AQA GCSE Trilogy Biology Paper 1 Foundation June 2025 question paper 8464/B/1F

This question is about cells.

Figure 1 shows a muscle cell.

The nucleus and cytoplasm are parts of a muscle cell.

Draw one line from each part of the muscle cell to the correct label from Figure 1.

What is the function of the nucleus?

What part of a cell controls the movement of substances into the cell?

Figure 2 shows a bacterial cell.

What type of cell is the bacterial cell in Figure 2 ?

Tick () one box.

Which are two features of bacterial cells?

Tick () two boxes.

Stem cells are cells that are not specialised.

Stem cells can be collected from human bone marrow.

What type of stem cells are found in bone marrow?

Tick () one box.

Which process produces stem cells in humans?

Tick () one box.

Stem cells can be used to produce blood cells.

A blood transfusion is when a patient is given blood cells.

Table 1 compares two different methods of providing blood cells that can be given to a patient.

A scientist stated:

‘Blood cells produced from stem cells are better to use for a blood transfusion than blood cells from a donation.’

Suggest two reasons that support the scientist’s statement.

Photosynthesis is important for plant growth.

A student used pondweed to investigate photosynthesis.

Figure 3 shows the apparatus used.

This is the method used.

1. Set up the apparatus as shown in Figure 3.

2. Switch on the lamp.

3. After 1 hour, record the volume of oxygen collected in the measuring cylinder.

4. Repeat steps 1 to 3 a further four times, placing the lamp at different distances from the pondweed.

What are two control variables the student should use in the investigation?

Tick () two boxes.

Table 2 shows the results.

Describe the trend shown in Table 2.

Figure 4 shows the volume of oxygen when the lamp was 10 cm from the pondweed.

What volume of oxygen is shown in Figure 4 ?

The student repeated the investigation using a measuring cylinder with smaller

What did using smaller intervals improve?

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The student did the investigation at 10 °C.

The student repeated the investigation at 20 °C.

Complete the sentence.

Choose the answer from the box.

Compared to the results at 10 °C, the volumes of oxygen collected

in one hour at 20 °C would be.

Give a reason for your answer.

Photosynthesis is important for apple trees.

Figure 5 shows a section through the leaf of an apple tree.

What is tissue A ?

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The cells in tissue A contain chloroplasts.

What is the name of the green chemical in chloroplasts?

Apple scab is a disease of apple trees.

Apple scab is caused by a fungus.

Figure 6 shows a leaf from an apple tree infected with apple scab fungus.

How could the fungal infection be removed from the tree?

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Infection with apple scab fungus decreases the number of chloroplasts in the leaves.

Explain why apple trees with apple scab fungus produce smaller apples than apple trees that are not infected.

A student investigated the effect of concentration of salt solution on the mass of potato cubes.

This is the method used.

1. Cut a piece of potato into four cubes.

2. Record the mass of each cube.

3. Put each cube into a different beaker.

4. Pour a different concentration of salt solution into each beaker.

5. After 1 hour, remove each cube.

6. Record the mass of each cube.

Suggest two improvements to the investigation.

The student improved the investigation.

Table 3 shows the results.

What was the concentration of the solution inside the potato cells?

Tick () one box.

Changes in mass of the potato cubes are due to water moving into and out of the cells.

What is the name of the process that allows water to move into and out of cells?

Tick () one box.

Figure 7 shows one of the potato cubes.

Calculate the surface area of the potato cube.

Give the unit.

The student then investigated the effect of surface area on the change in mass of a piece of potato.

Describe how the student could increase the surface area of the piece of potato shown in Figure 7.

Potatoes contain varying amounts of carbohydrates and proteins.

Starch and sugar are different types of carbohydrate.

Draw one line from each carbohydrate to the chemical used to test for the carbohydrate.

A potato was tested for protein, sugar and starch.

Table 4 shows the results.

Which substances were found in the potato?

Tick () one box.

This question is about exercise.

Which two substances do muscles need during exercise?

Tick () two boxes.

Two people exercised on running machines.

The two people ran at the same speed.

Each person’s heart rate was monitored:

• before exercising

• while exercising

• after they stopped exercising.

Figure 8 shows the results.

How many minutes did person B exercise for?

Calculate the percentage increase in heart rate for person B during the exercise.

Use the equation:

maximum heart rate – resting heart rate percentage increase = × 100 resting heart rate

Give your answer to 2 significant figures.

A student stated:

‘Person B is fitter than person A.’

Give two pieces of evidence to support the student’s statement.

Use Figure 8.

Immediately after exercise, the concentration of lactic acid in the blood of the two

people was measured.

Table 5 shows the results.

Complete the bar chart in Figure 9.

You should:

• use a suitable scale for the y-axis

• plot the data from Table 5

• label each bar.

The concentration of lactic acid in the blood of person A is proportional to the intensity of the exercise.

Which symbol means ‘proportional to’?

Tick () one box.

The heart is an organ that pumps blood around the body.

Figure 10 is a model of the heart and shows the direction of blood flow.

Draw one line from each blood vessel shown in Figure 10 to the name of the blood vessel.

Heart rate is controlled by a group of cells.

The group of cells acts as a pacemaker.

Where would the pacemaker be located in Figure 10 ?

Tick () one box.

Heart muscle cells contain many mitochondria.

Explain why heart muscle cells contain many mitochondria.

A small number of people are born with a ‘hole in the heart’.

Figure 11 shows the position of a hole in the heart.

The hole allows some blood from the right side of the heart to mix with blood in the left side of the heart.

Suggest two symptoms of having a hole in the heart.

In an operation to repair a hole in the heart:

• a flexible tube is inserted into a blood vessel and guided to the heart

• a mesh patch is passed down the tube

• the mesh patch covers the hole.

Heart tissue grows around the mesh and closes the hole.

Suggest two possible risks of this operation to repair a hole in the heart.

Chickenpox is an infectious disease that affects young children.

One symptom of chickenpox is small blisters on the skin.

Suggest one way chickenpox spreads from an infected person to other people.

Chickenpox is caused by a type of pathogen that cannot be treated with antibiotics.

Give the reason why chickenpox cannot be treated with antibiotics.

A vaccine that could be used to protect against chickenpox has been produced.

What does a vaccine contain that causes a person to become immune to a disease?

Give three reasons why a new vaccine must be tested.

Explain how a vaccine for chickenpox gives immunity against the disease.

You should refer to how the body responds to:

• the vaccine

• chickenpox pathogens that enter the body after vaccination.