Biology Questions – 5 marks or more

Contents
Jan 2012 1B.................................................................................................................................................2
June 2012 1B...............................................................................................................................................2
June 2012 2B...............................................................................................................................................2
Jan 2013 1B.................................................................................................................................................2
June 2013 1B...............................................................................................................................................2
Jan 2014 1B.................................................................................................................................................3
June 2014 1B...............................................................................................................................................3
Jan 2015 1B.................................................................................................................................................3
June 2015 1B...............................................................................................................................................3
Jan 2016 1B.................................................................................................................................................4
June 2016 1B...............................................................................................................................................4
Jan 2017 1B.................................................................................................................................................4
June 2017 1B...............................................................................................................................................5
Jan 2018 1B.................................................................................................................................................5
June 2018 1B...............................................................................................................................................5
Jan 2019 1B.................................................................................................................................................6
June 2019 1B...............................................................................................................................................6
Jan 2020 1B.................................................................................................................................................7
Oct/Nov 2020 1B.........................................................................................................................................7
Jan 2021 1B.................................................................................................................................................8
June 2021 1B...............................................................................................................................................9
Jan 2012 1B
9. Plants obtain their food by the process of photosynthesis.

Explain how the structure of the leaf is adapted for its role as the organ of photosynthesis. (6)

11. The peacock is a bird found in the jungle in India. The male has a large, colourful tail that he displays
during courtship to attract a female to mate with. Use your knowledge of natural selection to suggest
how the peacock’s tail has evolved. (5)

12. Farmers use bird scarers that make a sudden loud noise to frighten birds away from their crops.
Design an investigation to find out if noise affects the amount of crops birds eat. (6)

14. Explain the methods used to produce large numbers of fish in a fish farm. (6)

June 2012 1B

11. c) Fish are a good source of protein in the human diet. Describe what happens to fish protein in the
gut of a human. (5)

13. Describe an investigation to find out if keeping chickens indoors increases their growth. (6)

June 2012 2B
7. Describe the biological consequences of cigarette smoking on the human lungs. (5)

Jan 2013 1B

7. c) Another characteristic shown by animals is the ability to respond to their surroundings. For
example, a person may withdraw their hand from a hot object. Describe the sequence of events that
cause this response. (5)

8. d) A student suggested that purple flowers are more likely to be visited by bees than white flowers.
Use your knowledge of natural selection to suggest how this might affect the number of purple and
white flowers in the wild. (5)

9. Fish can be produced in large numbers on fish farms. Design an investigation to find out if the growth
of fish is affected by the temperature of the water in which they are farmed. (6)

June 2013 1B
6. Describe the stages by which a bacterium can be genetically modified to produce large amounts of a
named human protein. (5)

11. Describe the stages in the production of cloned mammals such as Dolly the sheep (5)
15. Describe an investigation to find out the most suitable amount of calcium ions needed to get the
best growth in rats. (6)

Jan 2014 1B

5. Describe the stages used to produce a cloned mammal. (5)

9. Describe an investigation to find out if leaves growing at the bottom of trees are greener than leaves
growing at the top of trees. Your answer should include experimental details (6)

10. d) Oryx and humans can control water loss by making their urine very concentrated. Describe how
this is done. (6)

June 2014 1B
3. b) Describe and explain how the structure of the small intestine is adapted for absorbing digested
food. (5)

7. c) Describe how increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the air may cause global warming and explain
the possible consequences of global warming. (5)

12. Cholesterol is a fatty substance found in the blood that can increase the risk of heart disease. Statins
are drugs thought to lower blood cholesterol levels. Design an investigation to find out the effect of
statins on blood cholesterol levels. (6)

Jan 2015 1B

5. Explain how the rate of transpiration is affected by changes in the environment. (5)

6. (e) Pheromone traps could also be used to control the leaf miner. Pheromones are smells that attract
leaf miner males. Design an investigation to find out if a pheromone trap would help to control the leaf
miner. Your answer should include experimental details and be written in full sentences. (6)

13. a) Describe how the process of micropropagation (tissue culture) can be used to produce plants with
desirable characteristics. (5)

