Fungi

28 Grade 6 Integrated Science questions on Fungi, with worked marking schemes. 28 questions are available on this topic in full.

1. Question 1

   1 mark

   Which of the following is a harmful effect of fungi?

   A. Baking bread

   B. Decomposing dead matter

   C. Making medicine

   D. Causing food to rot

   (1 mark)

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2. Question 2

   1 mark

   Yeast is a type of fungus used in

   A. making clothes

   B. baking bread and making alcohol

   C. painting walls

   D. building houses

   (1 mark)

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3. Question 3

   3 marks

   A mushroom is made up of a cap, gills and a stalk.

   (a) State the function of the gills.

   (b) State how a mushroom obtains its food.

   (c) Name one place where mushrooms commonly grow.

   (3 marks)

   Marking scheme

   (a) The gills produce/release spores for reproduction (1). (b) It feeds on dead and decaying (rotting) plant and animal matter; it cannot make its own food (1). (c) Any one: on damp/rotting logs; in damp soil; on decaying matter/dung; in dark moist places (1).

4. Question 4

   1 mark

   Which of the following conditions best favours the growth of mould on food?

   A. Warm and moist

   B. Cold and dry

   C. Hot and dry

   D. Salty and dry

   (1 mark)

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5. Question 5

   1 mark

   Which one of the following diseases in human beings is caused by a fungus?

   A. Malaria

   B. Common cold

   C. Ringworm

   D. Cholera

   (1 mark)

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6. Question 6

   2 marks

   Name two diseases of human beings that are caused by fungi.

   (2 marks)

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7. Question 7

   1 mark

   Which is the best way to prevent bread from going mouldy quickly?

   A. Wrap it in a wet cloth

   B. Keep it in a cool, dry place

   C. Sprinkle it with water

   D. Keep it in a warm place

   (1 mark)

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8. Question 8

   1 mark

   A pupil compared a mushroom growing on a rotting log with a green bean plant in the garden. Which feature makes the mushroom different from the bean plant?

   A. The mushroom has green leaves

   B. The mushroom cannot make its own food

   C. The mushroom makes its own food using sunlight

   D. The mushroom has roots that absorb water from the soil

   (1 mark)

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9. Question 9

   1 mark

   A shopkeeper found white and green fuzzy patches spreading on oranges stored in a crate. What does this show about the oranges?

   A. They are well preserved

   B. They are ripening normally

   C. They are becoming richer in vitamins

   D. They have been spoiled by fungi

   (1 mark)

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10. Question 10

    1 mark

    Which of the following is a type of fungus?

    A. Fern

    B. Mushroom

    C. Moss

    D. Maize

    (1 mark)

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11. Question 11

    1 mark

    Toadstools are fungi that should NOT be eaten because some are

    A. poisonous

    B. too colourful

    C. too small

    D. too hard

    (1 mark)

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12. Question 12

    2 marks

    State two characteristics of fungi that make them different from green plants.

    (2 marks)

    Marking scheme

    Any 2 (1 mark each): fungi have no chlorophyll / cannot make their own food; they reproduce by spores (not seeds); they feed on dead/decaying matter (or living things).

13. Question 13

    1 mark

    Which one of the following is an edible fungus commonly eaten as food?

    A. Mushroom

    B. Ringworm

    C. Maize

    D. Cassava

    (1 mark)

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14. Question 14

    1 mark

    Moulds grow best in conditions that are

    A. cold and dry

    B. frozen

    C. hot and dry

    D. warm and moist

    (1 mark)

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15. Question 15

    1 mark

    Penicillin, a medicine used to treat bacterial infections, is made from a

    A. animal

    B. mineral

    C. fungus (mould)

    D. plant

    (1 mark)

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16. Question 16

    1 mark

    From which part of a mushroom are spores released?

