GCSE Biology Foundation Paper 1
Covers Cell Structure and Transport, Cell Division and Stem Cells, Digestion and the Circulatory System and 9 more.
Questions
Question 1 [2 marks]
The Nervous System and Reflexes
A reflex arc includes a receptor, an effector, a relay neurone, a sensory neurone and a motor neurone.
State the correct order these are involved in for a simple reflex action.
Question 2 [3 marks]
Human Defence Systems and Treating Disease
Describe the difference between how a painkiller and an antibiotic help a patient with a bacterial infection.
Question 3 [3 marks]
Digestion and the Circulatory System
State the function of the small intestine and the function of the large intestine in the digestive system.
Question 4 [3 marks]
Photosynthesis
State the name of the green pigment found in chloroplasts that absorbs light for photosynthesis, and state two ways a leaf is adapted to absorb light efficiently.
Question 5 [3 marks]
Ecosystems and Material Cycles
State what is meant by a biotic factor, and describe two ways a biotic factor could affect the population of a prey species in an ecosystem.
Question 6 [3 marks]
Cell Division and Stem Cells
In humans, most cells differentiate at an early stage of development and lose the ability to change into a different type of cell.
Describe how differentiation in plants is different from this.
Question 7 [3 marks]
Hormones and Homeostasis
State which gland releases adrenaline, and state the general situation in which adrenaline is released.
Question 8 [3 marks]
Respiration and Exercise
State three ways an organism uses the energy released by respiration.
Question 9 [4 marks]
Human Defence Systems and Treating Disease
A new drug is trialled at several doses. Out of 50 patients given a 40 mg dose, 35 showed an improvement. Out of 50 patients given an 80 mg dose, 38 showed an improvement.
Calculate the percentage of patients who improved at each of these two doses, and state which dose shows the greater percentage improvement.
Question 10 [4 marks]
Photosynthesis
A student counted bubbles of oxygen released by pondweed placed at different distances from a lamp.
At 10 cm from the lamp, 45 bubbles were counted in 3 minutes.
Calculate the mean rate of oxygen production. Give an appropriate unit with your answer.
Question 11 [4 marks]
Human Defence Systems and Treating Disease
A new painkiller was tested in a double-blind trial. Of 200 patients given the drug, 150 reported reduced pain. Of 200 patients given a placebo, 60 reported reduced pain.
Calculate the percentage of each group that reported reduced pain, and use your answer to comment on the effectiveness of the drug.
Question 12 [5 marks]
Evolution and Natural Selection
A population of aphids was treated with a pesticide. Before treatment, the population contained 8000 aphids, of which 40 carried a resistance allele. After repeated pesticide use over several generations, the population fell to 500 aphids, of which 350 carried the resistance allele.
Calculate the percentage of the population carrying the resistance allele before and after pesticide treatment.
Question 13 [5 marks]
Genetics and Inheritance
Polydactyly (having extra fingers or toes) is caused by a dominant allele.
One parent is heterozygous for polydactyly and the other parent does not have the condition. Using a genetic diagram, describe how you would determine the probability that a child of these parents has polydactyly, and state that probability.
Question 14 [5 marks]
Pathogens and Communicable Disease
At the start of an outbreak, one person is infected. Each infected person then infects 3 new people before recovering, and this repeats for further rounds of infection.
Calculate the total number of people who have been infected in total after 3 further rounds of infection beyond the original case.
Question 15 [5 marks]
Cell Structure and Transport
A red blood cell placed in a beaker of pure water will swell and may burst. A red blood cell placed in a concentrated salt solution will shrink.
Explain, in terms of osmosis, why the red blood cell behaves differently in each solution.
Question 16 [5 marks]
The Nervous System and Reflexes
The eye is a sense organ containing receptor cells sensitive to light.
Describe the function of the retina, the lens and the iris in the eye.
