Biological Classification 1000+ MCQ with answer for GRE

1. Which of the following are the characters of dinoflagellates?
(i) They are planktonic golden yellow algae with soap box like structure.
(ii) They are marine red biflagellated protista.
(iii) They appear yellow, green, brown, blue and red in colour.
(iv) They are biflagellated organisms with pellicle.
(v) They are saprophytic (or) parasitic unicellular forms.
A. (ii) and (iii)
B. (ii) and (v)
C. (i), (ii) and (iii)
D. (ii), (iv) and (v)
Answer : C

2. Choose the correct names of the different bacteria given below according to their shapes. 

A. A – Cocci, B – Bacilli, C – Spirilla, D – Vibrio
B. A – Bacilli, B – Cocci, C – Spirilla, D – Vibrio
C. A – Spirilla, B – Bacilli, C – Cocci, D – Vibrio
D. A – Spirilla, B – Vibrio, C – Cocci, D – Bacilli
Answer : A

3. How many organisms in the list given below are autotrophs? Lactobacillus, Nostoc, Chara, Nitrosomonas, Nitrobacter, Streptomyces, Saccharomyces, Trypanosomes, Porphyra, Wolffia
A. Four
B. Five
C. Six
D. Three
Answer : C

4. In some viruses, RNA is present instead of DNA indicating that
A. their nucleic acid must combine with host DNA before replication.
B. they cannot replicate.
C. there is no hereditary information.
D. RNA can transfer heredity material.
Answer : D

5. Which statement is not correct for viruses ?
A. Viruses are obligate parasites.
B. Viruses can multiply only when they are inside the living cells.
C. Viruses cannot pass through bacterial filters.
D. Viruses are made up of protein and DNA or RNA (never both DNA and RNA).
Answer : C

6. How many bacteria are produced in four hours if a bacterium divides once in half an hour ?
A. 8
B. 64
C. 16
D. 256
Answer : D

7. Fungi are filamentous with the exception of X which is unicellular. Identify X.
A. Yeast
B. Algae
C. Bacteria
D. Lichen
Answer : A

8. Match column-I (Characters/feature) with column-II (examples) and choose the correct option.

Column-I	Column-II
(Characters/features)	(Examples)
A. Red dinoflagellates	I. Rhizopus
B. Unicellular fungi used to	II. Gonyaulax make bread and beer
C. Source of antibiotics	III. Yeast
D. Bread mould	IV. Penicillium

A. A III; B II; C I; D IV
B. A II; B III; C I; D IV
C. A II; B III; C IV; D I
D. A II; B IV; C III; D I
Answer : C

9. Which of the following group of kingdom protista is being described by the statements given below ?
(i) This group includes diatoms and golden algae.
(ii) They are microscopic and float passively in water currents (plankton).
(iii) Most of them are photosynthetic.
(iv) They have deposits in their habitat; this accumulation over billion of years is referred to as diatomaceous earth.
A. Dinoflagellates
B. Chrysophytes
C. Euglenoids
D. Slime moulds
Answer : B

10. A virus can be considered a living organism because it
A. responds to touch stimulus
B. respires
C. reproduces (inside the host)
D. can cause disease
Answer : C

11. Which of the following processes involved in the reproduction of protists ?
A. Binary fission and budding
B. Cell fusion and zygote formation
C. Spore formation and cyst formation
D. All of the above
Answer : D

12. Choose the correct statements (i v) regarding mycoplasma
(i) Mycoplasma has no cell wall.
(ii) Mycoplasma is the smallest living organism.
(iii) Mycoplasma cannot survive without O2.
(iv) Mycoplasma are pathogenic in animals and plants.
(v) A sort of sexual reproduction occurs in bacterium by adopting a primitive DNA transfer from one bacterium to the other.
A. Only (iii)
B. (i), (iii) and (v)
C. (i), (ii), (iv), and (v)
D. All of the above
Answer : C

13. Assume that two normal hyphal cells of different fungal mating types unite. After a period of time, the cell between these cells will dissolve producing a
A. mycelium
B. fruiting body
C. zygote
D. dikaryotic cell, which is also heterokaryotic
Answer : D

14. Consider the following statements with respect to characteristic features of the kingdom.
(i) In animalia, the mode of nutrition is autotrophic.
(ii) In monera, the nuclear membrane is present.
(iii) In protista, the cell type is prokaryotic.
(iv) In plantae, the cell wall is present.
Of the above statements, which one is correct ?
A. (i) only
B. (ii) only
C. (iii) only
D. (iv) only
Answer : D

15. Which of the following is not a viral disease ?
A. AIDS and mumps
B. Small pox and herpes
C. Influenza
D. Cholera
Answer : D

16. Chemosynthetic autotrophic bacteria are named so because
A. they oxidize various inorganic substances such as nitrates, nitrites and ammonia and use the released energy for their ATP production.
B. they oxidize various organic substances and use the released energy for their ATP production.
C. both (a) and (b)
D. none of these
Answer : A

