Biology Tutorial Questions and Answers Complete Study Guide For Year One Students

Biology Tutorial Questions and Answers Complete Study Guide For Year One Students. Get fully compiled academic materials here.

Biology Past Questions and Answers Complete Study Guide For Year One Students

Cell Structure and Function

1. Cell is the structural and functional unit of a living organism.
2. All living things are made up of cells. True
3. Cells can be classified as prokaryotic and eukaryotic.

4. Robert Hooke in year 1665 discovered that the cell was made up of living structures called cells.

5. Matthias Schleiden in 1838 revealed that the bodies of plants were made up of cells, which he described as the basic building blocks of plant structure.

6. Theodor Schwann in year 1839 discovered that all animals were composed of cells.

7. Cells can exist as unicellular, multicellular, colonial, and filamentous

8.Nucleus stores hereditary information, because it contains DNA in its chromosomes.

9. In year 1855, Rudolf Von Virchow concluded in his research that all cells come from pre-existing cells.

10. Mitochondria is also known as the powerhouse of the cell.

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Cell Organelles and Their Functions

11. The cell wall provides support, protection, and rigidity for the cell.
12. Ribosome is the site responsible for the production of digestive enzymes.
13. Lysosome is also known as the suicide bag of the cell.
14. The vacuoles contain cell sap which acts as storage.
15. Mitochondria is the organelle responsible for the storage and release of energy, while ribosome is the organelle responsible for protein synthesis.
16. The Golgi apparatus is involved in packaging, modification, and secretion of materials within the cell.

Genetics and Heredity

17. Genetics is the study of heredity and variation in living things.
18. Heredity involves transmission and inheritance of traits in organisms from parents to offspring.
19. Variation is known as the differences that exist between parents and offspring as well as among offspring.
20. Cell membrane plays a role in the selective absorption of materials into the cell.
21. Chromosomes are rod-like or threadlike bodies found in the nucleus of the cell.
22. The theory of natural selection was postulated by Charles Darwin in year 1859.
23. The sum total of all observable features of an organism is referred to as phenotype.

Ecology and Biodiversity

24. Species composition comprises of the number and abundance of each species that live within a given location.
25. Species richness is the number of species that live within a certain location.
26. Species Evenness can be defined as the relative abundance of different species making up the richness of an area.
27. Height, color, texture, and yield are transmittable characters in plants.
28. Hereditary variation arises because no two offspring inherit characters from their parents. True
29. Commensalism is an interaction between two organisms that habitually live together, in which one species benefits from the association, while the other is not significantly affected.
30. The Phylo-Genetic Based System employs the theories of the German botanists called Adolf Engler and Karl Prantl.

Mendelian Genetics

31. Gregor Mendel is generally regarded as the father of genetics.
32. The two major methods that were adopted during Gregor Mendel’s experiment were cross-pollination and self-pollination.
33. The theory of use and disuse was postulated by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck in year 1809.
34. Traits that are not expressed in an offspring when two individuals with contrasting characters are crossed are termed recessive traits.
35. In the animal cell, the nucleus is usually at the edge of the cell. False

Evolution and Natural Selection

36. Evolution is defined as the sum total of the adaptive changes that occur in organisms from their old forms, over a long period of time.
37. Fossils, comparative anatomy, embryology, biogeography, molecular biology, and vestigial structures are all evidences of evolution.
38. An individual expression of two similar genes for the same character is termed homozygous.
39. The 2nd filial generation of peas obtained in Gregor Mendel’s monohybrid cross produced tall and short peas in the ratio of 3:1.
40. An association where two organisms derive benefits is termed mutualism.

Genetic Diversity and Cell Division

41. Genetic diversity is the variation in the amount of genetic information within and among individuals of a population, a species, an assembly or a community.
42. Food production, medicine, and tourism are economic advantages of species diversity.
43. Meiosis is a process of cell division in which the number of chromosomes in certain cells is halved during gametes formation.
44. Equal quantitative and qualitative division of nuclear materials during mitosis is effected by the spindle apparatus.
45. The interphase is also known as the resting phase.
46. Gregor Mendel’s law of segregation of genes states that paired alleles separate during gamete formation, and each gamete receives one allele from each pair.
47. In prokaryotes, chromosomes consist of a circular DNA molecule associated with proteins.
48. The fundamental importance of mitosis is equal distribution and maintenance of nuclear materials.
49. In mitosis, the structure of the daughter nuclei is usually altered. False
50. The process of forming complexes of homologous chromosomes is called synapsis.

