JAMB Biology 2013

33 reviewed questions with answers and explanations.

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Question 2

The process in which complex substances are broken down into simpler ones is referred to as

  1. anabolism
  2. catabolism
  3. metabolism
  4. tropism
Answer and explanation

B: catabolism

Catabolism breaks larger molecules into smaller ones and often releases usable energy. Anabolism builds more complex molecules; metabolism includes both kinds of reaction.

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Question 4

The organelles present in cells that are actively respiring and photosynthesizing are

  1. lysosomes and ribosomes
  2. Golgi apparatus and endoplasmic reticulum
  3. nucleus and centrioles
  4. mitochondria and chloroplast
Answer and explanation

D: mitochondria and chloroplast

Mitochondria support aerobic cellular respiration, while chloroplasts carry out photosynthesis. A photosynthetic plant cell can use both organelles because photosynthesis does not replace its need for respiration.

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Question 5

Which listed animal is the usual intermediate host of Taenia solium?

  1. cow
  2. goat
  3. dog
  4. pig
Answer and explanation

D: pig

Pigs are the usual intermediate hosts for Taenia solium, the pork tapeworm. Larval cysts can occur in pig tissues; adult worms live in the human intestine after infected pork is eaten.

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Question 6

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The structure labelled II in the organism is the

  1. spermathecal pore
  2. cocoon
  3. clitellum
  4. chaetae

Question 7

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The organism is found in soils rich in

  1. mud
  2. humus
  3. clay
  4. sand

Question 11

The plants that grow in deserts or very dry areas are referred to as

  1. mesophytes
  2. hydrophytes
  3. epiphytes
  4. xerophytes
Answer and explanation

D: xerophytes

Xerophytes are plants adapted to dry environments. Their adaptations may include reduced leaves, water storage or physiological mechanisms that limit water loss; different species use different combinations.

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Question 14

The structural adaptation of desert plants for water conservation is

  1. broad leaves with numerous stomata
  2. spongy mesophyll
  3. spiny leaves
  4. prominent stomata in leaves
Answer and explanation

C: spiny leaves

Reducing leaves to spines decreases the surface area available for water loss. Many desert plants combine this with other adaptations, such as water-storing tissues or specialised stomatal behaviour.

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Question 15

The long, sharp talons of a bird of prey are primarily adapted for

  1. crushing seeds
  2. scooping mud
  3. tearing flesh
  4. grasping prey
Answer and explanation

D: grasping prey

Long, sharp talons allow predatory birds to seize and hold prey. The hooked beak commonly performs much of the tearing, while the feet secure the captured animal.

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Question 17

Long-distance transport of substances between different parts of a plant is broadly termed

  1. osmosis
  2. translocation
  3. transpiration
  4. diffusion
Answer and explanation

B: translocation

Translocation is the transport of substances from one part of a plant to another, especially sugars through phloem. Water and mineral ions also move through the vascular system, chiefly in xylem.

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Question 18

Which salivary enzyme begins the digestion of starch?

  1. rennin
  2. lipase
  3. pepsin
  4. ptyalin
Answer and explanation

D: ptyalin

Ptyalin is salivary alpha-amylase, which begins starch digestion in the mouth. Pepsin acts in the stomach, while salivary amylase targets carbohydrate rather than fats.

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Question 19

Plants that have special devices for trapping and digesting insects are

  1. carnivorous
  2. symbiotic
  3. parasitic
  4. saprophytic
Answer and explanation

A: carnivorous

Carnivorous plants capture and digest small animals to supplement mineral nutrition, particularly in nutrient-poor habitats. They generally still photosynthesise rather than depending on prey for all organic food.

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Question 20

The process that transfers energy from cellular fuels into ATP in plants is

  1. autotropism
  2. photosynthesis
  3. photolysis
  4. respiration
Answer and explanation

D: respiration

Cellular respiration transfers energy from organic fuels into ATP that cells can use. Plants respire as well as photosynthesise; the two processes perform different roles in energy conversion.

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Question 21

Which listed feature is consistent with fungi obtaining organic food instead of photosynthesising?

  1. are filamentous
  2. lack chlorophyll
  3. have mycelium
  4. lack roots
Answer and explanation

B: lack chlorophyll

Fungi lack chlorophyll and obtain organic carbon by absorbing materials from other organisms or their remains. Their heterotrophy is defined by this dependence on organic food, not by the shape of their bodies.

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Question 22

An example of a parasitic protozoan is

  1. Paramecium
  2. Plasmodium
  3. Euglena
  4. Chlamydomonas
Answer and explanation

B: Plasmodium

Plasmodium species are parasitic protists with life cycles involving a vertebrate host and a mosquito. Several species cause human malaria, unlike the usual free-living examples in the other choices.

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Question 24

Which option lists the heart and all three major classes of blood vessels?

  1. heart, arteries, capillaries and veins
  2. heart, aorta, capillaries and veins
  3. heart, aorta, arteries and veins
  4. heart, vena cava, arteries and veins
Answer and explanation

A: heart, arteries, capillaries and veins

The vertebrate circulation includes a heart and vessels organised as arteries, capillaries and veins. Arteries carry blood away from the heart, capillaries permit exchange and veins return blood.

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Question 26

Which blood component consists of cell fragments that aggregate to form an initial plug at a damaged vessel?

  1. Red blood cells
  2. White blood cells
  3. Plasma
  4. Platelets
Answer and explanation

D: Platelets

Platelets adhere at damaged vessels and aggregate to form an initial plug. They also support coagulation reactions, while soluble clotting factors in plasma contribute to fibrin formation.

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Question 27

Which of the following forms about 55% of the volume of the blood in man?

