Page 1 of 65
AQA A LEVEL BIOLOGY PAPER 1 EXAM SET QUESTION
AND ANSWER RECENT UPDATE THIS YEAR
QUESTION: 1.1 Suggest and explain a procedure the scientist could have used to stop each reaction. -
ANSWER-- The nature of the enzyme by putting it in ice.
1.2 Describe the induced fit model of enzyme action and how an enzyme acts as a catalyst. - ANSWER--
The substrate binds to the active site and forms an ES complex.
- The active site changes shape slightly so it's complimentary to the substrate.
- This reduces the activation energy.
QUESTION: 1.3 Tick one box to show which are the substrate the scientists must add to the reaction
mixture is to produce ATP. - ANSWER-- Adenosine diphosphate.
QUESTION: 1.4 Explain the change in ATP concentration with increasing inorganic phosphate
concentration - ANSWER-- With increasing phosphate concentration more ES complex is form.
- And at 40 mol dm3, all active sites are occupied.
QUESTION: 2.1 Explain the advantage for large animals of having a specialised system that facilitates
oxygen uptake. - ANSWER-- Large organisms have a smaller surface area to volume ratio.
- This means they overcome a long diffusion pathway.
, Page 2 of 65
QUESTION: 2.2 Suggest how the environmental conditions have resulted in adaptations of systems using
model A rather than model B. - ANSWER-- Water is more dense than air.
- So it supports the gills.
QUESTION: 2.3 A student studies figure 3 and concluded that the fish gas exchange system is more
efficient than the human gas exchange system. Use figure 3 to justify this conclusion. - ANSWER-- The
difference of oxygen concentration between the artery and vein is larger in the fish than the human.
- So the fish remove a greater amount of oxygen that they intake.
QUESTION: 2.4 Explain how the countercurrents principle allows sufficient oxygen uptake in the fish gas
exchange system. - ANSWER-- Blood and water continuously flow in opposite directions.
- So the concentration gradient is maintained along the length of the lamellae.
QUESTION: 3.1 Describe how one amino acid is added to a polypeptide that is being formed at a
ribosome during translation. - ANSWER-- TRNA brings the specific amino acid to the ribosome.
- The anticodon on the tRNA binds to the codon on the mRNA.
- The amino acids join to form a peptide bond using ATP.
QUESTION: 3.2 Use information in table to to suggest why this amino acid replacement changes the
properties of crystallin. - ANSWER-- The hydrogen bonds form instead of the ionic bonds.
- And it changes the tertiary structure of the crystallin.
, Page 3 of 65
QUESTION: 3.3 MRNA codon for the non-mutant triplets.
mutated mRNA codon.
Mutated DNA triplet. - ANSWER-- AGG
- GGG
- CCC
QUESTION: 4.1 Suggest two ways the student could improve the quality of his scientific drawing of the
blood vessels in this dissection. - ANSWER-- Add labels.
- Don't use shading.
QUESTION: 4.2 Describe one feature that allows you to identify the blood vessels.
Blood vessel X
Blood vessel Y
Feature - ANSWER-- Artery
- Vein
- They have different wall thicknesses.
QUESTION: 4.3 Describe two precautions the student should take when clearing away after the
dissection. - ANSWER-- Disinfect all instruments.
- Disinfect hands.
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QUESTION: 5.1 Describe how a sample of chloroplasts could be isolated from leaves. - ANSWER-- Break
open the cells and filter it.
- Keep it in the cold to ensure it has the same water potential.
- Keep it in a controlled pH.
- Centrifuge it to remove cell debris.
- And centrifuge at increase in speeds so the chloroplast can settle out.
QUESTION: 5.2 Give one feature of the chloroplast that allows proteins to be synthesised inside the
chloroplast and describe one difference between this feature in the chloroplast and similar features in
the rest of the cell. - ANSWER-- Feature: Ribosomes.
- Difference: In chloroplasts there are 70s ribosomes. In the cytoplasm there are 80s ribosomes.
QUESTION: 5.4 Use figure 6 to suggest why iron deficient plants have reduced growth rates. - ANSWER--
There are less thylakoids membranes so there is a smaller surface area of chloroplasts.
- As there is less chlorophyll less light is absorbed so that are slower rates of photosynthesis.
QUESTION: 6.2 Describe the role of the spindle fibres and the behaviour of the chromosome during
each of these phases. - ANSWER-- C: Prophase AND
- D: Metaphase AND
- E: Anaphase.
