plumiCirculation: Edexcel A‑Level Biology B questions
Every Edexcel A-Level Biology B exam question on 4.4 Circulation, 2016–2025, with its mark scheme and examiner’s report.
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Q3(a)(i)
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Q3(a)(ii)
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Q3(b)(i)
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Q2(a)(ii)
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Q2(b)
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Q2(c)(i)
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Q2(c)(ii)
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Q3(a)(i)
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Q3(a)(ii)
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Q3(a)(iii)
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Q3(b)(i)
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Q3(b)(ii)
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Q3(b)(iii)
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Q1(a)
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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(b)
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Q7(a)(i)
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All 115 questions on Circulation, as a list
- June 2025, Paper 2, Q3(a)(i) (1 mark): Which of the letters on this ECG trace represents the time when ventricular systole occurs? (1) A B C D
- June 2025, Paper 2, Q3(a)(ii) (3 marks): Describe how myogenic stimulation maintains the heart rate of the student when at rest. (3)
- June 2025, Paper 2, Q3(b)(i) (2 marks): The mean volume of blood pumped around the body in one minute after a fright without the anti‑anxiety drug is 18 dm3. The stroke volume of the student’s heart w
- June 2025, AS Paper 2, Q2(a)(ii) (2 marks): Explain how two features of that artery distinguish it from the vein shown in the photograph. (2)
- June 2025, AS Paper 2, Q2(b) (1 mark): The following are stages in blood clotting: • M – platelets form a plug and release clotting factors • N – fibrin network traps red blood cells and platelets •
- June 2025, AS Paper 2, Q2(c)(i) (1 mark): Give one reason why the development of blood clots in an artery is more dangerous than the development of blood clots in a vein. (1)
- June 2025, AS Paper 2, Q2(c)(ii) (3 marks): Explain how three lifestyle factors can lead to an increase in the risk of developing atherosclerosis. (3)
- June 2025, AS Paper 2, Q3(a)(i) (1 mark): Which blood vessel carries oxygenated blood to the heart from the lungs? (1) A L B M C N D S
- June 2025, AS Paper 2, Q3(a)(ii) (1 mark): Which labelled structure has the highest pressure during the cardiac cycle? (1) A M B O C Q D R
- June 2025, AS Paper 2, Q3(a)(iii) (1 mark): Which labelled structure is the septum? (1) A O B P C Q D R
- June 2025, AS Paper 2, Q3(b)(i) (1 mark): Which of the following structures is the atrium? (1) A W B X C Y D Z
- June 2025, AS Paper 2, Q3(b)(ii) (1 mark): Draw arrows on diagram 2 to show the direction of blood flow through this heart. (1)
- June 2025, AS Paper 2, Q3(b)(iii) (3 marks): Explain how the heart and circulatory system of a bony fish differ from those of a mammal. (3)
- June 2024, Paper 1, Q1(a) (2 marks): Which box in each row of the table shows where endothelial cells and valves are found? (2) Type of blood vessel Features of both capillaries capillaries neither
- June 2024, AS Paper 2, Q5(a)(i) (1 mark): Which of these components is involved in blood clotting? (1) A Q B R C S D T
- June 2024, AS Paper 2, Q5(a)(ii) (1 mark): Which of these pairs of components is involved in the immune response? (1) A P and Q B S and T C T and U D U and V
- June 2024, AS Paper 2, Q5(a)(iii) (1 mark): Which of these components is a lymphocyte? (1) A P B R C T D U
