BIOLOGY (THEORY)

PAPER ONE 553/1

2 HOURS AND 30 THIRTY MINUTES

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES:

 Answer all questions in sections A and B plus two questions in section C.

 Answers to section A must be written in boxes provided.
 Answers to section B must be written in the spaces provided.
 Answer to section C must be written in the answer booklet provided.

FOR EXAMINERS USE ONLY

SECTION MARKS EXAMINER’S SIGNATURE

AND NUMBER
A
B No. 31
No. 32
No. 33
C No.
No.
Total

SECTION A (30 MARKS).

1. When focusing alight microscope, the objective lens should be moved
upward to
A. Avoid wetting the lens.
B. Allow the nose piece to rotate.
C. Avoid the danger of breaking the mirror.
D. Avoid the danger of breaking the slide.

2. A student accidentally “watered” a potted plant with a concentrated

salt solution. After some time, the plant began to wilt. Which activity
would most likely revive the plant?
A. Covering the plant with a polythene bag to collect water vapour.
B. Remove the plant leaves to reduce further water loss.
C. Flooding the soil with clean water to dilute the salt solution.
D. Addition of a substance that reacts with the salt and removes it.

3. The following statements about worker bee are all true except:- they
A. Have well developed wings.
B. Have pollen baskets on their hind legs.

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 C. Infertile females.
D. Are fewer compared to queen bees and drones combined.

4. Which one of the following describes a group of many different species

of organisms living together in a particular environment?
A. Population. C. Colony.
B. Community. D. Habitant.

5. Which one of the following farming practices control insect pests in

plants?
A. Addition of fertilizers. C. Rotation of crops.
B. Mulching. D. Cover cropping.

6. A student performed an experiment to determine the volume of air in a

soil sample. The following were his readings:-
-volume of water in the measuring cylinder =500cm 3
-volume of soil added to the soil =350cm 3
-volume of water and soil after stirring= 800cm3
Which one of the following is the volume of air in a soil sample?
A. 50 cm3 C. 250 cm3
B. 150 cm 3
D. 300cm3

7. Which one of the following features distinguishes crustaceans from

other arthropods?
A. Jointed legs. C. Hard exoskeleton.
B. Two pairs of antennae. D. Three pairs of legs.

8. Which one of the following is not true regarding the lateral line of
tilapia?
A. Aids swimming movements.
B. Runs down the sides of the body.
C. Contains cells which pick up vibrations.
D. Helps the fish to avoid predators.

9. Figure 1

Which of the following is the name and function of part labeled Y in a bird’s
egg in figure 1.

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 A. Germinal disc which develops into the embryo.
B. Albumen which is a source of protein for the embryo.
C. Albumen which stores excretory products from the embryo.
D. Yolk which is a source of protein and fat for the embryo.

10. Figure 2 shows energy flow in a typical ecosystem. The boxes

represent trophic levels in the food chain.

i ii

Figure 2
iii

iv

Energy from the sun

Which information is correct about trophic levels represented by boxes
labeled i and iii
Box i Box iii
A Producers Approximately 50%
energy content.
B Primary Consumer Approximately 100%
energy content.
C Decomposer Approximately 80%
energy content.
D Carnivore Approximately 10%
energy content.

11. Which one of the following is not a pollutant in the air?

A. Carbon monoxide. C. Amonia gas

B. Sulphur dioxide. D. Fumes containing lead.

12. While one of the following is the result of vaccinations?

A. Producing antibodies which destroy toxins of germs.
B. Arrests excessive bleeding.

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 C. Produces white blood cells which engulf and destroy bacteria.
D. Prevent germs from entering the body.

13. Which one of the following is the best definition for wild life?
A. All living things in nature.
B. All uncultivated plants and non-domesticated animals.
C. All animals which are not domesticated.
D. Both plants and animals that occur in a habitant.

14. In which of the following structures does meiosis occur?

A. Root tips of a plant. C. Ovary of the flower.

B. The skin of a human. D. The zygote of the human.

15. Which one of the following is the best description of a vein? It

carries

A. Blood away from the C. Oxygenated blood.

heart. D. Deoxygenated blood.
B. Blood to the heart.

16. Where in the leaf of a flowering plant are chloroplasts least likely
to occur?

A. Guard cells. C. Spongy mesophyll cells.

B. Epidermal cells. D. Palisade mesophyll cells.

17. Which of the following reagents are used to test for the presence
of non-reducing sugar?
A. Benedicts solution, dilute sodium hydroxide and dilute hydrochloric
acid.
B. Iodine solution.
C. Copper ii sulphate solution, sodium hydroxide solution.
D. Copper ii sulphate solution and benedict’s solution.

18. Which of the following is produced when green plants respire

aerobically?
A. Carbon dioxide and water.
B. Lactic acid
C. Lactic acid and carbon dioxide
D. .Ethanol, carbon dioxide

19. Which one of the following is true of a rhizome of ginger? It is a

A. Root because it is underground.
B. Stem because it is branched.
C. Stem because it has lateral buds and leaves.

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 D. Root because it has adventitious roots.

20. Which of the following is not correct in the comparison of wind

and insect pollinated flowers?

Insect pollinated Wind pollinated

flowers. flowers.
A Large and conspicuous Small and
flower inconspicuous flower.
B Stamen have long and Stamen have short
thin filaments. and stout filaments.
C Has few pollen grains Has many pollen
per anther grains per anther.
D Anther are firmly Anthers are loosely
attached to the attached to the
filament filament.

