Disclaimer: This document was created by department heads with many years of experience teaching the

Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Biology course. We cannot however guarantee that it is an accurate representation
of the Summer 2023 examinations and students should not treat it as such. Please use this as an aid, alongside
other methods of revision.

Pearson Edexcel International GCSE (9-1)

Tuesday 16 May 2023

Biology
Unit: 4BI1
Paper: 1B

You must have:

Instructions
• Use black ink or a ball-point pen.
• Answer all questions.
• Answer the questions in the spaces provided.
○ There may be more space than you need.
• Show all the steps in any calculations and state the units.

Information
• The total mark for this paper is 110.
• The marks for each question are shown in brackets.
○ Use this as a guide as to how much time to spend on each question.

Advice
• Read each question carefully before you start to answer it.
• Write your answers neatly and in good English.
• Try to answer every question.
• Check your answers if you have time at the end.

Turn over →
 Answer all questions.

1. All living organisms share certain characteristics. All plants are living organisms. One such plant

is the sweetbriar rose (R. rubiginosa), shown below.

One characteristic that is common to living things is their desire for nutrients, such as glucose.

(a) By which process do plants obtain glucose? (1)

Plants also reproduce to create new offspring.

(b) What are the two main forms of reproduction in plants? (2)

Waste products are created as a consequence of metabolic processes. Waste products are removed

by excretory organs.

(c) Give one example of an excretory organ found in animals. (1)

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 (d) Give an example of an excretory organ found in plants. With regards to this organ, name

the waste product that is released (2).

Plant cells contain structures called organelles. A typical plant cell is shown below.

(e) Complete the diagram by adding appropriate labels. (4)

(Total for Question 1 = 10 marks)

2. Pollution can be defined as the release of environmentally damaging substances. Sulphur dioxide

(SO2) is a polluting gas that is released when fossil fuels are burned in air. Since the industrial

revolution, large quantities of pollutants have been released into the atmosphere.

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 (a) Give one other example of a polluting gas. (1)

The graph below shows the worldwide emissions of SO2.

(b) In 2010, which continent released the most CO2? (1)

Europe and North America have recently seen significant reductions in their SO2 emissions.

(c) Suggest two reasons why this might be the case. (2)

SO2 has been linked to a phenomenon referred to as acid rain.

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 (d) Explain how the release of atmospheric SO2 can lead to acid rain and suggest the potential

environmental consequences. (4)

Greenhouse gases contribute to the greenhouse effect. The diagram below illustrates the

greenhouse effect.

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 (e) Summarize the events occurring at stages 1-3. (3)

Water may be polluted by waste matter called sewage.

(f) Explain how sewage can have negative effects on aquatic organisms. (3)

(Total for Question 2 = 14 marks)

3. Aerobic respiration releases a gas called carbon dioxide (CO2).

(a) Give the balanced chemical equation for aerobic respiration. (1)

During anaerobic respiration, mammals release a toxic byproduct.

(b) Give the name of this byproduct. (1)

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A student designed an experiment to measure the respiratory rate of two organisms; a germinating

seed and a woodlouse. The student used a device called a respirometer to measure the rate of

respiration. Their setup is shown below.

(c) Explain why the student added a card soaked in potassium hydroxide (KOH) to the

apparatus. (1)

The student measured the volume of oxygen used by the woodlouse and the germinating seed by

observing the gas syringes at the start of the experiment and then again after 15 minutes. The

experiments were repeated a number of times and an average was calculated.

The student’s results are shown in the table on the next page.

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 Woodlouse O2 Consumption (cm3) Seed O2 Consumption (cm3)

Experiment #1 0.42 0.22

Experiment #2 0.47 0.27

Experiment #3 0.51 0.81

Experiment #4 0.44 0.34

Experiment #5 0.58 0.27

Average 0.48

(d) Calculate the average O2 consumption for the seed. (1)

The mass of the woodlouse was estimated at 0.16 grams.

(e) Using the average O2 consumption of the woodlouse, calculate its respiratory rate in cm3

per gram per hour. (2)

Another way to calculate the respiratory rate of an organism is to detect the levels of CO 2 using an

indicator.

(f) Give the name of this indicator. (1)

This indicator changes colour depending on the concentration of CO2 in solution.

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 (g) Draw a line from each concentration to the appropriate colour of the indicator. (3)

Low CO2
Red colour
concentration

Normal CO2
Yellow colour
concentration

High CO2
Purple colour
concentration

(Total for Question 3 = 10 marks)

4. Yeast is a microorganism that is used for food production. Yeast is important in the production of

both bread and beer.

(a) What are the two products created by yeast that are used in food production? (2)

The production of yoghurt also relies on microorganisms.

(b) What is the name of the microorganism that is used to make yoghurt? (1)

Microorganisms are grown on an industrial scale using a device called a fermenter. One common

food that is grown using fermenters is mycoprotein, more commonly known as Quorn.

An industrial fermenter is shown on the next page.

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 Agitator

Sterile Air

B
C

(c) Complete the diagram by labelling A, B, and C. (3)

A
B

Aseptic technique is practiced during industrial fermentation.

