Biology Chapter 01

AFNS test Biology MCQs/Topics Chapter#01

In this lesson we will learn about important Topics. You will Find MCQs at the end of Important topics.

TOPIC 1: What is Biology?

Biology is the scientific study of living organisms and life processes. Every living thing — whether it is a tiny bacterium or a giant whale — is studied in biology.

Key fact: Bios (Greek) = Life, Logos (Greek) = Study or Science. Together: Biology = Scientific study of life

📌 EXAMPLE

Q: In AFNS test: ‘The word Biology is derived from which language?’

A: Greek. (Bios = life, Logos = study) — This exact question has appeared multiple times in AFNS tests.

QUICK TIP: Whenever you see a question about the origin of the word Biology, the answer is always GREEK — not Latin, not Arabic, not English.

TOPIC 2: Branches of Biology

There are over 30 branches of biology. For your AFNS test, you need to know the most important ones, their names AND their definitions.Memorize These First!These branches are asked most frequently in AFNS tests based on past 5-year paper analysis:

• Cytology: Structure and function of cells ( MOST REPEATED)
• Genetics: Heredity (passing traits from parents to children) and variation( MOST REPEATED)
• Physiology: How organs and body systems function
• Ecology: Relationships between organisms and their environment
• Immunology: The immune system — how body fights diseases — VERY IMPORTANT FOR NURSES
• Microbiology: Microorganisms like bacteria, viruses, fungi
• Pharmacology: Drugs — how they work and their effects on the body
• Anatomy: Internal structure of organisms (studied by dissection)
• Histology: Tissues (groups of cells) studied under microscope
• Embryology: Development of embryo from fertilization to birth

Other Important Branches (Also Asked in Tests)

Morphology:External form and structure of organisms

Taxonomy: Classification and naming of organisms

Biotechnology:Using living organisms to make useful products

Entomology: Study of insects

Ornithology:Study of birds

Virology:Study of viruses

Mycology: Study of fungi

Parasitology:Study of parasites

Pathology: Study of diseases

Neurology: Study of the nervous system

KEYFACT: Most repeated in AFNS tests: Cytology (cells), Genetics (heredity), Ecology (environment), Immunology (immunity), Pharmacology (drugs). If you know just these 5 perfectly, you will answer most branch-related MCQs correctly.

QUICKTIP

TRICK to remember branches: Think of the ending ‘-ology’ which means ‘study of’. So Cytology = study of ‘cyto’ (cells). Mycology = study of ‘myco’ (fungi). Virology = study of ‘viro’ (viruses). This trick helps you guess meanings of unfamiliar branch names!

📌 EXAMPLE

Q: Q: What is the branch of biology that deals with the study of heredity and variation?

A: Genetics. Gregor Mendel is the Father of Genetics. He studied how traits (like height in pea plants) pass from parents to offspring.

⭐ REMEMBER FOR AFNS TEST

Immunology is especially important for nursing students because nurses work directly with medicines, vaccines, and infection prevention — all of which involve the immune system.

TOPIC 3: Levels of Biological Organization

What Does ‘Levels of Organization’ Mean?

Life is organized in a very specific order — from the smallest, simplest units to the largest, most complex ones. This is called the hierarchy (order) of life.

The Complete Hierarchy — Smallest to Largest

You must memorize this order for your AFNS test:

Atom — the smallest unit of matter (e.g., carbon atom)

Molecule — two or more atoms joined (e.g., water H₂O, glucose)

Organelle — tiny structures inside cells (e.g., mitochondria, nucleus)

Cell — basic structural and functional unit of life (e.g., red blood cell)

Tissue — group of similar cells doing the same job (e.g., muscle tissue)

Organ — group of different tissues working together (e.g., heart, stomach)

Organ System — group of organs working together (e.g., digestive system)

Organism — a complete living individual (e.g., a human being, a plant)

Population — group of same species in same area (e.g., all tigers in a forest)

Community — all populations of different species in one area

Ecosystem — community + its non-living environment (water, soil, air)

Biosphere — all ecosystems on Earth — the highest level

KEYFACT

The CELL is the basic structural and functional unit of life.This single fact is one of the most repeated statements in AFNS biology tests. Never forget it!

📌 EXAMPLE

Q: Q: Which level of organization comes between Organ and Organ System?

A: There is nothing between them. Organs group together to form Organ Systems. Example: Stomach + Intestines + Liver = Digestive System (Organ System).

QUICKTIP

Memory trick for the order: ‘A Molecule Often Causes The Organism’s Peculiar Characteristics Even in Biospheres’A=Atom, M=Molecule, O=Organelle, C=Cell, T=Tissue, O=Organ, O=Organ System, P=Population, C=Community, E=Ecosystem, B=Biosphere

TOPIC 4: Characteristics of Living Organisms

How Do We Know Something Is Alive?

