Lesson T4.2.1

T4.2.1 Differences between species Quiz: KS3 Biology, Unit 4

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson T4.2.1, Differences between species: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 Biology (National Curriculum), Unit 4: Genetics and evolution, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What does a species mean?

    • A single cell of a larger organism that can divide to make copies
    • Any organism with the same size and shape as another organism
    • A group of organisms that live in one habitat only and feed together
    • A group of organisms that can breed to produce fertile offspring

  2. Which pair of organisms are different species?

    • Two wolves from the same pack
    • A lion and a tiger
    • Two oak trees in one wood
    • A dog and another dog

  3. Why are two different species unlikely to produce fertile offspring?

    • They are always the same size, so they cannot mate with each other
    • They have no DNA, so their cells cannot pass on any genetic information
    • They always live in different habitats, so they never meet each other
    • They have genetic differences that prevent successful reproduction

  4. What does variation mean in a population?

    • Differences in characteristics between individuals of the same species
    • Differences in characteristics between two species that share a habitat
    • A single unchanging feature that every organism in a species shares
    • The death of organisms in a habitat caused by competition for food

  5. Which characteristic shows variation between individuals of the same species?

    • The name of the species
    • Height of pupils in a class
    • The number of cells in a single leaf
    • The type of soil in a garden

  6. Why do differences between species matter for survival?

    • Differences make species the same size, so they compete less for food
    • Some features help organisms survive and reproduce in their habitat
    • Differences remove the need for food by making organisms self-sufficient
    • Differences stop all reproduction within a species in every habitat

  7. Which pair of species differ in a way that affects their survival in a habitat?

    • Two identical fish in a pond with the same diet and the same size
    • Two bacteria with the same DNA sequence living in one warm pond
    • A deer with fast running legs and a sloth with slow movement
    • Two sparrows of the same species that feed on the same seeds

  8. A student measures the leaf length of many plants of the same species. What is this showing?

    • The rate of photosynthesis
    • The difference between species
    • The number of cells in the plant
    • Variation within the species

  9. Why do scientists classify organisms into species?

    • To decide which organisms can be eaten safely by other animals
    • To organise living things by their shared features and relationships
    • To count the number of plants growing in a field each summer
    • To describe the range of colours in the leaves of different trees

  10. Which organisms belong to the same species?

    • A red fox and an arctic fox that sometimes share a den
    • Two individual red foxes that can breed together
    • A rabbit and a hare that are often found in the same meadow
    • A cat and a dog that are kept as pets in the same house

  11. What is the source of variation within a species?

    • Differences in genes and the environment
    • Only differences in the amount of sunlight
    • Only the shape of the cell wall
    • Only the diet of an individual

  12. Why might a population show more variation than a single individual?

    • A population contains many different gene combinations
    • A population has no genes
    • A population contains only one cell type
    • A population shares a single identical gene combination

  13. Which statement about species differences is true?

    • Species only differ in colour and not in their diet
    • Species differ in features, behaviour and habitat
    • Species never differ in behaviour, only in their overall size
    • All species have identical features but different habitats

  14. A plant species has many different flower colours in one meadow. What does this show?

    • The meadow has many different species of plant
    • Variation exists within a species
    • The flowers are dead
    • The plants are not related

  15. What does it mean for two organisms to be related?

    • They share a recent common ancestor and similar genes
    • They live in the same habitat and compete for the same space
    • They have the same size and colour, so they look identical
    • They eat the same food and hunt in the same way in the wild

  16. Why do scientists study how organisms differ within a species?

    • To prove that all organisms within a species are completely identical
    • To count the number of decomposers living in the soil of each area
    • To decide which species should be removed from a habitat first
    • To understand how variation may lead to survival advantages

  17. Which of these is a difference between two species?

    • A leaf is green in summer
    • A tiger has a different height from its brother
    • A tiger has stripes and a lion does not
    • A lion is taller than another lion

  18. What might cause a difference between two individuals of one species?

    • Eating the same food as another organism of a different species
    • Being in a different room of the house during the experiment
    • A mutation or a different environment during growth
    • Being born on a different day of the year to the other individuals

  19. Why is biodiversity linked to species differences?

    • Biodiversity is the number of decomposers only
    • Biodiversity is the amount of light in an ecosystem
    • Biodiversity is the total number of cells in an ecosystem
    • Biodiversity is the variety of different species in an area

  20. Why are closely related species often similar in structure?

    • They live in the same habitat as one another and share the same space
    • They share a recent common ancestor and have inherited similar genes
    • They eat identical foods in every case, from the same plants
    • They are always the same size as each other, whatever their age

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