Chapter 1: The Living World (MCQ with Solution)

1-10: General Concepts

What is the science of life forms and living processes called?
- A) Physics
- B) Biology
- C) Chemistry
- D) Astronomy
  Answer: B) Biology
What does biodiversity refer to?
- A) Number of species
- B) Types of organisms on Earth
- C) Both A and B
- D) Ecosystem balance
  Answer: C) Both A and B
What is the process of naming living organisms scientifically called?
- A) Classification
- B) Taxonomy
- C) Nomenclature
- D) Identification
  Answer: C) Nomenclature
Which naming system did Carolus Linnaeus introduce?
- A) Trinomial nomenclature
- B) Binomial nomenclature
- C) Quadrinomial nomenclature
- D) Numerical taxonomy
  Answer: B) Binomial nomenclature
What does the first word in a biological name represent?
- A) Species
- B) Genus
- C) Family
- D) Order
  Answer: B) Genus
Which language is generally used for scientific names?
- A) Greek
- B) English
- C) Latin
- D) French
  Answer: C) Latin
What does taxonomy deal with?
- A) Identification of organisms
- B) Classification of organisms
- C) Nomenclature of organisms
- D) All of the above
  Answer: D) All of the above
What is the lowest taxonomic category?
- A) Genus
- B) Order
- C) Family
- D) Species
  Answer: D) Species
What does the term “Systematics” mean?
- A) Study of ecosystems
- B) Systematic arrangement of organisms
- C) Classification of plants only
- D) Genetic study
  Answer: B) Systematic arrangement of organisms
Which category includes the greatest number of organisms?
- A) Genus
- B) Species
- C) Kingdom
- D) Family
  Answer: C) Kingdom

11-20: Hierarchical Categories

What is the hierarchy in taxonomy from smallest to largest?
- A) Species → Kingdom
- B) Kingdom → Species
- C) Genus → Order
- D) Order → Family
  Answer: A) Species → Kingdom
What is the scientific name of humans?
- A) Homo sapiens
- B) Panthera leo
- C) Mangifera indica
- D) Triticum aestivum
  Answer: A) Homo sapiens
Which category follows family in the taxonomic hierarchy?
- A) Species
- B) Genus
- C) Order
- D) Class
  Answer: C) Order
What is the taxonomic category of “Primata”?
- A) Species
- B) Genus
- C) Order
- D) Family
  Answer: C) Order
Which division includes mango?
- A) Angiospermae
- B) Monocotyledonae
- C) Gymnospermae
- D) Pteridophyta
  Answer: A) Angiospermae

… (continued in a follow-up response due to length)

21-30: Examples of Taxonomic Categories

What is the genus of the tiger?
- A) Felis
- B) Panthera
- C) Canis
- D) Homo
  Answer: B) Panthera
Which family includes lions and cats?
- A) Canidae
- B) Hominidae
- C) Felidae
- D) Solanaceae
  Answer: C) Felidae
Which class includes both lions and gorillas?
- A) Mammalia
- B) Aves
- C) Amphibia
- D) Reptilia
  Answer: A) Mammalia
What is the order of houseflies?
- A) Diptera
- B) Lepidoptera
- C) Coleoptera
- D) Orthoptera
  Answer: A) Diptera
What phylum do humans belong to?
- A) Arthropoda
- B) Chordata
- C) Mollusca
- D) Annelida
  Answer: B) Chordata
What is the specific epithet in “Mangifera indica”?
- A) Mangifera
- B) indica
- C) Linn
- D) Mango
  Answer: B) indica
What does “Hominidae” represent in the classification of humans?
- A) Species
- B) Family
- C) Genus
- D) Order
  Answer: B) Family
Which kingdom includes multicellular plants?
- A) Animalia
- B) Plantae
- C) Protista
- D) Fungi
  Answer: B) Plantae
Which is the highest taxonomic category?
- A) Genus
- B) Species
- C) Kingdom
- D) Class
  Answer: C) Kingdom
What category is directly above species?
- A) Genus
- B) Family
- C) Order
- D) Phylum
  Answer: A) Genus

