Question 1Multiple choice · 1 mark
Which term is described by this statement?
“Animals with a backbone: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish.”
- A nitrogen fixation
- B chemical digestion
- C vertebrates
- D synapse
Show answer
Answer: C
Free Features of organisms questions for IGCSE Biology (0610), part of Characteristics & classification. Each question has the answer and the marking points an examiner would look for.
Generate a full Features of Organisms worksheet →All Characteristics & classification questionsWhich term is described by this statement?
“Animals with a backbone: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish.”
Answer: C
Plants are divided into ferns and flowering plants.
State two features of ferns.
Distinguish between monocotyledons and dicotyledons using leaf and flower features.
| Part | Answer and marking points | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| (a) | leaves called fronds; no flowers; spores fronds B1 reproduce by spores, no flowers B1 | 2 |
| (b) | parallel vs branched veins; petals in 3s vs 4s/5s monocots: parallel veins, flower parts in threes B1 dicots: branched/net veins, flower parts in fours/fives B1 | 2 |
Viruses are not considered to be living organisms by many biologists.
Describe the structure of a virus.
Explain why a virus is not classed as a living organism.
| Part | Answer and marking points | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| (a) | protein coat around genetic material a protein coat B1 surrounding genetic material (DNA or RNA) B1 | 2 |
| (b) | only reproduces inside host; no metabolism it can only reproduce inside a host cell B1 it does not carry out respiration/nutrition/excretion itself B1 | 2 |
This question is about the features of different groups of organisms.
State two features of all arthropods.
Insects, crustaceans, arachnids and myriapods are arthropods. Give one feature that distinguishes insects from arachnids.
State two features that are found in fungi but not in plants.
Describe the main features of a virus.
Describe two differences between a bacterial cell and a plant cell.
Ferns and flowering plants are both plants. State one way in which they differ in reproduction.
| Part | Answer and marking points | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| (a) | jointed legs; exoskeleton; segmented body Any 2 of: jointed legs; exoskeleton; segmented body B2 | 2 |
| (b) | insects: 3 pairs of legs, 3 body parts, wings/antennae; arachnids: 4 pairs of legs, 2 body parts insects have three pairs of legs / three body sections / antennae / wings B1 arachnids have four pairs of legs / two body sections / no antennae B1 | 2 |
| (c) | no chlorophyll; cell walls of chitin; hyphae; feed saprotrophically Any 2 of: no chlorophyll / no photosynthesis; cell walls not made of cellulose (chitin); made of hyphae; saprotrophic nutrition B2 | 2 |
| (d) | protein coat; genetic material (DNA/RNA); not a cell Any 2 of: a protein coat; containing genetic material (DNA or RNA); no cell structures B2 | 2 |
| (e) | no nucleus (circular DNA); plasmids; no chloroplasts; smaller ribosomes; cell wall not cellulose Any 2 of: bacterium has no nucleus (DNA is a loop in the cytoplasm); plasmids; no chloroplasts / mitochondria; cell wall not made of cellulose B2 | 2 |
| (f) | ferns reproduce by spores; flowering plants by seeds ferns produce spores, flowering plants produce seeds (in flowers) B1 | 1 |
Vertebrates are divided into five classes.
Name the five classes of vertebrates.
State two features found in mammals but not in birds.
| Part | Answer and marking points | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| (a) | mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish Any 2 of: mammals; birds; reptiles; amphibians; fish (all five = 2, three or four = 1) B2 | 2 |
| (b) | fur/hair; mammary glands; external ears; live young Any 2 of: hair/fur; mammary glands; external ears (pinna); give birth to live young B2 | 2 |
Fungi and bacteria are important microorganisms.
State two features of fungal cells.
State two features of a bacterial cell.
| Part | Answer and marking points | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| (a) | cell wall of chitin; hyphae; nucleus Any 2 of: cell wall (chitin); hyphae/mycelium; nucleus; feed saprotrophically B2 | 2 |
| (b) | no nucleus; circular DNA; plasmids; cell wall Any 2 of: no nucleus; circular DNA/plasmids; cell wall; small size B2 | 2 |
Riyaz Shaikh has mentored IGCSE, IB and A Level students for 15+ years, one-on-one, online and in Mumbai. The hardest questions on this site are the ones he uses to find a student's weak points.
Meet Riyaz →Original Cambridge-style practice questions written for mentorriyaz.in. These are not Cambridge past paper questions, and this site is not affiliated with or endorsed by Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Updated 2026-11-04. Paper generator · mentorriyaz.in