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Edexcel GCSE Combined Science

Topic questions Evolution and biodiversity Selective breeding

Selective breeding

7 questions · 69 marks · about 1.5 hours

Selective breeding questions

TopicSelective breeding

Edexcel 1SC0 Selective breeding 7 questions

Paper 1: Biology 1 June 2025 Foundation tier, Question 3 10 marks

(a)

Figure 5 shows the times when Homo sapiens (modern humans) and some of their ancestors are thought to have lived.

Figure for question 3
(a)(i)

Which term is used to describe changes in species over time?

Question 3, shown as an image
[1]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 3(a)(i)
(a)(ii)

Estimate the length of time Homo habilis is thought to have lived on Earth.

........ million years

[1]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 3(a)(ii)
(a)(iii)

Describe two methods scientists used to date the fossils of Ardi or Lucy, as shown in Figure 5.

[2]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 3(a)(iii)
(b)

The ancestors of modern humans used selective breeding to improve the plants they used for food.

(b)(i)

Complete the sentences using words from the box.

Figure for question 3

Selective breeding involves choosing parents with

desirable........ .

The best offspring are bred together and this process is repeated over

many........ .

[2]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 3(b)(i)
(b)(ii)

Suggest one feature of a banana that could be improved by selective breeding.

[1]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 3(b)(ii)
(c)

The DNA of fruit can be modified to produce new varieties.

Figure 6 shows part of a method used to extract DNA from fruit.

Figure for question 3
(c)(i)

State the purpose of both step 1 and step 2.

step 1........

[2]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 3(c)(i)
(c)(ii)

State why the cold ethanol was added in step 3.

[1]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 3(c)(ii)

Paper 1: Biology 1 June 2024 Foundation tier, Question 3 10 marks

Scientists think that chickens were domesticated from red junglefowl thousands of years ago.

Figure 4 shows some information about these birds.

Figure for question 3
(a)

Describe how selective breeding has produced chickens that lay large numbers of eggs.

[3]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 3(a)
(b)

Chickens have 78 chromosomes in each of their body cells.

These chromosomes are in pairs.

(b)(i)

Which term describes a chicken body cell?

Question 3, shown as an image
[1]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 3(b)(i)
(b)(ii)

State the number of chromosomes found in the gametes produced by chickens.

[1]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 3(b)(ii)
(c)

Complete the table to compare the production of body cells and gametes.

One box has been completed for you.

Figure for question 3
[3]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 3(c)
(d)

Some animal cells are stem cells.

Describe the function of stem cells.

[2]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 3(d)

Paper 1: Biology 1 June 2023 Foundation tier, Question 2 7 marks

(a)

Figure 4 shows fossils in different layers of rock.

Figure for question 2
(a)(i)

Which layer of rock is likely to contain the most recent fossils?

Question 2, shown as an image
[1]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 2(a)(i)
(a)(ii)

Figure 5 shows some stone tools from two different periods of time.

Figure for question 2

Explain one difference between tool A and tools B, C and D.

[2]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 2(a)(ii)
(b)

Our human ancestors domesticated animals.

Animals were domesticated to use as working animals and to keep as pets.

(b)(i)

Use words from the box to complete the sentences.

Figure for question 2

Animals with the most desirable........ were bred together.

This is called........ breeding.

[2]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 2(b)(i)
(b)(ii)

Scientists have analysed the genomes of domestic animals.

Which is the definition of a genome?

Question 2, shown as an image
[1]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 2(b)(ii)
(b)(iii)

Give one advantage of domesticating animals.

[1]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 2(b)(iii)

Paper 1: Biology 1 June 2023 Higher tier, Question 4 11 marks

(a)

In the 19th century the destruction of wetland habitats caused the extinction of the bittern in the UK.

Figure 5 shows a bittern.

Figure for question 4

Restoration of the habitats has led to the birds returning to the UK.

Male bitterns make a loud booming sound.

This allows the numbers of male bitterns to be counted.

