NSMQ 2024 BIOLOGY PAST QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.

1. PREAMBLE: Name the parts shown in the transverse section of the monocot root

Ans:

• Cortex
• Epidermis
• Pericycle
• Root hairs

PREAMBLE: Name the organ to which the given adjective refers

2. Renal

Ans: Kidney

3. Hepatic

Ans: Liver

4. Cardiac

Ans: Heart

5. Pulmonary

Ans: Lung

• Also Read: NSMQ TRUE OR FALSE PAST QUESTION (BIOLOGY).

PREAMBLE: State whether the given organism is an autotroph or heterotroph

6. Cross tail

Ans: heterotroph

7. Wet mould

Ans: heterotroph

8. Liver wort

Ans: Autotroph

9. Sege

Ans: Autotroph

PREAMBLE: Indicate the biological terms to which the following descriptions refer.

10. A morphologically and physiologically distinct sub-group of a race where crossing occurs within the sub-group to maintain its individuality.

Ans: Breed

11. A group of plants selected by plant breeders for desirable characteristics that can be maintained by propagation.

Ans: Cultivar

12. The morphologically, physiologically, and genetically distinct sub-group of species.

Ans: Variety

13. Name the layer that separates the ectoderm from the endoderm in a developing fetus.

Ans: Mesoderm

14. What name is given to the type of respiration in which protein acts as a substrate in the absence of carbohydrates?

Ans: Protoplasmic respiration

PREAMBLE: Name the parts described in the longitudinal section of the brain

15. It is the largest part of the brain

Ans: cerebrum

16. It lies just below the cerebrum

Ans: Corpus callosum

17. It is the smallest part of the brain

Ans: Hypothalamus

18. It goes into the cervical area

Ans: Spinal chord

19. The root of the third ventricle

Ans: thalamus

20. Name the division to which mosses belong

Ans: Division bryophyte

21. Name the division to which liverworts belong

Ans: Division Bryophyta

22. Name the most commonly used in layering

Ans: Pitmoss

23. What is the genus of the pitmoss

Ans: Stagna

24. Name one of the two types of skeletons

Ans: Hydrostatic skeleton or the rigid skeleton

25. Name the one type of a rigid skeleton

Ans: Endoskeleton

26. What structure of the dermal origin are found on the fish

Ans: Scales

27. PREAMBLE: Mention one of the changes that take place in a flower of an angiosperm after pollination and fertilization have occurred?

Ans:

• The sepals, petals and stamens fall off. (any one partial pt of 1)
• The zygote is converted into an embryo.
• The ovule forms the seed.
• Ovary wall develops into pericarp.
• Ovary forms the fruit.

PREAMBLE:  State what typed of organism is named according to the kingdom to which they belong

28. Horse tail

Ans:   Plantae

29. Tree fern

Ans:  Plantae

30. Spirogyra

Ans:  Algae

31. Moss

Ans: Plantae

32. PREAMBLE: State one main benefit of plant

Ans:

• Serve as source of food
• Serve as shade for other organisms
• For medicinal purpose
• Fuel, fibre timer

33. PREAMBLE: Name one part of the external component of the eye

Ans:

• Scaotic
• Iris
• Pupil
• Eyelash

34. What physiological processes term the sleep wick cycle

Ans: Circadian rhythm

35. Name the process that is regulated by the circadian rhythm

Ans: Sleepiness or alertness or osmoregulation

36. Name one environmental change that humans have adapted to deal the circadian rhythm

Ans: Temperature

37. Name another environmental change that humans have adapted to deal the circadian rhythm

Ans: Radiation or food availability

PREAMBLE: State the term the given description refers to;

38. The part of the earth where life exists

Ans: Biosphere

39. The exact place an organism lives; including its behaviour; feeding habit and breeding habits

Ans: Ecological niche (accept niche)

40. It represents a step in a food chain or food web, indicating an organism’s position based on its feeding relationships

Ans: Trophic level

41. A group of living and non-living organisms which function together as a unit

Ans: Ecosystem

42. Which mineral element is involved in selective permeability of cell membrane?

Ans: Calcium

43. The male gametes of a crop plant have 20 chromosomes in their nucleus. Indicate the chromosome number in the female gamete, zygote and the cells of the seedling, respectively, of the plant.

