GCSE Biology Foundation Paper 3
Covers Cell Structure and Transport, Cell Division and Stem Cells, Digestion and the Circulatory System and 9 more.
Questions
Question 1 [2 marks]
Human Defence Systems and Treating Disease
State what an antibiotic is, and state what type of pathogen antibiotics are effective against.
Question 2 [2 marks]
Photosynthesis
State where in a plant cell photosynthesis takes place, and state the raw materials needed for photosynthesis.
Question 3 [2 marks]
Evolution and Natural Selection
State two factors that can cause a species to become extinct.
Question 4 [2 marks]
Respiration and Exercise
State the word equation for anaerobic respiration in human muscle cells, and state one difference between its products and the products of aerobic respiration.
Question 5 [3 marks]
Cell Structure and Transport
A student places a potato chip into a beaker of distilled water for 24 hours.
Predict what will happen to the mass of the potato chip, and explain your answer in terms of osmosis.
Question 6 [3 marks]
Pathogens and Communicable Disease
Salmonella is a bacterial disease that can cause food poisoning.
Describe how Salmonella can be spread, and describe one way its spread can be reduced.
Question 7 [3 marks]
Cell Division and Stem Cells
State three differences between mitosis and meiosis.
Question 8 [3 marks]
Hormones and Homeostasis
Describe the role of glucagon in controlling blood glucose concentration when it falls too low, and state which organ releases glucagon.
Question 9 [3 marks]
Genetics and Inheritance
Cystic fibrosis is caused by a recessive allele.
Describe what is meant by a dominant allele and a recessive allele, using cystic fibrosis as an example.
Question 10 [3 marks]
Cell Structure and Transport
Bacteria are prokaryotic organisms. Animal and plant cells are eukaryotic organisms.
Describe three differences between a prokaryotic cell and a eukaryotic cell.
Question 11 [4 marks]
Digestion and the Circulatory System
A student investigated the effect of temperature on the rate of starch digestion by amylase.
The time taken for starch to disappear was 240 seconds at 20 deg C and 60 seconds at 35 deg C.
Calculate the rate of reaction at each temperature in arbitrary units of 1/time (s^-1), then state which temperature gave the faster rate.
Question 12 [5 marks]
Ecosystems and Material Cycles
Describe the processes involved in the water cycle that result in fresh water falling as rain on land.
Question 13 [5 marks]
The Nervous System and Reflexes
In bright light, a person's pupil has a diameter of 2 mm. In dim light, the same person's pupil dilates to a diameter of 8 mm.
Calculate the area of the pupil in bright light and in dim light, using area = pi x radius^2 and pi = 3.14, and calculate how many times greater the area (and so the amount of light that can enter) is in dim light compared with bright light.
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]
Respiration and Exercise
Yeast is a single-celled fungus that can respire anaerobically in the absence of oxygen, a process used in bread-making and brewing.
Describe the process of anaerobic respiration in yeast, including the word equation, and explain why this process is useful in bread-making.
Question 16 [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 17 [5 marks]
Digestion and the Circulatory System
A slice of bread contains 15 g of carbohydrate. A recommended daily intake of carbohydrate is 260 g per day.
Calculate the percentage of the recommended daily carbohydrate intake provided by one slice of bread, and calculate how many slices of bread (to the nearest whole slice) would be needed to provide at least 50% of the recommended daily intake.
Model solutions
| Question 1[2 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| an antibiotic is a medicine/drug that kills bacteria (or prevents their growth) inside the body | B1 |
| antibiotics are effective against bacterial pathogens (not viruses) | B1 |
| Final answer: An antibiotic kills bacteria (or stops them growing) inside the body; antibiotics are effective against bacteria, not viruses | |
| Question 2[2 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| the chloroplasts | B1 |
| carbon dioxide and water | B1 |
| Final answer: Photosynthesis takes place in the chloroplasts, using carbon dioxide and water as raw materials | |
| Question 3[2 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| a valid factor, e.g. a new predator, disease or competitor arrives, or the environment changes faster than the species can adapt | B1 |
| a further valid factor, e.g. a catastrophic event (such as an asteroid impact or volcanic eruption), or habitat destruction by humans | B1 |
| Final answer: A species can become extinct due to a new predator, disease, competitor or environmental change, a catastrophic event, or habitat destruction | |
| Question 4[2 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| glucose -> lactic acid | B1 |
| aerobic respiration additionally produces carbon dioxide and water, whereas anaerobic respiration (in muscles) does not produce carbon dioxide | B1 |
| Final answer: Glucose -> lactic acid; unlike aerobic respiration, this does not produce carbon dioxide or water | |
| Question 5[3 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| the mass of the potato chip will increase | B1 |
| distilled water has a higher (more dilute) water concentration than the potato cells' cytoplasm | B1 |
| water moves into the potato cells by osmosis, down the water concentration gradient, increasing the mass | B1 |
