plumiHeart, blood vessels and circulation: Edexcel A‑Level Biology A questions
Every Edexcel A-Level Biology A exam question on Heart, blood vessels and circulation (specification points 1.1–1.4), 2016–2025, with its mark scheme and examiner’s report.
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Q10(a)(i)
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Q5(a)(i)
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Q5(a)(ii)
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Q5(a)(iii)
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Q5(a)(iv)
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Q6(a)(i)
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Q7(a)
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Q7(b)(i)
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Q7(b)(ii)
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Q7(b)(iii)
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Q7(b)(iv)
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Q5(a)
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Q6(b)(iii)
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Q1(a)(i)
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Q1(a)(ii)
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Q1(a)(iii)
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Q1(b)(i)
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Q1(b)(ii)
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Q8(a)(i)
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Q8(a)(ii)
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All 92 questions on Heart, blood vessels and circulation, as a list
- June 2025, Paper 2, Q10(a)(i) (1 mark): Which structure supplies the coronary artery with oxygenated blood? (1) A aorta B left atrium C pulmonary artery D right ventricle
- June 2025, AS Paper 1, Q5(a)(i) (1 mark): Draw a line on the graph to show the pressure changes in the right ventricle from 0.16 to 0.44 seconds. (1)
- June 2025, AS Paper 1, Q5(a)(ii) (1 mark): Calculate the heart rate shown in the graph. (1) beats min–1
- June 2025, AS Paper 1, Q5(a)(iii) (1 mark): Which correctly describes the blood as it moves out of the left ventricle? (1) A deoxygenated and pumped into the aorta B deoxygenated and pumped into the pulmo
- June 2025, AS Paper 1, Q5(a)(iv) (4 marks): Explain what is causing the change in pressure in the left ventricle during the following time periods: (4) 0.0 to 0.08 seconds 0.16 to 0.3 seconds
- June 2025, AS Paper 1, Q6(a)(i) (1 mark): Which of the blood vessels aorta and vena cava have collagen in their walls? (1) A aorta only B aorta and vena cava C neither the aorta nor the vena cava D vena
- June 2025, AS Paper 1, Q7(a) (3 marks): Explain why the Daphnia needs a heart. (3)
- June 2025, AS Paper 1, Q7(b)(i) (2 marks): Explain why Daphnia is a suitable organism to use in this investigation. (2)
- June 2025, AS Paper 1, Q7(b)(ii) (1 mark): Give a suitable control solution. (1)
- June 2025, AS Paper 1, Q7(b)(iii) (3 marks): Describe how valid data could have been collected for this investigation. (3)
- June 2025, AS Paper 1, Q7(b)(iv) (3 marks): Comment on the effect of alcohol on the heart rate of Daphnia. (3)
- June 2024, Paper 2, Q5(a) (2 marks): An adult male had a resting heart rate of 90 beats per minute. The systole stage was found to be 30% of his cardiac cycle. Calculate the length of time for a si
- June 2024, Paper 3, Q6(b)(iii) (2 marks): Explain why swelling of the brain cells will result in vasoconstriction. (2)
- June 2024, AS Paper 1, Q1(a)(i) (1 mark): How many of the following statements about the human heart are correct? • structures P and S fill with deoxygenated blood when structures Q and R contract • str
