JAMB Biology 1981 past questions and answers

Fig.1: A single carpel after pollination
The correct figured sequence for the following labelled parts (stigma, ovary wall, embryo sac, integument and micropyle) is

1. A.12453
2. B.24135
3. C.21435
4. D.14325
5. E.31425.

Fig.1: A single carpel after pollination
Which structure becomes the seed coat after fertilization?

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

Which of the following is NOT true of wind-pollinated flowers?

1. A.Large amount of pollen produced
2. B.Light smooth pollen grains
3. C.Small inconspicuous flowers
4. D.Scented petals
5. E.Large pendulous anthers.

Which of the following animals is cold-blooded?

1. A.Cat
2. B.Lizard
3. C.Whale
4. D.Bird
5. E.Horse

What is the genetic ratio of a cross between a homozygous tall plant and a homozygous dwarf plant?

1. A.0 tall : 4 short
2. B.3 tall : 1 short
3. C.2 short : 2 tall
4. D.1 tall : 1 short
5. E.4 tall: 0 short

Where is the food stored in a yam plant?

1. A.Stem
2. B.Bud
3. C.Adventitious root
4. D.Leaves
5. E.Tap root.

Which of the following is the dental formula of man?

1. A.i 2/2 c 0/1 pm 2/2 m 3/3
2. B.i 2/2 c 1/1 pm 2/0 m 3/3
3. C.i 2/2 c 1/1 pm 2/2 m 3/3
4. D.i 2/2 c 1/1 pm 3/3 m 2/2
5. E.i 2/2 c 1/1 pm 2/3 m 3/3.

The kind of teeth used for tearing food materials is the

1. A.fang
2. B.canine
3. C.premolar
4. D.carnassial
5. E.incisor.

Fig. 2: Experiment to demonstrate osmosis
What would happen if solution Y is more concentrated than solution X in Fig. 2?

1. A.The level of X would rise, Y would fall
2. B.The level of X would rise, Y would rise
3. C.The levels of X and Y would stay the same
4. D.The level of Y would rise, X would fall
5. E.The level of Y would fall, X would fall

Fig. 3: T.S. Herbaceous stem
Which of the labelled tissues in Fig. 3 is responsible for the transport of mineral salts and water in a living plant?

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

Which of the following insects has an incomplete metamorphosis during its life cycle?

1. A.Butterfly
2. B.Bee
3. C.Mosquito
4. D.House-fly
5. E.Grasshopper

The mushroom is an organism which feeds

1. A.parasitically
2. B.saprophytically
3. C.holozoically
4. D.symbiotically
5. E.autotrophically.

What is the function of the contractile vacuole in Paramecium?

1. A.Produces enzymes
2. B.Gets rid of excreta
3. C.Stores and digests food
4. D.Gets rid of excess water
5. E.Controls movement.

Choose the sequence which represents the correct order of organisms in a food chain.

1. A.Grass, snake, toad, grasshopper, hawk
2. B.Grass, grasshopper, toad, snake, hawk,
3. C.Grass, grasshopper, snake, toad, hawk,
4. D.Grass, snake, grasshopper, toad, hawk,
5. E.Grass, toad, snake, grasshopper, hawk,

Which of the following is NOT a function of the liver?

1. A.Regulation of blood sugar
2. B.Storage of iron
3. C.Formation of bile
4. D.Breakdown of excess amino acids
5. E.Excretion of urea from the blood.

Spirogyra reproduces vegetatively by

1. A.spore production
2. B.fragmentation
3. C.multiple fission
4. D.budding
5. E.binary fission.

Which of these instruments is used to demonstrate the response of roots and shoots to gravity?

1. A.Klinostat
2. B.Manometer
3. C.Porometer
4. D.Potometer
5. E.Photometer.

Milk protein is hydrolysed by

1. A.renin
2. B.amylase
3. C.lipase
4. D.lactase
5. E.pepsin.

Fig. 4: Human arm --- part of skeleton of human arm
The bone labelled X in Fig. 4 is the

1. A.ulna
2. B.fibula
3. C.radius
4. D.humerus
5. E.tibia

Fig. 4: Human arm --- part of skeleton of human arm
The joint at Y in Fig. 4 is

1. A.ball and socket
2. B.hinge
3. C.pivot
4. D.rivet
5. E.none of the above.

The rate of transpiration of a leafy shoot would be highest under

1. A.damp, cold, still air
2. B.damp, warm, moving air
3. C.dry, warm, moving air
4. D.dry, cold, moving air
5. E.dry, warm, still air

What is the name of the respiratory organ of the crab?

1. A.Tubules
2. B.Trachaea
3. C.Spiracles
4. D.Lungs
5. E.Gills.

The two types of human tapeworm can be distinguished by the presence or absence of

1. A.scolex
2. B.hook
3. C.head
4. D.sucker
5. E.proglottis.

All of the following are digestive enzymes except

1. A.bile
2. B.lipase
3. C.maltase
4. D.pepsin
5. E.ptyalin

In a bakery, yeast is added to flour to make bread rise. This is possible because yeast produces

1. A.alcohol
2. B.oxygen
3. C.carbon dioxide
4. D.energy
5. E.ethanol.

Accommodation of the human eye is best described as the

1. A.ability to see distant objects
2. B.movement of upper and lower eyelids
3. C.focusing of near and distant objects
4. D.changing of lens shape due to varying light intensities
5. E.constant adjustment of the iris.

