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Grade 12 Biology entrance exam, 2013 E.C. (2021)

Real questions from the Grade 12 university entrance exam in Biology, as students sat it in 2013 E.C. Every question comes with the correct answer and a worked explanation.

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  • Natural science stream

    Who sits it

  • 2013 E.C. (2021)

    Exam year

  • 95 questions with answers

    In this set

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Answer each question yourself before opening the answer. The explanations point to the exact place in the textbook, so you know which page to reread when you miss one.

Question 1

Which one of the following is true about the importance of Lucy in resolving debates about human evolution?

  1. A.Big brains came before bipedalism.
  2. B.Lucy had a brain size of 1.8% of her body mass.
  3. C.Bipedalism came before big brains.
  4. D.Lucy was partially an arboreal primate.
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C Bipedalism came before big brains.

Why

The discovery of Lucy (Australopithecus afarensis) was pivotal because she had a small, ape-like brain but walked upright, proving that bipedalism evolved before large brains in human evolution.

Question 2

Which one of the following can best explain behavior? It is

  1. A.the co-ordinated response of an organism to an internal or external stimuli.
  2. B.the tendency for parts of plants to grow towards light.
  3. C.the actions or reactions of a person or animal in response to external or internal stimuli.
  4. D.a cell or group of cells that receives and processes stimuli.
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: A the co-ordinated response of an organism to an internal or external stimuli.

Why

In biology, behavior is best defined as the coordinated response of an organism to an internal or external stimulus.

Question 3

The quick withdrawal of your hand from a hot plate is an example of

  1. A.fixed action pattern
  2. B.innate behavior
  3. C.biological clock
  4. D.key stimulus
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: B innate behavior

Why

The rapid withdrawal of a hand from a hot surface is a reflex arc, which is a type of innate (inborn) behavior that does not require learning or prior experience.

Question 4

Which one of the following processes describes a biological clock?

  1. A.Removal of one's thumb from hot objects quickly
  2. B.The growing of plants towards light
  3. C.Circannual migration of birds from temperate to tropical areas
  4. D.Kinesis and taxes of woodlice and other simple animals
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C Circannual migration of birds from temperate to tropical areas

Why

A biological clock regulates rhythmic biological processes; circannual migration is driven by an internal annual biological clock that prompts birds to migrate seasonally.

Question 5

Identify learned behavior from the following.

  1. A.Dog trained to hunt.
  2. B.Honey bee making honey.
  3. C.Child withdraws hand from hot things.
  4. D.Ants making nest.
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: A Dog trained to hunt.

Why

A dog trained to hunt represents a learned behavior because it is acquired through training and experience, unlike the innate behaviors listed in the other options.

Question 6

Which one of the following features is unique to bacteria?

  1. A.Presence of permeable membrane
  2. B.Being unicellular
  3. C.Absence of nuclear membrane
  4. D.Having flagella for locomotion
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C Absence of nuclear membrane

Why

Bacteria are prokaryotes, and the defining feature of prokaryotes is the absence of a membrane-bound nucleus (nuclear membrane).

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Biology papers from other years

2018 E.C. (2026)2017 E.C. (2025)2016 E.C. (2024)2015 E.C. (2023)2014 E.C. (2022)2012 E.C. (2020)2011 E.C. (2019)2010 E.C. (2018)2009 E.C. (2017)2008 E.C. (2016)2007 E.C. (2015)2006 E.C. (2014)2005 E.C. (2013)1996 E.C. (2004)

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Are these the real 2013 E.C. Biology entrance exam questions?

Yes. They come from the national university entrance exam in Biology that students sat in 2013 E.C. (2021). Our set holds 95 of its questions, each with its answer and an explanation that points back to the textbook.

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Can I download the Biology 2013 E.C. paper as a PDF?

Yes, and it is free. The question paper is one file and the answer key with its worked explanations is another, so you can attempt the paper first. Print them, or keep them on your phone for revision when there is no data.

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