- June 2024, AS Paper 2, Q5(b) (6 marks): The relative number of each type of blood cell can be used to diagnose blood conditions. Tables 1 and 2 show data for the blood conditions, A, B, C and D. The t
- June 2024, AS Paper 2, Q7(a)(i) (2 marks): Draw, on the blank grid, an ECG recording for this cardiac cycle and label the parts P, Q, R, S and T. (2)
- June 2024, AS Paper 2, Q7(a)(ii) (1 mark): Determine how many cardiac cycles there are in one minute, using the graph. (1) Answer
- June 2024, AS Paper 2, Q7(b) (4 marks): Explain what is happening at each point, labelled A, B, C and D, on the graph. (4)
- June 2024, AS Paper 2, Q7(c) (4 marks): Describe the myogenic stimulation of the heart. (4)
- June 2023, Paper 2, Q8(a) (2 marks): Explain why a double circulatory system enables mammals to have a high metabolic rate. (2)
- June 2023, Paper 2, Q8(b)(i) (2 marks): Calculate the heart rate, in beats per minute, of the person with an abnormal heart rate. Give your answer to the nearest whole number. (2) Answer beats per min
- June 2023, Paper 2, Q8(b)(ii) (2 marks): Explain how the ECG traces show this abnormal heart rhythm is due to damage to the septum in the centre of the heart between the left and right sides. (2)
- June 2023, Paper 3, Q9(a) (4 marks): Explain how atherosclerosis can cause coronary heart disease and can lead to death. (4)
- June 2023, Paper 3, Q9(b) (9 marks): The table shows the change in the number of deaths from coronary heart disease in males and females in some European countries, and the whole of Europe, between
- June 2023, AS Paper 2, Q3(a) (1 mark): Give one function of blood clotting when a blood vessel is damaged. (1)
- June 2023, AS Paper 2, Q3(b)(i) (1 mark): Which of the following factors are likely to lead to increased plaque formation and atherosclerosis? (1) 1. increased levels of high‑density lipoproteins 2. smo
- June 2023, AS Paper 2, Q3(b)(ii) (1 mark): Which of the following describes atherosclerosis? (1) A develops in arteries because blood flow is slower B develops in arteries because blood pressure is highe
- June 2023, AS Paper 2, Q3(c) (4 marks): A deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot in the legs. The blood clot may travel into the lungs and block the flow of blood. Airline passengers on long‑dista
- June 2022, Paper 2, Q4(b)(i) (3 marks): An atrioventricular valve in the healthy heart has a surface area of 3.5 cm2. Determine the force that is applied to this atrioventricular valve when it closes.
- June 2022, Paper 2, Q4(b)(ii) (4 marks): Explain why people with an atrioventricular valve that leaks find exercise difficult. (4)
- June 2022, AS Paper 2, Q7(a)(i) (1 mark): Give one reason why the heart is divided into left and right sides. (1)
- June 2022, AS Paper 2, Q7(a)(ii) (1 mark): State why there is a difference in the thickness of the muscle of the atria and the muscle of the ventricles. (1)
- June 2022, AS Paper 2, Q7(b)(i) (1 mark): Which blood vessel carries deoxygenated blood towards the heart? (1) A P B Q C R D S
- June 2022, AS Paper 2, Q7(b)(ii) (1 mark): Which describes the state of the valves at Y and Z when the ventricles are in systole? (1) A Y closed and Z closed B Y closed and Z open C Y open and Z closed D
- June 2022, AS Paper 2, Q7(c) (3 marks): Describe how the structure of blood vessel R differs from the structure of blood vessel S. (3)
- June 2022, AS Paper 2, Q7(d)(i) (4 marks): Compare and contrast the structure of the circulatory system of an insect with the structure of the circulatory system of a mammal. (4)
- June 2022, AS Paper 2, Q7(d)(ii) (2 marks): Give two substances that are carried in the haemolymph for the growth of an insect. (2) 1 2 (Total for Question 7 =13 marks)
- November 2021, Paper 1, Q3(b)(iii) (2 marks): Explain why cooking food using plant products rather than animal products could lower the risk of developing atherosclerosis. (2)