31-40: Definitions and Rules

What is a taxon?
- A) An individual organism
- B) A group of organisms classified together
- C) A specific habitat
- D) A biological experiment
  Answer: B) A group of organisms classified together
What is the purpose of taxonomy?
- A) To study chemical reactions in cells
- B) To classify and name organisms
- C) To describe ecosystems
- D) To explain weather patterns
  Answer: B) To classify and name organisms
What does binomial nomenclature ensure?
- A) Multiple names for an organism
- B) A single universal name for each organism
- C) Local names are preserved
- D) Names vary with habitat
  Answer: B) A single universal name for each organism
Which taxonomic rank is used for grouping related orders?
- A) Class
- B) Family
- C) Phylum
- D) Genus
  Answer: A) Class
What is the family of wheat?
- A) Poaceae
- B) Solanaceae
- C) Anacardiaceae
- D) Canidae
  Answer: A) Poaceae
Which scientist is associated with binomial nomenclature?
- A) Darwin
- B) Linnaeus
- C) Mayr
- D) Lamarck
  Answer: B) Linnaeus
What term describes a group of species with shared characteristics?
- A) Family
- B) Genus
- C) Order
- D) Kingdom
  Answer: B) Genus
Which rank comes directly below “class”?
- A) Order
- B) Family
- C) Genus
- D) Species
  Answer: A) Order
What is taxonomy based on?
- A) Observable characteristics
- B) Genetic similarity
- C) Habitat types
- D) Both A and B
  Answer: D) Both A and B
What is the division of wheat?
- A) Gymnospermae
- B) Angiospermae
- C) Monocotyledonae
- D) Dicotyledonae
  Answer: C) Monocotyledonae

41-50: Applied Knowledge

Which taxonomic category is broader: family or genus?
- A) Family
- B) Genus
- C) Both are equal
- D) None
  Answer: A) Family
Which category does “Homo sapiens” belong to?
- A) Class Mammalia
- B) Order Carnivora
- C) Kingdom Plantae
- D) Division Gymnospermae
  Answer: A) Class Mammalia
What does “indica” signify in Mangifera indica?
- A) Family
- B) Genus
- C) Specific epithet
- D) Order
  Answer: C) Specific epithet
Why is Latin used in taxonomy?
- A) It is widely spoken
- B) It is a dead language, so meanings are stable
- C) It is easy to understand
- D) It is used in Europe only
  Answer: B) It is a dead language, so meanings are stable
What is the phylum of the housefly?
- A) Arthropoda
- B) Mollusca
- C) Annelida
- D) Chordata
  Answer: A) Arthropoda
What type of classification is based on evolutionary relationships?
- A) Systematics
- B) Morphological
- C) Ecological
- D) Chemical
  Answer: A) Systematics
What is the role of nomenclature in biology?
- A) It classifies species
- B) It assigns universal names to species
- C) It describes food chains
- D) It calculates species populations
  Answer: B) It assigns universal names to species
Which taxonomic group includes tigers and lions but not domestic cats?
- A) Family Felidae
- B) Genus Panthera
- C) Order Carnivora
- D) Class Mammalia
  Answer: B) Genus Panthera
What defines a species?
- A) Similar habitat
- B) Fundamental similarities
- C) Identical DNA
- D) Shared diet
  Answer: B) Fundamental similarities
Why do taxonomic categories decrease in similarity as you ascend the hierarchy?
- A) They are based on fewer shared characteristics
- B) They include fewer organisms
- C) They focus only on plants
- D) They are arbitrary
  Answer: A) They are based on fewer shared characteristics
  
