OCR GCSE Biology B (Twenty First Century)
OCR GCSE Biology B B4.5 Should we use stem cells to treat damage and disease? Exam Questions
Free OCR GCSE Biology B exam questions for B4.5 Should we use stem cells to treat damage and disease?, with a mark scheme for every pack. Covers embryonic and adult stem cells, plant meristems, therapeutic cloning, Potential medical uses, risks and ethical and social issues.
B4.5 Should we use stem cells to treat damage and disease? 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 B4.5 Should we use stem cells to treat damage and disease?
B4.5 asks whether stem cells should be used in medicine. You need to explain what makes stem cells different from specialised cells, compare embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells and plant meristems, and describe how they might treat conditions such as diabetes and paralysis or replace damaged tissue. Therapeutic cloning, which produces embryonic stem cells genetically matched to a patient, is included. As with gene technology in B1.3, you must weigh benefits, risks and ethical issues. Examiners regularly set six mark evaluation questions here, so plan balanced answers that reach a justified conclusion.
What you need to know
- Stem cells Undifferentiated cells that can divide to produce more stem cells and differentiate into specialised cells.
- Embryonic stem cells Taken from early embryos, often spare embryos from IVF. They can differentiate into any type of human cell.
- Adult stem cells Found in tissues such as bone marrow. They can form only a limited range of cell types, for example blood cells, and are used in bone marrow transplants.
- Plant meristems Meristem tissue can differentiate into any plant cell type, so it is used to clone rare species or crops with useful features quickly and cheaply.
- Therapeutic cloning An embryo is produced with the same genes as the patient, so stem cells from it are not rejected by the immune system.
- Benefits and risks Potential uses include replacing insulin-producing cells and repairing nerve damage. Risks include transfer of viral infection, rejection and stem cells dividing uncontrollably to form tumours. Ethical objections concern destroying embryos.
Common mistakes in B4.5 Should we use stem cells to treat damage and disease?
- Saying adult stem cells can become any cell type. They are limited to a few types.
- Ignoring rejection. Stem cells from a donor can be rejected unless genetically matched, which is why therapeutic cloning is considered.
- Giving only ethical points in an evaluate question. Include practical benefits, medical risks and ethics, then a conclusion.
- Claiming stem cell treatments are already used to cure diabetes and paralysis. Many are still being researched; bone marrow transplants are an established use.
- Saying embryos are grown to term to collect stem cells. Stem cells are taken from very early embryos, a few days old.
Try three B4.5 Should we use stem cells to treat damage and disease? exam-style questions
1. Give one source of adult stem cells in humans. (1 mark)
Show the mark scheme answer
Bone marrow.
2. Explain why stem cells from therapeutic cloning are less likely to be rejected. (2 marks)
Show the mark scheme answer
They have the same genes (antigens) as the patient; so the immune system does not recognise them as foreign.
3. Evaluate the use of embryonic stem cells to treat type 1 diabetes. (6 marks)
Show the mark scheme answer
Benefits: can differentiate into insulin-producing cells; could cure the condition and remove need for injections; improves quality of life; Risks and issues: possible rejection unless matched; risk of tumours or transfer of infection; embryos are destroyed which some people find unacceptable; treatment not yet fully tested; justified conclusion.
B4.5 Should we use stem cells to treat damage and disease? FAQs
What does OCR GCSE Biology B B4.5 cover?
It covers embryonic and adult stem cells, plant meristems, therapeutic cloning and the benefits, risks and ethical issues of stem cell treatments.
Which paper is B4.5 examined in?
J257 has two papers at each tier, Breadth in Biology and Depth in Biology, and content from any chapter, including B4, can be assessed on either one. Expect it to be linked to ideas about science and to other chapters.
How do I structure a stem cell evaluation answer?
Explain what stem cells can do, give two or three benefits, two or three risks or ethical concerns, and end with a conclusion that clearly follows from your points.