| Final answer: The mass increases, because distilled water has a higher water concentration than the cells, so water moves into the potato cells by osmosis | |
| Question 6[3 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| Salmonella can be spread by eating food contaminated with the bacteria or their toxins | B1 |
| a source, such as undercooked poultry or eggs, or poor food hygiene | B1 |
| a valid prevention, such as cooking food thoroughly, vaccinating poultry, or good food hygiene practices | B1 |
| Final answer: Salmonella spreads through food (e.g. undercooked poultry/eggs) contaminated with the bacteria; thorough cooking or vaccinating poultry reduces its spread | |
| Question 7[3 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| mitosis produces two genetically identical (diploid) cells, while meiosis produces four genetically different (haploid) cells | B1 |
| mitosis is used for growth, repair or asexual reproduction, while meiosis produces gametes for sexual reproduction | B1 |
| mitosis involves one division of the cell, while meiosis involves two divisions | B1 |
| Final answer: Mitosis makes two identical diploid cells for growth/repair in one division; meiosis makes four genetically different haploid gametes in two divisions | |
| Question 8[3 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| the pancreas detects low blood glucose concentration and releases glucagon | B1 |
| glucagon causes the liver to break down stored glycogen into glucose, which is released into the blood | B1 |
| this raises the blood glucose concentration back towards normal | B1 |
| Final answer: The pancreas releases glucagon when blood glucose is low; glucagon causes the liver to break down glycogen into glucose, raising blood glucose concentration | |
| Question 9[3 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| a dominant allele is expressed in the phenotype even if only one copy is present | B1 |
| a recessive allele is only expressed if two copies are present, with no dominant allele present | B1 |
| a person with cystic fibrosis must have inherited the recessive allele from both parents | B1 |
| Final answer: A dominant allele shows in the phenotype with just one copy; a recessive allele (like the cystic fibrosis allele) only shows if both copies are recessive | |
| Question 10[3 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| prokaryotic cells are much smaller than eukaryotic cells | B1 |
| prokaryotic cells have no nucleus, and their DNA is a single circular strand loose in the cytoplasm rather than in a nucleus | B1 |
| prokaryotic cells may contain one or more small rings of DNA called plasmids, which eukaryotic cells do not have | B1 |
| Final answer: Prokaryotic cells are smaller, have no nucleus (DNA is a loose circular strand), and may contain plasmids; eukaryotic cells have a nucleus and no plasmids | |
| Question 11[4 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| using rate = 1 / time | M1 |
| rate at 20 deg C = 1/240 = 0.00417 s^-1 (accept 4.17 x 10^-3) | M1 |
| rate at 35 deg C = 1/60 = 0.0167 s^-1 (accept 1.67 x 10^-2) | M1 |
| 35 deg C gave the faster rate, because its rate value is larger | A1 |
| Final answer: Rate at 20 deg C = 0.00417 s^-1, rate at 35 deg C = 0.0167 s^-1; 35 deg C is faster | |
| Question 12[5 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| the Sun heating water in oceans, rivers and lakes, causing evaporation of water into water vapour | B1 |
| plants also losing water vapour to the atmosphere through transpiration | B1 |
| water vapour rising and cooling, and condensing to form clouds (tiny droplets of water) | B1 |
| water droplets in clouds joining together and becoming heavier | B1 |
| the droplets falling as precipitation (rain) once heavy enough | B1 |
| Final answer: Water evaporates (and transpires) from oceans, land and plants; the vapour rises, cools and condenses into clouds, and eventually falls as precipitation (rain) | |
| Question 13[5 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| bright light area = 3.14 x 1^2 = 3.14 mm^2 | M1 |
| dim light area = 3.14 x 4^2 = 50.24 mm^2 | M1 |
| using ratio = dim light area / bright light area | M1 |
| substituting 50.24 / 3.14 | A1 |
| 16 times greater | A1 |
| Final answer: Pupil area is 3.14 mm^2 in bright light and 50.24 mm^2 in dim light, so 16 times more light can enter the eye in dim light | |
| 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 |
| anaerobic respiration in yeast is called fermentation | B1 |
| the word equation: glucose -> ethanol + carbon dioxide | B1 |
| fermentation releasing a smaller amount of energy than aerobic respiration, because the glucose is not fully broken down | B1 |
| the carbon dioxide gas produced becoming trapped in the dough, forming bubbles | B1 |
| this causing the dough/bread to rise before or during baking | B1 |
| Final answer: Yeast ferments glucose anaerobically into ethanol and carbon dioxide (releasing less energy than aerobic respiration); the carbon dioxide produced makes bread dough rise | |
| Question 16[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 17[5 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| using percentage = (15 / 260) x 100 | M1 |
| 5.8% (2 significant figures) | A1 |
| finding 50% of the daily intake = 130 g | M1 |
| dividing by the mass per slice, 130 / 15 = 8.67 | M1 |
| rounding up to 9 slices | A1 |
| Final answer: One slice provides 5.8% of the recommended intake; 9 slices would be needed to provide at least 50% of the recommended daily carbohydrate intake | |