Total marks: 100 · Duration: 105 minutes · Tier: Foundation
Instructions to candidates
- Use black ink or black ball-point pen. Draw diagrams in pencil.
- Answer all questions in the spaces provided.
- In all calculations, show clearly how you work out your answer.
- You may use a calculator.
- For multiple-choice parts, choose one answer, A, B, C or D.
- Where a question describes apparatus or a diagram in words, you may find it helpful to sketch it.
Information
- The maximum mark for this paper is 100.
- The marks for questions are shown in brackets.
- You are expected to use good English and to organise information clearly, especially in questions marked with an asterisk (*).
- This paper covers AQA GCSE Biology topics 4.1 to 4.4: cell biology; organisation; infection and response; and bioenergetics.
Paper
Question 1 — Cells (12 marks)
(a) Which part of a cell controls its activities? [1 mark]
A cell wall B nucleus C vacuole D cytoplasm
(b) Name the part of a cell where:
(i) aerobic respiration takes place [1 mark]
(ii) photosynthesis takes place [1 mark]
(iii) proteins are made. [1 mark]
(c) Give two parts that are found in plant cells but not in animal cells. [2 marks]
(d) Where is the genetic material found in a bacterial cell? [1 mark]
(e) Root hair cells are specialised cells. Give the function of a root hair cell and one way in which it is adapted to this function. [2 marks]
(f) Put these in order of size, starting with the smallest: cell, chromosome, gene, nucleus. [1 mark]
(g) Muscle cells contain many mitochondria. Explain why. [2 marks]
Question 2 — Microscopes and cell division (10 marks)
(a) A student prepares a slide of onion cells. Put these steps in the correct order.
- P: Lower a cover slip onto the slide.
- Q: Peel a thin layer of onion skin and place it on a slide.
- R: Focus using the lowest-power objective lens.
- S: Add a drop of iodine solution.
[2 marks]
(b) The magnification of a microscope image can be found using:
magnification = size of image ÷ size of real object
In the student's drawing, a cell is 12 mm long. The real cell is 0.04 mm long. Calculate the magnification. [2 marks]
(c) Why does the student add iodine solution to the onion cells? [1 mark]
(d) (i) How many cells are formed when one cell divides by mitosis? [1 mark]
(ii) Give one reason why body cells divide by mitosis. [1 mark]
(e) (i) Name one place in the adult human body where stem cells are found. [1 mark]
(ii) Give one way stem cells could be used to treat a disease. [1 mark]
(iii) Give one reason why some people object to using stem cells from embryos. [1 mark]
Question 3 — Diffusion and osmosis (12 marks)
(a) What is diffusion? [2 marks]
(b) Name the process by which oxygen moves from the air in the lungs into the blood. [1 mark]
(c) A student places potato cylinders in three different solutions for one hour. The table shows the results.
| Solution | Mass at start (g) | Mass at end (g) |
|---|---|---|
| Distilled water | 2.0 | 2.3 |
| Dilute salt solution | 2.0 | 2.1 |
| Concentrated salt solution | 2.0 | 1.7 |
(i) Calculate the change in mass of the cylinder in distilled water. [1 mark]
(ii) Calculate the percentage change in mass of this cylinder. Use: percentage change = (change in mass ÷ mass at start) × 100 [2 marks]
(iii) Explain why the cylinder in concentrated salt solution lost mass. [2 marks]
(iv) Give one variable the student should keep the same. [1 mark]
(v) Why does the student blot the cylinders with a paper towel before weighing them? [1 mark]
(d) (i) Active transport needs energy. Which process releases this energy? [1 mark]
(ii) Give one example of active transport in a plant. [1 mark]
Question 4 — Food tests, enzymes and digestion (12 marks)
(a)* A student is given a sample of food. Describe how the student could test the food for starch, sugar (glucose) and protein. Give the result that shows each substance is present. [6 marks]
(b) (i) Name the enzyme that digests starch. [1 mark]
(ii) Name one organ that produces this enzyme. [1 mark]
(c) Explain why an enzyme can only break down one type of molecule. [2 marks]
(d) Bile is made in the liver. Where is bile stored? [1 mark]
(e) What happens to an enzyme at a very high temperature? [1 mark]
Question 5 — Blood, the heart and disease (12 marks)
(a) Give the function of each part of the blood.
