plumiNervous transmission: Edexcel A‑Level Biology B questions
Every Edexcel A-Level Biology B exam question on 9.5 Nervous transmission, 2016–2025, with its mark scheme and examiner’s report.
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Q2(a)(i)
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Q1(a)(i)
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Q6(a)(iii)
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All 28 questions on Nervous transmission, as a list
- June 2025, Paper 3, Q2(a)(i) (1 mark): Draw an arrow on the diagram to show the direction in which the nerve impulse travels. (1)
- June 2025, Paper 3, Q2(a)(ii) (3 marks): Describe the role of acetylcholine in synaptic transmission. (3)
- June 2025, Paper 3, Q2(a)(iii) (1 mark): State the role of the mitochondria in synaptic transmission. (1)
- June 2025, Paper 3, Q2(b) (2 marks): Some neurones have a myelin sheath around them. Explain how the myelin sheath speeds up the transmission of nerve impulses. (2)
- June 2024, Paper 2, Q8(b)(i) (2 marks): Calculate the distance that an action potential would move in 400 milliseconds along a myelinated axon with a diameter of 12 μm. Give your answer in metres. (2)
- June 2024, Paper 2, Q8(b)(ii) (2 marks): Some varieties of dog can have delaminating disease when the myelin sheath of neurones is lost. Explain why dogs with delaminating disease respond more slowly t
- June 2024, Paper 2, Q8(c)(ii) (4 marks): Describe how the arrival of an action potential at a presynaptic neurone leads to the generation of an inhibitory postsynaptic potential (ipsp) in the postsynap
- June 2024, Paper 2, Q8(c)(iii) (3 marks): The graph shows the changes in concentration of calcium ions inside the presynaptic terminal of a neurone after stimulation with toxin and without toxin. Key: w
- June 2023, Paper 2, Q6(a)(i) (1 mark): Which of the following causes the change in potential between X and Y? (1) A movement of calcium ions out of the neurone B movement of potassium ions out of the
- June 2023, Paper 2, Q6(a)(ii) (2 marks): Explain how membrane proteins cause the change in potential between Y and Z. (2)
- June 2023, Paper 2, Q6(b)(ii) (3 marks): Ouabain inhibits sodium–potassium exchange pumps. The diagram shows the effect of ouabain on the potential difference across a motor neurone membrane. + potenti
- June 2022, Paper 3, Q1(a)(i) (1 mark): In the time period between two nerve impulses, the potential difference across the membrane is –70 mV. State the term given to this potential difference. (1)
- June 2022, Paper 3, Q1(a)(ii) (4 marks): When the neurone is stimulated, an action potential may occur in the axon, due to the change in permeability of the membrane to ions. The graph shows an action
- June 2022, Paper 3, Q1(b) (2 marks): Scientists investigated the effect of stimulating an axon with different voltages and measured the response. The table shows the results of this investigation.
- November 2021, Paper 2, Q6(a)(iii) (3 marks): Describe the events that lead to the release of acetylcholine at a synapse. (3)
- November 2021, Paper 2, Q6(b)(i) (3 marks): Explain the effect of capsaicin on the depolarisation of the sensory neurone. (3)
- October 2020, Paper 2, Q2(a) (4 marks): Describe the process by which acetylcholine is released from a synapse. (4)
- October 2020, Paper 2, Q6(a) (1 mark): The graph shows an action potential in a neurone. +50 +30 +10 –10 Membrane potential / mV –30 –50 –70 –90 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 Time / ms When are voltage-gated s
- October 2020, Paper 2, Q6(b)(i) (4 marks): Compare and contrast the effect of diameter on the speed of an impulse in myelinated and non-myelinated motor neurones. (4)
- October 2020, Paper 2, Q6(b)(ii) (3 marks): Determine the speed of a nerve impulse along a myelinated motor neurone with a diameter of 5 μm. The equation for a linear relationship is y = mx + c (3) Answer
- October 2020, Paper 2, Q6(b)(iii) (3 marks): Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease that results in the loss of myelin around motor neurones. Explain why the speed of nerve impulses along axons is slower in
- June 2019, Paper 2, Q2(b) (4 marks): Explain how the resting potential is maintained in a neurone. (4)
- June 2019, Paper 2, Q2(c) (4 marks): The photograph shows a blue‑ringed octopus. This octopus produces tetrodotoxin that it uses to paralyse its prey. The effects of tetrodotoxin on a neurone were
- June 2018, Paper 3, Q1(b) (3 marks): The human brain consists of 100 billion neurones. The function of these neurones is affected by many factors. The concentration of phospholipid in neurones from
- June 2018, Paper 3, Q1(c) (4 marks): Poisons can also affect the function of neurones in the brain. The photograph shows a pufferfish, a traditional food delicacy in Japan. Pufferfish have to be ca
- June 2017, Paper 2, Q2(b) (1 mark): An action potential results from the depolarisation of the membrane of a neurone. Which row of the table shows the correct state of the ion channels during this
- June 2017, Paper 2, Q5(a)(i) (4 marks): Describe the sequence of events that leads to an excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) in the postsynaptic neurone after stimulation of neurone A. (4)
- June 2017, Paper 2, Q5(b) (3 marks): A scientist investigated the effect of the intensity of stimulation of neurones A and B on the production of an action potential in the postsynaptic neurone. Hi
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