CIE IGCSE Biology

Topic Questions

IGCSEBiologyCIETopic Questions1. Characteristics & Classification of Living Organisms1.1 Characteristics, Classification & Features of Organisms

1.1 Characteristics, Classification & Features of Organisms

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1a
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All living organisms show the same seven characteristics. These are listed below, along with their definitions. Match the characteristics and definitions by drawing lines between them on the diagram below.

One has been done for you.

screenshot-2022-10-03-1-47-54-pm

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1b
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Viruses are not classified as living organisms.

Suggest two characteristics of living organisms that viruses do not carry out. 

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1c
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A student was investigating the growth of plants and their sensitivity to changes in light intensity. 

Table 1 shows their results. 

Calculate the mean growth of the plants at a light intensity of 20 arbitrary units. 

Table 1

light intensity / arbitrary units growth of plants / cm mean growth / cm
10 3.2 3.3 3.1 3.2
20 4.8 4.5 4.5  
30 5.3 5.5 5.2 5.3
40 6.4 6.3 6.6 6.4

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2a
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Fig. 1 is a photograph of a lion.cie-igcse-2023-specimen-q1a

Fig. 1

Lions are mammals and have the scientific name Panthera leo.

(i)
State one feature visible in Fig. 1 that identifies the lion as a mammal.

[1]

(ii)
State the genus of this mammal.

[1]

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2b
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Mammals are one of the five groups of vertebrates.

Some features of three vertebrate groups are listed. Identify the vertebrate groups.

(i)

Lay soft-shelled eggs

[1]

(ii)

Feathers

[1]
(iii)

Smooth, moist skin

[1]

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2c
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Fig. 2 is a diagram of an animal cell.

cie-igcse-2023-specimen-q1c

Fig. 2

(i)

Identify the parts labelled A, B and C in Fig. 2

[3]

(ii)

State the names of two structures in plant cells that are absent in animal cells.

[2]

(iii)

State the name of one structure that is present in bacterial cells and in plant cells but absent in animal cells.

[1]

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2d
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Some cells are specialised to perform a particular function.

The boxes on the left show the names of some specialised cells.

The functions of some specialised cells are in the boxes on the right.

Draw four lines to link each specialised cell with its function.

One line has been drawn for you. Draw four additional lines.cie-igcse-2023-specimen-q1d

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3a
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Scientists classify organisms into groups.

State one feature that is used to identify vertebrates.

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3b
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Vertebrates are classified into five groups.

Fig. 1 shows three vertebrates found in Australia.

cie-igcse-2018-s3-may-p3-q1a-vertebrates

Fig. 1

The emu, the saltwater crocodile and the duck-billed platypus each belong to a different vertebrate group.

All three animals lay eggs that develop and hatch on land.

(i)

State the name of the vertebrate group to which emus belong and give one feature of this group that is visible in Fig. 1.

[2]

(ii)

State the name of the vertebrate group to which crocodiles belong and give one feature of this group that is visible in Fig. 1.

[2]
(iii)

The duck-billed platypus is classified as a mammal.

Give evidence from Fig. 1 for and against classifying the duck-billed platypus as a mammal.

[3]

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3c
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There are two groups of vertebrates which lay eggs that develop in water.

State the name of these two groups of vertebrates. 

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3d
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Extended Only

Complete the sentences about kingdoms. 

Vertebrates belong the kingdom ____________.  All vertebrates have a ___________. There are _______ classes of vertebrates; one class is mammals.

There are four other kingdoms which include plants, ___________, ____________ and _____________.

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4a
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Fig. 1 shows six different arthropods labelled A, B, C, D, E and F.

screenshot-2022-10-05-16-13-56

Fig. 1

State one feature that can be used to classify an animal as an arthropod.

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4b
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(i)

       State one visible feature that arthropods A, B and C have that arthropods D, E and F do not have.                           

   [1]

(ii)

      State the letter of the organism in Fig. 1 that is a crustacean.                                                                                         

 [2]

Give a reason for your answer.

