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Organisms and Populations: NEET previous year questions

Every Organisms and Populations question from the official NEET papers on this site, with the answer and a worked solution.

The questions come from NEET 2026, Re-NEET 2026 and NEET 2020. Each shows its answer and solution when you open it, so you can attempt it first. For what the chapter covers and how NEET tests it, see the Organisms and Populations guide.

NEET 2026 · the full paper

  1. NEET 2026 · Q156

    Which of the following equations depicts Verhulst-Pearl logistic population growth?

    1. (1)

      dNdt=rN(K+NK)\frac{dN}{dt} = rN\left(\frac{K+N}{K}\right)

    2. (2)

      dNdt=rN(K−NK)\frac{dN}{dt} = rN\left(\frac{K-N}{K}\right)

    3. (3)

      dNdt=rN(K−NN)\frac{dN}{dt} = rN\left(\frac{K-N}{N}\right)

    4. (4)

      dNdt=rN(KK−N)\frac{dN}{dt} = rN\left(\frac{K}{K-N}\right)

    Answer and solution

    Answer: (2)

    The Verhulst-Pearl logistic growth equation is dNdt=rN(K−NK)\frac{dN}{dt}=rN\left(\frac{K-N}{K}\right), where K is the carrying capacity, r is the intrinsic rate of natural increase and N is the population density at time t. The term (K-N)/K represents environmental resistance, so option (2) is correct.

  2. NEET 2026 · Q165

    Which one of the following is an appropriate example of sexual deceit?

    1. (1)

      Female wasp and fig

    2. (2)

      Ophrys and bumblebee

    3. (3)

      Sea anemone and clown fish

    4. (4)

      Cuckoo and crow

    Answer and solution

    Answer: (2)

    In sexual deceit the Mediterranean orchid Ophrys mimics a female bumblebee so that the male bee attempts pseudocopulation and inadvertently pollinates the flower. Female wasp and fig is mutualism, sea anemone and clown fish is commensalism, and cuckoo and crow is brood parasitism, so only Ophrys and bumblebee is sexual deceit.

  3. NEET 2026 · Q180

    Choose the correct statements regarding population interactions between two species.

    Statement I: In both parasitism and commensalism, only one species benefits and the other species is harmed.
    Statement II: Both species benefit in mutualism.
    Statement III: Both species benefit in commensalism.
    Statement IV: In parasitism, only one species benefits and the other species is harmed.
    Statement V: In amensalism, one species is harmed and the other is unaffected.

    Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

    1. (1)

      II and V only

    2. (2)

      I and II only

    3. (3)

      II, IV and V only

    4. (4)

      I and IV only

    Answer and solution

    Answer: (3)

    In mutualism both interacting species benefit (II correct).
    In parasitism one species benefits while the other is harmed (IV correct).
    In amensalism one species is harmed while the other remains unaffected (V correct).
    Commensalism benefits one species and leaves the other unaffected (not harmed), so Statement III is wrong, and Statement I is wrong because commensalism does not harm either partner.
    Hence Statements II, IV and V are correct.

Re-NEET 2026 · the full paper

  1. Re-NEET 2026 · Q161

    Consider a population of 10 million cells. Given the per-capita birth rate of 0.002 (per unit time) and the per-capita death rate of 0.002 (per unit time), the expected number of cells after 10 generations is ______.

    1. (1)

      1 million

    2. (2)

      5 million

    3. (3)

      10 million

    4. (4)

      100 million

    Answer and solution

    Answer: (3)

    The intrinsic rate of natural increase is r=b−dr = b - d. Here the birth and death rates are identical, so r=0.002−0.002=0r = 0.002 - 0.002 = 0 and the exponential growth equation Nt=N0ertN_t = N_0 e^{rt} reduces to Nt=N0N_t = N_0. The population is at ZERO population growth and stays at 10 million however many generations pass. NCERT Class 12, Organisms and Populations.

  2. Re-NEET 2026 · Q163

    Given below are two statements : one is labelled as Assertion A and the other is labelled as Reason R.