A stone looks alive if it moves in wind. A fire seems alive because it grows and consumes things. But they are NOT alive. We use specific characteristics to identify living things.All living organisms share the following key characteristics. These are called life processes:

The 8 Characteristics of Life — MRSGREN + Homeostasis

Characteristic

Explanation for Students

1. Movement

All living things move in some way. Animals move their whole body. Plants move towards sunlight (tropism). Even single cells move.

2. Respiration

Cells break down food (glucose) to release energy. This energy powers ALL life processes. Do NOT confuse with breathing — breathing is just taking in air, respiration is energy release inside cells.

3. Sensitivity (Irritability)

Living things detect and respond to changes in their environment. Example: Your eye reacts to bright light by making the pupil smaller.

4. Growth

Living things increase in size and complexity over time. Growth in living things comes from cell division and cell enlargement — not just adding material like a crystal does.

5. Reproduction

Living things produce offspring (copies of themselves). This is essential for the survival of a species. No non-living thing can reproduce on its own.

6. Excretion

Removing waste products produced by chemical reactions (metabolism) in the body. E.g., kidneys remove urea, lungs remove CO₂. Note: defecation (removing undigested food) is NOT excretion.

7. Nutrition

Taking in food and using it for energy, growth, and repair. Plants make their own food (photosynthesis). Animals eat food.

8. Homeostasis

Maintaining a stable internal environment. E.g., keeping body temperature at 37°C, keeping blood glucose at normal levels. CRITICAL for nursing — many diseases are failures of homeostasis.

KEYFACT: Memory Trick — MRSGREN:M = Movement R = RespirationS = Sensitivity G = Growth R = Reproduction E = Excretion N = Nutrition+ Homeostasis (often added as 8th characteristic)

QUICKTIP

Common exam trap: Students confuse RESPIRATION with BREATHING. Breathing = taking air in/out of lungs. Respiration = chemical process in cells to release energy from glucose. In AFNS MCQs, if they ask ‘process of breaking down glucose to release energy’, the answer is RESPIRATION, not breathing.

📌 EXAMPLE

Q: Q: Which characteristic of life involves maintaining a stable internal body environment?

A: Homeostasis. The body maintains stable temperature (~37°C), blood pH, and glucose levels through homeostasis. Failure of homeostasis leads to diseases like diabetes, fever, and hypertension.

⭐ REMEMBER FOR AFNS TEST

All 8 characteristics must be present for something to be truly

living. Viruses are debated because they only show some characteristics (reproduction) when inside a host cell — that is why they sit on the boundary of living and non-living.

AFNS academic test Biology MCQs for chapter 01

Q1. The word ‘Biology’ is derived from which language?

Latin

Greek

Arabic

French

✔ Answer: (B) Greek

Explanation: Biology comes from Greek words ‘Bios’ (life) + ‘Logos’ (study). This is directly asked in AFNS tests.

Q2. The literal meaning of the word ‘Bios’ in Greek is:

Study

Science

Life

Nature

✔ Answer: (C) Life

Explanation: ‘Bios’ = Life in Greek. ‘Logos’ = Study. So Biology = Study of Life.

Q3. Who is called the Father of Biology?

Charles Darwin

Robert Hooke

Aristotle

Gregor Mendel

✔ Answer: (C) Aristotle

Explanation: Aristotle (384–322 BC) was the first to systematically study and classify living organisms. He is universally called the Father of Biology.

Q4. Robert Hooke first observed cells in which material?

Onion skin

Blood

Cork

Muscle tissue

✔ Answer: (C) Cork

Explanation: In 1665, Robert Hooke used a microscope to observe thin slices of cork bark and saw tiny box-like structures. He called them ‘cells’.

Q5. The basic structural and functional unit of life is:

Atom

Molecule

Organelle

Cell

✔ Answer: (D) Cell

Explanation: The cell is THE basic unit of life. This is one of the most repeated facts in AFNS biology. Every living thing is made of one or more cells.

Q6. The study of cells is called:

Histology

Anatomy

Cytology

Physiology

✔ Answer: (C) Cytology

Explanation: Cytology (cyto = cell, logy = study) is the branch of biology that studies cell structure and function.

Q7. Which branch of biology deals with heredity and variation?

Ecology

Genetics

Taxonomy

Embryology

✔ Answer: (B) Genetics

Explanation: Genetics studies how traits (characteristics) are passed from parents to offspring (heredity) and why offspring are not exactly like their parents (variation).

Q8. The study of tissues is called:

Cytology

Histology

Anatomy

Morphology

✔ Answer: (B) Histology

Explanation: Histology (histo = tissue) studies the microscopic structure of tissues using a microscope.

Q9. Which scientist proposed the Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection?

Gregor Mendel

Louis Pasteur

Charles Darwin

Robert Hooke

✔ Answer: (C) Charles Darwin

Explanation: Darwin published ‘On the Origin of Species’ in 1859. He proposed that species evolve over time through natural selection — those best suited to their environment survive and reproduce.

