General Biology II — 2026-test Past Questions

University of Ilorin BIO102: 94 questions.

Topics: Basic characteristics, identification and classification of viruses, bacteria and fungi, A generalized survey of the plant and animal kingdoms, Ecological adaptations

1. When was the term 'virus' coined?
   1. 1892
   2. 1897
   3. 1776
   4. 1992
2. Who discovered that viruses are composed of nucleic acid, lipids and protein?
   1. Bawden (1943)
   2. Luria
   3. Stanley (1935)
   4. Beijerinck
3. Who defined a virus as a submicroscopic entity capable of being introduced into a living cell and reproducing inside such cells only?
   1. Luria (1953)
   2. Bawden (1943)
   3. Ivanovsky (1892)
   4. Beijerinck (1897)
4. Who defined a virus as an obligate parasite whose size is less than 200 millimicrons?
   1. Bawden (1943)
   2. Luria (1953)
   3. Beijerinck (1897)
   4. Ivanovsky (1892)
5. Who defined a virus as a small infectious agent that can replicate only inside the living cells of an organism?
   1. Bawden (1943)
   2. Luria (1953)
   3. Koonin et al. (2006)
   4. Ivanovsky (1892)
6. What is the study of viruses called?
   1. Virology
   2. Cytology
   3. Microbiology
   4. Mycology
7. A virus cannot have
   1. DNA
   2. RNA
   3. Both DNA and RNA
   4. None of the above
8. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of viruses?