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4c
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One of the drawings shows an arthropod named Araneus diadematus.

This arthropod has a body in two segments and it has eight legs.

(i)

State the letter of the organism in Fig. 1 that shows Araneus diadematus.

[1]

(ii)

State the name of the group of arthropods that includes Araneus diadematus.

[1]

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4d
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The phylum arthropods can be grouped into different classes. 

State how many classes are found within the phylum arthropod.

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5a
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Extended Only

Fig. 1 is a branching key used to identify different species of bacteria.

cie-igcse-2018-febmar-q1

Fig. 1

Fig. 2 shows six different species of bacteria.

cie-igcse-2018-febmar-q1a

Fig. 2

(i)

Use the key to identify the six different species of bacteria.

[5]

(ii)

State the name of the kingdom that bacteria belong to.

[1]

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5b
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Extended Only

State one similarity between the structure of bacteria and the structure of viruses.

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5c
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Fig. 3 is a photomicrograph of Vibrio cholerae, the bacterium that causes cholera.

cie-igcse-2018-febmar-q1c

Fig. 3

(i)

Write the formula that would be used to calculate the actual length of the bacterium (not including the flagellum) in Fig. 3.

[1]

(ii)

The actual length of the bacterium shown in Fig. 3 is 0.0026 mm.

Convert this value to micrometres (µm).

[1]

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5d
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Extended Only

Fig. 4 shows a bacterial cell. 

Identify the structures labelled A - F.


A typical bacterial cell

Fig. 4

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1a
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Extended only

When attempting to classify organisms based on their characteristics, several types of differences between organisms can be observed. These are shown in Table 1.

Table 1

differences description
A Differences observable under a microscope
B Anatomical differences
C Differences in DNA base sequences
D Morphological differences
E Differences in amino acid sequences

Reorder differences A - E into the order of the amount of detail that can be gained, starting with the least detailed.  

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
         

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1b
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Extended only

When carrying out DNA base sequence comparisons between species, explain why the same gene has to be selected from each species for sequencing. 

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1c
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Extended only

Table 2 gives information about the amino acids that go into the chain of haemoglobin protein found in the blood of various animal species. The second column shows how many amino acids are different in the haemoglobin of that species to that of humans. 

Table 2

animal number of amino acids different to human haemoglobin
Human 0
Chicken 45
Dog 15
Frog 67
Gibbon 2
Gorilla 1
Grey kangaroo 38
Horse 25
Mouse 27

Humans and gibbons evolved separately from a common ancestor about 18 million years ago.

Calculate an estimate of how many years ago the evolution of frogs diverged from that of humans. 

Give your answer in standard form. 

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2a
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Classification systems largely depend on grouping species by the features that they share. All organisms can be classified using a hierarchical system starting with Kingdom and ending with the Genus and Species. 

Suggest the benefits of classifying organisms in a hierarchical system.

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2b
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Extended only

Explain why, in evolutionary terms, the more recent a common ancestor between two species, the more closely related those two species are. 

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2c
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Fig. 1 shows the evolution of a group of primates and their associated DNA sequences.


dna-sequences

Fig. 1

Using the information provided in Fig. 1 and your knowledge of DNA sequencing as a means for classification, determine with an explanation, which two primates are most closely related. 

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2d
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Extended only

Explain what Fig. 1 can tell you about the relationship between ancestors of primates.

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3a
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Extended only

Fig. 1 shows a unicellular organism found in freshwater.


protoctist-cell

Fig.1

Name the Kingdom this organisms belongs to.

[1]

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3b
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Extended only

Explain the features of the organism in Fig. 1 that distinguish it from other organisms.

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3c
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The organism shown in Fig. 1 is found in freshwater and must control its internal conditions by balancing the amount of water that moves in and out of the cell across the cell membrane. 

(i)

State the process by which water moves in and out of the cell. 

[1]

(ii)

As the organism digests its prey, the nutrients released can lower the water potential of the cell.

