AQA GCSE Biology Paper 1 Higher November 2021 question paper 8461/1H

A student prepared some animal cells to view using a microscope.

Figure 1 shows the student preparing the cells.

Name two pieces of laboratory equipment the student could have used to prepare cells to view using a microscope.

Figure 2 shows the student’s light microscope.

Name part A.

What is the function of part B ?

The student tried to look at the cells using the microscope.

Suggest one reason why the student could not see any cells when looking through part A.

Red blood cells are specialised animal cells.

Compare the structure of a red blood cell with the structure of a plant cell.

When placed into a beaker of water:

• a red blood cell bursts

• a plant cell does not burst.

Explain why the red blood cell bursts but the plant cell does not burst.

A student investigated the effectiveness of three different antibiotics.

Figure 3 shows how the student set up an agar plate.

The student used aseptic techniques to make sure that only one type of bacterium was growing on the agar.

Describe two aseptic techniques the student should have used.

The student placed the agar plate in an incubator at 25 °C for 48 hours.

Figure 4 shows the agar plate after 48 hours.

Which antibiotic is the least effective?

Give a reason for your answer.

Calculate the area where no bacteria were growing for antibiotic C.

Give the unit.

Suggest one way the student could improve the investigation.

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a way of finding out if a person’s body mass falls within a healthy range for their height.

Table 1 shows information about two people.

Figure 5 shows five BMI categories for adults.

Which is the BMI category of person A in Table 1 ?

Tick (✓) one box.

Calculate value X in Table 1.

Use the equation:

Give your answer to 3 significant figures.

Scientists think there is a link between BMI and life expectancy.

Table 2 shows information about predicted life expectancy of men after the age of 50.

Describe two patterns shown in Table 2 about the effects of BMI category.

The number of people who are obese in the UK is increasing.

Explain the financial impact on the UK economy of an increasing number of people who are obese.

A person who is obese is more at risk of arthritis.

Arthritis is a condition that damages joints.

Suggest how arthritis could affect a person’s lifestyle.

A person who eats a diet high in saturated fat might become obese.

Name two health conditions that might develop if a person eats a diet high in saturated fat.

Do not refer to arthritis in your answer.

All living organisms respire.

What is the chemical equation for aerobic respiration?

Tick (✓) one box.

Name the sub-cellular structures where aerobic respiration takes place.

Energy is released in respiration.

Give two uses of the energy released in respiration.

Describe two differences between aerobic and anaerobic respiration in humans.

Do not refer to oxygen in your answer.

What are the two products of anaerobic respiration in plant cells?

Tick (✓) two boxes.

A scientist investigated respiration and photosynthesis using some pondweed and a

pond snail. Figure 6 shows the apparatus used.

The apparatus was left in a well-lit room for 5 days.

The data logger recorded the concentration of carbon dioxide continuously.

After 5 days, the scientist completely covered the boiling tube with black paper.

The data logger continued to record the concentration of carbon dioxide.

Figure 7 shows the concentration of carbon dioxide inside the boiling tube over

15 days.

Explain why the concentration of carbon dioxide in the tube stayed the same between day 0 and day 5.

Suggest why the concentration of carbon dioxide increased between day 5 and day 10.

On day 10, the pond snail died.

Explain why the death of the pond snail caused the concentration of carbon dioxide to increase after day 10.

Amylase is an enzyme that breaks down starch.

Amylase is a polymer of smaller molecules.

Name the type of smaller molecule.

Name the three parts of the human digestive system that produce amylase.

Explain how amylase breaks down starch.

Answer in terms of the ‘lock and key theory’.

A student investigated the effect of temperature on the activity of amylase.

Figure 8 shows the apparatus used.

This is the method used.

1. Set up the apparatus as shown in Figure 8.

2. After 5 minutes, pour the starch solution into the amylase solution and mix.

3. Remove one drop of the starch-amylase mixture and place onto a spotting tile.

4. Immediately add two drops of iodine solution to the starch-amylase mixture on the spotting tile.

5. Record the colour of the iodine solution added to the starch-amylase mixture.

6. Repeat steps 3 to 5 every minute until the iodine solution stays yellow-brown.

7. Repeat steps 1 to 6 using water at different temperatures.

Name two control variables the student used in the investigation.

Why did the student leave the starch solution and amylase solution for 5 minutes before mixing them?

Table 3 shows the results of the investigation.

What conclusion can be made about the effect of temperature on amylase activity between 20 °C and 65 °C?

Explain the results at 5 ° C and at 80 ° C.

Use Table 3.

The student investigated the effect of temperature on amylase activity.

Describe how the student could extend the investigation to determine the effect of a different factor on amylase activity.

Figure 9 shows a cross section of a leaf.

Which cell is most transparent?

Tick (✓) one box.

Which cell structure in a leaf mesophyll cell is not found in a root hair cell?

Plants lose water through their leaves.

Name the cells in a leaf that control the rate of water loss.

Water is taken in by the roots, transported up the plant and lost from the leaves.

Which scientific term describes this movement of water?

Which change would decrease the rate of water loss from a plant’s leaves?

Tick (✓) one box.

Compare the structure and function of xylem tissue and phloem tissue.

Figure 10 shows the total volume of water lost from a plant over 6 hours.

Determine the rate of water loss at 12:00

Use the tangent on Figure 10.

Give your answer:

• in cm³ per minute

• in standard form.

Rate of water loss = cm³ per minute

The rate of water loss at midnight was much lower than at 12:00

Explain why.

Figure 11 shows where three of the same type of tumour were found in a patient.

Malignant tumours are cancers.

Describe what happens to cells when a tumour forms.

What evidence is there in Figure 11 to suggest that the tumour in the lung is malignant?

Some types of cancer can cause the numbers of blood components in a person’s body to fall to a dangerously low level.

A person with one of these types of cancer may experience symptoms such as:

• tiredness

• frequent infections

• bleeding that will not stop after the skin is cut.

Explain how a very low number of blood components in the body can cause these symptoms.

Some patients with a very low number of blood cells may be given a blood

transfusion.

A blood transfusion is where a patient receives blood from a donor.

Different people have different blood groups.

Figure 12 shows:

• the red blood cells found in people with different blood groups

• the antibodies that can be made by people with different blood groups.

Antibodies can bind to antigens that have complementary shapes.

When antibodies bind to the antigens on red blood cells, many red blood cells begin to clump together.

Each red blood cell is about 8 µm in diameter.

Many capillaries have an internal diameter of about 10 µm.

In one type of blood transfusion, only red blood cells from a donor are transferred to

the patient.

It is dangerous for a patient with blood group A to receive red blood cells from a donor with blood group B.

Explain why.

Explain why blood group O red blood cells can be given to patients with any blood group.

Table 4 shows some of the risks associated with blood transfusions.

Which risk has the lowest probability of occurring?

Tick (✓) one box.

A person has a tumour blocking the tube leading from the gall bladder to the small intestine.

Explain why this person would have difficulty digesting fat.