GCSE BIOLOGY (9–1): HIGHER TIER FINAL
TEST 2026 QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT
ANSWERS GRADED A+
◍ What does a nucleus do?.
Answer: It contains genetic material and controls the activities of the cell
◍ What does cytoplasm do?.
Answer: It's a gel-like substance where most of the chemical reactions
happen. It contains enzymes that control these chemical reactions
◍ What does a cell membrane do?.
Answer: It holds the cell together and controls what goes in and out
◍ GCSE.
Answer: General Certificate of Secondary Education
◍ What do mitochondria do?.
Answer: These are where most of the reactions for aerobic respiration occur.
Respiration transfers energy that the cell needs to work
◍ What do ribosomes do?.
Answer: This is where protein synthesis takes place - where proteins are
made in the cell
◍ What do cell walls do?.
Answer: They are made of cellulose and they support and strengthen the cell
◍ What does a vacuole do?.
Answer: It contains cell sap and helps maintain the shape of the cell
◍ What do chloroplasts do?.
Answer: This is where photosynthesis occurs, which makes food for the
plant. They contain chlorophyll - a green pigment - which absorbs light
, needed for photosynthesis
◍ Biology.
Answer: Study of living organisms
◍ What do bacterial cells contain?.
Answer: Cytoplasm, cell membrane, cell wall, flagella, ribosomes,
mitochondria, slime capsule, plasmids (small rings of DNA) and a single
circular strand of DNA that floats freely in the cytoplasm
◍ Higher Tier.
Answer: Advanced level of examination
◍ What do bacterial cells NOT contain?.
Answer: A nucleus
◍ What is the equation for magnification?.
Answer: Image size divided by actual size
◍ Paper 1H.
Answer: First paper of the higher tier
◍ What is differentiation?.
Answer: The process by which a cell changes to become specialised for its
job
◍ What are undifferentiated cells called?.
Answer: Stem cells
◍ Ruler.
Answer: Tool for measuring lengths
◍ What are sperm cells specialised for and how are they specialised?.
Answer: Reproduction - they transport the male DNA to the female DNA-It
has a flagella and a streamlined head to help it swim towards the egg-There
are lots of mitochondria in the cell to provide the energy needed-It carries
enzymes in its head to help digest through the egg cell membranes
◍ What are nerve cells specialised for and how are they specialised?.
, Answer: Rapid signalling - they carry electrical signals from one part of the
body to another-They are long to cover more distance-They have branched
connections at their ends to connect to other nerve cells and form a network
throughout the body
◍ What are muscle cells specialised for and how are they specialised?.
Answer: Contraction - they need to contract quickly-They are long so they
have space to contract-They contain lots of mitochondria to generate the
energy needed for contraction
◍ What are root hair cells specialised for and how are they specialised?.
Answer: Absorbing water and minerals-They are cells on the surface of
plant roots which grow into long hairs that stick out into the soil-They have
a large surface area for absorbing water and mineral ions from the soil
◍ What are chromosomes?.
Answer: Coiled up lengths of DNA molecules that are found in the nuclei
◍ What do multicellular organisms use mitosis for?.
Answer: To grow or replace cells that have been damaged
◍ What are stem cells?.
Answer: They are undifferentiated cells that divide to produce lots more
undifferentiated cells. They then differentiate into different types of cell
◍ Where are stem cells found?.
Answer: In early human embryos or the bone marrow of adults
◍ What do embryonic stem cells do?.
Answer: 1) Used to replace faulty cells in sick people - insulin-producing
cells for diabetes and nerve cells for paralysed spinal injuries2) Used to
replace faulty blood cells
◍ What is diffusion?.
Answer: Diffusion is the movement of particles from an area of high
concentration to an area of low concentration
◍ Name the substances that can diffuse through cell membranes.
, Answer: Glucose, water, oxygen and amino acids
◍ Name two substances that can't diffuse through cell membranes.
Answer: Protein and starch
◍ What is osmosis?.
Answer: Osmosis is the passive movement of water molecules through a
partially permeable cell membrane from an area of high water concentration
to an area of low water concentration
◍ What are the two main differences between active transport and diffusion?.
Answer: Active transport uses energy whereas diffusion doesn't. Active
transport goes against the concentration gradient whereas diffusion goes
along it
◍ Adaptations of Exchange Surfaces.
Answer: 1) Large surface area - lots of substances can diffuse at once2) Lots
of blood vessels - to get stuff into and out of the blood quickly3) Thin
membrane - short distance for substances to diffuse4) Often ventilated - air
moves in & out
◍ Scientific calculator.
Answer: Device for complex calculations
◍ Give two ways that the villi in the small intestine are adapted for absorbing
digested food.
Answer: 1) A single layer of surface cells2) A very good blood supply to
assist quick absorption
◍ Explain how the leaves are adapted to maximise the amount of carbon
dioxide that gets into their cells.
Answer: 1) The exchange surface in a leaf is covered in stomata which the
carbon dioxide diffuses through2) The leaf has a flattened shape which
increases the area of its exchange surface, therefore it's more effective3) The
walls of the cells inside the leaf act as another exchange surface4) The air
spaces inside the leaf increase the area of the exchange surface which
increases the chance for carbon dioxide to enter the cells
TEST 2026 QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT
ANSWERS GRADED A+
◍ What does a nucleus do?.
