AQA Past Papers Practice

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

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

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

Label parts B on Figure 1.

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

People must be vaccinated with a new vaccine each year to prevent infection from
influenza.
Explain why a new vaccine is used each year.

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

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

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

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.

What is the optimum pH for pectinase?

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?

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.

Increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere contribute to global warming.

Choose two possible effects of global warming.

Yeast can also respire aerobically.
Complete the sentence to give one way in which aerobic respiration is different from anaerobic respiration

Choose the answer (carbon, energy, oxygen, glucose)

Aerobic respiration releases more ………………………than
anaerobic respiration.

Yeast cells can respire anaerobically.
0 1 . 3 Complete the word equation for anaerobic respiration in yeast.
Choose the answer (ethanol, glycerol, starch, urea.)

glucose → ………….. + carbon dioxide

The brain monitors core body temperature.
Name the centre in the brain that monitors core body temperature.

Body temperature is one condition that is controlled by homeostasis in humans. box
Choose two other internal conditions that are controlled in the body

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

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 =?

Describe two possible effects that a faulty valve can have on the functioning of the heart.

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

Name the chemical reaction in the body that releases energy

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

Digestive enzymes break down insoluble molecules into smaller, soluble molecules.
Name two insoluble molecules digested by enzymes.
Choose the answers (amino acid, fat, fatty acid, glucose, protein)

Brain cells can be damaged by toxins.
Liver failure can cause brain damage.
Explain how liver failure can cause brain damage.