AQA Past Papers Practice

Which specimen in Table 1 would be visible without a microscope?

Metabolism is the name given to all chemical reactions in the body.

Name the chemical reaction in the body that releases energy

Gregor Mendel carried out breeding experiments with box pea plants from 1856 to 1863.

Mendel thought that characteristics were controlled by ‘inherited factors’.
What are these ‘inherited factors’ now called?

Mendel published his results in 1866, but his ideas were ignored until the early 1900s.
Suggest one reason why people did not accept Mendel’s ideas in 1866.

This question is about white blood cells and pathogens.
White blood cells have cell membranes.
Describe the function of the cell membrane.

Uncontrolled cell division causes tumours to form.
A tumour can be malignant or benign.
select two features of malignant tumours that make them different from benign tumours.

Skin cells contain many ribosomes.
Suggest why ribosomes are not visible in Figure 6.

The number of people who smoke cigarettes has decreased since the 1990s.
Choose reason why

Explain why a person with a faulty heart valve can feel very tired.

Tardigrades can survive in extremely cold and dry conditions.
In extreme conditions, tardigrades have the following adaptations:
1. Produce a waxy layer to cover their body surface.
2. Curl up into a tiny ball.
3. Are light enough to be carried by the wind.
Describe how each adaptation helps the tardigrade to survive.
You should give a different reason for each adaptation.
Adaptation 1
Adaptation 2
Adaptation 3

Choose three ways white blood cells defend the body against pathogens.

In 2007 project ‘Clean Cow’ was set up to reduce the methane emissions from cows.
why cows have been chosen in a project to benefit the environment

Which specimen in Table 1 would only be visible with an electron microscope?

The size of the stomata can be controlled.
What parts of the leaf control the size of the stomata?

The allele for white flower colour is recessive.
Describe how Figure 10 shows that a recessive allele causes white flower colour

Name a technique which could be used to quickly produce large numbers of the
genetically engineered plants

Structures A, B, C and D are valves.
Which valve opens when the blood pressure in the right ventricle is greater than the
blood pressure in the pulmonary artery?
Write the correct letter

What is the main type of tissue found in the wall of the heart?

Ebola is a disease caused by a viral pathogen.
The Ebola virus attaches to the cell membranes of some body cells.
The Ebola virus can spread very quickly by direct contact with infected patients or
their body fluids.
In countries where there are outbreaks of Ebola, people are advised to wash their
hands regularly.
Suggest how regular hand washing reduces the spread of the Ebola virus

Owls are large birds.
Owls eat mice and small birds.
Which food chain is the most efficient at transferring energy from plants to owls?

Tardigrades can reproduce both sexually and asexually.
During asexual reproduction, the female produces offspring from eggs which have not
been fertilised.
Give one advantage to the female if she does not need to find a mate.

In Mendel’s breeding experiment there were 297 purple flowers and 105 white flowers
in the second generation.
Calculate the actual ratio Mendel achieved.
Give your answer to 3 significant figures.

Ratio of purple flowers : white flowers =?

Bacteria can enter the body during breathing.
Antibiotics are used to kill bacteria without affecting our body cells.
Many antibiotics work by destroying the outer layer of the bacterial cell.
Suggest why these antibiotics do not kill body cells.

Ebola viruses enter box the cells and reproduce rapidly. The cells then burst and release
many copies of the viruses.
When white blood cells burst they release proteins that block blood flow to the liver.
The liver fails because there is a lack of blood flow.
A failing liver cannot produce sufficient chemicals for blood clotting.
Suggest one symptom a person might have if the blood does not clot.