Taxonomic Categories — NEET Biology MCQs with Solutions
Free NEET Biology Taxonomic Categories MCQs with step-by-step solutions (38 questions). Part of The Living World. Practise online on Prepizo — no login needed.
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Questions with solutions
Q1 — 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.
Q2 — 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.
Q3 — Taxonomic Categories · medium · theory
Taxonomic categories/groups are:
A. The same as common names
B. Distinct biological entities, not merely morphological aggregates ✓ Correct
C. Only morphological aggregates with no biological basis
D. Arbitrary names with no rank
Solution: Taxonomic groups are distinct biological entities and not merely morphological aggregates.
Q4 — Taxonomic Categories · medium · theory
Insects, characterised by three pairs of jointed legs, being given a rank, is an example of a:
A. Specific epithet
B. Taxonomic category (taxon) ✓ Correct
C. Common name
D. Kingdom
Solution: Insects form a recognisable group sharing common features (three pairs of jointed legs) and were assigned a rank/category — a taxon.
Q5 — 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.
Q6 — Taxonomic Categories · medium · theory
A group of individual organisms with fundamental similarities, distinguished from closely related species by distinct morphological differences, defines a:
A. Class
B. Order
C. Genus
D. Species ✓ Correct
Solution: A species is a group of individuals with fundamental similarities, set apart from closely related species by morphological differences.
Q7 — Taxonomic Categories · medium · theory
In the names Mangifera indica, Solanum tuberosum and Panthera leo, the words indica, tuberosum and leo are the:
A. Specific epithets ✓ Correct
B. Genera
C. Orders
D. Families
Solution: indica, tuberosum and leo are the specific epithets, while Mangifera, Solanum and Panthera are the genera.
Q8 — 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.
Q9 — Taxonomic Categories · medium · theory
A group of related species that have more characters in common with one another than with species of other genera constitutes a:
A. Order
B. Family
C. Kingdom
D. Genus ✓ Correct
Solution: A genus is an aggregate of closely related species sharing more characters in common than species of other genera.
Q10 — Taxonomic Categories · medium · theory
Potato (Solanum tuberosum) and brinjal (Solanum melongena) are different species but belong to the same:
A. Genus (Solanum) ✓ Correct
B. Order only
C. Family only
D. Species
Solution: Potato and brinjal are two different species of the same genus, Solanum.
Q11 — 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.
Q12 — Taxonomic Categories · medium · theory
The genus that includes cats and differs from Panthera is:
A. Datura
B. Felis ✓ Correct
C. Canis
D. Solanum
Solution: The genus Felis includes cats and is distinct from the genus Panthera (lion, tiger, leopard).
Q13 — Taxonomic Categories · medium · theory
A group of related genera with still fewer similarities than genus and species constitutes a:
A. Phylum
B. Class
C. Order
D. Family ✓ Correct
Solution: A family is a group of related genera with fewer common characters than are shared within a genus or species.
Q14 — Taxonomic Categories · medium · theory
The plant genera Solanum, Petunia and Datura are placed together in the family:
A. Poaceae
B. Solanaceae ✓ Correct
C. Anacardiaceae
D. Felidae
Solution: Solanum, Petunia and Datura are three genera placed in the family Solanaceae.
Q15 — Taxonomic Categories · medium · theory
The genera Panthera and Felis are placed together in the family:
A. Hominidae
B. Muscidae
C. Felidae ✓ Correct
D. Canidae
Solution: The genus Panthera (lion, tiger, leopard) is placed with the genus Felis (cats) in the family Felidae.
Q16 — Taxonomic Categories · medium · theory
A cat and a dog are separated into two different families, namely:
A. Solanaceae and Poaceae
B. Felidae and Canidae ✓ Correct
C. Muscidae and Culicidae
D. Hominidae and Pongidae
Solution: On the basis of their features, cats are placed in Felidae and dogs in Canidae.
