AQA Biology - Paper 1 EXAM | VERIFIED ANSWERS 100% |2025
What are cells? - ✔✔The smallest unit of life that can replicate independently
What's another way of saying sub cellular structure? - ✔✔Organelles
What's the function of the cell membrane? - ✔✔To control which substances can pass
in and out of the cell
What's the function of the nucleus? - ✔✔To contain the genetic material / DNA
What's the function of cytoplasm? - ✔✔Where chemical reactions take place
What's the function of mitochondria? - ✔✔To provide cells with the energy they need to
function and to be the site of aerobic respiration
What's the function of ribosomes? - ✔✔The site of protein synthesis
What extra organelles do plant cells have? - ✔✔cell wall, vacuole, chloroplasts
What's the function of the cell wall? - ✔✔To support the structure of the cell
What's the function of chloroplasts? - ✔✔The site of photosynthesis
What's the function of the permanent vacuole? - ✔✔To contain cell sap (sugars, salt,
water)
What organelles do animal cells have? - ✔✔Nucleus, cytoplasm, cell membrane,
mitochondria, ribosomes
What organelles do plant cells have? - ✔✔Nucleus, cytoplasm, cell membrane,
mitochondria, ribosomes, cell wall, vacuole, chloroplasts
What organelles can bacteria cells have? - ✔✔Cell wall, cell membrane, ribosomes,
cytoplasm, circular strand of DNA, plasmids
What's the function of plasmids? - ✔✔To provide extra genes and antibiotic resistance
what's the function of a circular strand of DNA? - ✔✔To contain the genes needed to
survive anf reproduce
What are the 2 types of cells? - ✔✔Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic
,What's a eukaryotic cell? - ✔✔A cell that has a cutoplasm, cell membrane and have
their genetic material contained within a nucleus
What's a prokaryotic cell? - ✔✔A cell that has a cytoplasm and cell membrane
surrounded by a cell wall and do not have its genetic material contained within a
nucleus
Give 2 examples of eukaryotes - ✔✔Plants and animals
Give 1 example of a prokaryote - ✔✔Bacteria
Are prokaryotes unicellular or multicellular? - ✔✔Unicellular
Are eukaryotes unicellular or multicellular? - ✔✔They can be both
What makes plants turn green? - ✔✔Chlorophyll in chloroplasts
What's the cell wall made of? - ✔✔Cellulose
Are bacteria cells larger or smaller than animal cells? - ✔✔Smaller
What's the size of animal cells in micrometers? - ✔✔10-30
What's the size of plant cells in micrometers? - ✔✔10-100
What's the size of bacteria cells in micrometers? - ✔✔1
What specialised structure would you expect to find in bacteria that live in water? -
✔✔Flagellum
What's meant by specialised? - ✔✔The ability to do a specific job
What's meant by differentiate? - ✔✔The process of becoming specialised
What's the job of Nerve Cells? - ✔✔To carry electrical impulses around the body
What are 4 adaptations of Nerve Cells, and what do they do? - ✔✔Lots of dendrites -
connect to other nerve cells
Long Axon - conducts electrical impulses in one direction
Synapses/nerve endings - transfers the impulse using chemical transmitters
Lots of mitochondria - provides ATP to make transmitter chemicals
What's the job of Sperm Cells? - ✔✔To travel towards and fertilise an egg
, What are 4 adaptations of Sperm Cells, and what do they do? - ✔✔Long tail - whips
side to side to swim towards the egg
Lots of mitrochondria - provides ATP for the tail to move
Acrosome - contains enzymes to break through the egg's outer layer
Nucleus - contains half the full chromosme number
What's the job of (involuntary) Smooth Muscle Cells? - ✔✔To form layers of tissue in
your digestive system and squeez food through your gut
What's the job of (voluntary) Striated/Striped Muscle Cells? - ✔✔To contract and relax
in pairs to allow movement
What are 3 adaptations of Muscle Cells, and what do they do? - ✔✔Special proteins -
slide past each other, making muscle fibres contract
Lots of mitochondria - provides ATP for the chemical reactions to occur
Glycogen - stores glucose that can be broken down and used by mitochondria for
respiration
What's the job of Root Hair Cells? - ✔✔To absorb water and mineral ions from the soil
What are 3 adaptations of Root Hair Cells, and what do they do? - ✔✔Long hair like
extension - increases surface area for absorption
Lots of mitochondria - fuels the active transport of minerals into the cell
Large vacuole - for water to move into by osmosis
What's the job of Xylem Cells? - ✔✔To transport water and mineral ions from the roots
to the leaves
What are 2 adaptations of Xylem Cells, and what do they do? - ✔✔Dead hollow tubes -
firm, hollow, long
Strong lignin spirals - supports structure of Xylem, preventing collapse
What's the job of Phloem Cells, and what do they do? - ✔✔To transport glucose from
photosynthesis around the plant
What are 2 adaptations of Phloem Cells, and what do they do? - ✔✔Living sieve plates
- allows glucose to pass through freely by translocation
Companion cells - generate energy to transport glucose
What are cells? - ✔✔The building blocks of life
What are specialised cells? - ✔✔Cells that carry out a specific function
What are tissues? - ✔✔Groups of cells that are similar in structure and function