17. Read the given statements and answer the question.
(i) It includes unicellular as well as multicellular fungi.
(ii) In multicellular forms hyphae are branched and septate.
(iii) Conidiophore produces conidia (spores) exogenously in chain.
(iv) Sexual spores are ascospores produced endogenously in chain.
(v) Fruiting body is called ascocarp.
Identify the correct class of fungi which have all the given characteristics.
A. Phycomycetes
B. Sac fungi
C. Club fungi
D. Fungi imperfecti
Answer : B

18. Bacteria lack alternation of generation because there is
A. neither syngamy nor reduction division.
B. no distinct chromosomes.
C. no conjugation.
D. no exchange of genetic material.
Answer : A

19. An X reproduces in such a great numbers that the water may appearred, producing a red tides and kills large marine animals like Z. X belongs to Y. Identify X, Y and Z.
A. X - Gonyaulax ; Y - Dinoflagellates; Z - Fishes
B. X - Paramecium ; Y - Protozoa ; Z - Crocodiles
C. X - Trypanosoma ; Y - Protozoa ; Z - Frogs
D. X - Plasmodium ; Y - Euglenoids ; Z - Oysters
Answer : A

20. The given figure shows some labelled structure as A, B, C and D. In which structure the protein coat that encloses the nucleic acid is present? 

A. A
B. B
C. C sheath
D. D tail fibres
Answer : A

21. Which one single organism or the pair of organisms is correctly assigned to its taxonomic group?
A. Paramecium and Plasmodium belong to the same kingdom as that of Penicillium.
B. Lichen is a composite organism formed from the symbiotic association of an alga and a protozoan.
C. Yeast used in making bread and beer is a fungus.
D. Nostoc and Anabaena are examples of protista.
Answer : C

22. Which scientist classify plants into trees, shrubs and herbs & animals into two groups having red blood cells and without red blood cells?
A. Aristotle
B. R. H. Whittaker
C. D. J. Ivanowsky
D. W. M. Stanley
Answer : A

23. Which of the following statement is correct for dinoflagellates flagella ?
A. A single flagellum lies in the transverse groove between the cell plates.
B. A single flagellum lies in the longitudinal groove between the cell plates.
C. Two flagella, one lies longitudinally and the other transversely in a furrow between the wall plates.
D. Flagella are absent.
Answer : C

24. Which of the following kingdom does not have nuclear membrane ?
A. Protista
B. Fungi
C. Monera
D. Plantae
Answer : C

25. Which one of the following statement is correct for archaea?
A. Archaea resemble eukaryotes in all respects.
B. Archaea have some novel features that are absent in other prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
C. Archaea completely differ from both prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
D. Archaea completely differ from prokaryotes.
Answer : B

26. A specimen of fungus is brought by a student for identification. Upon close examination, he discovered that its hyphae are completely septate and it has gills on the underside of the pileus. To which fungal group does it most likely belong ?
A. Basidiomycetes
B. Zygomycetes
C. Ascomycetes
D. Chytrids
Answer : A

27. The figure given below shows the structure of a bacteriophage. Identify its parts labelled as A, B, C and D. 

A. A - Tail fibres B - Head C - Sheath D - Collar
B. A - Sheath B - Collar C - Head D - Tail fibres
C. A - Head B - Sheath C - Collar D - Tail fibres
D. A - Collar B - Tail fibres C - Head D - Sheath
Answer : C

28. Which of the following statement is incorrect ?
A. TMV has a double-stranded RNA molecule.
B. Most plant viruses are RNA viruses.
C. The bacteriophage has a double-stranded DNA molecule.
D. Most animal viruses are DNA viruses.
Answer : A

29. The subunit of capsid is called
A. core
B. nucleotide
C. amino acid
D. capsomere
Answer : D

30. Which of the following statements regarding cyanobacteria is incorrect?
A. It is also called blue green algae.
B. They are chemosynthetic autotrophs.
C. It forms blooms in polluted water bodies.
D. It is unicellular, colonial or filamentous, marine or terrestrial bacteria.
Answer : B

31. Identify the basis of classification of fungi into phycomycetes, ascomycetes, basidiomycetes and deuteromycetes.
i. Fruiting bodies
ii. Nature of habitat
iii. Morphology of mycelium
iv. Mode of spore formation
A. i & ii only
B. ii & iii only
C. i, ii, & iv only
D. All of these
Answer : C

32. Yeast is not included in protozoans but in fungi because
A. it has no chlorophyll.
B. some fungal hyphae grow in such a way that they give the appearance of pseudomycelium.
C. it has eukaryotic organization.
D. cell wall is made up of cellulose and reserve food material is starch.
Answer : B

33. Which of the following statement is not correct for methanogens?
A. They are archaebacteria.
B. They live in marshy areas.
C. Methane is their preferred carbon source.
D. They are present in guts of several ruminant animals (cow, buffaloes) and produce biogas (CH4) from the dung of these animals.
Answer : C

34. Refer the given figure of bacteria cell and Nostoc and choose the option which shows correct label for the structure marked as A, B, C, D and E ? 