Q17 — Taxonomic Categories · medium · theory
An assemblage of families that exhibit a few similar characters constitutes an:
A. Species
B. Order ✓ Correct
C. Class
D. Genus
Solution: Order is a higher category — an assemblage of families that share a few similar characters.
Q18 — Taxonomic Categories · medium · theory
The plant families Convolvulaceae and Solanaceae are included, mainly on floral characters, in the order:
A. Polymoniales ✓ Correct
B. Sapindales
C. Primata
D. Poales
Solution: Convolvulaceae and Solanaceae are placed in the order Polymoniales, based mainly on floral characters.
Q19 — Taxonomic Categories · medium · theory
The animal families Felidae and Canidae are included in the order:
A. Primata
B. Diptera
C. Carnivora ✓ Correct
D. Poales
Solution: The order Carnivora includes the families Felidae (cats) and Canidae (dogs).
Q20 — Taxonomic Categories · medium · theory
A category that includes related orders is a:
A. Species
B. Family
C. Genus
D. Class ✓ Correct
Solution: A class is made up of related orders. For example, class Mammalia includes orders Primata and Carnivora.
Q21 — Taxonomic Categories · medium · theory
The order Primata (monkey, gorilla, gibbon) and the order Carnivora are both placed in the class:
A. Angiospermae
B. Chordata
C. Insecta
D. Mammalia ✓ Correct
Solution: Orders Primata and Carnivora are both placed in the class Mammalia, which has other orders as well.
Q22 — Taxonomic Categories · medium · theory
Classes of animals such as fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals are grouped, based on notochord and dorsal hollow neural system, into the phylum:
A. Arthropoda
B. Chordata ✓ Correct
C. Mollusca
D. Annelida
Solution: These classes share a notochord and a dorsal hollow neural system and are grouped in phylum Chordata.
Q23 — 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).
Q24 — 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.
Q25 — Taxonomic Categories · medium · theory
As we move higher in the hierarchy from species to kingdom, the number of common characteristics among the members:
A. Increases
B. Remains the same
C. Decreases ✓ Correct
D. First increases then decreases
Solution: Higher categories share fewer common characters; the lower the taxon, the more characteristics its members share.
Q26 — Taxonomic Categories · medium · theory
Which of the following is the correct sequence of taxonomic categories in ascending order?
A. Species → Genus → Family → Order → Class → Phylum → Kingdom ✓ Correct
B. Kingdom → Phylum → Class → Genus → Order → Family → Species
C. Species → Order → Genus → Family → Class → Phylum → Kingdom
D. Genus → Species → Family → Class → Order → Phylum → Kingdom
Solution: The correct ascending order is Species, Genus, Family, Order, Class, Phylum (Division), Kingdom.
Q27 — Taxonomic Categories · medium · theory
The lower the taxon in the hierarchy, the:
A. Larger the number of organisms it contains
B. Fewer the characteristics its members share
C. Greater the difficulty of relating it to others
D. More the characteristics its members share ✓ Correct
Solution: Members within a lower taxon (e.g. species) share more characteristics than members of a higher taxon.
Q28 — Taxonomic Categories · medium · theory
The family to which the human being (Homo sapiens) belongs is:
A. Muscidae
B. Felidae
C. Hominidae ✓ Correct
D. Poaceae
Solution: As per Table 1.1, man belongs to family Hominidae, order Primata, class Mammalia, phylum Chordata.
Q29 — Taxonomic Categories · medium · theory
The order and class of the housefly (Musca domestica) are, respectively:
A. Diptera and Insecta ✓ Correct
B. Carnivora and Mammalia
C. Primata and Mammalia
D. Poales and Monocotyledonae
Solution: Housefly: genus Musca, family Muscidae, order Diptera, class Insecta, phylum Arthropoda.
Q30 — Taxonomic Categories · medium · theory
The housefly (Musca domestica) belongs to the phylum:
A. Arthropoda ✓ Correct
B. Chordata
C. Annelida
D. Mollusca
Solution: The housefly belongs to phylum Arthropoda (class Insecta).