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Biological Classification — NEET Biology MCQs with Solutions
Free NEET Biology Biological Classification MCQs with step-by-step solutions covering Five Kingdom Classification, Kingdom Monera, Kingdom Protista, Kingdom Fungi, Kingdom Plantae, Kingdom Animalia. Practise online on Prepizo — no login needed.
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Sample questions with solutions
Q1 — Five Kingdom Classification · easy · theory
The Five Kingdom classification was proposed by:
A. R.H. Whittaker ✓ Correct
B. Ernst Haeckel
C. Robert Hooke
D. Carolus Linnaeus
Solution: R.H. Whittaker (1969) proposed the five kingdoms: Monera, Protista, Fungi, Plantae and Animalia.
Q2 — Five Kingdom Classification · easy · theory
Which of the following was NOT used as a main criterion by Whittaker for his five-kingdom system?
A. Mode of nutrition
B. Body organisation
C. Habitat ✓ Correct
D. Cell structure (prokaryotic/eukaryotic)
Solution: The main criteria were cell structure, body organisation, mode of nutrition, reproduction and phylogenetic relationships — not habitat.
Q3 — Five Kingdom Classification · easy · theory
In the two-kingdom system, a major difficulty was that it did not distinguish between:
A. Prokaryotes and eukaryotes (both were grouped as plants/animals) ✓ Correct
B. Plants and animals
C. Aerobes and anaerobes
D. Vertebrates and invertebrates
Solution: The two-kingdom (Plantae/Animalia) scheme placed bacteria, fungi and algae together and ignored the prokaryote–eukaryote divide.
Q4 — Kingdom Monera · easy · theory
Bacteria are grouped under Kingdom Monera because they are:
A. Prokaryotic ✓ Correct
B. Multicellular
C. Eukaryotic
D. Photosynthetic only
Solution: Monera comprises prokaryotes — organisms lacking a true membrane-bound nucleus and organelles.
Q5 — Kingdom Monera · easy · theory
On the basis of shape, a comma-shaped bacterium is called a:
A. Coccus
B. Bacillus
C. Vibrium (vibrio) ✓ Correct
D. Spirillum
Solution: Shapes: coccus (spherical), bacillus (rod), vibrium (comma), spirillum (spiral).
Q6 — Kingdom Monera · easy · theory
Archaebacteria differ from other bacteria mainly in the structure of their:
A. Cell membrane (branched-chain lipids) ✓ Correct
B. Nucleus
C. Ribosomes only
D. Mitochondria
Solution: Archaebacteria have a distinctive cell-wall structure and branched-chain lipids in the membrane, allowing survival in extreme habitats.
Q7 — Kingdom Protista · easy · theory
All members of Kingdom Protista are:
A. Autotrophic
B. Eukaryotic ✓ Correct
C. Prokaryotic
D. Multicellular
Solution: Protista includes all single-celled eukaryotes, forming a link with plants, animals and fungi.
Q8 — Kingdom Protista · easy · theory
The "red tides" in the sea are caused by rapid multiplication of:
A. Slime moulds
B. Dinoflagellates ✓ Correct
C. Euglenoids
D. Diatoms
Solution: Red dinoflagellates (e.g. Gonyaulax) bloom and make the sea appear red; toxins can kill fish.
Q9 — Kingdom Protista · easy · theory
The cell walls of diatoms (chrysophytes) are made of:
A. Silica (indestructible, forming "diatomaceous earth") ✓ Correct
B. Calcium carbonate
C. Chitin
D. Cellulose only
Solution: Diatom walls have two overlapping silica shells (frustule); their deposits form diatomaceous earth.
Q10 — Kingdom Fungi · easy · theory
The reserve food material stored in fungi is:
A. Inulin
B. Starch
C. Cellulose
D. Glycogen ✓ Correct
Solution: Fungi (like animals) store food as glycogen; their walls are made of chitin.
