Taxonomy

21. Which one of the following organisms belongs to the kingdom Monera?

Which one of the following organisms belongs to the kingdom Monera?

[amp_mcq option1=”Diatom” option2=”Euglena” option3=”Anabaena” option4=”Ulothrix” correct=”option3″]

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UPSC CAPF – 2021
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The correct answer is C) Anabaena.
In the five-kingdom classification system (proposed by R.H. Whittaker), the kingdom Monera includes all prokaryotic organisms. This primarily consists of bacteria and cyanobacteria (formerly known as blue-green algae). Anabaena is a genus of filamentous cyanobacteria, and therefore belongs to the kingdom Monera. Diatoms and Euglena are eukaryotic single-celled organisms belonging to the kingdom Protista. Ulothrix is a filamentous green alga, which is eukaryotic and typically classified under the kingdom Plantae or Protista, but not Monera.
The five kingdoms are Monera, Protista, Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia. Monerans lack a true nucleus and membrane-bound organelles. Protists are eukaryotic unicellular organisms. Fungi are eukaryotic heterotrophic organisms. Plants are eukaryotic autotrophic organisms. Animals are eukaryotic heterotrophic, multicellular organisms.

22. In which of the following phylum, would you place an animal with a bil

In which of the following phylum, would you place an animal with a bilaterally symmetrical, triploblastic body without a true internal cavity (coelom) ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Porifera” option2=”Platyhelminthes” option3=”Cnidaria” option4=”Annelida” correct=”option2″]

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UPSC CAPF – 2020
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An animal with a bilaterally symmetrical, triploblastic body without a true internal cavity (coelom) would be placed in the phylum Platyhelminthes.
Phylum Platyhelminthes (flatworms) are characterized by bilateral symmetry and being triploblastic (having three germ layers: ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm). They lack a true coelom, meaning they are acoelomate – the space between the body wall and the digestive tract is filled with mesodermal tissue.
A) Porifera are asymmetrical or radially symmetrical, and diploblastic. C) Cnidaria are radially symmetrical and diploblastic. D) Annelida are bilaterally symmetrical and triploblastic, but they possess a true coelom (they are coelomates).

23. Which of the following organisms belongs to Coelenterata (Cnidaria) ?

Which of the following organisms belongs to Coelenterata (Cnidaria) ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Planaria and liverfluke” option2=”Sea urchin and sea cucumber” option3=”Hydra and sea anemone” option4=”Euplectella and sycon” correct=”option3″]

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UPSC CAPF – 2019
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The correct answer is C, Hydra and sea anemone.
Hydra and sea anemones are classic examples of organisms belonging to the phylum Coelenterata, also known as Cnidaria. This phylum includes organisms like jellyfish, corals, hydroids, and sea anemones, characterized by features like radial symmetry, a gastrovascular cavity, and specialized stinging cells called nematocysts.
Option A includes Planaria and liverfluke, which belong to the phylum Platyhelminthes (flatworms). Option B includes sea urchin and sea cucumber, which belong to the phylum Echinodermata. Option D includes Euplectella and sycon, which belong to the phylum Porifera (sponges).

24. Which one of the following statements is correct ?

Which one of the following statements is correct ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Bacteria contain cytoplasm but viruses do not” option2=”Bacteria contain mitochondria but viruses do not” option3=”Viruses contain mitochondria but bacteria do not” option4=”Viruses have a cell membrane but bacteria do not” correct=”option1″]

This question was previously asked in
UPSC CAPF – 2019
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Bacteria are prokaryotic cells that contain cytoplasm enclosed within a cell membrane and usually a cell wall. Viruses are acellular entities; they consist of genetic material (DNA or RNA) enclosed in a protein coat (capsid) and sometimes an outer envelope, but they do not have cytoplasm or cellular organelles like mitochondria.
– Bacteria are living, single-celled organisms (prokaryotes).
– Viruses are non-living particles that require a host cell to reproduce.
– Prokaryotes (like bacteria) have cytoplasm but lack membrane-bound organelles like mitochondria.
– Viruses lack cellular structure, including cytoplasm, cell membrane, and organelles.
Option B is incorrect because bacteria do not have mitochondria (membrane-bound organelles). Option C is incorrect because neither viruses nor bacteria have mitochondria. Option D is incorrect because bacteria have a cell membrane, while viruses do not have a cell membrane in the cellular sense (though some have an envelope derived from host cell membrane).

25. Which of the following are examples of carnivorous plants?

Which of the following are examples of carnivorous plants?

[amp_mcq option1=”Sundew Venus fly trap, Pitcher plant” option2=”Cuscuta, Rafflesia, Mistletoe” option3=”Sandalwood tree, Broom rape, Pitcher plant” option4=”Cuscuta, Bladderwort, Mistletoe” correct=”option1″]

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UPSC CAPF – 2016
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Sundew, Venus fly trap, and Pitcher plant are all well-known examples of carnivorous plants.
– Carnivorous plants have adapted to grow in nutrient-poor environments (especially lacking nitrogen) by trapping and digesting animals, typically insects, to supplement their nutrient intake.
– Sundews have sticky glands on their leaves to trap insects.
– Venus fly traps have hinged leaves that snap shut to capture prey.
– Pitcher plants have modified leaves forming pitfall traps, often containing digestive enzymes or bacteria.
– Cuscuta (dodder) and Mistletoe are parasitic plants, obtaining nutrients from host plants.
– Rafflesia is a parasitic flowering plant.
– Sandalwood tree can be hemiparasitic.
– Broom rape is a parasitic plant.
– Bladderwort is a carnivorous plant (Option D has one correct example).
Carnivorous plants use various trapping mechanisms, including pitfall traps (Pitcher plants), sticky traps (Sundews), snap traps (Venus flytraps), bladder traps (Bladderworts), and lobster-pot traps. They are typically found in bogs, fens, and other wetlands with acidic, nutrient-deficient soils.