- November 2021, Paper 2, Q1(a)(i) (1 mark): At what time does the atrioventricular (bicuspid) valve close? (1) A 0.14 s B 0.20 s C 0.45 s D 0.40 s
- November 2021, Paper 2, Q1(a)(ii) (1 mark): Which is the sequence of structures that an impulse passes through during one heart contraction? (1) A atrioventricular node, bundle of His, sinoatrial node B a
- November 2021, Paper 2, Q3(b)(ii) (3 marks): People with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome are at risk of developing aneurysms. An aneurysm is an area of artery wall that weakens and can burst. Explain why people wit
- November 2021, Paper 2, Q8(b) (5 marks): Kidney dialysis machines are used to remove urea from the blood of patients who are suffering from kidney disease. Anti-clotting drugs are given to patients to
- November 2021, AS Paper 2, Q5(a)(i) (2 marks): Name the parts of the heart labelled A and B. (2) A B
- November 2021, AS Paper 2, Q5(a)(ii) (3 marks): Compare and contrast the structure of the frog heart with the structure of the mammalian heart. (3)
- November 2021, AS Paper 2, Q5(b)(i) (1 mark): State one difference between the double circulation system of the frog and that of the mammal. (1)
- November 2021, AS Paper 2, Q5(b)(ii) (4 marks): Explain how the circulatory system of the frog is adapted for the metabolism and gas exchange of the frog. (4)
- November 2021, AS Paper 2, Q5(c) (4 marks): Describe the sequence of stimulation that occurs in a mammalian heart in one cardiac cycle. (4)
- October 2020, Paper 1, Q4(a)(i) (1 mark): Which row of the table identifies the cells labelled J and K? (1) Cell J Cell K A eosinophil lymphocyte B lymphocyte neutrophil C monocyte eosinophil D neutroph
- October 2020, Paper 1, Q4(a)(ii) (1 mark): Which is the approximate ratio of erythrocytes to leucocytes in this blood smear? (1) A 1 : 50 B 3 : 50 C 50 : 1 D 50 : 3
- October 2020, Paper 1, Q4(b) (2 marks): Chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) is a blood disorder. The photograph shows a blood smear from a person with CML, as seen using a light microscope. Explain wh
- October 2020, Paper 3, Q3(b)(i) (3 marks): Calculate the cardiac output of a water flea at rest using the formula cardiac output = stroke volume × heart rate (3) Answer dm3 min−1
- October 2020, Paper 3, Q3(c)(i) (2 marks): Calculate the standard deviation for the mean heart rate in the pond water. Use the formula ∑( − 2 X X ) SD = n − 1 (2) Answer
- October 2020, Paper 3, Q3(c)(ii) (2 marks): Plot a graph to show the data for the mean heart rate and SD in each treatment. (2)
- October 2020, Paper 3, Q3(c)(iii) (2 marks): Explain why abiotic variables should be controlled in this investigation. (2)
- October 2020, Paper 3, Q4(a) (3 marks): Explain how these results show that enzymes are involved in blood clotting. (3)
- October 2020, Paper 3, Q4(c)(ii) (1 mark): People without this mutation have a 1 in 1000 risk of producing a blood clot in an artery. The mutation increases this risk by 20 times. State the probability o
- October 2020, Paper 3, Q4(c)(iii) (3 marks): Explain why thrombophilia increases the risk of producing a blood clot in an artery. (3)
- October 2020, AS Paper 2, Q1(a) (3 marks): Explain how the structures of erythrocytes and monocytes are related to their functions. (3)
- October 2020, AS Paper 2, Q1(b) (1 mark): Blood is able to clot and prevent further blood loss from a cut. Give one other function of blood clotting. (1)
- October 2020, AS Paper 2, Q1(c) (3 marks): Doctors can measure the effectiveness of the clotting process using the prothrombin time test (PTT). This test measures how long it takes for a sample of blood
- October 2020, AS Paper 2, Q5(a) (3 marks): Compare and contrast single and double circulatory systems. (3)
- October 2020, AS Paper 2, Q5(b) (4 marks): During exercise, the heart rate of a human increases and then takes time to return to resting rate after the exercise ends. Devise an investigation to determine
