AQA GCSE BIOLOGY 8461/1H PAPER 1
HIGHER TIER PRACTICE EXAMINATION
2026 QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS
GRADED A+
◍ In which type of cell would you find a cell wall, chloroplasts and a
vacuole?.
Answer: plant cell
◍ Magnification equation.
Answer: Magnification= image size/actual object size
◍ Light microscope- how many um in 1 mm.
Answer: 1000 um
◍ What does an animal cell have?.
Answer: - cytoplasm - nucleus - ribosomes - cell membrane- mitochondria
◍ What does the nucleus do?.
Answer: contains genetic material that controls the activities of the cell
◍ What is the cytoplasm?.
Answer: gel-like substance where most of the chemical reactions happen. It
contains enzymes which control these chemical reactions
◍ light microscope- how many nm in 1 um.
Answer: 1000 nm
◍ What is the cell membrane.
Answer: holds the cell together and controls what goes in and out
◍ What happens in the mitochondria?.
Answer: these are where most of the reactions for respiration take place.
, Respiration releases energy that the cell needs to work
◍ Light microscope- why can we see the nucleus and cell wall but not the
mitochondria.
Answer: Too small and not stained
◍ What happens in the ribosomes?.
Answer: these are where proteins are made in the cell
◍ What does a bacterial cell NOT have?.
Answer: a nucleus- genetic material floats in the cytoplasm
◍ What is a yeast cell an example of?.
Answer: a single cell organism
◍ What does a yeast cell have?.
Answer: - nucleus- cytoplasm- cell membrane- surrounding cell wall
◍ How is a leaf cell different from a yeast cell?.
Answer: leaf cells have chloroplasts and a cellulose cell wall. yeast cells
have neither
◍ What is the definition of diffusion?.
Answer: the SPREADING OUT of PARTICLES from an area of HIGH
CONCENTRATION to an area of LOW CONCENTRATION orthe NET
MOVEMENT of PARTICLES down a CONCENTRATION GRADIENT
◍ What substances can diffuse through cell membranes?.
Answer: small molecules like oxygen, glucose, amino acids and water
◍ What substances can't diffuse through cell membranes?.
Answer: big molecules like starch and proteins
◍ light microscope- how can we see smaller parts of cells.
Answer: An electron microscope has much more resolution and
magnification
◍ What are some examples of diffusion?.
Answer: - the diffusion of oxygen into the cells of the body from the
, bloodstream as the cells are respiring (and using up oxygen)- the diffusion
of carbon dioxide into actively photosynthesising plant cells- the diffusion
of simple sugars and amino acids for the gut through cell membranes
◍ What is osmosis?.
Answer: The movement of water from an area with high concentration of
water to an area of low concentration of water
◍ What's a solute.
Answer: Something that dissolves in water
◍ When, and in which direction, will diffusion take place in solutions and in
gases?.
Answer: - if two solutions are separated by a cell membrane, particles will
move from a region of high concentration to a region of low concentration-
gases will also diffuse through the air from a region of high concentration to
a region of low concentration
◍ Investigating osmosis- what are the results.
Answer: High concentration of sugar in solution- water moves out of potato
cells into the solution.potato gets smaller, low concentration potato gets
bigger
◍ How is a leaf cell adapted to carry out photosynthesis?.
Answer: - the leaf has mesophyll tissue - the mesophyll cells contain
chloroplasts which can photosynthesise
◍ How are palisade cells adapted for photosynthesis?.
Answer: - packed will chloroplasts for photosynthesis- tall shape means a lot
of surface area exposed down the side for absorbing carbon dioxide from the
air in the leaf- they are grouped together at the top of the leaf so that they
can absorb more sunlight
◍ How are red blood cells adapted to carry oxygen?.