Q10. The correct order of levels of biological organization (small to large) is:

Cell → Tissue → Organ → Organ System → Organism

Tissue → Cell → Organ → Organism → Organ System

Organ → Tissue → Cell → Organism

Cell → Organ → Tissue → System

✔ Answer: (A) Cell → Tissue → Organ → Organ System → Organism

Explanation: The correct hierarchy from smallest to largest: Atom → Molecule → Organelle → Cell → Tissue → Organ → Organ System → Organism → Population → Community → Ecosystem → Biosphere.

Q11. Anton van Leeuwenhoek is famous for:

Discovering penicillin

First observation of living microorganisms

Proposing germ theory

Discovering DNA structure

✔ Answer: (B) First observation of living microorganisms

Explanation: Leeuwenhoek built his own microscopes and was the first person to observe and describe living bacteria and protozoa, earning him the title Father of Microbiology.

Q12. Homeostasis means:

Removing waste products

Producing offspring

Maintaining a stable internal environment

Breaking down food for energy

✔ Answer: (C) Maintaining a stable internal environment

Explanation: Homeostasis keeps the body’s internal conditions stable — temperature at 37°C, blood pH at 7.4, blood glucose at normal levels. Critical concept for nursing.

Q13. Father of Genetics is:

Darwin

Aristotle

Mendel

Pasteur

✔ Answer: (C) Mendel

Explanation: Gregor Mendel (1822–1884) discovered the laws of inheritance through his famous pea plant experiments. He is called the Father of Genetics.

Q14. The study of fungi is called:

Mycology

Virology

Entomology

Parasitology

✔ Answer: (A) Mycology

Explanation: Mycology (mykes = fungus in Greek) is the branch studying fungi. Important in medicine because many fungal infections affect humans.

Q15. Which branch studies the immune system?

Pharmacology

Immunology

Pathology

Microbiology

✔ Answer: (B) Immunology

Explanation: Immunology studies the immune system — how the body recognizes and fights pathogens. Vital knowledge for nurses dealing with infections and vaccines.

Q16. Watson and Crick discovered the structure of which molecule?

Protein

RNA

DNA

Cell membrane

✔ Answer: (C) DNA

Explanation: In 1953, James Watson and Francis Crick discovered the double helix structure of DNA. This was a landmark in biology, explaining how genetic information is stored.

Q17. The study of organisms and their environment is:

Ecology

Taxonomy

Morphology

Physiology

✔ Answer: (A) Ecology

Explanation: Ecology (oikos = home/environment) studies the relationships between organisms and their physical and biological surroundings.

Q18. Alexander Fleming discovered:

Vaccine

Penicillin

Insulin

Aspirin

✔ Answer: (B) Penicillin

Explanation: In 1928, Fleming noticed that the mold Penicillium notatum killed bacteria in his petri dish. This accidental discovery led to the first antibiotic — Penicillin.

Q19. Binomial nomenclature was introduced by:

Aristotle

Darwin

Carolus Linnaeus

Mendel

✔ Answer: (C) Carolus Linnaeus

Explanation: Carolus Linnaeus (Father of Taxonomy) developed the system where every organism gets a two-part scientific name in Latin: Genus + species.

Q20. The highest level of biological organization is:

Ecosystem

Community

Biosphere

Population

✔ Answer: (C) Biosphere

Explanation: The biosphere is the highest level — it includes ALL life on Earth and all the environments where life exists (land, water, air).

Q21. Which characteristic distinguishes respiration from breathing?

Breathing uses lungs; respiration uses mitochondria

Breathing produces energy; respiration takes in air

Respiration is visible; breathing is invisible

There is no difference

✔ Answer: (A) Breathing uses lungs; respiration uses mitochondria

Explanation: Breathing = mechanical process of moving air in/out of lungs. Cellular Respiration = chemical process inside cells (mitochondria) that breaks down glucose to release energy (ATP).

Q22. The study of drugs and their effects on the body is called:

Immunology

Pharmacology

Pathology

Toxicology

✔ Answer: (B) Pharmacology

Explanation: Pharmacology studies drugs — their chemical properties, effects, dosage, and uses in treating diseases. Essential knowledge for nurses who administer medications.

Q23. Muslim scientist Ibn-e-Sina wrote which famous book?

Al-Hayawan

Al-Qanun fil Tibb

Kitab al-Manazir

Al-Jabr

✔ Answer: (B) Al-Qanun fil Tibb

Explanation: Ibn-e-Sina (Avicenna) wrote ‘Al-Qanun fil Tibb’ (The Canon of Medicine). It was the standard medical textbook in Europe for about 600 years.

Q24. The Germ Theory of Disease was proposed by:

Fleming

Darwin

Louis Pasteur

Leeuwenhoek

✔ Answer: (C) Louis Pasteur

Explanation: Louis Pasteur proved that specific microorganisms cause specific diseases. His famous swan-neck flask experiment also disproved the theory of spontaneous generation.

Q25. The study of embryo development is called:

Genetics

Embryology

Histology

Cytology

✔ Answer: (B) Embryology

Explanation: Embryology studies the development of embryos from the fertilized egg (zygote) through all stages until birth. Important in obstetric nursing.