2017 WAEC (WASSCE) Biology Past Questions & Answers

Question 1

When viewing an object that is close to the human eye, the

Accepted Answer

D. eye lens becomes fat

Answer

A. eye lens becomes thin

Answer

B. ciliary muscles relax

Answer

C. suspensory lens become taut

Question 2

Which of the labelled parts of the diagram of the part of the human skeleton articulates with the head of the trochlea to form a hinge joint?

Accepted Answer

C. III

Answer

A. I

Answer

B. II

Answer

D. IV

Question 3

Assuming that A is the gene for normal skin color and is dominant, while a is the gene for albinism and its recessive, what is the likely genotype of the couple which had 50% normal and 50% albino offspring?

Accepted Answer

B. Aa, aa

Answer

A. AA, aa

Answer

C. AA, Aa

Answer

D. Aa, Aa

Question 4

Which of the following pairs of organisms is in a mutualistic relationship?

Accepted Answer

B. Hermit crab and Sea anemone

Answer

A. Hydra and Sea anemone

Answer

C. Dodder plant and Cocoa plant

Answer

D. Mistletoe and Kolanut

Question 5

The number of individuals that the environment can support over a long period of time is its

Accepted Answer

D. carrying capacity

Answer

A. growth rate

Answer

B. total capacity

Answer

C. population capacity

Question 6

The natural dwelling place of an organism is called its

Accepted Answer

B. habitat

Answer

A. ecological niche

Answer

C. population

Answer

D. environment

Question 7

The structural similarities in Paramecium and Euglena are in the

Accepted Answer

B. blunt anterior and pointed posterior

Answer

A. shape of locomotory organs

Answer

C. presence of micro and mega nuclei in both

Answer

D. presence of anterior and posterior contractile vacuoles

Question 8

Which of the following glands also serves as an exocrine gland?

Accepted Answer

B. Pancreas

Answer

A. Ovary

Answer

C. Adrenal

Answer

D. Thyroid

Question 9

One of the structural adaptations of mammals for movement on land is the development of the

Accepted Answer

B. pentadactyl limb

Answer

A. hollow bones

Answer

C. fused thoracic bones

Answer

D. streamlined body

Question 10

Which of the following is NOT characteristic of social insects?

Accepted Answer

A. All members are identical

Answer

B. There is division of labour

Answer

C. The members dwell in the same habitat

Answer

D. Some members protect the queen

Question 11

Which of the following actions does not occur during exhalation in man?

Accepted Answer

B. Diaphragm flattens

Answer

A. Thoracic cavity decreases in volume

Answer

C. Ribs move down and in

Answer

D. Air pressure increases in the thoracic cavity

Question 12

The organism that can carry out both autotropic and heterotrophic modes of nutritions is

Accepted Answer

C. Euglena

Answer

A. Chlamydomonas

Answer

B. Eudorina

Answer

D. Spirogyra

Question 13

The diagrams below show the dentition of an organism. The function of the teeth labelled X is for

Accepted Answer

A. biting and grasping

Answer

B. chewing and grinding

Answer

C. tearing and grasping

Answer

D. chewing and tearing

Question 14

Which of the following cell organelles is the site for the production of ATP?

Accepted Answer

C. Mitochondrion

Answer

A. Lysosome

Answer

B. Nucleus

Answer

D. Ribosome

Question 15

Which of the following groups of organisms do not have members that can be called autotrophs?

Accepted Answer

D. Fungi

Answer

A. Protists

Answer

B. Mosses

Answer

C. Chlorophyta

Question 16

Soil permeability refers to

Accepted Answer

A. how easily water passes through the soil

Answer

B. the proportion of air in the soil

Answer

C. the proportion of water the soil holds

Answer

D. how well water rises up the soil

Question 17

Which of the following ecological factors will result in food shortage?

Accepted Answer

A. Drought

Answer

B. Low rate of reproduction

Answer

C. Emigration

Answer

D. Topography

Question 18

Which of the following practices is not used in conserving water?

Accepted Answer

C. Deforestation

Answer

A. Afforestation

Answer

B. Damming

Answer

D. Reforestation

Question 19

Which of the following sequences is the correct route of the transmission of impulses along a reflex arc?

Accepted Answer

A. $Receptor\to sensory neuron \to synapse \to intermediate neuron \to synapse \to motor neuron \to effector$

Answer

B. $Receptor \to motor neuron \to synapse \to intermediate neuron \to synapse \to sensory neuron \to effector$

Answer

C. $Effector \to intermediate neuron \to synapse \to motor neuron \to synapse \to sensory neuron \to receptor$

Answer

D. $Effector \to motor neuron \to synapse \to sensory neuron \to synapse \to intermediate neuron \to receptor$

Question 20

An apple plant can produce sexually and asexually and it has 40 chromosomes in its leaf cells. How many chromosomes would be in each gamete and somatic cell?