Normally any character shown by an organism is due to the effects of

1. A.hormones and chromosomes
2. B.chromosomes
3. C.mutations
4. D.hormones and genes
5. E.genes and environment.

Which of the following statements is NOT true of symbiosis?

1. A.Symbionts must be living
2. B.It is an association of 'give and take'
3. C.The association may involve two plants
4. D.Association between two similar species
5. E.Symbionts derive mutual benefit

A person whose blood can be donated to all other people, must have the blood group

1. A.O
2. B.AB
3. C.B
4. D.A
5. E.None of the above.

If Benedict's solution gives a positive result in a food test, the food contains

1. A.sugar
2. B.protein
3. C.oil
4. D.fat
5. E.cellulose.

A surprising fact about sickle cell disease is that it

1. A.affects only black people
2. B.kills the patient
3. C.is hereditary
4. D.affects blood cells
5. E.weakens the patient.

Nitrification means

1. A.conversion of nitrates to nitrogen
2. B.fixing nitrogen into plants
3. C.conversion of nitrates to nitrites
4. D.changing of ammonia to nitrites, then nitrates
5. E.nitrogen cycle.

Which of the following statements is NOT true of menstruation?

1. A.It occurs monthly
2. B.The discharge contains amniotic fluid
3. C.It signifies no conception
4. D.It involves the lining of uterus
5. E.It may cause pains.

The tissue which connects a muscle to a bone is a

1. A.cartilage
2. B.muscle fibre
3. C.tendon
4. D.ligament
5. E.connecting fibre.

A fruit formed from a single flower having several free carpels is

1. A.a multiple fruit
2. B.a dry dehiscent fruit
3. C.a dry indehiscent fruit
4. D.a simple fruit
5. E.an aggregate fruit

If the anthers of a flower mature before the stigma, the condition is termed

1. A.epigyny
2. B.hypogyny
3. C.protogyny
4. D.protandry
5. E.perigyny.

An instrument used in measuring the speed of wind is

1. A.a barometer
2. B.a wind gauge
3. C.a wind vane
4. D.an anemometer
5. E.a hydrometer

In which of the following plants is swollen shoot disease common?

1. A.Groundnut
2. B.cocoa
3. C.Corn
4. D.Cotton
5. E.Rubber.

One common feature of the fungi, algae, mosses and ferns is that they

1. A.are photosynthetic
2. B.show alternation of generation
3. C.reproduce by means of conjugation
4. D.can survive dry conditions
5. E.have no seeds.

The deficiency of Vitamin D leads to

1. A.scurvy
2. B.pellagra
3. C.rickets
4. D.beriberi
5. E.polio

Which of these substances is likely to be deficient in the diet of a person having goitre?

1. A.Potassium
2. B.Calcium
3. C.Iodine
4. D.Sodium
5. E.Phosphorus

Growing yam tendrils climb for support. This growth response is

1. A.haptotropism
2. B.geotropism
3. C.phototropism
4. D.hydrotropism
5. E.chemotropism.

Soil is said to be fertile if

1. A.it is black
2. B.it can supply usable nutrients to plants
3. C.the oxygen content is very high
4. D.artificial manure is added to it
5. E.it is not waterlogged.

A plant which has a horizontal underground stem is

1. A.rhizome
2. B.corm
3. C.creeper
4. D.tuber
5. E.bulb.

Fig. 6: A mammalian brain
Which of the labelled parts in Fig. 6 controls the muscles which maintain balance?

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

The hepatic portal vein is unique because it

1. A.carries deoxygenated blood
2. B.begins and ends with capillaries
3. C.is the largest vein in mammals
4. D.carries digested food
5. E.is the shortest vein in mammals.

Fig. 7: L. S. Mammalian heart
What is the part marked X in Fig. 7 called?

1. A.Pulmonary artery
2. B.Pulmonary vein
3. C.Vena cava
4. D.Main aorta
5. E.Hepatic artery

The functional unit of a mammalian kidney is the

1. A.urethra
2. B.malpighian capsule
3. C.glomerulus
4. D.nephron
5. E.ureter

The correct route for a piece of bread eaten by a mammal is

1. A.oral cavity-oesophagus-stomach-ileum-rectum
2. B.oral cavity -stomach-oesophagus-duodenum-ileum-rectum
3. C.oral cavity-oesophagus-duodenum-stomach-ileum-rectum
4. D.oral cavity-oesophagus-ileum - stomach -duodenum-rectum
5. E.oral cavity-oesophagus-stomach-ileum-duodenum-rectum.

The thoracic vertebrae of a mammal is characterized by the

1. A.vertebraterial canal
2. B.prominent neural arch
3. C.prominent transverse process
4. D.prominent neural spine
5. E.prominent centrum.