Free-response questions
Free-response questions will appear throughout both exams papers (Breadth and Depth), and at both Foundation Tier and Higher Tier.
These questions provide answer lines for you to write your answer, and may sometimes also provide a blank space for you to draw a diagram or show your working out.
The number of answer lines and the number of marks for the question are guides to the amount of detail to include in your answer. A question worth 1 mark with only one answer line probably only requires a one-sentence answer, or perhaps just a single word or phrase. For questions with more marks and more answer lines you will have to go into more detail or give specific data points, eg:
- the number of deaths from cardiovascular disease increased [1 mark]
- the number of deaths from cardiovascular disease increased by 50% [2 marks]
Free-response questions often start with a command word such as 'describe' or 'explain'. It's important to understand the different types of answers required by 'describe' and 'explain'. As a rule of thumb:
- describe what happens, when and where
- explain how and why it happens ("it happens because...")
Other command words you might see include:
- 'write down' (give a short answer, without explaining it)
- 'suggest' (use your scientific knowledge and understanding to give a sensible answer in an unfamiliar context)
- 'compare' (write about the similarities and differences between two things)
- 'discuss' (write about the issues related to a topic, and talk about arguments for and against)
These questions have been written by Bitesize consultants as suggestions to the types of questions that may appear in an exam paper.
Sample question 1 - Foundation
Question
What is the difference between genotype and phenotype? Give an example of each in your answers. [4 marks]
- Genotype is a description of the genetic variants or pair of alleles that determine a characteristic. [1 mark]
- An example is two recessive alleles may be responsible for blue eye colour in humans (accept other suitable examples). [1 mark]
- Phenotypes are physical descriptions using words that describe appearance from an interaction between genotype and the environment. [1 mark]
- Human eye colour phenotypes include blue, brown and green (accept other suitable examples). [1 mark]
Sample question 2 - Foundation
Question
Use one word from the list to complete the sentence.
The structure in a cell that controls the cell's activities is called the ........................ . [1 mark]
Cell membrane
Cytoplasm
Mitochondrion
Nucleus
Nucleus.
Sample question 3 - Foundation
Question
The type of earwax produced by humans is controlled by a single pair of alleles. The dominant allele causes wet earwax, and the recessive allele causes dry earwax. What type of earwax would be produced by someone with one of each type of allele?
Wet.
Sample question 4 - Higher
Question
Explain how inheritance of biological sex occurs in humans. [4 mark]
- All ova contain a single X chromosome.
- Half of sperm contain an X chromosome (one mark) and half contain a Y chromosome (one mark).
- A baby with genotype XX is female and a baby with genotype XY is male.
Sample question 5 - Higher
Question
Describe the process of cloning and explain how it can help to prevent plant species from becoming extinct. [4 marks]
- Cells removed from the meristem of plant (that is being protected from extinction).
- Culture the cells in sterile cell/tissue culture medium.
- Plantlets produced are transferred to pots.
- More individuals of the plant species are produced without the plants having to reproduce sexually (which takes time or there may not be another individual available).
Sample question 6 - Higher
Question
How does the modern-day use of genome sequencing help us to genetically modify organisms? [3 marks]
Answer (three from):
- Genome sequencing provides us with the sequence of bases in an organism's DNA
- This allows us to identify specific genes
- Which can be removed using enzymes
- And then transferred to other organisms during genetic modification
