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Biology · AQA 8461 · Paper 2 · Foundation · November 2020

AQA GCSE Biology Paper 2 Foundation November 2020 question paper 8461/2F

1h 45m 100 marks

Practise the past exam questions by topic

AQA 8461 · Paper 2F

9 questions
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Question 1

A food for pet dogs contains meat from chickens.

Figure 1 shows the food chain.

Figure for question 1

What is the trophic level of the dog?

Tick (✓) one box.

Figure for question 1

[1 mark]

Draw one line from each organism to the description of the organism’s position in the food chain.

Figure for question 1

[3 marks]

Name the process wheat plants use to make glucose.

[1 mark]

Some of the chicken biomass does not become part of the dog’s biomass.

What is one reason why?

Tick (✓) one box.

Figure for question 1

[1 mark]

A new dog food has been developed.

The new dog food is made from insects.

The insects in the dog food factory are fed on vegetables.

Which pyramid of biomass represents the vegetables, insects and dogs in this food chain?

Tick (✓) one box.

Figure for question 1

[1 mark]

Beef from cows is used to make some dog food.

Cows release methane.

The company that makes dog food from insects made the statement:

‘Dog food made from insects is more sustainable than dog food made from beef.’

Which are two reasons that support the company’s statement?

Tick (✓) two boxes.

Figure for question 1

[2 marks]

Question 2

A student investigated the effect of light intensity on the growth of seedlings.

Figure 2 shows the equipment.

Figure for question 2

Which two improvements should the student make to the investigation?

Tick (✓) two boxes.

Figure for question 2

[2 marks]

What is the dependent variable in the investigation?

Tick (✓) one box.

Figure for question 2

[1 mark]

In each dish the seedlings compete with each other.

Give two factors the seedlings compete for.

[2 marks]

Figure 3 shows a seedling growing towards a lamp.

Figure for question 2

What happened to the growth of the seedling on side P compared with the growth on side Q ?

Tick (✓) one box.

Figure for question 2

[1 mark]

Plant responses are called tropisms.

Which tropism causes the seedling to grow towards light?

Tick (✓) one box.

Figure for question 2

[1 mark]

Which hormone causes the seedling to grow towards the light?

Tick (✓) one box.

Figure for question 2

[1 mark]

Question 3

Sperm cells and egg cells are formed by meiosis.

During meiosis a cell divides twice.

How many sperm cells are formed when a cell divides by meiosis?

[1 mark]

Human body cells contain 46 chromosomes.

How many chromosomes are in each human egg cell?

[1 mark]

Dupuytren’s is a disorder that affects the hands.

One form of Dupuytren’s is caused by a dominant allele (D).

The allele for not having Dupuytren’s is recessive (d).

What is an allele?

Tick (✓) one box.

Figure for question 3

[1 mark]

A man with Dupuytren’s has the genotype Dd.

Which word describes the man’s genotype?

Tick (✓) one box.

Figure for question 3

[1 mark]

The man with Dupuytren’s (Dd) and a woman who does not have Dupuytren’s (dd) plan to have a child.

Complete the genetic diagram in Figure 4 to show the possible genotypes of the child.

Figure for question 3

[2 marks]

Draw a ring around the genotype of a child in Figure 4 who will have Dupuytren’s.

[1 mark]

What is the chance of the child having Dupuytren’s?

Tick (✓) one box.

Figure for question 3

[1 mark]

A genetic disorder develops as a result of a change in a gene.

What scientific term describes a change in a gene?

[1 mark]

People with a family history of some genetic disorders are offered embryo screening.

Suggest one way embryo screening can help people with a family history of a genetic disorder.

[1 mark]

Question 4

Figure 5 shows the water loss from a person on one day.

Figure for question 4

The total water loss was 2600 cm3.

Calculate the percentage of the total water loss that was lost as urine.

Question 4, shown as an image

[2 marks]

A marathon race is 42 km long.

What happens to the volume of water lost as sweat when a person runs a marathon?

[1 mark]

What must marathon runners do to prevent themselves becoming dehydrated?

[1 mark]

Complete the sentences.

Choose answers from the box.

Figure for question 4

Blood entering the kidneys goes through the process of

Glucose is not found in urine because of

Question 4, shown as an image

[3 marks]

People with kidney failure can have dialysis or a kidney transplant.

Dialysis is often needed 3 times each week and can take over 4 hours each time.

Dialysis usually happens in a hospital.

Kidney transplants require a donor and major surgery.

Describe the advantages and disadvantages of having a kidney transplant instead of having dialysis.

[4 marks]

Question 5

Figure 6 shows the brain.

Figure for question 5

Label A, B and C on Figure 6.

Choose answers from the box.

Figure for question 5

[3 marks]

Which part of the brain controls balance when riding a bicycle?

Tick (✓) one box.

Figure for question 5

[1 mark]

The ears send information about sound to the brain.

Which word describes the brain?

Tick (✓) one box.

Figure for question 5

[1 mark]

What type of cell carries impulses from the ears to the brain?

[1 mark]

Human eyes detect light.

Which part of the eye has cells that detect light?

Tick (✓) one box.

Figure for question 5

[1 mark]

The eyes of some birds have specialised cells to detect ultraviolet (UV) light.

Some fruits reflect UV light.

Explain why it is an advantage for birds to be able to detect UV light.

[2 marks]

Figure 7 shows a student reading a book.

Figure for question 5

There are trees on the far side of the field.

The student looks at the trees instead of looking at the book.

What process occurs in the eye when the student looks at the trees instead of looking at the book?

Tick (✓) one box.

