CBSE

Class XI Biology

Time: 3 hrs Total marks: 60

General instructions:
1. All questions are compulsory.
2. This question paper consists of five sections A, B, C, D and E. Section A contains 5
questions of one mark each, Section B is of 4 questions of two marks each, Section C
is of 11 questions of three marks each, Section D is of 1 question of four marks and
Section E is of 2 questions of five marks each.
3. There is no overall choice. However, an internal choice has been provided in one
question of 2 marks, one question of 3 marks and two questions of 5 marks weightage.
A student has to attempt only one of the alternatives in such questions.
4. Wherever necessary, the diagrams drawn should be neat and properly labelled.

SECTION A

1. Define cladistics. [1]

2. What is the main function of sepals? [1]

3. Can there be mitosis without DNA replication in the ‘S’ phase? [1]

4. What does the half-leaf experiment on photosynthesis indicate? [1]

5. What does the H-zone of a sarcomere in a myofibril contain? [1]

SECTION B

6. What are gemmae? What role does it play in reproduction? [2]

7. Explain a competitive inhibitor with a suitable example. [2]

OR
What are fatty acids? Give two examples indicating the number of carbon atoms present
in each.

8. What is meant by vital capacity? List any two categories of people who possess higher
vital capacity. [2]
9. Where are the myelinated and non-myelinated fibres commonly found in the nervous
system? [2]

SECTION C

10. What steps would you follow to classify a specimen? [3]

11. Describe the structure and functions of the tracheary elements. [3]

12. [3]
(a) How is a pinnately compound leaf different from a palmately compound leaf?
(b) The transverse section of a plant material shows the following anatomical features –
i. The vascular bundles are conjoint, scattered and surrounded by a
sclerenchymatous bundle sheath.
ii. Phloem parenchyma is absent.
What will you identify it as?

13. Explain with suitable examples the different types of phyllotaxy. [3]
OR
Draw a labelled diagram of the alimentary canal of a cockroach.

14. [3]
(a) What is meant by the dynamic state of body constituents?
(b) Name the form of energy which is used by living cells.
(c) What is an apoenzyme?

15. Write any two characteristics of mitochondria and draw a labelled diagram of a
mitochondrion. [3]

16. What is the significance of meiosis? [3]

17. Give one chief function and one main deficiency symptom for each of the following in
plants: Iron, Zinc and Phosphorus. [3]

18. Where does carboxylation take place in a C 3 plant? Explain the process? [3]

19. Why is the parathyroid hormone (PTH) considered a hypercalcemic hormone? [3]

20. Name the different types of teeth and their number in an adult human. [3]
 SECTION D

21. Read the passage and answer the questions which follow:
The Principal advised the students to grow more plants because they not only provide
humans with food substances but also purify the air. Hemant asked his biology teacher
to elaborate on this aspect. The teacher then explained it to him in detail. [4]
i. How can plants help in purifying the air?
ii. List conditions essential for photosynthesis.
iii. What other product, essential for survival of living organisms, is produced during
photosynthesis?
iv. What is reflected in the Principal's advice to the students?

SECTION E

22. Study the given figure of the excretory system of man carefully and answer the
following questions: [5]

(a) Name the parts labelled (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e).
(b) Give one major function of each of these parts.
OR
Name the components of the formed elements in the blood and mention one major
function of each.
23. Explain why? [5]
(a) Exogenous application of auxin fails to enhance the growth of intact plants.
(b) Vitamins are not considered as plant growth hormones.
(c) It is appropriate to call a short-day plant a long-night plant.
(d) Some plants, belonging to halophytes and growing in marshy lands, face great
difficulty in germination.
(e) Gibberellins do not enhance the growth of isolated plant parts.
OR
A portion of the cross-section of leaf is shown in the diagram. Answer the following:

(a) Label 1 to 4.
(b) What kind of anatomy is shown in the diagram?
(c) Write the structure and functions of 2 and 4.
 CBSE
Class XI Biology
Solution

SECTION A

1. It is a system of taxonomy which arranges organisms on the basis of their shared

derived characters.

2. Sepals protect the flower in the bud stage.

3. No. There cannot be mitosis without DNA replication.

4. It shows that carbon dioxide is necessary for photosynthesis.

5. The H-zone contains only myosin filaments.

SECTION B

6. Gemmae are green, multicellular, asexual buds which develop in small receptacles
called gemma cups located on the thallus.
Mature gemmae separate from their stalks and get dispersed by water and
animals. On germination, each gemma gives rise to a new thallus.

