CLASS VIII — BIOLOGY — ANNUAL EXAMINATION PRACTICE PAPER (2026–2027)

Maximum Marks: 80 | Time Allowed: Two hours

Instructions to Candidates

Answers to this paper must be written on the paper provided separately.
You will not be allowed to write during the first 15 minutes.
This time is to be spent in reading the question paper.
The time given at the head of this paper is the time allowed for writing the answers.

Section A is compulsory. Attempt any three questions from Section B.
The intended marks for questions or parts of questions are given in brackets [ ].

Syllabus: Full book — Cell, Tissue, Flower, Pollination and Fertilization, Seeds, Respiration in Plants, Diversity in Living Organisms, Nutrition, Digestive System, Movement and Locomotion, Skin, Respiratory System, Health and Hygiene, Aids to Health, Health Organizations, Waste Management.

SECTION A

(Attempt all questions from this Section.)

Question 1

Choose the correct options for the following: [15]

(i) The 'powerhouse' of the cell is the:
(a) nucleus
(b) Golgi body
(c) mitochondrion
(d) lysosome

(ii) Which of the following is absent in an animal cell?
(a) ribosome
(b) cell wall
(c) Golgi body
(d) nucleus

(iii) The tissue that covers and protects the surface of the body is:
(a) epithelial tissue
(b) muscular tissue
(c) nervous tissue
(d) connective tissue

(iv) The tissue that conducts water and minerals in plants is:
(a) phloem
(b) xylem
(c) parenchyma
(d) collenchyma

(v) The essential whorls of a flower are:
(a) calyx and corolla
(b) calyx and androecium
(c) androecium and gynoecium
(d) corolla and gynoecium

(vi) A flower pollinated by insects usually has:
(a) bright petals and nectar
(b) a feathery stigma
(c) no petals
(d) a large amount of light, dry pollen

(vii) After fertilisation, the ovule develops into a:
(a) fruit
(b) seed
(c) embryo
(d) petal

(viii) The type of germination in which the cotyledons remain below the ground is:
(a) hypogeal
(b) epigeal
(c) viviparous
(d) parthenocarpic

(ix) The end products of anaerobic respiration in yeast are:
(a) water and carbon dioxide
(b) lactic acid
(c) ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide
(d) glucose and oxygen

(x) Rod-shaped bacteria are called:
(a) cocci
(b) bacilli
(c) spirilla
(d) vibrios

(xi) The kingdom that includes unicellular organisms without a true nucleus is:
(a) Monera
(b) Protista
(c) Fungi
(d) Plantae

(xii) Deficiency of vitamin C causes:
(a) rickets
(b) beriberi
(c) night blindness
(d) scurvy

(xiii) The enzyme present in gastric juice that digests proteins is:
(a) pepsin
(b) amylase
(c) lipase
(d) maltase

(xiv) The joint at the knee is a:
(a) ball and socket joint
(b) hinge joint
(c) pivot joint
(d) gliding joint

(xv) The exchange of gases in the lungs takes place in the:
(a) bronchi
(b) trachea
(c) bronchioles
(d) alveoli

Answer the following questions: [10]

(xvi) Name the two scientists who proposed the cell theory.

(xvii) Name the layer of the skin that contains the sweat glands.

(xviii) Write the full form of WHO.

(xix) Name the fungus that is used in making bread.

(xx) Name one agent of pollination other than wind.

(xxi) Name the type of joint found at the shoulder.

(xxii) Name the organ that stores bile.

(xxiii) What is meant by malnutrition?

(xxiv) Name the process by which kitchen waste is converted into manure.

(xxv) Name the type of immunity that is developed through vaccination.

Question 2

(i) Name the following: [5]
(a) The cell organelle where proteins are synthesised.
(b) The fusion of the male and female gametes inside the ovule.
(c) The outermost layer of the skin.
(d) The process by which digested food passes into the blood.
(e) The kingdom to which mushrooms belong.

(ii) Match the items given in Column I with the most appropriate ones in Column II and rewrite the correct matching pairs. [5]

[5 options from Column I will match with only 5 options from Column II; rewrite the matched pairs only.]

COLUMN I	COLUMN II
(a) Epithelial tissue	(a) Used in baking and brewing
(b) Xylem	(b) Protects and lines body surfaces
(c) Pepsin	(c) Conducts water and minerals
(d) Hinge joint	(d) Found at the elbow
(e) Saccharomyces	(e) Digests proteins in the stomach

(iii) State whether the following statements are True or False. [5]
(a) Mitochondria are called the powerhouses of the cell.
(b) Wind-pollinated flowers are usually brightly coloured and scented.
(c) In hypogeal germination, the cotyledons remain below the ground.
(d) Bacteria are eukaryotic organisms.
(e) Deficiency of vitamin C causes rickets.

(iv) Fill in the blanks with suitable words: [5]
(a) The ______ is the control centre of the cell.
(b) The stalk of a stamen is called the ______.
(c) Deficiency of proteins in the diet of young children causes a disease called ______.
(d) The pigment present in the skin that protects it from the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun is ______.
(e) Waste is of two types. The waste that can be broken down by microorganisms into harmless substances, such as vegetable peels and paper, is called ______ waste. Plastic and glass do not decay easily.

(v) Arrange and rewrite the terms in each group in the correct order so as to be in a logical sequence beginning with the term that is underlined. [5]

[Example: Seed, flower, seedling, fruit; Answer: Seed, seedling, flower, fruit]

(a) Mouth, stomach, oesophagus, small intestine, large intestine
(b) Nostrils, trachea, pharynx, bronchi, lungs
(c) Epidermis, subcutaneous tissue, dermis
(d) Cell, organ, organism, tissue, organ system
(e) Glucose, carbon dioxide and water, pyruvic acid

SECTION B

(Attempt any three questions from this Section.)

Question 3

(i) Name the structure that gives shape and rigidity to a plant cell. [1]
(ii) State two functions of the cell membrane. [2]
(iii) State two differences between a prokaryotic cell and a eukaryotic cell. [2]
(iv) Name the four types of animal tissues. [2]
(v) State three differences between a plant cell and an animal cell. [3]

Question 4

(i) Name the male reproductive whorl of a flower. [1]
(ii) State two differences between self-pollination and cross-pollination. [2]
(iii) What is double fertilisation? [2]
(iv) State two differences between hypogeal and epigeal germination. [2]
(v) State three conditions necessary for the germination of a seed and explain how any one of them can be shown experimentally. [3]

Question 5

(i) Name the kingdom that includes bacteria. [1]
(ii) Give two useful roles of bacteria. [2]
(iii) State two ways in which fungi are useful to humans. [2]
(iv) Write the word equation for aerobic respiration. [2]
(v) Differentiate between aerobic and anaerobic respiration on any three points. [3]

Question 6

(i) Name the vitamin whose deficiency causes rickets. [1]
(ii) What is a balanced diet? State why it is important. [2]
(iii) State the function of (a) bile and (b) hydrochloric acid in the stomach. [2]
(iv) Write the dental formula of an adult human. [2]
(v) Explain the role of villi in the small intestine. [3]