Q11 — Kingdom Fungi · easy · theory
The body of a filamentous fungus is a network of thread-like structures collectively called the:
A. Thallus of cells
B. Rhizoid
C. Mycelium (of hyphae) ✓ Correct
D. Protonema
Solution: Hyphae form the mycelium; hyphae may be coenocytic (aseptate) or septate.
Q12 — Kingdom Fungi · easy · theory
Rhizopus (bread mould) belongs to which class of fungi?
A. Phycomycetes ✓ Correct
B. Deuteromycetes
C. Basidiomycetes
D. Ascomycetes
Solution: Phycomycetes (e.g. Mucor, Rhizopus, Albugo) have coenocytic hyphae and asexual zoospores/aplanospores.
Q13 — Kingdom Plantae · easy · theory
Kingdom Plantae includes all eukaryotic organisms that are chiefly:
A. Autotrophic and have cellulose cell walls ✓ Correct
B. Wall-less
C. Prokaryotic
D. Heterotrophic
Solution: Plantae are multicellular eukaryotic autotrophs with chloroplasts and cellulose cell walls (a few, like insectivorous plants, are partly heterotrophic).
Q14 — Kingdom Plantae · easy · theory
Insectivorous plants such as Venus flytrap and parasites like Cuscuta show that some plants are:
A. Partially heterotrophic ✓ Correct
B. Non-photosynthetic always
C. Completely prokaryotic
D. Fungal
Solution: Bladderwort/Venus flytrap are insectivorous and Cuscuta is a parasite — exceptions to pure autotrophy in Plantae.
Q15 — Kingdom Plantae · easy · theory
The life cycle of plants shows an alternation between two phases:
A. Two diploid phases
B. A diploid sporophyte and a haploid gametophyte ✓ Correct
C. Only a diploid phase
D. Two haploid phases
Solution: Plants exhibit alternation of generations between the diploid (2n) sporophyte and haploid (n) gametophyte.
Q16 — Kingdom Animalia · easy · theory
Members of Kingdom Animalia are:
A. Prokaryotic
B. Autotrophic with cell walls
C. Unicellular only
D. Multicellular, heterotrophic eukaryotes without cell walls ✓ Correct
Solution: Animals are multicellular, heterotrophic (holozoic) eukaryotes lacking cell walls and chlorophyll.
Q17 — Kingdom Animalia · easy · theory
The mode of nutrition in most animals is:
A. Photosynthetic
B. Holozoic (ingestion of food) ✓ Correct
C. Absorptive (like fungi)
D. Chemosynthetic
Solution: Animals typically ingest food and digest it internally — holozoic nutrition.
Q18 — Kingdom Animalia · easy · theory
The stored food (reserve carbohydrate) in animal cells is:
A. Cellulose
B. Glycogen ✓ Correct
C. Starch
D. Inulin
Solution: Animals store energy as glycogen, as do fungi.
Q19 — Viruses, Viroids, Prions & Lichens · easy · theory
Viruses are NOT included in the five-kingdom classification because they:
A. Are non-cellular and are inert (crystallisable) outside a host ✓ Correct
B. Are prokaryotic cells
C. Are eukaryotic cells
D. Have a true nucleus
Solution: Viruses are non-cellular, obligate intracellular parasites; outside a host they behave as inert crystals — so Whittaker left them out.
Q20 — Viruses, Viroids, Prions & Lichens · easy · theory
The genetic material of the Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV) is:
A. Both DNA and RNA
B. Protein
C. RNA ✓ Correct
D. DNA
Solution: Plant viruses usually have single-stranded RNA; animal viruses have ss or ds RNA or DNA.
Q21 — Viruses, Viroids, Prions & Lichens · easy · theory
The protein coat that protects the nucleic acid of a virus is called the:
A. Capsid ✓ Correct
B. Cell wall
C. Envelope of chitin
D. Pellicle
Solution: The capsid is made of subunits called capsomeres and protects the viral genome.
Q22 — Five Kingdom Classification · hard · theory
The three-domain system (Carl Woese) split one of Whittaker's kingdoms. Which kingdom was divided, and into what?
