JAMB Biology 2011 past questions and answers

The function of the red head in male Agama lizards is to

1. A.attract female lizards for mating purposes
2. B.warn predators of the distastefulness of the animal
3. C.conceal and camouflage the animal from predators
4. D.scare other males from the territory.

In which of the following species is the biomass of an individual the smallest?

1. A.Bufo sp.
2. B.Spirogyra sp.
3. C.Tilapia sp.
4. D.Agama sp.

Seed plants are divided into

1. A.monocotyledons and dicotyledons
2. B.thallophytes and bryophytes
3. C.tracheophytes and ferns
4. D.angiosperms and gymnosperms.

In which of the following groups of vertebrates is parental care mostly exhibited?

1. A.Aves.
2. B.Mammalia
3. C.Reptilia.
4. D.Amphibia

Use the diagrams to answer: Which of the organisms represented are notable agricultural pests?

1. A.II and III
2. B.I and III
3. C.II and IV
4. D.I and IV

Use the diagrams to answer: An economic importance of the organism represented by IV is that

1. A.its faeces pollutes drinking water
2. B.it helps in the control of mosquito larvae
3. C.it transmits water-borne diseases to humans
4. D.it is destructive to farm crops.

The adaptive importance of nuptial flight from termite colonies is to

1. A.ensure cross-breeding between members of one colony and another
2. B.expel the reproductives so as to provide enough food for other members.
3. C.disperse the reproductives in order to establish new colonies
4. D.provide abundant food for birds and other animals during the early rains.

Use the diagram to answer: The gas evolved in the process is

1. A.oxygen
2. B.carbon (II) oxide
3. C.carbon (IV) oxide
4. D.nitrogen.

Use the diagram to answer: The experimental set-up above is used to demonstrate the process of

1. A.fermentation
2. B.plasmolysis
3. C.diffusion
4. D.photosynthesis.

Which of the following can cause shrinkage of living cells?

1. A.Deionized water.
2. B.Hypertonic solution.
3. C.Hypotonic solution.
4. D.Isotonic solution.

Which of the following is true of leucocytes?

1. A.They are large and nucleated.
2. B.They are involved in blood clotting.
3. C.They are respiratory pigments.
4. D.They are most numerous and ramify all cells.

The conversion of a nutrient into a molecule in the body of a consumer is referred to as

1. A.absorption
2. B.inhibition
3. C.digestion
4. D.assimilation.

The ability of a living organism to detect and respond to changes in the environment is referred to as

1. A.growth
2. B.taxis
3. C.locomotion
4. D.irritability

In mammals, the exchange of nutrients and metabolic products occurs in the

1. A.trachea
2. B.lymph
3. C.lungs
4. D.oesophagus.

An example of an endospermous seed is

1. A.cotton seed
2. B.bean seed
3. C.maize grain
4. D.cashew nut.

I. Parasitism → Sundew.
II. Autotrophism → Amoeba.
III. Saprophytism → Alga.
IV. Heterotrophism → Agama.
Which of the above modes of nutrition is correctly matched with the organism that exhibits it?

1. A.IV
2. B.I
3. C.II
4. D.III

I. Test tube containing cane sugar and water
II. Test tube containing cane sugar and dilute acid
III. Test tube containing cane sugar and its degrading enzyme
In which of the test tubes will glucose be detected after complete hydrolysis?

1. A.I only.
2. B.I, II and III.
3. C.I and II only.
4. D.II and III only.

I. Test tube containing cane sugar and water
II. Test tube containing cane sugar and dilute acid
III. Test tube containing cane sugar and its degrading enzyme
The enzyme involved in the hydrolysis is

1. A.sucrase
2. B.maltase
3. C.rennin
4. D.erepsin.

The path followed by air as it passes through the lungs in mammals is

1. A.trachea → bronchioles → bronchi → alveoli
2. B.bronchioles → alveoli → bronchi → trachea
3. C.trachea → bronchi → bronchioles → alveoli
4. D.bronchi → trachea → alveoli → bronchioles.

The movement response of a cockroach away from a light source can be described as

1. A.negative phototropism
2. B.positive phototropism
3. C.positive phototaxism
4. D.negative phototaxism.

The vascular tissues in higher plants are responsible for

1. A.transpiration pull
2. B.the transport of gases and water
3. C.the movement of food and water
4. D.suction pressure.

Which of the following organs regulates the levels of water, salts, hydrogen ions and urea in the mammalian blood?