Meiosis and Cell Cycle

51. Meiosis has 3 unique features namely crossing over, synapsis, and reduction division.
52. In Meiosis, there is a constant chromosome number in successive generations of sexually reproducing organisms. True
53. Mitosis occurs through 4 stages.
54. In the Mendelian Dihybrid inheritance cross of the second filial generation of Round/yellow, Round/green, Wrinkled/yellow and Wrinkled/green seeds, the phenotypic ratio of the offspring obtained was 9:3:3:1.
55. Jean Lamarck’s postulate is not well accepted because acquired characteristics cannot be inherited.
56. Chromosome is the structure within cells that contain the genes.
57. Sperm cells and egg cells depend on mitosis for the increase in their number even after their chromosome number has been halved by meiosis.
58. During mitotic anaphase, sister chromatids separate and move to opposite poles of the cell happens.
59. A key phase of the cell cycle is interphase.
60. Environmental genetics is the relationship of environment with genetic variability.

Energy Flow and Ecological Interactions

61. Bioenergetics and thermodynamics deals with the mechanisms and quantity of energy conversion and flow of energy through organisms.
62. “Species have the ability to produce large number of offspring into the environment” is one of Jean Lamarck’s postulates. False (This is actually Darwin’s postulate)
63. Traits that are not expressed in an offspring when two individuals with contrasting characters are crossed are termed recessive traits.
64. Substances that inhibit or stimulate the S-period and the rest of the cell cycle are synthesized in the G1 period of interphase.
65. During the G2-period of interphase, spindle apparatus proteins is formed.
66. During G2 phase of interphase, the cell mobilizes its resources for cell division.
67. Karyokinesis may occur in both mitosis and meiosis. True
68. The cell cycle consists of three growth phases namely G1, S, and G2.
69. The resulting complex formed during synapsis in meiosis is called bivalent or tetrad.
70. The DNA in chromosomes is usually replicated during the S phase and is separated during the M (mitotic) phase.

Ecological Relationships

71. Predation is an interaction between two organisms, in which one kills the other for food.
72. The space or interval between Telophase I and prophase II is called interkinesis.
73. The exchange process that occurs between paired chromosomes is called crossing over.
74. Interphase is the stage in (cell division) between successive mitotic divisions.
75. In mitosis, the number of chromosomes is the same for both parent and daughter cells. True
76. The science that deals with the relationship of various organisms with their surrounding can be best described using the term ecology.
77. A chromatid can be defined as one of the two identical halves of a replicated chromosome.
78. The dynamic balance between the biotic and abiotic environment best suits the term equilibrium or homeostasis.
79. Subunits of the protein tubulin are the building block of microtubules and it is lengthened by polymerization and shortened by depolymerization.
80. One out of a pair of chromosomes that carries equivalent genes is called homologous chromosome.

Ecological Systems and Processes

81. Animals are called holozoic because they ingest solid organic food.
82. Decomposition is the name of the process that converts dead bodies into organic and inorganic matter.
83. Ernst Haeckel in 1864 introduced the term Oekalogie.
84. Human interventions to check the effect of nature is likely to cause ecological imbalance which must be controlled or managed.
85. Proper management of plants, animals, soil, water and mineral resources for human welfare can be extensively studied under applied ecology branch of ecology.
86. Plants are autotrophs because they are capable of manufacturing their own food but are absolutely dependent on the environment for raw materials like H2O, light and CO2.
87. Putrefaction can be defined as the decomposition of organic matter, especially proteins, by bacteria and fungi, resulting in foul-smelling products.
88. Autecology is referred to as cytological details on species in a population in relation to different environmental conditions.
89. The constricted region of chromosomes made up of highly repeated DNA sequence that joins a single centromere to another strand is called centromere.
90. Ensuring proper chromosome segregation during cell division is the role of chromatid during mitosis.

Mitosis Phases and Structures

91. The spindle apparatus is composed of microtubules which is also known as spindle fibers.
92. At the end of Anaphase, each centromere splits into two. True
93. In the early prophase, the nucleus contains chromatin and nucleolus.
94. The two star-shaped asters of transparent fine fibres appear on the opposite end of the cell.
95. Each pair of chromatid is connected at one point to the centromere.
96. Metaphase plate or equatorial plate is the imaginary plane that is perpendicular to the axis of the spindle.
97. During metaphase, there is an arrangement of chromosomes on the equator of the spindle.
98. A chromatid can be defined as one of the two identical copies of DNA formed during chromosome replication, joined at the centromere.
99. Food web best describes the relationship or the interactions that takes place in the ecosystem.
100. The German biologist who coined the term aekologie from the Greek words Oikos and Logos was Ernst Haeckel in the year 1866.

