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Edexcel GCSE Combined Science

Topic questions Health and disease The specific immune response

The specific immune response

8 questions · 78 marks · about 1.5 hours

The specific immune response questions

Edexcel 1SC0 The specific immune response 8 questions

Paper 1: Biology 1 June 2025 Higher tier, Question 4 9 marks

(a)

The pathogen Vibrio cholerae causes the disease cholera.

Figure 5 shows Vibrio cholerae bacteria.

Figure for question 4
(a)(i)

Complete the table to show the function of structure P and structure Q.

Figure for question 4
[2]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 4(a)(i)
(a)(ii)

On the original image, the length of one bacterial cell is 12 mm.

The actual length of this bacterial cell is 2.0 µ m.

Calculate the magnification.

[2]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 4(a)(ii)
(a)(iii)

State one symptom of the disease caused by Vibrio cholerae.

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

State how the disease caused by Vibrio cholerae is transmitted.

[1]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 4(a)(iv)
(b)

Describe the specific immune response when a pathogen infects the body.

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

Paper 1: Biology 1 June 2024 Foundation tier, Question 6 13 marks

(a)

Malaria is a disease that causes damage to the blood and liver.

(a)(i)

Which type of pathogen causes malaria?

Question 6, shown as an image
[1]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 6(a)(i)
(a)(ii)

State how the pathogen that causes malaria is spread.

[1]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 6(a)(ii)
(b)

Measles is a disease caused by a virus.

Figure 9 shows the number of measles cases reported in England and Wales from 1985 to 2015.

Figure for question 6

Explain one conclusion that can be made about the change in the number of measles cases reported from 1985 to 2015.

[2]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 6(b)
(c)

Describe two ways the immune system will respond to an infection by a pathogen.

[2]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 6(c)
(d)
(d)(i)

Beriberi is a disease caused by a lack of vitamin B1 in the diet.

Give one reason why beriberi is classed as a non‑communicable disease.

[1]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 6(d)(i)
(d)(ii)

*(ii) Beriberi can affect reflexes.

Figure 10 shows a reflex arc.

Figure for question 6

When the skin is pricked by a pin, electrical impulses travel through a reflex arc.

Describe the path taken by electrical impulses from the skin to the muscles in the arm.

Include the names of neurones X, Y and Z in your answer.

[6]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 6(d)(ii)

Paper 1: Biology 1 June 2024 Higher tier, Question 2 7 marks

(a)

Malaria is a disease that causes damage to the blood and liver.

(a)(i)

Which type of pathogen causes malaria?

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

State how the pathogen that causes malaria is spread.

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

Measles is a disease caused by a virus.

Figure 2 shows the number of measles cases reported in England and Wales from 1985 to 2015.

Figure for question 2

Explain one conclusion that can be made about the change in the number of measles cases reported from 1985 to 2015.

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

Describe two ways the immune system will respond to an infection by a pathogen.

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

Beriberi is a disease caused by a lack of vitamin B1 in the diet.

Give one reason why beriberi is classed as a non‑communicable disease.

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

Paper 1: Biology 1 June 2022 Foundation tier, Question 6 13 marks

(a)

Figure 10 shows the number of people diagnosed with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the UK during 2017.

Figure for question 6
(a)(i)

State the sexually transmitted infection that has the median number of people diagnosed.

[1]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 6(a)(i)
(a)(ii)

The population of the UK in 2017 was 66 million people.

Calculate the total number of people diagnosed with chlamydia in the UK in 2017.

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

State why chlamydia can be described as a communicable disease.

[1]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 6(a)(iii)
(a)(iv)

Give one way the transmission of chlamydia can be prevented.

[1]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 6(a)(iv)
(a)(v)

Explain why chlamydia can be treated with antibiotics.

[2]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 6(a)(v)
(b)

*(b) When a person is infected with a disease, the immune system will respond to protect their body.

Explain how the immune system will respond to an infection caused by bacteria.

[6]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 6(b)

Paper 1: Biology 1 November 2020 Foundation tier, Question 5 11 marks

(a)

Measles is a communicable disease caused by a virus.

(a)(i)

What can a virus also be classified as?

Question 5, shown as an image
[1]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 5(a)(i)
(a)(ii)

Give one reason why measles is described as a communicable disease.

[1]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 5(a)(ii)
(b)

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) can cause AIDS.

Which type of cell is destroyed by the HIV virus?

Question 5, shown as an image
[1]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 5(b)
(c)

Describe how the specific immune system defends the body against disease.

[3]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 5(c)
(d)

Figure 7 shows the number of people per million of the population in five European countries who were diagnosed with measles in one year.

Figure for question 5
(d)(i)

The population of Belgium in that year was 11.18 million.

Calculate the number of people in Belgium diagnosed with measles.

Give your answer to three significant figures.

........ people

[3]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 5(d)(i)
(d)(ii)

Countries do not report the total number of people diagnosed with measles. Countries report the number of people diagnosed with measles per million of the population.

Give one reason why this is better.

[1]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 5(d)(ii)
(d)(iii)

Give one reason why the number of people per million diagnosed with measles is different in these countries.

[1]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 5(d)(iii)

Paper 1: Biology 1 November 2020 Higher tier, Question 1 9 marks

(a)

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) can cause AIDS.

Which type of cell is destroyed by the HIV virus?

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

Describe how the specific immune system defends the body against disease.

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

Figure 1 shows the number of people per million of the population in five European countries who were diagnosed with measles in one year.

Figure for question 1
(c)(i)

The population of Belgium in that year was 11.18 million.

Calculate the number of people in Belgium diagnosed with measles.

Give your answer to three significant figures.

........ people

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

Countries do not report the total number of people diagnosed with measles. Countries report the number of people diagnosed with measles per million of the population.

Give one reason why this is better.

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

Give one reason why the number of people per million diagnosed with measles is different in these countries.

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

Paper 1: Biology 1 June 2018 Foundation tier, Question 1 7 marks

(a)

Pathogens cause disease.

Draw one straight line from each type of pathogen to the disease that is caused by that pathogen.

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

Antibiotics can be used to treat diseases.

Antibiotics kill

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

Figure 1 shows the number of white blood cells in blood samples from three patients.

Figure for question 1

Explain why the data suggests that Patient Z has a bacterial infection.

[2]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 1(c)
(d)

HIV is diagnosed by blood tests.

State two safety precautions that need to be taken when handling blood samples.

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

Paper 1: Biology 1 June 2018 Higher tier, Question 3 9 marks

Streptococcus bacteria can cause a sore throat or skin infection.

An illness called scarlet fever can also develop during an infection with this bacterium.

(a)(i)

Give two precautions a doctor should take when treating a patient who is infected with Streptococcus.

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

From September 2013 to March 2014 there were 2 830 cases of scarlet fever in the UK.

From September 2014 to March 2015 there were 5 943 cases of scarlet fever.

Calculate the percentage increase of the number of cases of scarlet fever between the periods September 2014 to March 2015 and September 2013 to March 2014.

........ %

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

Figure 7 shows some Streptococcus bacteria.

Figure for question 3

Some bacteria are motile, meaning they can move themselves.

Why is a Streptococcus bacterium not motile?

Question 3, shown as an image
[1]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 3(a)(iii)
(b)
Figure for question 3
[1]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 3(b)
(c)

Most cases of scarlet fever occur in children.

Adults have usually developed immunity to a toxin that the Streptococcus bacteria produce during infection.

Explain how an adult develops immunity to the toxin.

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

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