(d) Why is it important to practice aseptic technique? (2)

(Total for Question 4 = 9 marks)

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5. Excretion can be defined as the removal of metabolic waste.

(a) The passage below is about excretion in humans. Complete the passage by writing a

suitable word in each space (5).

Metabolic waste is the byproduct of ________________ __________________. Metabolic waste must be

removed from the body as it is __________. Humans have a number of ______________________ organs for

excretion. The __________ remove CO2 from the body, whilst the ________ removes water and salts

through sweat glands.

(b) The kidneys remove three main waste products. Name these products. (3)

Plants excrete both O2 and CO2 through pores on the underside of their leaves called stomata. Plants

that live in hot and dry conditions tend to have fewer stomata than those that live in colder

conditions.

(c) Suggest why plants that live in hotter climates have reduced numbers of stomata. (2)

A student uses a light microscope to record stomata found in the leaf of a plant.

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 A

The stoma labelled A has a length of 35 μm.

(d) Using this information, calculate the magnification of this light microscope. (2)

(e) Assuming the stoma is a sphere, estimate its internal volume in mm3. Give your answer

to 2 decimal places and in standard form. (3)

(Total for Question 5 = 15 marks)

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6. The diagram below shows a cycle found in ecosystems called the carbon cycle.

B C

(a) What process is represented by the letter A? (1)

□ Respiration

□ Photosynthesis

□ Combustion

□ Feeding

(b) What process is represented by the letter C? (1)

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 □ Respiration

□ Photosynthesis

□ Combustion

□ Feeding

(c) Discuss what is meant by the term carbon sink. (2)

The table below shows the annual CO2 emissions from China between 2000 and 2010.

Year CO2 emissions (billion tonnes/yr)

2000 3.6

2001 3.7

2002 4.1

2003 4.8

2004 5.2

2005 5.9

2006 6.5

2007 7.0

2008 7.5

2009 7.9

2010 8.6

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There has been a significant increase in the atmospheric CO2 emissions in China.

(d) Calculate the average percentage increase in emissions, per year, between 2000 and

2005. (3)

(e) Sketch an appropriate graph from the table above. (4)

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Many European countries have recently seen significant reductions in their CO2 emissions. A climate

scientist suggests that it will be unlikely to see similar reductions in China in the near future.

(f) Discuss the scientist’s conclusion, referring to information in the graph and your own

knowledge. (4)

(Total for Question 6 = 15 marks)

7. The reproductive organ of a plant is called a flower. Flowers contain both male and female

reproductive parts.

(a) What is the female gamete of a plant called? (1)

Plants may be fertilized either by insects or the wind.

(b) Discuss how an insect-pollinated flower is specialized for fertilization. (3)

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A student set up an experiment to investigate germination:

Pot A Pot B
Water: ✓ Water: ✘
Oxygen: ✓ Oxygen: ✓
Light: ✓ Light: ✓
Temperature: 20°C Temperature: 20°C

Pot C Pot D
Water: ✓ Water: ✓
Oxygen: ✘ Oxygen: ✓
Light: ✓ Light: ✘
Temperature: 20°C Temperature: 20°C

(c) Explain which of these seeds will germinate. (3)

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Gregor Mendel was an Austrian monk who is considered the father of modern genetics. Mendel’s

experiments on pea plants established many of the rules on heredity which are still used today.

The diagram below summarizes one of Mendel’s experiments:

Mendel initially crossed a homozygous dominant (TT) tall pea plant with a homozygous recessive

short (tt) pea plant.

(d) Using a Punnett square, demonstrate how Mendel created the ratio of tall to short plants

seen in the second generation. (3)

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 Ratio of tall to short plants:

(Total for Question 7 = 10 marks)

8. Neurones are specialized cells that transmit electrical impulses throughout the body.

(a) Describe how impulses are transmitted between different neurones. (3)

The eye is a sensory organ that detects light. Many people have problems with their eyesight. If a

person is short-sighted, they are unable to focus on distant objects.

(b) Suggest how glasses may help to correct short-sightedness. (3)

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The diagram below shows the structure of the eye.

(c) Complete the diagram by labelling A, B, and C. (3)

(Total for Question 8 = 9 marks)

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9. Vectors are used to artificially carry foreign DNA into another cell.

(a) Give an example of a vector. (1)

Human growth hormone (HGH) is a therapeutic protein that can be produced using genetically

modified E.coli bacteria.

(b) Summarize how a scientist might use genetic engineering to create genetically modified

E.coli. (6)

Genetically modified plants are sometimes called GMOs. Over 80% of all planted soy crop is

genetically modified. A graph highlighting global soy production is shown on the next page.

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 (c) Suggest how genetic modification could have contributed to the massive increase in

global soy production. (3)

A botanist wanted to explore if genetically modified corn was more profitable to grow than regular

corn.

(d) Design an investigation to determine the growth rate of genetically modified corn when

compared to regular corn. (6)

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Some scientists have criticized the use of GMOs.

(e) Suggest why scientists may have these concerns. (3)

(Total for Question 9 = 18 marks)

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