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Protochordata (Urochordata & Cephalochordata) — NEET Biology MCQs with Solutions

Free NEET Biology Protochordata (Urochordata & Cephalochordata) MCQs with step-by-step solutions (60 questions). Part of Animal Kingdom. Practise online on Prepizo — no login needed.

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Questions with solutions

Q1 — Protochordata (Urochordata & Cephalochordata) · easy · numerical
An exclusively marine chordate possesses a notochord only in the tail of its larva, and this notochord is lost in the adult. To which subphylum does it belong?
A. Hemichordata
B. Urochordata  ✓ Correct
C. Cephalochordata
D. Vertebrata
Solution: In Urochordata (Tunicata) the notochord is present only in the larval tail and disappears in the adult.
Q2 — Protochordata (Urochordata & Cephalochordata) · easy · numerical
An exclusively marine chordate has a notochord that runs from the head to the tail region and persists throughout its life. To which subphylum does it belong?
A. Urochordata
B. Cephalochordata  ✓ Correct
C. Vertebrata
D. Hemichordata
Solution: In Cephalochordata the notochord extends from head to tail and is persistent throughout life; Branchiostoma is the example.
Q3 — Protochordata (Urochordata & Cephalochordata) · easy · numerical
Protochordates include the members of which two subphyla of phylum Chordata?
A. Urochordata and Vertebrata
B. Cephalochordata and Vertebrata
C. Hemichordata and Urochordata
D. Urochordata and Cephalochordata  ✓ Correct
Solution: Subphyla Urochordata (Tunicata) and Cephalochordata are together referred to as protochordates.
Q4 — Protochordata (Urochordata & Cephalochordata) · easy · numerical
Branchiostoma, commonly called Amphioxus or Lancelet, is an example of which subphylum?
A. Cephalochordata  ✓ Correct
B. Urochordata
C. Vertebrata
D. Hemichordata
Solution: Branchiostoma (Amphioxus or Lancelet) is the classic cephalochordate example given in NCERT.
Q5 — Protochordata (Urochordata & Cephalochordata) · easy · numerical
Ascidia, Salpa and Doliolum are all examples of which chordate subphylum?
A. Hemichordata
B. Cephalochordata
C. Urochordata  ✓ Correct
D. Vertebrata
Solution: Ascidia, Salpa and Doliolum are the urochordate (tunicate) examples listed in NCERT.
Q6 — Protochordata (Urochordata & Cephalochordata) · easy · numerical
Which subphylum of Chordata is also known by the name Tunicata?
A. Urochordata  ✓ Correct
B. Hemichordata
C. Vertebrata
D. Cephalochordata
Solution: The first subphylum of Chordata is called Urochordata or Tunicata.
Q7 — Protochordata (Urochordata & Cephalochordata) · easy · numerical
Which one of the following genera is a cephalochordate?
A. Salpa
B. Branchiostoma  ✓ Correct
C. Ascidia
D. Doliolum
Solution: Branchiostoma is the cephalochordate; Ascidia, Salpa and Doliolum are urochordates.
Q8 — Protochordata (Urochordata & Cephalochordata) · easy · numerical
Which one of the following is a urochordate (tunicate)?
A. Salpa  ✓ Correct
B. Amphioxus
C. Branchiostoma
D. Lancelet
Solution: Salpa is a urochordate; Branchiostoma (also called Amphioxus or Lancelet) is a cephalochordate.
Q9 — Protochordata (Urochordata & Cephalochordata) · easy · numerical
Protochordates such as Ascidia and Branchiostoma are restricted to which habitat?
A. Exclusively marine  ✓ Correct
B. Both freshwater and terrestrial
C. Exclusively terrestrial
D. Exclusively freshwater
Solution: Both protochordate subphyla, Urochordata and Cephalochordata, are described as exclusively marine.
Q10 — Protochordata (Urochordata & Cephalochordata) · easy · numerical
Amphioxus and Lancelet are two common names for which genus?
A. Doliolum
B. Ascidia
C. Salpa
D. Branchiostoma  ✓ Correct
Solution: Branchiostoma is known both as Amphioxus and as Lancelet; the others are urochordates.
Q11 — Protochordata (Urochordata & Cephalochordata) · easy · numerical
Which one of the following animals is a protochordate?
A. Balanoglossus
B. Branchiostoma  ✓ Correct
C. Myxine
D. Petromyzon
Solution: Branchiostoma is a cephalochordate protochordate; Balanoglossus is a hemichordate (non-chordate) and Petromyzon and Myxine are vertebrates.
