AQA GCSE Biology 2027 Predicted Practice Paper — Paper 2 Higher

Answer ALL questions. Write your answers in the spaces provided. You must write down all the stages in your working.

Section A

Multiple choice. Answer ALL questions in the spaces provided.

• 1

  Question SECTION-A1 (1 mark)

  Which structure in the human body detects changes in blood glucose concentration and releases insulin?

  A. The liverB. The pancreasC. The pituitary glandD. The adrenal gland

  (Total for Question SECTION-A1 is 1 mark)
• 2

  Question SECTION-A2 (1 mark)

  A reflex action allows a rapid response to a stimulus. In a reflex arc, the correct order of neurones and connections is:

  A. Motor neurone -> synapse -> relay neurone -> sensory neuroneB. Sensory neurone -> synapse -> relay neurone -> motor neuroneC. Relay neurone -> sensory neurone -> synapse -> motor neuroneD. Sensory neurone -> motor neurone -> relay neurone -> synapse

  (Total for Question SECTION-A2 is 1 mark)
• 3

  Question SECTION-A3 (1 mark)

  Which of the following best describes the term 'homeostasis'?

  A. The removal of waste products from the bloodB. The maintenance of a constant internal environmentC. The transport of oxygen around the bodyD. The breakdown of large molecules into smaller ones

  (Total for Question SECTION-A3 is 1 mark)
• 4

  Question SECTION-A4 (1 mark)

  In a pea plant, the allele for tall stems (T) is dominant to the allele for short stems (t). Two heterozygous tall plants are crossed. What ratio of tall to short offspring is expected?

  A. 1 tall : 1 shortB. 3 tall : 1 shortC. 1 tall : 3 shortD. 4 tall : 0 short

  (Total for Question SECTION-A4 is 1 mark)
• 5

  Question SECTION-A5 (1 mark)

  Which cell structure controls which substances enter and leave a cell?

  A. The cell wallB. The cytoplasmC. The cell membraneD. The nucleus

  (Total for Question SECTION-A5 is 1 mark)
• 6

  Question SECTION-A6 (1 mark)

  The process by which the fittest organisms survive and pass on their alleles was named by Charles Darwin as:

  A. Selective breedingB. Genetic engineeringC. Natural selectionD. Sexual reproduction

  (Total for Question SECTION-A6 is 1 mark)
• 7

  Question SECTION-A7 (1 mark)

  Which hormone is released by the ovaries and causes the lining of the uterus to thicken during the menstrual cycle?

  A. FSHB. LHC. OestrogenD. Testosterone

  (Total for Question SECTION-A7 is 1 mark)
• 8

  Question SECTION-A8 (1 mark)

  A food chain is: grass -> rabbit -> fox. What is the correct term for the fox in this food chain?

  A. ProducerB. Primary consumerC. Secondary consumerD. Decomposer

  (Total for Question SECTION-A8 is 1 mark)
• 9

  Question SECTION-A9 (1 mark)

  Which of the following is the correct definition of a gene?

  A. A long molecule made of two strands twisted into a double helixB. A small section of DNA that codes for a particular sequence of amino acidsC. A structure in the nucleus made of coiled DNAD. The complete set of genetic material in an organism

  (Total for Question SECTION-A9 is 1 mark)
• 10

  Question SECTION-A10 (1 mark)

  During strenuous exercise, muscle cells may respire anaerobically. Which substance builds up as a result?

  A. GlucoseB. Lactic acidC. Carbon dioxideD. Ethanol

  (Total for Question SECTION-A10 is 1 mark)
• 11

  Question SECTION-A11 (1 mark)

  Which part of the brain controls balance and coordinates muscular activity?

  A. Cerebral cortexB. MedullaC. CerebellumD. Hypothalamus

  (Total for Question SECTION-A11 is 1 mark)
• 12

  Question SECTION-A12 (1 mark)

  Auxin is a plant hormone. When a shoot is exposed to light from one side, auxin causes the shoot to:

  A. Grow away from the lightB. Grow towards the lightC. Stop growing completelyD. Grow only downwards

  (Total for Question SECTION-A12 is 1 mark)
• 13

  Question SECTION-A13 (1 mark)

  Which of the following is an example of a non-communicable disease?

  A. MeaslesB. MalariaC. Coronary heart diseaseD. Tuberculosis

  (Total for Question SECTION-A13 is 1 mark)
• 14

  Question SECTION-A14 (1 mark)

  In the carbon cycle, which process removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere?

  A. RespirationB. CombustionC. PhotosynthesisD. Decomposition

  (Total for Question SECTION-A14 is 1 mark)
• 15

  Question SECTION-A15 (1 mark)

  A student wants to estimate the population of dandelions in a large field. Which piece of apparatus should be placed randomly to sample the area?

  A. A pooterB. A quadratC. A pitfall trapD. A sweep net

  (Total for Question SECTION-A15 is 1 mark)

Section B

Structured short-answer questions. Answer ALL questions in the spaces provided.

• 1

  Question SECTION-B1 (5 marks)

  A person moves from a warm room into a cold outdoor environment. Their body temperature must be kept at approximately 37 degrees. (a) Name the part of the brain that monitors and controls body temperature. (b) Describe two ways the skin responds to reduce heat loss when the body becomes too cold, and explain how each response helps. (c) Explain why maintaining a constant core body temperature is important for enzyme-controlled reactions in the body.

