Human reproductionIB MYP Biology: Subtopic test

1. 1
   A health educator in Nairobi is running a workshop for Year 9 students on how the human reproductive systems work. She uses the terms testes, sperm duct, ovary, oviduct and uterus.

   (a)

   Which structure in the male reproductive system produces sperm?

   [1 mark]

   • AProstate gland
   • BTestes
   • CSperm duct
   • DUrethra

   (b)

   In which structure does fertilisation normally take place?

   [1 mark]

   • AUterus
   • BCervix
   • COviduct
   • DVagina

   (c)

   Outline two ways in which a sperm cell is adapted for its function.

   [2 marks]

   Total for question 1: 4 marks

2. 2
   At an antenatal class in Seoul, a midwife explains how a pregnancy develops over about nine months, from fertilisation through to birth. She pays particular attention to the placenta and to what a pregnant woman should avoid.

   (a)

   What is the main function of the placenta?

   [1 mark]

   • AIt mixes the mother's blood with the fetus's blood
   • BIt makes egg cells for the fetus
   • CIt cushions the fetus against knocks
   • DIt lets oxygen, nutrients and wastes pass between the mother's blood and the fetus's blood

   (b)

   Roughly how long does human gestation last?

   [1 mark]

   • AAbout 40 weeks
   • BAbout 28 days
   • CAbout 14 weeks
   • DAbout 60 weeks

   (c)

   Explain why a pregnant woman is advised not to smoke or drink alcohol.

   [2 marks]

   Total for question 2: 4 marks

3. 3
   A school nurse in Lagos gives a talk to Year 8 students about puberty and the menstrual cycle. She explains that sex hormones, carried in the blood, cause the changes of puberty, and that a typical menstrual cycle lasts about 28 days, with day 1 being the first day of bleeding.

   (a)

   State the name of the main sex hormone in boys and describe two changes it causes at puberty.

   [3 marks]

   (b)

   Describe the main events of one 28-day menstrual cycle, including what happens to the lining of the uterus and to the ovary.

   [4 marks]

   Total for question 3: 7 marks

4. 4
   A hospital researcher in São Paulo recorded the birth mass of babies born to two groups of mothers. In the first group, 200 mothers smoked throughout pregnancy and their babies had a mean birth mass of 2.9 kg. In the second group, 200 mothers did not smoke and their babies had a mean birth mass of 3.4 kg. The mothers in both groups were aged between 18 and 40. The health ministry is deciding whether to fund a national campaign that warns pregnant women about the effects of smoking.

   (a)

   Evaluate the hypothesis that smoking during pregnancy reduces the birth mass of babies, using the data and your knowledge of the placenta.

   [6 marks]

   (b)

   Discuss whether the health ministry should fund a national campaign that warns pregnant women about the effects of smoking.

   [6 marks]

   Total for question 4: 12 marks

End of questions