Kingdom Protista — NEET Biology MCQs with Solutions
Free NEET Biology Kingdom Protista MCQs with step-by-step solutions (84 questions). Part of Biological Classification. Practise online on Prepizo — no login needed.
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Questions with solutions
Q1 — 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.
Q2 — 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.
Q3 — 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.
Q4 — Kingdom Protista · medium · theory
Euglenoids are considered a connecting link between plants and animals because they:
A. Have a rigid cellulose wall
B. Are always parasitic
C. Are photosynthetic in light but heterotrophic in darkness (and lack a cell wall) ✓ Correct
D. Reproduce only sexually
Solution: Euglena has a protein pellicle (no wall), photosynthesises in light, and behaves as a heterotroph in darkness.
Q5 — Kingdom Protista · medium · theory
Slime moulds are saprophytic protists whose spores possess:
A. Chitinous exoskeletons
B. No wall at all
C. True walls and are extremely resistant ✓ Correct
D. Silica shells
Solution: Under favourable conditions slime moulds form a plasmodium; the spores formed have true walls and are highly resistant.
Q6 — Kingdom Protista · medium · theory
Which protozoan group is exemplified by the malarial parasite Plasmodium?
A. Ciliated protozoans
B. Sporozoans ✓ Correct
C. Amoeboid protozoans
D. Flagellated protozoans
Solution: Sporozoans have an infectious spore-like stage; Plasmodium (malaria) is the classic example.
Q7 — 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.
Q8 — 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.
Q9 — 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).
Q10 — Kingdom Protista · easy · numerical
The "diatomaceous earth" used in polishing agents and in filtration is formed by the accumulation of the indestructible cell walls of:
A. diatoms (chrysophytes) ✓ Correct
B. dinoflagellates
C. slime moulds
D. euglenoids
Solution: The silica-impregnated walls of dead diatoms pile up over ages to form diatomaceous earth; the other protists do not leave such deposits.
Q11 — Kingdom Protista · easy · numerical
Euglena swims about with the help of a whip-like locomotory structure known as a:
A. cilium
B. flagellum ✓ Correct
C. pseudopodium
D. pellicle
Solution: Euglenoids move using a flagellum; the pellicle is the flexible protein covering, while cilia and pseudopodia are found in other protists.
Q12 — Kingdom Protista · easy · numerical
Amoeboid protozoans such as Amoeba capture their food and move about by means of:
A. flagella
B. tentacles
C. cilia
D. pseudopodia ✓ Correct
Solution: Amoeboid protozoans extend pseudopodia (false feet) for both locomotion and engulfing prey.
Q13 — Kingdom Protista · medium · numerical
Dinoflagellates are sometimes called "whirling whips" because:
A. they glide by secreting mucilage from their pseudopodia
B. their two flagella, one longitudinal and one transverse, spin the cell as it moves ✓ Correct
C. their cilia beat in coordinated waves to rotate the body
D. they possess a single long flagellum that lashes like a whip
Solution: The two differently placed flagella of dinoflagellates cause a characteristic spinning/whirling motion, giving them their nickname.
Q14 — Kingdom Protista · medium · numerical
Match the protist group with its feature: (i) Chrysophytes (ii) Dinoflagellates (iii) Euglenoids (iv) Slime moulds; (p) flexible pellicle, mixotrophic, fresh water (q) diatoms and desmids (r) marine, cellulose plates, often bioluminescent (s) saprophytic, plasmodium, resistant spores.
A. (i)-(q), (ii)-(p), (iii)-(r), (iv)-(s)
B. (i)-(q), (ii)-(r), (iii)-(p), (iv)-(s) ✓ Correct
C. (i)-(p), (ii)-(r), (iii)-(q), (iv)-(s)
D. (i)-(r), (ii)-(q), (iii)-(s), (iv)-(p)
Solution: Chrysophytes include diatoms/desmids; dinoflagellates are marine, cellulose-plated and bioluminescent; euglenoids have a pellicle and are mixotrophic; slime moulds form a plasmodium with resistant spores.
Q15 — Kingdom Protista · medium · numerical
Assertion (A): Euglenoids lack a rigid cell wall but are covered by a protein-rich pellicle. Reason (R): In the absence of sunlight, euglenoids can behave as heterotrophs by capturing food (they are mixotrophic).
A. A is false but R is true
B. Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
C. Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A ✓ Correct
D. A is true but R is false
Solution: Both statements are true, but the pellicle covering (A) is a structural fact unrelated to their nutritional flexibility (R), so R does not explain A.
Q16 — Kingdom Protista · medium · numerical
The flagellated protozoan that causes "sleeping sickness" in humans is:
A. Trypanosoma ✓ Correct
B. Entamoeba
C. Paramoecium
D. Plasmodium
Solution: Trypanosoma is a flagellated protozoan causing sleeping sickness; Plasmodium is a sporozoan, Entamoeba is amoeboid, and Paramoecium is ciliated.
Q17 — Kingdom Protista · medium · theory
How many of the following belong to Protista? Amoeba, Spirogyra, Chlamydomonas, Chlorella, Paramoecium
A. 2 ✓ Correct
B. 4
C. 3
D. 5
Solution: Only Amoeba and Paramoecium are protozoan protists; Spirogyra, Chlamydomonas and Chlorella are green algae placed in Plantae.
