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The Living World — NEET Biology MCQs with Solutions
Free NEET Biology The Living World MCQs with step-by-step solutions covering What is Living?, Diversity in the Living World, Taxonomic Categories, Taxonomical Aids. Practise online on Prepizo — no login needed.
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Sample questions with solutions
Q1 — What is Living? · easy · theory
The two characteristics that together define growth in living organisms are:
A. Increase in mass and increase in number of individuals (cells) ✓ Correct
B. Increase in number and decrease in mass
C. Increase in size and loss of cells
D. Increase in mass and increase in temperature
Solution: Growth is shown by an increase in body mass and an increase in the number of cells/individuals — these are the twin characteristics of growth.
Q2 — What is Living? · easy · theory
Budding is a form of asexual reproduction seen in:
A. Housefly and mosquito
B. Humans and cats
C. Mango and wheat
D. Yeast and Hydra ✓ Correct
Solution: Yeast and Hydra reproduce asexually by budding, where a new individual develops from an outgrowth (bud).
Q3 — What is Living? · easy · theory
Metabolism is best defined as:
A. The process of cell division only
B. The sum total of all chemical reactions occurring in the body ✓ Correct
C. The increase in body mass
D. The response to external stimuli
Solution: Metabolism is the sum total of all the chemical reactions (thousands of them) taking place in an organism's body.
Q4 — What is Living? · easy · theory
No _____ object exhibits metabolism.
A. Unicellular
B. Non-living ✓ Correct
C. Living
D. Cellular
Solution: Metabolism is unique to living systems; no non-living object shows metabolism.
Q5 — What is Living? · easy · theory
The ability of an organism to sense its surroundings/environment and respond to external stimuli is called:
A. Consciousness ✓ Correct
B. Reproduction
C. Excretion
D. Metabolism
Solution: Consciousness — the capacity to sense the environment and respond to stimuli — is regarded as the defining property of living organisms.
Q6 — What is Living? · easy · theory
The only organism that is aware of itself, i.e. shows self-consciousness, is:
A. Hydra
B. Amoeba
C. Human being ✓ Correct
D. Housefly
Solution: Among all organisms, human beings are the only ones who are self-conscious (aware of themselves).
Q7 — What is Living? · easy · theory
An increase in body mass is taken as a measure of:
A. Digestion
B. Excretion
C. Reproduction
D. Growth ✓ Correct
Solution: Increase in body mass is one of the two measures of growth (the other being increase in the number of cells).
Q8 — Diversity in the Living World · easy · theory
The number of living species that are currently known and described ranges between:
A. 1.7 – 1.8 million ✓ Correct
B. 17 – 18 million
C. 0.7 – 0.8 million
D. 1.7 – 1.8 billion
Solution: NCERT states that the number of species known and described ranges between 1.7 and 1.8 million.
Q9 — Diversity in the Living World · easy · theory
The number and types of organisms present on earth is referred to as:
A. Systematics
B. Biodiversity ✓ Correct
C. Taxonomy
D. Nomenclature
Solution: Biodiversity refers to the number and types (range and variety) of organisms present on earth.
Q10 — Diversity in the Living World · easy · theory
Each different kind of plant, animal or organism represents a:
A. Kingdom
B. Genus
C. Family
D. Species ✓ Correct
Solution: Every distinct kind of organism you observe represents a species — the basic unit of biodiversity.
Q11 — Diversity in the Living World · easy · theory
The process of standardising the naming of living organisms so that an organism is known by the same name all over the world is called:
A. Characterisation
B. Classification
C. Identification
D. Nomenclature ✓ Correct
Solution: Nomenclature is the process of assigning a standardised name so that the same organism is known by one name everywhere.
Q12 — Diversity in the Living World · easy · theory
Scientific names for plants are based on principles and criteria provided in the:
A. International Code of Microbial Nomenclature
B. International Code for Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN) ✓ Correct
C. International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN)
D. International Code of Viral Nomenclature
Solution: Plants are named according to the International Code for Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN).
Q13 — Diversity in the Living World · easy · theory
Animals are named according to the rules laid down in the:
A. International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) ✓ Correct
B. International Code of Bacteriological Nomenclature
C. International Zoological Register
D. International Code for Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN)
Solution: Animal taxonomists follow the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN).
Q14 — Diversity in the Living World · easy · theory
The system of providing a name with two components (generic name + specific epithet) is called:
A. Vernacular naming
B. Polynomial nomenclature
C. Binomial nomenclature ✓ Correct
D. Trinomial nomenclature
Solution: Binomial nomenclature gives each organism a two-word name: the generic name (genus) and the specific epithet.
Q15 — Diversity in the Living World · easy · theory
The system of binomial nomenclature was given by:
A. Charles Darwin
B. Robert Whittaker
C. Carolus Linnaeus ✓ Correct
D. Ernst Mayr
Solution: Carolus Linnaeus introduced the binomial system of nomenclature, which is practised by biologists worldwide.
