Total marks: 80 · Duration: 75 minutes · Tier: Core
Instructions to candidates
- Answer all questions.
- Use a black or dark blue pen. You may use an HB pencil for any diagrams or graphs.
- Write your answers in the spaces provided.
- You may use a calculator.
- Where a question describes an organism, a structure or an experiment in words, you may find it helpful to sketch it.
Information
- The total mark for this paper is 80.
- The number of marks for each question or part question is shown in brackets.
- This paper covers the Core content of the Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610) syllabus.
Paper
Question 1 — Characteristics and classification (10 marks)
(a) State two characteristics of living organisms, other than nutrition and respiration. [2 marks]
(b) A student uses this key to identify four small animals.
| Step | Description | Go to / animal |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Has six legs | go to 2 |
| 1 | Has more than six legs | go to 3 |
| 2 | Has two pairs of wings | butterfly |
| 2 | Has one pair of wings | housefly |
| 3 | Has eight legs | spider |
| 3 | Has more than eight legs | centipede |
Use the key to identify each animal.
(i) Animal A has six legs and one pair of wings. [1 mark]
(ii) Animal B has eight legs and no wings. [1 mark]
(iii) Animal C has six legs and two pairs of wings. [1 mark]
(iv) Animal D has many legs, one pair on each body segment. [1 mark]
(c) Name the group of vertebrates that has:
(i) feathers and a beak [1 mark]
(ii) scales, fins and gills. [1 mark]
(d) The lion has the scientific name Panthera leo. Which word is the genus? [1 mark]
(e) Name the kingdom to which mushrooms belong. [1 mark]
Question 2 — Cells and movement into and out of cells (12 marks)
(a) State the function of each of these cell structures.
(i) nucleus [1 mark]
(ii) chloroplast [1 mark]
(iii) cell membrane [1 mark]
(b) Red blood cells are specialised cells. Give one feature of a red blood cell and explain how it helps the cell carry out its function. [2 marks]
(c) A student draws a cheek cell. The drawing is 30 mm wide. The real cell is 0.1 mm wide. Calculate the magnification of the drawing. [2 marks]
(d) Define diffusion. [2 marks]
(e) A strip of potato is placed in a concentrated salt solution for one hour. It becomes shorter and soft. Explain why. [3 marks]
Question 3 — Biological molecules and enzymes (11 marks)
(a) Give the reagent used and the positive result for the test for:
(i) protein [2 marks]
(ii) fat. [2 marks]
(b) Name the chemical elements present in proteins. [1 mark]
(c) What is an enzyme? [1 mark]
(d) Describe how the activity of a human enzyme changes as the temperature is increased from 10 °C to 60 °C. [3 marks]
(e) (i) Name the enzyme that breaks down starch. [1 mark]
(ii) Name the product of this reaction. [1 mark]
Question 4 — Plants: nutrition and transport (12 marks)
(a) Write the word equation for photosynthesis. [2 marks]
(b) Describe how a student could test a leaf for starch. [3 marks]
(c) A plant is kept in the dark for 48 hours. A leaf is then tested and contains no starch. Explain why. [1 mark]
(d) Name the tissue that transports:
(i) water and mineral ions [1 mark]
(ii) sucrose and amino acids. [1 mark]
(e) (i) What is transpiration? [1 mark]
(ii) Give one condition that increases the rate of transpiration. [1 mark]
(iii) Explain why plants wilt in hot, dry weather. [2 marks]
Question 5 — Human nutrition, transport and gas exchange (13 marks)
(a) Name the deficiency disease caused by a lack of:
(i) vitamin C [1 mark]
(ii) vitamin D. [1 mark]
(b) Name the organ where:
(i) bile is made [1 mark]
(ii) most water is absorbed from food. [1 mark]
(c) (i) Name the blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the body. [1 mark]
(ii) Explain why the left ventricle has a thicker muscular wall than the right ventricle. [1 mark]
(d) Give two risk factors for coronary heart disease. [2 marks]
(e) (i) State the function of platelets. [1 mark]
(ii) Describe two ways in which white blood cells protect the body from pathogens. [2 marks]
(f) Inspired air contains about 0.04% carbon dioxide. Expired air contains about 4% carbon dioxide. Explain why. [2 marks]
Question 6 — Respiration, excretion, coordination and disease (12 marks)
(a) Write the word equation for aerobic respiration. [2 marks]
(b) (i) Write the word equation for anaerobic respiration in yeast. [1 mark]
(ii) Explain why yeast is used in bread making. [1 mark]
(c) Name the organ that removes urea from the blood. [1 mark]
(d) A person touches a hot pan and pulls their hand away.
(i) Name the effector in this response. [1 mark]
(ii) Explain why this reflex action is useful. [1 mark]
(e) Give one effect of adrenaline on the body. [1 mark]
(f) (i) What is a pathogen? [1 mark]
(ii) Describe two ways in which a transmissible disease can be spread. [2 marks]
(g) Explain why antibiotics are not used to treat viral infections. [1 mark]
Question 7 — Reproduction, inheritance and ecosystems (10 marks)
(a) Name the part of a flower that:
(i) produces pollen [1 mark]
(ii) receives pollen during pollination. [1 mark]
(b) Give one advantage of asexual reproduction for a plant. [1 mark]
(c) (i) What is meant by the phenotype of an organism? [1 mark]
(ii) In pea plants, the allele for tall plants (T) is dominant to the allele for short plants (t). A plant with genotype Tt is crossed with a plant with genotype tt. Use a genetic diagram to find the percentage of offspring expected to be short. [2 marks]
(d) In the food chain grass → rabbit → fox:
(i) state what the arrows represent [1 mark]
(ii) name the trophic level of the rabbit. [1 mark]
(e) Give two effects of cutting down large areas of forest. [2 marks]