Model solutions
| Question 1[2 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| identifying the receptor as first and the effector as last | M1 |
| receptor -> sensory neurone -> relay neurone -> motor neurone -> effector | A1 |
| Question 2[3 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| a painkiller relieves/treats the symptoms of the infection, such as pain or fever | B1 |
| a painkiller does not kill the pathogen causing the infection, or cure the disease | B1 |
| an antibiotic kills the bacteria causing the infection (or stops them growing), treating the underlying cause of the disease | B1 |
| Final answer: A painkiller relieves symptoms like pain but does not kill the pathogen; an antibiotic kills the bacteria causing the infection, treating the cause | |
| Question 3[3 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| the small intestine digests food further and absorbs the soluble products of digestion into the blood | B1 |
| the large intestine absorbs water from the remaining undigested food | B1 |
| this produces faeces, which are stored in the rectum before being egested through the anus | B1 |
| Final answer: The small intestine digests food and absorbs nutrients into the blood; the large intestine absorbs water from undigested food, forming faeces that are egested | |
| Question 4[3 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| chlorophyll | B1 |
| leaves being broad, giving a large surface area to absorb more light | B1 |
| leaves being thin, so light can penetrate to the cells inside, or containing many chloroplasts | B1 |
| Final answer: Chlorophyll; leaves are broad (large surface area) and thin, allowing them to absorb light efficiently | |
| Question 5[3 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| a biotic factor is a living factor that can affect an ecosystem/population | B1 |
| an increase in the number of predators could reduce the size of a prey population, as more prey are eaten | B1 |
| an increase in a competitor species, competing for the same food or space, could reduce the resources available to the prey species, reducing its population | B1 |
| Final answer: A biotic factor is a living factor affecting an ecosystem; more predators can reduce a prey population by eating more of them, and more competitors can reduce the resources available, also lowering the population | |
| Question 6[3 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| many plant cells do not fully lose the ability to differentiate | B1 |
| plants retain groups of unspecialised cells called meristems (e.g. at the tips of roots and shoots) throughout life | B1 |
| cells in the meristem can differentiate into any type of plant cell, allowing plants to keep producing new specialised cells throughout their life | B1 |
| Final answer: Unlike most human cells, many plant cells keep the ability to differentiate throughout life; meristem tissue at root and shoot tips can produce any type of plant cell as the plant continues to grow | |
| Question 7[3 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| the adrenal glands | B1 |
| adrenaline is released in response to a stressful, exciting or frightening situation | B1 |
| this prepares the body for a fight or flight response | B1 |
| Final answer: The adrenal glands release adrenaline in a stressful, frightening or exciting situation, preparing the body for fight or flight | |
| Question 8[3 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| movement/muscle contraction | B1 |
| keeping warm (maintaining a constant body temperature in mammals and birds) | B1 |
| building larger molecules from smaller ones, such as building proteins from amino acids (or for growth/active transport) | B1 |
| Final answer: Energy from respiration is used for movement, keeping warm, and building larger molecules (e.g. proteins) from smaller ones | |
| Question 9[4 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| 40 mg percentage = (35 / 50) x 100 | M1 |
| 70% | A1 |
| 80 mg percentage = (38 / 50) x 100 | M1 |
| 76%, with the 80 mg dose showing the greater improvement | A1 |
| Final answer: 70% improved at 40 mg and 76% improved at 80 mg; the 80 mg dose shows the greater percentage improvement | |
| Question 10[4 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| using rate = number of bubbles / time | M1 |
| substituting 45 / 3 | M1 |
| 15 | A1 |
| the correct unit, bubbles per minute | B1independent |
| Final answer: 15 bubbles per minute | |
| Question 11[4 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| drug group percentage = (150/200) x 100 = 75% | M1 |
| placebo group percentage = (60/200) x 100 = 30% | M1 |
| comparing the two percentages | M1 |
| the drug is effective because a much greater percentage of patients on the drug reported reduced pain than on the placebo (75% compared with 30%) | A1 |
| Final answer: 75% (drug) versus 30% (placebo); the drug appears effective since a far higher proportion improved than with the placebo | |
| Question 12[5 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| before-treatment percentage = (40/8000) x 100 | M1 |
| 0.5% | A1 |
| after-treatment percentage = (350/500) x 100 | M1 |
| 70% | A1 |
| stating this large increase shows the pesticide killed mostly non-resistant aphids, so the resistant survivors made up a much greater proportion of the smaller remaining population | B1independent |
| Final answer: Before treatment, 0.5% of aphids carried the resistance allele; after treatment, 70% did, showing pesticide use selected for resistant aphids | |
| Question 13[5 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| identifying the heterozygous parent's genotype as Dd (D = dominant polydactyly allele, d = recessive normal allele) and the unaffected parent's genotype as dd | B1 |
| drawing a genetic diagram (Punnett square) crossing Dd x dd | M1 |
| the diagram showing offspring genotypes Dd, Dd, dd, dd | A1 |
| identifying 2 out of 4 offspring as Dd (affected) | A1 |
| a probability of 50% (or 1 in 2) | B1independent |
| Final answer: Crossing Dd x dd gives offspring Dd, Dd, dd, dd; the probability of a child having polydactyly is 50% | |
| Question 14[5 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| round 1 = 1 x 3 = 3 newly infected | M1 |
| round 2 = 3 x 3 = 9 newly infected | M1 |
| round 3 = 9 x 3 = 27 newly infected | M1 |
| the total number infected = 1 + 3 + 9 + 27 = 40 | A1 |
| identifying this pattern as exponential growth, which is why an outbreak can spread rapidly if unchecked | B1independent |
| Final answer: 40 people in total have been infected after 3 further rounds; this is an example of exponential growth | |
| Question 15[5 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| osmosis is the movement of water molecules from a dilute solution to a concentrated solution through a partially permeable membrane | B1 |
| pure water is more dilute (has a higher water concentration) than the cytoplasm inside the cell | B1 |
| water moves into the cell by osmosis down this concentration gradient, causing the cell to swell and potentially burst | B1 |
| the concentrated salt solution has a lower water concentration than the cytoplasm | B1 |
| water moves out of the cell by osmosis, causing it to shrink | B1 |
| Final answer: In pure water, water moves into the cell by osmosis (higher water concentration outside), causing it to swell/burst; in concentrated salt solution, water moves out of the cell by osmosis (lower water concentration outside), causing it to shrink | |
| Question 16[5 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| the retina containing light receptor cells (rods and cones) | B1 |
| the retina converting light into electrical impulses, which travel to the brain via the optic nerve | B1 |
| the lens focusing light onto the retina, and changing shape to focus on objects at different distances | B1 |
| the iris being a ring of muscle that controls the diameter of the pupil | B1 |
| the iris controlling how much light enters the eye, protecting the retina from very bright light | B1 |
| Final answer: The retina contains light receptors and converts light into electrical impulses sent via the optic nerve; the lens focuses light onto the retina; the iris controls pupil size to regulate how much light enters | |