OrganisationAQA GCSE Biology: Topic test

20 questions, 54 marks

AQA GCSE Biology

Organisation topic test

Total 54 marks

Name

Class

Date

1
A student adds a few drops of iodine solution to a sample of a food solution, and separately heats a sample of the same food solution with Benedict's reagent, to test for the presence of different food molecules.
(a)
Which colour change with iodine solution indicates that starch is present in the food sample?
[1 mark]
ABlue-black
BBrick-red
CPurple
DYellow
(b)
Which enzyme is responsible for breaking down starch into simple sugars during digestion?
[1 mark]
AProtease
BAmylase
CLipase
DCatalase
(c)
Explain why large starch molecules must be broken down into simple sugars before they can be absorbed into the bloodstream.
[2 marks]
Total for question 1: 4 marks
2
A doctor examines a patient's heart using an ultrasound scan. The scan shows blood flowing from the right ventricle into a large blood vessel carrying blood towards the lungs, and separately shows blood flowing from the left ventricle into a large vessel carrying blood around the rest of the body.
(a)
Which blood vessel carries deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle towards the lungs?
[1 mark]
AAorta
BVena cava
CPulmonary artery
DPulmonary vein
(b)
Which blood vessel carries oxygenated blood away from the left ventricle to the rest of the body?
[1 mark]
APulmonary vein
BVena cava
CPulmonary artery
DAorta
(c)
Explain why the heart is described as a 'double circulatory system'.
[2 marks]
Total for question 2: 4 marks
3
A 55-year-old man who smokes, eats a diet high in saturated fat and takes little exercise is diagnosed with narrowed coronary arteries. His doctor explains that fatty material has built up inside the walls of these arteries over many years.
(a)
Explain how the build-up of fatty material inside the coronary arteries can reduce the blood supply to the heart muscle, and state one lifestyle factor from the case above that increases the risk of this happening.
[3 marks]
(b)
The doctor offers the patient a choice of treatments: taking statins, or having a stent fitted. Explain how each of these treatments could help to reduce the effects of his coronary heart disease.
[4 marks]
Total for question 3: 7 marks
4
An elderly patient has a faulty heart valve that has developed a leak, causing blood to flow backwards within the heart. Her cardiologist discusses two possible treatments: replacing the valve with a mechanical valve, or, if her overall heart function continues to decline, a heart transplant.
(a)
Explain what is meant by a 'faulty heart valve that has developed a leak', and describe how replacing it with a mechanical valve could correct this problem.
[6 marks]
(b)
Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of treating this patient's heart condition with a heart transplant compared with a mechanical valve replacement.
[6 marks]
Total for question 4: 12 marks
5
A biology class dissects a fresh chicken heart to study its structure. The teacher explains that the heart is made up of different types of tissue, including muscular tissue and tissue that forms the valves, which are organised together to make a single functioning organ.
(a)
Which term describes a group of cells with similar structure that work together to perform a shared function, such as heart muscle?
[1 mark]
ATissue
BOrgan
COrgan system
DOrganism
(b)
Which of the following correctly describes the relationship between cells, tissues and organs?
[1 mark]
ACells are made of tissues, which are made of organs
BTissues are made of cells, and organs are made of different tissues working together
COrgan systems are the smallest level of organisation
DOrgans are made of organ systems, which are made of tissues
(c)
Explain, using the heart as an example, what is meant by an 'organ system'.
[2 marks]
Total for question 5: 4 marks
6
A gardener cuts a thin cross-section through the stem of a sunflower plant and examines it under a microscope. She identifies two types of transport tissue running through the stem: one that carries water up from the roots, and another that carries dissolved sugars produced in the leaves to the rest of the plant.
(a)
Which type of plant tissue transports water and mineral ions from the roots to the stem and leaves?
[1 mark]
APhloem
BEpidermis
CXylem
DPalisade mesophyll
(b)
What is the name given to the movement of dissolved sugars through phloem tissue?
[1 mark]
ATranspiration
BOsmosis
CDiffusion
DTranslocation
(c)
Explain how the structure of xylem tissue is adapted to its function of transporting water.
[2 marks]
Total for question 6: 4 marks
7
A student investigates how pH affects the rate of reaction of amylase using a continuous sampling technique. She mixes amylase with starch solution at a set pH and, every 30 seconds, tests a drop of the mixture with iodine solution, timing how long it takes until the iodine no longer turns blue-black. She repeats this at several different pH values, keeping the temperature constant using a water bath.
(a)
Explain why the student needed to keep the temperature constant throughout this investigation.
[3 marks]
(b)
The student's results showed the fastest reaction rate at pH 7, with amylase working much more slowly at pH 2 and pH 10. Explain these results in terms of enzyme structure and function.
[4 marks]
Total for question 7: 7 marks
8
A botanist examines a cross-section of a leaf from a garden plant during a hot, windy afternoon. The leaf is made up of several different tissues, including the epidermis, mesophyll layers containing chloroplasts, transport tissue, and small pores on its lower surface surrounded by specialised cells.
(a)
Explain why a leaf is described as a plant 'organ', referring to the different tissues found within it and how they work together.
[6 marks]
(b)
On this hot, windy afternoon, explain how the rate of water loss (transpiration) from the leaf is affected by the weather conditions described, and describe the role of the guard cells and stomata in controlling this water loss.
[6 marks]
Total for question 8: 12 marks

End of questions