Edexcel International A Level Biology
Edexcel International A Level Biology Coordination, Response and Gene Technology Exam Questions
Free Edexcel International A Level Biology exam questions for Coordination, Response and Gene Technology, with a mark scheme for every pack. Covers neurones, action potentials, synapses, the eye and rhodopsin, plant responses, the brain, imaging, drugs, and genetically modified organisms.
Coordination, Response and Gene Technology exam questions
1 question pack of real past exam questions, each with its mark scheme. Do not stop after a few: answer as many as you can without notes, then mark every answer with the mark scheme. The more questions you do, the more quickly you will spot how examiners ask about each idea.
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About Edexcel International A Level Biology Coordination, Response and Gene Technology
This topic is part of Unit 5 (Respiration, Internal Environment, Coordination and Gene Technology) of Edexcel International A Level Biology. It covers how organisms respond to stimuli, starting with the structure of neurones, the resting and action potential and synaptic transmission. You study the eye, including the pupil reflex and how rod cells detect light, and plant responses involving phytochrome and auxin. The brain section covers the roles of different regions, imaging methods, the development of vision and learning through habituation. You then look at how drugs affect synapses and how gene technology, including recombinant DNA and genetically modified organisms, is used to produce medicines, with the ethical issues.
What you need to know
- Neurones and action potentials The resting potential is about -70 mV. Depolarisation occurs as voltage-gated Na+ channels open; repolarisation as K+ channels open. Myelination allows saltatory conduction.
- Synapses Ca2+ entry causes release of neurotransmitter by exocytosis; neurotransmitter binds to receptors on the postsynaptic membrane. Synapses allow summation and one-way transmission.
- Vision The pupil reflex controls light entering the eye. In rod cells, light breaks down rhodopsin into retinal and opsin, causing hyperpolarisation and leading to an impulse in the optic nerve.
- Plant responses Phytochrome (Pr and Pfr) controls flowering and germination. Auxin causes cell elongation in phototropism.
- Brain and drugs Know the roles of the cerebrum, hypothalamus, cerebellum and medulla. CT, MRI and fMRI scans show structure and activity. Drugs affect neurotransmission, for example L-dopa in Parkinson's disease and MDMA increasing serotonin.
- Gene technology Recombinant DNA is made with restriction enzymes and ligase; vectors such as plasmids carry genes into host cells. GM organisms can produce drugs but raise ethical and safety issues.
Common mistakes in Coordination, Response and Gene Technology
- Saying light depolarises rod cells; it hyperpolarises them.
- Describing the refractory period as when the neurone is resting; it is the period after an action potential when another cannot be generated.
- Confusing auxin with phytochrome.
- Writing that MRI shows brain activity; fMRI shows activity by detecting oxygenated blood flow.
- Forgetting to include both benefits and risks when evaluating GM organisms.
Try three Coordination, Response and Gene Technology exam-style questions
1. An impulse travels 0.09 m in 1.5 ms. Calculate the conduction speed in m s-1. (2 marks)
Show the mark scheme answer
0.09 / 0.0015; = 60 m s-1.
2. Explain why impulses travel faster along myelinated neurones. (3 marks)
Show the mark scheme answer
Myelin insulates the axon; depolarisation occurs only at nodes of Ranvier; the impulse jumps from node to node (saltatory conduction).
3. Describe how a gene can be transferred into a bacterium to produce a human protein. (4 marks)
Show the mark scheme answer
Gene is cut from human DNA (or made from mRNA by reverse transcriptase); plasmid cut with the same restriction enzyme to give complementary sticky ends; ligase joins the gene into the plasmid; plasmid taken up by bacteria, which are then grown to make the protein.
Coordination, Response and Gene Technology FAQs
What does Edexcel International A Level Biology Coordination, response and gene technology cover?
It covers neurones, synapses, the eye, plant responses, the brain and imaging, drugs and gene technology including genetically modified organisms.
Which unit is it examined in?
It is examined in Unit 5, Respiration, Internal Environment, Coordination and Gene Technology, and related practical skills are also assessed in the practical units.
How do I learn the synapse sequence?
Write the steps in order from arrival of the action potential to breakdown of the neurotransmitter, naming each ion and channel, then practise applying it to drug questions.
