AQA A-LEVEL BIOLOGY PAPER 1 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2024
1. Water removed from the reactants join- Condensation
two molecules together forming a
chemical bond
2. The addition of water to the reactants to Hydrolysis
break a chemical bond between 2 mole-
cules
3. 1. Add Benedict's reagent. 2. Heat the Test for Reducing Sugars (3)
solution in a water bath for 5 minutes at
95 degrees Celsius. 3. Change from blue
to brick red as CuO formed
4. Smaller units from which larger mole- Monomer
cules are made
5. 1. Add 2cm³ of food sample then add Non-Reducing Sugars (2)
2cm³ of dilute HCl and heat.
2. Add 2cm³ of NaHCO3 then do test for
reducing sugars.
6. Add drops of iodine to starch solution. Test for Starch (1)
Colour change to blue-black
7. 1. Mix Test solution with ethanol. Test for Lipids (3)
2. Shake for 1 minute then add water.
3. Cloudy white emulsion
8. 1. Obtain equal volumes of test solution Test for Proteins (2)
and NaOH then add a few drops of biuret
solution (dilute copper (II) sulphate so-
lution).
2. Colour change to mauve/purple
9. 1. Very high resolution. Transmission Electron Micro-
2. Needs thin and dead specimen. scope (5)
3. Artefacts can occur (remnant left on
object during prep, such as air bubbles)
4. Uses magnets to focus on specimen
, AQA A-LEVEL BIOLOGY PAPER 1 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2024
5. Uses electrons fired at sample.
6. Is not in colour
10. 1. Inhibitor is similar in shape to sub- Competitive inhibition (2)
strate so it impermanently binds to the
active site.
2. Prevents ESC from forming, slowing
rate
11. 1. Molecule will bind to allosteric site. Non-competitive inhibition (3)
2. Binding causes a change in active
site.
3. Permanently preventing further ESC.
12. 1. DNA helicase breaks the hydrogen DNA Replication: Semiconserv-
bonds between the base pairs ative (4)
2. 2 single strands formed as the double
helix "unzips".
3. Free DNA nucleotides in the nu-
cleoplasm bond to the complementary
bases on the strand.
4. DNA polymerase forms phosphodi-
ester bonds between adjacent DNA nu-
cleotides via condensation reaction with
the hydrolysis of ATP, forming the phos-
phate backbone
13. 1. ATP stores or releases only a small Describe 6 properties of ATP
amount of energy at a time, so no energy that make it a good energy
is wasted as heat. source. (6)
2. Small and soluble so easily transport-
ed
3. Easily broken down, so energy is re-
leased instantaneously
4. Can be quickly re-made
5. Can make other molecules more reac-
tive via phosphorylation
6. ATP can't pass out of cell, so the cell
always has an immediate supply of en-
ergy.
,14. Prevents the cell from drying out. Allows Slime capsule (2)
bacteria to stick to each other
15. Used for attachment of a cell to a surface Fimbria
16. Involved in bacterial conjugation Pilli
17. Invagination of cell membrane. Site of Mesosome
cell respiration (prokaryotes)
18. The ability to distinguish two points Resolution
apart
19. 1. Lower resolution than TEM Scanning Electron Microscope
2. 3D image
3. Does not require thin samples
20. The mass of organelles at the bottom of Pellet
the test tube after centrifugation.
21. Cold. Low temperature slows enzyme Solution Required for cell frac-
activity, minimising self digestion by re- tionation (6 Marks)
ducing metabolic rate. Isotonic. Salt and
sugar concentration kept the same, min-
imising organelle size change due to os-
mosis. Buffered. Minimum changes in
pH, so prevents enzymes in organelles
denaturing.
22. 1. Homogenisation. Breaking up cells Separation of Organelles From
by blending the sample to create a ho- The Cells (4)
mogenate.
2. Filtering. Filtering the large, unwanted
sil, producing the filtrate.
3. Ultracentrifugation. Spin in a cen-
trifuge so components separate out by
weight. Heavier near the bottom of the
tube.
, 4. Supernatant is removed and spun
again at higher speed.
23. The solution not including the pellet at Supernatant
the bottom of the test tube after centrifu-
gation.
24. 1. Cell wall forms, dividing the two genet- Binary Fission 3
ically identical daughter cells.
2. Same circular DNA.
25. Nuclei, Chloroplasts, Mitochondria, Order of Organelles
Lysosomes, Endoplasmic Reticulum, Ri-
bosomes
26. (Pass me a taco chief) Mitosis acronym
27. Cell grows and carrys out its normal Interphase
function
28. Cells grow to normal size. Organelles Interphase G1
replicate and genes are expressed to
make proteins needed.
29. DNA and histones replicated. Interphase S
30. Spindle fibres are made Interphase G2
31. 1. DNA winds up making chromosones Prophase (3)
from chromatin.
2. Centrioles appear at opposite poles of
the cell. 3. Nucleolus disappears
32. 1. Nuclear envelope disappears. Metaphase (3)
2. Chromosomes align along the equator
of the cell.