June 2015 1B

4. (a) Describe how smoking damages the lungs. (5)

6. b) ii. The number of fish in the lake decreases over the 25-year period. Explain how the changes in
phosphate levels might cause the decrease in the number of fish. (5)

12. Eating garlic is thought to reduce the chance of being bitten by insects, such as mosquitoes. Design
an investigation to find out if people who have eaten garlic are less likely to attract mosquitoes than
people who have not eaten garlic. Your answer should include experimental details and be written in full
sentences. (6)

Jan 2016 1B

2. b)ii. Explain how the structure of the villi is adapted to absorb glucose. (5)

3. c) Explain how the immune system protects most people from becoming ill with listeriosis. (Listeriosis
is an illness caused by eating food containing the bacterium Listeria.) (5)

5. Plants can be genetically modified (GM) to make them resistant to pests. Describe an investigation
that could be carried out to find out if GM plants produce a better yield than normal plants. Your answer
should include experimental details and be written in full sentences. (6)

9. (c) The flower in the diagram is insect-pollinated. An insect carrying pollen lands on the flower.
Describe the events that lead to seed formation. (5)

June 2016 1B
3. (c) Explain the advantages of reducing the mass of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere.

4.c) ii. Use the information in the drawings to explain the process of natural selection. (5)

5. During the cloning of mammals unfertilised eggs are collected from the female. These unfertilised
eggs are stored in a special nutrient solution before they are fertilised. Design an investigation to find
the best storage temperature for the survival of the unfertilised eggs. Your answer should include
experimental details and be written in full sentences. (6)

Jan 2017 1B

4. (b) Tilapia are farmed in many parts of the world to provide a source of protein. Farmers build large
ponds and fill them with fish. The ponds are exposed to sunlight and the farmers add manure to help
the growth of the fish. Some of the water in the ponds is changed every day. (i) Suggest how sunlight
and manure help the growth of the fish. (5)

5. (b) In the UK, salt is spread over road surfaces in winter to prevent ice from forming. When it rains
this salt is washed on to the soil by the side of the road. Design an investigation to find out if plant
growth is affected by the increased salt concentration in the soil. (6)

8.b) ii. Describe the consequences of an increase in carbon dioxide for the world’s ecosystems. (6)

June 2017 1B
5.d) Some people in the survey did not know anything about cloning. The process had to be described to
them before they made a decision. Describe the process of cloning an adult animal using a named
example. (6)

11. b) The garden bench is painted with a fungicide solution. This prevents the wood being decomposed
because fungicide kills fungi. There are different fungicides that can be used. Design an investigation to
find out which fungicide is best at preventing the decomposition of wooden logs. Your answer should
include experimental details and be written in full sentences. (6)

Jan 2018 1B
6. If a person drinks a lot of water, the water content of their blood will increase. (a) Describe how the
water content of their blood is regulated. (5)

7. Explants are produced during the process of micropropagation. These explants are sterilised with a
dilute solution of bleach. The solution of bleach kills surface microorganisms. Design an investigation to
find the best concentration of bleach to use. Your answer should include experimental details and be
written in full sentences. (6)

June 2018 1B

4. b) To increase production, fish farmers maintain water quality and food quality on a fish farm. Explain
three other ways that farmers could increase production on a fish farm. (6)

5.d) The student claims her results show that deforestation should be prevented. What are the
advantages and disadvantages of deforestation? (6)

10.b) The nephron produces urine that flows out of tube A to the bladder. Explain how changes in the
composition of this liquid are brought about when a person is dehydrated (short of water). (6)

12. Two different varieties of yeast, A and B, are used to produce beers that contain different
concentrations of alcohol. Design an investigation to determine which variety of yeast is best for
producing low alcohol beer. (6)

Jan 2019 1B
4.b) Katydids are insects that are green and look like the leaves that they feed on. Explain how katydids
have evolved to look like leaves. (5)

5. b) Pneumoconiosis is a lung disease caused by breathing in coal dust particles. Coal dust particles
collect in the alveoli and cannot be removed. Cells grow around these coal dust particles, forming tissue
that traps the particles. Suggest why pneumoconiosis reduces the ability of a person to exercise. (5)

7.b) Describe the structure of the kidney. Refer to the structure of the nephron in your answer. (5)

13. Micropropagation (tissue culture) is a method in which small pieces of plants (explants) are grown in
vitro using nutrient media. Design an investigation to find out if adding more amino acids to the nutrient
media increases the growth of the plants. Your answer should include experimental details and be
written in full sentences. (6)

June 2019 1B
2. c)ii. ) A student investigates the effect of genetic modification on the growth of salmon. The student
measures the mass and length of one normal salmon and one genetically modified salmon when both
salmon are 18 months old.

