Topic 1: Need for Classification & Basics (Q1–Q6)

1. 1. What is the main purpose of biological classification?
   a) To list all organisms alphabetically   b) To group organisms based on similarities   c) To make new species   d) To increase biodiversity
   Answer: b) To group organisms based on similarities. Explanation: Classification organises diversity into groups sharing common features for easy study.
2. 2. Which of the following is the correct hierarchy from broad to specific?
   a) Species > Genus > Family > Order > Class > Phylum > Kingdom   b) Kingdom > Phylum > Class > Order > Family > Genus > Species   c) Class > Kingdom > Phylum > Genus > Species   d) Genus > Species > Family > Order
   Answer: b) Kingdom > Phylum > Class > Order > Family > Genus > Species. Explanation: Standard taxonomic ranks from broad to specific.
3. 3. Which term refers to the science of naming, describing and classifying organisms?
   a) Ecology   b) Taxonomy   c) Physiology   d) Genetics
   Answer: b) Taxonomy. Explanation: Taxonomy deals with identification, naming and classification.
4. 4. The basic unit of classification is:
   a) Genus   b) Family   c) Species   d) Order
   Answer: c) Species. Explanation: Species are groups that can interbreed to produce fertile offspring.
5. 5. Why was the two-kingdom system insufficient?
   a) It was too detailed   b) It didn't account for microorganisms and fungi   c) It had five kingdoms already   d) It used Latin names
   Answer: b) It didn't account for microorganisms and fungi. Explanation: Microorganisms, protists and fungi didn't fit well into plants or animals.
6. 6. Which one of the following is NOT a basis for classification?
   a) Cellular organisation   b) Mode of nutrition   c) Colour of clothes   d) Body organisation
   Answer: c) Colour of clothes. Explanation: Classification uses biological traits, not unrelated human attributes.

Topic 2: Five-Kingdom Classification (Q7–Q14)

7. 7. Which kingdom includes organisms that are prokaryotic?
   a) Protista   b) Fungi   c) Monera   d) Plantae
   Answer: c) Monera. Explanation: Monera (bacteria, cyanobacteria) are prokaryotic without membrane-bound nucleus.
8. 8. Yeast belongs to which kingdom?
   a) Plantae   b) Fungi   c) Monera   d) Animalia
   Answer: b) Fungi. Explanation: Yeast is a unicellular fungus performing absorptive nutrition.
9. 9. Which kingdom includes multicellular autotrophs with cellulose cell walls?
   a) Animalia   b) Protista   c) Plantae   d) Monera
   Answer: c) Plantae. Explanation: Plants are multicellular and photosynthetic with cellulose walls.
10. 10. Protists are best described as:
    a) Multicellular prokaryotes   b) Mostly unicellular eukaryotes   c) Multicellular plants   d) Acellular agents
    Answer: b) Mostly unicellular eukaryotes. Explanation: Protists like Amoeba, Paramecium are eukaryotic and largely unicellular.
11. 11. Which kingdom includes organisms that are chiefly absorptive heterotrophs?
    a) Plantae   b) Fungi   c) Animalia   d) Monera
    Answer: b) Fungi. Explanation: Fungi absorb nutrients by secreting enzymes and absorbing digested products.
12. 12. Cyanobacteria are classified under which kingdom?
    a) Monera   b) Protista   c) Plantae   d) Fungi
    Answer: a) Monera. Explanation: Cyanobacteria are prokaryotic photosynthetic organisms in Monera.
13. 13. Which of the following is a characteristic feature of animals?
    a) Cell wall of cellulose   b) Absorptive nutrition   c) Multicellular and heterotrophic without cell walls   d) Photosynthesis
    Answer: c) Multicellular and heterotrophic without cell walls. Explanation: Animals lack cell walls and obtain food by ingestion.
14. 14. Which kingdom would you place Amoeba in?
    a) Monera   b) Protista   c) Fungi   d) Plantae
    Answer: b) Protista. Explanation: Amoeba is a unicellular eukaryote (protist).

Topic 3: Plants — Major Groups (Q15–Q26)

