Q.

BIOLOGY-XII PRE BOARD – 1 ANSWER KEY MARKS

NO
SECTION A
1. A 1

2. B 1
3. B 1
4. D 1
5. A 1
6. B 1
7. B 1
8. B 1
9. A 1

10. D 1
11. B 1

12. A 1
13. A 1

14. C 1

15. A 1
16. C 1
SECTION B
17. (i) the sperms in the testes are susceptible to high temperature and they 1+1
A can easily die due to high temperatures of the abdomen

(ii)

B (i) Because when sperm comes in contact with ovum (zona 1+1
pellucida) & induces changes in membrane to block entry of
other sperms.

(ii)Colostrum is the first form of breastmilk that is released by

the mammary glands after giving birth. It's nutrient-dense
and high in antibodies and antioxidants to build a newborn
baby's immune system
18. At 5’ end there is stop codon and at 3’ end there is start codon 1
 A
(i)
(ii) 5’ – AUG & 3’ UGA 1
18. No. The whole gene will not be transcribed. As it has both 1
B regions translated regions and untranslated regions.
(i)
(ii) The shaded regions are called introns and non shaded are called 1
exons.
19. Early diagnosis can be done through PCR, ELISA. 1+
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests are used to detect HIV's genetic 1
material, called RNA.
The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests a patient's
blood sample for antibodies
20. In the year 1963, the two enzymes responsible for restricting the growth 1+1
of bacteriophage in E. coli were isolated. One of these added methyl
groups to DNA (methylase), while the other cut DNA. The latter was
called restriction endonuclease
21. It is made up of decomposers (saprotrophs) which are heterotrophic 1
A organisms. For example, fungi and bacteria. They meet their energy and
(i) nutrient requirements by degrading dead organic matter or detritus
(ii)  It does not take into account the same species belonging to two 1
or more trophic levels.
 Saprophytes are not given any place in ecological pyramids

B 1+1

SECTION C
22. A. 3
 It aids in the production of hybrid seeds.
 It is one of the most cost-effective methods of seed production.
 Apomixis prevents the loss of specific hybrid characteristics.

B. Parthenocarpy is the formation or development of fruit without

fertilization. Apomixis, on the other hand, is the formation of
seeds without fertilization

C. Apomixis involves the production of seeds without the function

of gametes means avoiding the processes of meiosis and
fertilization, leading to embryo development
23. Two hormones, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing 1+1+1
hormone (LH) are released from your brain and travel in your blood to
your ovaries.

The structure formed is Corpus luteum. It secretes hormone known as

progesterone.
24. A. Aminoacylation is the process by which amino acids become 1+1+1
activated by binding with its aminoacyl tRNA synthetase in the presence
of ATP.

B. Prokaryotic translation and transcription is a synchronous process. It

is immediately followed by transcription without any processing of m
RNA.
Translation entails three major phases: initiation, elongation,
termination.

Initiation of translation occurs by the attachment of small ribosomal

subunit to the region of start codon on mRNA (30s in prokaryotes) after
that small subunit comes and joins the mRNA, the initiator tRNA with
the amino acid methionine comes and binds to the AUG codon.

C. The UTRs are present at both 5 end (before start codon) and at 3-
end (after stop codon). They are required for efficient translation
process.

25. If the VNTR (Variable Number Tandem Repeat) patterns of the suspect 3
do not match the sample from the crime scene, it suggests that the
suspect's DNA is not the source of the crime scene sample.
VNTRs are highly variable regions of the DNA that are used for genetic
profiling because they differ significantly between individuals

26. Biofertilizers – These are the agents that increase the fertility of the soil. 1.5 + 1.5
They include symbiotic organisms that help to increase nitrogen
phosphorous content in soil. Ex : Azotobacter, Nostoc

Biocontrol agents – These organisms are used to control pests or disease

causing organisms. They are species specific and do not cause any harm
to other organisms. Ex – Lady bird, Dragonflies, Bacillus thuringiensis
27. A. PCR is based on three simple steps required for any DNA synthesis 1.5 + 1.5
reaction: (1) denaturation of the template into single strands; (2)
annealing of primers to each original strand for new strand synthesis;
and (3) extension of the new DNA strands from the primers