Ans: 20, 40, 40

44. Which of the following organs in mammals is the odd one in terms of organs that consist of a central medullary region surrounded by a cortical region? a. Ovary b. Adrenal gland c. Liver d. Kidney

Ans: Liver

45. PREAMBLE: Mention one of the ways of controlling microorganisms

Ans;

• High temperature/boiling/heating/oven drying/pasteurization
• Dehydration/sun drying
• Antiseptic/disinfectant/germicide
• High salinity/salting
• Immunization /vaccination/inoculation
• Antibiotics
• Freezing/low temperature/refrigeration
• Radiation/irradiation
• Sterilization

PREAMBLE: Name the type of biological association that exists between the following organisms;

46. Lice on human scalp

Ans: Parasitism

47. Mushroom and decaying palm tree

Ans: Saprophytism

48. Barnacles and whales

Ans: Commensalism

49. Bacteria in the rumen of ruminants

Ans: Mutualism

50. What type of circulatory system is present in arthropods?

Ans: Open circulatory system

51. What is the excretory organ in insects?

Ans: Malpighian tubules

52. What is the circulatory fluid in arthropods called?

Ans: Haemolymph

53. Which arthropod is an important pollinator?

Ans: Honeybee

54. Preamble: Mention one unique characteristic of ciliates (NOT TRANSFERRABLE)

Ans:

• Movement by beating cilia
• They possess two nuclei; mega nucleus and micronucleus
• They are heterotrophic (which comprises of an oral groove, gullet, and anal pore)
• Reproduces sexually by conjugation in unfavourable conditions
• Food collecting apparatus consists of an oral groove, vestibule, buccal cavity, cytostome and cytopharynx.
• Asexual reproduction occurs by binary fission, budding and cyst formation

PREAMBLE: Identify the Vitamin known by the following common names;

55. Anti-Haemorrhagic-Vitamin/coagulation-vitamin

Ans: Vitamin K

56. Poor man’s vitamin/sunshine vitamin.

Ans: Vitamin D

57. Bright Eye Vitamin/ anti infection vitamin

Ans: Vitamin A

58. Anti-sterility vitamin/vitamin of beauty.

Ans: Vitamin E

Preamble: State the basic function of each of the following

59. Lymphatic System

Ans: It transports white blood cells to and from the lymph nodes into the bones.

60. Pulmonary vein

Ans: It transfers oxygenated blood from the lungs to the heart.

61. Lymphocytes

Ans: They act as a defense system of the body (by defending against invading foreign substances).

Preamble: To which organ system does the given human part belong?

62. Liver

Ans: digestive system

63. Eyes

Ans: sensory system

64. Hair

Ans: integumentary system

65. Ligaments

Ans: skeletal system

PREAMBLE: Name the enzyme secreted by the walls of the ileum that performs the following functions; 

66. Converts maltose to glucose

Ans: Maltase

67. Converts peptides to amino acids

Ans: Erepsin

68. Converts sucrose to glucose and fructose

Ans: Sucrase

69. Converts any remaining fats into fatty acids and glycerol

Ans: Lipase

70. Preamble: Give one distinct reason why the double circulatory system in mammals is more efficient than the single circulatory system found in fishes.

Ans:

• In mammals, oxygenated and deoxygenated blood are completely separated, preventing mixing and ensuring tissues receive fully oxygenated blood.
• Double circulation allows blood to be pumped at high pressure to the body (systemic circuit) and low pressure to the lungs (pulmonary circuit), protecting delicate lung tissue.
• Separate pulmonary and systemic circuits allow for better regulation of blood flow depending on the body’s metabolic demands.
• The heart receives its own oxygenated blood supply through the coronary arteries, ensuring sustained activity of the cardiac muscle.
• High systemic blood pressure enables rapid delivery of oxygen and nutrients to large and metabolically active organs in mammals.
• Double circulation supports endothermy (warm-bloodedness), allowing mammals to maintain a constant internal temperature through efficient energy delivery

Preamble: Each school is to name the branch of ecology defined.