Meiosis Processes

101. The interface where 2 homologues unite is known as synaptonemal complex.
102. In meiosis, sister chromatids do not separate from each other in the first nuclear division. True
103. During Interphase, the cell grows, replicates its DNA, and prepares for division.
104. The G1-period of interphase takes place after mitosis or cytokinesis.
105. During the S-period of interphase, DNA replication occurs.
106. Cytokinesis is the name of the process in which the cytoplasm divides into roughly two equal halves during cell division.
107. During prophase in mitosis, chromatin condenses and spindle apparatus attaches sister chromosomes to opposite poles of the cell.
108. During mitotic metaphase, the chromosomes align along the centre of the cell.
109. In mitosis, chromosome separation occurs in anaphase phase, while spindle dissipation and nuclear envelope reformation occurs in telophase phase.
110. Meiosis is the mechanism of distributing the hereditary units (genes) permitting their random independent recombination.

Plant Classification and Taxonomy

111. The study of meiosis is a pre-requisite for understanding of the chromosomal basis of genetics.
112. Both meiosis and mitosis result in the production of daughter cells/offspring. True
113. In Nigeria, Awolowo weed is known as Chromolaena but botanically, it is referred to as Chromolaena odorata.
114. Theophrastus was the first to establish an acceptable form of classification of plants.
115. The first man to establish an acceptable form of classification of plants used the artificial system of classification.
116. In utilitarian system of classification, plants are classified on the basis of their use.
117. In the natural system of classification, plants are classified on the basis of morphological and anatomical characteristics.
118. The natural system of classification divides plant kingdom into 4 divisions.
119. The science that governs the arrangement of organisms, to express different kinds of relationship among living things is known as taxonomy.
120. Classification provides relatively unstable, unique names for various organisms. False

Meiotic Stages

121. In meiotic division, interkinesis is a short stage that comes after Telophase I.
122. During Diakinesis, the disappearance of the nucleolus follows chromosome condensation and separation of homologous pairs.
123. During Diplotene; one of the long and complicated phases of Prophase I, the chromosomes are released into the cytoplasm while nuclear spindle starts to form.

Food Chains and Ecological Levels

124. The food chain system can be divided into 3 number of basic categories.
125. The predator chain is also known as grazing food chain and it starts from a green plant base and goes from herbivores to carnivores animals.
126. The saprophytic food chain is also known as detritus food chain and it goes from dead organic matter to decomposers.
127. The parasitic chain goes from smaller to larger animals. False
128. Food chain is known as the transfer of food energy from the source in plants through a series of organisms which represent stages of eating and being eaten up.
129. In a food chain, organisms that obtain their food through the same number of steps are said to belong to the same trophic level.
130. The trophic classification in food chain is based on feeding relationships and not in their taxonomic selection.
131. An ecosystem usually contains several food chains of each of the different types of food chain. True
132. The inter-linkage of different types of food chain in an ecosystem often results in the formation of a food web.

Habitat and Ecological Studies

177. The term habitat is used to denote the natural environment in which an organism lives.
178. Habitat refers to the place where a particular organism lives.
179. On the basis of the nature of the study, ecology can be subdivided into autecology and synecology.
180. Autecology is the study of the individual species in relation to their environments.
181. Autecology includes the study of individual species’ morphology, physiology, behavior, distribution, reproduction, and adaptation with reference to ecological factors that influence their activities.
182. The living world is referred to as biotic while the non-living organisms comprise the abiotic.
183. Ecology is an encompassing and semi-synthetic rather than fragmented field of science. True
184. Many practical applications of ecology can be found in agriculture, forestry, fisheries, wildlife management, conservation, public health, and environmental management.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells? Prokaryotic cells lack a membrane-bound nucleus and other organelles, while eukaryotic cells have a true nucleus and membrane-bound organelles like mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum. Bacteria are prokaryotes, while plants, animals, and fungi are eukaryotes.

2. What is the difference between mitosis and meiosis? Mitosis produces two identical daughter cells with the same chromosome number as the parent cell (diploid to diploid), used for growth and repair. Meiosis produces four genetically different daughter cells with half the chromosome number (diploid to haploid), used for sexual reproduction to form gametes.

3. Who is considered the father of genetics and why? Gregor Mendel is considered the father of genetics because of his pioneering work on pea plant hybridization experiments in the 1860s, which established the fundamental laws of inheritance including the Law of Segregation and the Law of Independent Assortment.

4. What is the difference between autecology and synecology? Autecology is the study of individual species in relation to their environment, focusing on how a single organism or population interacts with environmental factors. Synecology (community ecology) studies the relationships between different populations and species within the same habitat and environmental conditions.

5. What are the main differences between food chains and food webs? A food chain is a linear sequence showing energy transfer from one organism to another (producer → herbivore → carnivore). A food web is a complex network of interconnected food chains showing multiple feeding relationships within an ecosystem, providing a more realistic representation of energy flow.

6. What is ecological niche and why is it important? An ecological niche describes both the physical space an organism occupies (habitat) and its functional role within the ecosystem, including what it eats, what eats it, and how it interacts with abiotic factors. It’s important because it explains how species coexist and helps prevent competitive exclusion through niche differentiation.