AQA GCSE BIOLOGY 8461/1H PAPER 1
HIGHER TIER COMPREHENSIVE STUDY
GUIDE 2026 FULL QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
◍ Digestive system- rectum and anus.
Answer: Gets rid of waste food
◍ Where is lipase made?.
Answer: - pancreas - small intestine
◍ What does bile do?.
Answer: bile is alkaline and neutralises hydrocholoric acid to make
conditions alkalineEmulsifies fats
◍ Where is bile produced, stored and then released?.
Answer: produced - liver stored - gall bladderseleased - small intestine
◍ Why is it important that bile neutralises the hydrochloric acid?.
Answer: Because the enzymes in the small intestine work best in alkaline
conditions
◍ What does lipase break down?.
Answer: Fats into fatty acids and glycerol made in pancreas and small
intestine works in small intestine
◍ "Bile emulsifies fats" what does this mean?.
Answer: - it breaks down fats into tiny droplets- this gives a much bigger
surface area of fat for the enzyme lipase to work on- making digestion faster
◍ What enzyme is produced in the stomach?.
Answer: protease enzyme, pepsin
,◍ Which enzymes are produced in the pancreas?.
Answer: - amylase - protease - lipase
◍ What does protease break down.
Answer: Proteins into amino acids made in stomach pancreas and small
intestine works in stomach and small intestine
◍ Which enzymes are produced in the small intestine?.
Answer: - amylase - protease - lipase
◍ What is respiration?.
Answer: The process of releasing energy from the breakdown of glucose - it
goes on in every cell of the body
◍ What does amylase break down?.
Answer: Breaks down starch into sugars made in salivary glands pancreas
and Small intestine and works in the mouth and small intestine
◍ What is aerobic respiration?.
Answer: respiration using oxygen - most efficient way to release energy
from glucose
◍ Describe the lock and key method.
Answer: Enzyme has very specifically shaped active site so only one
substrate will fit into the enzyme. When joined they form a enzyme
substrate complex and the enzyme will either break apart things or join
together things. It will then release the products and enzyme can be used
again
◍ Where does most of the reactions in aerobic respiration happen?.
Answer: inside the mitochondria and are controlled by enzymes
◍ How does temperature effect enzyme activity.
Answer: Low temp-not enough energyPeak- optimal tempAfter peak-
enzymes get denaturedGraph is a curve steeper after the peak
◍ What is the word equation for aerobic respiration?.
Answer: glucose + oxygen -----> carbon dioxide + water + energy
, ◍ How ph effects enzyme activity.
Answer: More semetrical graph, curvedWhen too high or too low bonds
aren't in place so the active site of the enzymes is denatured
◍ What four things is the energy released from respiration used for?.
Answer: - to building larger molecules from smaller ones (e.g. proteins from
amino acids)- in animals, allowing muscles to contract (allows movement)-
in mammals and birds the energy is used to maintain body temperature -
Plants: build sugars, nitrates, other nutrients into amino acids, which are
then built up into proteins
◍ Why does blood flow faster when you exercise?.
Answer: - to increase the rate at which oxygen and glucose reach mucle cells
for aerobic respirationyou also need to remove extra waste carbon dioxide
produced more quicklytherefore, blood has to flow at a faster rate
◍ Describe the respiratory system.
Answer: Air goes in through mouth or nose into the trachea then into
bronchus into bronchiole into the alveoli. Diaphragm moves up and down to
let air in and out
◍ Describe the cardiovascular system.
Answer: Blood gets pumped from heart to lungs hoes back to heart and then
gets bumped around the rest of the body
◍ What two things increase when you exercise?.
Answer: -increases your breathing rate and depth of each breath. this allows
a greater uptake of oxygen and release of carbon dioxide at the lungs - heart
rate increases and the blood vessels supplying the muscles dilate. this allows
more blood containing oxygen and glucose to reach the muscles
◍ How do muscles store glucose?.
Answer: as glycogen
◍ Explain cycle of blood in the heart.