- June 2024, AS Paper 1, Q1(a)(ii) (1 mark): Complete the diagram to show the location of the semilunar valve in the pulmonary artery. (1)
- June 2024, AS Paper 1, Q1(a)(iii) (3 marks): Describe the role of this semilunar valve in the cardiac cycle. (3)
- June 2024, AS Paper 1, Q1(b)(i) (1 mark): Complete the diagrams to show the relative sizes of the lumens. (1)
- June 2024, AS Paper 1, Q1(b)(ii) (1 mark): Which of the following would be in contact with the blood in an undamaged vena cava? (1) A collagen B endothelial cells C epithelial cells D smooth muscle cells
- June 2024, AS Paper 1, Q8(a)(i) (2 marks): Calculate the actual width of the nematode from X to Y. (2) Answer µm
- June 2024, AS Paper 1, Q8(a)(ii) (2 marks): Explain why this nematode does not need a circulatory system. (2)
- June 2024, AS Paper 1, Q8(b)(i) (2 marks): Explain why the blood pressure increases and decreases in the aorta. (2)
- June 2024, AS Paper 1, Q8(b)(ii) (2 marks): Calculate the percentage decrease in blood pressure as blood travels through the capillaries. Give your answer to two significant figures. (2) Answer %
- June 2024, AS Paper 1, Q8(c)(i) (3 marks): Compare and contrast the circulatory systems of a squid and a human. (3)
- June 2024, AS Paper 1, Q8(c)(ii) (2 marks): A student wished to investigate the effect of caffeine on the heart rate of some vertebrate and invertebrate organisms. Describe two potential ethical issues wh
- June 2023, Paper 3, Q1(a) (2 marks): Explain why many animals need a heart and circulation system. (2)
- June 2023, Paper 3, Q4(a) (2 marks): Explain the importance of the dipole nature of water in sweating. (2)
- June 2023, AS Paper 1, Q2(a)(i) (1 mark): At which part of the graph is the left atrioventricular valve starting to close? (1) A P B Q C R D S
- June 2023, AS Paper 1, Q2(a)(ii) (1 mark): At which part of the graph is a semilunar valve opening? (1) A P B Q C R D S
- June 2023, AS Paper 1, Q2(a)(iii) (2 marks): Describe what happens during diastole. (2)
- June 2023, AS Paper 1, Q2(b)(i) (2 marks): Calculate the diameter of the lumen along the line XY. Give your answer to two significant figures. (2) Answer mm
- June 2023, AS Paper 1, Q2(b)(ii) (1 mark): State the feature of the wall of the aorta that causes a reduction in the diameter of the lumen. (1)
- June 2023, AS Paper 1, Q5(a)(i) (1 mark): Which labelled blood vessel carries oxygenated blood under lower pressure than the aorta? (1) A B C D
- June 2023, AS Paper 1, Q5(a)(ii) (1 mark): Which labelled blood vessel carries blood from the right ventricle? (1) A B C D
- June 2022, Paper 2, Q1(a)(i) (2 marks): Describe how the atrioventricular (AV) valves work during one cardiac cycle. (2)
- June 2022, Paper 2, Q1(a)(ii) (2 marks): The structure of the pulmonary vein is different from the structure of the pulmonary artery. Explain how this difference is related to the function of the pulmo
- June 2022, AS Paper 1, Q6(b)(i) (2 marks): Explain the function of the semilunar valve in the aorta. (2)
- June 2022, AS Paper 1, Q6(b)(ii) (2 marks): Explain the function of the elastic fibres in the aorta. (2)
- June 2022, AS Paper 1, Q6(c)(i) (2 marks): Explain the advantages of using this type of frog for this investigation. (2)
- June 2022, AS Paper 1, Q6(c)(ii) (4 marks): A student concluded that a caffeine concentration of 0.1 mg cm−3 would cause the largest increase in heart rate in every species of frog. Discuss the validity o
- June 2022, AS Paper 1, Q8(a)(i) (1 mark): State what is meant by the term diastole. (1)
- November 2021, Paper 2, Q4(a) (4 marks): The shapes in the diagram represent two different animals that live in water. The figures represent the height, width and breadth of the animals. Determine why