   1. They reproduce sexually and asexually
   2. They infect animals, plants and even bacteria
   3. They are acellular obligate parasites
   4. They have either RNA or DNA but not both as genome
9. Based on the type of nucleic acid, viruses are classified into how many groups?
   1. 4
   2. 5
   3. 6
   4. 7
10. Viruses are classified based on how many properties?
    1. 2
    2. 3
    3. 5
    4. 7
11. According to host range, viruses are classified into how many groups?
    1. 2
    2. 3
    3. 4
    4. 5
12. A virus is primarily composed of how many parts?
    1. 4
    2. 3
    3. 2
    4. 5
13. Which of the following is incorrect about capsids?
    1. None of the above
    2. The capsid protects the nucleic acid
    3. It facilitates the entry of the nucleic acid into the host cell
    4. It helps in the synthesis of the nucleic acid
14. The capsid is made up of tiny units called
    1. Plasmids
    2. Capsomeres
    3. Mesosomes
    4. Proteins
15. The most common form of nucleic acid in viruses is
    1. Linear
    2. Circular
    3. Ellipsoidal
    4. Helical
16. Nucleic acid has how many components?
    1. 5
    2. 4
    3. 3
    4. 2
17. What is the function of carbohydrates in a virus?
    1. Nutrition
    2. Unknown
    3. Cell wall formation
    4. Genetic storage
18. An example of a double-stranded DNA virus is
    1. Tobacco Mosaic Virus
    2. Herpes virus
    3. Influenza virus
    4. HIV
19. Tobacco Mosaic Virus has which type of nucleic acid?
    1. Single-stranded DNA
    2. Single-stranded RNA
    3. Double-stranded DNA
    4. Double-stranded RNA
20. The ability of viruses to ______ has led to the concern that viruses could be used for biological warfare.
    1. Cause death and devastation to large populations in epidemics and pandemics
    2. Cause death and devastation to large populations in epidemics only
    3. Infect only animals
    4. Replicate outside a host cell
21. Viruses are used as ______ in the degradation of insecticides and herbicides.
    1. Food
    2. Medicine
    3. Catalyst
    4. Bioremediator
22. The first enzyme ever discovered in viruses is
    1. Neuraminidase
    2. Reverse transcriptase
    3. RNA polymerase
    4. DNA polymerase
23. When were bacteria first discovered?
    1. 1676
    2. 1776
    3. 1876
    4. 1976
24. Who introduced the term 'bacteria'?
    1. Pasteur
    2. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek
    3. Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg
    4. Beijerinck
25. Who made bacteria known to the world as pathogens?
    1. Pasteur
    2. Leeuwenhoek
    3. Koch
    4. Ehrenberg
26. Pasteur established which field of study?
    1. Microbiology
    2. Bacteriology
    3. Mycology
    4. Virology
27. Bacterial biomass is more than that of
    1. Plants
    2. Animals
    3. Plants and animals
    4. None of the above
28. Bacteria are
    1. Unicellular
    2. Multicellular
    3. Both unicellular and multicellular
    4. Acellular
29. The size of a typical bacterium ranges from
    1. 0.1 – 10 micrometres
    2. 1 – 100 micrometres
    3. 0.5 – 5.0 micrometres
    4. 10 – 50 micrometres
30. Bacteria are found in
    1. Soil
    2. Water
    3. Air
    4. All habitats
31. Which of the following is NOT a shape of bacteria?
    1. Circular
    2. Spherical
    3. Slightly curved
    4. Spiral
32. Which of the following is NOT a modification of cocci?
    1. Micrococcus
    2. Staphylococcus
    3. Diplococcus
    4. Spirillococcus
33. Which of the following is an example of bacteria that can alter its shape?
    1. Mycoplasma sp.
    2. Diplococcus sp.
    3. Streptococcus sp.
    4. Staphylococcus sp.
34. The genetic nucleic acid present in bacteria is
    1. DNA
    2. RNA
    3. Both DNA and RNA
    4. None of the above
35. The cell wall of Gram-positive bacteria is ______ than that of Gram-negative bacteria.
    1. Much thicker
    2. Thicker
    3. Thinner
    4. The same thickness
36. In terms of rigidity, Gram-positive bacteria are ______ rigid than Gram-negative bacteria.
    1. More
    2. Less
    3. Much more
    4. Equally
37. Which of the following is an example of a Gram-negative bacterium?
    1. Nocardia
    2. Mycoplasma
    3. Pseudomonas aeruginosa
    4. Lactobacillus
38. A bacterium with no flagellum is called
    1. Peritrichous
    2. Lophotrichous
    3. Atrichous
    4. Amphitrichous
39. A bacterium that has a single flagellum at one end only is called
    1. Peritrichous
    2. Lophotrichous
    3. Atrichous
    4. Monotrichous
40. A bacterium with one or more flagella at both ends of the cell is called
    1. Monotrichous
    2. Peritrichous
    3. Lophotrichous
    4. Amphitrichous
41. A bacterium with flagella all over its body is called
    1. Amphitrichous
    2. Lophotrichous
    3. Peritrichous
    4. Monotrichous
42. The presence of several flagella at one or both ends of a bacterial cell is called
    1. Monotrichous
    2. Peritrichous
    3. Lophotrichous
    4. Amphitrichous
43. Which of the following is an example of a monotrichous bacterium?
    1. Rhodospirillum rubrum
    2. Xanthomonas sp.
    3. Escherichia coli
    4. Spirillum undula
44. Which of the following is an example of an amphitrichous bacterium?
    1. Rhodospirillum rubrum
    2. Aquaspirillum serpens
    3. Escherichia coli
    4. Xanthomonas sp.
45. Which of the following is an example of a lophotrichous bacterium?
    1. Salmonella sp.
    2. Escherichia coli
    3. Spirillum undula
    4. Xanthomonas sp.
46. A bacterial flagellum has how many parts?
    1. 2
    2. 3
    3. 5
    4. 4
47. A motile bacterium moves primarily with the aid of
    1. Flagella
    2. Spores
    3. Capsules
    4. Mesosomes
48. Surface adherents (the glycocalyx) of a bacterial cell are composed of how many materials?
    1. 2
    2. 3
    3. 4
    4. 5
49. Bacterial surface appendages consist of how many types?
    1. 2
    2. 3
    3. 4
    4. 5
50. Which of the following is NOT a component of surface appendages?
    1. Nucleoid
    2. Flagellum
    3. Fimbriae
    4. Pilus
51. The bacterial plasma membrane is invaginated (folded inward) to form
    1. Mesosome
    2. Cell wall
    3. Flagella
    4. Capsule
52. A typical bacterial cell can be divided into how many regions?
    1. 4
    2. 6
    3. 5
    4. 3
53. Which of the following organisms was first on Earth?
    1. Virus
    2. Bacteria
    3. Fungi
    4. Algae
54. Which of the following can differentiate fungi from higher plants?
    1. Presence of chitin in the cell wall