Accepted Answer

C. 20 chromosomes in the gametes and 40 in the somatic cells

Answer

A. 20 chromosomes in the gametes and 10 in the somatic cells

Answer

B. 40 chromosomes in the gametes and 20 in the somatic cells

Answer

D. 40 chromosomes in the gametes and 40 in the somatic cells

Question 21

Which of the following pyramids gives the most accurate picture of the relationships between at the various trophic levels in a food chain? A pyramid of

Accepted Answer

B. energy

Answer

A. numbers

Answer

C. biomass

Answer

D. size

Question 22

Which of the following types of placentation is not common amongst syncarpous pistils?

Accepted Answer

A. Marginal

Answer

B. Axile

Answer

C. Parietal

Answer

D. Free central

Question 23

A population which exceeds its carrying capacity and then collapses is represented graphically by a

Accepted Answer

A. bell-shaped curve

Answer

B. linear curve

Answer

C. sigmoid curve

Answer

D. skewed curve

Question 24

An example of osmosis in plants is the

Accepted Answer

D. absorption of water from the soil by the root

Answer

A. movement of water through the xylem

Answer

B. loss of water vapour from the stomata

Answer

C. translocation of food through the phloem

Question 25

A good site for secondary succession would be

Accepted Answer

C. a land that has just had forest fire

Answer

A. a sand dune

Answer

B. a bare rock

Answer

D. a stretch of barren land

Question 26

Which of the following statements is not associated with pyramids of energy?

Accepted Answer

D. Representation of numbers of organisms at different trophic levels

Answer

A. Efficiency of energy transfer between trophic levels can be studied

Answer

B. Comparisons of pyramids for different ecosystems can be made

Answer

C. More accurate comparisons of trophic levels

Question 27

Which of the following characters is not a morphological variation?

Accepted Answer

D. tongue rolling

Answer

A. shape of the nose

Answer

B. colour of skin

Answer

C. colour of hair

Question 28

The gradual cumulative, adaptive and heritable changes in an organism over a long period of time resulting in new species is called

Accepted Answer

C. organic evolution

Answer

A. adaptation

Answer

B. survival

Answer

D. interspecific competition

Question 29

The establishment of game reserves and parks is a method of

Accepted Answer

A. conserving natural resources

Answer

B. cultivating game

Answer

C. controlling pollution

Answer

D. cultural awareness

Question 30

Which of the following groups of animals do not possess a nervous system?

Accepted Answer

A. Porifera

Answer

B. Cnidaria

Answer

C. Platyheminthes

Answer

D. Nematoda

Question 31

Which of the following statements is true about mutation?

Accepted Answer

D. Genotype is involved

Answer

A. Phenotype is not involved

Answer

B. Genotype is not involved

Answer

C. Artificial induction is not possible

Question 32

Which of the following function is associated with calcium in plants? Formation of

Accepted Answer

A. cell wall

Answer

B. ribosomes

Answer

C. proteins

Answer

D. cell membrane

Question 33

The type of variation illustrated above is

Accepted Answer

A. continuous variation

Answer

B. discontinuous variation

Answer

C. morphological variation

Answer

D. environmental variation

Question 34

The complex energy-rich organic matter which living organisms need for life is

Accepted Answer

C. food

Answer

A. water

Answer

B. air

Answer

D. mineral salts

Question 35

Deamination of amino acids in the liver produces

Accepted Answer

D. urea

Answer

A. blood sugar

Answer

B. glycogen

Answer

C. bile

Question 36

Which of the following processes are associated with photosynthesis? I. Energy from sunlight is absorbed   II. Carbon dioxide is evolved   III. Oxygen is given off   IV. Glucose is synthesized

Accepted Answer

C. I, III and IV only

Answer

A. I and II only

Answer

B. I, II and IV only

Answer

D. I, II, III and IV

Question 37

Which of the following resources cannot be renewed?

Accepted Answer

B. Petroleum

Answer

A. Air

Answer

C. Food crop

Answer

D. Soil

Question 38

The teeth which are absent in the young of the organism whose dentition is shown above is labelled

Accepted Answer

A. W

Answer

B. X

Answer

C. Y

Answer

D. Z

Question 39

Which of the following organisms cannot exist freely on its own?

Accepted Answer

D. Plasmodium

Answer

A. Chlamydomonas

Answer

B. Amoeba

Answer

C. Paramecium

Question 40

Which of the following materials is not easily biodegradable?

Accepted Answer

A. Polythene bag

Answer

B. Cotton bag

Answer

C. Hides and Skin bag

Answer

D. Paper bag

2017 WAEC (WASSCE) Biology Past Questions

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