologists have speculated that those same clicking sounds might have a second function: particularly loud clicks might be used by the dolphins to stun their prey at close range through sensory overload. Which of the following, if discovered to be true, would cast the most serious doubt on the correctness of the speculation described above?

  1. Dolphins that use echolocation to locate distant prey also emit frequent clicks at intermediate distances as they close in on their prey.

  2. The usefulness of echolocation as a means of locating prey depends on the clicking sounds being of a type that the prey is incapable of perceiving, regardless of volume.

  3. If dolphins stun their prey, the effect is bound to be so temporary that stunning from far away, even if possible, would be ineffective.

  4. Echolocation appears to give dolphins that use it information about the richness of a source of food as well as about its direction.

  5. The more distant a dolphin's prey, the louder the echolocation clicks must be if they are to reveal the prey's presence to the hunting dolphin.

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Multiple choice

Directions: For this question, select the best of the answer choices given.

The Burmese ferret badger burrows its home in the ground. Based on the fact that different local populations of Burmese ferret badgers of the same species dig homes of different styles, zoologists have concluded that the badgers building styles are a culturally acquired, rather than a genetically transmitted, trait. Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the conclusion drawn by the zoologists?

  1. There are more common characteristics than there are differences among the Burmese ferret badger's styles of the local Burmese ferret badger population that has been studied most extensively.

  2. Young Burmese ferret badgers are inept at digging burrows and apparently spend years watching their elders before becoming accomplished in the local style.

  3. The homes of one species of badger lack the characteristics of the homes of most other species of badger.

  4. Burmese ferret badgers are found only in Burma and India, where local populations of the badgers apparently seldom have contact with one another.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The best answer is (2). The information in choice (2) says that young Burmese ferret badgers progress slowly towards mastery of a burrow-digging style. This suggests that the skill is one they must learn, rather than one whose transmission is wholly genetic. Choice (2) also suggests a means of cultural transmission, namely, observation of older badger's techniques.

Multiple choice

Which of the following algae is a source of iodine?

  1. Polysiphonia

  2. Nostoc

  3. Laminaria

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

Laminaria (a brown alga/kelp) is a rich commercial source of iodine. Kelp has been historically harvested for iodine extraction. Polysiphonia is a red alga, Nostoc is a blue-green alga, and Volvox is a green colonial alga - none are major iodine sources.

Multiple choice

A true nucleus is absent in:

  1. green algae

  2. fungi

  3. lichens

  4. bacteria
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Bacteria are prokaryotes lacking a true membrane-bound nucleus - their DNA exists as a circular chromosome free in the cytoplasm without nuclear envelope. Green algae, fungi, and lichens (symbiosis of fungi and algae) are all eukaryotes with true nuclei.

Multiple choice

Both bacterial and yeast cells are similar in features, except that:

  1. they are unicellular

  2. they are prokaryotic cells

  3. they bring about fermentation

  4. they are microscopic
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Yeast cells are eukaryotic with a defined nucleus and membrane-bound organelles, while bacterial cells are prokaryotic lacking a true nucleus and organelles. Both share characteristics like being unicellular, microscopic, and capable of fermentation, making cellular organization the key difference.

Multiple choice

In what respect can cockroaches be considered superior to mammals?

  1. They can hear ultra-sonic sound waves.

  2. They can survive in all the conditions.

  3. They can detect even a slight change in the position of objects.

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Cockroaches have highly developed sensory structures called cerci at their posterior end, which are extremely sensitive to air movements and slight positional changes. This allows them to detect approaching predators quickly. They cannot hear ultrasonic sounds (some bats can), cannot survive in all conditions, and option C is most accurate.