Pearson Edexcel IGCSE · Science (Single Award)

The nature and variety of living organisms: Practice Questions

5 multiple-choice questions marked as you go, and 5 written questions with worked solutions. All on The nature and variety of living organisms.

10 questions26 marksFree, no account

Question 1

1 mark

Which of the following characteristics is common to all eukaryotic organisms, such as plants, animals, and fungi?

Question 2

1 mark

A specific cell is observed under a microscope. It is found to have a cell wall made of chitin and contains many nuclei within thread-like structures. Which of the following best describes this organism and its mode of nutrition?

Question 3

1 mark

Compare the storage of carbohydrates in different eukaryotic groups. Which of the following is correct?

Question 4

1 mark

Which of the following is an accurate description of a characteristic shared by all living organisms?

Question 5

1 mark

Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV) is known to infect tobacco plants. Based on the characteristics of viruses described in the syllabus, why is TMV considered a pathogen but not a living organism?

Question 6

2 marks

State the term used to describe the type of nutrition where fungi feed by secreting extracellular digestive enzymes onto food material and then absorbing the organic products.

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Question 7

3 marks

Explain the main function of the cell membrane in animal cells.

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Question 8

5 marks

Explain how a plant cell is adapted for photosynthesis, referring to at least two specific organelles.

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Question 9

7 marks

Living organisms are classified into different groups based on their shared features. Use your knowledge of the characteristics and variety of living organisms to answer the following questions.

(a) State two characteristics that are shared by all living organisms. (2 points)

(b) Fungi are eukaryotic organisms that can be either multicellular or single-celled.
(i) Name the carbohydrate used by fungi for storage. (1 point)
(ii) Describe the method of saprotrophic nutrition used by fungi. (2 points)

(c) Bacteria are prokaryotic organisms. Identify two structural features found in a bacterial cell that are not found in an animal cell. (2 points)

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Question 10

4 marks

Animal and plant cells are both eukaryotic cells but possess distinct features that reflect their different roles and environments.

(a) Draw a labeled diagram of a typical animal cell. Include at least five organelles.

(b) Describe three structural differences between a typical animal cell and a typical plant cell, and explain the functional significance of each difference for the plant cell.

(c) Explain the primary function of the nucleus and mitochondria in both animal and plant cells.

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