BYJU’S CBSE: TIPS AND PRACTICES

Class-XII
BIOLOGY
Sample Question Paper with Solutions and Analysis (2019-20)
(Disclaimer: The marking scheme and analysis are based on the guidelines provided by CBSE)

Time allowed: 3 hours Maximum Marks: 70

General Instructions:
1. There are a total of 27 questions and five sections in the question paper. All questions are
compulsory.
2. Section A contains question numbers 1 to 5, multiple choice questions of one mark each.
Section B contains question numbers 6 to 12, short answer type I questions of two marks
each.
Section C contains question numbers 13 to 21, short answer type II questions of three
marks each.
Section D contains question numbers 22 to 24, case-based short answer type questions of
three marks each (1+1+1).
Section E contains question numbers 25 to 27, long answer type questions of five marks
each.
3. There is no overall choice in the question paper. However, internal choices are provided in
two questions of one mark, one question of two marks, two questions of three marks and all
three questions of five marks. An examinee is to attempt any one of the questions out of the
two given in the question paper with the same question number.

Page | 1
 SECTION A
1. The given figure represents the maturation of proinsulin into insulin. Identify the
product A. 1

a. A peptide
b. B peptide
c. C peptide
d. Both (b) and (c)

2. Cu ions released from copper-T Intra Uterine Devices (IUDs) control birth by: 1
a. Inhibiting ovulation
b. Sperm phagocytosis
c. Inhibiting implantation
d. Suppressing sperm motility
OR
The yellowish fluid secreted by the mother during her initial days of lactation is called:
a. Oxytocin
b. Colostrum
c. Serum
d. Plasma

3. Algal bloom may result in: 1

a. Biomagnification
b. Eutrophication
c. Biofortification
d. Decrease in BOD

Page | 2
 OR

A species that invades a barren area is called:

a. Endemic species
b. Invasive species
c. Pioneer species
d. Niche species

4. Which of the following microbial products is used as a ‘clot buster’? 1

a. Streptokinase
b. Cyclosporin A
c. Statin
d. Lipase

5. ‘Basmati rice’ is endemic to India. But an American company got patent rights on it.
This is an example of: 1
a. Invasive species
b. Transgenic crop
c. Biopiracy
d. Commercialisation

SECTION B
6. Wings of a bat and arms of a human are homologous whereas wings of bat and wings
of butterfly are analogous. Justify. 2

7. Draw a neat and labelled diagram of a mature human sperm. 2

8. What are SNPs? State their function. 2

9. What is the difference between the interaction of orchids with the mango tree and
interaction of orchids with bees? 2
OR
If you were in charge of the United Nations Environment Program, what measures
would you take to reduce ozone layer depletion?

10. A farm has been infested by arthropods but the farmer is not willing to use insecticides
as these are harmful. Is there any alternative to the use of insecticides? If yes, name the
alternative and state its significance? 2

Page | 3
11. Why are meristematic tissues used for micropropagation? 2

12. (a) What are restriction enzymes? 2

(b) Identify the restriction site if the sequence given below is acted upon by the
enzyme EcoR I. Mention the products of this digestion.
ATCGAATTCGG
TAGCTTAAGCC

SECTION C
13. A pea plant having inflated pod and green seed is crossed with another pea plant
having constricted pod and yellow seed. Assuming the dominant traits to be
heterozygous, what is the probability of progeny having constricted pods and green
seeds? 3
OR
How is the processing of prokaryotic mRNA different from eukaryotic mRNA?

14. A farmer crosses the siblings of a cattle that produces superior progeny, for several
generations so as to obtain higher yield. Will he be successful in his attempt? If not,
how will he solve this problem? 3

15. How do humans cope with the extreme temperatures during summers and winters? 3

16. Radha started sneezing and began to develop rashes after coming back from the park. 3
a) What caused such a reaction?
b) How can this be confirmed experimentally?
c) What drugs can be used to reduce these symptoms?