Answer: - concave shape gives a big surface area for absorbing oxygen. it
also helps them pass smoothly through capillaries to reach body cells-
packed with haemoglobin which absorbs oxygen- they have no nucleus to
HIGHER TIER PRACTICE EXAMINATION
2026 QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS
GRADED A+
◍ In which type of cell would you find a cell wall, chloroplasts and a
vacuole?.
Answer: plant cell
◍ Magnification equation.
Answer: Magnification= image size/actual object size
◍ Light microscope- how many um in 1 mm.
Answer: 1000 um
◍ What does an animal cell have?.
Answer: - cytoplasm - nucleus - ribosomes - cell membrane- mitochondria
◍ What does the nucleus do?.
Answer: contains genetic material that controls the activities of the cell
◍ What is the cytoplasm?.
Answer: gel-like substance where most of the chemical reactions happen. It
contains enzymes which control these chemical reactions
◍ light microscope- how many nm in 1 um.
Answer: 1000 nm
◍ What is the cell membrane.
Answer: holds the cell together and controls what goes in and out
◍ What happens in the mitochondria?.
Answer: these are where most of the reactions for respiration take place.
, Respiration releases energy that the cell needs to work
◍ Light microscope- why can we see the nucleus and cell wall but not the
mitochondria.
Answer: Too small and not stained
◍ What happens in the ribosomes?.
Answer: these are where proteins are made in the cell
◍ What does a bacterial cell NOT have?.
Answer: a nucleus- genetic material floats in the cytoplasm
◍ What is a yeast cell an example of?.
Answer: a single cell organism
◍ What does a yeast cell have?.
Answer: - nucleus- cytoplasm- cell membrane- surrounding cell wall
◍ How is a leaf cell different from a yeast cell?.
Answer: leaf cells have chloroplasts and a cellulose cell wall. yeast cells
have neither
◍ What is the definition of diffusion?.
Answer: the SPREADING OUT of PARTICLES from an area of HIGH
CONCENTRATION to an area of LOW CONCENTRATION orthe NET
MOVEMENT of PARTICLES down a CONCENTRATION GRADIENT
◍ What substances can diffuse through cell membranes?.
Answer: small molecules like oxygen, glucose, amino acids and water
◍ What substances can't diffuse through cell membranes?.
Answer: big molecules like starch and proteins
◍ light microscope- how can we see smaller parts of cells.
Answer: An electron microscope has much more resolution and
magnification
◍ What are some examples of diffusion?.
Answer: - the diffusion of oxygen into the cells of the body from the
, bloodstream as the cells are respiring (and using up oxygen)- the diffusion
of carbon dioxide into actively photosynthesising plant cells- the diffusion
of simple sugars and amino acids for the gut through cell membranes
◍ What is osmosis?.
Answer: The movement of water from an area with high concentration of
water to an area of low concentration of water
◍ What's a solute.
Answer: Something that dissolves in water
◍ When, and in which direction, will diffusion take place in solutions and in
gases?.
Answer: - if two solutions are separated by a cell membrane, particles will
move from a region of high concentration to a region of low concentration-
gases will also diffuse through the air from a region of high concentration to
a region of low concentration
◍ Investigating osmosis- what are the results.
Answer: High concentration of sugar in solution- water moves out of potato
cells into the solution.potato gets smaller, low concentration potato gets
bigger
◍ How is a leaf cell adapted to carry out photosynthesis?.
Answer: - the leaf has mesophyll tissue - the mesophyll cells contain
chloroplasts which can photosynthesise
◍ How are palisade cells adapted for photosynthesis?.
Answer: - packed will chloroplasts for photosynthesis- tall shape means a lot
of surface area exposed down the side for absorbing carbon dioxide from the
air in the leaf- they are grouped together at the top of the leaf so that they
can absorb more sunlight
◍ How are red blood cells adapted to carry oxygen?.
Answer: - concave shape gives a big surface area for absorbing oxygen. it
also helps them pass smoothly through capillaries to reach body cells-
packed with haemoglobin which absorbs oxygen- they have no nucleus to