What are cells? - ✔✔The smallest unit of life that can replicate independently
What's another way of saying sub cellular structure? - ✔✔Organelles
What's the function of the cell membrane? - ✔✔To control which substances can pass
in and out of the cell
What's the function of the nucleus? - ✔✔To contain the genetic material / DNA
What's the function of cytoplasm? - ✔✔Where chemical reactions take place
What's the function of mitochondria? - ✔✔To provide cells with the energy they need to
function and to be the site of aerobic respiration
What's the function of ribosomes? - ✔✔The site of protein synthesis
What extra organelles do plant cells have? - ✔✔cell wall, vacuole, chloroplasts
What's the function of the cell wall? - ✔✔To support the structure of the cell
What's the function of chloroplasts? - ✔✔The site of photosynthesis
What's the function of the permanent vacuole? - ✔✔To contain cell sap (sugars, salt,
water)
What organelles do animal cells have? - ✔✔Nucleus, cytoplasm, cell membrane,
mitochondria, ribosomes
What organelles do plant cells have? - ✔✔Nucleus, cytoplasm, cell membrane,
mitochondria, ribosomes, cell wall, vacuole, chloroplasts
What organelles can bacteria cells have? - ✔✔Cell wall, cell membrane, ribosomes,
cytoplasm, circular strand of DNA, plasmids
What's the function of plasmids? - ✔✔To provide extra genes and antibiotic resistance
what's the function of a circular strand of DNA? - ✔✔To contain the genes needed to
survive anf reproduce
What are the 2 types of cells? - ✔✔Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic
,What's a eukaryotic cell? - ✔✔A cell that has a cutoplasm, cell membrane and have
their genetic material contained within a nucleus
What's a prokaryotic cell? - ✔✔A cell that has a cytoplasm and cell membrane
surrounded by a cell wall and do not have its genetic material contained within a
nucleus
Give 2 examples of eukaryotes - ✔✔Plants and animals
Give 1 example of a prokaryote - ✔✔Bacteria
Are prokaryotes unicellular or multicellular? - ✔✔Unicellular
Are eukaryotes unicellular or multicellular? - ✔✔They can be both
What makes plants turn green? - ✔✔Chlorophyll in chloroplasts
What's the cell wall made of? - ✔✔Cellulose
Are bacteria cells larger or smaller than animal cells? - ✔✔Smaller
What's the size of animal cells in micrometers? - ✔✔10-30
What's the size of plant cells in micrometers? - ✔✔10-100
What's the size of bacteria cells in micrometers? - ✔✔1
What specialised structure would you expect to find in bacteria that live in water? -
✔✔Flagellum
What's meant by specialised? - ✔✔The ability to do a specific job
What's meant by differentiate? - ✔✔The process of becoming specialised
What's the job of Nerve Cells? - ✔✔To carry electrical impulses around the body
What are 4 adaptations of Nerve Cells, and what do they do? - ✔✔Lots of dendrites -
connect to other nerve cells
Long Axon - conducts electrical impulses in one direction
Synapses/nerve endings - transfers the impulse using chemical transmitters
Lots of mitochondria - provides ATP to make transmitter chemicals
What's the job of Sperm Cells? - ✔✔To travel towards and fertilise an egg
, What are 4 adaptations of Sperm Cells, and what do they do? - ✔✔Long tail - whips
side to side to swim towards the egg
Lots of mitrochondria - provides ATP for the tail to move
Acrosome - contains enzymes to break through the egg's outer layer
Nucleus - contains half the full chromosme number
What's the job of (involuntary) Smooth Muscle Cells? - ✔✔To form layers of tissue in
your digestive system and squeez food through your gut
What's the job of (voluntary) Striated/Striped Muscle Cells? - ✔✔To contract and relax
in pairs to allow movement
What are 3 adaptations of Muscle Cells, and what do they do? - ✔✔Special proteins -
slide past each other, making muscle fibres contract
Lots of mitochondria - provides ATP for the chemical reactions to occur
Glycogen - stores glucose that can be broken down and used by mitochondria for
respiration
What's the job of Root Hair Cells? - ✔✔To absorb water and mineral ions from the soil
What are 3 adaptations of Root Hair Cells, and what do they do? - ✔✔Long hair like
extension - increases surface area for absorption
Lots of mitochondria - fuels the active transport of minerals into the cell
Large vacuole - for water to move into by osmosis
What's the job of Xylem Cells? - ✔✔To transport water and mineral ions from the roots
to the leaves
What are 2 adaptations of Xylem Cells, and what do they do? - ✔✔Dead hollow tubes -
firm, hollow, long
Strong lignin spirals - supports structure of Xylem, preventing collapse
What's the job of Phloem Cells, and what do they do? - ✔✔To transport glucose from
photosynthesis around the plant
What are 2 adaptations of Phloem Cells, and what do they do? - ✔✔Living sieve plates
- allows glucose to pass through freely by translocation
Companion cells - generate energy to transport glucose
What are cells? - ✔✔The building blocks of life
What are specialised cells? - ✔✔Cells that carry out a specific function
What are tissues? - ✔✔Groups of cells that are similar in structure and function