  1-10: The Living World
  1. What characteristic is common among all living organisms?
    - A) Breathing
    - B) Reproduction
    - C) Metabolism
    - D) Movement
      Answer: C) Metabolism
  2. What are the two implicit questions in “What is life?”
    - A) Technical and Biological
    - B) Philosophical and Evolutionary
    - C) Technical and Philosophical
    - D) Biological and Psychological
      Answer: C) Technical and Philosophical
  3. What term describes the number and types of organisms present on Earth?
    - A) Ecosystem
    - B) Biodiversity
    - C) Taxonomy
    - D) Biome
      Answer: B) Biodiversity
  4. What is the total estimated range of species described so far?
    - A) 1.2–1.4 million
    - B) 1.7–1.8 million
    - C) 2–2.5 million
    - D) 5–10 million
      Answer: B) 1.7–1.8 million
  5. Why is standardization necessary in naming living organisms?
    - A) To simplify local names
    - B) To avoid confusion
    - C) To group organisms based on food habits
    - D) To classify non-living things
      Answer: B) To avoid confusion
  6. What was Ernst Mayr’s primary contribution to biology?
    - A) Evolution of binomial nomenclature
    - B) Research in evolutionary biology and species diversity
    - C) Discovery of DNA
    - D) Classification of plants
      Answer: B) Research in evolutionary biology and species diversity
  7. What field deals with the systematic study of organisms?
    - A) Systematics
    - B) Morphology
    - C) Taxonomy
    - D) Biochemistry
      Answer: A) Systematics
  8. What does the “species” taxon represent?
    - A) Group of organisms with fundamental similarities
    - B) Group of families
    - C) Order of phyla
    - D) Classification of orders
      Answer: A) Group of organisms with fundamental similarities
  9. Which term is associated with the classification of organisms based on their evolutionary relationships?
    - A) Taxonomy
    - B) Systematics
    - C) Nomenclature
    - D) Morphology
      Answer: B) Systematics
  10. Which feature distinguishes living from non-living?
    - A) Reproduction
    - B) Growth
    - C) Metabolism
    - D) All of the above
      Answer: D) All of the above
  11-20: Taxonomic Principles and Rules
  1. Which code governs the naming of animals?
    - A) ICBN
    - B) ICZN
    - C) BINOMIAL
    - D) IUBN
      Answer: B) ICZN
  2. Who developed the binomial nomenclature system?
    - A) Ernst Mayr
    - B) Linnaeus
    - C) Darwin
    - D) Mendel
      Answer: B) Linnaeus
  3. What does the term “genus” signify in taxonomy?
    - A) Group of similar orders
    - B) Group of related species
    - C) Group of families
    - D) Group of phyla
      Answer: B) Group of related species
  4. Which naming system is practiced universally by biologists?
    - A) Common naming
    - B) Binomial nomenclature
    - C) Trinomial nomenclature
    - D) Local naming system
      Answer: B) Binomial nomenclature
  5. How is a handwritten scientific name formatted?
    - A) Both words underlined separately
    - B) Both words italicized
    - C) Only genus underlined
    - D) Only species italicized
      Answer: A) Both words underlined separately
  6. What is the significance of an author’s name in a scientific name?
    - A) To acknowledge taxonomy contributions
    - B) To denote geographical location
    - C) To identify evolutionary relationships
    - D) To highlight species similarities
      Answer: A) To acknowledge taxonomy contributions
  7. Which is an example of binomial nomenclature?
    - A) Panthera pardus
    - B) Cat
    - C) Mango tree
    - D) Felidae
      Answer: A) Panthera pardus
  8. What is the genus of brinjal (eggplant)?
    - A) Solanum
    - B) Capsicum
    - C) Mangifera
    - D) Cucumis
      Answer: A) Solanum
  9. What does “taxa” mean?
    - A) Hierarchical levels of classification
    - B) Names of species
    - C) Specific epithet
    - D) Local names
      Answer: A) Hierarchical levels of classification
  10. What is the largest taxonomic category?
    - A) Phylum
    - B) Kingdom
    - C) Species
    - D) Family
      Answer: B) Kingdom
  21-30: Taxonomic Hierarchy
  1. Which category is broader than family but narrower than class?
    - A) Phylum
    - B) Order
    - C) Species
    - D) Genus
      Answer: B) Order
  2. Which taxonomic category includes lions, leopards, and tigers?
    - A) Genus Felis
    - B) Genus Panthera
    - C) Family Canidae
    - D) Phylum Arthropoda
      Answer: B) Genus Panthera
  3. Which kingdom does wheat belong to?
    - A) Animalia
    - B) Plantae
    - C) Protista
    - D) Fungi
      Answer: B) Plantae
  4. Which taxonomic rank groups classes together?
    - A) Family
    - B) Phylum
    - C) Genus
    - D) Species
      Answer: B) Phylum
  5. What is the order of tigers?
    - A) Carnivora
    - B) Mammalia
    - C) Panthera
    - D) Felidae
      Answer: A) Carnivora
  6. What taxonomic rank includes the classes Reptilia and Mammalia?
    - A) Phylum
    - B) Order
    - C) Genus
    - D) Family
      Answer: A) Phylum
  7. Which taxonomic group comes directly above genus?
    - A) Species
    - B) Family
    - C) Order
    - D) Phylum
      Answer: B) Family
  8. What is the family of mango?
    - A) Poaceae
    - B) Anacardiaceae
    - C) Fabaceae
    - D) Rosaceae
      Answer: B) Anacardiaceae
  9. Which taxonomic rank is broader than species but narrower than family?
    - A) Order
    - B) Genus
    - C) Kingdom
    - D) Phylum
      Answer: B) Genus
  10. Which is a category in the animal kingdom?
    - A) Angiosperms
    - B) Monocotyledonae
    - C) Chordata
    - D) Convolvulaceae
      Answer: C) Chordata
  31-40: Nomenclature and Systematics
  1. What is the specific epithet in Triticum aestivum?
    - A) Triticum
    - B) aestivum
    - C) Wheat
    - D) Poaceae
      Answer: B) aestivum
  2. Which family do rice and wheat belong to?
    - A) Poaceae
    - B) Anacardiaceae
    - C) Fabaceae
    - D) Graminae
      Answer: A) Poaceae
  3. What distinguishes genera from species?
    - A) Fewer similarities among members
    - B) More similarities among members
    - C) Includes broader groups
    - D) Represents classes
      Answer: B) More similarities among members
  4. What is taxonomy’s primary focus?
    - A) Classification
    - B) Growth of species
    - C) Habitat study
    - D) Climatic analysis
      Answer: A) Classification
  5. Who first used “Systema Naturae”?
    - A) Ernst Mayr
    - B) Linnaeus
    - C) Darwin
    - D) Mendel
      Answer: B ) Linnaeus
      
