JAMB Biology 1978 past questions and answers

A plant which grows on another plant without apparent harm to the host plant is called

1. A.a parasite
2. B.an epiphyte
3. C.a saprophyte
4. D.a predator
5. E.a hermaphrodite

6CO₂ + 6H₂O → (sunlight, chlorophyll) C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂↑
The process represented by the above equation is

1. A.proteinsynthesis
2. B.respiration
3. C.photosynthesis
4. D.transpiration
5. E.translocation

The oxygen given off during the process is derived from

1. A.sunlight
2. B.chlorophyll
3. C.carbon dioxide
4. D.atmosphere
5. E.water

One of the functions of the xylem is

1. A.strengthening the stem
2. B.manufacturing food
3. C.reducing loss of water
4. D.conducting manufactured food
5. E.storing unused sugar

People suffering from myopia

1. A.can see near objects clearly
2. B.can see far away objects clearly
3. C.cannot see any object clearly
4. D.are colour-blind
5. E.are able to see better in the dark

The cilia in paramecium are used for

1. A.respirating
2. B.locomotion
3. C.protection
4. D.regulating food intake
5. E.excretion

Euglena may be classified as a plant because it

1. A.has chloroplasts
2. B.has a gullet
3. C.lives in a pond
4. D.possesses a flagellum
5. E.has a pellicle

A trawler on a fishing trip landed a type of animal with hairs on its body. This animal could have been

1. A.an amphibian
2. B.a reptile
3. C.a shark
4. D.a mammal
5. E.a seagull

Which of these types of skeleton is most appropriate to the cockroach?

1. A.Hydrostatic skeleton
2. B.Exoskeleton
3. C.Endoskeleton
4. D.Cartilaginous skeleton
5. E.Bony skeleton

When proteins are broken down they also provide

1. A.oxygen
2. B.carbohydrates
3. C.energy
4. D.amino-acids
5. E.carbon dioxide

The function of lenticels is

1. A.to remove excess water in the plant
2. B.to absorb water from the atmosphere
3. C.for gaseous exchange
4. D.to absorb light
5. E.to store food

The following events take place during conjugation in Spirogyra 1. The protoplasm in each of the conjugating cells separate from the cell wall to form a gamete; the gamete of one filament passes through the conjugation tube to meet the gamete of the other filament 2. The zygote soon become surrounded by a thick brown wall to become zygospore which bursts after a short rest and germinates to produce a new filament 3. The nuclei of the gametes fuse to form a zygote 4. The protuberances meet and where they touch the cell-wall disappears so that a conjugation tube joining the two cells is formed 5. Protuberances appear on the walls of cells of two filaments of Spirogyra lying side by side opposite one another. Now, what is the correct sequence in which the above events occur?

1. A.1,2,3,4,5
2. B.1,2,4,5,3
3. C.3,4,5,2,1
4. D.5,4,1,3,2
5. E.5,4,3,1,2

Which of the following is characteristic of the animal cell?

1. A.Presence of chloroplasts
2. B.Possession of a cellulose cell wall
3. C.Absence of large vacuoles
4. D.Presence of large vacuoles
5. E.Presence of chromosomes

Nitrifying bacteria keep the soil fertile by

1. A.converting nitrates to nitrogen
2. B.converting ammonium salts to nitrates
3. C.converting atmospheric nitrogen to plant protein
4. D.converting nitrates to nitrous oxide
5. E.converting atmospheric nitrogen to nitrates

In the life history of Schistosoma (Bilharzia), one of the following is the intermediate host:

1. A.man
2. B.snail
3. C.mosquito larva
4. D.crayfish
5. E.fish

In which one of the following groups of organisms do all the members have asexual methods of reproduction?

1. A.A green filamentous alga, a flowering plant and a bird
2. B.A toad (or frog), Amoeba and Mucor (or Penicillium)
3. C.A flowering plant, tapeworm (or Ascaris) and a green filamentous alga
4. D.Mucor (or Penicillium), a bird and a toad (or frog)
5. E.Amoeba, Mucor (or Penicillium) and a green filamentous alga

The hormone which tones up the muscles of a person in time of danger is from the

1. A.thyroid gland
2. B.pancreas
3. C.adrenal gland
4. D.liver
5. E.spleen

The study of the organism and the environment of an abandoned farmland is the ecology of

1. A.a community
2. B.a population
3. C.a species
4. D.a habitat
5. E.an ecosystem

Which one of the following statements about the mammalian kidney is false?

1. A.The glomerulus is formed by a branch of the renal artery
2. B.The glomerulus is a part of uriniferous tubules
3. C.The Bowman's capsule is in the cortex of the kidney
4. D.The uriniferous tubules are richly supplied with blood vessels
5. E.The glomerulus is lodged in the Bowman's capsule

A potometer with a leafy shoot weighed 18.9g initially and 17.9g after 1 hour. From this it follows that

1. A.the shoot absorbed 1 g of water per hour
2. B.1 g of water per hour evaporates from the potometer
3. C.the shoot lost 1 g of water per hour
4. D.the potometer water receded at the rate of 1 g per hour
5. E.the shoot was respiring and lost weight at the rate of 1 g per hour

At fertilisation

1. A.one chromosome from the male joins another from the female
2. B.one gene from the male combines with another from the female
3. C.the male nucleus fuses with the female nucleus
4. D.one set of chromosomes combines with another set from the female
5. E.one cell from the male fuses with another from the female

The neck region of the tapeworm, (taenia) is responsible for the

1. A.production of eggs
2. B.storage of eggs
3. C.formation of new segments
4. D.development of the suckers
5. E.fragmentation of the body segments

