6.2 Variation & Evolution: Biology Practice
Questions AQA GCSE
Complete Table 1 by putting a tick (✓) in the correct column to say which characteristics
in humans are determined by the environment, inheritance or both.
The completed table is as follows:
Complete the sentences Choose words in the box.
Phenotype Mutations Replications Genotype Evolution
Within human populations everyone has different characteristics, this is called variation.
Differences in the DNA causes different characteristics. The DNA in genes changes due
to events called _______________ . When this happens it can sometimes, but not always,
lead to changes in the _______________ .
The correct sentences are as follows:
Within human populations everyone has different characteristics, this is called variation.
Differences in the DNA causes different characteristics. The DNA in genes changes due
to events called mutations. When this happens it can sometimes, but not always, lead to
changes in the phenotype.
Some scientists investigated variation in pea plants growing in a garden.
They counted the number of peas in each pod, as shown in Figure 1. They did this for all
49 plants in the garden. Give one environmental factor and one other factor that might
affect the number of peas in a pod.
Factors that affect the number of peas in the pod are:
Any correct named physical environmental condition, eg. light / water / rain / temperature
/ minerals / nutrients / space (between plants) or any correct named biotic factor eg.
predation / disease;
Genes / inheritance.
Table 1 shows the data that the scientists collected. Using the axes in Figure 2, complete
the bar chart of the data in Table 1. You will be awarded marks for:
Correctly plotted bars
Labelling both axes
Marks are allocated for the following graph features:
Axes correctly labelled / x axis 'mean number of peas in each pod', y axis 'number of
plants';
,Define the term population.
A population is a group of individuals of the same species AND that live in the same area
at the same time.
A population of beetles exists in an area of forest. The beetles live in leaflitter that is
brown and green in colour, and they are hunted by predators such as birds. The beetles
have an outer shellthat protects their wings, known as an elytra; the elytra can have
different colours and patterns. Explain how the beetle population changed overtime from
having a large diversity in elytra colours to having mostly brown and green elytra.
The colour of the beetle elytra changed because:
Any four of the following:
There is variation in elytra colour within the population of beetles;
Beetles with elytra that are brightly coloured / not brown/green are more likely to be
eaten by predators OR the beetles with brown/green elytra are more likely to survive / not
be eaten;
The surviving beetles reproduce;
The beetles pass on their alleles (for brown/green elytra) to the next generation;
The number/frequency of beetles with brown/green elytra increases over time.
The humans that live near the forest build a road through the beetles' habitat. The road is
too wide for the beetles to cross, causing the two populations to become isolated from
each other. On one side of the road the leaflitter is cleared and lots of plants with red
berries start to grow in the area. Suggest how this might cause the two populations of
beetles to diverge from one another to the point where they are no longer the same
species.
The two populations might diverge from one another by:
Any two of the following:
Different elytra colours aid survival / are eaten in the two areas;
Different alleles are passed on in the two populations;
The populations become so genetically different that they cannot breed together (to
produce fertile offspring).
State how the scientists could determine whether the beetles were still the same species.
The scientists could determine whether the beetles were the same species or not by:
Breeding the beetles together to produce offspring;
Determine whether the offspring are fertile.
, Lemons are not a naturally occurring fruit. The tree that lemon fruits come from (Citrus
limon) originates from a cross between a plant called a bitter orange (Citrus × aurantium)
and a citron (Citrus medica). What is the name of the process that lead to the creation of
the Citrus limon?
The process that lead to the creation of lemons is:
Selective breeding / artificial selection.
Lemons have a very bitter flavour, some of which comes from the high levels of citric
acid in the fruit. Describe how the farmers growing lemons will have increased the
amount of citric acid over several generations of growing the Citrus limon trees.
The amount of citric acid increased because:
The farmers selected the trees with the fruits that produced the most citric acid;
They were bred together;
The offspring from that cross with the most citric acid were selected and bred together;
Repeat this process for several generations.
Other crop plants have experienced a similar process at the hands of farmers and
growers. Flavour is one thing that can be improved. List three other useful traits that
growers look for in their crop plants.
Other traits that growers look for are:
Any three from the following:
Disease resistance;
Long-shelf life;
Pest resistance;
Herbicide resistance;
High yield;
Drought resistance;
Frost resistance.
Some people are concerned that this process reduces the amount of genetic variation in
the plant populations. Why is it important to maintain genetic variation in natural plant
populations?
It is important to maintain genetic variation because:
Any two of the following:
Organisms can be vulnerable to new diseases;
Reduces ability to adapt to new conditions / environmental change;
There is less variation for natural selection to act on.
Insulin is a hormone that is used to treat people with a medical condition called Type 1
Diabetes. What is the function of insulin in the body?
