HIGHER HUMAN BIOLOGY SQA EXAM QUESTIONS &
ANSWERS
Paper 1, Q2
A primary transcript is a strand of: (1)
A: RNA comprising just exons
B: DNA comprising just exons
C: RNA comprising introns and exons
D: DNA comprising introns and exons. - Answer -C: RNA comprising introns and exons
Paper 1, Q8
A 40 g serving of a breakfast cereal contains 2 mg of iron. Only 25% of this iron is
absorbed into the bloodstream. If a pregnant woman requires a daily uptake of 6 mg of
iron, how much cereal would she have to eat each day to meet this requirement? (1)
A: 60 g
B: 120 g
C: 240 g
D: 480 g - Answer -D: 480 g
Paper 1, Q11
The events leading to formation of a blood clot are listed below.
1. Clotting factors are released.
2. An insoluble meshwork forms.
3. Fibrinogen is converted to fibrin.
4. Prothrombin is converted to thrombin.
The correct sequence of these events is (1)
A: 4, 2, 3, 1
B: 1, 4, 3, 2
C: 1, 3, 4, 2
D: 4, 3, 1, 2 - Answer -B: 1, 4, 3, 2
Paper 1, Q12
Which of the following statements describes the role of lipoprotein in the transport and
elimination of excess cholesterol? (1)
A: Low density lipoprotein transports excess cholesterol from the liver to the body cells.
B: Low density lipoprotein transports excess cholesterol from the body cells to the liver.
C: High density lipoprotein transports excess cholesterol from the liver to the body cells.
D: High density lipoprotein transports excess cholesterol from the body cells to the liver.
- Answer -D: High density lipoprotein transports excess cholesterol from the body cells
to the liver.
Paper 1, Q14
The following are types of neural pathways.
1. Diverging
2. Converging
, 3. Reverberating
Which of these pathways involve nerve impulses being sent back through a circuit of
neurons? (1)
A: 3 only
B: 1 and 2 only
C: 1 and 3 only
D: 1, 2 and 3 - Answer -A: 3 only
Paper 1, Q17
The pathogen for the disease tuberculosis (TB) evades the specific immune response
by (1)
A: surviving within phagocytes
B: attacking lymphocytes
C: attacking phagocytes
D: antigenic variation. - Answer -A: surviving within phagocytes
Paper 1, Q19
Failure in regulation of the immune system leading to an autoimmune disease is caused
by a (1)
A: B lymphocyte immune response to self antigens.
B: T lymphocyte immune response to self antigens.
C: B lymphocyte immune response to foreign antigens.
D: T lymphocyte immune response to foreign antigens. - Answer -B: T lymphocyte
immune response to self antigens.
Paper 2, Q1
The diagram below represents an embryo in the early stages of development and
identifies the inner cell mass which is made up of stem cells.
(a) State one feature of stem cells. (1) - Answer -(Relatively) unspecialised (cells)
or
Capable of (repeated) division
or
Can differentiate (into specialised cells)
or
Are totipotent.
Paper 2, Q1
(b) Stem cells are also found in tissues throughout the adult body.
Explain how the function of tissue stem cells differs from that of the stem cells found in
the inner cell mass of an embryo. (1) - Answer -Embryonic stem cells/inner cell mass
cells can form all cells types /are totipotent or pluripotent while tissue/adult stem cells
can only form a limited range of cell types /are multipotent.
Paper 2, Q1
(c) Stem cells have uses in both therapy and research.
ANSWERS
Paper 1, Q2
A primary transcript is a strand of: (1)
A: RNA comprising just exons
B: DNA comprising just exons
C: RNA comprising introns and exons
D: DNA comprising introns and exons. - Answer -C: RNA comprising introns and exons
Paper 1, Q8
A 40 g serving of a breakfast cereal contains 2 mg of iron. Only 25% of this iron is
absorbed into the bloodstream. If a pregnant woman requires a daily uptake of 6 mg of
iron, how much cereal would she have to eat each day to meet this requirement? (1)
A: 60 g
B: 120 g
C: 240 g
D: 480 g - Answer -D: 480 g
Paper 1, Q11
The events leading to formation of a blood clot are listed below.
1. Clotting factors are released.
2. An insoluble meshwork forms.
3. Fibrinogen is converted to fibrin.
4. Prothrombin is converted to thrombin.
The correct sequence of these events is (1)
A: 4, 2, 3, 1
B: 1, 4, 3, 2
C: 1, 3, 4, 2
D: 4, 3, 1, 2 - Answer -B: 1, 4, 3, 2
Paper 1, Q12
Which of the following statements describes the role of lipoprotein in the transport and
elimination of excess cholesterol? (1)
A: Low density lipoprotein transports excess cholesterol from the liver to the body cells.
B: Low density lipoprotein transports excess cholesterol from the body cells to the liver.
C: High density lipoprotein transports excess cholesterol from the liver to the body cells.
D: High density lipoprotein transports excess cholesterol from the body cells to the liver.
- Answer -D: High density lipoprotein transports excess cholesterol from the body cells
to the liver.
Paper 1, Q14
The following are types of neural pathways.
1. Diverging
2. Converging
, 3. Reverberating
Which of these pathways involve nerve impulses being sent back through a circuit of
neurons? (1)
A: 3 only
B: 1 and 2 only
C: 1 and 3 only
D: 1, 2 and 3 - Answer -A: 3 only
Paper 1, Q17
The pathogen for the disease tuberculosis (TB) evades the specific immune response
by (1)
A: surviving within phagocytes
B: attacking lymphocytes
C: attacking phagocytes
D: antigenic variation. - Answer -A: surviving within phagocytes
Paper 1, Q19
Failure in regulation of the immune system leading to an autoimmune disease is caused
by a (1)
A: B lymphocyte immune response to self antigens.
B: T lymphocyte immune response to self antigens.
C: B lymphocyte immune response to foreign antigens.
D: T lymphocyte immune response to foreign antigens. - Answer -B: T lymphocyte
immune response to self antigens.
Paper 2, Q1
The diagram below represents an embryo in the early stages of development and
identifies the inner cell mass which is made up of stem cells.
(a) State one feature of stem cells. (1) - Answer -(Relatively) unspecialised (cells)
or
Capable of (repeated) division
or
Can differentiate (into specialised cells)
or
Are totipotent.
Paper 2, Q1
(b) Stem cells are also found in tissues throughout the adult body.
Explain how the function of tissue stem cells differs from that of the stem cells found in
the inner cell mass of an embryo. (1) - Answer -Embryonic stem cells/inner cell mass
cells can form all cells types /are totipotent or pluripotent while tissue/adult stem cells
can only form a limited range of cell types /are multipotent.
Paper 2, Q1
(c) Stem cells have uses in both therapy and research.