    A. The top of the cap

    B. The gills under the cap

    C. The roots

    D. The stalk

    (1 mark)

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17. Question 17

    2 marks

    Give two reasons why some families in Kenya choose to grow mushrooms at home.

    (2 marks)

    Marking scheme

    Any 2 (1 mark each): to get food/for nutrition (source of protein and vitamins); to sell and earn money/income; mushrooms are easy to grow in a small space.

18. Question 18

    1 mark

    A baker adds yeast to flour when making bread. To which group of living things does yeast belong?

    A. Fungi

    B. Bacteria

    C. Plants

    D. Animals

    (1 mark)

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19. Question 19

    4 marks

    Fungi can also be harmful.

    (a) State two ways in which fungi are harmful.

    (b) Suggest two ways of preventing food from being spoiled by fungi.

    (4 marks)

    Marking scheme

    (a) Any 2 (1 each): they spoil food (cause food to rot/go mouldy); they cause diseases such as ringworm/athlete's foot; some mushrooms are poisonous. (b) Any 2 (1 each): store food in a cool, dry place; keep food covered/refrigerated; dry food properly before storage; use preservatives such as salt; do not keep food too long.

20. Question 20

    1 mark

    A slice of bread was left in a warm, moist place for several days and developed a bluish-green furry growth. What most likely caused this growth?

    A. Excess sunlight

    B. Too much cooking

    C. Salt

    D. Mould (a fungus)

    (1 mark)

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21. Question 21

    1 mark

    Fungi are living organisms that

    A. have chlorophyll

    B. can make their own food

    C. cannot make their own food

    D. are always green

    (1 mark)

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22. Question 22

    1 mark

    When yeast is mixed into bread dough and left in a warm place, the dough rises. Why does this happen?

    A. Yeast melts the flour in the dough

    B. Yeast cools the dough

    C. Yeast adds water to the dough

    D. Yeast produces a gas that makes the dough rise

    (1 mark)

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23. Question 23

    1 mark

    How do most fungi such as mushrooms and moulds reproduce?

    A. By spores

    B. By giving birth to young ones

    C. By roots

    D. By seeds

    (1 mark)

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24. Question 24

    1 mark

    Fungi feed on and break down dead plant and animal remains. Because of this role in the environment, they are described as:

    A. Predators

    B. Decomposers

    C. Producers

    D. Pollinators

    (1 mark)

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25. Question 25

    4 marks

    A family stored maize grains in a sack, and after some weeks the grains developed mould.

    (a) State two conditions that led to the growth of the mould.

    (b) Suggest two ways the maize should have been stored to prevent this.

    (4 marks)

    Marking scheme

    (a) Any 2 (1 each): the grains were moist/damp (not dry); the store was warm; poor ventilation/moist air. (b) Any 2 (1 each): dry the maize thoroughly (in the sun) before storage; store in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place; keep grains off the damp ground/on a raised platform; keep the store dry.

26. Question 26

    3 marks

    State three ways in which fungi are useful to human beings.

    (3 marks)

    Marking scheme

    Any 3 (1 mark each): used to make bread rise (yeast in baking); mushrooms eaten as food; used to make medicines (e.g. penicillin/antibiotics); used in brewing; help decompose dead matter and return nutrients to the soil.

27. Question 27

    1 mark

    Fungi help the environment by

    A. cleaning water

    B. decomposing dead organisms and recycling nutrients

    C. producing oxygen

    D. making food from sunlight

    (1 mark)

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28. Question 28

    4 marks

    A learner mixed yeast, sugar, warm water and flour to make bread dough.

    (a) Name the group of living things to which yeast belongs.

    (b) Explain what happens to the dough after some time.

    (c) State why warm water is used instead of cold water.

    (4 marks)

    Marking scheme

    (a) Fungi (1). (b) The dough rises/increases in size because the yeast produces a gas (carbon dioxide) (2). (c) Warm water activates the yeast/helps the yeast to grow and work faster; cold water would slow it down (1).

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