The student concludes that his results show that genetically modified (GM) salmon are useful in
providing a balanced diet. Discuss the student’s conclusion. (6)

6. b)ii. Nicotine is a chemical found in cigarettes. A scientist investigates how nicotine affects sperm cells.
The scientist gives male rats different concentrations of nicotine. He then calculates the percentage of
damaged sperm cells in the semen produced by each rat.

The scientist concludes that cigarette smoking could make male humans infertile. Discuss this
conclusion. (5)

9.b) Water pollution can occur if sewage enters a river. Explain the biological consequences of sewage
pollution on a river ecosystem. (6)

10.c) Plant growth substances stimulate root growth from a cut stem. Describe an investigation to find
the best concentration of plant growth substance to stimulate root growth. You should include
experimental details in your answer and write in full sentences. (6)
Jan 2020 1B

3.c) The graphs show the number of squirrels, foxes and trees in a woodland in 2010 and in 2018.

Discuss possible reasons why there is a decrease in the number of squirrels from 2010 to 2018. Use
information from the graphs and your own knowledge in your answer. (5)

5.b)ii. Discuss why some farmers limit the number of chemical fertilisers they add to their crops. (5)

7.c) Fruit flies feed on decomposing fruit. The smell of the fruit attracts the fruit flies. Design an
investigation to find out if the smell of decomposing apples attracts fruit flies more than the smell of
decomposing bananas. Include experimental details in your answer and write in full sentences. (6)

Oct/Nov 2020 1B

5.b) A farmer can use either of these methods to improve his crop yield. ● grow GM plants that produce
the insect poison ● grow non-GM plants and use pesticides The farmer decides to grow the GM plants
rather than using pesticides. Discuss the decision made by the farmer. (6)

6.b)ii. The student compares the aerobic respiration of male and female locusts. He uses three male
locusts and three female locusts. He uses locusts of the same age and the same species. Explain three
other variables that the student needs to control. (6)
11. Some cosmetic companies claim that adding argan oil to their shampoo increases the strength of
human hair. Design an investigation to find out if argan oil shampoo does increase the strength of
human hair. Include experimental details in your answer and write in full sentences. (6)

Jan 2021 1B

3.b) Muscles in the legs contain capillaries. A scientist investigates how long-term training affects the
number of capillaries in an athlete’s leg muscles. The scientist determines the mean number of
capillaries per mm2 in samples of leg muscle from the athlete before and after a period of training. The
table shows the scientist’s results.

The scientist concludes that training improves the athletic performance. Discuss this conclusion. (5)

10. Substances can move into and out of cells by a variety of mechanisms. (a) Explain the factors that
affect the rate of movement of substances into and out of cells. (5)

11. Bread can be produced from flour using yeast. Design an investigation to find out if changing the
starch content of the flour causes the bread to expand more. Your answer should include experimental
details and be written in full sentences. (6)

June 2021 1B
5.b) The scientist concludes that biological control is a better way of controlling weeds than chemical
control. Discuss this conclusion. Use data from the table and your own knowledge to support your
answer. (5)

8. a) The table gives the percentage composition by mass of human breast milk, and of cow’s milk.

Discuss whether cow’s milk is a suitable

alternative to breast milk for young
babies. Use data from the table and your
own knowledge to support your answer.
(6)

11.b) Some scientists have suggested that adding hydrogencarbonate solution to soil, instead of adding
water, can increase plant growth. Design an investigation to discover the effect that adding
hydrogencarbonate solution has on the growth of seedlings. Include experimental details in your answer
and write in full sentences. (6)