Form Four Biology topical exams by topic
The first topic is free to attempt here
Each topical exam follows the CSEE style, with multiple-choice, matching and short-answer questions. Topic one is open below; topics two to five continue on the app.
Growth and Development topical exam (50 marks)
Section A: 10 marks · Section B: 5 marks · Section C: 35 marks
How to use this paper:
• Multiple choice: select your answer and click “Check Answer”. A correct answer plays a short sound and shows an explanation. A wrong answer shows the right option and why.
• Matching and short answers: write your answer on paper first, then click “View Answer” to see the suggested answer and marking guide.
SECTION A: Multiple Choice, Interactive Check (10 marks)
1. A seed that absorbs water and swells has NOT grown because the increase in size is…
2. The growth curve of an annual plant is usually…
3. Lateral meristems (cambium) are responsible for…
4. A shoot bends towards light because auxin accumulates on the…
5. Which part of a germinating seed develops first into the root?
6. In epigeal germination, the part that elongates and lifts the cotyledons above the ground is the…
7. Which animal undergoes complete metamorphosis?
8. The larva of a housefly is called a…
9. A young tadpole first breathes using…
10. Which hormone stimulates rapid growth of bones and muscles in boys at puberty?
SECTION B: Matching Item (5 marks)
Match each item in List A with the correct response from List B. Write the letter beside each item number. (5 marks)
| # | List A | Your answer |
|---|---|---|
| i | Permanent, irreversible increase in size, mass or cell number | |
| ii | Region of actively dividing cells at the tips of roots and shoots | |
| iii | Plant hormone that causes cell elongation in shoots | |
| iv | Stage of a butterfly's life cycle that does not feed | |
| v | Hormone that triggers moulting in insects |
List B
- A. Ecdysone
- B. Pupa
- C. Growth
- D. Auxin
- E. Apical meristem
- F. Thyroxine
- G. Nymph
- H. Cambium
Correct matches (1 mark each): i-C, ii-E, iii-D, iv-B, v-A
- i. Growth
- ii. Apical meristem
- iii. Auxin
- iv. Pupa
- v. Ecdysone
SECTION C: Short Answer Questions (35 marks)
11. Define growth and development, and distinguish between them. (3 marks)
Suggested answer and marking guide (3 marks)
- Growth is a permanent, irreversible increase in size, mass or number of cells (1 mark).
- Development is the orderly series of changes in form, complexity and function as an organism matures, including cell differentiation (1 mark).
- Distinction: growth can be measured (quantitative) while development is a change in quality or form (1 mark).
12. Name two parameters used to measure growth and state which one is the most reliable, giving a reason. (3 marks)
Suggested answer and marking guide (3 marks)
- Any two: height or length, fresh weight, dry weight, leaf area, number of cells (2 marks).
- Dry weight is the most reliable because it excludes water, whose amount varies (1 mark).
13. Describe the three main phases of a sigmoid growth curve. (3 marks)
Suggested answer and marking guide (3 marks)
- Lag phase: growth is slow while cells prepare to divide (1 mark).
- Exponential (log) phase: cells divide rapidly and growth is fastest (1 mark).
- Stationary phase: growth levels off because of limiting factors such as food and space (1 mark).
14. State three differences between primary growth and secondary growth in plants. (3 marks)
Suggested answer and marking guide (3 marks)
- Primary growth increases length; secondary growth increases thickness (girth) (1 mark).
- Primary growth occurs at apical meristems; secondary growth occurs at lateral meristems (cambium) (1 mark).
- Primary growth occurs in all plants; secondary growth occurs mainly in woody dicots (1 mark).
15. State one function each of auxins, gibberellins and cytokinins in plants. (3 marks)
Suggested answer and marking guide (3 marks)
- Auxins: promote cell elongation in shoots, or phototropism or apical dominance (1 mark).
- Gibberellins: promote stem elongation or break seed dormancy (1 mark).
- Cytokinins: promote cell division or delay leaf ageing (1 mark).
16. Distinguish between epigeal and hypogeal germination, giving one example of each. (4 marks)
Suggested answer and marking guide (4 marks)
- Epigeal: the hypocotyl elongates and carries the cotyledons above the ground (1 mark).
- Epigeal example: bean, sunflower or castor oil seed (1 mark).
- Hypogeal: the epicotyl elongates and the cotyledons remain below the ground (1 mark).
- Hypogeal example: maize, broad bean or pea (1 mark).
17. Compare complete and incomplete metamorphosis, giving one example of each. (4 marks)
Suggested answer and marking guide (4 marks)
- Complete metamorphosis has four stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult (1 mark).
- Example: butterfly, housefly or mosquito; the larva looks different from the adult (1 mark).
- Incomplete metamorphosis has three stages: egg, nymph and adult, with no pupa (1 mark).
- Example: grasshopper or cockroach; the nymph looks like a small adult (1 mark).
18. Explain how hormones control metamorphosis in insects and in amphibians. (4 marks)
Suggested answer and marking guide (4 marks)
- Ecdysone stimulates moulting (ecdysis) in insects (1 mark).
- Juvenile hormone keeps larval features, so a high level gives another larval stage (1 mark).
- When juvenile hormone falls, the larva changes into a pupa and then an adult (1 mark).
- In amphibians, thyroxine triggers the change from tadpole to frog (1 mark).
19. Describe the effects of too little and too much growth hormone in children. (4 marks)
Suggested answer and marking guide (4 marks)
- Too little causes dwarfism (1 mark); the body stays small but with normal proportions (1 mark).
- Too much causes gigantism (1 mark); the long bones grow excessively and the person becomes very tall (1 mark).
20. Describe four factors that affect growth and development in living organisms. (4 marks)
Suggested answer and marking guide (4 marks)
- Any four: genetic make-up, hormones, nutrition, temperature, light, water supply, oxygen, diseases (1 mark each, 4 marks).
Continue with Form Four Biology exams
Next in the exam sequence
Test yourself topic by topic here, then check your progress with the online MCQ tests. For full papers, go to the regional mock exams or the NECTA review papers.
Or go back to all Form Four Biology exams, all Form 4 exams or all secondary exams.
Continue on the Click Online Academy app
Unlock the topical exams for Genetics, Kingdom Animalia, Evolution and HIV/STDs and STIs, plus term exams, mock papers and NECTA review papers, with progress tracking and offline downloads. Free to download on Google Play.
Get the Form Four Biology topical exams on Google Play Back to all secondary examsFrequently asked questions: Form 4 Biology topical exams
What is in the free Form Four Biology topical exam?
The Growth and Development paper has Section A with 10 multiple-choice questions (10 marks), Section B with a 5-mark matching item, and Section C with 10 short-answer questions (35 marks), 50 marks in total.
How do the answers work?
For multiple-choice questions, choose an option and select Check Answer to see whether you are right and why. For the matching item and short answers, select View Answer to see the suggested answer and marking guide.
Which Biology topics have topical exams?
Growth and development, Genetics, Kingdom Animalia, Evolution, and HIV/STDs and STIs. Topics two to five are available on the Click Online Academy app.