15. 15. Which group of plants lacks vascular tissues?
    a) Pteridophytes   b) Bryophytes   c) Gymnosperms   d) Angiosperms
    Answer: b) Bryophytes. Explanation: Bryophytes (mosses) are non-vascular and rely on diffusion for transport.
16. 16. Which plant group is characterised by seeds not enclosed in fruits?
    a) Angiosperms   b) Gymnosperms   c) Pteridophytes   d) Bryophytes
    Answer: b) Gymnosperms. Explanation: Gymnosperms have naked seeds often on cone scales (e.g., pine).
17. 17. Ferns reproduce by:
    a) Seeds   b) Spores   c) Vegetative propagation   d) Flowers
    Answer: b) Spores. Explanation: Pteridophytes like ferns produce spores for reproduction.
18. 18. Which of the following is an example of an angiosperm?
    a) Pinus   b) Fern   c) Mango   d) Marchantia
    Answer: c) Mango. Explanation: Mango is a flowering plant producing seeds in fruits (angiosperm).
19. 19. A plant with parallel leaf venation is most likely a:
    a) Dicot   b) Monocot   c) Gymnosperm   d) Bryophyte
    Answer: b) Monocot. Explanation: Monocots typically have parallel venation (e.g., grass).
20. 20. Which plant group is the first to colonise land and often forms peat?
    a) Algae   b) Bryophytes   c) Pteridophytes   d) Gymnosperms
    Answer: b) Bryophytes. Explanation: Bryophytes like Sphagnum (peat moss) help form peat in wetlands.
21. 21. Which of these plants has flowers?
    a) Fern   b) Moss   c) Hibiscus   d) Cycus
    Answer: c) Hibiscus. Explanation: Hibiscus is an angiosperm (flowering plant).
22. 22. Which structure performs photosynthesis in most plants?
    a) Root   b) Stem   c) Leaf   d) Flower
    Answer: c) Leaf. Explanation: Leaves contain chloroplasts and are primary sites of photosynthesis.
23. 23. Which of these is a vascular seedless plant?
    a) Moss   b) Fern   c) Pine   d) Rose
    Answer: b) Fern. Explanation: Ferns are vascular but reproduce by spores (seedless vascular plants).
24. 24. The ovule in angiosperms develops into:
    a) Fruit   b) Seed   c) Flower   d) Stem
    Answer: b) Seed. Explanation: After fertilisation, ovule develops into seed; ovary becomes fruit.
25. 25. Which of the following stores food in seeds?
    a) Cotyledons   b) Petals   c) Sepals   d) Anther
    Answer: a) Cotyledons. Explanation: Cotyledons are seed leaves that store food for the germinating embryo.
26. 26. Which of the following is NOT a plant adaptation to dry environments?
    a) Thick cuticle   b) Reduced leaves   c) Large air spaces (aerenchyma)   d) Deep roots
    Answer: c) Large air spaces (aerenchyma). Explanation: Aerenchyma is an adaptation to aquatic habitats, not dry ones.

Topic 4: Animal Kingdom & Major Phyla (Q27–Q38)

27. 27. Which phylum includes animals with porous bodies and canal systems?
    a) Cnidaria   b) Porifera   c) Arthropoda   d) Mollusca
    Answer: b) Porifera. Explanation: Sponges (Porifera) have pores and internal canals for filter feeding.
28. 28. Hydra is an example of which phylum?
    a) Platyhelminthes   b) Annelida   c) Cnidaria   d) Nematoda
    Answer: c) Cnidaria. Explanation: Hydra has radial symmetry and cnidocytes (stinging cells).
29. 29. Which phylum is characterised by a segmented body and setae (bristles)?
    a) Annelida   b) Arthropoda   c) Mollusca   d) Echinodermata
    Answer: a) Annelida. Explanation: Earthworms (Annelida) show segmentation and have setae for locomotion.
30. 30. Which of these is an arthropod?
    a) Snail   b) Starfish   c) Butterfly   d) Earthworm
    Answer: c) Butterfly. Explanation: Butterflies are insects (Arthropoda) with jointed legs and exoskeleton.
31. 31. Which phylum includes soft-bodied animals, often with shells?
    a) Arthropoda   b) Mollusca   c) Chordata   d) Nematoda
    Answer: b) Mollusca. Explanation: Molluscs like snails, clams have soft bodies and many secrete shells.
32. 32. Starfish belong to which phylum that shows radial symmetry in adults?
    a) Arthropoda   b) Mollusca   c) Echinodermata   d) Cnidaria
    Answer: c) Echinodermata. Explanation: Echinoderms like starfish have radial symmetry and water vascular system.
33. 33. Which phylum contains animals with a notochord at some stage of life?
    a) Arthropoda   b) Chordata   c) Porifera   d) Platyhelminthes
    Answer: b) Chordata. Explanation: Chordates possess notochord, dorsal nerve cord, pharyngeal slits at some stage.
34. 34. Which of the following is true about arthropods?
    a) They have an endoskeleton   b) They have jointed appendages and exoskeleton   c) They are all aquatic   d) They lack segmentation
    Answer: b) They have jointed appendages and exoskeleton. Explanation: Arthropods (insects, crustaceans) have chitinous exoskeleton and jointed limbs.
35. 35. Which animal is an example of Platyhelminthes?
    a) Tapeworm   b) Earthworm   c) Crab   d) Jellyfish
    Answer: a) Tapeworm. Explanation: Tapeworms are flatworms (Platyhelminthes) with flattened body plan.
36. 36. Which of these phyla includes animals with a tube-within-tube body plan?
    a) Cnidaria   b) Nematoda   c) Porifera   d) Echinodermata
    Answer: b) Nematoda. Explanation: Nematodes have a complete digestive tract forming tube-within-tube organisation.
37. 37. Which of the following is not a feature of chordates?
    a) Notochord   b) Dorsal hollow nerve cord   c) Jointed appendages   d) Pharyngeal slits (at some stage)
    Answer: c) Jointed appendages. Explanation: Jointed appendages are typical of arthropods, not a defining chordate feature.
38. 38. Which phylum includes animals with water vascular system?
    a) Mollusca   b) Annelida   c) Echinodermata   d) Cnidaria
    Answer: c) Echinodermata. Explanation: Water vascular system helps in locomotion and feeding in echinoderms.

