Topic 1 Practice Paper: Characteristics and classification of living organisms — question paper

Section A: Multiple-choice questions[10 marks]

Choose one answer for each question. Each question is worth 1 mark.

1. 1

   Which word is defined as the taking in of materials for energy, growth and development?

   1. ARespiration
   2. BNutrition
   3. CExcretion
   4. DSensitivity
   ( )
2. 2

   Which process removes carbon dioxide made in cells during exercise?

   1. AEgestion
   2. BSecretion
   3. CExcretion
   4. DDigestion
   ( )
3. 3

   A dichotomous key identifies organisms using

   1. Aa series of paired contrasting statements
   2. BDNA sequencing machines
   3. Cmeasurements of dry mass only
   4. Dthe order in which fossils were formed
   ( )
4. 4

   An animal has dry, scaly skin and lays leathery-shelled eggs on land. To which vertebrate class does it belong?

   1. AAmphibia
   2. BAves
   3. CMammalia
   4. DReptilia
   ( )
5. 5

   In the scientific name of the maize plant, Zea mays, the word Zea is the

   1. Aspecies
   2. Bgenus
   3. Ckingdom
   4. Dorder
   ( )
6. 6

   Earthworms respond to dry soil by burrowing deeper where it is moist. Which characteristic of life does this show?

   1. AGrowth
   2. BExcretion
   3. CSensitivity
   4. DReproduction
   ( )
7. 7

   Which arthropod group has five or more pairs of legs and two pairs of antennae?

   1. AInsects
   2. BMyriapods
   3. CArachnids
   4. DCrustaceans
   ( )
8. 8

   A unicellular organism has a cell wall that is not made of cellulose and has no nucleus. Into which kingdom is it classified?

   1. AProkaryote
   2. BProtoctist
   3. CPlant
   4. DFungus
   ( )
9. 9

   Mules are born when a male donkey mates with a female horse, but mules cannot produce offspring. Why do horses and donkeys remain separate species?

   1. ABecause they live in different habitats
   2. BBecause they cannot produce fertile offspring together
   3. CBecause mules are larger than donkeys
   4. DBecause their young are healthy
   ( )
10. 10

    The base sequence of a gene is compared between two species and found to be very similar. What does this suggest?

    1. AThe species share a distant common ancestor
    2. BThe species are not related
    3. CThe species share a recent common ancestor
    4. DOne species evolved from the other last year
    ( )

Section B: Structured questions[20 marks]

Answer all questions in the spaces provided.

1. 11

   A student observes a rabbit in a hutch.

   1. (a)

      The rabbit’s body cells are breaking down glucose to release energy. Name the characteristic shown and write its definition.

      [2]
   2. (b)

      The rabbit produces urine. Explain why producing urine is excretion but producing faeces is not.

      [3]
   3. (c)

      The rabbit grows from 1.2 kg to 2.5 kg over six months, and its dry mass increases. Explain why both size and dry mass must be measured to show growth.

      [1]
2. 12

   A pond contains four small organisms, described in the table.

   Organism	Cells	Nucleus	Cell wall	Chloroplasts
   P	many	yes	cellulose	present
   Q	one	no	present (not cellulose)	absent
   R	one	yes	absent	absent
   S	many	yes	chitin	absent

   1. (a)

      Identify the kingdom of each organism, P to S.

      [4]
   2. (b)

      Organism R is later found to have a red eyespot that detects light. Explain why R is still not placed in the animal kingdom.

      [2]
   3. (c)

      State one feature of a virus that explains why viruses are not classified into any of these kingdoms.

      [1]
3. 13

   A teacher gives a class four insect specimens, W, X, Y and Z, with a data table.

   Specimen	Pairs of legs	Pair(s) of antennae	Body sections
   W	3	1	3
   X	3	0	2
   Y	3	1	3, spotted wings
   Z	3	1	3, plain wings

   1. (a)

      Explain why specimens W, Y and Z are placed in the arthropod group insects.

      [2]
   2. (b)

      Specimen X has no antennae, unlike the others. Suggest why X might be a mislabelled arachnid rather than an insect.

      [2]
   3. (c)

      Construct a dichotomous key, using observable features from the table, that separates W, X, Y and Z.

      [3]