In 1997, 11 males were counted and this increased to 221 males in 2021.

(a)(i)

Calculate the percentage increase in the number of males from 1997 to 2021.

[3]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 4(a)(i)
(a)(ii)

The bitterns are difficult to see in the reeds of the wetland habitat.

Give one benefit of this to the bittern.

[1]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 4(a)(ii)
(a)(iii)

There is some concern that the bitterns in the UK are all closely related. This could make them susceptible to extinction.

Explain, using your knowledge of natural selection, why being closely related could make the bitterns susceptible to extinction.

[3]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 4(a)(iii)
(b)

Describe how selective breeding can be used to produce a large population of animals that are not closely related.

[2]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 4(b)
(c)

Sex determination in birds is different from humans.

Males are homozygous Z and females are heterozygous ZW.

Complete the Punnett square to show how sex is determined in birds.

Figure for question 4
[2]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 4(c)

Paper 1: Biology 1 November 2021 Foundation tier, Question 2 8 marks

(a)

Sickle cell disease is a recessive genetic disorder in humans.

(a)(i)

Two parents are heterozygous for sickle cell disease.

Complete the Punnett square to show the possible genotypes of their children.

Figure for question 2
[1]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 2(a)(i)
(a)(ii)

State the percentage probability that their children could have sickle cell disease.

percentage probability =........ %

[1]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 2(a)(ii)
(a)(iii)

A father with the genotype dd and a mother with the genotype DD plan to have several children.

Explain why none of their children will have sickle cell disease.

[2]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 2(a)(iii)
(b)

Figure 2 shows some information about two types of cattle.

Figure for question 2
Question 2, shown as an image

Describe how these types of cattle could be selectively bred to produce cattle that can survive high temperatures and have good meat quality.

[2]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 2(b)
(c)

Figure 3 shows the leaf of a wheat plant with a fungal disease.

Figure for question 2

Give two benefits of breeding wheat plants that are resistant to fungal disease.

[2]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 2(c)

Paper 1: Biology 1 November 2020 Foundation tier, Question 3 10 marks

(a)

Farmers selectively breed chickens to produce larger chickens.

Figure 4 shows how the size of chickens has changed over time.

Figure for question 3
(a)(i)

Explain how farmers have used selective breeding to produce larger chickens.

[3]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 3(a)(i)
(a)(ii)

Describe one benefit and one risk of selectively breeding chickens.

benefit........

[2]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 3(a)(ii)
(b)

The body cells of chickens have 78 chromosomes in their nuclei.

(b)(i)

State the number of chromosomes found in each sex cell of a chicken.

[1]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 3(b)(i)
(b)(ii)

Name the type of cell division which produces sex cells.

[1]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 3(b)(ii)
(c)
(c)(i)

What is the correct definition of a genome?

Question 3, shown as an image
[1]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 3(c)(i)
(c)(ii)

A new project called the Earth BioGenome Project aims to discover the sequence of bases in the DNA for all plants and animals.

State two benefits of discovering the sequence of bases for all plants and animals.

[2]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 3(c)(ii)

Paper 1: Biology 1 June 2018 Foundation tier, Question 6 13 marks

(a) Figure 8 shows two potato chips.

Figure for question 6

Figure 9 shows some information about each potato chip.

Figure for question 6
(a)
(a)(i)

Calculate the total surface area of potato chip B using the formula,

Total surface area = 2XY + 2XZ + 2YZ

total surface area =........ cm2

[2]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 6(a)(i)
(a)(ii)

The potato chips were placed in distilled water for 20 minutes.

Figure 10 shows the increase in mass of each potato chip.

Figure for question 6

Explain why potato chip B has a greater increase in mass than potato chip A.

[2]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 6(a)(ii)
(a)(iii)

Potato chip A is transferred from the distilled water into a concentrated salt solution.

Explain what will happen to the cells in potato chip A.

[3]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 6(a)(iii)
(b)
Figure for question 6 Figure for question 6
[6]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 6(b)

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