Q12 — Protochordata (Urochordata & Cephalochordata) · easy · numerical
Into how many subphyla is phylum Chordata divided, and which are they?
A. Three — Urochordata, Cephalochordata and Vertebrata  ✓ Correct
B. Two — Protochordata and Vertebrata
C. Two — Urochordata and Cephalochordata
D. Four — Urochordata, Cephalochordata, Hemichordata and Vertebrata
Solution: Phylum Chordata is divided into three subphyla: Urochordata (Tunicata), Cephalochordata and Vertebrata.
Q13 — Protochordata (Urochordata & Cephalochordata) · easy · numerical
Doliolum is best classified under which subphylum?
A. Vertebrata
B. Cephalochordata
C. Hemichordata
D. Urochordata  ✓ Correct
Solution: Doliolum, along with Ascidia and Salpa, is a urochordate.
Q14 — Protochordata (Urochordata & Cephalochordata) · easy · numerical
The lancelet Branchiostoma, in which the notochord runs the entire length of the body throughout life, is placed in which subphylum?
A. Vertebrata
B. Cephalochordata  ✓ Correct
C. Urochordata
D. Hemichordata
Solution: A head-to-tail notochord persisting for life is the hallmark of Cephalochordata, represented by Branchiostoma.
Q15 — Protochordata (Urochordata & Cephalochordata) · easy · numerical
Although protochordates possess a notochord, they are not classed as vertebrates because they lack a:
A. Pharyngeal gill slits
B. Dorsal hollow nerve cord
C. Vertebral column (backbone)  ✓ Correct
D. Notochord
Solution: Protochordates never form a cartilaginous or bony vertebral column, so despite having a notochord they are not vertebrates.
Q16 — Protochordata (Urochordata & Cephalochordata) · easy · numerical
Which of the following correctly pairs a protochordate example with its subphylum?
A. Ascidia — Urochordata  ✓ Correct
B. Doliolum — Vertebrata
C. Salpa — Cephalochordata
D. Branchiostoma — Urochordata
Solution: Ascidia is a urochordate; Branchiostoma is a cephalochordate, and Salpa and Doliolum are urochordates.
Q17 — Protochordata (Urochordata & Cephalochordata) · easy · numerical
Which subphylum includes the sea-squirt Ascidia, shown in NCERT as a representative protochordate?
A. Vertebrata
B. Urochordata  ✓ Correct
C. Cephalochordata
D. Hemichordata
Solution: Ascidia is the illustrated urochordate (Tunicata) example in NCERT.
Q18 — Protochordata (Urochordata & Cephalochordata) · easy · numerical
Salpa and Doliolum are grouped together with Ascidia because all three are members of:
A. Hemichordata
B. Vertebrata
C. Urochordata (Tunicata)  ✓ Correct
D. Cephalochordata
Solution: Ascidia, Salpa and Doliolum are all urochordates (tunicates).
Q19 — Protochordata (Urochordata & Cephalochordata) · easy · numerical
Which pair below lists two names for the SAME cephalochordate animal?
A. Amphioxus and Lancelet  ✓ Correct
B. Ascidia and Salpa
C. Balanoglossus and Saccoglossus
D. Petromyzon and Myxine
Solution: Amphioxus and Lancelet are both common names of Branchiostoma; the other pairs are two different genera each.
Q20 — Protochordata (Urochordata & Cephalochordata) · easy · numerical
Protochordates are chordates, meaning they possess a notochord at some stage of life. Which subphylum retains the notochord throughout adult life?
A. Cephalochordata  ✓ Correct
B. Vertebrata
C. Hemichordata
D. Urochordata
Solution: Cephalochordata retains the notochord lifelong; in Urochordata it is confined to the larval tail and in Vertebrata it is replaced by a vertebral column.
Q21 — Protochordata (Urochordata & Cephalochordata) · medium · numerical
Consider the following statements about protochordates: (i) They comprise the subphyla Urochordata and Cephalochordata. (ii) They are exclusively marine. (iii) They possess a bony vertebral column. Which statements are correct?
A. (i) and (iii) only
B. (ii) and (iii) only
C. (i), (ii) and (iii)
D. (i) and (ii) only  ✓ Correct
Solution: Protochordates are the exclusively marine subphyla Urochordata and Cephalochordata; they never possess a vertebral column, so (iii) is false.