      41-50: Application and Examples
      1. What does “Chordata” represent in the taxonomic hierarchy?
        
        A) Class
        
        B) Order
        
        C) Phylum
        
        D) Kingdom
        Answer: C) Phylum
      2. What is the significance of systematics?
        
        A) It helps identify relationships between organisms.
        
        B) It is based solely on genetic analysis.
        
        C) It groups organisms randomly.
        
        D) It disregards evolutionary history.
        Answer: A) It helps identify relationships between organisms.
      3. Which category is broader: order or family?
        
        A) Order
        
        B) Family
        
        C) Both are equal
        
        D) None of the above
        Answer: A) Order
      4. What is the class of housefly (Musca domestica)?
        
        A) Insecta
        
        B) Mammalia
        
        C) Aves
        
        D) Amphibia
        Answer: A) Insecta
      5. What is the division of mango (Mangifera indica)?
        
        A) Angiospermae
        
        B) Gymnospermae
        
        C) Bryophyta
        
        D) Pteridophyta
        Answer: A) Angiospermae
      6. Which taxonomic category directly groups families together?
        
        A) Class
        
        B) Order
        
        C) Genus
        
        D) Phylum
        Answer: B) Order
      7. What is the genus of humans?
        
        A) Homo
        
        B) sapiens
        
        C) Primata
        
        D) Mammalia
        Answer: A) Homo
      8. What does a binomial name consist of?
        
        A) Species and Family
        
        B) Genus and Specific Epithet
        
        C) Order and Class
        
        D) Family and Phylum
        Answer: B) Genus and Specific Epithet
      9. Which scientific principle is followed in naming species?
        
        A) Binomial Nomenclature
        
        B) Trinomial Nomenclature
        
        C) Local Naming System
        
        D) Species-Genus Naming
        Answer: A) Binomial Nomenclature
      10. Why are taxonomic studies important?
        
        A) They assist in understanding biodiversity.
        
        B) They help in agricultural and industrial applications.
        
        C) They provide a universal language for biologists.
        
        D) All of the above
        Answer: D) All of the above

1-10: General Concepts

11-20: Hierarchical Categories

21-30: Examples of Taxonomic Categories

31-40: Definitions and Rules

41-50: Applied Knowledge

1-10: The Living World

11-20: Taxonomic Principles and Rules

21-30: Taxonomic Hierarchy

31-40: Nomenclature and Systematics

41-50: Application and Examples