GCSE BIOLOGY 8461 1H PAPER 1 HIGHER TIER
EXAM SCRIPT 2026 TESTED QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS ALREADY PASSED
◉ How are phloem cells specialised? Answer: Small holes:
The end walls of phloem cells contain small holes to allow food
products to move up and down the phloem vessels throughout the
plant.
◉ What is the definition of magnification? Answer: How many times
larger an image seen through a microscope is compared to the real
object.
◉ Resolution Answer: The ability to distinguish between two or
more objects that are close together.
◉ What is the equation for magnification? Answer: Magnification =
image size / real size
◉ How does a light microscope work? Answer: A light microscope
passes light through a specimen and creates a magnified image using
lenses.
,◉ What are discoveries made through the light microscope?
Answer: Allowed bacteria to be seen for the first time.
Allowed us to see plant cells and animal cells as separate objects.
◉ How does an electron microscope work? Answer: It passes
electrons, rather than light through the specimen and can give much
better resolution
◉ What are discoveries made using electron microscopes? Answer:
High level of detail of electron microscopes allowed scientists to see
sub-cellular structures more clearly.
Allowed them to study how sub-cellular structures work.
◉ LIGHT MICROSCOPE PRACTICAL
6 MARKS Answer: -Add a drop of water to the middle of a clean slide.
-Cut up an onion and separate it out into layers.
-Use tweezers to peel of some epidermal tissue from the bottom of
one of the layers.
-Using the tweezers, place the epidermal tissue into the water on the
slide.
-Add a drop of iodine solution. Stains are used to highlight objects in
a cell by adding colour to them.
-Place a cover slip on top.
(Stand the cover upright on the slide, next to the water droplet.
,Carefully tilt and lower the slide so it covers the specimen.)
-Clip the slide you've prepared onto the stage.
-Select the lowest-powered-objective lens.
-Use the coarse adjustment knob to move the stage up to just below
the objective lens.
-Look down the eyepiece. Use the coarse adjustment knob to move
the stage downwards until the image is roughly in focus.
-Adjust the focus with the fine adjustment knob until you get a clear
image of what's on the slide.
-If you need to see the slide with greater magnification, swap to a
higher-powered-objective lens and refocus.
◉ What are the sub-cellular structures found in plant cells but not
animal cells? Answer: Cell wall
Permanent vacuole
Chloroplasts
◉ What does the nucleus do? Answer: Contains the genetic material
that controls the activities of the cell.
◉ What does the mitochondria do? Answer: This is where most of
the reactions for respiration take place. Respiration releases energy
that the cell needs to work.
, ◉ What's the cytoplasm and what does it do? Answer: Gel-like
substance where most of the chemical reactions take place. Contains
enzymes that control these chemical reactions.
◉ What is the cell membrane and what does it do? Answer: Holds
the cell together and controls what goes in and out.
◉ What is the cell membrane made of? Answer: cellulose
◉ What are ribosomes used for? Answer: protein synthesis
◉ What are the uses of cultures of microorganisms? Answer: They
can be use to investigate the effects of antibiotics and disinfectants.
◉ What are the two mediums, which contain everything the need to
survive, that microorganisms can be grown in? Answer: Nutrient
broth and an Agar gel plate.
◉ What is a nutrient broth? Answer: They can grow
microorganisms.
Contains carbohydrates as an energy source, mineral and sometimes
other chemicals.
EXAM SCRIPT 2026 TESTED QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS ALREADY PASSED
◉ How are phloem cells specialised? Answer: Small holes:
The end walls of phloem cells contain small holes to allow food
products to move up and down the phloem vessels throughout the
plant.
◉ What is the definition of magnification? Answer: How many times
larger an image seen through a microscope is compared to the real
object.
◉ Resolution Answer: The ability to distinguish between two or
more objects that are close together.
◉ What is the equation for magnification? Answer: Magnification =
image size / real size
◉ How does a light microscope work? Answer: A light microscope
passes light through a specimen and creates a magnified image using
lenses.
,◉ What are discoveries made through the light microscope?
Answer: Allowed bacteria to be seen for the first time.
Allowed us to see plant cells and animal cells as separate objects.
◉ How does an electron microscope work? Answer: It passes
electrons, rather than light through the specimen and can give much
better resolution
◉ What are discoveries made using electron microscopes? Answer:
High level of detail of electron microscopes allowed scientists to see
sub-cellular structures more clearly.
Allowed them to study how sub-cellular structures work.
◉ LIGHT MICROSCOPE PRACTICAL
6 MARKS Answer: -Add a drop of water to the middle of a clean slide.
-Cut up an onion and separate it out into layers.
-Use tweezers to peel of some epidermal tissue from the bottom of
one of the layers.
-Using the tweezers, place the epidermal tissue into the water on the
slide.
-Add a drop of iodine solution. Stains are used to highlight objects in
a cell by adding colour to them.
-Place a cover slip on top.
(Stand the cover upright on the slide, next to the water droplet.
,Carefully tilt and lower the slide so it covers the specimen.)
-Clip the slide you've prepared onto the stage.
-Select the lowest-powered-objective lens.
-Use the coarse adjustment knob to move the stage up to just below
the objective lens.
-Look down the eyepiece. Use the coarse adjustment knob to move
the stage downwards until the image is roughly in focus.
-Adjust the focus with the fine adjustment knob until you get a clear
image of what's on the slide.
-If you need to see the slide with greater magnification, swap to a
higher-powered-objective lens and refocus.
◉ What are the sub-cellular structures found in plant cells but not
animal cells? Answer: Cell wall
Permanent vacuole
Chloroplasts
◉ What does the nucleus do? Answer: Contains the genetic material
that controls the activities of the cell.
◉ What does the mitochondria do? Answer: This is where most of
the reactions for respiration take place. Respiration releases energy
that the cell needs to work.
, ◉ What's the cytoplasm and what does it do? Answer: Gel-like
substance where most of the chemical reactions take place. Contains
enzymes that control these chemical reactions.
◉ What is the cell membrane and what does it do? Answer: Holds
the cell together and controls what goes in and out.
◉ What is the cell membrane made of? Answer: cellulose
◉ What are ribosomes used for? Answer: protein synthesis
◉ What are the uses of cultures of microorganisms? Answer: They
can be use to investigate the effects of antibiotics and disinfectants.
◉ What are the two mediums, which contain everything the need to
survive, that microorganisms can be grown in? Answer: Nutrient
broth and an Agar gel plate.
◉ What is a nutrient broth? Answer: They can grow
microorganisms.
Contains carbohydrates as an energy source, mineral and sometimes
other chemicals.
