Paper 4 15-mark Essay Titles
Titles in italics are on topics that are no longer included in the current CIE syllabus.
Year Series
1 2004 June (a) Explain how a synapse functions. [9]
(b) Describe the role of glucagon in regulating blood glucose. [6]
2 (a) Outline the main features of the Calvin Cycle. [9]
(b) Explain the role of NADP in photosynthesis. [6]
3 2004 November (a) Describe the main features of the Krebs Cycle. [9]
(b) Explain the role of NAD in aerobic respiration. [6]
4 (a) Describe the use of recombinant DNA technology in the synthesis of human insulin by bacteria. [9]
(b) Explain the advantages of treating diabetics with human insulin produced by genetic engineering. [6]
5 2005 June (a) Describe the role of auxins in apical dominance. [6]
(b) Explain the role of gibberellins in the germination of wheat or barley. [9]
6 (a) Describe why variation is important in natural selection. [6]
(b) Explain the role of isolating mechanisms in the evolution of new species. [9]
7 2005 November (a) Describe how the structure of a dicotyledonous leaf is related to its functions in photosynthesis. [7]
(b) Discuss the effects that variations in carbon dioxide concentration and light intensity have on the rate of photosynthesis. [8]
8 (a) Describe how nitrogenous waste products are formed and explain why they need to be removed from the body. [6]
(b) Describe how the kidney removes metabolic wastes from the body. [9]
9 2006 June (a) Explain the meaning of the term homeostasis with specific reference to the control of raised blood glucose concentration in mammals. [8]
(b) Describe the role played by ADH in osmoregulation in mammals. [7]
10 (a) Describe the role of natural selection in evolution. [8]
(b) Explain, using named examples, how mutation can affect phenotype. [7]
11 2006 November (a) Describe how the structure of neurones speeds up the transmission of action potentials. [6]
(b) Explain, using a named example, how sensory receptors in mammals convert energy into action potentials. [9]
1
, 12 (a) Describe the transfer of light energy to chemical energy in ATP during photosynthesis. [6]
(b) Describe the process of oxidative phosphorylation. [9]
13 2007 June (a) Describe how a nerve impulse crosses a cholinergic synapse. [9]
(b) Explain the roles of synapses in the nervous system. [6]
14 (a) Describe the structure of a chloroplast. [9]
(b) Explain how the palisade mesophyll cells of a leaf are adapted for photosynthesis. [6]
15 2007 November (a) Describe the structure of photosystems and explain how a photosystem functions in cyclic photophosphorylation. [9]
(b) Explain briefly how reduced NADP is formed in the light-dependent stage of photosynthesis and is used in the light-independent stage. [6]
16 (a) Explain how meiosis and fertilisation can result in genetic variation amongst offspring. [7]
(b) Explain, using examples, how the environment may affect the phenotype of an organism. [8]
17 2008 June (a) Describe the process of oxidative phosphorylation in the mitochondrion. [9]
(b) Explain the roles of NAD in anaerobic respiration in both plants and animals. [6]
18 (a) Compare the roles of the endocrine and nervous systems in control and coordination in animals. [8]
(b) Describe the part played by auxins in apical dominance in a plant shoot. [7]
19 2008 November (a) Describe the structure of a motor neurone. [7]
(b) Explain how an action potential is transmitted along a motor neurone. [8]
20 (a) Explain the role of isolating mechanisms in the evolution of new species. [8]
(b) Describe and explain, using an example, the process of artificial selection. [7]
21 2009 June (a) Explain how changes in the nucleotide sequence of DNA may affect the amino acid sequence in a protein. [7]
(b) Explain how natural selection may bring about evolution. [8]
22 (a) Describe the part played by the proximal convoluted tubules in the functioning of the kidneys. [8]
(b) Explain how the collecting ducts in the kidneys may reduce the loss of water from the body. [7]
23 2009 November (a) Describe the process of glycolysis. [7]
(b) Describe the structure and synthesis of ATP and its universal role as the energy currency in all living organisms. [8]
24 (a) Describe a reflex arc and explain why such reflex arcs are important. [7]
(b) Describe the structure of a myelin sheath and explain its role in the speed of transmission of a nerve impulse. [8]
25 (a) Outline the main features of the Krebs cycle. [9]
2
Titles in italics are on topics that are no longer included in the current CIE syllabus.
