BANGALORE SAHODAYA SCHOOLS COMPLEX ASSOCIATION

PRE-BOARD EXAMINATION I (2024-2025)

Class: XII Date: 12/12/2024

Duration: 3 Hours SUBJECT : BIOLOGY Maximum Marks: 70
(Code - 044) – SET - 1

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General Instructions:
(i) All questions are compulsory.
(ii) The question paper has five sections and 33 questions.
(iii) Section–A has 16 questions of 1 mark each;
Section–B has 5 questions of 2 marks each;
Section– C has 7 questions of 3 marks each;
Section– D has 2 case-based questions of 4 marks each; and
Section–E has 3 questions of 5 marks each.
(iv) There is no overall choice.
However, internal choices have been provided in some questions.
A student has to attempt only one of the alternatives in such questions.
(v) Wherever necessary, neat and properly labelled diagrams should be drawn.

Section - A
1. Identify the correct statements regarding the structure of an angiospermic
microsporangium and select the correct option.
i. In a transverse section, a typical microsporangium appears nearly circular in
outline
ii. Each microsporangium is surrounded by four wall layers-epidermis,
endothecium, middle layers and tapetum
iii. The outer three layers, epidermis, endothecium and middle layers are
protective and also help in the dehiscence of anthers.
iv. In a young anther, the centre of the microsporangium is occupied by a
group of compactly arranged homogenous cells, which forms microspores
by mitosis.
v. The cells of tapetum undergo meiosis.
a) i,ii & iii b) i, iii & v c) ii, iii & iv d) ii, iii & v

2. Which of the following is prepared by acetylation of morphine

a) Cocaine b) Heroin c) Hashish d) Marijuana

3. Other than exactly counting the organisms, population density can be estimated in terms of
a) percent cover in large trees with an expanded canopy
b) biomass, in large plants
c) number caught per trap for fishes
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d) all of these

4. In a snapdragon, a cross between a red flowered (RR) plant and a white flowered (rr) plant
resulted in a pink flowered progeny. If a cross is made
between a pink flowered plant and a white flowered plant, the expected
phenotypic ration in the progeny will be
a) 1 pink flowered : 1 white flowered
b) 1 red flowered : 1 white flowered
c) 3 pink flowered : 1 white flowered
d) 1 red flowered : 2 pink flowered : 1 white flowered

5. Match the organisms with its use in biotechnology

Column I Column II

A. Bacillus thuringiensis 1. Cloning vector

B. Thermus aquaticus 2. Construction of first rDNA

C. Agrobacterium tumefaciens 3. Cry proteins

D. Salmonella typhimurium 4. DNA polymerase

a) A-4, B-3, C-1, D-2 b) A-3, B-2, C-4, D-1

c) A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2 d) A-4, B-1, C-2, D-3

6. Which of the following is not a function of placenta in a pregnant woman

a) facilitate the supply of oxygen nutrients to embryo
b facilitate the removal of carbon dioxide and other metabolic waste from the
embryo
c) secretion of hormones like HCG progesterone that are needed for
maintaining pregnancy
d) secretion of oxytocin for parturition

7. The microbes that can be cultured in the labs are

a) viruses and fungi b) protozoans and viruses
c) bacteria and fungi d) prions and bacteria

8. Which of the following statements is not true for the double helical structure of DNA
proposed by Watson and Crick
a) the two strands of DNA are complementary to each other under
antiparallel.
b) the backbone of the molecule is constituted by nitrogen bases which
project outwards
c) the nitrogen bases in the two strands are paired through hydrogen bonds
forming base pairs(bps).
d) the two strands are called in a right handed fashion with the pitch of the
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 helix being 3.4nm

9. In a grassland ecosystem if the number of primary producers grasses is approximately 6

millions the number of tertiary consumers that can be
supported will be
a) 3 b) 6 c) 30 d) 60

10. The microbial biocontrol agent a bacterium whose dried spores are used to kill the insect
larvae eating brassicas, is
a) Agrobacterium tumefaciens
b) Bacillus thuringiensis
c) Salmonella typhimurium
d) Methanobaterium sp.

11. It is observed that the species diversity decreases as we move

a) away from the equator to poles
b)towards equator from poles
c) along the equator
d) from deserts to rain forests

12. The most important cause of extinction of animals and plants especially in tropical rain
forests is
a) habitat loss b) afforestation
c) pollution d) soil erosion

Question No. 13 to 16 consist of two statements –

Assertion (A) and Reason (R).
Answer these questions selecting the appropriate option given below:
a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
b) Both A and R are true and R is not the correct explanation of A.
c) A is true but R is false.
d) A is false but R is true.

13. Assertion: cleistogamous flowers do not require any pollinating agent, yet they have
assured seed set.
Reason: cleistogamous flowers are bisexual flowers which stamen and
pistil placed closer to each other.

14. Assertion: Divergent evolution leads to the development of homologous

organs that are similar in function.

Reason: Homologous organs are different in their anatomy and origin but
are similar in function

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15. Assertion: A probe having radioactive isotope is helpful in detecting specific DNA
sequences
Reason: The probe is often a single stranded DNA with base sequences
complementary to the DNA sequence to be detected.