Q16 — Diversity in the Living World · easy · theory
In the scientific name Mangifera indica, the word "Mangifera" represents the _____ and "indica" represents the _____.
A. Genus; specific epithet ✓ Correct
B. Order; species
C. Family; genus
D. Specific epithet; genus
Solution: In Mangifera indica, Mangifera is the genus (generic name) and indica is the specific epithet.
Q17 — Diversity in the Living World · easy · theory
According to the rules of nomenclature, biological names are generally written in:
A. Greek and in capitals
B. English and printed in bold
C. Latin and printed in italics ✓ Correct
D. Any regional language
Solution: Biological names are generally in Latin (or Latinised) and are printed in italics to indicate their Latin origin.
Q18 — Diversity in the Living World · easy · theory
The process by which anything is grouped into convenient categories based on some easily observable characters is called:
A. Nomenclature
B. Classification ✓ Correct
C. Identification
D. Reproduction
Solution: Classification is the grouping of organisms into convenient categories on the basis of easily observable characters.
Q19 — Diversity in the Living World · easy · theory
The process of classification of organisms based on their characteristics is called:
A. Morphology
B. Taxonomy ✓ Correct
C. Physiology
D. Ecology
Solution: Taxonomy is the process of classifying organisms into different taxa based on their characteristics.
Q20 — Diversity in the Living World · easy · theory
The branch of study concerned with the kinds and diversity of organisms and the relationships among them is called:
A. Anatomy
B. Ecology
C. Nomenclature
D. Systematics ✓ Correct
Solution: Systematics deals with the diversity of organisms and the evolutionary relationships among them.
Q21 — Diversity in the Living World · easy · theory
Knowing to which organism a particular name is attached (i.e. describing it correctly) is the process of:
A. Nomenclature
B. Metabolism
C. Identification ✓ Correct
D. Reproduction
Solution: Identification is recognising an organism correctly so that the right name can be attached to it.
Q22 — Taxonomic Categories · easy · theory
Classification is not a single-step process but involves a hierarchy of steps, each step representing a:
A. Scientific name
B. Species only
C. Rank or category (taxonomic category) ✓ Correct
D. Kingdom only
Solution: Each step in classification represents a rank or category — the taxonomic category — and all categories together form the taxonomic hierarchy.
Q23 — Taxonomic Categories · easy · theory
Each unit or category of classification, representing a rank, is termed a:
A. Clade
B. Taxon ✓ Correct
C. Codon
D. Biome
Solution: A taxon (plural: taxa) is a unit of classification representing a particular rank in the hierarchy.
Q24 — Taxonomic Categories · easy · theory
The lowest taxonomic category in the classification hierarchy is:
A. Species ✓ Correct
B. Family
C. Kingdom
D. Genus
Solution: All organisms, in both plant and animal kingdoms, have species as the lowest category.
Q25 — Taxonomic Categories · easy · theory
The scientific name of the human being is:
A. Panthera leo
B. Homo erectus
C. Musca domestica
D. Homo sapiens ✓ Correct
Solution: Human beings belong to the species sapiens in the genus Homo — Homo sapiens.
Q26 — Taxonomic Categories · easy · theory
Lion (Panthera leo), leopard (Panthera pardus) and tiger (Panthera tigris) are all species of the genus:
A. Homo
B. Felis
C. Panthera ✓ Correct
D. Canis
Solution: Lion, leopard and tiger share several common features and are all species of the genus Panthera.
Q27 — Taxonomic Categories · easy · theory
In plants, the category equivalent to "phylum" in animals is called:
A. Division ✓ Correct
B. Order
C. Tribe
D. Cohort
Solution: In plants, classes with a few similar characters are assigned to a higher category called a division (equivalent to phylum in animals).
Q28 — Taxonomic Categories · easy · theory
The highest taxonomic category in the classification of organisms is the:
A. Phylum
B. Class
C. Kingdom ✓ Correct
D. Order
Solution: All phyla of animals are assigned to Kingdom Animalia and all divisions of plants to Kingdom Plantae — the kingdom is the highest category.
Q29 — Taxonomic Categories · easy · theory
The scientific name of wheat is:
A. Musca domestica
B. Mangifera indica
C. Solanum tuberosum
D. Triticum aestivum ✓ Correct
Solution: Wheat is Triticum aestivum — genus Triticum.
Q30 — Taxonomical Aids · easy · theory
Taxonomic aids are:
A. Techniques, procedures and stored information that help in identification and classification ✓ Correct
B. Only the scientific names of organisms
C. Machines used to kill insects
D. Only living plants in a garden
Solution: Taxonomical aids are the collections, techniques and information sources that assist in the identification, naming and classification of organisms.