WAEC Biology 1998 past questions

Checked by the Skolra question team · Last updated 15 October 2026

Ten questions from the 1998 WAEC Biology paper, with answers and explanations. We hold 49 questions from this paper, and the Skolra app has all of them.

WAEC Biology 1998 questions and answers

1. 1.Which of the following organisms lacks a reproductive organ?
   1. A
      Virus
      Correct
   2. B
      Hydra
   3. C
      Fern
   4. D
      Mushroom
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   Answer: A

   A virus is an acellular (non-cellular) entity that does not possess organelles, organs, or any cellular machinery of its own. It has no reproductive organ. Viruses can only replicate by invading a living host cell and hijacking the host's ribosomes, enzymes, and energy systems to produce copies of themselves.

2. 2.Which of the following is not an organ?
   1. A
      Heart
   2. B
      Blood
      Correct
   3. C
      Liver
   4. D
      Kidney
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   Answer: B

   An organ is a structure made up of two or more different types of tissue that work together to perform a specific function. The liver, heart, and kidney are each composed of multiple tissue types and carry out defined physiological functions, qualifying them as organs.

3. 3.In animals the main protective covering is found in the
   1. A
      Muscular system
   2. B
      Skeletal system
   3. C
      Nervous system
   4. D
      Integumentary system
      Correct
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   Answer: D

   The integumentary system comprises the skin and its appendages (scales, feathers, hair, nails, claws, hooves). It forms the outermost layer of the body and serves as the primary protective barrier, shielding internal organs from:

   • Mechanical injury and abrasion
   • Desiccation (water loss)
   • Ultraviolet radiation
   • Microbial invasion (pathogens)
   • Chemical irritants
4. 4.In a food chain, each stage in the chain is a
   1. A
      Food web
   2. B
      Biotic community
   3. C
      Trophic level
      Correct
   4. D
      Ecological niche
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   Answer: C

   A food chain is a linear sequence showing the transfer of energy from one organism to another. Each step or feeding position in this chain is called a trophic level (from the Greek trophe, meaning nourishment).

   • The first trophic level consists of producers (green plants).
   • The second trophic level is primary consumers (herbivores).
   • The third trophic level is secondary consumers, and so on.
5. 5.Termites are called social insects because
   1. A
      they live in organised colonies with division of labour
      Correct
   2. B
      they build large earthen mounds above the soil surface
   3. C
      they feed cooperatively on wood and cellulose material
   4. D
      they communicate exclusively through pheromone trails
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   Answer: A

   Insects are classified as social (eusocial) when they exhibit three defining characteristics:

   • Cooperative care of young (brood care)
   • Overlapping generations living together
   • Division of labour with reproductive and non-reproductive castes
6. 6.How many chromosomes will be present in a gamete if the somatic cell has eight(8) chromosomes?
   1. A
      4
      Correct
   2. B
      2
   3. C
      8
   4. D
      16
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   Answer: A

   Somatic (body) cells are diploid (2n), containing two complete sets of chromosomes. Gametes (sex cells) are produced by meiosis, which halves the chromosome number, giving haploid (n) cells.

   If the somatic cell has 2n = 8 chromosomes, then:
   n = 8 ÷ 2 = 4 chromosomes in each gamete.

7. 7.Which of the following is not a function of the blood?
   1. A
      Transport of oxygen from the lungs to body tissues
   2. B
      Regulation of body temperature
   3. C
      Defense against pathogens through white blood cells
   4. D
      Production of digestive enzymes
      Correct
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   Answer: D

   Blood performs many important functions, including:

   • Transport of respiratory gases (oxygen bound to haemoglobin in red blood cells; carbon dioxide).
   • Defense against infection via phagocytosis by white blood cells and antibody production.
   • Regulation of body temperature by distributing heat generated in active tissues.
   • Transport of hormones, nutrients, and waste products.
8. 8.Which of the following statements about the circulation of blood is not correct?
   1. A
      Veins generally carry blood toward the heart
   2. B
      The pulmonary artery carries oxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs
      Correct
   3. C
      The pulmonary artery carries deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle to the lungs
   4. D
      The aorta carries oxygenated blood from the left ventricle to the body
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   Answer: B

   The pulmonary artery is exceptional among arteries: it carries deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle to the lungs, where carbon dioxide is expelled and oxygen is absorbed. The statement that the pulmonary artery carries oxygenated blood is therefore incorrect.

9. 9.Which of the following is a method of artificial vegetative propagation?
   1. A
      Spore formation
   2. B
      Grafting
      Correct
   3. C
      Seed dispersal
   4. D
      Budding
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   Answer: B

   Artificial vegetative propagation refers to techniques used deliberately by humans to propagate plants from vegetative parts, without seeds.

   Grafting involves joining a shoot (scion) from one plant to the rooted stem (rootstock) of another so that they grow as a single plant. Other artificial methods include cutting and layering.

10. 10.Which of these is not a function of the kidney?
    1. A
       Maintenance of blood pH
    2. B
       Removal of urea from the blood
    3. C
       Production of bile
       Correct
    4. D
       Regulation of blood osmotic pressure
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    Answer: C

    The kidneys perform several vital functions:

    • Filtering and excreting nitrogenous waste (urea, uric acid, creatinine).
    • Regulating water and electrolyte balance (osmoregulation).
    • Maintaining blood pH by excreting hydrogen ions and reabsorbing bicarbonate.
    • Producing the hormone erythropoietin to stimulate red blood cell production.

The questions come from past JAMB, WAEC and NECO papers. We use software to help write the answer options and explanations, and every answer is checked twice before it goes on the site. How we check

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Practise all 49 questions we hold from the 1998 paper, on a timed CBT screen

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