JAMB Biology 1980 past questions and answers

In Mucor or Rhizopus carbohydrate is absorbed in the form of

1. A.starch
2. B.sucrose
3. C.glucose
4. D.glycogen
5. E.arabinose

One of the following statements is NOT true of Spirogyra.

1. A.It is a simple multicellular plant
2. B.During conjugation, its gametes, which are structurally and physiologically similar, fuse to form a zygote
3. C.It possesses spiral chloroplast which enables the plant to photosynthesize
4. D.Its cells are protected externally by a layer of mucilage
5. E.There are pyrenoids along the chloroplast.

Which of the following spreads malaria in Nigeria?

1. A.Anopheles mosquito
2. B.Culex mosquito
3. C.Aedes mosquito
4. D.Tsetse fly
5. E.House fly

The vacuole of a plant cell is

1. A.a large empty space
2. B.smaller than that of an animal cell
3. C.filled with air
4. D.an ordinary vacuum
5. E.surrounded by a membrane

Which one of the following animals is NEVER a secondary host of tapeworms?

1. A.Cow
2. B.Fish
3. C.Pig
4. D.Man
5. E.Dog.

Some of the features of an animal are scales, teeth, nares and backbone. The animal is likely to be a

1. A.toad
2. B.bird
3. C.lizard
4. D.rat
5. E.bat

Milk can be pasteurized by

1. A.the addition of common salt
2. B.boiling for one hour
3. C.heating to 75°C for 20 minutes
4. D.the addition vinegar
5. E.heating to 100°C for 12 hours.

Human beings require vitamins in their diet because vitamins

1. A.contain carbohydrates and fats
2. B.prevent kwashiorkor
3. C.stimulate the alimentary canal
4. D.digest proteins in the body
5. E.influence many important chemical processes in the body.

Which of the following organs produces bile?

1. A.Gall bladder
2. B.Pancreas
3. C.Spleen
4. D.Liver
5. E.Stomach.

The organ through which food and oxygen are supplied to the human embryo and which also prevents harmful materials from reaching the embryo is the

1. A.amnion
2. B.uterus
3. C.placenta
4. D.umbilical cord
5. E.fallopian tube.

A true fruit is formed from

1. A.a fertilized ovary and other floral parts
2. B.a fertilized ovary
3. C.a fertilized ovary and calyx
4. D.a fertilized ovary and fleshy receptacle
5. E.an unfertilized ovary and other floral parts.

Water is required for seed germination to take place because it

1. A.activates the enzymes
2. B.softens the testa
3. C.liberates energy for growth
4. D.permits radicle growth
5. E.allows oxygen to diffuse into the seed

A fresh kolanut weighing 1g was put into salt solution. After 3 hours, the kolanut weighed 1.2 g. This simple experiment demonstrates that

1. A.the salt solution is more concentrated that the cell sap of the kolanut
2. B.the cell sap of the kolanut is more concentrated than the salt solution
3. C.The salt solution has the same concentration as the cell sap of the kolanut
4. D.kolanut cells can multiply in water
5. E.the kolanut lost some water molecules to the salt solution.

The joint between the atlas and axis vertebrae allows for

1. A.rotatory movements only
2. B.up and down or nodding movements only
3. C.rotatory and nodding movements
4. D.no movement at all
5. E.slight movement.

Which of the following food substances is digested in the stomach?

1. A.Carbohydrates
2. B.Fats and oils.
3. C.Fats and proteins
4. D.Proteins
5. E.Carbohydrates and fats.

The conversion of excess amino acids into urea occurs in the

1. A.kidney
2. B.pancreas
3. C.villi
4. D.liver
5. E.spleen.

In testing for glucose the necessary reagent and the condition under which the reagent reacts best are

1. A.Fehling's reagent, in the cold
2. B.Millon's reagent, boiled
3. C.Fehling's reagent in acid medium, heated
4. D.iodine solution, boiled
5. E.Fehling's reagent in neutral or alkaline medium, boiled.