  1. leucocytes
  2. platelets
  3. plasma
  4. erythrocytes
Answer and explanation

C: plasma

Plasma is the fluid portion of blood and typically accounts for about55% of its volume. The remaining formed elements are mostly red blood cells, with much smaller contributions from white cells and platelets.

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Question 28

The part of the mammalian skin involved in excretion is the

  1. sweat glands
  2. Malpighian layer
  3. sebaceous gland
  4. horny layer
Answer and explanation

A: sweat glands

Sweat glands release water, salts and small quantities of nitrogenous substances onto the skin. Sweating is chiefly important for thermoregulation but also removes these substances from the body.

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Question 29

A common nitrogenous excretory product of terrestrial insects is

  1. Alkaloids
  2. Uric acid
  3. Sweat
  4. Mucilage
Answer and explanation

B: Uric acid

Many terrestrial insects excrete nitrogen chiefly as uric acid or urates. These poorly soluble products can be eliminated with relatively little water, which helps conserve water on land.

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Question 30

The main structure in vertebrates that supports and protects the body is the

  1. skeleton
  2. ligament
  3. muscle
  4. joint
Answer and explanation

A: skeleton

The vertebrate endoskeleton supports the body and protects organs, such as the brain within the skull. Muscles act on the skeleton to produce movement, while ligaments connect bones at joints.

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Question 32

The transfer of pollen grains from an anther to a stigma is

  1. propagation
  2. placentation
  3. pollination
  4. fertilization
Answer and explanation

C: pollination

Pollination is the transfer of pollen from an anther to a stigma in flowering plants. Fertilisation occurs later, when gametes fuse following pollen germination and pollen-tube growth.

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Question 33

The male reproductive organ of a flower is the

  1. carpel
  2. stamen
  3. petal
  4. sepal
Answer and explanation

B: stamen

A stamen is the pollen-producing male reproductive structure of a flower, typically consisting of an anther and filament. A carpel contains the female reproductive structures.

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Question 34

The gland that is found just below the hypothalamus is the

  1. parathyroid
  2. adrenal
  3. pituitary
  4. thyroid
Answer and explanation

C: pituitary

The pituitary lies beneath the hypothalamus and is connected to it by the infundibulum. Their close anatomical relationship supports coordination of several endocrine pathways.

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Question 36

The sensory cell that responds to dim light is referred to as the

  1. cone
  2. lens
  3. rod
  4. iris
Answer and explanation

C: rod

Rod photoreceptors respond effectively at low light levels and support dim-light vision. Cones provide colour and high-acuity vision under brighter conditions; lens and iris are not photoreceptor cells.

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Question 38

In a typical nonpregnant reproductive-age female, the principal source of circulating oestrogens is the

  1. ovaries
  2. testes
  3. anterior pituitary
  4. adrenal cortex
Answer and explanation

A: ovaries

In a typical nonpregnant reproductive-age female, the ovaries are the principal source of circulating oestrogens. Smaller amounts can arise in other tissues, so synthesis is not exclusive to the ovaries.

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Question 39

Clouding of the eye’s lens is called

  1. presbyopia
  2. glaucoma
  3. cataract
  4. astigmatism
Answer and explanation

C: cataract

A cataract is clouding of the eye’s lens, which can scatter or block light and reduce clear vision. It is different from glaucoma, which involves damage to the optic nerve.

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Question 42

Earth’s rigid outer rocky layer is the

  1. atmosphere
  2. hydrosphere
  3. biosphere
  4. lithosphere
Answer and explanation

D: lithosphere

The lithosphere is Earth’s rigid outer rocky layer. The atmosphere is the gaseous envelope, the hydrosphere includes water and the biosphere encompasses living systems.

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Question 43

Which disease is caused by Treponema pallidum?

  1. Gonorrhoea
  2. Leprosy
  3. Tuberculosis
  4. Syphilis
Answer and explanation

D: Syphilis

Treponema pallidum is the bacterium that causes syphilis. Gonorrhoea, leprosy and tuberculosis are caused by different bacterial species, despite also being infectious diseases.

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Question 44

Considering only ABO compatibility for red-cell transfusion, which group is called the universal recipient?

  1. B
  2. A
  3. O
  4. AB
Answer and explanation

D: AB

In the simplified ABO red-cell compatibility model, an AB recipient lacks anti-A and anti-B antibodies and can receive red cells of any ABO group. Actual transfusions still require other compatibility checks.

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Question 45

The clumping together of red blood cells is

  1. agglutination
  2. fusion
  3. transfusion
  4. compatibility
Answer and explanation

A: agglutination

Agglutination is the clumping of cells, such as red blood cells linked by antibodies reacting with their surface antigens. It differs from fusion, in which cell membranes merge.

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Question 46

Dormancy that helps some animals survive hot, very dry periods is called

  1. rejuvenation
  2. xeromorphism
  3. hibernation
  4. aestivation
Answer and explanation

D: aestivation

Aestivation is a period of reduced activity or dormancy that can help some animals survive hot or dry conditions. Reduced metabolism and activity can lower resource needs during unfavourable periods.

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Question 47

One water-conserving adaptation in Opuntia is the reduction of

  1. internodes
  2. stem to leaves
  3. leaves to spines
  4. flower size
Answer and explanation

C: leaves to spines

In Opuntia, leaves are greatly reduced and spines help limit the surface associated with water loss. The flattened green stems perform much of the photosynthesis and may store water.

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Question 48

Which of the following structure is adapted for feeding in a bird of prey?

  1. Hooked beak and sharp claws
  2. Smooth beak and strong claws
  3. Big beaks and strong feet
  4. Pointed beak and strong claws
Answer and explanation

A: Hooked beak and sharp claws

A hooked beak can tear food, while sharp talons seize and hold prey. This combination is characteristic of many predatory birds and suits a diet of captured animals.

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