16. Assertion: The recent studies show that Gause's competitive exclusion principle cannot
hold good always.
Reason: The different species living in a habitat may show resource
Partitioning.

Section - B
17. Why is aerobic degradation more important than anaerobic degradation for the treatment
of large volumes of waste waters rich in organic matter.
Discuss.
OR
What is withdrawal syndrome.
List any two symptoms it is characterised by.

18. With the decline in the population of fig species it was noticed that population of wasp
species also started to decline. What is the relation between the two and what could be the
possible reason for decline of wasps?

19. Write any two ways, by which apomictic seeds may be developed in angiosperms.

20. Insulin synthesized in the human body needs to be processed before it could function; but
the insulin synthesised by Eli Lily company does not need to be processed. They used
recombinant DNA technology to produce insulin.
a) Why must the insulin synthesised in the human body undergo processing?
Mention the changes it undergoes.
b) What is the major challenge faced by Eli Lily company in the production
of Insulin?

21. How is Down`s syndrome different from Klinefelter`s syndrome

Section - C
22. Mention the role of gonadotropins in the menstrual cycle. On what are the menstrual
cycle do the gonadotropins reached the peak levels.

23. Draw a labelled diagram of a typical biogas plant.

24. WHO has started a number of programmes to prevent the spreading of AIDS. Mention
six such programmes.

25. a) List any four characteristics of an ideal contraceptive.

b) Name two intrauterine contraceptive devices that affect the motility
off sperms.
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26. Given below are the sequences of nucleotides in a particular mRNA and amino acids
coded by it.

UUU AUG UUC GAG UUA GUG UAA

Phe - Met - Phe - Glu - Leu - Val
Write the properties of genetic code that can be and that cannot be correlated from the
above given data.

27. A student was stimulating Urey and Miller's experiment to prove the origin of life. The
setup used by the student is given below

800 C

a) Find out the reasons why you could not get desired results.
b) What conclusion was drawn by Urey and Miller through this experiment.
c) Compare the conclusion rock with the theory of spontaneous generation.

28. Write by taking a suitable example the convention followed for naming the restriction
enzymes.
OR
DNA being hydrophilic cannot pass through the cell membrane of a host
cell explain how the Recombinant DNA gets introduced into the host cell
to transform the latter.

Section - D
Q. No. 29 and 30 are case-based questions.
Each question has subparts with internal choice in one subpart.

29. Study the graphical representation of species-area relationship given below and answer
the questions that follow.

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 a) Name the naturalist, who studied the kind of relationship shown in the graph and the
area he explored.
b) Write down the observations made by him.
c) What do `S`, `C`, `Z` and `A` represent in the given graph?
or
When will the `Z`line become steeper? What will be the range of Z
values in that case? Give an example.

30. A short stretch of DNA that codes for a polypeptide is given below:
3` -CATCATAGATGAAAC- 5`
In the different cells of an organism, two different types of errors have
occurred during replication of DNA and sequences of bases in the DNA
in the two cells are given below:
Cell 1: 3` -CATCATAGATGAATC- 5`
Cell 2: 3` -CATATAGATGAAAC- 5`
a)What term is given to the stretch of DNA that codes for a polypeptide?
b) Write the type of mutation in
(i) cell 1 (ii) cell 2, respectively.
c) i) Write the messenger RNA transcribed by the mutated DNA in cell 1.
ii) How many amino acids are coded by this messenger RNA?
Justify your answer.
OR
Write the messenger RNA transcribed by the mutated DNA in cell.2
How many amino acids will this messenger RNA code for?
Justify your answer.

Section - E
31. a) Explain the events that occur during pollen pistil interaction.
b) Explain the following reasons.
i) Pollen grains are well preserved as fossils.
ii) Pollen tablets are in use by people these days.

OR

Explain the process of development of a mature human female gamete

from the time it is initiated till the formation of an ootid.
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32. A cross was carried out between a pea plant, heterozygous for round and
yellow seeds with a pea plant having wrinkled and green seeds.
a) Show the cross in a Punnett square.
b) Write the phenotypes of the progeny of the cross.
c) What is this cross known as? State the purpose of conducting such a
cross.

OR

a) How did Darwin explain adaptive radiation? Give another example exhibiting
adaptive radiation.
b) Name the scientist who influenced Darwin and how?

33. Unless the vector and source DNAs are cut, fragments separated and joined the desired
recombinant vector molecules cannot be created.
a) How are the desired DNA sequences cut?
b) Explain the technique used to separate the cut fragments.
c) How are the resultant fragments joined to the vector molecule?

OR

The main objective of application of Biotechnology in agriculture is the

production of pest-resistant crops; this would also reduce the quantity of
the pesticides/chemicals used and decrease environmental pollution. Bt
toxins produced by the bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis kills certain
insects like lepidopterans, dipterans and coleopterans. Several
nematodes parasites a wide variety of plants. A novel strategy has been
adopted to prevent this infestation in tobacco plant.
a) Write the scientific name of the nematode that parasitises tobacco plants
b) Write in full form the novel strategy used to control the nematode infestation in tobacco
plants.
c) How does the novel strategy work?
d) Mention the source of the complementary dsDNA for the novel strategy.
e) Name the vector used for introducing the nematode -specific genes into the host tobacco
plants.

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