Q1. (a) (i) Some diseases can be tackled by using antibiotics and vaccination.

Explain fully why antibiotics cannot be used to cure viral diseases.

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(2)

(ii) A recent study found that babies in 90 % of hospitals are infected with the MRSA
bacterium.

Explain how the MRSA bacterium has developed resistance to antibiotics.

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(2)

(b) A person can be immunised against a disease by injecting them with an inactive form of a
pathogen.

Explain how this makes the person immune to the disease.

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(3)
(Total 7 marks)

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Q2. Students investigated how well antibacterial mouthwashes worked.
They tested four different mouthwashes, P, Q, R and S.

• They spread bacteria on nutrient jelly in a Petri dish.

• They soaked identical discs of filter paper in mouthwashes P, Q, R or S.

• They placed the discs on the growing bacteria as shown in Diagram 1.

• They covered the Petri dish.

• They incubated the Petri dish for two days.

(a) The nutrient jelly was heated to 120 °C before being poured into the Petri dish.

Why is this necessary?

Tick ( ) one box.

Tick
Statement
( )

To make bacteria grow more quickly.

To kill microorganisms.

To make the nutrients dissolve.

(1)

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 (b) What is the maximum temperature at which bacteria should be incubated in a school
laboratory?

Tick ( ) one box.

Tick
Temperature
( )

15 °C

25 °C

37 °C
(1)

(c) Diagram 2 shows the appearance of the Petri dish after two days.

Which mouthwash, P, Q, R or S kills most bacteria?

Give one reason for your answer.

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(2)
(Total 4 marks)

Q3. Dr Semmelweiss collected data about the number of deaths in the two maternity wards in
the hospital where he worked.

• From 1833 to 1838 there were the same number of doctors and midwives delivering
babies in both Ward 1 and Ward 2.

• From 1839 to 1847 medical students and doctors delivered babies in Ward 1; midwives
delivered babies in Ward 2.

Dr Semmelweiss also noticed that doctors often came straight from examining dead bodies to
the delivery ward.

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The table shows the number of patients and the number of deaths in the two wards.

Death rate as
Number of Number of
Years Ward deaths per
patients deaths
1000 patients

Ward 1 23 509 1505 64.0

1833–1838
Ward 2 13 097 731 55.8

Ward 1 20 204 1989 98.4

1839–1847
Ward 2 17 791 691

(a) (i) Use the formula

death rate =

to calculate the death rate for Ward 2 in the years 1839 - 1847.

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Death rate = .............................. deaths per thousand

(2)

(ii) Suggest a hypothesis for the difference in the death rates on Ward 1 and
Ward 2 in the years 1839 - 1847.

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(2)

(b) Antibiotics are now used in hospitals.

What is an antibiotic, and what does it do?

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(2)

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 (c) MRSA is causing problems in hospitals.

Give one reason why.

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(1)

(d) How can the work of Semmelweiss help to reduce the problems caused by MRSA?

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(1)
(Total 8 marks)

Q4. Many diseases are caused by viruses. Children are given vaccines to protect them against
viral disease.

(a) Complete the following sentences.

It is difficult to kill viruses inside the body because

viruses ......................................................................................................... .

A vaccine contains an ............................................... form of the virus.

The vaccine stimulates the white blood cells to produce ............................. .

(3)

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(b) In the 1990s many people thought that the MMR vaccine caused autism in some children.
This is why the Japanese government stopped using the MMR vaccine.

The graph gives information about the percentage of Japanese children who developed
autism during the 1990s.

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 The data in the graph support the view that there is no link between MMR vaccination and
autism.

Explain why.

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(4)
(Total 7 marks)

Q5. Influenza is a disease caused by a virus.

(a) Explain why it is difficult to treat diseases caused by viruses.

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(2)

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(b) In some years there are influenza epidemics.

The graph shows the death rate in Liverpool during three influenza epidemics.

(i) The population of Liverpool in 1951 was approximately 700 000.

