Exams › NEET › Biology › The Living World
79 questions with worked solutions.
Q1. Basic unit or smallest taxon of taxonomy/classification is
Answer: species
Species is the basic unit of classification because it groups organisms that are most closely related and can usually interbreed to produce fertile offspring. Higher ranks like family and kingdom contain many species, while variety is a subdivision below species.
Q2. The term “New Systematics” was introduced by
Answer: Julian Huxley
Julian Huxley introduced the term “New Systematics” to emphasize classification based on evolutionary relationships rather than just external similarity. His work helped shift taxonomy toward a more phylogenetic, modern framework.
Answer: Couplet
A taxonomic key uses two contrasting statements at each step to separate organisms. That paired set is called a couplet.
Q4. Linnaeus evolved a system of nomenclature called
Answer: binomial
Linnaeus introduced binomial nomenclature, which gives each organism a two-part scientific name. This system uses the genus name followed by the species name, making classification standardized and universal.
Q5. Which one of the following is not a correct statement?
Answer: A museum has collection of photographs of plants and animals.
A museum in taxonomy typically preserves preserved specimens, models, fossils, or other reference materials, not just photographs. The statement about photographs is therefore the incorrect one, while the other options correctly describe botanical gardens, keys, and herbaria.
Q6. A population of genetically identical individuals, obtained from asexual reproduction is
Answer: Clone
A clone is a group of genetically identical individuals produced from a single parent, which is exactly what asexual reproduction creates. The other options refer to a mass of cells, a local breeding population, or a general collection.
Q7. The sum total of the populations of the same kind of organisms constitute
Answer: species
A species is the basic classification unit made up of organisms of the same kind. A colony or community refers to groups living together, while genus is a higher taxonomic rank containing multiple species.
Q8. According to Robert May, the global species diversity is about
Answer: 7 million
Robert May estimated global species diversity at about 7 million species. This figure is widely cited as a rough total estimate, much larger than the number formally described at the time.
Q9. Which one of the following aspects is an exclusive characteristic of living things?
Answer: Perception of events happening in the environment and their memory
Living things uniquely detect changes in their surroundings and can store/retain information about them, which supports adaptive behavior. Growth or metabolic reactions can occur in non-living contexts, so they are not exclusive to life.
Q10. Biological organisation starts with
Answer: submicroscopic molecular level
Biological organization is hierarchical, and the earliest level is the molecular one, which is smaller than cells. Cells are built from molecules, so the submicroscopic molecular level comes first.
Q11. The most important feature of all living systems is to
Answer: replicate the genetic information
Living systems are defined by their ability to maintain and pass on hereditary information. Replication of genetic material is essential for growth, repair, and reproduction, whereas oxygen use, gamete production, and solar energy use apply only to certain organisms.
Q12. The book Genera Plantarum was written by
Answer: Bentham & Hooker
Genera Plantarum is the landmark work on plant classification authored by Bentham and Hooker. It became a standard reference for arranging flowering plants in a natural system.
Q13. Homeostasis is organism’s
Answer: tendency to resist change
Homeostasis is the ability of an organism to maintain internal conditions relatively constant even when the external environment changes. That is why it is described as a tendency to resist change.
Q14. Static concept of species was put forward by
Answer: Linnaeus
Linnaeus supported the static concept of species, meaning species were considered fixed and unchanging. His work focused on classification rather than evolution, which came later with Darwin.
Q15. Study of fossils is
Answer: palaeontology
Palaeontology is the scientific study of fossils, including the remains, impressions, and traces of ancient organisms. The other options study reptiles or describe evolution, not fossils specifically.
Q16. Which of the following is against the rules of ICBN?
Answer: Generic and specific names should be written starting with small letters.
The rule is that the generic name begins with a capital letter, while the specific epithet is written in lowercase. So saying both should start with small letters violates ICBN formatting rules. The other statements match standard scientific naming conventions.
Q17. The common characteristics between tomato and potato will be maximum at the level of their
Answer: Family
Tomato and potato share more traits as you move to broader taxonomic ranks. They belong to the same family, Solanaceae, so their common characteristics are maximum at the family level among the given options.
Answer: Tiger - tigris, the species
Tiger is correctly matched with *tigris* as the species name in its scientific classification. The other options mislabel taxonomic ranks: *Mollusca* is a phylum, *Primata* is an order, and *Musca* is a genus.
Q19. Select the correctly written scientific name of Mango which was first described by Carolus Linnaeus:
Answer: Mangifera indica Linn.
The correct scientific name uses the genus name Mangifera, the species epithet indica, and the author citation Linn. for Carolus Linnaeus. Option B matches this convention exactly; the others either use an incorrect author abbreviation, omit the author, or capitalize the species name incorrectly.
Answer: Biological names can be written in any language
Scientific names follow universal conventions: they are Latinized, written in italics when printed, and underlined when handwritten. They are not written in any language, so that statement contradicts nomenclature rules.