These eight original questions move from recall to explanation. Write your answers on paper, then open each one.
This set belongs to biodiversity in the SPM Biology subject guide.
Questions
1. List the classification levels from largest to smallest.
Answer
Kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species. Check whether your textbook places domain above kingdom.
2. Write the scientific name correctly: genus Hibiscus, species rosa-sinensis.
Answer
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis. Genus with a capital letter, species in lower case, each word underlined separately in handwriting.
3. Why are two organisms in the same genus more alike than two in the same class?
Answer
A genus is a smaller group below class. The lower the level, the more features the organisms share.
4. Write one good pair of key statements to separate a hornbill from a cobra.
Answer
(a) Body covered with feathers: hornbill. (b) Body covered with dry scales, no feathers: cobra. Each statement names one visible feature and its opposite.
5. Why is the pair “large animal / small animal” poor in a key?
Answer
Size is relative and depends on opinion, so two users may choose differently. A key needs features that can be checked, such as feathers or fur.
6. Compare birds and reptiles using body covering and eggs.
Answer
Birds have feathers, whereas reptiles have dry scales. Birds lay hard-shelled eggs, whereas reptiles lay leathery-shelled eggs on land. Both sides use the same feature in each sentence.
7. Name the level of biodiversity shown by five different rice varieties on one farm.
Answer
Genetic diversity. The variety is within one species, rice.
8. Farm P grows one banana variety and loses 60% in a disease outbreak. Farm Q grows four varieties and loses 15%. Explain what this shows.
Answer
Claim: genetic diversity reduces the damage from disease. Evidence: Farm P lost 60%, Farm Q lost 15%, a difference of 45 percentage points. Reason: plants of one variety share the same genes, so the disease can harm all of them. Farm Q had varieties with different genes, and some resisted it.
If you got these wrong
- Questions 1 to 3: revisit using classification hierarchies.
- Questions 4 and 5: revisit constructing and using dichotomous keys.
- Question 6: revisit comparing major organism groups.
- Questions 7 and 8: revisit explaining the importance of biodiversity.
For timed repeats, use the practice session builder. Log slips in the mistake log. If you want a teacher to go through your answers, see online one-to-one Biology tuition.