IGCSE Edexcel Biology 2 hours 15 questions

Paper 1 & Paper 2

Cell Structure
Cell Structures / Functions of Cell Structures / Animal & Plant Cells: Similarities &
Differences / Importance of Cell Differentiation / Stem Cells in Medicine:
Advantages & Disadvantages

Easy (5 questions) /39 Scan here for your answers

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Medium (5 questions) /50

Hard (5 questions) /54

Total Marks /143

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Easy Questions
1 (a) The diagram below shows an image of a plant cell.

Name structures P, Q and R.

(3 marks)

(b) (i) Name one structure that is visible in the diagram that you did not identify in your
answer to part (a).
(1)

(ii) State the function of the structure named in part (i)

(1)

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 (2 marks)

(c) Which of the following structures is not found in a prokaryotic cell?

☐ A A cell membrane
☐ B Chloroplasts
☐ C Plasmids
☐ D Circular DNA

(1 mark)

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2 (a) The diagram below shows a plant cell drawn to scale.

Calculate how many times longer the cell length is than the chloroplast length.

(2 marks)

(b) State two ways in which an animal cell would be different to the cell shown in part (a).

(2 marks)

(c) Separate: Biology Only

The diagram below shows a representation of a specialised plant cell.

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 Name the structures labelled X, Y and Z.

(3 marks)

(d) Separate: Biology Only

Explain how the cell shown in part (c) is specialised to carry out its function.

(2 marks)

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3 (a) Separate: Biology Only
The image below shows contains information about several types of specialised cell.

(i) Name the types of specialised cell represented by cells Q, R and S.

(3)

(ii) Draw lines between the images and the statements to match each cell with its
function.

(1)

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 (4 marks)

(b) Separate: Biology Only

Another example of a specialised cell is a red blood cell. One special feature of red blood
cells is the absence of a nucleus.
Explain one other special feature of a red blood cell.

(2 marks)

(c) Separate: Biology Only

(i) Name the process by which cells become specialised.

(1)

(ii) The process named in part (i) is controlled by the DNA.

Describe how the DNA controls the process named in part (i).

(1)

(2 marks)

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4 (a) Separate: Biology Only
State the meaning of the term stem cell.

(2 marks)

(b) Separate: Biology Only

Name two sources of stem cells.

(2 marks)

(c) Separate: Biology Only

Describe how stem cells can be used in medicine. Include an example in your answer.

(3 marks)

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5 (a) The image below shows a red blood cell viewed under a microscope using a
magnification of x6000

Use the formula provided to calculate the actual diameter of the red blood cell. Give your
answer in mm.

diameter shown in the image in mm

Actual diameter of cell in mm =
magnification

(2 marks)

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(b) Separate: Biology Only
Red blood cells such as that shown in part (a) do not have a nucleus.

(i) Describe the role of the nucleus in cells where it is present.

(1)

(ii) Explain why it is useful for the red blood cell not to have a nucleus.

(2)

(3 marks)

(c) Separate: Biology Only

Red blood cells are an example of a specialised animal cell. An example of a specialised
plant cell is a palisade mesophyll cell, shown in the diagram below.

Explain how a palisade mesophyll cell is specialised to carry out its function.

(2 marks)

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(d) Separate: Biology Only
Other than the cell types named in parts (a)-(c), name two other examples of specialised
cells.

(2 marks)

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Medium Questions
1 (a) (a) Plant and animal cells have some features in common and some differences.

(i) Which of these structures is not found in animal cells?

(1)

☐ A cell membrane
☐ B cell wall
☐ C mitochondrion
☐ D nucleus

(ii) Which of these substances is a carbohydrate stored in plant cells?

(1)

☐ A chlorophyll
☐ B glucose
☐ C glycogen
☐ D starch

(2 marks)

(b) (b) The diagram shows a leaf palisade mesophyll cell.

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(i) Describe the function of the parts labelled A, B, C and D.

(4)

(ii) Explain two ways that the structure of this palisade mesophyll cell is adapted for its
function.

(2)

(6 marks)

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2 (a) Separate: Biology Only
(a) As an embryo develops, its cells differentiate.

Explain the importance of cell differentiation in the development of the growing

embryo.

(2)

(2 marks)

(b) Separate: Biology Only

(b)

(i) Which of these is a feature of adult stem cells?