A. A – Cell wall, B – Cell membrane, C – Heterocyst, D – DNA, E – Mucilagenous sheath
B. A – Cell wall, B – Cell membrane, C – DNA, D – Heterocyst, E – Mucilagenous sheath
C. A – Mucilagenous sheath, B – Cell membrane, C – DNA, D – Heterocyst, E – Cell wall
D. A – Cell membrane, B – Cell wall, C – DNA, D – Heterocyst, E – Mucilagenous sheath
Answer : B

35. The most abundant prokaryotes helpful to humans in making curd from milk and in production of antibiotics are the ones categorised as
A. cyanobacteria
B. archaebacteria
C. chemosynthetic autotrophs
D. heterotrophic bacteria
Answer : D

36. Which of the following is an example of amoeboid protozoans ?
A. Trypanosoma
B. Paramecium
C. Gonyaulax
D. Entamoeba
Answer : D

37. Which of the following characteristic(s) is used by Whittaker for the classification of organisms ?
A. Mode of nutrition
B. Thallus organisation
C. Phylogenetic relationships
D. All of the above
Answer : D

38. Which one of the following is a characteristic feature of chrysophytes?
A. They are parasitic forms which cause diseases in animals.
B. They have a protein rich layer called pellicle.
C. They have indestructible wall layer deposited with silica.
D. They are commonly called dinoflagellates.
Answer : C

39. The genetic material of virus includes
A. only RNA.
B. only DNA.
C. RNA and DNA both
D. RNA or DNA i.e. one nucleic acid in a virus.
Answer : D

40. Bacteria and yeast are similar in all the following features except that
A. both are unicellular.
B. both are prokaryotes.
C. both are capable of causing fermentation.
D. both produce spores.
Answer : B

41. Match the class of fungi given in column I with their examples given in column II and choose the correct option

Column-I	Column-II
(Class of fungi)	(Examples)
A. Ascomycetes	I. Rhizopus
B. Basidiomycetes	II. Penicillium
C. Deuteromycetes	III. Ustilago
D. Phycomycetes	IV. Alternaria

A. A IV, B III, C I, D II
B. A II, B III, C IV, D I
C. A IV, B I, C II, D III
D. A III, B IV, C II, D I
Answer : B

42. Match the class of fungi given in column-I with their common name given in column-II and select the correct option.

Column-I	Column-II
(Class of fungi)	(Common name)
A. Phycomycetes	I. Sac fungi
B. Ascomycetes	II. Algal fungi
C. Basidiomycetes	III. Fungi imperfecti
D. Deuteromycetes	IV. Club fungi

A. A II, B I, C IV, D III
B. A II, B IV, C I, D III
C. A IV, B I, C II, D III
D. A IV, B III, C II, D I
Answer : A

43. Which of the following is smallest living cell and can live without oxygen ?
A. Mycoplasma
B. Mycorrhiza
C. Euglena
D. Trypanosoma
Answer : A

44. Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct about ascomycetes ?
(i) Neurospora, which is used in biochemical and genetic work is a member of this class.
(ii) They are mostly multicellular, e.g., Yeast, or rarely unicellular, e.g., Penicillium.
(iii) They are saprophytic, decomposers, parasitic or coprophilous.
(iv) Some examples are Aspergillus, Claviceps and Neurospora.
A. Both (i) and (ii)
B. Only (ii)
C. (i), (iii) and (iv)
D. All of these
Answer : C

45. Lichens indicate SO2 pollution because they
A. show association between algae and fungi.
B. grow faster than others.
C. are sensitive to SO2.
D. flourish in SO2 rich environment.
Answer : C

46. Read the following statements and answer the question given below
(i) They are saprophytic protists.
(ii) Under suitable conditions, they form an aggregation (called plasmodium) which may grow and spread over several feet.
(iii) During unfavourable conditions, the plasmodium differentiates and forms fruiting bodies bearing spores at their tips.
Which of the following class of protists is being described by the above statements ?
A. Euglenoids
B. Dinoflagellates
C. Slime moulds
D. Protozoans
Answer : C

47. Protists are
A. single-celled eukaryotes.
B. multicellular eukaryotes.
C. single-celled prokaryotes.
D. single-celled akaryote.
Answer : A

48. Which of the following statement is/ are correct for bacteria ?
A. They are the members of the kingdom monera.
B. They live in extreme habitats such as hot springs, deserts, snow and deep oceans.
C. They show the most extensive metabolic diversity.
D. All of the above
Answer : D

49. Which of the following is the correct sequence of three steps in the sexual cycle of fungi?
A. Mitosis -> Meiosis -> Fertilization
B. Plasmogamy -> Karyogamy -> Meiosis
C. Mitosis -> Plasmogamy -> Karyogamy
D. Karyogamy -> Plasmogamy -> Meiosis
Answer : B

50. Mycorrhizae are useful for pants because they
A. fix atmospheric nitrogen.
B. enhance absorption of nutrients from the soil.
C. kill insects and pathogen.
D. provide resistance against abiotic stresses.
Answer : B