WAEC Biology 2002 Past Questions

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Which of the following characteristics differentiates a palisade cell from a liver cell? The possession of

A.a cell wall and a cytoplasm
B.a vacuole and a nucleus
C.non-cell membrane and chloroplast
D.a cell wall and chloroplast

(a) Explain the terms:
(i) Parasitism
(ii) Commensalism

(b) Mention:
(i) one fungal parasite of a plant and its host
(ii) one bacterial parasite of humans.

(c)(i) List four symptoms of malaria.
(II) Mention six methods of controlling malaria in West Africa

Which of the following organism has both plant and animal-like features

A.Paramecium
B.Euglena
C.Amoeba
D.Spirogyra

(a) What is a receptor?

(b) Describe the general features common to all receptors.

(c)(i) Make a labelled diagram 8cm - 10cm long, to show the outer and middle ear only of human.
(ii) List three ways of caring for the ear.

Which part of part of plant cell contains cellulose?

A.Vacuole
B.Cytoplasm
C.Cell wall
D.Chloroplast

(a) List the main constituents of mammalian blood.

(b) State two functions of each constituent.

(c) Tabulate six differences between arteries and veins.

(d) Name the main artery which transports blood to the:
(i) Lung
(ii) Kidney.

Animal cells are different from plant cells because animal cells have

A.definite cell wall
B.large vacuole
C.centrioles
D.Chloroplast

(a) What is sexual reproduction?

(b) State five functions of the placenta and four functions of the umbilical cord of a mammal.

(c) List four types of placentation in flowering plants.

(d) State four conditions necessary for seed germination.

Which of the following depicts the external features of a rat as mammal?

A.Long intestine and tail
B.Diaphragm and lungs
C.Milk and sweat production
D.Fur and whisker

(a)(i) Define ecological succession.
(ii) List four characteristics of ecological succession of plants.

(b) Explain four factors which affect population size

(c) State the adaptation of tapeworm (Taenia Solium) to its habitat in the gut of human.

Which of the following represents the correct sequence, from the most complex of organisations?

A.Mitochondrion, Muscle, Alimentary canal, Rabbit, Heart, Neurone
B.Mitochondrion, Neurone, Muscle, Heart, Alimentary canal, Rabbit
C.Alimentary canal, Neurone, Muscle, Heart, Rabbit. Mitochondrion
D.Rabbit, Mitochondrion, Heart, Neurone, Alimentary canal, Muscle

(a) Explain the following terms:
(i) Producer
(ii) Consumer
(iii) Community
(iv) Decomposer.

(b) List four characteristics each of:
(i) Trees of the Tropical Rain Forest IP
(ii) Trees/Shrubs of the Savanna.

Which of the following will cause wilting in plants?

A.Humidity
B.Coldness
C.Adequate soil water
D.Excessive transpiration

Which of the following definitions best describes excretion? The

A.liberation of energy from food
B.release of faeces from the body
C.breakdown of food molecules
D.removal of the waste products of metabolism.

Study the information below. Use it to answer question below

In an experiment to study the rate of water loss in plants, leaves of a potted plant were treated as follows:
I. Upper surface covered with Vaseline ll. Lower surface covered with Vaseline
III. Both surfaces covered with Vaseline IV. None of the leaf surfaces covered

Indicate in a descending order, the rate of water loss from the leaves

A.I, II, III and IV
B.II, I, III and IV
C.III, II, I and IV
D.IV, I, II and III

The following are methods of measuring plant growth except

A.determining the fresh and dry weights of the plant
B.counting the number of fruits produced
C.measuring the increase in height of the shoot
D.measuring the length and breadth of a leaf.

Which of the following will ease the friction between the ends of bones in a movable joint?

A.Serum
B.Tissue
C.Blood plasma
D.Synovial fluid.

Diffusion is most effective in living organisms, when the surface area is

A.large and the thickness is also large
B.small while the thickness is large
C.large while the thickness is small
D.the same as its thickness.

The function of the red blood cells is to

A.engulf invading bacteria
B.aid in protein formation
C.transport oxygen to the cells
D.control blood glucose level

Which of the following is used to measure the rate of water uptake in plants?

A.Potometer
B.Hydrometer
C.Hygrometer
D.aspirator

Which of the following does not occur during inhalation in mammals?

A.Rib cage is raised up
B.Diaphragm contracts and becomes dome shaped
C.Inter-coastal muscle contracts
D.Volume of the thoracic cavity increases.

The oxygen released during photosynthesis is obtained

A.from the catalytic splitting of carbon-dioxide in plant tissues
B.from the breakdown of glucose molecules in cells
C.during the photolysis of water using energy trapped in chlorophyll
D.by the excretion of excess oxygen in plant tissues

In which of the following processes in mammals is liquid passed from blood capillaries to Bowman‘s capsule?