(1)

☐ A They do not divide

☐ B They divide by meiosis
☐ C They can become all cell types
☐ D They are found in some tissues and organs

(ii) Adult stem cells or embryonic stem cells can be used in medical treatments.

Explain why the choice between these two types of stem cells can cause issues for
doctors.

(2)

(3 marks)

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3 (a) (a) The diagram below shows a representation of a plant cell.

Describe the functions of structures P Q, and R.

(3)

(3 marks)

(b) (b)

(i) Label the diagram in part (a) with an S to indicate the location of the cell wall.

(1)

(ii) Describe the function of the cell wall.

(1)

(2 marks)

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(c) (c) Plants are one of the four groups of eukaryotes.

(i) Name another group of eukaryotes in which you might find structure P labelled in
part (a).
(1)

(ii) State one other feature of the group named in part (i).

(1)

(2 marks)

(d) (d) The cell shown below is found inside a salivary gland.

Suggest what can be concluded about the activities of the salivary gland cell from
the image above.

(2)

(2 marks)

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4 (a) Separate: Biology Only
(a) The image below shows four specialised cells. Each cell is represented by a letter,
A-D.

Identify one letter, from A-D, that corresponds to a cell that is described in each of
the following statements. Each letter may be used once, more than once, or not at
all.

(i) This is a plant cell.

(1)

(ii) This cell contains digestive enzymes.

(1)

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 (iii) This cell is motile (moves around).

(1)

(iv) This cell is involved in co-ordination of the body's activities.

(1)

(4 marks)

(b) Separate: Biology Only

(b) Each of the cells shown in part (a) began its life as a stem cell.

Describe how a stem cell can give rise to the cell types shown in part (a).

(2)

(2 marks)

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(c) Separate: Biology Only
(c) Muscular dystrophy is a genetic condition in which patients lose muscle mass,
leading to muscle weakness.

A clinical trial was carried out to investigate the effectiveness of bone marrow-
derived stem cell treatment on muscle regeneration in muscular dystrophy
patients.

(i) Bone marrow-derived stem cells are extracted from bone marrow.

Explain the abilities of stem cells taken from bone marrow.

(2)

(ii) Suggest how stem cells could be used to treat muscle wasting.

(3)

(5 marks)

(d) Separate: Biology Only

(d) The graph below shows some of the results from the trial.

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(i) Identify the dependent variable in this trial.

(1)

(ii) Suggest how the researchers might have measured the dependent variable
identified in part (i).

(2)

(iii) Calculate the percentage of participants that showed a large muscle mass
improvement in the trial. Give your answer to 1 decimal place.

(2)

(5 marks)

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(e) Separate: Biology Only
(e) A medical student concluded from these results that stem cell therapy would be an
effective treatment for muscular dystrophy.

Evaluate the student's conclusion.

(3)

(3 marks)

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5 (a) Separate: Biology Only
(a) The image below shows a microscope image of the surface of a plant root.

(i) Name structure X.

(1)

(ii) Name two structures that would be present in structure X that would not be found
in an animal cell.

(2)

(3 marks)

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(b) (b) The actual length of an object in a magnified image can be calculated using the
following formula:

length of image
Actual length =
magnification

Calculate the actual length of structure X shown in part (a).

Measure structure X from the tip to the point at which the upper edge joins the
main part of the root.

Give your answer in mm.

(2)

(2 marks)

(c) Separate: Biology Only

(c) Suggest why the lack of a fully developed structure X could be damaging to a plant.

(4)

(4 marks)

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Hard Questions
1 (a) (a) A student uses a light microscope to look at a human cheek cell.

The student makes this drawing of the cell.

Name the organelle shown in the drawing.

(1)

(1 mark)

(b) (b) Mitochondria are organelles that are too small to be seen using a light microscope.

The drawing shows a mitochondrion that has been magnified.

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 The actual length of this mitochondrion is 6 μm.

[1 μm = 0.001 mm]

Calculate the magnification of this drawing.

(2)

(2 marks)

(c) (c) The table gives information about mitochondria in different human cells.

Mean number Mean number

of Mean volume of
Cell
mitochondria of cell in µm3 mitochondria
per cell per µm3
Heart muscle 5 000 15 000
Sperm 75 30 2.50
Egg 600 000 4 000 000 0.15
(i) What is the mean number of mitochondria per μm3 in a heart muscle cell?