- November 2021, Paper 2, Q4(b) (3 marks): During the development of the mammalian heart, there is a hole between the left ventricle and the right ventricle. This hole usually becomes sealed before the m
- November 2021, Paper 2, Q5(a) (1 mark): In the ventricular systole stage of the cardiac cycle, the (1) A ventricles contract, atrioventricular valves close and semilunar valves open B ventricles contr
- November 2021, AS Paper 1, Q1(a)(i) (2 marks): Draw arrows to show the route blood would take as it returns from the body, enters the heart and is then pumped to the lungs. (2)
- November 2021, AS Paper 1, Q1(a)(ii) (1 mark): State which stage of the cardiac cycle is shown in the diagram. (1)
- November 2021, AS Paper 1, Q1(b) (2 marks): Name the valves in this heart. (2)
- November 2021, AS Paper 1, Q2(a)(i) (1 mark): Name the type of blood vessel shown in this diagram. (1)
- November 2021, AS Paper 1, Q2(a)(ii) (1 mark): Which labelled part of the blood vessel contains tissue that can contract to maintain blood pressure? (1) A P B Q C S D T
- November 2021, AS Paper 1, Q2(a)(iii) (1 mark): Which labelled parts of the blood vessel contain collagen? (1) A Q B Q and T C Q, S and T D Q, R, S and T
- November 2021, AS Paper 1, Q2(a)(iv) (1 mark): Which of the following shows the cross-sectional area of the lumen of the blood vessel in the diagram? Use the line XY to help you. (1) A 2.01 cm2 B 2.51 cm2 C
- November 2021, AS Paper 1, Q8(a)(i) (2 marks): State and justify a suitable control for this investigation. (2)
- November 2021, AS Paper 1, Q8(a)(ii) (4 marks): Variables relating to the caffeine solution and the ghost shrimps should have been controlled. State and justify two variables that should have been controlled
- November 2021, AS Paper 1, Q8(b)(i) (2 marks): Calculate the percentage change in the heart rate of shrimp 2 when the caffeine concentration of 10 mg cm–3 was replaced with 13 mg cm–3. Give your answer to on
- November 2021, AS Paper 1, Q8(b)(ii) (4 marks): Comment on the results of this investigation. (4)
- November 2021, AS Paper 1, Q8(c) (2 marks): Explain one advantage of using ghost shrimps for this investigation. (2)
- October 2020, Paper 2, Q7(b) (3 marks): Sweating is a thermoregulatory mechanism. A student stated that loss of heat when sweating is related to the dipole nature of water molecules. Justify this stat
- October 2020, Paper 3, Q1(a) (1 mark): State the relationship shown in the graph. (1)
- October 2020, Paper 3, Q1(c) (2 marks): Explain the importance of the relationship, shown in the graph, to capillary function. (2)
- October 2020, Paper 3, Q6(a) (2 marks): Explain why ions can dissolve in blood. (2)
- October 2020, AS Paper 1, Q6(a)(i) (4 marks): Compare and contrast the heart and circulatory system of a snake with that of a human. (4)
- October 2020, AS Paper 1, Q6(a)(ii) (2 marks): Explain why a snake needs a heart. (2)
- October 2020, AS Paper 1, Q6(b)(i) (3 marks): Calculate the actual thickness of the wall of the vein between points X and Y. Give your answer in µm. (3) Answer µm
- October 2020, AS Paper 1, Q6(b)(ii) (4 marks): Explain how the structure of a vein relates to its function. (4)
- October 2020, AS Paper 1, Q7(a) (1 mark): State the relationship between the average heart rate and the average body mass of these animals. (1)
- October 2020, AS Paper 1, Q7(b)(i) (4 marks): Comment on the effects of dopamine alone and dopamine with caffeine on the heart rate of Daphnia in this investigation. (4)
- October 2020, AS Paper 1, Q7(b)(ii) (2 marks): State and justify a suitable control for these investigations. (2)
- October 2020, AS Paper 1, Q7(b)(iii) (5 marks): Devise a procedure that could have been used to produce the results shown in the graph. (5)