Suggest how this might affect the movement of water into or out of the cell. 

[2]

(iii)

The cell shown contains a structure called a contractile vacuole, which expels excess water from the cell. As well as excess water, they also remove waste materials from the cell. 

State the characteristic of living organism that the contractile vacuole carries out.

[1]

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3d
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Fig. 2 shows the same organism from part (a) and it's hunting technique. 

vRNIEm6F_amoeba

Fig. 2

Explain the characteristics of living organisms that would be expressed in this process. 

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4a
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A student investigated the relationship between the wavelength of a light source and seedling height. The student used strawberry seedlings and grew the plants in an enclosed box with the coloured light as the only available source of light for the plant. The student watered each seedling daily with 30ml of water. He grew the seedlings for 3 weeks before taking the final measurement. 

Suggest the characteristics of living organisms reflected in this investigation. 

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4b
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The student grew the strawberry seedlings under different coloured lights. Their results are shown in Table 1. 

Table 1

colour of light initial height of seedling / cm final height of seedling / cm  growth of seedling / cm 
white 14 38 24
blue 15 29 14
red 13 32 19
green 15 21 6
none 14 16 2

(i)

Explain why the student calculated the growth of seedlings rather than using the final height.

[2]

(ii)

Calculate the percentage change in the growth of the control group of seedlings. Round your answer to the nearest whole number.

[2]

(iii)

Explain the need for a control group of seedlings.

[1]

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4c
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A gardener also investigated the effect of changing wavelengths of light on the height of different types of vegetable seedlings. The gardener used an enclosed box and lamps with different colours of light as the only available light source. The gardener watered the plants daily from a watering can. The gardener grew five seedlings of each vegetable over a period of four weeks, measuring their height daily. At the end of the investigation, these measurements were used to calculate their average height. 

Their results are shown in Fig. 1. beetroot

Fig. 1

Suggest with a reason, which light source the gardener should use to produce the tallest vegetable plants. 

[2]

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4d
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Compare the gardener's experimental method with that of the student's.

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5a
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Dichotomous keys can be used to identify organisms based on a series of questions about their features.

Fig. 1 shows a group of leaves. leaves

Fig. 1

Suggest a dichotomous key for the leaves shown in Fig. 1 by completing Table 1. An example has been done for you. 

Table 1

  statement answer / instruction
1 a leaf is oval shaped beech
  b leaf is not oval shaped go to 2
2 a    
  b    
3 a    
  b    

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5b
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Fig. 2 shows a different type of dichotomous key where invertebrates are classified. 

inv-grops

Fig. 2

Complete the dichotomous key to show the classification of arthropods into their four sub groups. 

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5c
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Extended only

Fig. 3 shows a range of different plants. 

plants

Fig. 3

(i)

Give the type of plant, (monocotyledons, dicotyledons or ferns) for each plant labelled A-F.

[3]

(ii)

Describe the evidence shown in Fig. 3 that informed your answer for plant F.

[1]

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1a
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Table 1 shows the names of three groups of arthropods and some of their characteristics.

Place ticks (✓) in the boxes to show the characteristics present in each group. 

Table 1

characteristic arthropod group
arachnids crustaceans myriapods
four pairs of legs      
one pair of antennae      
body divided into two main parts      

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1b
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All living organisms show the same seven characteristics.

State four of the characteristics of living organisms.

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1c
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Fig. 1 shows the apparatus used by some students during an investigation.

The apparatus is drawn as seen from above.

097031-may-2019-paper-3-q2c-arthropods---sq

Fig. 1

Some arthropods were placed in the container.

A drop of red dye was inserted into the capillary tube.

The drop of red dye in the capillary tube gradually moved towards the arthropods.

(i)

Explain why the drop of red dye moved towards the arthropods.

The investigation shown in Fig. 1 was repeated at different temperatures.

Fig. 2 shows the results. 

[3]

097031-may-2019-paper-3-q2cii-arthropods---sq

Fig. 2

(ii)

State the trend shown in Fig. 2.