- October 2020, AS Paper 2, Q7(a)(i) (4 marks): Explain how increased blood pressure increases the risk of atherosclerosis. (4)
- October 2020, AS Paper 2, Q7(a)(ii) (3 marks): Describe how three factors, other than increased blood pressure, can increase the risk of atherosclerosis. (3)
- October 2020, AS Paper 2, Q7(a)(iii) (2 marks): Calculate the total number of people who died in this study. (2) Answer
- October 2020, AS Paper 2, Q7(b) (5 marks): Discuss whether patients at risk of a heart attack or stroke should take a 100 mg dose of aspirin every day. (5)
- June 2019, Paper 1, Q7(b)(iii) (4 marks): Explain why raised levels of LDLs may increase the risk of heart disease. (4)
- June 2019, Paper 1, Q9(b)(iii) (3 marks): Explain how weakening of the cardiac muscle could affect a person. (3)
- June 2019, Paper 3, Q9(a) (5 marks): Analyse the information to explain how the times shown in the diagram relate to the cardiac cycle. (5)
- June 2019, Paper 3, Q9(b) (2 marks): The mean heart rate of this heart was 72 beats per minute. Calculate how long the ventricles are relaxed during one cardiac cycle. (2) Answer s
- June 2019, AS Paper 2, Q1(a) (1 mark): Valve A is the (1) A atrioventricular B mitral C semi-lunar D bicuspid
- June 2019, AS Paper 2, Q1(b) (1 mark): Which wave on the ECG trace occurs when the pressure in the left ventricle is highest? (1) A P B Q C R D T
- June 2019, AS Paper 2, Q1(c) (1 mark): Which of these structures functions as the heart’s pacemaker? (1) A the atrioventricular node (AVN) B the bundle of His C the septum D the sinoatrial node (SAN)
- June 2019, AS Paper 2, Q1(d)(i) (1 mark): State what is meant by the term myogenic. (1)
- June 2019, AS Paper 2, Q1(d)(ii) (4 marks): An artificial pacemaker may be fitted to a patient’s heart to control the cardiac cycle. Early pacemaker models did not change the heart rate. Newer pacemaker m
- June 2019, AS Paper 2, Q3(a)(ii) (3 marks): Compare and contrast the blood sample from Adult 1 with the blood sample from Adult 2. (3)
- June 2019, AS Paper 2, Q3(a)(iii) (2 marks): Explain the likely causes of the differences seen in the sample from Adult 2. (2)
- June 2019, AS Paper 2, Q3(a)(iv) (1 mark): Give one assumption that is made to enable a valid comparison between these two samples. (1)
- June 2019, AS Paper 2, Q3(b) (3 marks): Explain why Adult 2 had symptoms of tiredness. (3)
- June 2018, Paper 1, Q1(a)(ii) (1 mark): Which components of the blood clotting process are active enzymes? (1) A fibrin and thrombin B fibrinogen and thrombin C fibrinogen and thromboplastin D thrombi
- June 2018, Paper 1, Q1(b) (2 marks): Factor Xa is a clotting factor present in human blood. The table shows the effect of different masses of Factor Xa and snake venom on the time taken for blood t
- June 2018, Paper 1, Q1(c) (1 mark): State the role of platelets in the blood clotting process. (1)
- June 2018, Paper 2, Q5(a)(i) (1 mark): Calculate the heart rate. (1) Answer
- June 2018, Paper 2, Q5(a)(ii) (1 mark): During which time period does blood leave the left ventricle? (1) A 0.10 s to 0.13 s B 0.10 s to 0.37 s C 0.13 s to 0.37 s D 0.13 s to 0.43 s
- June 2018, Paper 2, Q5(a)(iii) (1 mark): At which time does the valve between the atrium and the ventricle close? (1) A 0.10 s B 0.13 s C 0.37 s D 0.43 s
- June 2018, Paper 2, Q5(b) (5 marks): Describe how myogenic stimulation brings about contraction of the atria and the ventricles. (5)
- June 2018, Paper 3, Q8(a)(i) (1 mark): State the number of deaths caused by atherosclerosis. Give your answer in standard form. (1) Answer
- June 2018, Paper 3, Q8(a)(ii) (3 marks): Describe how atherosclerosis develops in the coronary arteries. (3)
- June 2018, AS Paper 2, Q3(a) (1 mark): Calculate the cardiac output for the heart with a stroke volume of 120 cm3 and a heart rate of 160 beats min–1. (1) Answer dm3 min–1
