This set of Biology Multiple Choice Questions & Answers (MCQs) focuses on “Living and Non Living – 1”.
1. Which among the following best describes the word “Growth” in living organisms?
a) Increase in mass either due to accumulation or due to changes that body undergoes internally
b) Increase in mass due to internally cell division and increase in number due to replication are twin characteristic of growth
c) All living organisms grow throughout their life
d) Growth is a sufficient characteristic to determine whether an organism is living or non-living
Explanation: Increase in mass due to internal division and increase in number of organisms are twin characteristics of growth. In non-living organisms increase in mass occurs due to accumulation whereas in living organisms it happens due to the proteins and carbohydrates that we intake. Living organisms except plants grow until certain period of their life and then stop growing. Growth is not a sufficient a characteristic to determine if an organism is living. Sometimes it’s possible that even mountains and sand dunes grow due to an accumulation of sand.
2. Reproduction in Planaria takes place through ________
a) Budding
b) Binary Fission
c) Asexual spores
d) Fragmentation
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Explanation: Planaria uses the method of fragmentation and regeneration to reproduce. Whereas fungi reproduce using spores, amoeba uses binary fission to reproduce and hydra uses budding to reproduce.
3. Reproduction is a sufficient condition to determine whether a thing is living or nonliving.
a) True
b) False
Explanation: If an organism reproduces then it is a living organism. However, it need not be a non-living organism if it doesn’t reproduce. Sometimes it’s possible that organisms stop reproducing after a certain period.
4. Sexual reproduction results in variation of the progeny from the parents. What do you think are the appropriate reasons?
a) Since sexual reproduction involves only gene from a single parent which undergoes modifications to produce different traits in the progeny
b) Sexual reproduction involves gene from both the parents which undergoes modifications to produce traits that vary from the parent
c) It is due to variation in the time
d) Parents decide the traits of the progeny and design them accordingly
Explanation: Sexual reproduction involves two parental organisms and the gene from both the organisms are involved which undergo modifications to produce new traits in the progeny.
5. Metabolism means ________
a) division of cells
b) expansion of cell
c) sum total of all chemical reactions occurring in our body
d) production of progeny
Explanation: Metabolism refers to the sum total of all the reactions that occur in an organism. Conversions of chemicals in a living organism are called metabolic reaction.
6. The action that the environment does on an organism is called ________
a) Response
b) Stimuli
c) Reflex
d) Reaction
Explanation: Every organism responds to the external stimuli that the surrounding has on the organism. For example, a touch me not leaf gets closed when touched and a human being runs away when he sees a lion approaching him.
7. Consciousness and cellular organization of the body are the defining features of living organisms.
a) True
b) False
Explanation: Cellular organization and consciousness are properties that are exclusively meant for living organisms. Therefore, these can be considered as the defining properties of the living organisms.
8. When the reactions that occur in the body are made to happen in laboratory conditions they are said to be ________
a) Metabolic reactions
b) Oxidation reactions
c) Living reactions
d) Reduction reactions
Explanation: Isolated metabolic reactions in vitro are not living things but are called as living reactions. Sum and total of all the chemical reactions that takes place in an organism are called as Metabolic reactions.
9. A reaction that takes place in laboratory rather than in a living body is called _______
a) In situ
b) In vitro
c) Instant
d) In house
Explanation: In vitro refers to the reaction that occurs in laboratory rather than in human body. Example: In vitro fertilization is something where fertilization takes place in test tubes rather than in human body.
10. Among the following statements pick the statement that best describes a living thing.
a) All living things reproduce
b) Living organisms grow endlessly throughout their life
c) Living organisms are those that are self replicating, evolving and self-regulating interactive systems capable of responding to external stimuli
d) Living organisms are those that depend on AI to take decisions
Explanation: Living organisms are those that are self replicating, evolving and self-regulating interactive systems capable of responding to external stimuli. Sometimes it’s possible that living things don’t reproduce due to few disorders. Also, all living organisms except plants stop growing after a certain period of time.