17. The frequency of two alleles in a gene pool is 0.19 (A) and 0.81 (a). Assume that the
population is in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. 3
a) Calculate percentage of heterozygous individuals in the population.
b) Calculate the percentage of homozygous recessives in the population.

18. Draw a neat and labelled diagram of a mature embryo sac. 3

19. (a) Describe the process in which BOD is reduced during sewage treatment. 3
(b) What is activated sludge?
OR

Page | 4
 (a) A patient has undergone a kidney transplant from a healthy donor. But the patient
has suffered from kidney failure. Which immune response is responsible for such
incompatibility? Mention the criteria essential before performing such transplantation.
(b) Which microbial product can be used to prevent this?

20. If you are provided with DNA polymerase from E.coli and from Thermus aquaticus,
which one would you choose to perform PCR? Justify. 3

21. “The pyramid of biomass can be inverted but the pyramid of energy is always upright.”
Justify. 3

SECTION D

22. 3
(1+1+1)

(a) Who conducted the above experiment?

(b) Name the radioactive elements used for labelling DNA and protein respectively.
(c) Define the objective of the experiment.

Page | 5
23. 3
(1+1+1)

(a) Name the gene used to develop Bt cotton.

(b) Where is the above gene obtained from?
(c) What converts the inactive Bt protoxin into its active form?

24. 3
(1+1+1)

(a) The image represents surgical methods of contraception. Name them.

(b) How do these methods prevent pregnancy?
(c) Mention an alternative to this method.

SECTION E
25. Inheritance like incomplete dominance and co-dominance have deviated from
Mendel’s law of dominance. Elaborate on the mentioned deviations with the help of
examples. 5

OR

Page | 6
 In the image shown above, why is one strand continuous while the other shows several
discontinuous fragments? Which enzymes are involved in this process and what are
their functions?

26. (a) What is the fate of the Graafian follicle after ovulation? 5
(b) What are the functions of the hormones in the follicular phase of the menstrual
cycle?
OR
A plant breeder has two varieties of plants, one that produces larger fruits and the
other that produces more number of fruits. He wants to ensure desired pollination
among the flowers of these two varieties so as to make a plant with both the
characteristics. Describe the procedure he would employ to ensure desired pollination,
if the plants are:
(a) Bisexual
(b) Unisexual

27. How does the growth of a population change over time? Explain the phenomenon with
the help of growth curves. 5
OR
What are the various ways by which biodiversity can be conserved? Elaborate on these
types.

Page | 7
 SOLUTIONS

SECTION A

1. Answer: c

2. Answer: d
OR
Answer: b

3. Answer: b
OR
Answer: c

4. Answer: a

5. Answer: c

SECTION B

6. Answer: Wings of a bat and arms of a human are used for flying and walking
respectively. They perform different functions but share similarities in the anatomical
structure (pattern of bones). So, they are homologous organs. (1)

While, both wings of bat and butterfly perform the same function i.e. flying, but they
are not anatomically similar. They are analogous organs. (1)

Page | 8
7. Answer:
(½ mark for each pair of label = 2 marks)

Fig. Structure of a mature human sperm

8. Answer: SNPs are the type of polymorphism in single nucleotide or differences in

single DNA bases. (1) They provide information in finding chromosomal locations for
disease-associated sequences and tracing human history. (½+½)

9. Answer: The interaction of orchids with the mango tree is commensalism as the orchid
grows as an epiphyte on a mango branch while the mango tree is neither harmed nor
benefited by the orchid. (1)

The interaction of orchids with bees is mutualism as the bees help in pollination of
orchids while the orchids provide nectar for the bees. (1)
OR
Answer: Following measures may be taken to reduce ozone layer depletion:
i) Control the use of refrigerants. (1)
ii) Reduce the emission of CFCs and other ozone depleting chemicals. (1)