Topic 5: Microorganisms, Viruses & Lichens (Q39–Q44)

39. 39. Viruses are considered:
    a) Single-celled organisms   b) Multicellular fungi   c) Acellular infectious agents   d) Simple plants
    Answer: c) Acellular infectious agents. Explanation: Viruses lack cellular structure and require host cells to replicate.
40. 40. Which of the following is a photosynthetic prokaryote?
    a) Yeast   b) Cyanobacteria   c) Amoeba   d) Algae (eukaryotic)
    Answer: b) Cyanobacteria. Explanation: Cyanobacteria are prokaryotic and contain photosynthetic pigments in thylakoid membranes.
41. 41. Lichens are a symbiotic association between:
    a) Fungus and alga/cyanobacterium   b) Two plants   c) Animal and fungus   d) Bacteria and virus
    Answer: a) Fungus and alga/cyanobacterium. Explanation: Fungus provides structure, photobiont provides food by photosynthesis.
42. 42. Which among the following is used as an antibiotic producer?
    a) Penicillium (a fungus)   b) Amoeba   c) Rhizopus   d) Nostoc
    Answer: a) Penicillium (a fungus). Explanation: Penicillium produces penicillin, an antibiotic.
43. 43. Which microorganism plays a key role in nitrogen fixation in soil?
    a) Rhizobium   b) Saccharomyces   c) Plasmodium   d) Paramecium
    Answer: a) Rhizobium. Explanation: Rhizobium in root nodules fixes atmospheric nitrogen for plant use.
44. 44. Which of the following is NOT true about viruses?
    a) They have DNA or RNA   b) They can replicate independently   c) They have protein coat   d) They infect host cells
    Answer: b) They can replicate independently. Explanation: Viruses require host machinery to replicate and are not independent.

Topic 6: Distinguishing Characters & Practical/Diagrams (Q45–Q50)

45. 45. Which cell wall material differentiates fungi from plants?
    a) Cellulose in fungi   b) Chitin in fungi   c) Peptidoglycan in fungi   d) Silica in fungi
    Answer: b) Chitin in fungi. Explanation: Fungal cell walls are made of chitin, while plant cell walls are mainly cellulose.
46. 46. A labelled diagram of Amoeba should include which structures?
    a) Pseudopodia, nucleus, contractile vacuole   b) Roots, stem, leaf   c) Sporangia, sori   d) Wings and gills
    Answer: a) Pseudopodia, nucleus, contractile vacuole. Explanation: These are distinctive Amoeba structures for movement, control and osmoregulation.
47. 47. Which characteristic helps identify an organism as a monocot?
    a) Two cotyledons   b) Reticulate venation   c) Parallel venation   d) Net-like venation
    Answer: c) Parallel venation. Explanation: Parallel venation and single cotyledon are features of monocots.
48. 48. In an exam diagram of a flower, which part is responsible for producing male gametes?
    a) Ovary   b) Sepal   c) Anther   d) Petal
    Answer: c) Anther. Explanation: Anther (part of stamen) produces pollen grains containing male gametes.
49. 49. Which of the following is an example of homologous organ?
    a) Wings of butterfly and wings of bird   b) Forelimb of human and wing of bat   c) Eyes of octopus and eyes of human (similar structure)   d) Fins of fish and flippers of whale (different origin)
    Answer: b) Forelimb of human and wing of bat. Explanation: They share common structural plan (homology) but differ functionally.
50. 50. Which practice will help students score in diagram-based questions?
    a) Practice drawing and labelling neatly   b) Colouring heavily   c) Writing long paragraphs   d) Leaving diagrams blank
    Answer: a) Practice drawing and labelling neatly. Explanation: Clear, labelled diagrams fetch marks — practise sketches and labels.

These 50 MCQs are strictly aligned with NCERT Class 9 — Chapter 13: Diversity in Living Organisms. Use them for topic-wise practice, quick tests, and revision.