Year Series
1 2004 June (a) Explain how a synapse functions. [9]
(b) Describe the role of glucagon in regulating blood glucose. [6]
2 (a) Outline the main features of the Calvin Cycle. [9]
(b) Explain the role of NADP in photosynthesis. [6]
3 2004 November (a) Describe the main features of the Krebs Cycle. [9]
(b) Explain the role of NAD in aerobic respiration. [6]
4 (a) Describe the use of recombinant DNA technology in the synthesis of human insulin by bacteria. [9]
(b) Explain the advantages of treating diabetics with human insulin produced by genetic engineering. [6]
5 2005 June (a) Describe the role of auxins in apical dominance. [6]
(b) Explain the role of gibberellins in the germination of wheat or barley. [9]
6 (a) Describe why variation is important in natural selection. [6]
(b) Explain the role of isolating mechanisms in the evolution of new species. [9]
7 2005 November (a) Describe how the structure of a dicotyledonous leaf is related to its functions in photosynthesis. [7]
(b) Discuss the effects that variations in carbon dioxide concentration and light intensity have on the rate of photosynthesis. [8]
8 (a) Describe how nitrogenous waste products are formed and explain why they need to be removed from the body. [6]
(b) Describe how the kidney removes metabolic wastes from the body. [9]
9 2006 June (a) Explain the meaning of the term homeostasis with specific reference to the control of raised blood glucose concentration in mammals. [8]
(b) Describe the role played by ADH in osmoregulation in mammals. [7]
10 (a) Describe the role of natural selection in evolution. [8]
(b) Explain, using named examples, how mutation can affect phenotype. [7]
11 2006 November (a) Describe how the structure of neurones speeds up the transmission of action potentials. [6]
(b) Explain, using a named example, how sensory receptors in mammals convert energy into action potentials. [9]
1
, 12 (a) Describe the transfer of light energy to chemical energy in ATP during photosynthesis. [6]
(b) Describe the process of oxidative phosphorylation. [9]
13 2007 June (a) Describe how a nerve impulse crosses a cholinergic synapse. [9]
(b) Explain the roles of synapses in the nervous system. [6]
14 (a) Describe the structure of a chloroplast. [9]
(b) Explain how the palisade mesophyll cells of a leaf are adapted for photosynthesis. [6]
15 2007 November (a) Describe the structure of photosystems and explain how a photosystem functions in cyclic photophosphorylation. [9]
(b) Explain briefly how reduced NADP is formed in the light-dependent stage of photosynthesis and is used in the light-independent stage. [6]
16 (a) Explain how meiosis and fertilisation can result in genetic variation amongst offspring. [7]
(b) Explain, using examples, how the environment may affect the phenotype of an organism. [8]
17 2008 June (a) Describe the process of oxidative phosphorylation in the mitochondrion. [9]
(b) Explain the roles of NAD in anaerobic respiration in both plants and animals. [6]
18 (a) Compare the roles of the endocrine and nervous systems in control and coordination in animals. [8]
(b) Describe the part played by auxins in apical dominance in a plant shoot. [7]
19 2008 November (a) Describe the structure of a motor neurone. [7]
(b) Explain how an action potential is transmitted along a motor neurone. [8]
20 (a) Explain the role of isolating mechanisms in the evolution of new species. [8]
(b) Describe and explain, using an example, the process of artificial selection. [7]
21 2009 June (a) Explain how changes in the nucleotide sequence of DNA may affect the amino acid sequence in a protein. [7]
(b) Explain how natural selection may bring about evolution. [8]
22 (a) Describe the part played by the proximal convoluted tubules in the functioning of the kidneys. [8]
(b) Explain how the collecting ducts in the kidneys may reduce the loss of water from the body. [7]
23 2009 November (a) Describe the process of glycolysis. [7]
(b) Describe the structure and synthesis of ATP and its universal role as the energy currency in all living organisms. [8]
24 (a) Describe a reflex arc and explain why such reflex arcs are important. [7]
(b) Describe the structure of a myelin sheath and explain its role in the speed of transmission of a nerve impulse. [8]
25 (a) Outline the main features of the Krebs cycle. [9]
2
