WAEC Biology 1994 Past Questions

Practice each question, then open it to see the full details.

All animals are dependent on green plants because plants

A.shelter them from excessive heat from the sun
B.give them protection from enemies
C.are used for building houses and furniture
D.beautify their surroundings
E.manufacture food for animals

(a) List three major zones in the marine habitat stating one characteristic feature of each zone.

(b) (i) Give one example each of plants and animals in the marine habitat.
(ii) Explain how each of the plant and animal is adapted to the habitat.

(c) State three bahavioural adaptations of animals to seasonal changes in terrestrial habitat.

(d) State three characteristics each of the plant community in the tropical rain forest and savanna.

The scientist who discovered the cell while examining a thin slice of cork under the microscope was

A.Robert Hooke
B.Anton van Leeuwenhoek
C.Matthias Schleiden
D.Theodor Schwann
E.Alexander Fleming

(a) Describe the general arrangement of the viscera of a named mammal.

(b) Describe the process of feeding in (i) Hydra; (ii) Amoeba.

The two important physical processes involved in the absorption and transport of materials in plants are

A.diffusion and plasmolysis
B.cohesion and adhesion
C.flaccidity and turgidity
D.osmosis and diffusion
E.plasmolysis and capillarity

(a) Describe an experiment to demonstrate the effect of auxin on growth of a plant shoot.

(b) List three uses of auxin in agriculture.

(c) Describe the mechanism of transmission of impulses through a nerve fibre.

The process by which plants manufacture food from carbondioxide and water, using energy from the sun is
termed

A.chemosynthesis
B.photosynthesis
C.autotrophism
D.heterotrophism
E.transpiration

(a)(i) Explain the term courtship behaviour in animals.
(ii) How does courtship aid reproduction in animals?

(b) Describe the process of fertilization in flowering plants.

The process in which insects undergo conspicuous changes in form and appearance during development
is known as

A.ecdysis
B.metamorphosis
C.aestivation
D.migration
E.hibernation

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What is the foot labelled I adapted to?

A.Feeding on flesh
B.Eating grains
C.Swimming in water
D.Perching on trees
E.Catching insects in flight

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The foot labelled III is strong and has blunt claws
on its digits, This implies that the bird

A.is a scavenger
B.is a bird of prey
C.is a marine bird
D.uses the foot to scratch the soil
E.uses the foot to supplement wing action in flight

The long and sharp claws in the font labelled ll show that the bird uses them to

A.hold onto its prey
B.paddle in water
C.glide in the alt
D.scratch the earth for worms
E.burrow into the soil

Conventional method of sewage disposal involves all the following except defaecating

A.into pit latrines
B.in open fields
C.into cesspit
D.into bucket latrine
E.into water home sewage system

Which of the following actions is not an example of a simple reflex action?

A.Knee jerk
B.Blinking of the eye
C.Withdrawal of hand from hot object
D.Reading a book
E.Contraction of the iris

In which of the following is a cellulose cell wall present

A.Amoeba
B.Mammalian white blood corpuscle
C.spirogyra
D.paramecium
E.parasitic worms

Which of the following organisms exists as a filament?

A.Euglena
B.Amoeba
C.Volvox
D.paramecium
E.Spirogyra

All the following can illustrate the dynamic nature of the ecosystem except

A.nitrogen cycle
B.carbon cycle
C.water cycle
D.nutrient cycle
E.locomotion in organisms

Which of the following measures does not ensure conservation?

A.Establishing forest and game reserves
B.Encouraging people to plant trees
C.Founding societies that promote conservation
D.Enacting conservation laws and bye-laws
E.Enclosing fishes in ponds where they will not be stolen

Which of the following is not required for primary production to occur in plants?

A.Chlorophyl
B.Sugar
C.Water
D.Carbon dioxide
E.Solar energy

Which of the following blood group(s) is/are the universal donor(s)

A.O
B.A
C.B
D.AB
E.AB and O

The branch of science which deals with resemblances, origin and expression of biological variations is
called

A.embryology
B.ecology
C.entomology
D.genetics
E.taxonomy

Which of the following can cause desert encroachment?

A.Afforestation
B.Irrigation
C.Planting of trees
D.Establishment of game reserve
E.Overgrazing

The morphological, physiological and behavioural characteristics which enable an organism to survive in
its environment is called

A.heredity
B.ecology
C.competition
D.adaptation
E.variation

Which of the following performs the same function as the contractile vacuole of a unicellular organism?

A.Kidney
B.Alimentary canal
C.Liver
D.Pancreas
E.Bladder

Which of the following represents the correct order in a possible food chain?