  (Total for Question SECTION-B1 is 5 marks)
• 2

  Question SECTION-B2 (5 marks)

  Insulin and glucagon control blood glucose concentration. (a) State where insulin is produced. (b) A person eats a meal high in carbohydrate. Describe how the body responds to bring the raised blood glucose concentration back to normal. (c) Explain the difference in cause between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

  (Total for Question SECTION-B2 is 5 marks)
• 3

  Question SECTION-B3 (5 marks)

  The diagram of a reflex arc is described as: a pin pricks a finger, and the hand is pulled away quickly. (a) Explain why a reflex action is described as automatic and rapid. (b) Describe the role of the synapse in transmitting a signal from one neurone to the next. (c) Suggest one advantage of reflex actions to survival.

  (Total for Question SECTION-B3 is 5 marks)
• 4

  Question SECTION-B4 (5 marks)

  In fruit flies, the allele for red eyes (R) is dominant to the allele for white eyes (r). (a) Define the term 'heterozygous'. (b) A homozygous red-eyed fly is crossed with a white-eyed fly. Using a genetic (Punnett) diagram, determine the genotypes and phenotypes of the offspring. (c) State the expected ratio of red-eyed to white-eyed offspring from this cross.

  (Total for Question SECTION-B4 is 5 marks)
• 5

  Question SECTION-B5 (5 marks)

  A population of bacteria is exposed to an antibiotic. Over several years the antibiotic becomes less effective at killing the bacteria. (a) Explain, in terms of natural selection, how a population of antibiotic-resistant bacteria develops. (b) Suggest two actions that could reduce the rate at which antibiotic resistance develops.

  (Total for Question SECTION-B5 is 5 marks)
• 6

  Question SECTION-B6 (5 marks)

  A student investigated the effect of light intensity on the rate of photosynthesis in pondweed by counting bubbles of gas produced per minute at different distances from a lamp. (a) Name the gas collected in the bubbles. (b) Describe and explain the relationship you would expect between light intensity and the rate of photosynthesis. (c) Suggest one variable, other than light intensity, that should be kept constant, and explain why.

  (Total for Question SECTION-B6 is 5 marks)
• 7

  Question SECTION-B7 (5 marks)

  The carbon cycle recycles carbon through living organisms and the environment. (a) Name the process by which carbon compounds in dead organisms are returned to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide by microorganisms. (b) Describe how carbon that is locked in a tree is eventually released back into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide by two different processes. (c) Explain one way in which human activity has increased the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

  (Total for Question SECTION-B7 is 5 marks)
• 8

  Question SECTION-B8 (5 marks)

  Auxin is a plant growth hormone. A class investigated the growth of cress seedlings placed in a box with a small hole allowing light in from one side only. (a) Predict and describe what happens to the direction of growth of the shoots. (b) Explain, in terms of auxin, why the shoots grow in this way. (c) State one commercial use of plant hormones such as auxins.

  (Total for Question SECTION-B8 is 5 marks)
• 9

  Question SECTION-B9 (5 marks)

  A woodland ecosystem contains oak trees, caterpillars, blue tits and sparrowhawks. (a) Construct a food chain using all four organisms in the correct order. (b) The caterpillar population is reduced by a disease. Describe and explain the likely effect on the blue tit population and the oak tree. (c) Explain why the amount of biomass decreases at each successive trophic level in a food chain.

  (Total for Question SECTION-B9 is 5 marks)
• 10

  Question SECTION-B10 (5 marks)

  Vaccination protects people against communicable diseases. (a) Describe what a vaccine contains. (b) Explain how vaccination makes a person immune to a disease. (c) Explain what is meant by 'herd immunity' and why it is important for a population.

  (Total for Question SECTION-B10 is 5 marks)
• 11

  Question SECTION-B11 (5 marks)

  DNA carries the genetic code. (a) Describe the structure of a DNA molecule. (b) Explain how the sequence of bases in a gene determines the protein that is made. (c) State what is meant by a 'mutation' and explain why most mutations have no effect on the phenotype of an organism.

  (Total for Question SECTION-B11 is 5 marks)
• 12

  Question SECTION-B12 (5 marks)

  Human activity is reducing biodiversity in many ecosystems. (a) Define the term 'biodiversity'. (b) Describe two human activities that reduce biodiversity, and for each explain how it causes the reduction. (c) Suggest one method humans use to try to maintain or increase biodiversity.

  (Total for Question SECTION-B12 is 5 marks)

Section C

Extended response. Answer ALL questions in the spaces provided.

• 1

  Question SECTION-C1 (6 marks)

  The kidneys play an essential role in homeostasis by controlling the water content of the blood (osmoregulation). Describe how the kidneys and the hormone ADH work together to control blood water concentration. In your answer, explain what happens both when the blood is too concentrated (not enough water) and when the blood is too dilute (too much water).

  (Total for Question SECTION-C1 is 6 marks)
• 2

  Question SECTION-C2 (6 marks)

  Charles Darwin proposed the theory of evolution by natural selection. Using the example of a population of beetles living on soil that gradually changes from light brown to dark brown over many generations, explain how the beetle population could evolve to become darker in colour. Refer to variation, competition, survival and inheritance in your answer.

  (Total for Question SECTION-C2 is 6 marks)
• 3

  Question SECTION-C3 (6 marks)

  A farmer wants to increase the yield of a herd of dairy cattle so they produce more milk. Compare selective breeding and genetic engineering as methods the farmer could use to improve the herd. Your answer should describe how each method works and evaluate one advantage and one disadvantage of each.

  (Total for Question SECTION-C3 is 6 marks)
• 4

  Question SECTION-C4 (7 marks)

  Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a major non-communicable disease. Explain what happens to the coronary arteries in a person with CHD, describe how lifestyle factors can increase the risk of developing CHD, and evaluate the use of stents AND statins as treatments, including one benefit and one risk of each.

  (Total for Question SECTION-C4 is 7 marks)