7. Competitive inhibitor: When the inhibitor molecules show structural similarity to the
substrate molecules so that both compete to bind at the active sites of the enzyme, it is
called competitive inhibitor.
Example: Malonate resembles succinate in its structure and inhibits the action of
succinate dehydrogenase.
OR
Fatty acids are organic acids with hydrocarbon chains which end in a carboxylic group
(–COOH). Examples: Palmitic acid has 16 carbon atoms and arachidonic acid has 20
carbon atoms.

8. It is the amount of air which one can inhale and exhale with maximum effort.
It is the sum of tidal volume, inspiratory reserve volume and expiratory reserve volume
(VC = TV + ERV).
It is higher in (i) athletes and (ii) mount dwellers.

9. Myelinated nerve fibres are found in spinal and cranial nerves, while non- myelinated
fibres are commonly found in autonomous and somatic neural systems.
 SECTION C

10. The following features will be studied in sequence:

i. Symmetry
ii. Segmentation pattern
iii. Presence or absence of a vertebral column
iv. Locomotory organelles, i.e. limbs, fins and wings
v. Internal structures such as organ-systems, i.e. digestive, circulatory, respiratory and
reproductive systems to know the level of organisation

11. The tracheids and vessels are collectively referred to as the tracheary elements.
(a) Tracheids: The tracheids are elongated dead cells with hard lignified walls, wide
lumen and narrow end walls. The inner walls of tracheids have various types of
thickenings for mechanical strength.
(b) Vessels: They are much elongated tubes which are closed at either end and are
formed by the union of several short, wide and thickened cells called vessel
elements or members.
Each cell of the vessel elements is lignified with a large cavity and devoid of
protoplasm.
The end walls of vessel elements are transverse or oblique. They are often
completely dissolved; the condition is called a simple perforation plate. In few cases,
there are multiple perforation plates.

12.
i.
Pinnately Compound Leaf Palmately Compound Leaf
i. In a pinnately compound leaf, i. In a palmately compound leaf, the
several leaflets are present on a number of leaflets is attached at
common axis. the common point.
ii. The shape of the leaflets ii. The shape of the leaflets
appears feather-like. appears like a palm.
iii. The leaflet-bearing axis is the iii. The leaflet-bearing axis is very
continuation of the petiole or short and represents the tip of
modified mid-rib. It is the petiole. It is not prominent.
prominent. Example: Neem Example: Cotton leaves
leaves

ii. It is TS of the monocot stem as the vascular bundles are scattered in monocot stems
and the phloem parenchyma remains absent in it.
13. Phyllotaxy is the pattern of arrangement of leaves on the stem or branch. This is of
three types—alternate, opposite and whorled.
i. Alternate arrangement of leaves: In alternate phyllotaxy, only one leaf is borne at
each node. Examples: Hibiscus, mango, peepal

ii. Opposite arrangement of leaves: In opposite phyllotaxy, a pair of leaves appear at

each node and lie always opposite to each other. Examples: Tulsi, guava

iii. Whorled arrangement of leaves: If three or more leaves are present at a node and
form a whorl, it is called the whorled arrangement of leaves. Example: Alstonia

OR
 Alimentary canal of a cockroach:

14.
i. The flow of metabolites at a definite rate and direction in the living body is known
as the dynamic state of body constituents.
ii. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP)
iii. The protein moiety of a conjugate enzyme is called apoenzyme.

15. Characteristics:
(a) They are cylindrical-shaped cell organelles which have finger-like folds in the inner
membrane called cristae.
(b) Mitochondria are semi-autonomous due to the presence of their own DNA and
ribosomes.
16. Significance of meiosis:
i. Formation of gametes: Meiosis produces gametes for sexual reproduction.
ii. Crossing over: It introduces a new combination of traits or variations.
iii. Maintenance of chromosome number: Meiosis reduces the number of chromosomes
to half in the gametes so that fertilisation may restore the original diploid number in
the zygote.

17.
i. Iron: It is an important constituent of proteins involved in the transfer of electrons
such as ferredoxin and cytochromes. It is essential for the formation of chlorophyll.
Its deficiency causes chlorosis.
ii. Zinc: It activates enzymes such as carboxylases, dehydrogenases and carbonic
anhydrase. Its deficiency causes leaf malformations, leaf rosettes and stunted
growth.
iii. Phosphorus: It is required for all phosphorylation reactions and is a constituent of
the cell membrane, nucleotides, ATP and nucleic acids.
Its deficiency causes dull green leaves or purple and red spots.

18. In C3 plants, carboxylation takes place in the stroma of the chloroplasts in mesophyll
cells.
Carboxylation is the fixation of CO2 into a stable organic intermediate. It involves two
steps:
i. Six molecules of RuBP react with six molecules of CO 2 to form six molecules of
transient intermediate 6C-compound. This reaction is catalysed by the enzyme
RuBP carboxylase (RuBisCO).
ii. Each molecule of the 6C-intermediate breaks into two molecules of a 3C- compound,
3-phosphoglyceric acid (3 PGA).