Questions AQA GCSE
Complete Table 1 by putting a tick (✓) in the correct column to say which characteristics
in humans are determined by the environment, inheritance or both.
The completed table is as follows:
Complete the sentences Choose words in the box.
Phenotype Mutations Replications Genotype Evolution
Within human populations everyone has different characteristics, this is called variation.
Differences in the DNA causes different characteristics. The DNA in genes changes due
to events called _______________ . When this happens it can sometimes, but not always,
lead to changes in the _______________ .
The correct sentences are as follows:
Within human populations everyone has different characteristics, this is called variation.
Differences in the DNA causes different characteristics. The DNA in genes changes due
to events called mutations. When this happens it can sometimes, but not always, lead to
changes in the phenotype.
Some scientists investigated variation in pea plants growing in a garden.
They counted the number of peas in each pod, as shown in Figure 1. They did this for all
49 plants in the garden. Give one environmental factor and one other factor that might
affect the number of peas in a pod.
Factors that affect the number of peas in the pod are:
Any correct named physical environmental condition, eg. light / water / rain / temperature
/ minerals / nutrients / space (between plants) or any correct named biotic factor eg.
predation / disease;
Genes / inheritance.
Table 1 shows the data that the scientists collected. Using the axes in Figure 2, complete
the bar chart of the data in Table 1. You will be awarded marks for:
Correctly plotted bars
Labelling both axes
Marks are allocated for the following graph features:
Axes correctly labelled / x axis 'mean number of peas in each pod', y axis 'number of
plants';
,Define the term population.
A population is a group of individuals of the same species AND that live in the same area
at the same time.
A population of beetles exists in an area of forest. The beetles live in leaflitter that is
brown and green in colour, and they are hunted by predators such as birds. The beetles
have an outer shellthat protects their wings, known as an elytra; the elytra can have
different colours and patterns. Explain how the beetle population changed overtime from
having a large diversity in elytra colours to having mostly brown and green elytra.
The colour of the beetle elytra changed because:
Any four of the following:
There is variation in elytra colour within the population of beetles;
Beetles with elytra that are brightly coloured / not brown/green are more likely to be
eaten by predators OR the beetles with brown/green elytra are more likely to survive / not
be eaten;
The surviving beetles reproduce;
The beetles pass on their alleles (for brown/green elytra) to the next generation;
The number/frequency of beetles with brown/green elytra increases over time.
The humans that live near the forest build a road through the beetles' habitat. The road is
too wide for the beetles to cross, causing the two populations to become isolated from
each other. On one side of the road the leaflitter is cleared and lots of plants with red
berries start to grow in the area. Suggest how this might cause the two populations of
beetles to diverge from one another to the point where they are no longer the same
species.
The two populations might diverge from one another by:
Any two of the following:
Different elytra colours aid survival / are eaten in the two areas;
Different alleles are passed on in the two populations;
The populations become so genetically different that they cannot breed together (to
produce fertile offspring).
State how the scientists could determine whether the beetles were still the same species.
The scientists could determine whether the beetles were the same species or not by:
Breeding the beetles together to produce offspring;
Determine whether the offspring are fertile.
, Lemons are not a naturally occurring fruit. The tree that lemon fruits come from (Citrus
limon) originates from a cross between a plant called a bitter orange (Citrus × aurantium)
and a citron (Citrus medica). What is the name of the process that lead to the creation of
the Citrus limon?
The process that lead to the creation of lemons is:
Selective breeding / artificial selection.
Lemons have a very bitter flavour, some of which comes from the high levels of citric
acid in the fruit. Describe how the farmers growing lemons will have increased the
amount of citric acid over several generations of growing the Citrus limon trees.
The amount of citric acid increased because:
The farmers selected the trees with the fruits that produced the most citric acid;
They were bred together;
The offspring from that cross with the most citric acid were selected and bred together;
Repeat this process for several generations.
Other crop plants have experienced a similar process at the hands of farmers and
growers. Flavour is one thing that can be improved. List three other useful traits that
growers look for in their crop plants.
Other traits that growers look for are:
Any three from the following:
Disease resistance;
Long-shelf life;
Pest resistance;
Herbicide resistance;
High yield;
Drought resistance;
Frost resistance.
Some people are concerned that this process reduces the amount of genetic variation in
the plant populations. Why is it important to maintain genetic variation in natural plant
populations?
It is important to maintain genetic variation because:
Any two of the following:
Organisms can be vulnerable to new diseases;
Reduces ability to adapt to new conditions / environmental change;
There is less variation for natural selection to act on.
Insulin is a hormone that is used to treat people with a medical condition called Type 1
Diabetes. What is the function of insulin in the body?
