Cambridge O Level

BIOLOGY 5090/11
Paper 1 Multiple Choice October/November 2021
1 hour

You must answer on the multiple choice answer sheet.

*3157725157*

You will need: Multiple choice answer sheet

Soft clean eraser
Soft pencil (type B or HB is recommended)

INSTRUCTIONS
 There are forty questions on this paper. Answer all questions.
 For each question there are four possible answers A, B, C and D. Choose the one you consider correct
and record your choice in soft pencil on the multiple choice answer sheet.
 Follow the instructions on the multiple choice answer sheet.
 Write in soft pencil.
 Write your name, centre number and candidate number on the multiple choice answer sheet in the
spaces provided unless this has been done for you.
 Do not use correction fluid.
 Do not write on any bar codes.
 You may use a calculator.

INFORMATION
 The total mark for this paper is 40.
 Each correct answer will score one mark.
 Any rough working should be done on this question paper.

This document has 20 pages. Any blank pages are indicated.

IB21 11_5090_11/4RP
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1 The diagram represents the cell structures of a human liver cell, a leaf palisade cell and a human
red blood cell.

leaf palisade human

cell liver cell

human red
blood cell

Which cell structure is X?

A cell wall
B chloroplast
C cytoplasm
D nucleus

2 Which process occurs by diffusion alone?

A movement of carbon dioxide into the palisade cells in a leaf

B uptake of magnesium ions by root hair cells
C movement of food from the stomach to the duodenum
D transfer of glucose molecules from the ileum into the blood

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3 An experiment to investigate osmosis is set up as shown.

tube X

partially
permeable
membrane
salt solution

distilled water

What happens to the height of the liquid in tube X and the concentration of the salt solution?

height of the concentration of

liquid in tube X the salt solution

A decreases decreases
B decreases increases
C increases decreases
D increases increases

4 The diagrams show an enzyme molecule and some substrate molecules.

enzyme
molecule

Which diagram shows the substrate molecule for this enzyme?

A B C D

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5 The graphs show factors affecting the rate of photosynthesis.

2 4
rate of rate of
photosynthesis photosynthesis
1 3

light intensity carbon dioxide

concentration

rate of
photosynthesis
6

temperature

At which points on the graphs could the rate of photosynthesis be limited by light intensity?

A 1, 3 and 6 B 1, 4 and 5 C 2, 3 and 5 D 2, 4 and 6

6 The diagram shows the arrangement of cells inside a green leaf. Different types of cells are
indicated by the brackets.

No cell contents are shown.

Y Z Y

Which types of cells contain chloroplasts?

A V, W and X B V, W and Y C W, X and Y D W, X and Z

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7 Why do newly germinated seeds fail to grow into healthy plants if they lack magnesium ions?

A Magnesium ions are a necessary component of all proteins.

B Magnesium ions are needed to convert chlorophyll to starch.
C Magnesium ions are needed to form cell walls.
D Magnesium ions are needed to form chlorophyll molecules.

8 Milk contains water, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and some minerals and vitamins.

The graph shows the results of an experiment. One group of young rats was given 3 cm3 of milk
per day for 18 days. On day 18, the milk was stopped for this group but given to a second group
of young rats. All other factors were kept constant for the two groups of rats.

80

milk
70 stopped
average milk
mass of
young 60
rats / g

50
no
milk milk added
40
0 10 20 30 40 50
days of experiment

What is the explanation for these results?

A Whether or not young rats are given milk, their mass is always the same on day 46.
B Milk contains the nutrients needed for young rats to grow.
C Milk is not important for the growth of young rats.
D Young rats grow fastest after day 18.

9 Which statement about chemical digestion in the human alimentary canal is correct?

A Digestion of carbohydrates is completed in the colon.

B Enzymes are secreted to break down cellulose in the duodenum.
C Protein digestion is completed in the ileum.
D The stomach secretes enzymes to break down starch.

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10 The diagram shows a section through a villus.

Which products of digestion are mainly absorbed by vessel X?

A amino acids and glucose

B glucose and fatty acids
C fatty acids and glycerol
D glycerol and amino acids

11 The diagram shows a section through a plant stem.

Which process is responsible for moving substances in region Z?

A diffusion
B osmosis
C translocation
D transpiration

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12 Which statement describes why a leaf wilts?

A Less water is absorbed by the root hairs when the stomata are closed.
B Less water is absorbed by the root hairs than is lost through the stomata.
C More water is absorbed by the root hairs when the stomata are closed.
D More water is absorbed by the root hairs than is lost through the stomata.

13 How do veins differ from arteries?

width of wall thickness elastic muscles

lumen in veins of veins fibres in wall

A narrower thicker more fewer

B narrower thinner fewer more
C wider thicker more more
D wider thinner fewer fewer

14 The diagram shows a simplified human circulatory system.

Which structure represents the heart?

key
D B movement
of blood

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15 The diagram shows the pressures in the left side of the heart during one heartbeat.

20

pressure key
10
/ kPa left ventricle
aorta
left atrium

0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8
X
time / s

Which valves are open and which are closed at the time marked X?

bicuspid semi-lunar

A closed closed
B closed open
C open closed
D open open

16 Energy is needed for many processes within the body.

Which process does not require the use of energy?

A contraction of muscles in the intestines

B movement of oxygen from the alveoli into the blood
C generation of nerve impulses
D protein synthesis in cells

17 What are features of the alveoli?

lined with walls are

lined by cilia
moisture one cell thick

A    key
B     = yes
C     = no
D   

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18 Which graph shows a person’s breathing when at rest and then exercising?

