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Grade 12 Biology entrance exam, 2014 E.C. (2022)

Real questions from the Grade 12 university entrance exam in Biology, as students sat it in 2014 E.C. Every question comes with the correct answer and a worked explanation.

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  • Natural science stream

    Who sits it

  • 2014 E.C. (2022)

    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

Bacterial cell wall is unique due to its

  1. A.chemical composition.
  2. B.freely permeability.
  3. C.selective permeability.
  4. D.mechanical support.
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: A chemical composition.

Why

The bacterial cell wall is unique because it is composed of peptidoglycan (murein), a complex polymer of sugars and amino acids not found in archaea or eukaryotes.

Question 2

Which genus of bacteria oxidize hydrogen sulphide to sulphate and make sulphate ions available to be taken by plant roots from the soil?

  1. A.Klebsiella
  2. B.Desulfovibrio
  3. C.Azotobacter
  4. D.Thiobacillus
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: D Thiobacillus

Why

Thiobacillus species are chemolithotrophic bacteria that obtain energy by oxidizing sulfur and hydrogen sulfide into sulfate, making it available for uptake by plant roots.

Question 3

Which one of the following diseases is caused by food poisoning bacteria?

  1. A.Candidiasis
  2. B.Salmonellosis
  3. C.Tuberculosis
  4. D.Pneumonia
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: B Salmonellosis

Why

Salmonellosis is a symptomatic infection caused by bacteria of the genus Salmonella, which is a very common cause of bacterial food poisoning.

Question 4

Which one of the following is correct concerning the reproductive cycles of viruses?

  1. A.Both lytic and lysogenic life cycles release new viruses without the genetic alteration of the host cell.
  2. B.In lysogenic life cycle the DNA of the virus integrates with the host cell's DNA.
  3. C.Both lytic and lysogenic life cycles undergo the same life cycle but ending with different results.
  4. D.In lytic life cycle, viruses are released without killing the host cell.
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: B In lysogenic life cycle the DNA of the virus integrates with the host cell's DNA.

Why

In the lysogenic cycle, the viral genome integrates into the host bacterium's DNA as a prophage, replicate together with it, and does not immediately lyse the host cell.

Question 5

Unlike free living cells, viruses are completely

  1. A.pathogenic to a living cell.
  2. B.mutual to a living cell.
  3. C.parasitic to a living cell.
  4. D.harmful to a living cell.
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C parasitic to a living cell.

Why

Viruses are obligate intracellular parasites, meaning they are completely dependent on a host cell's machinery to replicate and survive.

Question 6

Why are vaccines important? Because they help to

  1. A.trigger the immune system.
  2. B.kill pathogens.
  3. C.prevent functional diseases.
  4. D.heal wounds.
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: A trigger the immune system.

Why

Vaccines work by introducing weakened or inactive parts of a pathogen to stimulate and trigger the body's primary immune response, creating immunological memory.

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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)2013 E.C. (2021)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 2014 E.C. Biology entrance exam questions?

Yes. They come from the national university entrance exam in Biology that students sat in 2014 E.C. (2022). 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 2014 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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