A.Crustacean -> diatom -> fish -> man
B.Fish -> crustacean -> man -> diatom
C.Man -> fish -> crustacean -> diatom
D.Diatom -> crustacean -> fish -> man
E.Man -> diatom -> fish -> crustacean

Which of the following relationships illustrates competition?

A.Cattle egret moving along with cattle
B.Goats and cows grazing on a small grass lawn
C.Mosses succeeding lichens in a rocky terrain
D.Red mangrove swamp dying and replaced by white mangrove
E.Forest trees, shrubs and grasses replacing white mangrove in a swamp

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Which of the following agents is responsible for the dispersal of the seed shown above?

A.man
B.Water
C.Wind
D.Explosive mechanism
E.Animal

The structure used by fishes to detect the presence and movement of other animals
by the vibration they produce is the

A.eye
B.nostril
C.lateral line
D.scales
E.fins

Muscles are attached to bones by means of

A.ligament
B.cartilage
C.capillaries
D.tendons
E.arteries

The ability of the eye to alter the focal length of the lens, with regard to the distance of the object from
the eye is known as

A.binocular vision
B.nocturnal vision
C.distortion
D.accommodation
E.focusing

What is the fate of the ovary of a flower after fertilization?

A.becomes the seed
B.withers away
C.becomes the fruit
D.develops more nuclei
E.develops into sepals.

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The diagrams above represent a group of insects known to be

A.colonial
B.parasitic
C.soldier
D.carnivorous
E.symbiotic

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In their system of organisation, the diagram labelled II plays the role of a

A.worker
B.soldier
C.queen
D.drone
E.reproductive

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Which of the following determines a normal male offspring?

A.X
B.Y
C.XX
D.XY
E.YY

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What is the theoretical probability that a normal male child will be born?

A.1\2
B.1\4
C.1\3
D.1
E.2\3

Which of these is not part of the appendicular skeleton?

A.Clavicle
B.Vertebral column
C.Scapula
D.Femur
E.Humerus

Which of the following factors does not control population growth?

A.Food shortage
B.Emigration
C.Abundance of food
D.Predation
E.Natural disaster

The following conditions form the basis of competition in a habitat except

A.food
B.space
C.reproductive mate
D.light
E.body structure

The part of the ear which equalizes air pressure on either side of the eardrum is
the

A.auditory meatus
B.malleus
C.Eustachian tube
D.oval window
E.stapes

Mutation leads to evolution in that it

A.gives rise to offspring which have the same characteristics as the parents
B.kill all organism where it has occurred
C.gives rise to new individuals which differs considerably from their parents
D.always confers adaptability of the offspring
E.does nit confer adaptability to the offspring

The process whereby poisonous compounds are made harmless in the liver is called

A.deamination
B.glycolysis
C.dehydration
D.detoxification
E.denitritication

The deficiency of calcium in a plant may result in

A.stunted growth and poor root development
B.poor growth, leaves become orange or brown
C.stunted growth, slender stem and yellowing of leaves
D.very small leaves and yellowing of leaves
E.tall weedy and reddish leaves, `

Which of the following is the least safe method of birth control? Using

A.spermicide creams
B.contraceptive pills
C.barriers such as condoms
D.intrauterine device
E.the withdrawal method

Which of the following does not imply attempt at conservation?

A.Limit on the size of nets used in fishing
B.Limit on the size of vessels to be used in fishing
C.Prohibition of hunting or fishing at a certain season
D.Prudent management of natural resources
E.Retraining from the use of the natural resource

The gradual, cumulative, adaptive and heritable changes in an organism over a long period of time resulting
in emergence of new species is known as

A.adaption
B.survival
C.regeneration
D.variation
E.organic evolution

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The structure that produces the energy required by the cell is labelled

A.I
B.II
C.III
D.IV
E.V

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The structure labelled V is the

A.mitochondrion
B.ribosome
C.nucleus
D.centriole
E.nucleolus

In which of the following organisms is the siphon found?

A.Tadpole
B.Pupa of mosquito
C.Tilapia
D.Crayfish
E.Butterfly

Which of the following is not a pollution control measure?

A.Penalising those who dump refuse on water or land
B.Controlling the emission of smoke from automobiles and industries
C.Ensuring that there is no spillage of oil.
D.Establishing government agencies like Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA)
E.Channelling sewage into streams

Which pair of structures contributes to balance in mammals?

A.Utriculus and Sacculus
B.Malleus and Stapes
C.Sacculus and cochlea
D.Utriculus and pinna
E.Fenestra ovalis and sacculus