OCR GCSE Biology A, Foundation tier sample questions and answers (J247)
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30 sample questions and answers
Taken from every topic of OCR GCSE Biology A, Foundation tier, specification J247. The full guide has 981.
Paper 1
Cell Level Systems
188 questions in the guide, across 9 subtopics. More from this topic
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Microscopy, and sub-cellular structures
What is a plasmid, and which kind of cell contains one?
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A small ring of DNA separate from the main genetic material, found in bacterial cells. -
DNA structure: polymer, double helix and nucleotides
How many strands make up a molecule of DNA?
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Two. -
Enzyme action, and investigating enzymes
What does the lock and key hypothesis describe?
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The substrate fits into the active site as a key fits a lock, so only a matching substrate can bind. -
Cellular respiration as an exothermic process
Name three processes in an organism that depend on the ATP supplied by respiration.
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Muscle contraction, active transport and the building of large molecules such as proteins. -
Aerobic and anaerobic respiration compared
Which substrate is broken down in both aerobic and anaerobic respiration?
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Glucose.
Paper 2
Community Level Systems
86 questions in the guide, across 5 subtopics. More from this topic
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Cycling materials, and the role of microorganisms
Explain why materials such as carbon and nitrogen must be recycled in an ecosystem.
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The supply of them is limited, so they have to be returned to the non-living surroundings for other organisms to take up and use again. -
Cycling materials, and the role of microorganisms
How do decomposers return carbon to the air?
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They respire as they break down dead material, releasing carbon dioxide. -
The carbon and water cycles, and decomposition
Explain why the carbon cycle is important to living organisms.
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It keeps returning carbon to the air as carbon dioxide so plants can photosynthesise, and that supplies the carbon compounds every other organism feeds on. -
The carbon and water cycles, and decomposition
Explain why decomposition is slow in waterlogged soil.
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Water fills the air spaces and excludes oxygen, so aerobic decomposers cannot respire fast and break material down only slowly. -
Levels of organisation, and abiotic and biotic factors
All the oak trees growing in one wood are an example of which level of organisation?
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A population.
Paper 2
Genes, Inheritance and Selection
144 questions in the guide, across 9 subtopics. More from this topic
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Genetic terms, and the genome
What does homozygous mean?
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Carrying two identical alleles of a gene. -
Genome, environment and mutations
Explain why height in humans shows continuous variation.
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It is controlled by several genes acting together, and it is also affected by environmental factors such as diet. -
Asexual and sexual reproduction compared
Give two disadvantages of sexual reproduction.
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Two parents must find each other and mate, and reproduction is slower with fewer offspring produced. -
Haploid, diploid and meiosis
A plant has 14 chromosomes in each of its leaf cells. How many chromosomes are in each of its pollen grain nuclei?
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Seven, because gametes are haploid and carry half the number found in a body cell. -
Single gene inheritance and Punnett squares
Two black-furred animals produce a brown-furred offspring, where the allele B for black is dominant to the allele b for brown. Explain how this is possible.
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Both parents are heterozygous Bb, so each can pass on b and produce a bb offspring.
Paper 2
Global Challenges
272 questions in the guide, across 15 subtopics. More from this topic
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Field investigations, and human impact on ecosystems
What is a pooter and how does it work?
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A small jar with two tubes for collecting insects; the user sucks on one tube so the insect is drawn through the other into the jar, and gauze stops it being swallowed. -
Maintaining biodiversity, monitoring conservation and ecotourism
What is ecotourism?
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Tourism that lets visitors see wildlife in its natural habitat while limiting damage to that habitat and returning money to local people. -
Selective breeding and genetic engineering
Give one ethical objection people raise to the selective breeding of domesticated animals.
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Breeding for an extreme appearance can leave animals with painful conditions, such as breathing difficulties in short-faced dogs. -
Health, disease, and types of disease
Give two examples of communicable diseases in humans and the type of pathogen causing each.
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Influenza, caused by a virus, and tuberculosis, caused by a bacterium. -
Reducing the spread of disease, and named examples
How does a grower identify a diseased crop plant by eye in the field?
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By looking for typical symptoms such as mottled or discoloured leaves, spots, growths or stunted growth.
Paper 1
Organism Level Systems
144 questions in the guide, across 13 subtopics. More from this topic
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The nervous system and coordinated responses
What is an effector?
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A muscle or a gland that carries out the response when an impulse arrives from a motor neurone. -
The reflex arc
In the blinking reflex, what is the stimulus and what is the effector?
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The stimulus is an object touching the eye or moving quickly towards it, and the effector is the eyelid muscle. -
The structure and function of the brain
Where is the cerebellum and what does it do?
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It lies at the back of the brain beneath the cerebrum, and it coordinates muscle movement, balance and posture so movements are smooth. -
Hormones and the endocrine glands
Where are the adrenal glands found?
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One sits just above each kidney. -
Methods of contraception
Give one advantage and one disadvantage of using the contraceptive pill.
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It is more than 99% effective when taken correctly, but it can cause side effects such as headaches and raised blood pressure and gives no protection against sexually transmitted infections.
Paper 1
Scaling Up
147 questions in the guide, across 9 subtopics. More from this topic
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Diffusion, osmosis and active transport
What happens to a plant cell placed in a concentrated salt solution?
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Water leaves it by osmosis, so the cell loses its turgor and the membrane pulls away from the cell wall. -
Mitosis, the cell cycle and cell differentiation
Why is mitosis important to an organism that reproduces asexually?
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It produces offspring that are genetically identical to the parent. -
Stem cells in animals and meristems in plants
What are the two things a stem cell can do when it divides?
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It can make more stem cells, or produce cells that go on to differentiate into specialised types. -
Surface area to volume ratio and exchange surfaces
Why can a single-celled organism rely on diffusion across its surface alone?
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Its surface area to volume ratio is very large and no part of it is far from the surface, so diffusion supplies its needs fast enough. -
The circulatory system, the heart and blood vessels
Which vessels carry blood away from the heart and which return it?
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Arteries carry blood away from the heart and veins return blood to it.
OCR GCSE Biology A, Foundation tier Active Recall Guide
The other 951 questions, with the answers printed after each section.