(i) Red blood cells [1 mark]
(ii) White blood cells [1 mark]
(iii) Platelets [1 mark]
(iv) Plasma [1 mark]
(b) (i) Name the blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the lungs. [1 mark]
(ii) Which side of the heart pumps blood to the body? [1 mark]
(c) What is a non-communicable disease? [1 mark]
(d) The table shows the number of deaths from lung cancer in a group of men.
| Cigarettes smoked per day | 0 | 1–14 | 15–24 | 25 or more |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deaths from lung cancer per 100 000 men per year | 10 | 78 | 127 | 251 |
(i) Describe the pattern in the data. [1 mark]
(ii) How many times more likely is a man who smokes 25 or more cigarettes a day to die of lung cancer than a man who does not smoke? [2 marks]
(e) Give one treatment for coronary heart disease. [1 mark]
(f) Give one risk factor for coronary heart disease, other than smoking. [1 mark]
Question 6 — Plant tissues and transport (10 marks)
(a) Name the tissue in a plant that transports:
(i) water [1 mark]
(ii) dissolved sugars. [1 mark]
(b) (i) What is the function of the stomata? [1 mark]
(ii) Name the cells that open and close the stomata. [1 mark]
(c) (i) What is transpiration? [1 mark]
(ii) Give two conditions that increase the rate of transpiration. [2 marks]
(d) A plant takes up 1.2 cm³ of water in 10 minutes. Calculate the rate of water uptake in cm³ per minute. [2 marks]
(e) Give one reason why plants need water. [1 mark]
Question 7 — Photosynthesis (12 marks)
(a) Complete the word equation for photosynthesis.
______ + water → glucose + ______ [2 marks]
(b)* Plan an investigation into how light intensity affects the rate of photosynthesis of pondweed. [6 marks]
(c) A student counted the bubbles produced by pondweed in one minute at different distances from a lamp.
| Distance from lamp (cm) | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bubbles per minute | 45 | 30 | 18 | 10 |
(i) Describe the pattern in the results. [1 mark]
(ii) Predict the number of bubbles per minute at 50 cm. [1 mark]
(d) Name the gas in the bubbles. [1 mark]
(e) Give one way in which plants use the glucose they make. [1 mark]
Question 8 — Communicable diseases (10 marks)
(a) Name the type of pathogen that causes each disease: measles, Salmonella food poisoning, rose black spot and malaria. [2 marks]
(b) How is measles spread? [1 mark]
(c) Describe how a vaccine protects a person from a disease. [3 marks]
(d) (i) Why can antibiotics not be used to treat measles? [1 mark]
(ii) Give one reason why doctors should not prescribe antibiotics for mild infections. [1 mark]
(e) Give one way the skin helps to stop pathogens entering the body. [1 mark]
(f) Give one way white blood cells protect the body. [1 mark]
Question 9 — Respiration and exercise (10 marks)
(a) Complete the word equation for aerobic respiration.
glucose + ______ → ______ + water [2 marks]
(b) Name the substance made in muscles by anaerobic respiration. [1 mark]
(c) A student's heart rate was 70 beats per minute before exercise and 150 beats per minute during exercise.
(i) Calculate the increase in heart rate. [1 mark]
(ii) Explain why the heart rate increases during exercise. [2 marks]
(d) Why do muscles become tired (fatigued) after long periods of exercise? [1 mark]
(e) (i) Name the products of anaerobic respiration in yeast. [1 mark]
(ii) Give one use of anaerobic respiration in yeast. [1 mark]
(f) In which part of the cell does aerobic respiration take place? [1 mark]