O Level / IGCSE Biology chapter 16: Development of organisms and continuity of life MCQs with answers
By Team Megalecture · Updated 4 Nov 2026
57 exam-style questions on Development of organisms and continuity of life, each with the answer and a short explanation. Ten of them are below to try. The chapter test draws ten fresh questions each time and is marked the moment you finish, with your score by topic.
Ten Development of organisms and continuity of life questions with answers
Try each one, then open the answer. These ten stay the same; the test draws new ones every time.
1. A boy has both his testes removed after an accident. Which two things will he no longer be able to produce?
A
testosterone and the hormone FSH
B
sperm and the hormone testosterone
C
seminal fluid and the hormone oestrogen
D
sperm and the fluid in which sperm swim
Show answer
Answer: B. The testes make sperm and testosterone. The prostate gland adds the fluid, and FSH comes from the pituitary gland.
2. Which is an example of asexual reproduction?
A
new potato plants growing from tubers
B
seeds forming after cross-pollination of two flowers
C
pollen tubes growing down to the ovules in a flower
D
a sperm fusing with an egg in the oviduct
Show answer
Answer: A. A tuber grows into a new plant by mitosis, without gametes. The other examples involve sexual reproduction.
3. What is pollination?
A
the growth of a pollen tube down the style to the ovule
B
the fusion of a male nucleus with a female nucleus
C
the dispersal of seeds away from the parent plant
D
the transfer of pollen from an anther to a stigma
Show answer
Answer: D. Pollination is the transfer of pollen. Fertilisation, the fusion of nuclei, happens later.
4. What is an advantage of asexual reproduction?
A
no mate is needed, so many offspring can be produced quickly by one parent
B
it produces a great deal of variation among the offspring
C
it needs two parents, so the genes of both are combined
D
it helps the species to adapt as the environment changes
Show answer
Answer: A. Asexual reproduction is fast and needs no mate; offspring well suited to a stable environment keep the parent's successful features.
5. What is a haploid nucleus?
A
a nucleus with no chromosomes at all
B
a nucleus with two sets of chromosomes
C
a nucleus that can divide only by mitosis
D
a nucleus with one set of chromosomes
Show answer
Answer: D. Haploid nuclei, as in gametes, have one set of chromosomes. Diploid nuclei have two sets.
6. Which change during puberty is caused by testosterone?
A
widening of the hips and rounding of the body shape
B
growth of the breasts and start of milk production
C
growth of facial hair
D
the start of the monthly menstrual cycle
Show answer
Answer: C. Testosterone causes male secondary sexual characteristics such as facial hair and a deeper voice. Oestrogen causes breast growth, wider hips and the start of the menstrual cycle.
7. A human egg cell is fertilised by a sperm cell. How many chromosomes are in the zygote?
A
23
B
46
C
69
D
92
Show answer
Answer: B. The egg and the sperm are haploid gametes with 23 chromosomes each. They fuse to make a diploid zygote with 23 + 23 = 46 chromosomes.
8. What is the role of FSH in the menstrual cycle?
A
it causes the lining of the uterus to break down
B
it stimulates an egg to develop
C
it keeps the lining of the uterus thick
D
it causes the release of the egg from the ovary
Show answer
Answer: B. FSH from the pituitary gland starts the development of an egg in a follicle. LH triggers ovulation.
9. What is a likely effect on a population of plants that mainly self-pollinate, compared with plants that cross-pollinate?
A
more variation, so the plants can adapt better to change
B
no effect on variation, because the pollen comes from the same plant
C
less variation, so less able to adapt to change, but less dependent on pollinators
D
more variation, and a greater need for insects to visit the flowers
Show answer
Answer: C. Self-pollination mixes fewer alleles, reducing variation; but the plant does not need pollinators to reproduce.
10. Where does fertilisation normally take place in the human female?
A
in the oviduct
B
in the uterus, where the embryo implants
C
in the vagina, where sperm are deposited
D
in the ovary, where the egg is released
Show answer
Answer: A. Sperm meet the egg in the oviduct; the embryo then moves to the uterus to implant.
Development of organisms and continuity of life: questions students ask
How many Development of organisms and continuity of life MCQs are there?
57, each with the answer and a short explanation, across 4 topics: Nuclear division, Asexual and sexual reproduction, Sexual reproduction in plants, Sexual reproduction in humans. Every chapter test draws ten of them, so you can take it many times.
Is the O Level / IGCSE Biology chapter 16 test free?
Yes. The test, the answers and the explanations are free and need no sign-up. Sign in only if you want your scores kept across devices.
How is the chapter test marked?
The moment you press Finish: your score, the right answer and an explanation for every question, and the ones you got wrong saved in My mistakes to retry.