[1]

(iii)

Calculate the percentage increase in the rate of dye movement between 10°C and 20°C. 

Show your working.

[2]

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1d
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(i)
State the group of arthropods the student used in Fig. 1.

[1]

(ii)

Describe the features visible in Fig. 1 that identify this group.

[3]

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2a
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The animal in Fig. 1 is a chimpanzee.

cie-igcse-2020-specimen-p3-q2a-chimp

Fig. 1

(i)

The chimpanzee is a vertebrate. 

State the main group of vertebrates to which the chimpanzee belongs. 

[1]

(ii)

State two features, visible in Fig. 1, which suggest that it belongs to this group of vertebrates.

[2]

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2b
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The chimpanzee lives in forests in central and western Africa. The chimpanzee is classified as an endangered species because its population has decreased greatly.
 
(i)

Suggest why the chimpanzee population has decreased.

[2]

(ii)

Describe how a captive breeding programme can help to conserve chimpanzees in the wild.

[2]

(iii)

State two methods, other than captive breeding, of conserving endangered species.

[2]

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2c
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The binomial system of naming species gives chimpanzees the name Pan troglodytes.

Describe what is meant by the binomial system of naming species.

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2d
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Chimpanzees are classified taxonomically as a single species, Pan troglodytes.

Define what is meant by the term species. 

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3a
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A scientist discovered a new organism and observed some cells from the organism. Table 1 below shows some of the features observed during examination. 

Table 1

feature observations
cell type multicellular
cell wall chitin
food source saprophytic or parasitic
nucleus present
other organelles mitochondria, ribosomes

Suggest which Kingdom the organism belongs to using the observations recorded by the scientist. 

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3b
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The scientist used DNA sequencing to further study the cells. 

Explain why the scientist used DNA sequencing. 

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3c
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Table 2 shows the DNA base sequence of four species of cat.

Table 2

African leopard A-T-T-C-C-G-G-G-A-T-C-G-G-T-T-A-T-C-A
African lion A-G-T-G-T-A-G-A-A-A-C-T-T-T-A-C-T-A-C
Cheetah A-T-T-A-C-G-G-G-A-G-C-C-G-T-T-A-T-G-A
African wildcat G-T-A-C-G-A-T-G-T-A-G-C-A-T-A-G-T-G-G

Explain which two species are most closely related.  

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3d
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Extended

Cats are animals that share some similarities and differences with prokaryotes.

Compare the main features of animals and prokaryotes.

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4a
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Flowering plants can be divided into two groups.

(i)

State the two groups of flowering plants.

[1]

(ii)

Explain how to distinguish between the two groups.

[3]

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4b
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 Extended only

A student found the plant shown in Fig. 1 growing in the school grounds.ferns

Fig. 1

Explain what type of plant this would be classified as. 

[2]

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4c
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Extended only

The student investigated how the number of leaves on the plant varied. The student visited three different sites within the school grounds and counted the leaves found on one plant within each site. 

Table 1 shows the results of his experiment. 

Table 1

school site  number of leaves
A 54
B 23
C 47

Use the grid below to draw a graph of these results.

graph-paper

[4]

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Determine how the student could improve the reliability of their data.

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5a
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The organisms shown in Fig. 1 are a group of invertebrates called arachnids. 


arachnids--

Fig. 1

Describe the common features of arachnids visible in Fig. 1.

[1]

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5b
Sme Calculator5 marks
Use the key shown below to identify the arachnids shown in Fig. 1
. 
1 a Has a tail structure Scorpiones
b Does not have a tail structure go to 2
2 a Has large pair of front pincers Pseudoscorpiones
b Does not have large front pincers go to 3
3 a Legs are at least three times as long as body Pholcidae
b Legs are similar or smaller length than body go to 4
4 a Legs have visible spines/hairs Lycosidae
b Legs do not have visible spines/hair Ixodida

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5c
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Dichotomous keys can be used to help classify organisms. 

Explain the purpose of classification systems. 

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