71. The study of individual organisms or single species in relation to their environment.

Ans: Autecology

72. The study of how an animal’s behaviour helps it survive and reproduce in its environment

Ans: Environmental ecology

73. The study of how an animal’s behaviour helps it survive and reproduce in its environment.

Ans: Behavioural Ecology

74. The study of interacting species living in a common location.

Ans: Community Ecology

75. What is the non-cellular jellylike material that is found between the ectoderm and the endoderm of a sponge?

Ans: mesophyll

76. What is the name given to the ectoderm of sponges as a result of the special type of cells in them?

Ans: Pinacoderm

77. Name the flagellated cells that have collar-like ring of microvilli surrounding a flagellum in the sponge body?

Ans: choanocytes

78. There are two types of amoeboid cells that wander the mesophyll of sponges name them?

Ans: amoebocytes and archaeocytes or archaeocytes and sclerocytes or archaeocytes and spongocytes

79. Preamble: Give one importance of fossils

Ans:

• Fossils provide a connecting link between different species.
• They help in identifying the time period when the organisms existed.
• They represent modes of preservation of different ancient species.
• They help in identifying the evolutionary traits of the organisms and their ancestors.
• They help us to understand the environment where extinct life forms once existed.

Preamble: Give the name for the study of the following described body parts oh human: 

80. The inner and middle ear.

Ans: Otology

81. Rectum, anus, and colon

Ans: Proctology

82. The eyes and the visual system

Ans: Ophthalmology

83. The ear, nose, and throat

Ans: Otorhinolaryngology or Otolaryngology

Preamble: Indicate the order to which the following insects belong

84. Weevils

Ans: Coleoptera

85. Aphids

Ans: Hemiptera

86. Termites

Ans: Isoptera

Preamble: Mention the hormones in plants to which the following descriptions refer.

87. It is gaseous in nature.

Ans: Ethylene(C₂H₄)

88. It is in charge of phototropism.

Ans: Ethylene(C₂H₄).

89. It Induces flowering in long-day plants,

Ans: Gibberellin.

90. Preamble: State one structural feature of meristematic cells near the root tip of plants

Ans:

• Abundant plasmodesmata
• Active state of cell division
• Large numbers of mitochondria
• Few vacuoles
• Big conspicuous nucleus
• Dense protoplasm
• The cell wall is cellulosic and thin – basic in nature/Primary cell wall

Preamble: Describe the following types of placentation in plants in terms of the arrangement of ovules.

91. Parietal

Ans: Ovules arranged along periphery/The ovules are borne on the inner surface of the ovary wall.

92. Axile

Ans: Ovules are arranged along the central axis of the placenta.

93. Free Central

Ans: Ovules borne along the central axis which is not connected with the ovary wall by the septum. The ovules are borne on a central column arising from the base.

94. Marginal

Ans: Ovules are arranged along the margin (edge) of a single carpel (simple ovary)

Preamble: Distinguish between niche and habitat with respect to the following.

95. Composition

Ans: A habitat might have one or more niches but a niche is a unit that doesn’t have further components.

96. Size

Ans: A habitat is larger in size, and a niche is smaller than a habitat.

97. Nature

Ans: Habitat is a physical space occupied by species but niche is the activities and interactions a species has with other species and the environments.

Preamble: State the type of autosomal recessive disorder in humans to which the following descriptions refer.

98. It causes thick mucus to build up in the lungs and other organs.

Ans: Cystic fibrosis

99. It affects the nervous system and causes brain damage.

Ans: Tay-Sachs disease.

100. It affects the metabolism of an amino acid called phenylalanine.

Ans: Phenylketonuria.

101. It affects the metabolism of a sugar called galactose.

Ans: Galactosemia

102. Name the sense organ involved in vertigo – the feeling of spinning dizziness.

Ans: The ear (Vestibular apparatus of the inner ear not acceptable, it is not an organ)

103. Why are meristems easier to culture compared to permanent tissues?

Ans: Meristems divide continuously which is facilitated by thin and elastic walls thus suitable for tissue culture as opposed to permanent cells that possess thick walls which have to dedifferentiate in order to divide.

104. In seed plant reproduction, when does the diploid zygote form?

Ans: At fertilization. (during fertilization can be accepted)

Preamble: Provide the names of the surgical removal of the following body parts.

