AQA GCSE Combined Science 2027 Predicted Practice Paper — Biology Paper 1 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 and closed short-answer biology questions. Answer all questions.

• 1

  Question SECTION-A1 (1 mark)

  Which structure is found in a plant cell but NOT in an animal cell?

  A. MitochondrionB. Cell membraneC. Cellulose cell wallD. Ribosome

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

  Question SECTION-A2 (1 mark)

  A student views an onion cell at a total magnification of x400 using a light microscope. Which combination of lenses gives this magnification?

  A. x4 objective and x10 eyepieceB. x40 objective and x10 eyepieceC. x40 objective and x40 eyepieceD. x4 objective and x40 eyepiece

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

  Question SECTION-A3 (1 mark)

  Which process moves water across a partially permeable membrane from a dilute to a more concentrated solution?

  A. Active transportB. OsmosisC. Diffusion of soluteD. Filtration

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

  Question SECTION-A4 (1 mark)

  Which type of cell division produces genetically identical daughter cells for growth and repair?

  A. MeiosisB. MitosisC. Binary fission onlyD. Fertilisation

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

  Question SECTION-A5 (1 mark)

  The pancreas releases an enzyme that breaks down starch. Which enzyme is this?

  A. ProteaseB. LipaseC. AmylaseD. Catalase

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

  Question SECTION-A6 (1 mark)

  Which blood vessel carries oxygenated blood away from the heart to the body?

  A. Pulmonary arteryB. Vena cavaC. AortaD. Pulmonary vein

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

  Question SECTION-A7 (1 mark)

  Which of the following is a communicable disease?

  A. Type 2 diabetesB. Coronary heart diseaseC. MeaslesD. Lung cancer

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

  Question SECTION-A8 (1 mark)

  In a leaf, most photosynthesis takes place in the tightly packed layer of cells just below the upper epidermis. What is this layer called?

  A. Spongy mesophyllB. Palisade mesophyllC. XylemD. Guard cells

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

  Question SECTION-A9 (1 mark)

  Which hormone reduces blood glucose concentration by stimulating cells to take up glucose?

  A. GlucagonB. AdrenalineC. InsulinD. Testosterone

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

  Question SECTION-A10 (1 mark)

  Aerobic respiration in humans transfers energy using glucose and which other substance?

  A. Carbon dioxideB. OxygenC. Lactic acidD. Nitrogen

  (Total for Question SECTION-A10 is 1 mark)

Section B

Structured questions on Biology topics 1-4. Answer all questions.

• 1

  Question SECTION-B1 (4 marks)

  A student places three identical cylinders of fresh potato, each of mass 3.0 g, into three different sucrose solutions for 40 minutes. The results are: Solution X (distilled water) final mass 3.4 g; Solution Y (0.3 mol/dm^3 sucrose) final mass 3.0 g; Solution Z (0.7 mol/dm^3 sucrose) final mass 2.5 g. (a) Calculate the percentage change in mass for the cylinder in Solution Z. (2 marks) (b) Explain, in terms of water concentration, why the cylinder in Solution X gained mass. (2 marks)

  (Total for Question SECTION-B1 is 4 marks)
• 2

  Question SECTION-B2 (4 marks)

  Enzymes are biological catalysts. (a) Describe what is meant by the 'active site' of an enzyme. (1 mark) (b) Explain why increasing the temperature above the optimum causes the rate of an enzyme-controlled reaction to fall to zero. (3 marks)

  (Total for Question SECTION-B2 is 4 marks)
• 3

  Question SECTION-B3 (5 marks)

  The lungs are adapted for efficient gas exchange. (a) Name the tiny air sacs where gas exchange occurs. (1 mark) (b) Describe how oxygen moves from these air sacs into the blood. (2 marks) (c) Give two features of these air sacs that make gas exchange efficient. (2 marks)

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

  Question SECTION-B4 (5 marks)

  A student investigates the effect of light intensity on the rate of photosynthesis in pondweed by counting bubbles of gas released per minute at different distances from a lamp. (a) Name the gas collected. (1 mark) (b) The student moved the lamp closer to the pondweed and the bubble rate increased then levelled off. Explain this pattern, naming the limiting factors involved. (4 marks)