- June 2018, AS Paper 2, Q3(b) (2 marks): Analyse the data to explain the relationship between heart rate and cardiac output. (2)
- June 2018, AS Paper 2, Q3(c)(i) (3 marks): Explain how electrical events during the cardiac cycle can lead to an increase in stroke volume. (3)
- June 2018, AS Paper 2, Q3(c)(ii) (4 marks): Explain why Olympic athletes who train for long distance events often have low resting heart rates. (4)
- June 2017, Paper 1, Q1(a) (1 mark): The photograph shows a blood smear. Which row of the table gives the correct number of each type of white blood cell in this photograph? (1) Number of Number of
- June 2017, Paper 1, Q1(b) (1 mark): Which row of the table gives the correct role of each of the blood components? (1) Erythrocytes Leucocytes Platelets A defence transport defence B defence defen
- June 2017, Paper 1, Q1(c) (2 marks): Blood taken from a patient had an unusually high proportion of eosinophils. Explain why this patient had an unusually high proportion of eosinophils. (2)
- June 2017, Paper 1, Q4(a) (2 marks): The table shows the results of a survey of the incidence of heart disease. Incidence of heart disease per 1000 population Age / years In women In men 18 to 44 3
- June 2017, Paper 1, Q4(b) (2 marks): Explain why heart cells are damaged as a result of heart disease. (2)
- June 2017, Paper 2, Q2(c)(i) (1 mark): Calculate the heart rate of this student during exercise. (1) Answer
- June 2017, AS Paper 2, Q1(a) (1 mark): The trace shows the P waves, T waves and QRS complexes. Which of the following shows the electrical activity during ventricular systole? (1) A P wave only B P a
- June 2017, AS Paper 2, Q1(b) (3 marks): Twelve months later, the same person visited his doctor with symptoms of stress. The doctor obtained another ECG trace. The diagram shows part of this trace. 0.
- June 2017, AS Paper 2, Q1(c) (4 marks): Stress increases blood pressure, which can damage blood vessels. Explain why stress is a health risk. (4)
- June 2017, AS Paper 2, Q4(a)(i) (1 mark): Which of the following shows the white blood cell count in the blood of this patient at the start of treatment? (1) A 12 × 103 per dm3 B 12 × 106 per dm3 C 12 ×
- June 2017, AS Paper 2, Q4(a)(ii) (2 marks): Calculate the percentage change in the white blood cell count by the end of the first month of chemotherapy. (2) Answer
- June 2017, AS Paper 2, Q4(b) (4 marks): Cancer treatment can cause pancytopenia. Pancytopenia is a condition in which the numbers of white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets in the body are re
- June 2017, AS Paper 2, Q7(a)(i) (1 mark): Give the reason why thromboplastin and calcium ions were added to the plasma samples. (1)
- June 2017, AS Paper 2, Q7(a)(ii) (3 marks): The clotting time for the plasma from the farmer’s dog was 73 seconds. The clotting time for the plasma from the healthy dog was 12 seconds. Explain the differe
- June 2017, AS Paper 2, Q7(b) (1 mark): Give one way in which the vet could treat the farmer’s dog to reduce the symptom of excessive bleeding in the gums. (1)
- June 2016, AS Paper 2, Q4(a)(i) (1 mark): State how the double circulatory system of mammals ensures a higher hydrostatic blood pressure than a single circulatory system. (1)
- June 2016, AS Paper 2, Q4(a)(ii) (1 mark): The diagram shows a section through a mammalian heart during part of the cardiac cycle. Which of the following statements is true for this stage in the cardiac
- June 2016, AS Paper 2, Q5(a) (4 marks): Analyse the data to explain why smoking can increase the risk of blood clot formation. (4)
- June 2016, AS Paper 2, Q5(b)(i) (1 mark): Which row of the table correctly identifies the cells labelled Q, R and S ? (1) Q R S A erythrocyte monocyte neutrophil B
- June 2016, AS Paper 2, Q5(b)(ii) (2 marks): Describe the function of a neutrophil in defence. (2)
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