OCR GCSE Biology B (Twenty First Century)
OCR GCSE Biology B B2.5 How can lifestyle genes and the environment affect health? Exam Questions
Free OCR GCSE Biology B exam questions for B2.5 How can lifestyle genes and the environment affect health?, with a mark scheme for every pack. Covers non-communicable diseases, risk factors, smoking, alcohol, diet, obesity, exercise, cardiovascular disease, cancer, BMI and correlation versus cause.
B2.5 How can lifestyle genes and the environment affect health? exam questions
2 question packs 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 OCR GCSE Biology B B2.5 How can lifestyle genes and the environment affect health?
B2.5 explains how non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers result from interactions between lifestyle, genes and the environment. You need to describe the main risk factors, explain how they affect organs, and use data from epidemiological studies to discuss correlation and cause. Calculating body mass index is also expected. It links to genes in B1, to treatments in B2.6 and to failing organs in B5.6. Examiners often present tables or graphs and ask whether the data supports a causal link, so be ready to discuss sample size, other variables and mechanisms.
What you need to know
- Risk factors A risk factor increases the chance of developing a disease but does not guarantee it. Examples include smoking, high alcohol intake, poor diet, lack of exercise, obesity and some inherited alleles.
- Smoking Tar is carcinogenic and increases risk of lung cancer; carbon monoxide reduces oxygen carried by the blood; nicotine raises heart rate and blood pressure, increasing cardiovascular disease risk.
- Diet, exercise and obesity High intake of saturated fat increases cholesterol and fatty deposits in arteries. Obesity and inactivity are linked to type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
- Alcohol Long-term heavy drinking damages the liver (cirrhosis) and brain, and increases risk of some cancers.
- BMI Body mass index = mass (kg) / height (m)^2. It is a quick indicator of a healthy mass but does not distinguish muscle from fat; waist to hip ratio can help.
- Correlation and cause A correlation shows two factors change together; it does not prove one causes the other. A plausible mechanism and large, well-controlled studies strengthen a causal claim.
Common mistakes in B2.5 How can lifestyle genes and the environment affect health?
- Saying smoking always causes lung cancer. It greatly increases the risk; not every smoker develops cancer.
- Squaring the wrong value in BMI. Square the height in metres, not the mass, and convert cm to m first.
- Claiming a correlation proves cause. State that another factor could be responsible unless a mechanism is shown.
- Treating genes and environment as separate. Most non-communicable diseases result from both interacting.
- Writing that carbon monoxide damages the lungs to cause cancer. Carbon monoxide binds to haemoglobin; tar is the carcinogen.
Try three B2.5 How can lifestyle genes and the environment affect health? exam-style questions
1. State what is meant by a risk factor. (1 mark)
Show the mark scheme answer
Something that increases the chance of developing a disease.
2. A person has a mass of 81 kg and a height of 1.80 m. Calculate their BMI. (2 marks)
Show the mark scheme answer
1.80^2 = 3.24; 81 / 3.24 = 25 (kg/m2).
3. A study found that people who drink more coffee have higher rates of heart disease. Explain why this does not show that coffee causes heart disease. (3 marks)
Show the mark scheme answer
It shows a correlation only; another factor could be responsible, for example coffee drinkers may smoke more; no mechanism has been shown; the study would need to control other variables or use a large sample to be valid.
B2.5 How can lifestyle genes and the environment affect health? FAQs
What does OCR GCSE Biology B B2.5 cover?
It covers non-communicable diseases and their risk factors, including smoking, alcohol, diet, exercise and genes, plus BMI and interpreting correlation in health data.
Which paper is B2.5 examined in?
J257 has two papers at each tier, Breadth in Biology and Depth in Biology, and content from any chapter, including B2, can be assessed on either one. Expect it to be linked to ideas about science and to other chapters.
How do I answer data questions about health risks?
Describe the trend using numbers from the data, state whether it shows correlation or cause, and comment on sample size, controlled variables and possible explanations.