    2. Absence of a cell membrane
    3. Presence of chlorophyll
    4. Absence of a nucleus
55. Fungi are referred to as achlorophytes because
    1. They lack a cell wall
    2. They have a cell wall
    3. They lack chlorophyll
    4. They have chlorophyll
56. All fungi are
    1. Unicellular
    2. Multicellular
    3. Eukaryotic
    4. Prokaryotic
57. Which of the following is a unicellular fungus?
    1. Rhizopus stolonifer
    2. Saccharomyces cerevisiae
    3. Aspergillus sp.
    4. Penicillium sp.
58. Yeast reproduces asexually by
    1. Budding
    2. Binary fission
    3. Spore formation
    4. Fragmentation
59. Why are aseptate fungi considered more primitive than septate fungi?
    1. Their hyphae lack cross walls, so the whole organism is affected if one part is damaged
    2. They cannot reproduce sexually
    3. They lack cell walls
    4. They are unicellular
60. A mass of hyphae that makes up the thallus of a multicellular fungus is called
    1. Mycelium
    2. Rhizoid
    3. Stolon
    4. Sporangium
61. Ascomycetes are also known as
    1. Club fungi
    2. Sac fungi
    3. Algae fungi
    4. Bread fungi
62. Mycorrhiza literally means
    1. Fungal particles
    2. Fungal roots
    3. Fungal leaves
    4. Fungal spores
63. Mycorrhiza is an association between
    1. Roots of higher plants and fungi
    2. Leaves of higher plants and fungi
    3. Stems of higher plants and fungi
    4. Seeds of higher plants and fungi
64. The mycorrhiza that forms a sheath around the root is
    1. Endomycorrhiza
    2. Saprophytic association
    3. Ectomycorrhiza
    4. Lichenized association
65. Which type of mycorrhizal association has fungal hyphae that enter and penetrate the cells of the plant root cortex?
    1. Ectomycorrhiza
    2. Endomycorrhiza
    3. Lichenized association
    4. Parasitic association
66. Fungi form a mutualistic association (mycorrhiza) with plants that
    1. Are devoid of root hairs
    2. Have abundant root hairs
    3. Are aquatic
    4. Have deep root systems
67. What is the function of the fungus in a mycorrhiza?
    1. Improve photosynthesis
    2. Absorption of nutrients and amino acids
    3. Provision of chlorophyll
    4. Increase motility
68. How does the algal partner in a lichen benefit from the fungus?
    1. It photosynthesises for the fungus
    2. The fungus absorbs water and minerals for it and gives it protection
    3. It absorbs sunlight for the fungus
    4. It produces food for itself only
69. The fungal partner in a lichen is called the
    1. Photobiont
    2. Phycobiont
    3. Microbiont
    4. Mycobiont
70. A crustose lichen is one that is
    1. Unbranched and hanging from tree branches
    2. Loosely attached and leaf-like
    3. Shrub-like and branched
    4. Crust-like and tightly attached to or embedded in the substrate
71. A leaf-like lichen is an example of
    1. Fruticose
    2. Foliose
    3. Crustose
    4. Luminous
72. Fruticose lichens are
    1. Shrub-like and branched
    2. Leaf-like in structure and appearance
    3. Crust-like and embedded in the substrate
    4. Flat and unbranched
73. What determines the shape, size, form and growth manner of a lichen?
    1. Light
    2. Alga
    3. Fungus
    4. Temperature
74. Which of the following has maximum independence from water for reproduction?
    1. Algae
    2. Pteridophytes
    3. Gymnosperms
    4. Bryophytes
75. Which of the following has naked seeds?
    1. Gymnosperms
    2. Pteridophytes
    3. Bryophytes
    4. Angiosperms
76. Which of the following has seeds but no fruit?
    1. Pteridophytes
    2. Bryophytes
    3. Thallophytes
    4. Gymnosperms
77. Which of the following has xylem and phloem but no seeds?
    1. Pteridophytes
    2. Bryophytes
    3. Thallophytes
    4. Gymnosperms
78. Which of the following has an independent sporophyte stage with vascular tissues?
    1. Pteridophytes
    2. Bryophytes
    3. Thallophytes
    4. Gymnosperms
79. In which phylum is the gametophyte the dominant stage?
    1. Pteridophytes
    2. Bryophytes
    3. Angiosperms
    4. Gymnosperms
80. In which group does double fertilization occur?
    1. Bryophytes
    2. Gymnosperms
    3. Thallophytes
    4. Angiosperms
81. Bryophytes are limited to water or moist habitats mainly because they have
    1. No leaves
    2. Motile sperms
    3. No vascular tissue
    4. No roots
82. The main difference between bryophytes and pteridophytes is
    1. Dependence of the sporophyte
    2. Presence of spores
    3. Presence of vascular tissue
    4. Presence of seeds
83. What is the function of a thick cuticle in plants?
    1. Prevent water loss by transpiration
    2. Protect against mechanical damage
    3. Absorb sunlight for photosynthesis
    4. Facilitate gas exchange
84. Which evolutionary advancement allowed plants to colonize drier habitats?
    1. Motile sperm
    2. Seeds and pollen
    3. Thallus body
    4. Rhizoids
85. The transition of plants from water to land led to the formation of
    1. Vascular bundles
    2. Cuticle
    3. Roots
    4. All of the above
86. Which structure replaced water-dependent fertilization in advanced plants?
    1. Spore
    2. Pollen tube
    3. Rhizoid
    4. Cuticle
87. A seedless plant with vascular tissue represents
    1. Mutation
    2. Degeneration
    3. Primitive vascular adaptation
    4. Advanced evolution
88. Conifers survive well in cold regions because
    1. They have thin needle-like leaves that reduce water loss
    2. They have large flowers
    3. Their sperm is motile
    4. They produce seeds in cones
89. Rhizoids are not as advanced as true roots because
    1. They are multicellular
    2. They absorb water
    3. They do not have vascular bundles
    4. They do not anchor plants
90. Rhizopus stolonifer is a
    1. Unicellular yeast
    2. Multicellular (filamentous) fungus
    3. Acellular virus
    4. Single-celled alga
91. If a plant has sori, it is a
    1. Grass
    2. Moss
    3. Fern
    4. Gymnosperm
92. Which of the following correctly differentiates algae from fungi?
    1. Algae are achlorophyllous
    2. Fungi are chlorophyllous
    3. Algae are heterotrophic
    4. Fungi are heterotrophic
93. Algae can be differentiated from higher plants in that they possess
    1. Roots
    2. Stems
    3. No differentiated organs
    4. Leaves
94. Which of the following stores excess carbohydrates as glycogen?
    1. Plants
    2. Fungi
    3. Algae
    4. Bacteria

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