105. Breast

Ans: Mastectomy

106. Gallbladder

Ans: Cholecystectomy

107. Stomach

Ans: Gastrectomy

108. Spleen

Ans: Splenectomy

109. Preamble: Each school should give one hormone produced by the Adenohypophysis (Anterior Pituitary) and its function in the human body:

Ans:

• GH (Growth Hormone): Stimulates growth of bones and muscles; promotes cell repair and metabolism.
• TSH (Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone): Stimulates the thyroid gland to release hormones that regulate metabolism.
• ACTH (Adrenocorticotropic Hormone): Stimulates the adrenal cortex to produce cortisol for stress response.
• FSH (Follicle-Stimulating Hormone): In females: stimulates ovarian follicle growth; in males: supports sperm production.
• LH (Luteinizing Hormone): In females: triggers ovulation; in males: stimulates testosterone production.
• PRL (Prolactin): Stimulates milk production in mammary glands after childbirth.
• MSH (Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormone): Influences melanin production; affects skin pigmentation (more active in early development

110. Rearrange the following events in the sequence in which they occur in the sexual reproduction of flowering plants: Embryogenesis, fertilization, gametogenesis, pollination.

Ans: Gametogenesis, Pollination, Fertilization, Embryogenesis

111. In which human organ does myopia occur?

Ans: Eye

112. In leguminous plants, leghaemoglobin protects the activity of which enzyme?

Ans: Nitrate reductase.

113. State one of the notable functions of the eustachian tube of the mammalian ear.

Ans:

• Facilitates the drainage of secretion from the middle ear.
• Connects the middle ear cavity to the nasopharynx.
• Ventilates the middle ear
• Maintains or equalizes air pressure on both sides of the tympanic membrane (eardrum).

114. Mention one physiological process in plants that is affected by light.

Ans:

• Photosynthesis
• Phototropism
• Photoperiodism
• Transpiration
• Flowering

115. Human beings have how many pairs of sex chromosomes?

Ans: One pair (1 pair)

116. In which form is calcium present in plants?

Ans: Calcium pectate

117. What is the first organ to develop in a human foetus?

Ans: The heart

118. Rearrange the following in the sequential order of reception and transmission of sound waves (External auditory nerve, eardrum, cochlea, malleus, stapes, incus,)

Ans: External auditory nerve → eardrum → malleus → Incus → Stapes → Cochlea

119. What is the difference between aquaculture and pisciculture.

Ans: The farming of aquatic organisms is aquaculture while the rearing, breeding, and transplantation of fish under controlled conditions is called pisciculture.

120. State why Drosophila are used extensively for genetic studies

Ans:

• They have a life span of two weeks. (Short life span)
• They can be grown in the laboratory on simple synthetic medium.
• A large number of progenies are produced by a single mating.
• It is very easy to differentiate between the male and the female Drosophila
• It has many variations easily visible under a simple microscope.

121. What is the most abundant tissue in higher animals?

Ans: Connective tissue

122. What is the most abundant protein in the animal world?

Ans: Collagen (It forms a significant component of connective tissue}.

123. Name the most abundant protein digestive enzyme secreted by the gastric chief cells.

Ans: Pepsinogen

124. What type of cell division occurs during microsporogenesis and megasporogenesis?

Ans: Meiosis

125. What is osmotic pressure.

Ans: It is a pressure required to prevent the osmotic movement of pure water into a solution across a semipermeable membrane

126. What name is given to the production of a small outgrowth capable of forming an independent plant?

Ans: Budding

127. What is another name given to the C₃ pathway of CO₂ fixation?

Ans: Calvin cycle /(Reductive) pentose pathway.

128. C₄ pathway of CO₂ fixation is found in which category of plants?

Ans: Tropical monocotyledons.

129. Why is the C₄ pathway so named?

Ans: CO₂ is fixed by a three-carbon atom compound to produce a molecule with four carbon atoms.

Preamble: Indicate the functional component of an ecosystem to which the following descriptions refer.

130. They relate to all the living things in the ecosystem

Ans: Biotic factors

131. They obtain energy by feeding on other organisms

Ans: Consumers

132. They feed on dead and decaying matter, thus making organic nutrients available to the ecosystem.

Ans: Decomposers

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