1. A.Bladder.
2. B.Colon.
3. C.Liver.
4. D.Kidney.

The sequence of the one-way gaseous exchange mechanism in a fish is

1. A.mouth → operculum → gills
2. B.mouth → gills → operculum
3. C.operculum → gills → mouth
4. D.gills → operculum → mouth.

The type of asexual reproduction that is common to both Paramecium and protists is

1. A.fragmentation
2. B.fission
3. C.budding
4. D.sporulation.

In nature, plants and animals are perpectually engaged in mutualism because

1. A.they utilize respiratory wastes of each other
2. B.they are neighbours
3. C.they are rivals
4. D.all animals rely on food produced by plants.

In an experiment to determine the percentage of humus and water in a soil sample, the following results were obtained:
Weight of the evaporating basin alone = 80.5g
Weight of basin and soil = 101.5g
Weight after drying the soil in the oven = 99.0g
Weight of basin and roasted soil = 95.5g
The percentage of humus in the soil sample is

1. A.26.7%
2. B.16.2%
3. C.16.7%
4. D.17.6%.

An example of a filter-feeding animal is

1. A.whale
2. B.mosquito
3. C.shark
4. D.butterfly.

Which of the following is a feature of the population pyramid of a developing country?

1. A.Low death rate.
2. B.Short lifespan.
3. C.Long lifespan.
4. D.Low birth rate.

The interaction of a community of organisms with its abiotic environment constitutes

1. A.an ecosystem
2. B.a microhabitat
3. C.a niche
4. D.a food chain.

The vector of the malaria parasite is a

1. A.male Culex mosquito
2. B.female Culex mosquito
3. C.female Aedes mosquito
4. D.female Anopheles mosquito.

Which of the following instruments is used to measure relative humidity?

1. A.Hygrometer.
2. B.Anemometer.
3. C.Hydrometer.
4. D.Thermometer.

Exo-erythrocytic phase of the life cycle of malaria parasite occurs in the

1. A.Malphigian tubules of mosquito
2. B.brain of humans
3. C.liver of humans
4. D.reticuloendothelial cells of humans.

Habitats are generally classified into

1. A.aboreal and marine biomes
2. B.microhabitats and macrohabitats
3. C.biotic and abiotic
4. D.aquatic and terrestrial.

Drancunculiasis can be contacted through

1. A.bathing in contaminated water
2. B.bites of blackfly
3. C.eating contaminated food
4. D.drinking contaminated water.

Which of the following groups of environmental factors are density-dependent?

1. A.Food, predation, disease and accumulation of metabolites.
2. B.Temperature, food, disease and light.
3. C.Food, salinity, accumulation of metabolites and light.
4. D.Temperature, salinity, predation and disease.

Millet, sorghum, maize and onions are common crops grown in Nigeria in the

1. A.montane forests
2. B.Sahel savanna
3. C.tropical rainforests
4. D.Sudan savanna.

In which of the following biomes is the south western part of Nigeria located?

1. A.Tropical woodland.
2. B.Desert.
3. C.Temperate forest.
4. D.Tropical rainforest.

Lack of space in a population could lead to an increase in

1. A.disease rate
2. B.drought
3. C.water scarcity
4. D.birth rate.

The inheritable characters that are determined by a gene located only on the X-chromosome is

1. A.homozygous
2. B.dominant
3. C.recessive
4. D.sex-linked.

If the cross of a red-flowered plant with a white-flowered plant produces a pink-flowered plant, it is an example of

1. A.mutation
2. B.linkage
3. C.codominance
4. D.incomplete dominance

Which of the following theories was NOT considered by Darwin in his evolutionary theory?

1. A.Use and disuse.
2. B.Competition.
3. C.Variation.
4. D.Survival of the fittest.

The crossing of individuals of the same species with different genetic characters is

1. A.non-disjunction
2. B.inbreeding
3. C.cross breeding
4. D.polygenic inheritance

The number of alleles controlling blood groups in humans is

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

During blood transfussion, agglutination may occur as a result of the reaction between

1. A.two different antibodies
2. B.similar antigens and antibodies
3. C.contrasting antigens and antibodies
4. D.two different antigens.

The fallacy in Lamarck's evolutionary theory was the assumption that

1. A.acquired traits are seldom formed
2. B.traits are acquired through the use of body parts
3. C.traits are acquired through disuse of body parts
4. D.acquired traits are heritable.

The brightly coloured eye spots on the hind wings of a moth are an example of

1. A.crypsis
2. B.mimicry
3. C.warning colouration
4. D.distruptive colouration.

The wings of a bat and those of a bird are examples of

1. A.continuous variation
2. B.divergent evolution
3. C.convergent evolution
4. D.coevolution.