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

  Question SECTION-B5 (4 marks)

  The human digestive system breaks down large food molecules. (a) Bile is produced by the liver and stored in the gall bladder. State two functions of bile in digestion. (2 marks) (b) Explain how the small intestine is adapted for the absorption of digested food. (2 marks)

  (Total for Question SECTION-B5 is 4 marks)
• 6

  Question SECTION-B6 (6 marks)

  Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a non-communicable disease. (a) Describe how CHD develops in the coronary arteries and how this affects the heart muscle. (3 marks) (b) Stents and statins are two treatments for CHD. For each treatment, describe how it helps. (2 marks) (c) Give one lifestyle risk factor for CHD. (1 mark)

  (Total for Question SECTION-B6 is 6 marks)
• 7

  Question SECTION-B7 (4 marks)

  Vaccination protects people against communicable diseases. (a) Describe how a vaccine produces immunity to a disease. (3 marks) (b) Explain what is meant by 'herd immunity' and why it is important. (1 mark)

  (Total for Question SECTION-B7 is 4 marks)
• 8

  Question SECTION-B8 (4 marks)

  A gardener wants to increase the yield of tomato plants grown in a greenhouse. (a) Explain why increasing the carbon dioxide concentration in the greenhouse can increase the rate of photosynthesis. (2 marks) (b) Increasing carbon dioxide only increases yield up to a certain point. Suggest one reason why yield stops increasing even when more carbon dioxide is added. (1 mark) (c) State one other environmental factor the gardener could increase to raise the rate of photosynthesis. (1 mark)

  (Total for Question SECTION-B8 is 4 marks)
• 9

  Question SECTION-B9 (6 marks)

  The circulatory system in humans is described as a double circulatory system. (a) Explain what is meant by a 'double circulatory system'. (2 marks) (b) The left ventricle has a thicker muscular wall than the right ventricle. Explain why. (2 marks) (c) Name the vessel that supplies the heart muscle itself with oxygenated blood. (1 mark) (d) State one function of the valves in the heart. (1 mark)

  (Total for Question SECTION-B9 is 6 marks)

Section C

Required practical, data and open response questions. Answer all questions.

• 1

  Question SECTION-C1 (6 marks)

  Required practical: A student investigated the effect of a disinfectant on bacterial growth. They spread the same number of bacteria onto sterile nutrient agar in a Petri dish, then placed paper discs soaked in three concentrations of disinfectant (1%, 3%, 5%) onto the agar. After incubation, a clear zone of no bacterial growth (inhibition zone) formed around each disc. (a) Describe two aseptic techniques the student should use to prevent contamination, and explain why each is important. (3 marks) (b) The student measured the diameter of each inhibition zone. Explain how the diameter of the zone relates to the effectiveness of the disinfectant, and describe how the student could make the measurement of zone size more valid and reliable. (3 marks)

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

  Question SECTION-C2 (6 marks)

  A scientist measured the rate of oxygen uptake by germinating seeds at different temperatures. The results were: 10 degrees C -> 0.6 cm^3/min; 20 degrees C -> 1.2 cm^3/min; 30 degrees C -> 2.3 cm^3/min; 40 degrees C -> 1.0 cm^3/min. (a) The seeds respire aerobically. Write the word equation for aerobic respiration. (1 mark) (b) Describe the trend shown by the data between 10 degrees C and 30 degrees C, and calculate how many times greater the rate is at 30 degrees C than at 10 degrees C. (2 marks) (c) Explain, in terms of enzymes, why the rate of oxygen uptake falls between 30 degrees C and 40 degrees C. (3 marks)

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

  Question SECTION-C3 (6 marks)

  Open response: Type 2 diabetes is a growing health problem. In people with Type 2 diabetes, body cells stop responding properly to insulin, so blood glucose concentration can rise to dangerously high levels after a meal. Explain how blood glucose concentration is normally controlled in a healthy person after eating a carbohydrate-rich meal, and explain why this control fails in a person with Type 2 diabetes. In your answer refer to the organ involved, the hormone(s) involved, and how the body responds. (6 marks)

  (Total for Question SECTION-C3 is 6 marks)