21. Which of the following is not required for the germination of

seeds?

A. Water. C. Warmth.
B. Air. D. Soil.

22. Which one of the following is not a function of a liver an adult

human being?
A. Storage of iron.
B. Conversion of glycogen to glucose.
C. Production of red blood cells.
D. Conversion of excess amino acids to urea.

23. Under which condition, will urine output from kidneys most likely
to fall?

A. A cold day. C. Soon after a drink of cold

B. A hot day. water.
D. Soon after a big meal.

24. Which one of the following is the path followed by air into the
body?
A. Nostril trachea bronchioles bronchus
alveolus.
B. Nostril bronchus trachea bronchus alveolus.

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 C. Nostril bronchus bronchioles trachea
alveolus.
D. Nostril trachea bronchus bronchioles
alveolus.
25. In mammals, which of the following is a characteristic of the
blood system but not of the lymphatic system?

A. Presence of valves. C. Fluid contained in vessels.

B. Transport of lipids. D. Flow maintained by heart.

26. Why does salivary amylase cease to function in the stomach?

A. The PH of the gastric juice is unsuitable.
B. The temperature of the stomach is inadequate.
C. Pepsin in the stomach stops its action.
D. The stomach will absorb it.

27. Where in a human body are gliding joints?

A. Elbow and knee. C. Between vertebrae and

B. Hip and shoulders. wrist
D. Carpels and knee.

28. In man the gene for haemorphilia is sex linked. A woman with
normal clotting blood but who is a carrier for a recessive gene for
haemophilia is married to a man who is suffering from haemophilia.
What proportions of their children are most likely to suffer from
haemophilia?

A. 0/4. C. ½.
B. ¼. D. All.

29. What is the role of progesterone?

A. Causes ovulation.
B. Stimulates development of egg in the ovary.
C. Causes development of corpus luteum.
D. Stimulates growth of lining of the uterus.
30. What is the effect of low concentration of auxin in plants?
A. Stimulates cell division in roots.
B. Stimulates cell division in stems.
C. Inhibits cell division in roots.
D. Inhibits cell division in stems and roots.

SECTION B: (40 marks)

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 Answer all questions in this section. Answers should be
written in the spaces provided.
31. The forest air was analyzed and the daily variation of the
composition of carbon dioxide in it, in 24 hours of the day was
determined and recorded in table 1.
Table 1

Time of 6am 12midday 6pm 9pm 3am

the day
(hours)
Percentage 0.06 0.04 0.03 0.035 0.055
compositio
n of carbon
dioxide in
the forest
air

(a) In the space provided, use a line graph represents the information
in table 1.(06 marks)

(b) Describe your graph, from

(i) 6am to 6pm
(01 mark)

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(ii) 6pm to 3am
(01 mark)
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(c) Explain your graph from
(i) 6am to 6pm
(3 marks)
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(ii) 6pm to 3am

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(d)Describe five ways, how leaves of plants are adapted for efficient
gaseous exchange (05 marks)
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 (ii)
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32. (a) What is the meaning of the term mitosis
(02 marks)
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(b) Give any three importances of mitosis
(03 marks)
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(c) (i) what is the meaning of co-dominance?
(01 mark)

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(ii) In plants, genes for determining colour in flowers are co-dominant.
A plant with white flowers (homozygous) was crossed with another one
of the same species, which had red flowers (homozygous).
Using suitable genetic symbols, work out the above outcome of the
above cross, showing the expected phenotype of their off springs.
(04 marks)
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33. Figure 3 is a diagram of a cross-section of a dicotyledonous root.

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 (a) Name on the diagram, the parts labeled P, Q and R.
(01 ½. Marks)
(i)
P………………………………………………………………………………………
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(ii)
Q………………………………………………………………………………………
(iii) R………………………………………………………………………………
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(b)Give functions of parts labeled
(01 ½. Marks)
(i) P………………………………………………………………………………
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(ii) Q………………………………………………………………………………
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(iii) R………………………………………………………………………………
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(c) Describe any five ways root hairs are adapted to carry out their
functions. (05marks) (i)
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(iii)

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(iv)

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(d)State any four differences between internal structure of a cross-

section of the monocotyledonous root and dicotyledonous root.
(2 marks)
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 SECTION C (30 MARKS)
Attempt any two questions from this section, and write
answers on a separate booklet provided.
34. (a) Describe the life cycle of a tape worm.
(07 marks)
(b) How is the spread of tape worm controlled?
(04 marks)
(c) Describe how gut parasites are able to survive
(04 marks)

35. (a) With the help of a diagram; describe the events that take place when
light falls on a nearby object, that leads it to travel to the retina in a
human eye. (06 marks)
(b) State any three eye defects for each case, state its cause and a
method used to correct the condition.
(09 marks)

36. (a) Describe ways plants in hot and dry area minimize water loss.
(07 marks)
(b) How do plants eliminate its waste products?
(04 marks)
(c) Give the usefulness of any two plant waste products.
(04 marks)

37. (a) Describe the ventilation mechanism in large insects.

(11 marks)
(b) Describe how the gaseous exchange system in insects is adapted
to carry out its function efficiently.
(04 marks)
END

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