Home / iGCSE Biology (0610) 1.1 Characteristics of living organisms Paper 2

iGCSE Biology (0610) 1.1 Characteristics of living organisms Paper 2

IGCSE Biology (0610) Practice Questions Paper 2 - All Chapters

Question

The diagram shows an aquatic plant in light.

What is a characteristic of all living things that is demonstrated in the diagram?

(A) breathing
(B) nutrition
(C) photosynthesis
(D) respiration
▶️ Answer/Explanation

The diagram illustrates an aquatic plant undergoing photosynthesis, as evidenced by the presence of light and the production of oxygen bubbles. While photosynthesis is the specific process shown, the question asks for a characteristic of all living things. Photosynthesis is a form of autotrophic nutrition, where the organism takes in energy and raw materials to produce food.

Options (A) and (C) are incorrect because not all living things breathe or photosynthesize. While all living things perform respiration (D), the diagram specifically highlights the uptake of energy (light) to produce byproduct gas, which is the hallmark of the plant’s nutritional process. Therefore, nutrition is the universal characteristic being demonstrated through the example of photosynthesis.
✅ Answer: (B)

Question

The photograph shows an animal called a margay.

Four processes that occur in the margay are listed:

  • excretion
  • growth
  • digestion
  • respiration

How many of the processes that occur in the margay are characteristics of all living organisms?

(A) $1$
(B) $2$
(C) $3$
(D) $4$
▶️ Answer/Explanation
To solve this, we identify which processes belong to the universal characteristics of life (often remembered by the acronym MRS GREN). Excretion, growth, and respiration are three of these seven fundamental characteristics. While digestion is a process that occurs in the margay to obtain nutrients, it is not considered a universal characteristic itself; rather, “nutrition” is the broader characteristic which may involve different methods (like photosynthesis in plants) that do not require a digestive system. Therefore, only three of the listed processes are universal traits shared by all living things.
✅ Answer: (C)

Question

Which characteristic of living things requires carbon dioxide to diffuse into a leaf?

(A) excretion
(B) movement
(C) nutrition
(D) respiration
▶️ Answer/Explanation
Plants are autotrophic organisms that manufacture their own food through the process of photosynthesis. This process represents the plant’s form of nutrition, as it involves taking in inorganic raw materials to produce energy-rich organic molecules. Carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) is a vital reactant in this process; it diffuses from the atmosphere into the leaf through the stomata. Inside the leaf, it reacts with water ($H_2O$) in the presence of sunlight and chlorophyll to produce glucose. While respiration involves gas exchange, it specifically consumes oxygen and releases carbon dioxide, which is the opposite of what the question describes. Therefore, the intake of carbon dioxide is fundamentally linked to the plant’s nutritional requirements.
✅ Answer: (C)
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