human-reproduction-and-reproductive-health MCQs for UPSC Prelims

25 practice questions on human-reproduction-and-reproductive-health from the Reproduction: How Life Continues section of the UPSC Prelims syllabus. 25 come with a written explanation. Try the sample set below - the answer stays hidden until you ask for it.

8 Easy 12 Medium 5 Hard

Sample questions

Q1
hard
In human pregnancy the major organs begin forming during the first two months, and from about the ninth week the developing individual is given a new name. A particular pregnancy is now in its tenth week. What is the developing individual called now, and what was it called immediately after fertilisation?
  1. A It is a foetus now, and immediately after fertilisation it was a zygote
  2. B It is a zygote now, and immediately after fertilisation it was an embryo
  3. C It is an embryo now, and immediately after fertilisation it was a foetus
  4. D It is still an embryo now, and it was called a foetus only in the first two weeks
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: A - It is a foetus now, and immediately after fertilisation it was a zygote

Fertilisation produces a zygote, which divides and implants and is then called an embryo, and from about the ninth week onwards it is called a foetus, so in the tenth week it is a foetus. Naming it an embryo now ignores the change of name at the ninth week. It cannot still be a zygote, which is a single cell, and the name foetus belongs to the later part of pregnancy, not to its first two weeks.
Q2
medium
Which organs release the hormones that bring about the body changes of puberty in boys and in girls?
  1. A The scrotum in boys and the vagina in girls
  2. B The testes in boys and the ovaries in girls
  3. C The prostate gland in boys and the uterus in girls
  4. D The ovaries in boys and the testes in girls
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: B - The testes in boys and the ovaries in girls

The testes produce a hormone that controls sperm production and causes the changes seen in boys, and the ovaries release hormones that bring about the changes in girls. Reversing the two gives each sex the other's organ. The prostate adds fluid to nourish sperm, the uterus houses a developing foetus, and the scrotum and vagina are passages and pouches rather than hormone-producing organs.
Q3
hard
Rina has a regular 28-day menstrual cycle, counted from the first day of one period to the first day of the next. Her last period began on 5 March. On about which date should her next period begin?
  1. A 5 April
  2. B 19 March
  3. C 2 April
  4. D 28 March
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: C - 2 April

Counting 28 days on from 5 March uses up the 26 days left in March, since March has 31 days, and runs 2 days into April, giving 2 April. Answering 5 April treats the cycle as a full calendar month rather than 28 days. Answering 19 March adds only the 14 days to ovulation, and 28 March comes from reading 28 as a date instead of counting 28 days forward.
Q4
medium
Once formed, the zygote divides again and again as it travels to the uterus, and then sinks into the thickened uterine lining. What is this sinking in called, and what does it mark?
  1. A Menstruation, which marks the shedding of the uterine lining
  2. B Fertilisation, which marks the fusion of two gametes
  3. C Implantation, which marks the beginning of pregnancy
  4. D Ovulation, which marks the release of a mature egg
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: C - Implantation, which marks the beginning of pregnancy

Settling into the uterine lining so that it can draw nourishment is implantation, and pregnancy is counted from that point. Ovulation happened earlier, when the ovary released the egg. Menstruation is the shedding of the lining when no zygote arrives, and fertilisation took place earlier still, in the oviduct.
Q5
medium
In human beings, where does a sperm usually fuse with the egg?
  1. A In the ovary
  2. B In the vagina
  3. C In the uterus
  4. D In the oviduct
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: D - In the oviduct

After ovulation the egg travels into the oviduct, and sperm that have swum up the reproductive tract meet it there, so fertilisation normally happens in the oviduct. The zygote only reaches the uterus later, to implant in its lining. The ovary releases the egg but is not where the sperm meets it, and the vagina is merely the entry passage.
Q6
easy
At puberty the reproductive organs mature and start producing gametes. Which gametes do they begin to produce?
  1. A Sperm in boys and eggs in girls
  2. B Pollen grains in both boys and girls
  3. C Spores in both boys and girls
  4. D Eggs in boys and sperm in girls
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: A - Sperm in boys and eggs in girls

From puberty the testes begin producing sperm and the ovaries begin releasing mature eggs. Swapping the two reverses which organ makes which gamete. Pollen grains belong to flowering plants and spores to organisms such as bread mould, so neither is produced by human beings.
Q7
easy
What is the single cell formed when a sperm fuses with an egg called?
  1. A A zygote
  2. B A gamete
  3. C A foetus
  4. D An ovule
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: A - A zygote

The fusion of a sperm with an egg produces one cell called the zygote, which then begins to divide. A gamete is one of the two cells that fuse, not the product of their fusion. A foetus is a much later stage of development, and an ovule is a structure inside a plant ovary.
Q8
medium
A doctor describes a bag-like organ whose inner lining thickens every month and which opens into the vagina through a narrow passage called the cervix. Which organ is being described, and what is the thickened lining for?
  1. A The uterus; the lining is prepared to receive and nourish a developing zygote
  2. B The vagina; the lining protects the body against infection
  3. C The oviduct; the lining pushes the egg along towards the uterus
  4. D The ovary; the lining stores the immature eggs until puberty
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: A - The uterus; the lining is prepared to receive and nourish a developing zygote

A bag-like organ opening into the vagina through the cervix is the uterus, and its lining thickens and fills with blood vessels so that a zygote can implant and be nourished. Ovaries hold immature eggs but are not bag-like and do not open into the vagina. The oviduct is a narrow tube between ovary and uterus, and the vagina is the passage itself, not the organ described.

Practice all 25 human-reproduction-and-reproductive-health questions free

Timed practice, instant scoring, and explanations for every question. Free forever - no card, no catch.

Start practicing I am a teacher - create a test

More Reproduction: How Life Continues topics

asexual-reproduction-and-vegetative-propagation 28 sexual-reproduction-in-flowering-plants 26