    Assertion (A): The logistic growth model of populations is considered more realistic than the exponential growth model.

    Reason (R): Resources are finite.

    In the light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below :

    1. (1)

      Both A and R are correct and R is the correct explanation of A

    2. (2)

      Both A and R are correct but R is not the correct explanation of A

    3. (3)

      A is correct but R is not correct

    4. (4)

      A is not correct but R is correct

    Answer and solution

    Answer: (1)

    Exponential growth assumes unlimited resources and predicts a J-shaped curve rising without bound, which no real population sustains. Because resources are in fact finite, every habitat has a carrying capacity K beyond which it cannot support more individuals, and growth slows as the population approaches it - producing the S-shaped (sigmoid) logistic curve. Finite resources are therefore exactly the reason the logistic model is the realistic one. NCERT Class 12, Organisms and Populations.

  3. Re-NEET 2026 · Q172

    Given below are two statements : one is labelled as Assertion A and the other is labelled as Reason R.

    Assertion (A): Abingdon tortoise in Galapagos islands became extinct within a decade after goats were introduced.

    Reason (R): Goats were more efficient at browsing than Abingdon tortoise.

    In the light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below:

    1. (1)

      Both A and R are correct and R is the correct explanation of A

    2. (2)

      Both A and R are correct but R is not the correct explanation of A

    3. (3)

      A is correct but R is not correct

    4. (4)

      A is not correct but R is correct

    Answer and solution

    Answer: (1)

    This is NCERT's standard illustration of competitive exclusion in the wild. Once goats were introduced to Abingdon Island they stripped the vegetation far more efficiently than the tortoises could, and the resulting shortage of food drove the tortoise to extinction within about ten years. Superior resource exploitation by the goats is therefore the direct cause of the tortoise's disappearance, so R explains A. NCERT Class 12, Organisms and Populations (interspecific interactions).

  4. Re-NEET 2026 · Q174

    Match List-I with List-II.

    List I

    List II

    P) Both species are harmed

    I) Predation

    Q) One species is harmed and the other is benefited

    II) Mutualism

    R) Both species are benefited

    III) Competition

    S) One is benefited while the other has no effect

    IV) Commensalism

    Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

    1. (1)

      P-III, Q-IV, R-II, S-I

    2. (2)

      P-I, Q-II, R-III, S-IV

    3. (3)

      P-II, Q-I, R-IV, S-III

    4. (4)

      P-III, Q-I, R-II, S-IV

    Answer and solution

    Answer: (4)

    Interspecific interactions are classified by the sign of the effect on each partner. Competition harms both (P-III, - -). Predation benefits one at the cost of the other (Q-I, + -). Mutualism benefits both (R-II, + +). Commensalism benefits one and leaves the other unaffected (S-IV, + 0). Writing the sign pairs out is the quickest way to sort these. NCERT Class 12, Organisms and Populations.

NEET 2020 · the full paper

  1. NEET 2020 · Q47

    Secondary metabolites such as nicotine, strychnine and caffeine are produced by plants for their

    1. (1)

      Growth response

    2. (2)

      Defence action

    3. (3)

      Effect on reproduction

    4. (4)

      Nutritive value

    Answer and solution

    Answer: (2)

    Secondary metabolites like nicotine, strychnine, and caffeine are produced by plants for defence against herbivores and pathogens. Chapter: Organisms and Populations.

  2. NEET 2020 · Q50

    Which of the following is not an attribute of a population?

    1. (1)

      Natality

    2. (2)

      Mortality

    3. (3)

      Species interaction

    4. (4)

      Sex ratio

    Answer and solution

    Answer: (3)

    Species interaction is a characteristic of communities, not populations. Chapter: Organisms and Populations.

Practise Organisms and Populations in the app: it brings back the questions you get wrong, so the chapter improves, not just your memory of these. Or try the free CBT mock. All chapters: NEET chapter-wise PYQs.

Questions

Are these the official NEET questions on Organisms and Populations?

Yes. They are the questions NTA set in each paper, in its wording. The solutions are written by BrainIt.

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