AQA A LEVEL BIOLOGY PAPER 1 EXAM SET QUESTION
AND ANSWER RECENT UPDATE THIS YEAR
QUESTION: 1.1 Suggest and explain a procedure the scientist could have used to stop each reaction. -
ANSWER-- The nature of the enzyme by putting it in ice.
1.2 Describe the induced fit model of enzyme action and how an enzyme acts as a catalyst. - ANSWER--
The substrate binds to the active site and forms an ES complex.
- The active site changes shape slightly so it's complimentary to the substrate.
- This reduces the activation energy.
QUESTION: 1.3 Tick one box to show which are the substrate the scientists must add to the reaction
mixture is to produce ATP. - ANSWER-- Adenosine diphosphate.
QUESTION: 1.4 Explain the change in ATP concentration with increasing inorganic phosphate
concentration - ANSWER-- With increasing phosphate concentration more ES complex is form.
- And at 40 mol dm3, all active sites are occupied.
QUESTION: 2.1 Explain the advantage for large animals of having a specialised system that facilitates
oxygen uptake. - ANSWER-- Large organisms have a smaller surface area to volume ratio.
- This means they overcome a long diffusion pathway.
, Page 2 of 65
QUESTION: 2.2 Suggest how the environmental conditions have resulted in adaptations of systems using
model A rather than model B. - ANSWER-- Water is more dense than air.
- So it supports the gills.
QUESTION: 2.3 A student studies figure 3 and concluded that the fish gas exchange system is more
efficient than the human gas exchange system. Use figure 3 to justify this conclusion. - ANSWER-- The
difference of oxygen concentration between the artery and vein is larger in the fish than the human.
- So the fish remove a greater amount of oxygen that they intake.
QUESTION: 2.4 Explain how the countercurrents principle allows sufficient oxygen uptake in the fish gas
exchange system. - ANSWER-- Blood and water continuously flow in opposite directions.
- So the concentration gradient is maintained along the length of the lamellae.
QUESTION: 3.1 Describe how one amino acid is added to a polypeptide that is being formed at a
ribosome during translation. - ANSWER-- TRNA brings the specific amino acid to the ribosome.
- The anticodon on the tRNA binds to the codon on the mRNA.
- The amino acids join to form a peptide bond using ATP.
QUESTION: 3.2 Use information in table to to suggest why this amino acid replacement changes the
properties of crystallin. - ANSWER-- The hydrogen bonds form instead of the ionic bonds.
- And it changes the tertiary structure of the crystallin.
, Page 3 of 65
QUESTION: 3.3 MRNA codon for the non-mutant triplets.
mutated mRNA codon.
Mutated DNA triplet. - ANSWER-- AGG
- GGG
- CCC
QUESTION: 4.1 Suggest two ways the student could improve the quality of his scientific drawing of the
blood vessels in this dissection. - ANSWER-- Add labels.
- Don't use shading.
QUESTION: 4.2 Describe one feature that allows you to identify the blood vessels.
Blood vessel X
Blood vessel Y
Feature - ANSWER-- Artery
- Vein
- They have different wall thicknesses.
QUESTION: 4.3 Describe two precautions the student should take when clearing away after the
dissection. - ANSWER-- Disinfect all instruments.
- Disinfect hands.
, Page 4 of 65
QUESTION: 5.1 Describe how a sample of chloroplasts could be isolated from leaves. - ANSWER-- Break
open the cells and filter it.
- Keep it in the cold to ensure it has the same water potential.
- Keep it in a controlled pH.
- Centrifuge it to remove cell debris.
- And centrifuge at increase in speeds so the chloroplast can settle out.
QUESTION: 5.2 Give one feature of the chloroplast that allows proteins to be synthesised inside the
chloroplast and describe one difference between this feature in the chloroplast and similar features in
the rest of the cell. - ANSWER-- Feature: Ribosomes.
- Difference: In chloroplasts there are 70s ribosomes. In the cytoplasm there are 80s ribosomes.
QUESTION: 5.4 Use figure 6 to suggest why iron deficient plants have reduced growth rates. - ANSWER--
There are less thylakoids membranes so there is a smaller surface area of chloroplasts.
- As there is less chlorophyll less light is absorbed so that are slower rates of photosynthesis.
QUESTION: 6.2 Describe the role of the spindle fibres and the behaviour of the chromosome during
each of these phases. - ANSWER-- C: Prophase AND
- D: Metaphase AND
- E: Anaphase.