Page | 9
10. Answer: Yes, biological control agents like baculoviruses belonging to the genus
Nucleopolyhedrovirus can be used as an alternative for the control of arthropods. (1)
Baculoviruses are excellent candidate for species-specific, narrow spectrum
insecticidal application and do not have negative impacts on plants and animals. (1)

11. Answer: Micropropagation is the method of producing thousands of plants through

tissue culture. Meristematic tissues are free from pathogens such as viruses. (1)
These tissues can be grown in vitro to obtain virus-free plants. Hence, they are used for
micropropagation. (1)

12. Answer:
a) Restriction enzymes are the enzymes that can cut DNA at specific locations. (1)
b)

(½ + ½)

Page | 10
 SECTION C

13. Answer:

♂/♀ iY iy

Iy IiYy Iiyy
(Inflated yellow) (Inflated green)

iy iiYy iiyy
(Constricted yellow) (Constricted green)

Number of constricted pods and green seed = 1

Total number of outcomes = 4
Probability of having constricted pods and green seeds = ¼.
Therefore, the probability of having constricted pods and green seeds is ¼.

OR
Answer: Eukaryotic mRNA has intervening sequences or introns which do not code for
a gene, in between the exons. Prokaryotes lack introns. Hence, mRNA in eukaryotes
undergo post-transcriptional modification for formation of functional mRNA. In the
case of prokaryotes, mRNA doesn’t require processing to become active. So,
transcription and translation can begin in the same compartment and translation can
begin much before the mRNA is fully transcribed. (1 ½)
In case of eukaryotes, following steps occur in post-transcriptional modification:
a) Splicing: In this process, introns are removed and exons are joined in a defined
order. (½)

Page | 11
 b) Capping: In this case, an unusual nucleotide (methyl guanosine triphosphate) is
added to the 5’-end of hnRNA. (½)
c) Tailing: Here, adenylate residues (200-300) are added at 3’-end in a template
independent manner. (½)

14. Answer: As the siblings are of superior quality, mating the siblings (inbreeding) will
also lead to superior quality progeny for a few generations. (1)But continued
inbreeding usually reduces fertility and even productivity, a phenomenon known as
inbreeding depression. So, the farmer may not be successful in the later attempts. (1)
He can solve this problem by breeding these siblings with unrelated superior animals
of the same breed which will help in restoration of fertility and yield. (1)

15. Answer: Humans, like other mammals, regulate their body temperature
(thermoregulation) as they are homeothermic (an animal maintaining thermal
homeostasis). (1)
Humans cope with the extreme temperatures in the following ways:
• During summers, when outside temperature is much higher than the body
temperature, humans sweat profusely. Evaporative cooling brings down body
temperature. (1)
• Extreme low temperatures of winters are usually overcome by the act of
shivering, which is a form of exercise. This produces heat and raises the body
temperature. (1)

16. Answer:
a) Allergens could cause such a reaction. (1)
b) This can be confirmed experimentally by exposing or injecting the patient with very
small doses of possible allergens and by studying the reaction. (1)
c) Drugs like antihistamine, adrenaline and steroids can be used to reduce these
symptoms. (1)

17. Answer:
Given,
Frequency of allele (A) in a gene pool = 0.19
Frequency of allele (a) in a gene pool = 0.81
According to Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium equation,
p²+2pq+q² = 1
where,
p² = frequency of homozygous dominant genotype
2pq = frequency of heterozygous genotype
q² = frequency of homozygous recessive genotype

Page | 12
 a) According to Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium equation, heterozygotes are represented
by the 2pq term. Therefore, the number of heterozygous individuals (Aa) is equal to
2pq which equals to
2 x 0.19 x 0.81 = 0.3078 or 30.78% (approximately 31%)
Therefore, percentage of heterozygous individuals in the population is
30.78% (approximately 31%). (1 ½)

b) The homozygous recessive individuals (aa) are represented by the q²

term in the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium equation which equals to
0.81 x 0.81 = 0.65.61 = 65.61% (approximately 66%)
Therefore, the percentage of homozygous recessives in the population is 65.61%
(approximately 66%). (1 ½)