Figure for question 5

[1 mark]

What change happens in the student’s eyes when they look up at the trees?

Tick (✓) one box.

Figure for question 5

[1 mark]

The student cannot see the trees in focus.

Name the common defect of the eye which causes distant objects to appear out of focus.

[1 mark]

Question 6

Figure 8 shows what the extinct Siberian rhinoceros (Elasmotherium sibiricum) might have looked like.

Figure for question 6

What is the genus of the Siberian rhinoceros?

Tick (✓) one box.

Figure for question 6

[1 mark]

The ‘three-domain system’ of classification places all living organisms in one of three domains.

Which domain was the Siberian rhinoceros in?

Tick (✓) one box.

Figure for question 6

[1 mark]

Who developed the ‘three-domain system’ of classification?

Tick (✓) one box.

Figure for question 6

[1 mark]

The horn of the Siberian rhinoceros is estimated to have been 150 cm long.

Suggest one advantage of this adaptation to the Siberian rhinoceros.

[1 mark]

The only parts of the Siberian rhinoceros that have been found are fossilised bones.

Give one reason why only the bones of the body of the Siberian rhinoceros became fossils.

[1 mark]

Suggest how scientists can estimate when the Siberian rhinoceros was alive.

[1 mark]

Figure 9 shows when the Siberian rhinoceros existed and when modern humans existed.

Figure for question 6

How many million years ago did the Siberian rhinoceros become extinct?

Question 6, shown as an image

[1 mark]

Determine the time in years when both the Siberian rhinoceros and modern humans existed together.

Use Figure 9 and your answer to Question 06.7.

[3 marks]

Suggest two factors that may have caused the extinction of the Siberian rhinoceros.

[2 marks]

Question 7

This question is about DNA.

Describe the shape of a DNA molecule.

[2 marks]

Figure 10 shows part of a DNA molecule.

Figure for question 7

DNA codes for a sequence of amino acids.

Which part of DNA forms the code for a particular amino acid?

Tick (✓) one box.

Figure for question 7

[1 mark]

Which substance is produced when amino acids are joined together?

Tick (✓) one box.

Figure for question 7

[1 mark]

DNA is made of repeating units. One of the units is labelled A in Figure 10.

What is the name of the repeating unit labelled A ?

Tick (✓) one box.

Figure for question 7

[1 mark]

The DNA in one human body cell is the length of 6 000 million repeating units (part A

Each repeating unit is 0.34 nanometres (nm) long.

Calculate the length of the DNA in the cell in millions of nanometres.

Question 7, shown as an image

[2 marks]

Give your answer to Question 07.5 in metres.

Question 7, shown as an image

[1 mark]

DNA analysis can show people which alleles they have.

Patients who have certain types of cancer can be offered DNA analysis.

The family of the patient can also be offered DNA analysis.

Suggest one advantage of having DNA analysis.

[1 mark]

Question 8

This question is about the decay of milk.

Name two types of microorganism that cause decay.

[2 marks]

Cows’ milk is pH 6.6.

As milk decays, lipids in the milk are broken down.

One of the products of the breakdown of lipids causes the pH of milk to decrease.

Name the product that causes the pH to decrease.

[1 mark]

A student investigated the effect of temperature on the time taken for different types of

milk to decay.

This is the method used.

1. Put cows’ milk in six test tubes.

2. Keep each test tube at a different temperature.

3. Measure the pH of the milk in each tube every day for 12 days.

4. Record the number of days taken to reach pH 5.

5. Repeat steps 1 to 4 with goats’ milk and with almond milk.

Give one way the pH can be measured.

[1 mark]

Give two control variables the student should have used in this investigation.

[2 marks]

The student improved the investigation to produce valid results.

Figure 11 shows the results.

Figure for question 8

Which type of milk stays fresh the longest at 10 ° C?

[1 mark]

Describe the effect of temperature on the time taken for goats’ milk to reach pH 5.

Use data from Figure 11 in your answer.

[2 marks]

The time taken for cows’ milk to reach pH 5 at 10 °C is less than the time taken for cows’ milk to reach pH 5 at 5 °C.

Suggest one reason why.

[1 mark]

Suggest two reasons why the different types of milk took different lengths of time to reach pH 5.

[2 marks]

The student said:

‘The temperature milk is stored at affects how likely the milk is to cause food poisoning.’

How can the investigation be developed to find out if the student is correct?

Tick (✓) one box.

Figure for question 8

Question 9 starts on page 36

[1 mark]

Question 9

Figure 12 shows the human population from 1600 to 2010.

Figure for question 9

In 1900 the human population was 1.6 billion.

Calculate how many times greater the human population was in the year 2000 compared with the year 1900.

Question 9, shown as an image

[2 marks]

In 1950 the human population was 2.5 billion.

Calculate the mean annual increase in the human population between 1900 and 1950.

Question 9, shown as an image

[2 marks]

Predict the human population in 2050 if the current rate of population increase continues.

You should draw an extrapolation line on Figure 12.

Question 9, shown as an image

[2 marks]

The increasing human population has caused a decline in fish stocks.

Describe how fishing quotas can help to return fish stocks to a sustainable level.

[2 marks]

Farming techniques have changed in recent years.

Describe:

• why more land is being used for farming

• how increased farming has decreased biodiversity.

[6 marks]

Genetic modification of crop plants can help meet the demands of the increasing human population.

Golden rice is a genetically modified (GM) crop.

What is the advantage of golden rice compared with non-GM rice?

Tick (✓) one box.

Figure for question 9

[1 mark]

Suggest one reason why some people are concerned about the use of golden rice.

[1 mark]

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