(1)

☐ A 0.33
☐ B 3
☐ C 10 000
☐ D 75 000 000

(ii) Comment on the differences in the data for the sperm and for the egg.

(3)

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 (4 marks)

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2 (a) (a) The image below is an electron microscope photograph of a cell.

(i) Name the group of organisms from which the cell shown in the image has been
taken.

(1)

(ii) Explain how you identified the group of organisms in part (i).

(1)

(2 marks)

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(b) (b) Structure Y in part (a) is a starch granule.

Explain why structure Y is present inside structure X in the image in part (a).

(3)

(3 marks)

(c) (c) Name three structures that are not clearly identifiable in the image in part (a) that
you would expect to find inside cells from this group of organisms.

(3)

(3 marks)

(d) (d) The cell in part (a) has been magnified 7.5 x 103 times, and the image of the
nucleus has a diameter of 6.5 cm.

Use the formula below to calculate the actual diameter of the nucleus. Give your
answer in μm.

image diameter
Actual diameter =
magnification

Note that 1 μm = 0.001 mm

(2)

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 (2 marks)

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3 (a) Separate: Biology Only
(a) The image below is a representation of an electron microscope photograph of part
of a sperm cell.

Name structures X, Y and Z labelled in the image.

(3)

(3 marks)

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(b) Separate: Biology Only
(b) Label two additional features on the image in part (a) with descriptions that
explain how the features aid the sperm cell in its function.

(2)

(2 marks)

(c) Separate: Biology Only

(c) Sperm cells are produced in the testes in a process known as spermatogenesis. A
summary of spermatogenesis is shown in the image below.

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(i) Label the image above with a letter D to indicate where the process of
differentiation is occurring.

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 (1)

(ii) Explain what is taking place at letter D in order for differentiation to occur.

(2)

(3 marks)

(d) (d) Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) can be used to treat male infertility.

(i) Suggest how SSCs could be used to treat male infertility.

(2)

(ii) Some research in mice has suggested that SSCs have the ability to become many
different cell types.

Evaluate the potential use of SSCs in stem cell therapy.

(3)

(5 marks)

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4 (a) (a) The diagram below shows three different cells.

Calculate the size ratio of the bacterial cell compared to the liver cell and
mesophyll cell.

(2)

(2 marks)

(b) (b) The electron microscope image below shows a section from the inside of a liver
cell...

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 Bochimoto H, Matsuno N, Ishihara Y, Shonaka T, Koga D, Hira Y, et al., CC BY 4.0

<https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

(i) Name the organelles indicated by X.

(1)

(ii) Use information in the image to suggest the possible cell activities that take place
inside a liver cell.

(2)

(3 marks)

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(c) Separate: Biology Only
(c) The liver is known to have a strong regenerative ability, meaning that when the
liver is damaged it can regenerate itself within days. This regenerative ability is
thought to be due to several types of adult stem cells present within and around
the liver.

Contrast adult stem cells with stem cells taken from an embryo.

(2)

(2 marks)

(d) Separate: Biology Only

(d) Scientists researching the regenerative capacity of the liver have identified a
chemical signalling pathway inside liver cells that prevents the liver from growing
too large when it regenerates. This chemical signalling pathway has been named
'Hippo'.

A recent discovery has shown that switching off the Hippo signalling pathway
reverses the differentiation process, resulting in de-differentiated liver cells.

Suggest what this discovery could mean for the development of stem cell
therapies.

(3)

(3 marks)

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5 (a) Separate: Biology Only
(a) The image below shows a light microscope photograph of part of a plant root.

Berkshire Community College Bioscience Image Library, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

(i) Name the type of specialised plant cell visible in the image.

(1)

(ii) Explain how the process of differentiation has allowed the cell in the image to carry
out its specific function in plants.

(4)

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 (5 marks)

(b) (b) A group of scientists carried out a study to investigate the starch content of roots
in a species of grass at four points throughout the year.

Their results can be seen in the graph below.

(i) Explain why the grass roots contain starch.

(2)

(ii) Explain how the starch found in the roots of grass species helps to support growth
of the grasses.

(2)

(4 marks)

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(c) (c)

(i) Calculate the percentage change in stored starch from January to October in the
graph in part (b).

(2)

(ii) Suggest an explanation for the change calculated in part (i).

(3)

(5 marks)

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