A. Protista → two kingdoms
B. Monera → Archaea and Bacteria (Eubacteria) ✓ Correct
C. Plantae → algae and land plants
D. Fungi → two kingdoms
Solution: Woese's system placed the domains Archaea, Bacteria and Eukarya, effectively splitting Monera into Archaea and Eubacteria based on rRNA and membrane chemistry.
Q23 — Five Kingdom Classification · hard · theory
An organism is unicellular, eukaryotic and photosynthetic. Under Whittaker's scheme it belongs to:
A. Plantae
B. Fungi
C. Monera
D. Protista ✓ Correct
Solution: Unicellular eukaryotes (whether autotrophic or heterotrophic) are placed in Protista; cyanobacteria (prokaryotic autotrophs) would be Monera.
Q24 — Five Kingdom Classification · hard · theory
Which of the following correctly pairs a mode of nutrition absent as the SOLE strategy from a kingdom in the five-kingdom scheme?
A. Fungi — photosynthetic autotrophy is absent ✓ Correct
B. Monera — heterotrophy is absent
C. Plantae — autotrophy is absent
D. Animalia — ingestive heterotrophy is absent
Solution: Fungi are never photoautotrophic; Plantae are autotrophic, Monera include both auto- and heterotrophs, and Animalia are ingestive heterotrophs.
Q25 — Kingdom Monera · hard · theory
Chemosynthetic autotrophic bacteria obtain energy by oxidising inorganic substances such as nitrates, nitrites and ammonia. Their ecological importance is that they:
A. Perform oxygenic photosynthesis
B. Recycle nutrients (e.g. nitrogen, sulphur, iron) ✓ Correct
C. Fix carbon using sunlight
D. Cause food spoilage only
Solution: They derive energy from inorganic oxidation and play key roles in the recycling of N, S, P, Fe etc.
Q26 — Kingdom Monera · hard · theory
The mode of nutrition in the majority of Eubacteria is:
A. Photoautotrophic
B. Always parasitic
C. Heterotrophic (mostly decomposers) ✓ Correct
D. Chemoautotrophic
Solution: Most eubacteria are heterotrophs — important decomposers; some are autotrophic (photo- or chemosynthetic).
Q27 — Kingdom Monera · hard · theory
Which feature is shared by BOTH archaebacteria and eubacteria?
A. 80S ribosomes
B. Histone-wrapped chromosomes identical to eukaryotes
C. 70S ribosomes and a single circular DNA ✓ Correct
D. Membrane-bound nucleus
Solution: Both are prokaryotes with 70S ribosomes and a naked circular chromosome; archaea differ in wall/membrane chemistry and some molecular features.
Q28 — Kingdom Protista · hard · theory
Diatoms are the chief "producers" in the oceans. This is chiefly because they:
A. Fix atmospheric nitrogen
B. Are heterotrophic decomposers
C. Are the largest protists
D. Are photosynthetic and extraordinarily abundant in phytoplankton ✓ Correct
Solution: As dominant photosynthetic phytoplankton, diatoms are the largest contributors to oceanic primary production.
Q29 — Kingdom Protista · hard · theory
Ciliated protozoans such as Paramoecium are characterised by:
A. A gullet, thousands of cilia, and coordinated ciliary movement of water/food ✓ Correct
B. An intracellular spore stage
C. A single flagellum
D. Pseudopodia for movement
Solution: Ciliates are aquatic, actively moving with cilia; the beating cilia steer food-laden water into the gullet.
Q30 — Kingdom Protista · hard · theory
Which pairing of protist and characteristic pigment/feature is CORRECT?
A. Dinoflagellates — two flagella and a stiff cellulose plate wall ✓ Correct
B. Slime moulds — always unicellular flagellates
C. Euglenoids — silica frustule
D. Diatoms — protein pellicle
Solution: Dinoflagellates typically have two flagella and stiff cellulose plates on the cell surface; colours vary (yellow, green, brown, red).