- June 2019, Paper 2, Q10(a)(i) (3 marks): In investigation 1, samples of aorta were put under tension to test elastic recoil. The tension was removed and the mean maximum percentage recoil for each grou
- June 2019, AS Paper 1, Q8(a)(i) (1 mark): Which is the correct label for a coronary artery? (1) A B C D
- June 2019, AS Paper 1, Q8(a)(ii) (1 mark): Which is the correct label for the blood vessel carrying deoxygenated blood under the lowest pressure? (1) A B C D
- June 2019, AS Paper 1, Q8(a)(iii) (1 mark): State the type of blood vessel that has no collagen in its wall. (1)
- June 2019, AS Paper 1, Q8(c)(ii) (3 marks): Explain why the location of the blood clot would affect the oxygen saturation of the blood leaving the right lung. (3)
- June 2018, AS Paper 1, Q2(a) (2 marks): Complete the diagram to show the dipole nature of this water molecule. (2)
- June 2018, AS Paper 1, Q2(c) (3 marks): Explain how the properties of water make it an ideal transport medium. (3)
- June 2018, AS Paper 1, Q5(a)(i) (2 marks): Calculate the heart rate. (2) Answer
- June 2018, AS Paper 1, Q5(b)(i) (2 marks): Explain which side of the human heart is represented by graph B. (2)
- June 2018, AS Paper 1, Q5(b)(ii) (1 mark): In graph A, which blood vessel carries the blood leaving the heart? (1) A aorta B pulmonary artery C pulmonary vein D vena cava
- June 2018, AS Paper 1, Q5(b)(iii) (4 marks): In graph A, the blood pressure inside the ventricle changes between 0.0 and 0.45 seconds. Explain how these changes in blood pressure occur in this part of the
- June 2018, AS Paper 1, Q5(c) (3 marks): Explain how the structure of the walls of the blood vessels carrying blood away from the heart in graph A and graph B are different. (3)
- June 2017, Paper 2, Q2(c) (3 marks): During the cardiac cycle there are pressure changes in the chambers of the heart. Explain how pressure differences in the heart ensure efficient pumping of the
- June 2017, AS Paper 1, Q1(a)(i) (1 mark): State one variable that should have been controlled in this investigation. (1)
- June 2017, AS Paper 1, Q1(a)(ii) (2 marks): Analyse the data to justify a conclusion for this investigation. (2)
- June 2017, AS Paper 1, Q1(a)(iii) (2 marks): Explain the advantages of using young zebrafish for this investigation. (2)
- June 2017, AS Paper 1, Q1(a)(iv) (1 mark): Give one reason why a different ethical issue has to be considered when using zebrafish instead of Daphnia in this investigation. (1)
- June 2017, AS Paper 1, Q1(b)(i) (1 mark): Which labelled part of this circulatory system has the lowest concentration of carbon dioxide? (1) A B C D
- June 2017, AS Paper 1, Q1(b)(ii) (1 mark): Which labelled part of this circulatory system has the highest blood pressure? (1) A B C D
- June 2017, AS Paper 1, Q3(a) (2 marks): Explain why water is a good solvent. (2)
- June 2017, AS Paper 1, Q6(a) (3 marks): Explain how the structure of an artery wall is adapted both to withstand and to maintain high blood pressure. (3)
- June 2016, AS Paper 1, Q8(a)(i) (1 mark): Which chamber of the heart generates the highest blood pressure? (1) A P B Q C R D S
- June 2016, AS Paper 1, Q8(a)(ii) (1 mark): Which stage of the cardiac cycle is shown in the diagram of the heart? (1) A atrial diastole B atrial systole C ventricular diastole D ventricular systole
- June 2016, AS Paper 1, Q8(b)(i) (1 mark): Identify the problem with the blood vessels of this heart. (1)
- June 2016, AS Paper 1, Q8(b)(ii) (3 marks): The baby survived because of the hole in the septum of the heart. Explain how the hole in the septum allowed this baby to survive. (3)
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