Q22 — Protochordata (Urochordata & Cephalochordata) · medium · numerical
Which of the following statements about Urochordata is correct?
A. They possess a bony vertebral column in the adult
B. The notochord extends from head to tail and persists throughout life
C. They are freshwater animals
D. The notochord is restricted to the tail of the larva and is lost in the adult  ✓ Correct
Solution: In Urochordata the notochord occurs only in the larval tail; a persistent head-to-tail notochord is a feature of Cephalochordata.
Q23 — Protochordata (Urochordata & Cephalochordata) · medium · numerical
Three of the following four genera are urochordates. Which one is the ODD one out?
A. Branchiostoma  ✓ Correct
B. Salpa
C. Ascidia
D. Doliolum
Solution: Branchiostoma is a cephalochordate; Ascidia, Salpa and Doliolum are urochordates.
Q24 — Protochordata (Urochordata & Cephalochordata) · medium · numerical
Match the subphylum with its example — (i) Urochordata, (ii) Cephalochordata, (iii) Vertebrata — with (p) Branchiostoma, (q) Petromyzon, (r) Ascidia.
A. (i)-(q), (ii)-(p), (iii)-(r)
B. (i)-(r), (ii)-(p), (iii)-(q)  ✓ Correct
C. (i)-(p), (ii)-(r), (iii)-(q)
D. (i)-(r), (ii)-(q), (iii)-(p)
Solution: Ascidia is a urochordate (i-r), Branchiostoma a cephalochordate (ii-p) and Petromyzon a vertebrate (iii-q).
Q25 — Protochordata (Urochordata & Cephalochordata) · medium · numerical
Which one of the following statements about protochordates is INCORRECT?
A. They possess a cartilaginous or bony vertebral column in the adult  ✓ Correct
B. They include the subphyla Urochordata and Cephalochordata
C. They possess a notochord at some stage of life
D. They are exclusively marine animals
Solution: Protochordates never develop a vertebral column; that feature belongs to vertebrates. The other three statements are correct.
Q26 — Protochordata (Urochordata & Cephalochordata) · medium · numerical
A zoologist finds a small marine animal with a notochord that persists from head to tail throughout life but which has no vertebral column. It is most likely:
A. Branchiostoma, a cephalochordate  ✓ Correct
B. Balanoglossus, a hemichordate
C. Petromyzon, a vertebrate
D. Ascidia, a urochordate
Solution: A lifelong head-to-tail notochord without a vertebral column identifies a cephalochordate such as Branchiostoma.
Q27 — Protochordata (Urochordata & Cephalochordata) · medium · numerical
Which statement correctly distinguishes Urochordata from Cephalochordata?
A. In Urochordata the notochord persists for life, whereas in Cephalochordata it is confined to the larval tail
B. Both retain the notochord only in the larval tail
C. In Urochordata the notochord is confined to the larval tail, whereas in Cephalochordata it extends from head to tail and persists for life  ✓ Correct
D. Urochordata is freshwater while Cephalochordata is marine
Solution: The larval-tail-only notochord marks Urochordata, while the persistent head-to-tail notochord marks Cephalochordata; both are exclusively marine.
Q28 — Protochordata (Urochordata & Cephalochordata) · medium · numerical
Both Ascidia and Branchiostoma are chordates, yet only Branchiostoma keeps its notochord as an adult. This is because Ascidia belongs to ______ while Branchiostoma belongs to ______.
A. Cephalochordata; Urochordata
B. Vertebrata; Urochordata
C. Urochordata; Cephalochordata  ✓ Correct
D. Urochordata; Vertebrata
Solution: Ascidia (Urochordata) loses its notochord after the larval stage, whereas Branchiostoma (Cephalochordata) retains it lifelong.
Q29 — Protochordata (Urochordata & Cephalochordata) · medium · numerical
How many of the following are protochordates? Ascidia, Salpa, Doliolum, Branchiostoma, Balanoglossus.
A. Five
B. Three
C. Four  ✓ Correct
D. Two
Solution: Ascidia, Salpa, Doliolum and Branchiostoma are protochordates; Balanoglossus is a hemichordate (non-chordate), so four are protochordates.
Q30 — Protochordata (Urochordata & Cephalochordata) · medium · numerical
Which of the following animals is NOT a protochordate?
A. Branchiostoma
B. Balanoglossus  ✓ Correct
C. Ascidia
D. Salpa
Solution: Balanoglossus is a hemichordate placed in a separate non-chordate phylum; the other three are protochordates.