3. Spindle fibres connect centrioles to
chromosomes
33. Anaphase (1)
1. Water removed from the reactants join- Condensation
two molecules together forming a
chemical bond
2. The addition of water to the reactants to Hydrolysis
break a chemical bond between 2 mole-
cules
3. 1. Add Benedict's reagent. 2. Heat the Test for Reducing Sugars (3)
solution in a water bath for 5 minutes at
95 degrees Celsius. 3. Change from blue
to brick red as CuO formed
4. Smaller units from which larger mole- Monomer
cules are made
5. 1. Add 2cm³ of food sample then add Non-Reducing Sugars (2)
2cm³ of dilute HCl and heat.
2. Add 2cm³ of NaHCO3 then do test for
reducing sugars.
6. Add drops of iodine to starch solution. Test for Starch (1)
Colour change to blue-black
7. 1. Mix Test solution with ethanol. Test for Lipids (3)
2. Shake for 1 minute then add water.
3. Cloudy white emulsion
8. 1. Obtain equal volumes of test solution Test for Proteins (2)
and NaOH then add a few drops of biuret
solution (dilute copper (II) sulphate so-
lution).
2. Colour change to mauve/purple
9. 1. Very high resolution. Transmission Electron Micro-
2. Needs thin and dead specimen. scope (5)
3. Artefacts can occur (remnant left on
object during prep, such as air bubbles)
4. Uses magnets to focus on specimen
, AQA A-LEVEL BIOLOGY PAPER 1 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2024
5. Uses electrons fired at sample.
6. Is not in colour
10. 1. Inhibitor is similar in shape to sub- Competitive inhibition (2)
strate so it impermanently binds to the
active site.
2. Prevents ESC from forming, slowing
rate
11. 1. Molecule will bind to allosteric site. Non-competitive inhibition (3)
2. Binding causes a change in active
site.
3. Permanently preventing further ESC.
12. 1. DNA helicase breaks the hydrogen DNA Replication: Semiconserv-
bonds between the base pairs ative (4)
2. 2 single strands formed as the double
helix "unzips".
3. Free DNA nucleotides in the nu-
cleoplasm bond to the complementary
bases on the strand.
4. DNA polymerase forms phosphodi-
ester bonds between adjacent DNA nu-
cleotides via condensation reaction with
the hydrolysis of ATP, forming the phos-
phate backbone
13. 1. ATP stores or releases only a small Describe 6 properties of ATP
amount of energy at a time, so no energy that make it a good energy
is wasted as heat. source. (6)
2. Small and soluble so easily transport-
ed
3. Easily broken down, so energy is re-
leased instantaneously
4. Can be quickly re-made
5. Can make other molecules more reac-
tive via phosphorylation
6. ATP can't pass out of cell, so the cell
always has an immediate supply of en-
ergy.
,14. Prevents the cell from drying out. Allows Slime capsule (2)
bacteria to stick to each other
15. Used for attachment of a cell to a surface Fimbria
16. Involved in bacterial conjugation Pilli
17. Invagination of cell membrane. Site of Mesosome
cell respiration (prokaryotes)
18. The ability to distinguish two points Resolution
apart
19. 1. Lower resolution than TEM Scanning Electron Microscope
2. 3D image
3. Does not require thin samples
20. The mass of organelles at the bottom of Pellet
the test tube after centrifugation.
21. Cold. Low temperature slows enzyme Solution Required for cell frac-
activity, minimising self digestion by re- tionation (6 Marks)
ducing metabolic rate. Isotonic. Salt and
sugar concentration kept the same, min-
imising organelle size change due to os-
mosis. Buffered. Minimum changes in
pH, so prevents enzymes in organelles
denaturing.
22. 1. Homogenisation. Breaking up cells Separation of Organelles From
by blending the sample to create a ho- The Cells (4)
mogenate.
2. Filtering. Filtering the large, unwanted
sil, producing the filtrate.
3. Ultracentrifugation. Spin in a cen-
trifuge so components separate out by
weight. Heavier near the bottom of the
tube.
, 4. Supernatant is removed and spun
again at higher speed.
23. The solution not including the pellet at Supernatant
the bottom of the test tube after centrifu-
gation.
24. 1. Cell wall forms, dividing the two genet- Binary Fission 3
ically identical daughter cells.
2. Same circular DNA.
25. Nuclei, Chloroplasts, Mitochondria, Order of Organelles
Lysosomes, Endoplasmic Reticulum, Ri-
bosomes
26. (Pass me a taco chief) Mitosis acronym
27. Cell grows and carrys out its normal Interphase
function
28. Cells grow to normal size. Organelles Interphase G1
replicate and genes are expressed to
make proteins needed.
29. DNA and histones replicated. Interphase S
30. Spindle fibres are made Interphase G2
31. 1. DNA winds up making chromosones Prophase (3)
from chromatin.
2. Centrioles appear at opposite poles of
the cell. 3. Nucleolus disappears
32. 1. Nuclear envelope disappears. Metaphase (3)
2. Chromosomes align along the equator
of the cell.
3. Spindle fibres connect centrioles to
chromosomes
33. Anaphase (1)