A.Filtration
B.Diffusion
C.Osmosis
D.Reabsorption

Adrenalin is considered as a hormone for “fright and flight” because it

A.controls the fluid content of the body
B.is used in protein metabolism
C.plays a role in the pH balance of the body fluids
D.prepares the body for action.

Which of the following organs in humans is responsible for the removal of excess water?

A.The spleen
B.The kidney
C.Large intestine
D.Small intestine

In humans, which of the following pairs of hormones correspond to male and female respectively?

A.Oestroqen and adrenalin
B.Progesterone and testosterone
C.Testosterone and oestrogen
D.Adrenalin and progesterone

If the cerebellum of a person is slightly damaged, which of the following will be impaired?

A.vision
B.Walking
C.Breathing
D.Digestion

The structure of the ear that is responsible for balancing is the

A.semi-circular carnals
B.pinna
C.auditory nerve
D.fenestra ovalis

When a person moves from a darkroom into bright light, the pupil becomes

A.red
B.larger
C.white
D.smaller

Which of the following is not an example of entomophilous flower?

A.Hibiscus
B.Flamboyant
C.Guinea grass
D.AlIamanda

In flowering plants, fertilization would occur when

A.the pollen grows downwards penetrating the style
B.a pollen grain is transferred to the stigma
C.one of the nuclei inside the pollen tube fuses with the ovum
D.the nucleus of the pollen tube divides

After fertilization in the flowering plants, the zygote develops into the

A.plumule
B.radicle
C.cotyledon
D.embryo

Which of the following substances is contained in chloroplasts?

A.Starch
B.Sugar
C.Glycogen
D.Dextrin

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The structures labelled II are

A.groundnut seeds
B.underground root nuts
C.root Tubers
D.root nodules

Question image

The structures labelled II are associated with

A.storage of plant nutrients
B.organic acids
C.nitrogen-fixing bacteria
D.putrefying microbes

Using iodine solution, Biuret test, Benedict reagents and ethanol, respectively in testing for reducing
sugars, which of the following trends of colour changes would be observed?

A.Blue → black → blue → brown → clear
B.Brown → blue → brick red → clear
C.Brown → violet → blue → clear
D.Brown → blue → violet → milky

Ecology simply means the study of

A.the properties of a habitat
B.interrelationship between organisms and their environment
C.several species of plants and animals
D.interrelationship between plants and animals.

Which of the following processes removes water from the water cycle?

A.Condensation
B.Perspiration
C.Photosynthesis
D.Transpiration

The importance of practising crop-rotation in agriculture is to

A.control soil erosion
B.maintain the fertility of the soil
C.improve the nutritional value of crops
D.ensure growth of cash crops

In any food chain, the first member must be a

A.carnivore
B.herbivore
C.zooplankton
D.autotroph

Which of the following measures is most likely to cause a damage to the ecosystem in the control of pests
and weeds?

A.Use of ladybird insects to feed on aphids
B.introduction of bacterium to kill larvae of butterfly
C.Introduction of Tilapia fish in ponds to feed on mosquito larvae
D.Spraying insecticides to destroy cotton- stainers in a cotton-field

The total amount of energy entering a food chain is that which is present in the

A.consumer
B.ecosystem
C.producer
D.decomposer

Which of the following terms ensures the survival of an organism in its environment?

A.Hibernation
B.Succession
C.Adaptation
D.Competition

The concave shape of a birds wing during flight, ensures that the greater air pressure under the wings will

A.counteract the effect of gravity
B.lift the bird so that it can remain airborne
C.enable the pectoral ,muscles to contract easily
D.change the direction of the flying bird

The possession of breathing roots is a characteristic of plants growing in

A.mangrove swamp
B.coastal savanna
C.guinea savanna
D.shrub biome

The numbers in a population would rise, if there was an increase in the

A.spread of disease
B.number of deaths
C.number of predators
D.amount of food available

Measles in infants can be prevented by

A.sleeping under mosquito nets
B.providing clean water supply
C.taking anti-malaria tablets
D.vaccinating young children

Micro-organisms are important in recycling nutrients because

A.they are capable of multiplying quickly
B.they are eaten by large organisms
C.they break down dead organic materials
D.many of them are parasites

A vegetable farmer will benefit from a cattle rearer if

A.the faecal remains of the cattle are made available to the farmer
B.the farmer makes available fresh green vegetables for consumption by the cattle daily.
C.the farmer provides shelter for the cattle and the cattle rearer
D.the cattle rearer makes available meat to the farmer daily

Wildlife conservation is enhanced by

A.enacting laws to encourage poaching
B.discouraging elimination of endangered species
C.encouraging creation of satellite hunting unit
D.suppressing the activities of wildlife conservation agencies