Biology · Science General

Diversity in Living Organisms

3,829 Questions

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

Echolocation system is found in:

  1. Equus

  2. Amphibia

  3. Bat

  4. Oryctolagus

  5. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Echolocation is a biological sonar system used by bats (and some other animals like dolphins) to navigate and locate prey in darkness. Bats emit high-frequency sound waves and interpret the returning echoes. Equus (horses), Amphibia (frogs, salamanders), and Oryctolagus (rabbits) do not possess echolocation abilities.

Multiple choice

Typhlosole is found in:

  1. Pheretima

  2. Periplaneta

  3. Hydra

  4. Ascaris

  5. Paramecium
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Typhlosole is an inward fold of the intestinal wall found in earthworms (Pheretima posthuma) that increases surface area for digestion and nutrient absorption. It is not present in cockroaches (Periplaneta), Hydra (cnidarian), Ascaris (nematode), or Paramecium (protozoan).

Multiple choice

Which of the following is not a characteristic feature of birds?

  1. cold bloodedness

  2. presence of pneumatic bones

  3. lungs with air sacs

  4. presence of amnion

  5. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Birds are warm-blooded (endothermic) animals, not cold-blooded. All other options listed ARE characteristic features of birds: pneumatic (hollow) bones reduce weight for flight, lungs with air sacs provide efficient respiration, and presence of amnion during embryonic development. Therefore, cold-bloodedness is NOT a feature of birds.

Multiple choice

Vivipary is found in:

  1. Coelenterata

  2. Protozoa

  3. Rabbit

  4. Pisces

  5. Porifera
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Vivipary is the development and birth of live young. Mammals like rabbits are viviparous, while organisms like Coelenterata, Protozoa, Pisces (fish), and Porifera are not typically viviparous.

Multiple choice

Which of the following words could best be substituted for “homologous” (line 14) without substantially changing the author's meaning?

Directions: Read the given passage and answer the following question.

Both plants and animals of many sorts show remarkable change in form, structure, growth habits, and even mode of reproduction in becoming adapted to different climatic environment, types of food supply, or mode of living. This divergence in response to evolution is commonly expressed by altering the fotin and function of some part or parts of the organism, the original identity of which is clearly discernible. For example, the creeping foot of the snail is seen in related marine pteropods to be modified into a flapping organ useful for swimming, and is changed into prehensile arms that bear suctorial disks in the squids and other cephalopods. The limbs of various mammals are modified according to several different modes of life- for swift running (cursorial) as in the horse arid antelope, for swinging in trees (arboreal) as in the monkeys, for digging (fossorial) as in the moles and gophers, for flying (Volant) as in the bats, for swimming (acquatic) as in the seals, whales and dolphins, and for other adaptations. The structures or organs that show main change in connection with this adaptive divergence are commonly identified readily as homologous, in spite of great alterations. Thus, the linger and wrist bones of a bat and whale, for instance, have virtually nothing in common except that they are definitely equivalent elements of the mammalian limb.

  1. altered

  2. mammalian

  3. corresponding

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

The author means that "in spite of great alterations", the structures or organs that show main change in connection with this adaptive divergence are identified as corresponding.

Multiple choice

The heart is simple, tubular and ventral. This condition is seen in:

  1. cyclostomata

  2. cephalochordate

  3. vertebrata

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

Urochordates (tunicates) possess a simple, tubular, ventral heart that can reverse direction. This primitive heart structure contrasts with the more complex chambered hearts found in vertebrates (Vertebrata) and other chordate groups.

Multiple choice

Allantois of the mammalians do not help in:

  1. nutrition

  2. excretion

  3. respiration

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

The allantois is an extraembryonic membrane in mammalian embryos that functions in nutrient transport from the yolk sac, waste storage (excretion), and early gas exchange (respiration). Protection is primarily provided by the amnion and chorion, not the allantois.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is not a hermaphrodite?

  1. Liver fluke

  2. Hydra

  3. Blood fluke

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

The blood fluke (Schistosoma) is dioecious with separate male and female organisms, unlike most other flukes. Liver fluke, hydra, and earthworm are all hermaphrodites possessing both male and female reproductive organs.

Multiple choice

All prokaryotes lack:

  1. cell wall

  2. DNA

  3. nucleus

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

Prokaryotes are characterized by the absence of a membrane-bound nucleus, which is the defining feature that distinguishes them from eukaryotic cells. They possess DNA (though not enclosed in a nuclear membrane), some have cell walls, and certain prokaryotes like cyanobacteria contain chlorophyll for photosynthesis. The nucleus is a eukaryotic organelle that prokaryotes completely lack.

Multiple choice

Phycoerythrin is present in:

  1. sargassam

  2. caulerpa

  3. ulva

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

Phycoerythrin is a red pigment-protein complex found in red algae (Rhodophyta), including Gracilaria species. This accessory pigment absorbs blue-green light and allows red algae to perform photosynthesis at greater depths where other light wavelengths are filtered out. Gracilaria is an economically important red alga used in agar production. The other options - Sargassum (brown algae), Caulerpa (green algae), and Ulva (green algae) - do not contain phycoerythrin.

Multiple choice

PAS does not stain

  1. fungal cell wall

  2. basement membrane of bacteria

  3. glycogen

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

PAS (Periodic acid-Schiff) stains carbohydrates and carbohydrate-rich structures like glycogen, glycoproteins, and mucopolysaccharides. It stains fungal cell walls (due to polysaccharides), basement membranes, and glycogen deposits. Lipids are not carbohydrates and are not stained by PAS - fat stains include Oil Red O and Sudan dyes.

Multiple choice

A snake has

  1. Only one lung

  2. Two lungs

  3. No lung

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

Most snakes have only one functional lung - the right lung is well-developed while the left lung is either very small or completely absent. This adaptation allows for their elongated body shape. The single lung is quite elongated and can extend far into the body cavity.