Which of these is not true of the insect? The possession of

1. A.two pairs of antennae
2. B.jointed appendages
3. C.exoskeleton
4. D.three pairs of legs
5. E.segmented body

Fig. 1. Amoeba (Optical Section)
During reproduction of the organism in Fig.1 the first structure to divide is

1. A.1
2. B.2
3. C.3
4. D.4
5. E.5

Rhizopus (or Mucor) obtains its food from dead organic matter extracellularly. It is said to be

1. A.a facultative parasite
2. B.a saprophyte
3. C.an obligate parasite
4. D.a commensal
5. E.an autotroph

Figure 2 shows the externals of a bony fish.
The part numbered 12 is

1. A.pectoral fin
2. B.scale
3. C.opercular plate
4. D.gill plate
5. E.pectoral girdle

Figure 2 shows the externals of a bony fish.
During the movement of the fish from point A to target B, one of these parts is not involved

1. A.7
2. B.5
3. C.3
4. D.6
5. E.10

The feature that distinguishes the toad or frog from a fish is the absence of

1. A.scales
2. B.lungs
3. C.paired appendages
4. D.a tail
5. E.skin glands

Which of these is not associated with the tadpole stages of the toad or frog?

1. A.V-shaped gland
2. B.Operculum
3. C.External gills
4. D.Jelly
5. E.shell

Which of these is not associated with the movement of the toad, reptile or birds?

1. A.Hopping
2. B.Bopping
3. C.Flapping
4. D.Gliding
5. E.Pecking

Which of these is not a part of the feather of a bird?

1. A.Wing
2. B.Aftershaft
3. C.Inferior umbilicus
4. D.Vane
5. E.Barbule

Which of these is not a function of the mammalian skin?

1. A.Protection against bacterial infection
2. B.Excretion of wastes and water
3. C.Production of vitamin D when exposed to light
4. D.Production of pigments to reduce temperature
5. E.Regulation of body temperature

Which of the these elements is required by plants in small quantities only?

1. A.Boron
2. B.Nitrogen
3. C.Phosphorus
4. D.Magnesium
5. E.Potassium

Which of these is a direct photosynthetic product

1. A.Glucose
2. B.Starch
3. C.Protein
4. D.Fats
5. E.Latex

Figure 3 is a section of a leaf.
The number shown as 8 refers to

1. A.upper epidermis
2. B.cuticle
3. C.stoma
4. D.guard cell
5. E.lower epidermis

Figure 3 is a section of a leaf.
The structure responsible for trapping the sun's energy during photosynthesis is

1. A.5
2. B.6
3. C.3
4. D.2
5. E.8

Figure 3 is a section of a leaf.
Which of these plays no role in photosynthesis?

1. A.9
2. B.8
3. C.5
4. D.2
5. E.3

A potometer was used to compare the rate of loss of the same volume of water from a plant under different environmental conditions as under a fan, at the sea shore, under the sun, in the airy laboratory and in cupboard. Which of the items was likely to have been obtained in a cupboard?

1. A.15 secs
2. B.30 secs
3. C.25 secs
4. D.20 secs
5. E.28 secs

A spirogyra cell was placed in solution X. After 1 minute the cell had been plasmolysed, solution X was

1. A.tap water
2. B.a very strong sugar solution
3. C.a weak sugar solution
4. D.a very weak salt solution
5. E.distilled water.

A farmer X working in a swamp did not eat any food nor drink any water. Which of these diseases can he not contract?

1. A.Cholera
2. B.Bilharzia
3. C.River blindness
4. D.Malaria
5. E.Sleeping sickness

A carbohydrate molecule in the right ventricle of the heart is pumped into the cell of the toe of man. Which of these structures is it unlikely to pass through en-route?

1. A.Pulmonary artery
2. B.Lungs
3. C.Heart
4. D.Liver
5. E.Aorta.

In a phototropic experiment, young seedlings in a box were subjected to light from one direction. The seedlings continued to grow erect. Which of the following statements is correct?

1. A.Only the tips of the seedlings received light
2. B.The light was not strong enough
3. C.The seedlings were rather too young.
4. D.The tips of the seedlings may have been covered
5. E.The box containing the seedlings should have been placed on a laboratory bench.

Which of these is not a characteristic of wind pollinated flowers?

1. A.Smaller quantities of sticky pollen produced
2. B.Feathery styles of stigmas pendulously hang outside the flower.
3. C.Small, inconspicuous scentless flowers
4. D.Large anthers which are loosely attached to filaments
5. E.Light pollen grains produced in large quantities from anthers.

A germinating seed requires oxygen which is essential for

1. A.converting carbohydrate into glucose
2. B.transporting energy from one part of the plant to another
3. C.the production of energy by oxidising essential carbohydrates
4. D.hydrolysis of proteins
5. E.the formation of water molecules within the germinating seed.

Which of these products obtained from analysing sweat from the skin is not an excretory product?

1. A.Water
2. B.Salts
3. C.Dust
4. D.Urea
5. E.Urates

Fig. 5: A Food Chain
In the food chain shown in Fig.5 above, the secondary consumer is

1. A.6
2. B.2
3. C.3
4. D.5
5. E.4

In a breeding programme a cross was made between two true-breeding cowpea types: one with round seeds and the other with wrinkled seeds. If roundness is dominant while wrinkleness is recessive, in the first filial generation all the seeds produced will be

1. A.25 per cent wrinkled, 75 per cent round
2. B.100 per cent wrinkled
3. C.50 per cent wrinkled, 50 per cent round
4. D.75 per cent wrinkled, 25 per cent round
5. E.100 per cent round.

Figure 6 represents an experiment with two types of soil. The experiment demonstrates

1. A.soil attraction for water
2. B.soil porosity
3. C.soil capillarity
4. D.draining capacity of soils
5. E.soil permeability.