Answer: It contains genetic material and controls the activities of the cell
◍ What does cytoplasm do?.
Answer: It's a gel-like substance where most of the chemical reactions
happen. It contains enzymes that control these chemical reactions
◍ What does a cell membrane do?.
Answer: It holds the cell together and controls what goes in and out
◍ GCSE.
Answer: General Certificate of Secondary Education
◍ What do mitochondria do?.
Answer: These are where most of the reactions for aerobic respiration occur.
Respiration transfers energy that the cell needs to work
◍ What do ribosomes do?.
Answer: This is where protein synthesis takes place - where proteins are
made in the cell
◍ What do cell walls do?.
Answer: They are made of cellulose and they support and strengthen the cell
◍ What does a vacuole do?.
Answer: It contains cell sap and helps maintain the shape of the cell
◍ What do chloroplasts do?.
Answer: This is where photosynthesis occurs, which makes food for the
plant. They contain chlorophyll - a green pigment - which absorbs light
, needed for photosynthesis
◍ Biology.
Answer: Study of living organisms
◍ What do bacterial cells contain?.
Answer: Cytoplasm, cell membrane, cell wall, flagella, ribosomes,
mitochondria, slime capsule, plasmids (small rings of DNA) and a single
circular strand of DNA that floats freely in the cytoplasm
◍ Higher Tier.
Answer: Advanced level of examination
◍ What do bacterial cells NOT contain?.
Answer: A nucleus
◍ What is the equation for magnification?.
Answer: Image size divided by actual size
◍ Paper 1H.
Answer: First paper of the higher tier
◍ What is differentiation?.
Answer: The process by which a cell changes to become specialised for its
job
◍ What are undifferentiated cells called?.
Answer: Stem cells
◍ Ruler.
Answer: Tool for measuring lengths
◍ What are sperm cells specialised for and how are they specialised?.
Answer: Reproduction - they transport the male DNA to the female DNA-It
has a flagella and a streamlined head to help it swim towards the egg-There
are lots of mitochondria in the cell to provide the energy needed-It carries
enzymes in its head to help digest through the egg cell membranes
◍ What are nerve cells specialised for and how are they specialised?.
, Answer: Rapid signalling - they carry electrical signals from one part of the
body to another-They are long to cover more distance-They have branched
connections at their ends to connect to other nerve cells and form a network
throughout the body
◍ What are muscle cells specialised for and how are they specialised?.
Answer: Contraction - they need to contract quickly-They are long so they
have space to contract-They contain lots of mitochondria to generate the
energy needed for contraction
◍ What are root hair cells specialised for and how are they specialised?.
Answer: Absorbing water and minerals-They are cells on the surface of
plant roots which grow into long hairs that stick out into the soil-They have
a large surface area for absorbing water and mineral ions from the soil
◍ What are chromosomes?.
Answer: Coiled up lengths of DNA molecules that are found in the nuclei
◍ What do multicellular organisms use mitosis for?.
Answer: To grow or replace cells that have been damaged
◍ What are stem cells?.
Answer: They are undifferentiated cells that divide to produce lots more
undifferentiated cells. They then differentiate into different types of cell
◍ Where are stem cells found?.
Answer: In early human embryos or the bone marrow of adults
◍ What do embryonic stem cells do?.
Answer: 1) Used to replace faulty cells in sick people - insulin-producing
cells for diabetes and nerve cells for paralysed spinal injuries2) Used to
replace faulty blood cells
◍ What is diffusion?.
Answer: Diffusion is the movement of particles from an area of high
concentration to an area of low concentration
◍ Name the substances that can diffuse through cell membranes.
, Answer: Glucose, water, oxygen and amino acids
◍ Name two substances that can't diffuse through cell membranes.
Answer: Protein and starch
◍ What is osmosis?.
Answer: Osmosis is the passive movement of water molecules through a
partially permeable cell membrane from an area of high water concentration
to an area of low water concentration
◍ What are the two main differences between active transport and diffusion?.
Answer: Active transport uses energy whereas diffusion doesn't. Active
transport goes against the concentration gradient whereas diffusion goes
along it
◍ Adaptations of Exchange Surfaces.
Answer: 1) Large surface area - lots of substances can diffuse at once2) Lots
of blood vessels - to get stuff into and out of the blood quickly3) Thin
membrane - short distance for substances to diffuse4) Often ventilated - air
moves in & out
◍ Scientific calculator.
Answer: Device for complex calculations
◍ Give two ways that the villi in the small intestine are adapted for absorbing
digested food.
Answer: 1) A single layer of surface cells2) A very good blood supply to
assist quick absorption
◍ Explain how the leaves are adapted to maximise the amount of carbon
dioxide that gets into their cells.
Answer: 1) The exchange surface in a leaf is covered in stomata which the
carbon dioxide diffuses through2) The leaf has a flattened shape which
increases the area of its exchange surface, therefore it's more effective3) The
walls of the cells inside the leaf act as another exchange surface4) The air
spaces inside the leaf increase the area of the exchange surface which
increases the chance for carbon dioxide to enter the cells