Fig. 2: Vertical section through the heart
Why is the part labelled 5 thicker than 6?

1. A.5 is the left ventricle and 6 the right ventricle
2. B.6 is the left ventricle and 5 the right ventricle
3. C.5 receives blood from the left auricle and 6 from the right
4. D.5 pumps blood round the body and 6 pumps blood only into the lungs
5. E.5 deals with oxygenated blood and 6 deoxygenated blood.

Fig. 2: Vertical section through the heart
Which of the labelled parts is the vena caval opening?

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

For pollination and fruit formation, the essential part(s) of the flower should be the

1. A.corolla
2. B.ovary
3. C.pistil (gynoecium)
4. D.ovules
5. E.receptacle.

Which one of the following parts of the mammalian body is most closely associated with the production of urine?

1. A.Malpighian capsule
2. B.Urinary bladder
3. C.Ureter
4. D.Vas deferens
5. E.Urethra.

Use Fig. 3 to answer questions 23 and 24.
The testa

1. A.is normally absent
2. B.is inlcuded in the part numbered (1)
3. C.is fused with the part numbered (3)
4. D.is the part numbered (1)
5. E.surrounds the parts numbered (4) and (5).

Use Fig. 3 to answer questions 23 and 24.
Reserved food material is

1. A.stored in the parts numbered (2) and (3)
2. B.stored in the part numbered (3) only
3. C.stored in the parts numbered (4) and (5)
4. D.not concentrated in any particular part
5. E.found in all the except(1).

A green plant growing in a compost pit is feeding

1. A.holozoically
2. B.parasitically
3. C.saprophytically
4. D.holophytically
5. E.in none of the above ways.

The part of the cell solely responsible for respiration is the

1. A.nucleus
2. B.nucleolus
3. C.itochondria
4. D.golgi apparatus
5. E.endoplasmic reticulum.

In anaerobic respiration, glucose is converted to one of the following:

1. A.Carbon dioxide and water
2. B.Carbon dioxide only
3. C.Carbon dioxide and alcohol
4. D.Alcohol and water
5. E.Water and acetic acid.

During excretion of urea there is also a corresponding re-absorption of water into the blood. This reabsorption takes place in the

1. A.uriniferous tubules
2. B.Bowman's capsule
3. C.glomerulus
4. D.malpighian capsule
5. E.renal artery.

If the bark and phloem tissues of a woody shoot are peeled off by ringing, the whole plant will eventually die because

1. A.water does not reach the leaves
2. B.water and salts remain below the ringed portion
3. C.there is a withdrawal of water from the root by soil
4. D.manufactured food does not reach the roots
5. E.the roots store too much water.

The filaments of Spirogyra were put into equal volumes of sugar solutions X and Y. After 5 minutes, filaments from solution X had their cell contents rounded up while those from Y were unaffected. The experiment shows that

1. A.solution X was stronger than Y
2. B.solution Y was stronger than X.
3. C.Spirogyra used up the sugar in solution X
4. D.solution X is good for stimulating sexual reproduction in Spirogyra
5. E.solution Y was less contaminated than X.

Which part of the human brain is concerned with reflexes controlling the rate of heart beat and breathing?

1. A.Medulla
2. B.Cerebrum
3. C.Cerebellum
4. D.Pineal body
5. E.Olfactory lobe.

Which of the following hormones is produced during fright or when agitated?

1. A.Insulin
2. B.Adrenalin
3. C.Thyroxine
4. D.Pituitrin
5. E.Progesterone.

The following are connected with the movement of a reflex action (1) Central nervous system (2) Muscle (3) Skin (4) Sensory nerve (5) Motor nerve. Which of the following sequences indicates a correct path?

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

Fig. 4: Respiration in plants
The lime water in container C turned milky because

1. A.carbon dioxide was produced by plant B during respiration
2. B.carbon dioxide entered C through the filter pump
3. C.oxygen reacts with lime water to produce milkiness
4. D.soda lime did not remove carbon dioxide from air
5. E.the delivery tubes were not well connected.