18. Answer:
(Each label = approximately ½ mark)

Fig. Mature embryo sac

Page | 13
19. Answer:
a) BOD measures the organic matter present in the water. During secondary treatment
of sewage, effluent is constantly agitated mechanically and air is pumped into it which
allows vigorous growth of useful aerobic microbes into flocs. These microbes consume
the major part of the organic matter in the effluent and significantly reduces the BOD.
(1 ½)

b) Once the BOD of sewage is reduced significantly, the effluent is then passed into a
settling tank where the bacterial ‘flocs’ are allowed to sediment. This sediment is called
activated sludge. (1 ½)
OR
a) Cell mediated immune response is responsible for graft rejection. (1)
The criteria essential before performing such transplants are: tissue matching and
blood group matching. (1)
b) Cyclosporin A can be used to prevent this. (1)

20. Answer: DNA polymerase from Thermus aquaticus would be used to perform PCR. (1)
In PCR, high temperature is required for denaturation of DNA. DNA polymerase from
Thermus aquaticus remains active during denaturation of DNA at high temperature. So,
to perform PCR effectively, DNA polymerase from Thermus aquaticus is used. (2)

21. Answer: A pyramid of biomass is a graphical representation of biomass present in a

unit area of various trophic levels. The pyramid of biomass can be inverted in aquatic
ecosystem because in this type of ecosystem the mass of the producers, will always be
lower than the mass of the heterotrophs like fish and insects. As the value of biomass
becomes larger, the pyramid gains an inverted shape with tertiary consumers
appearing at the top in biomass. Example: Biomass pyramid of pond ecosystem. (1 ½)

Fig. Inverted pyramid of biomass

As energy flows from one trophic level to the next trophic level some amount of energy
is lost in each trophic level in the form of heat. Therefore, the pyramid of energy is
always upright and can never be inverted. (1 ½)

Page | 14
 Fig. Pyramid of energy

SECTION D

22. Answer:
a) Alfred Hershey and Martha Chase conducted the above experiment. (1)
b) The radioactive elements used for labelling DNA and protein were 32P and 35S
respectively. (1)
c) The objective of the experiment was to determine whether protein or DNA is the
genetic material. (1)

23. Answer:
a) cry gene is used to develop Bt cotton. (1)
b) cry gene is obtained from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis. (1)
c) Once an insect ingests the inactive Bt protoxin, it is converted into its active form
due to the alkaline pH of the gut of the insect. (1)

24. Answer:
a) The first image represents vasectomy and the second image represents tubectomy.
(½ + ½)
b) These methods block gamete transport and thereby prevent conception which
would prevent pregnancy. (1)
c) An alternative to this method is the use of contraceptive pills, which can be either
progestogens or progestogen-estrogen combination. Pills are used by females. They
inhibit ovulation and implantation as well as alter the quality of cervical mucus to
prevent or retard the entry of sperms, thereby preventing pregnancy. Ex- Saheli. (1)

Page | 15
 SECTION E

25. Answer: Mendel’s law of dominance states that when characters are controlled by a
dissimilar pair of factors, one member of the pair dominates (dominant) the other
(recessive). Example:

This shows that the factor for violet is dominant over the factor for white colour of the
flower. (1)
Incomplete or partial dominance is the phenomenon in which none of the two alleles
(factors) of a gene is dominant or recessive over each other, so that when both of them
are present together, a new phenotype is formed. The new phenotype expressed is a
mixture of both the phenotypes of its homozygous parents. (1) Example:

Pink flower colour is in contrast to the red colour which was expected according to
Mendel’s principles of inheritance. (1)

Page | 16
In case of codominance, both the alleles of a gene are expressed simultaneously in the
heterozygote. (1) Example: (1)

Hence, from the above examples, it is shown that inheritance like incomplete
dominance and codominance have deviated from Mendel’s law of dominance.