Calculate the approximate number of deaths from influenza in week 4 of the 1951
epidemic.

Show clearly how you work out your answer.

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Number of deaths ..............................

(2)

(ii) In most years, the number of deaths from influenza in Liverpool is very low.

Explain, in terms of the influenza virus and the body’s immune system, why there
were large numbers of deaths in years such as 1918 and 1951.

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(3)
(Total 7 marks)

Page 8 of 14
Q6. Read the passage about the use of antibiotics in food production.

People do not always agree about the use of antibiotics in food production.
Some farmers put low doses of antibiotics in feed for animals such as cattle and
sheep. Antibiotics help to keep animals disease-free. Antibiotics also help animals to
grow.
The use of antibiotics in livestock feed means that there is a higher risk of antibiotic-
resistant bacteria developing. These could be dangerous to human health.

(a) Explain how a population of antibiotic-resistant bacteria might develop from non-resistant
bacteria.

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(3)

(b) Suggest two reasons why it is an advantage to keep farm animals disease free.

1 .....................................................................................................................

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2 .....................................................................................................................

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(2)
(Total 5 marks)

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M1. (a) (i) viruses live inside cells
1

viruses inaccessible to antibiotic

allow drug / antibiotic (if used) would (have to) kill cell
1

(ii) mutation
ignore mutation caused by antibiotic
1

natural selection or no longer recognised by antibiotics

accept description of natural selection
1

(b) (stimulate) antibody production

ignore antitoxin
1

(by) white cells

1

rapidly produce antibody on re-infection

ignore antibodies remain in blood
1
[7]

M2. (a) to kill microorganisms

extra boxes ticked cancels the mark
1

(b) 25 °C
extra boxes ticked cancels the mark
1

(c) S
1

widest clear area

1
[4]

M3. (a) (i) 38.84

correct answer with or without working gains 2 marks
(691 × 1000) / 17 791 gains 1 mark
2

Page 10 of 14
 (ii) women in Ward 1 infected
1

by pathogens / bacteria / viruses passed on by doctors

(who have been in contact with dead bodies)
1

(b) medicine / drug

1

that kills bacteria

1

(c) resistant to / not killed by antibiotics

1

(d) Semmelweiss showed that infection could be passed on via

touch and so hand washing by doctors / nurses / patients /
visitors reduces the risk of infection
1
[8]

M4. (a) live inside cells

1

inactive
1

antibodies
1

(b) the percentage of children vaccinated fell to zero in 1995

1

but the number of children developing autism rose and fell

during the period when % vaccinations was falling
1

number of children developing autism peaked after MMR

vaccination had ceased
1

which suggests that something other than MMR vaccination

was causing autism
1
[7]

Page 11 of 14
M5. (a) any two from

• live inside / infect body cells

• difficult for drugs to enter (body) cells / drug would kill (body) cell

• antibiotics ineffective against viruses

• viruses mutate frequently

2

(b) (i) 420

correct answer with or without working
if answer incorrect evidence of ‘number of deaths’ × 7 or 60 seen
gains 1 mark
ignore 6 000 000
2

(ii) any three from:

• virus / flu mutates

• people no longer / not immune

ignore resistance

• white blood cells / memory cells / immune system do not

recognise virus

• relevant reference to antibodies / antigens

• current vaccine ineffective or no vaccine available then

or takes time to develop new vaccine
allow no tamiflu / anti-viral drugs

• conditions less hygienic / lack of hygiene

• people in poor health (following world wars)

allow people had ‘weak’ immune system
3
[7]

M6. (a) idea that bacteria mutate or that there is variation in bacteria
1

leading to bacteria /resistant cells that survive antibiotic

1

these bacteria (resistant cells) go on to breed

1
do not allow bacteria get used to antibiotics or idea that antibiotics
change the bacteria or bacteria become immune or references to
adaptation or evolution

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(b) the treated animals do not use energy overcoming illness
1

an economic reason, eg treated animals do not infect

other animals / farm workers
1
[5]

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