HBCSE-TIFR INBO Olympiad Question Paper

Download Homi Bhabha Centre For Science Education [HBCSE-TIFR], Indian National Biology Olympiad [INBO] Past Papers and Sample Question Papers Online

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Download HBCSE-TIFR INBO Olympiad Question Paper

HBCSE-TIFR INBO Olympiad Sample Questions

1. (1 point) „Mostly male‟ hypothesis of Michael and Frohlich states that bisexual flower organization derives more from the male structures of ancestral gymnosperms than from female structures. From which of the following facts is this hypothesis derived?
a. Male cones of certain pteridophytes and gymnosperms resemble primitive flowers like lotus.
b. Genes for flower development in angiosperms and microsporophyll development in gymnosperms are closely related.
c. Position of flowers resembles that of male cones.
d. All the above

2. (1 point) A researcher is working on a 10kb pure DNA fragment. This DNA has restriction sites for EcoRI and BamHI. EcoRI sites are located at 0.5kb from each end in the DNA while BamHI site is at the centre of the DNA fragment. If both the enzymes are used by the researcher to digest the DNA, how many bands are expected in the agarose gel (considering complete digestion)?
a. 2
b. 3
c. 4
d. 5

3. (1 point) “Girdling” is the process of removal of outer tissues around the branch or trunk of a woody plant. Girdling can be shallow (i.e. , only bark is removed) or deep (i.e., bark along with xylem is removed). Which one of the following will result if a grapes-bearing branch of a plant is girdled?
a. If the girdling is shallow, it will not have any effect on the plant.
b. If the girdling is deep, the leaves on the branch will become turgid as transpiration will halt.
c. If the girdling is deep, the plant will die.
d. If the girdling is shallow, the fruits on the branch will be sweeter.

4. (1 point) Individuals with diabetes are prescribed a low glycemic index diet. The reason for this is that:
a. their dietary carbohydrate requirement is lower than that of non-diabetic individuals.
b. they cannot assimilate complex carbohydrates such as starch.
c. they need to have slow but sustained release of glucose in their blood.
d. they can tolerate lower, but not higher than normal blood sugar levels.

5. (1 point) Ward Watt and co-workers were working on butterflies of genus Colias. The populations of these butterflies are polymorphic for a gene phosphoglucose isomerase. This gene encodes the enzyme PGI, which affects the heat tolerance limit of the insect. It was found that males heterozygous for pgi could mate more successfully than homozygous males. This could be because:
a. heterozygous males have longer life span than homozygous ones.
b. heterozygous males can fly at any time of the day and irrespective of season.
c. heterozygosity leads to hybrid vigour giving rise to large sized butterflies.
d. homozygous individuals produce excessive enzyme which impairs body temperature control mechanism

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