what-sets-the-living-apart MCQs for UPSC Prelims

33 practice questions on what-sets-the-living-apart from the Living Creatures: Exploring their Characteristics section of the UPSC Prelims syllabus. 33 come with a written explanation. Try the sample set below - the answer stays hidden until you ask for it.

10 Easy 17 Medium 6 Hard

Sample questions

Q1
medium

How do the leaves of a plant take part in respiration?

  1. A Leaves do not take part in respiration at all
  2. B Air moves in and out through tiny pores on the leaf surface
  3. C Leaves take in air only after they fall to the ground
  4. D Leaves have small noses along their edges
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: B - Air moves in and out through tiny pores on the leaf surface

Leaves carry tiny pores through which air passes in and out, which is how a plant respires. Plants have no noses. A fallen leaf is no longer part of a living plant, and leaves are very much involved in respiration, so the last choice is wrong.

Q2
medium

Which set of observations best shows that a small object in the garden is living?

  1. A It is green in colour and feels soft
  2. B It shines brightly in the sunlight
  3. C It is heavy and lies still in one place
  4. D It grows over the weeks, moves on its own and reacts when touched
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: D - It grows over the weeks, moves on its own and reacts when touched

Growth, movement of its own accord and a reaction to touch are three characteristics of living things appearing together, which makes a strong case. Colour, softness, weight and shine are properties that many non-living objects share, so none of them shows life.

Q3
medium

Which of these is an example of a plant responding to a stimulus?

  1. A The leaflets of a touch-me-not plant folding when touched
  2. B A log floating on the surface of a pond
  3. C A dry leaf falling off in a strong wind
  4. D A branch breaking under the weight of snow
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: A - The leaflets of a touch-me-not plant folding when touched

The touch-me-not folds its leaflets because it senses the touch and reacts, which is a response to a stimulus. A leaf blown off, a branch snapping and a log floating are all things done to the object by an outside force, with no reaction from the plant itself.

Q4
medium

A rose plant can be grown by planting a cut piece of its stem in moist soil. This shows that

  1. A only seeds can ever give rise to a new plant
  2. B the stem piece has become an animal
  3. C plants can also produce new plants, sometimes without seeds
  4. D a cut stem is a non-living thing
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: C - plants can also produce new plants, sometimes without seeds

A stem cutting that grows into a whole new plant is reproduction without a seed, so plants have more than one way of making new plants. The cutting is alive, since it grows. That very example disproves the claim that only seeds work, and a stem never becomes an animal.

Q5
easy

Which of these statements holds for every living thing?

  1. A They respire only during the day
  2. B They respire, taking in air and releasing another gas
  3. C They breathe only through a nose
  4. D They stop respiring while they sleep
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: B - They respire, taking in air and releasing another gas

Every living thing respires, exchanging gases with its surroundings, though the body part used differs from one creature to another. Fish use gills and plants use tiny pores, so a nose is not needed. Respiration goes on day and night and does not pause during sleep.

Q6
medium

A fish kept in a bowl of water is respiring even though it never comes to the surface. This is because the fish

  1. A takes in air through its eyes
  2. B does not need any air at all while under water
  3. C holds its breath for its whole life
  4. D uses its gills to take in the air dissolved in the water
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: D - uses its gills to take in the air dissolved in the water

Water holds dissolved air, and a fish takes this in through its gills, so it respires without surfacing. Every living creature needs air, so the second choice is wrong. No animal holds its breath for life, and eyes have no role in respiration.

Q7
medium

Which of these is a movement made by a plant itself?

  1. A A leaf blown across the ground by wind
  2. B A coconut falling from a tree in a storm
  3. C A creeper being tied to a stick by a gardener
  4. D A sunflower head turning to face the sun
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: D - A sunflower head turning to face the sun

A sunflower head turns because the plant itself responds to light, so this is the plant's own movement. A wind blown leaf, a coconut knocked down by a storm and a creeper tied up by a gardener are all moved by something outside the plant.

Q8
medium

Why is reproduction important for a kind of animal, such as the tiger?

  1. A It makes each individual tiger live forever
  2. B It supplies food to the tigers that are already alive
  3. C Without it the kind would disappear once the older animals die
  4. D It helps a single tiger grow bigger and stronger
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: C - Without it the kind would disappear once the older animals die

New young ones replace the older individuals, so the kind continues instead of dying out. Reproduction does not make any one animal immortal. It has nothing to do with the growth of a single tiger and it does not feed the animals already alive.

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