Answer: Gets pumped into the vena cava into the right atrium through to the
HIGHER TIER COMPREHENSIVE STUDY
GUIDE 2026 FULL QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
◍ Digestive system- rectum and anus.
Answer: Gets rid of waste food
◍ Where is lipase made?.
Answer: - pancreas - small intestine
◍ What does bile do?.
Answer: bile is alkaline and neutralises hydrocholoric acid to make
conditions alkalineEmulsifies fats
◍ Where is bile produced, stored and then released?.
Answer: produced - liver stored - gall bladderseleased - small intestine
◍ Why is it important that bile neutralises the hydrochloric acid?.
Answer: Because the enzymes in the small intestine work best in alkaline
conditions
◍ What does lipase break down?.
Answer: Fats into fatty acids and glycerol made in pancreas and small
intestine works in small intestine
◍ "Bile emulsifies fats" what does this mean?.
Answer: - it breaks down fats into tiny droplets- this gives a much bigger
surface area of fat for the enzyme lipase to work on- making digestion faster
◍ What enzyme is produced in the stomach?.
Answer: protease enzyme, pepsin
,◍ Which enzymes are produced in the pancreas?.
Answer: - amylase - protease - lipase
◍ What does protease break down.
Answer: Proteins into amino acids made in stomach pancreas and small
intestine works in stomach and small intestine
◍ Which enzymes are produced in the small intestine?.
Answer: - amylase - protease - lipase
◍ What is respiration?.
Answer: The process of releasing energy from the breakdown of glucose - it
goes on in every cell of the body
◍ What does amylase break down?.
Answer: Breaks down starch into sugars made in salivary glands pancreas
and Small intestine and works in the mouth and small intestine
◍ What is aerobic respiration?.
Answer: respiration using oxygen - most efficient way to release energy
from glucose
◍ Describe the lock and key method.
Answer: Enzyme has very specifically shaped active site so only one
substrate will fit into the enzyme. When joined they form a enzyme
substrate complex and the enzyme will either break apart things or join
together things. It will then release the products and enzyme can be used
again
◍ Where does most of the reactions in aerobic respiration happen?.
Answer: inside the mitochondria and are controlled by enzymes
◍ How does temperature effect enzyme activity.
Answer: Low temp-not enough energyPeak- optimal tempAfter peak-
enzymes get denaturedGraph is a curve steeper after the peak
◍ What is the word equation for aerobic respiration?.
Answer: glucose + oxygen -----> carbon dioxide + water + energy
, ◍ How ph effects enzyme activity.
Answer: More semetrical graph, curvedWhen too high or too low bonds
aren't in place so the active site of the enzymes is denatured
◍ What four things is the energy released from respiration used for?.
Answer: - to building larger molecules from smaller ones (e.g. proteins from
amino acids)- in animals, allowing muscles to contract (allows movement)-
in mammals and birds the energy is used to maintain body temperature -
Plants: build sugars, nitrates, other nutrients into amino acids, which are
then built up into proteins
◍ Why does blood flow faster when you exercise?.
Answer: - to increase the rate at which oxygen and glucose reach mucle cells
for aerobic respirationyou also need to remove extra waste carbon dioxide
produced more quicklytherefore, blood has to flow at a faster rate
◍ Describe the respiratory system.
Answer: Air goes in through mouth or nose into the trachea then into
bronchus into bronchiole into the alveoli. Diaphragm moves up and down to
let air in and out
◍ Describe the cardiovascular system.
Answer: Blood gets pumped from heart to lungs hoes back to heart and then
gets bumped around the rest of the body
◍ What two things increase when you exercise?.
Answer: -increases your breathing rate and depth of each breath. this allows
a greater uptake of oxygen and release of carbon dioxide at the lungs - heart
rate increases and the blood vessels supplying the muscles dilate. this allows
more blood containing oxygen and glucose to reach the muscles
◍ How do muscles store glucose?.
Answer: as glycogen
◍ Explain cycle of blood in the heart.
Answer: Gets pumped into the vena cava into the right atrium through to the
