Biological Classification
Previous year questions with solutions · 2000 – 2026
Year-wise statistics questions · papers · average per paper · weightage
| Year | Questions | Papers | Avg / paper | Weightage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 5.94% ▲ 220.8% vs last year |
| 2025 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.85% ▼ 29.6% vs last year |
| 2024 | 3 | 2 | 1.5 | 2.63% ▼ 13.8% vs last year |
| 2022 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3.05% ▲ 83.2% vs last year |
| 2021 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.67% ▼ 16.7% vs last year |
| 2020 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2.00% ▼ 64.7% vs last year |
| 2019 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 5.66% ▼ 37.7% vs last year |
| 2018 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 9.09% ▲ 72.7% vs last year |
| 2017 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 5.26% ▼ 24.3% vs last year |
| 2016 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 6.96% ▼ 15.7% vs last year |
| 2015 | 9 | 2 | 4.5 | 8.26% ▼ 33.9% vs last year |
| 2014 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 12.50% ▲ 246.9% vs last year |
| 2013 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3.60% ▼ 58.8% vs last year |
| 2012 | 9 | 2 | 4.5 | 8.74% ▲ 319.4% vs last year |
| 2011 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2.08% ▼ 73.2% vs last year |
| 2010 | 7 | 2 | 3.5 | 7.78% ▲ 45.2% vs last year |
| 2009 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 5.36% ▼ 26.3% vs last year |
| 2008 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 7.27% ▲ 23.6% vs last year |
| 2007 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 5.88% ▼ 13.2% vs last year |
| 2006 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 6.78% ▼ 14.6% vs last year |
| 2005 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 7.94% ▲ 9.1% vs last year |
| 2004 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 7.27% ▼ 9.8% vs last year |
| 2003 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 8.06% ▼ 26.3% vs last year |
| 2002 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 10.94% ▲ 29.1% vs last year |
| 2001 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 8.47% ▲ 52.5% vs last year |
| 2000 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 5.56% |
⚠ 3 of these questions are out of the current syllabus (marked on the question).
The cyanobacteria are also referred to as
- protists
- golden algae
- slime moulds
- blue green algae
The most abundant prokaryotes helpful to humans in making curd from milk and in production of antibiotics are the ones categorised as
- cyanobacteria
- archaebacteria
- chemosynthetic autotrophs
- heterotrophic bacteria
Which one single organism or the pair of organisms is correctly assigned to its or their named taxonomic group?
- Paramecium and Plasmodium belong to the same kingdom as that of Penicillium.
- Lichen is a composite organism formed from the symbiotic association of an alga and a protozoan.
- Yeast used in making bread and beer is a fungus.
- Nostoc and Anabaena are examples of protista.
The pathogen Microsporum responsible for ringworm disease in humans belongs to the same kingdom of organisms as that of
- Taenia, a tapeworm
- Wuchereria, a filarial worm
- Rhizopus, a mould
- Ascaris, a round worm.
Which one of the following is incorrectly matched?
- Root pressure – guttation
- Puccinia – smut
- Root – exarch protoxylem
- Cassia – imbricate aestivation
Select the correct combination of the statements (i – iv) regarding the characteristics of certain organisms. (i) Methanogens are archaebacteria which produce methane in marshy areas. (ii) Nostoc is a filamentous blue-green alga which fixes atmospheric nitrogen. (iii) Chemosynthetic autotrophic bacteria synthesise cellulose from glucose. (iv) Mycoplasma lack a cell wall and can survive without oxygen. The correct statements are
- (ii) and (iii)
- (i), (ii) and (iii)
- (ii), (iii) and (iv)
- (i), (ii) and (iv)
Black (stem) rust of wheat is caused by
- Alternaria solani
- Ustilago nuda
- Puccinia graminis
- Xanthomonas oryzae
Given below is the diagram of a bacteriophage. In which one of the options all the four parts A, B, C and D are correct? [Figure]
- A Collar, B Tail fibres, C Head, D Sheath
- A Tail fibres, B Head, C Sheath, D Collar
- A Head, B Sheath, C Collar, D Tail fibres
- A Sheath, B Collar, C Head, D Tail fibres
Some hyperthermophilic organisms that grow in highly acidic (pH 2) habitats belong to the two groups
- eubacteria and archaea
- cyanobacteria and diatoms
- protists and mosses
- liverworts and yeasts
Infectious proteins are present in –
- Viroids
- Geminiviruses
- Satellite viruses
- Prions
T.O. Diener discovered a
- free infectious DNA
- infectious protein
- bacteriophage
- free infectious RNA
Which one is the wrong pairing for the disease and its causal organism?
- Black rust of wheat – Puccinia graminis
- Loose smut of wheat – Ustilago nuda
- Root knot of vegetables – Meloidogyne sp.
- Late blight of potato – Alternaria solani
Bacterial leaf blight of rice is caused by a species of
- Alternaria
- Erwinia
- Xanthomonas
- Pseudomonas
Thermococcus, Methanococcus and Methanobacterium exemplify
- bacteria whose DNA is relaxed or positively supercoiled but which have a cytoskeleton as well as mitochondria
- bacteria that contain a cytoskeleton and ribosomes
- archaebacteria that contain protein homologous to eukaryotic core histones
- archaebacteria that lack any histones resembling those found in eukaryotes but whose DNA is negatively supercoiled
In the light of recent classification of living organisms into three domains of life (bacteria, archaea and eukarya), which one of the following statements is true about archaea?
- Archaea completely differ from both prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
- Archaea completely differ from prokaryotes.
- Archaea resemble eukarya in all respects.
- Archaea have some novel features that are absent in other prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
Cellulose is the major component of cell walls of
- Pseudomonas
- Saccharomyces
- Pythium
- Xanthomonas
Which one of the following statements about Mycoplasma is wrong?
- They are pleomorphic.
- They are sensitive to penicillin.
- They cause diseases in plants.
- They are also called PPLO.
Which pair of the following belongs to basidiomycetes?
- Puffballs and Claviceps
- Peziza and stinkhorns
- Morchella and mushrooms
- Bird's nest fungi and puffballs
Which of the following environmental conditions are essential for optimum growth of Mucor on a piece of bread? Choose the answer from the following options.
- B, C and F only
- A, C and E only
- A, D and E only
- B, D and E only
What is common about Trypanosoma, Noctiluca, Monocystis and Giardia?
- These are all parasites
- These are all unicellular protists
- They have flagella
- They produce spores
The bacterium ( Clostridium botulinum) that causes botulism is-
- A facultative aerobe
- An obligate aerobe
- A facultative anaerobe
- An obligate anaerobe
Barophilic prokaryotes
- grow and multiply in very deep marine sediments
- occur in water containing high concentrations of barium hydroxide
- readily grow and divide in sea water enriched in any soluble salt of barium
- grow slowly in highly alkaline frozen lakes at high altitudes.
There exists a close association between the alga and the fungus within a lichen. The fungus
- provides protection, anchorage and absorption for the alga
- provides food for the alga
- fixes the atmospheric nitrogen for the alga
- releases oxygen for the alga
Auxospores and hormogonia are formed, respectively, by
- some diatoms and several cyanobacteria
- some cyanobacteria and many diatoms
- several cyanobacteria and several diatoms
- several diatoms and a few cyanobacteria.