Cambridge International A Level · Marine Science (9693)

Life cycles: Practice Questions

5 multiple-choice questions marked as you go, and 5 written questions with worked solutions. All on Life cycles.

10 questions26 marksFree, no account

Question 1

1 mark

Marine mammals, such as whales, are described as having a simple life cycle. Which of the following is a characteristic of this type of life cycle?

Question 2

1 mark

In species with a complex life cycle, such as crabs, what is the ecological importance of the larval stage being planktonic while the adult is benthic?

Question 3

1 mark

In terms of parental investment, which of the following sequences correctly ranks these marine organisms from lowest to highest energy spent per individual offspring?

Question 4

1 mark

Which of the following terms correctly identifies a marine organism that has limited motility and primarily drifts in water currents?

Question 5

1 mark

Which of the following correctly relates the type of fertilisation to the level of parental investment in marine species?

Question 6

2 marks

State two key differences between a simple life cycle and a complex life cycle in marine organisms.

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Question 7

4 marks

Explain why the life cycle of a shrimp is considered complex while that of a whale is considered simple.

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Question 8

6 marks

Discuss why internal fertilisation combined with high parental investment in sharks leads to a higher survival rate for individual offspring compared to the strategy employed by tuna.

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Question 9

4 marks

Marine organisms often have complex life cycles with distinct stages. Some adult marine organisms are sessile.

(a) Describe the meaning of the term sessile.

(b) State whether a larval stage is a feature of a simple or a complex life cycle.

(c) Many sessile organisms have a motile larval stage. Explain two advantages of having a motile larval stage in their life cycle.

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Question 10

5 marks

Many marine crustaceans, such as crabs and lobsters, have complex life cycles that include multiple distinct stages.

(a) Describe the process of metamorphosis and its role in a complex life cycle.

(b) Many adult crustaceans are non-sessile, yet they still produce planktonic larvae. Suggest two advantages of a planktonic larval stage for a non-sessile adult species.

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