Biconcave lenses are used in the correction of an eye defect called

1. A.myopia
2. B.colour blindness
3. C.old age
4. D.hypermetropia
5. E.weakening of ciliary muscles.

The centre which controls respiratory activities in the mammalian brain is the

1. A.cerebrum
2. B.olfactory lobes
3. C.pituitary organ
4. D.cerebellum
5. E.medulla

A student trying to find out the order in which organisms appear on a cleared plot is studying one of the following

1. A.Ecosystem
2. B.Food chain
3. C.Food web
4. D.Succession
5. E.Community

An organism X lives entirely on the waste products in another organism Y. In this association X is a

1. A.symbiont
2. B.commensal
3. C.saprophyte
4. D.parasite
5. E.epiphyte.

The tips of some rice seedlings were cut off while some were left intact. Both were covered with a container which had only one small hole to allow light through. After twenty-four hours it was observed that

1. A.the cut tips bent away from light
2. B.the cut tips bent towards source of light
3. C.the intact tips bent away from the light
4. D.the intact tips bent towards light
5. E.both tips bent away from light.

If three 30 cm lengths of glass tubing are tightly packed with clay, sand and loamy soils respectively and then stood in a beaker of water for one week, the level of water will be

1. A.lowest in the tube with clay
2. B.the same in all the tubes
3. C.lowest in the tube with loamy soil
4. D.highest in the tube with sandy soil
5. E.lowest in the tube with sandy soil.

If a baby is a female, her mother's ovum must have been fertilized by a sperm carrying the chromosome

1. A.X
2. B.XY
3. C.XX
4. D.YY
5. E.Y

Leguminous plants, e.g Mucana, are usually planted in cultivated farmlands because they

1. A.enrich the soil with phosphates
2. B.provide animal food
3. C.enrich the soil with organic nitrogen
4. D.protect the soil from being over-heated
5. E.protect the microorganisms in the soil.

During thunderstorms the energy of lightning discharge causes

1. A.oxygen and nitrogen to combine
2. B.more carbon dioxide to be formed
3. C.nitrites to be converted to nitrates
4. D.nitrates to be converted to nitrogen
5. E.death.

A few grams of dried soil were first heated until red hot and then further heated until no more smoke was released. This experiment was to determine the

1. A.amount of water in soil
2. B.percentage of water in soil
3. C.presence of humus in soil
4. D.resistance of laterites to heat
5. E.release of smoke from the soil.

Oxygen from the atmosphere reaches the mammalian bloodstream through one of the paths indicated below. Indicate the correct path. a= mouth, b= trachea, c= bronchiole, d=nostril, e= bronchus, f = alveoli

1. A.a → b → e → f → d
2. B.b → d → f → e → c
3. C.d → b → e → c → f
4. D.b → a → f → e → c
5. E.f → e → c → d → c.

Below are some groups of diseases. Which group of diseases is caused by bacteria?

1. A.Tuberculosis, smallpox
2. B.Gonorrhoea, measles
3. C.Tuberculosis, polio
4. D.Sleeping sickness, measles
5. E.Syphilis, gonorrhoea.

A mosquito which produces eggs with float, and whose larvae lie horizontal to the water surface, also rests at an angle on a vertical surface. This type of mosquito is

1. A.Aedes
2. B.Anopheles
3. C.Culex
4. D.Tiger mosquito
5. E.none of the above.

The amount of water loss from a leaf can be detected using

1. A.lime-water
2. B.red litmus paper
3. C.blue litmus paper
4. D.blue cobalt chloride paper
5. E.pink cobalt chloride paper.

In animals, cilia, flagella, pseudopodia, and chaetae, can be used for

1. A.reproduction
2. B.fighting enemies
3. C.attachment to plants
4. D.locomotion
5. E.locating sensation.