A B

lung lung
volume volume

time time

C D

lung lung
volume volume

time time

19 During kidney dialysis, which blood components pass from the blood into the dialysis fluid?

A platelets and proteins

B proteins and salts
C salts and urea
D urea and platelets

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20 Which biological process is represented in the diagram?

excess of a substance
in body

normal level sensor detects

of the substance concentration

correction by a gland to
reduce the concentration

A antagonistic action
B dialysis
C negative feedback
D reflex action

21 The diagram shows a front view of the parts of the eye involved in producing a focused image of
near and distant objects.

lens

What are structures 1 and 2?

structure 1 structure 2

A ciliary muscles suspensory ligaments

B iris pupil
C pupil iris
D suspensory ligaments ciliary muscles

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22 The diagram shows some of the nerve pathways associated with a reflex action.

to brain from brain

pain
receptor

muscle

If the pathway at X is damaged, how does this affect the reflex?

A The person will not be aware that the reflex is occurring.

B The reflex cannot be controlled consciously.
C The response will occur without any stimulus.
D There is no response to the stimulus.

23 Which statements about hormones are correct?

1 Insulin is made in the pancreas and increases the concentration of glucose in the
blood.
2 Adrenaline lowers the amount of glucose in the blood after a meal.
3 Insulin is used to treat people with diabetes mellitus.

A 1, 2 and 3 B 1 and 2 only C 2 only D 3 only

24 The diagram shows the bones of the arm.

Which label represents the radius?

A B

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25 An investigation into reaction times involved three similar large groups of adults. Each adult had
to press a button as soon as they saw a light flash. The time between the light coming on and the
button being pressed was measured.

Group 1 did the task 30 minutes after smoking a cigarette.

Group 2 did the task 30 minutes after drinking 2 units of alcohol.

Group 3 was the control group. The control group did not smoke or drink alcohol.

The graph shows the results of this investigation.

average
time between
light flash and
button pressed

group 1 group 2 group 3

What is the best conclusion from the data?

A Nicotine is a depressant and alcohol is a stimulant.

B Nicotine reduces reaction times and alcohol increases reaction times.
C Nicotine makes reactions slower and alcohol makes reactions faster.
D Nicotine and alcohol are both addictive.

26 What is a feature of all bacteria?

A They are parasites.

B They have a nucleus.
C They are made of hyphae.
D They are single-celled organisms.

27 Yeast is used in alcohol production.

What is the other product of this process?

A carbon dioxide
B oxygen
C glucose
D water

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28 In a pyramid of biomass, the mass of producers is 800 g / m2.

What are the likely masses of the carnivores and the herbivores?

carnivores herbivores
g / m2 g / m2

A 4 40
B 40 4
C 40 40
D 400 40

29 Which diagram represents the flow of carbon atoms in an ecosystem?

A B

air air

animals plants

plants soil

decomposers sea

C D

animals air

plants animals

decomposers plants

soil decomposers

soil

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30 The diagram shows the nitrogen cycle.

nitrogen
in air

4
nitrogen nitrogen 1
in animals in plants
7 5
3

nitrogen in soil 6 nitrates nitrogen in air

as ammonium in soil spaces in soil
2

Which stages involve bacteria?

A 1, 2, 5 and 6
B 2, 5, 6 and 7
C 3, 5, 6 and 7
D 3, 4, 5 and 6

31 Draining stagnant water is one method of controlling the malarial mosquito.

Which stages in the mosquito life cycle does this method affect?

A egg, larva, adult

B egg, larva, pupa
C egg, pupa, adult
D larva, pupa, adult

32 Which gas contributes to acid rain?

A methane
B nitrogen
C oxygen
D sulfur dioxide

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33 Which statement is correct about the offspring produced by asexual reproduction?

A They are genetically identical to both their parents.

B They are only produced by female parent plants.
C They are produced by the formation of a zygote.
D They have identical chromosomes to their parent.

34 The graph shows changes in the dry mass of a seed as it germinates and grows.

dry mass
T

S
0
0 5 10
time / days

What causes the change shown between points S and T?

A osmosis
B photosynthesis
C respiration
D transpiration

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35 The graph shows the concentration in the blood of three of the four hormones FSH, LH,
oestrogen and progesterone during a menstrual cycle.

concentration
in blood

0 7 14 21 28
time / days

Which hormone is not shown?

A FSH
B LH
C oestrogen
D progesterone

36 Infection with HIV can result in death from AIDS. The graph shows AIDS-related deaths from
1990 to 2015 in a country.

2.5

number 1.5
of deaths
/ millions 1

0.5

0
90

95

00

05

10

15
19

19

20

20

20

20

year

What is the best explanation for the trend in the number of AIDS-related deaths after 2005?

A More HIV-infected individuals were using natural methods of birth control.

B More HIV-infected men were using spermicides for birth control.
C More HIV-infected mothers were breastfeeding their babies.
D There was better education about HIV infection.

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37 Some statements about chromosomes are listed.

1 A chromosome includes a long molecule of DNA.

2 Genes are found in chromosomes.
3 In cell division, the chromosome number is kept the same by meiosis.
4 The normal human chromosome number is 46.

Which statements are correct?

A 1, 2, 3 and 4
B 1, 2 and 4 only
C 2 and 3 only
D 3 and 4 only

38 One gene has two codominant alleles, AE and AF, and one recessive allele, AG.

How many different genotypes and phenotypes are possible?

genotypes phenotypes

A 3 3
B 4 6
C 6 4
D 6 6

39 What is a result of natural selection?

A dogs that are friendly to humans

B grapes that contain no seeds
C mosquitoes that are resistant to insecticides
D onion crops that have a pleasant taste

40 What is an advantage of genetic engineering?

A genes spreading to nearby organisms

B reduced use of insecticides
C reduction in biodiversity
D unexpected side effects in organisms

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