OR
Answer: In the process of replication, synthesis of a new DNA strand always proceeds
in the 5’→3’ direction. Since the two strands of DNA run in antiparallel directions, the
two templates provide different ends for replication. The template strand with polarity
3’→5’ synthesizes its complementary strand continuously in the 5’→3’ direction.
Replication is discontinuous on the other template with polarity 5’→3’ because only a
short segment of DNA strand can be built in the 5’→3’ direction due to exposure of a
small stretch of template at a time. Short segments of replicated DNA are called
Okazaki fragments. (1 + 1)
The enzymes that are involved in this process are mentioned below:
• DNA-dependent DNA polymerase which uses a DNA strand as the template for
the synthesis of a new DNA strand. (½ + 1)
• DNA ligase joins the Okazaki fragments of the lagging strand to form a
continuous DNA strand. ( ½ + 1)

Page | 17
26. Answer:
a) After ovulation, the remaining part of the Graafian follicle transforms as the corpus
luteum. Corpus luteum secretes large amounts of progesterone which helps in the
maintenance of the endometrium. Such maintained endometrium is very important
for implantation of the fertilised egg as well as for pregnancy. In case the released
egg is not fertilised, the corpus luteum degenerates. (½ + ½ +½ +½)
b) The following hormones are secreted during the follicular phase of the menstrual
cycle:
Gonadotropins:
(i) FSH (Follicular Stimulating Hormone): FSH stimulates follicular
development as well as secretion of estrogens by the growing
follicles. (½ + ½)
(ii) LH (Luteinizing hormone): LH helps in the follicular development.
The rapid increase in the level of LH called as LH surge which
happens about the 14th day of the cycle, induces rupture of Graafian
follicle and thereby ovulation. (½ + ½)

Oestrogen: It stimulates the proliferation of the endometrium. (½ + ½ )

OR
a) The process which the plant breeder would employ to ensure desired pollination, if
the plants produce bisexual flower is mentioned below:
i) Emasculation: In this process, anthers are removed from the flower bud before the
anther dehisces by using a pair of forceps. (1)
ii) Bagging: In this process, the emasculated flowers are covered by using a bag of
suitable size. This process is known as bagging. This is done to prevent contamination
of its stigma with unwanted pollen. (1)
iii) When the stigma of the bagged flowers attains receptivity, mature pollen grains
collected from the anthers of the desired male parents are dusted on the stigma, and
flowers are bagged again, and the fruits are allowed to develop. (1)
b) If the plants produce unisexual flowers, there is no need for emasculation. Only
bagging is done, in which the flower buds are bagged before the flowers reopen. (1)
When the stigma becomes receptive, pollination is carried out by using the desired
pollen and the flowers are bagged again. (1)

Page | 18
27. Answer: Populations have a characteristic pattern of growth with time which is termed
as population growth form. There are two types of growth forms:
i) Exponential or J-shaped growth form (2 ½)
Ideally when resources in the habitat are in abundance, each species in the population
grows exponentially. Any species which is growing exponentially under unlimited
conditions can reach an enormous population in a short span of time. (1)

It is represented by: dN/dt = rN, (½) where

dN/dt = the increase or decrease in a size of population (N) during a unit time period
(t)
r = the ‘intrinsic rate of natural increase’ and is calculated by r = b-d, where b is the
per capita births and d is the per capita deaths
R is an important parameter which is chosen for determining the impacts of any biotic
or abiotic factor on population growth. (1)

The above equation shows an exponential or geometric growth pattern of a population

and forms a J-shaped curve when we plot N in relation to time.

ii) Logistic or S-shaped growth form (2 ½)

As naturally no population of any species has unlimited resources at its disposal to
permit exponential growth, hence, for a given habitat, there is a limit to the resources
that can support a maximum possible number. This is known as nature’s carrying
capacity for a species in a particular habitat and beyond this no further growth is
possible. (1)