B. The bacterium Thermus aquaticus is the source of Taq polymerase. It

is a thermostable DNA polymerase that remains active even at high
temperature and does not get denatured during denaturation of double
stranded DNA in PCR
28. i). In evolutionary biology, adaptive radiation is a process in which 1.5 + 1.5
organisms diversify rapidly from an ancestral species into a multitude of
 new forms, particularly when a change in the environment

ii). The finches that ate large nuts had strong beaks for breaking the nuts
open. Finches that ate small nuts and seeds had beaks for cracking nuts
and seeds. Darwin noticed that fruit-eating finches had parrot-like beaks,
and that finches that ate insects had narrow, prying beaks.
SECTION D
29. A. Directional 1+1
B. The pesticide DDT was sprayed broadly in areas where the
mosquitoes lived, and at first, the DDT was highly effective at killing
the mosquitos. However, over time, the DDT became less and less
effective, and more and more mosquitoes survived. This was because the
mosquito population evolved resistance to the pesticide.
C) If the frequency of the genes is high enough in the newly migrated land 2
to start a new species, the migrated individuals become the founder
species, and the effect is called the founder effect
(OR)
D) The Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium can be disturbed by a number of 2
forces, including mutations, natural selection, non random mating,
genetic drift, and gene flow. (Any 2)
30. A. At the age of 17 – maximum 1+1
At the age of 14 – Minimum

B. A – Morphine
B - Cannabinoid
C)  Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) 2
 Cannabis (Cannabis sativa

D) Creating awareness, Providing Moral support 2

SECTION E
31. Fig C 1
A) Ovulation is the process when the mature egg ruptures. Luteinizing
hormone surges during this period causing ovulation
B Fig D 1
Phase – Luteal phase
Secretes hormone progesterone
C Following ovulation, the Graafian follicle converts into the corpus 1
luteum. Corpus luteum secretes progesterone and is necessary for
endometrial maintenance throughout implantation and pregnancy.
(OR)
D. Labelled diagram of ‘c’ – Ovum.
3
A

i) The hard outer layer called exine is made up of sporopollenin which is

a resistant organic material.. (ii) The inner layer is called intine .. (iii)
 Vegetative cell has abundant food reserve. (iv) Generative cell divides
mitotically giving rise to two male gametes before pollen grains are shed
(3-celled stage).
B Exine can withstand high temperature, strong acids and alkali thus 2
provide protection
Intine has a prominent aperture called germ pore through which pollen
tube comes out
32. RNAi is a method adopted to prevent infestation of roots of tobacco 3
A plants by a nematode Meloidegyne incognitia. In RNAi a
complementary RNA binds to mRNA to form a ds RNA that cannot
translate and hence its expression is blocked Silencing.

A nematode Meloidogyne incognita infects the roots of tobacco plants

which reduces the production of tobacco. The infection can be prevented
using the RNA interference (RNAi) process which is checked by
silencing of specific mRNA due to a complementary ds RNA. The ds
RNA binds and prevents translation of the mRNA. By using
Agrobacterium vectors, nematode-specific genes were introduced into
the host plants which produce both sense and antisense RNA in the host
cells. These two RNAs are complementary to each other and form a
double-stranded RNA (ds RNA) that initiates RNAi and hence, silences
the specific mRNA of the nematode. The parasite cannot survive in a
transgenic host and so, prevents the plants from pests.
(OR)
B. In the future, genetic therapies may be used to prevent, treat, or cure 2
certain inherited disorders, such as cystic fibrosis, alpha-1 antitrypsin
deficiency, hemophilia, beta thalassemia, and sickle cell disease. They
also may be used to treat cancers or infections, including HIV.
Explanation with one example.
33. (i) Unlike previous extinction events caused by natural phenomena, the 3+2
A sixth mass extinction is driven by human activity, primarily (though not
limited to) the unsustainable use of land, water and energy use, and
climate change

(ii) Humans are primarily responsible for the sixth extinction.

(iii) Afforestation.
Reduction in over-exploitation of natural resources.
Conservation of species and their natural habitats to minimize the
losses.
Create awareness among people regarding global warming and their
consequences
(OR)

B. (i) Invasive alien species are plants, animals that are non-native to an 3+2
ecosystem, may cause environmental harm or may pose an adverse
impact upon biodiversity, including decline or elimination of native
species - through competition, predation, or transmission of pathogens
and the disruption of local ecosystems and ecosystem functions. E.g.,
Nile perch introduced in lake Victoria eventually led to the extinction of
an ecologically unique assemblage of more than 200 species of cichild
fish. Parthenium/Lantana/water hyacinth caused environmental damage
and threat to our native species. African catfish-Clarias gariepinus
introduced for aquaculture purposes is posing a threat to the indigenous
catfishes in our rivers

(ii) The 'rivet popper hypothesis' of Paul Ehrlich is an analogy where the
ecosystem is compared to an airplane and species are compared with the
rivets. In an airplane (ecosystem) various parts (components of an
ecosystem) are joined together by thousands of rivets (species).