26. Which one of the following is the correct taxonomic hierarchy ?

Which one of the following is the correct taxonomic hierarchy ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Kingdom – phylum – order – genus – family – class – species” option2=”Kingdom – order – class – phylum – family – genus – species” option3=”Kingdom – class – order – phylum – family – species – genus” option4=”Kingdom – phylum – class – order – family – genus – species” correct=”option4″]

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UPSC CAPF – 2016
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The correct taxonomic hierarchy in biology is Kingdom – Phylum – Class – Order – Family – Genus – Species.
– This system was largely developed by Carl Linnaeus.
– It is a hierarchical system used to classify organisms based on shared characteristics.
– ‘Kingdom’ is the broadest category, while ‘Species’ is the most specific.
– Organisms within a lower rank (e.g., Genus) are more closely related to each other than organisms in a higher rank (e.g., Family).
Sometimes, ranks higher than Kingdom (like Domain) and intermediate ranks (like Phylum, Superclass, Suborder, Tribe) are also used to provide finer classification details. A common mnemonic to remember the order is: King Philip Came Over For Good Soup.

27. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the code

Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the code given below the Lists :

List-I
(Scientist)
A. J.D. Watson
B. Louis Pasteur
C. Carl Linnaeus
D. Charles Darwin

List-II
(Area of study)
1. Microbiology
2. Taxonomy
3. Molecular Biology
4. Evolution

Code :

ABCD
(a)4213
(b)4123
(c)3124
(d)3214

[amp_mcq option1=”A-4, B-2, C-1, D-3″ option2=”A-4, B-1, C-2, D-3″ option3=”A-3, B-1, C-2, D-4″ option4=”A-3, B-2, C-1, D-4″ correct=”option3″]

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UPSC CAPF – 2015
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The correct matching is A-3, B-1, C-2, D-4.
– J.D. Watson (along with Francis Crick) is renowned for discovering the double helix structure of DNA, a fundamental breakthrough in Molecular Biology.
– Louis Pasteur was a pioneering microbiologist and chemist, famous for his work on germ theory, pasteurization, and vaccines. His major contributions are in the field of Microbiology.
– Carl Linnaeus was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, and physician who formalized binomial nomenclature, the modern system of naming organisms. He is considered the “father of modern taxonomy”.
– Charles Darwin was a British naturalist whose theory of evolution by natural selection revolutionized the understanding of life on Earth. His primary area of study was Evolution.
These scientists represent different foundational areas of biology and science. Watson’s work on DNA laid the groundwork for modern genetics and molecular biology. Pasteur’s work was crucial for understanding infectious diseases and developing preventive measures, founding medical microbiology. Linnaeus provided a systematic way to classify the diversity of life. Darwin provided the central mechanism explaining how this diversity arose over time.

28. Organisms of which of the following phylum are called sponges ?

Organisms of which of the following phylum are called sponges ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Coelenterata” option2=”Platyhelminthes” option3=”Porifera” option4=”Echinodermata” correct=”option3″]

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Organisms belonging to the phylum Porifera are commonly known as sponges. The name “Porifera” means “pore-bearers,” which describes the characteristic feature of sponges having a body permeated by pores.
Porifera are the simplest multicellular animals, typically sessile aquatic organisms. They lack true tissues and organs and filter feed water that passes through their porous bodies.
Coelenterata (now more commonly called Cnidaria) includes jellyfish, sea anemones, and corals, characterized by a radial symmetry and stinging cells (cnidocytes). Platyhelminthes are flatworms (e.g., tapeworms, flukes), known for their flattened body shape and bilateral symmetry. Echinodermata includes marine animals like starfish, sea urchins, and sea cucumbers, characterized by radial symmetry (often pentaradial) and a water vascular system.

29. How are evergreen plants with woody stems having naked seed classified

How are evergreen plants with woody stems having naked seed classified ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Angiosperms” option2=”Monocotyledons” option3=”Pteridophytes” option4=”Gymnosperms” correct=”option4″]

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UPSC NDA-2 – 2021
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Gymnosperms are a group of seed-bearing plants that produce “naked” seeds, meaning their seeds are not enclosed within an ovary or fruit. Many gymnosperms, such as conifers, are evergreen trees or shrubs with woody stems.
The defining characteristic of gymnosperms is the presence of naked seeds. They are vascular plants and include forms like conifers, cycads, ginkgo, and gnetophytes.
Angiosperms (flowering plants) have seeds enclosed within a fruit. Pteridophytes (ferns and horsetails) are vascular plants but do not produce seeds; they reproduce via spores. Monocotyledons are a subgroup of Angiosperms.

30. Who among the following popularized the use of embryological character

Who among the following popularized the use of embryological characters in taxonomy ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Carl Linnaeus” option2=”Panchanan Maheshwari” option3=”Birbal Sahni” option4=”Bentham and Hooker” correct=”option2″]

This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-2 – 2019
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The correct answer is B) Panchanan Maheshwari.
Panchanan Maheshwari was a renowned Indian botanist who made significant contributions to the study of angiosperm embryology. He extensively studied the embryological features of plants and emphasized their importance in understanding plant relationships and classification (taxonomy).
Carl Linnaeus is known as the father of modern taxonomy and is famous for his binomial nomenclature system. Birbal Sahni was an Indian paleobotanist. Bentham and Hooker developed a widely used system of classification based primarily on morphological characters. Panchanan Maheshwari’s work helped integrate embryological data into taxonomic studies, particularly for flowering plants.
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