Q18 — Kingdom Protista · medium · theory
Chrysophytes: (i) Found in freshwater as well as marine environments (ii) They are plankton (iii) Most of them have two flagella
A. More than one is correct ✓ Correct
B. They are plankton
C. Most of them have two flagella
D. Found in freshwater as well as in marine environments
Solution: Chrysophytes are freshwater/marine planktonic organisms, so more than one statement is true.
Q19 — Kingdom Protista · easy · theory
Organism which is photosynthetic in the presence of sunlight, but when deprived of sunlight behaves like a heterotroph is:
A. All are incorrect
B. Euglena ✓ Correct
C. Diatoms
D. Gonyaulax
Solution: Euglena is mixotrophic: photosynthetic in light and heterotrophic in the dark.
Q20 — Kingdom Protista · easy · theory
Which statement is correct for slime moulds? (i) Form an aggregation called Plasmodium (ii) May grow and spread over several feet (iii) Spores are extremely resistant and survive for many years even under adverse conditions
A. May grow and spread over several feet
B. Spores extremely resistant and survive for many years
C. Form an aggregation called Plasmodium
D. All are correct ✓ Correct
Solution: All listed features are characteristic of saprophytic slime moulds.
Q21 — Kingdom Protista · medium · theory
Chrysophytes include:
A. More than one is correct ✓ Correct
B. Diatoms
C. Yellow algae
D. Golden algae (desmids)
Solution: Chrysophytes include diatoms and golden algae (desmids), so more than one option is correct.
Q22 — Kingdom Protista · medium · theory
Dinoflagellate organisms are: (i) Mostly marine and photosynthetic (ii) Most have two flagella (iii) One flagellum lies longitudinally and the other transversely in a furrow between the wall plates
A. Most of them have two flagella
B. One flagellum longitudinal, the other transverse in a furrow
C. All are correct ✓ Correct
D. Mostly marine and photosynthetic
Solution: All statements describe dinoflagellates correctly.
Q23 — Kingdom Protista · easy · theory
Saprophytic protists are:
A. Slime moulds ✓ Correct
B. Euglena
C. More than one is correct
D. Ciliated protozoans
Solution: Slime moulds are the saprophytic protists.
Q24 — Kingdom Protista · easy · theory
Protista includes:
A. All prokaryotes
B. All multi-celled eukaryotes
C. More than one is correct
D. All single-celled eukaryotes ✓ Correct
Solution: Kingdom Protista comprises all single-celled eukaryotes.
Q25 — Kingdom Protista · easy · theory
Protista is classified into:
A. Chrysophytes, dinoflagellates, euglenoids, slime moulds and protozoans ✓ Correct
B. None of these
C. Chrysophytes, dinoflagellates, euglenoids, slime moulds and metazoans
D. Chrysophytes, dinoflagellates, mosses, slime moulds and protozoans
Solution: The four/five protistan groups are chrysophytes, dinoflagellates, euglenoids, slime moulds and protozoans.
Q26 — Kingdom Protista · medium · theory
Which one is incorrect for Protista?
A. Cell body does not contain a well-defined nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles ✓ Correct
B. Protists reproduce asexually and sexually by a process involving cell fusion and zygote formation
C. Some have flagella or cilia
D. Members of protista are primarily aquatic
Solution: Protists are eukaryotes; they DO possess a well-defined nucleus and membrane-bound organelles, so that statement is incorrect.
Q27 — Kingdom Protista · medium · theory
Which one is NOT correct for chrysophytes? (statements: microscopic and float passively in water currents; most are photosynthetic; walls may be embedded with silica)
A. Most of them are photosynthetic
B. None of the above ✓ Correct
C. They are microscopic and float passively in water currents
D. The walls may be embedded with silica
Solution: All three listed statements about chrysophytes are correct, so 'none of the above' is the incorrect option.
Q28 — Kingdom Protista · easy · theory
Choose the correct statement for diatoms: (i) They form diatomaceous earth (ii) Diatomaceous earth is used in polishing and filtration of oils and syrups (iii) They are the chief producers in the oceans
A. All of the above ✓ Correct
B. Diatomaceous earth used in polishing, filtration of oils and syrups
C. They are the chief producers in the oceans
D. It forms diatomaceous earth
Solution: Diatoms form diatomaceous earth, used for polishing/filtration, and are chief ocean producers.
Q29 — Kingdom Protista · medium · theory
______ appear yellow, green, blue or red depending on the main pigments present in their cells.
A. Dinoflagellates ✓ Correct
B. Slime moulds
C. All chrysophytes
D. Protozoans
Solution: Dinoflagellates appear yellow, green, brown, blue or red depending on their pigments.
Q30 — Kingdom Protista · easy · theory
Which of the following is responsible for the death of large numbers of marine animals such as fishes?
A. Red dinoflagellates (Gonyaulax) ✓ Correct
B. Most of the chrysophytes
C. Protozoans
D. Slime moulds
Solution: Red dinoflagellates like Gonyaulax multiply to cause red tides and release toxins that kill marine animals.