It is described by the following equation:

dN/dt = rN[(K-N)/K], (½ ) where,
N = Population density at time t
R = Intrinsic rate of natural increase
K = Carrying capacity
A plot of N with respect to time (t) results in a sigmoid curve and this type of
population growth is called Verhulst-Pearl Logistic Growth. (1)

Page | 19
 Fig. Graph: J-shaped growth curve (blue) and S-shaped growth curve (red)
OR
Answer: Depending upon the urgency to save the species, there are two approaches for
biodiversity conservation.
I. In situ conservation: (2 ½)
• In this type, the whole ecosystem, its biodiversity at all levels is conserved and
protected.
• In this case, biodiversity hotspots regions with very high levels of species
richness and high degree of endemism are identified to provide maximum
protection which can reduce the ongoing mass extinctions.
• Examples of in situ conservation are national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.
II. Ex situ conservation: (2 ½)
• It means off site conservation. When an animal or plant is endangered or
threatened and needs urgent measures to save it from extinction, ex situ
conservation approach is adopted.
• Threatened animals and plants are taken out from their natural habitat and are
placed in a special setting where they are given special care and protection.
• Zoological parks, botanical gardens and wildlife safari parks are examples of ex
situ conservation.
• Also, gametes of threatened species can be preserved, nowadays, for long
periods using cryopreservation techniques and eggs can be fertilised in vitro.

Page | 20
 ANALYSIS

Section A
5 marks

Section E
15 marks Section B
14 marks

Section D
9 marks

Section C
27 marks

Fig. Section wise mark allocation

18 Marks

14 Marks 14 Marks 14 Marks

10 Marks

Unit I- Unit II- Genetics Unit III- Biology Unit IV- Unit V- Ecology
Reproduction and Evolution and Human Biotechnology and Environment
Welfare

Fig. Unit wise mark allocation

Page | 21
Table: Topics which have been repeated three or more times for the last five years
Menstrual cycle ✓ Definition
UNIT I ✓ Phases
✓ Hormones and their significance
✓ Laws of inheritance
Mendelian cross ✓ Types
✓ Punnett square
✓ Ratios
Parthenogenesis ✓ What is it?
✓ Significance in bees
Processes of Central ✓ Definition
✓ Structure
Dogma
✓ Process
✓ Enzymes
UNIT II Genetic Code ✓ Features
✓ Significance
Homologs & Analogs ✓ Definition
✓ Why does it happen?
✓ Examples
Hardy-Weinberg Principle ✓ Definition
✓ Algebraic expression
✓ Affecting factors & their significance
Evolution of Man ✓ Stages
✓ Time of existence
✓ Features & their significance
✓ Types
Immunity ✓ Mechanism
✓ Principle
✓ Examples
Plant breeding ✓ Process
✓ Commercial use
UNIT III ✓ What is it?
Micro propagation
✓ Process
✓ Significance
✓ Household & Industrial Products
Microbes ✓ Sewage Treatment
✓ Biogas production
✓ Bio control Agents & Bio fertilizers
Restriction Enzymes ✓ What they are?
✓ Mechanism
UNIT IV ✓ Example of EcoR I
PCR ✓ Definition
✓ Process

Page | 22
 ✓ Taq polymerase
GM plants ✓ Organism
✓ Mechanism
✓ Advantage
GM Insulin ✓ Structure
✓ Production
ADA Deficiency ✓ Cause & Symptoms
✓ Cure
Response of Organisms to ✓ Regulate
✓ Conform
Abiotic Factors
✓ Migrate
✓ Suspend
Populations ✓ Age Pyramid
✓ Affecting Factors
UNIT V ✓ Growth Curves
Population Interactions ✓ Types
✓ Definitions
✓ Examples
In-situ & Ex-situ ✓ Definition
conservation ✓ Types
✓ Examples

Page | 23