19. PTH acts on bones and stimulates the process of bone resorption (dissolution/
demineralisation); thus, it mobilises the release of calcium into the blood.
PTH also stimulates reabsorption of Ca2+ by the rental tubules and increases Ca2+
absorption from digested food.
Thus, PTH is a hypercalcemic hormone as it increases the levels of Ca2+ in the blood.
20. An adult human has 32 permanent teeth which are of four different types (Heterodont
dentition):

Types of teeth Number in upper jaw Number in lower jaw

i. Incisors (I) 4 4
ii. Canine (C) 2 2
iii. Premolars (PM) 4 4
iv. Molars (M) 6 6

SECTION D

21.
i. Photosynthesis consumes atmospheric carbon dioxide which is being continuously
added by the respiration of organisms and the burning of fossil fuels. Thus, plants
act as purifiers of the atmosphere.
ii. Light, water, chlorophyll and carbon dioxide.
iii. They evolve oxygen during photosynthesis.
iv. It reflects his concern about the welfare of society.
 SECTION E

22.
i. (a) Urinary bladder (b) Left ureter (c) Left kidney
(d) Supra renal (adrenal gland) (e) Urethra
ii. Functions of parts:
(a) It temporarily stores urine.
(b) It conducts urine from the left kidney to the urinary bladder.
(c) It forms urine by the complex of three processes—ultrafiltration, selective
reabsorption and tubular secretion.
(d) It acts as an endocrine gland.
(e) It conducts urine in females and both urine and seminal fluid in males.
OR
Blood consists of a watery fluid called plasma in which floating bodies called formed
elements are found. These formed elements are erythrocytes or red blood cells,
leucocytes or white blood cells and platelets or thrombocytes.
i. Erythrocytes or red blood cells: These are the most abundant cells in the human
body. These are biconcave and circular, enucleated and contain the pigment called
haemoglobin which imparts a red colour to the blood. They help in the exchange of
gases and maintain the pH of the blood.

ii. Leucocytes or white blood cells: They are round or irregular and do not have
haemoglobin. They are of two types—granulocytes and agranulocytes.
Granulocytes are further divided into three types—neutrophils, eosinophils and
basophils.
 Agranulocytes are of two types—lymphocytes and monocytes.

Neutrophils and monocytes are phagocytic cells which destroy foreign organisms
entering the body. Basophils are involved in inflammatory reactions and secrete
histamine, serotonin and heparin. Eosinophils defend against infections. They are
associated with allergic reactions.

Lymphocytes are of two major types—B and T forms. Both B and T lymphocytes
are responsible for immune responses of the body.

Platelets or thrombocytes: Platelets are cell fragments and can be round or oval.
They release certain chemicals called platelet factors which help in the coagulation
or clotting of blood.

23.
(a) Auxin fails to cause growth of intact plants because the required amount of auxin is
already present in such plants and they do not need an external supply of auxins.
(b) Vitamins have no specific influence on the growth of plants. They are essential
dietary factors needed by an organism in small amounts. They influence the growth
and metabolism through direct nutritive effects.
(c) Short-day plants need a long and uninterrupted dark period for flowering.
Therefore, it is appropriate call a short-day plant a long-night plant.
(d) Plants belonging to halophytes and growing in marshy lands face a great difficulty in
seed germination due to the presence of a high concentration of salt in water. These
plants solve this problem by vivipary.
(e) Gibberellins require the presence of meristematic cells to cause elongation growth.
Therefore, they do not enhance the growth of isolated plant parts if meristematic
cells are absent.
 OR

i. 1. Mesophyll cells 2. Mesophyll chloroplasts

3. Cells of bundle sheath 4. Bundle sheath chloroplasts
ii. Kranz anatomy is shown in the given diagram. This anatomy occurs in the leaves of
C4 plants in which the bundle sheath cells are arranged in a wreath- like manner.
iii. Structure and function of mesophyll chloroplasts: Mesophyll chloroplasts are granal
and contain thylakoids which are stacked to form grana. These chloroplasts are
involved in the light reaction with the evolution of molecular 0 2. CO2 is fixed by
phosphoenol pyruvic acid to form 4 carbon oxaloacetic acid.
Structure and function of bundle sheath chloroplasts: These chloroplasts are
agranal, i.e. grana are absent and the thylakoids are present only as stroma lamellae.
The C3 cycle occurs in bundle sheath chloroplasts in which CO2 is fixed by RuBP
catalysed by the enzyme RuBisCO (RuBisCO is present only in bundle sheath
chloroplasts). CO2 is made available by decarboxylation of 4 carbon organic acid
(malic acid).