plumiChloroplasts, pigments and spectra: Edexcel International A Level Biology questions
Edexcel International A Level Biology past-paper questions on 5.1.4 Chloroplasts, pigments and spectra, 2019–2025, with mark schemes and examiner’s reports where available.
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Q6(a)(i)
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All 46 questions on Chloroplasts, pigments and spectra, as a list
- June 2025, Unit 4, Q6(a)(i) (1 mark): Where in the chloroplast is this DNA located? (1) A intergranal membrane B matrix C stroma D thylakoid space
- June 2025, Unit 4, Q7(b)(i) (1 mark): Which is the Rf value for beta-carotene in this chromatogram? (1) A 0.75 B 0.87 C 1.16 D 1.33
- June 2025, Unit 4, Q7(b)(ii) (2 marks): Explain why chromatography can be used to identify beta-carotene. (2)
- June 2025, Unit 4, Q9(b)(i) (1 mark): Suggest why wavelengths of light between 400 nm and 900 nm were used in this investigation. (1)
- June 2025, Unit 4, Q9(b)(ii) (2 marks): Explain why the scientists thought that there would be a difference in the reflection spectra for healthy leaves and leaves infected with RYMV. (2)
- June 2025, Unit 4, Q9(b)(iii) (3 marks): Discuss the extent to which the results shown in the graph could be useful to farmers in identifying infected plants. (3)
- January 2025, Unit 4, Q4(a)(i) (1 mark): Which row of the table shows where the light‑dependent reactions and the light‑independent reactions take place? (1) Light-dependent reactions Light-independent
- January 2025, Unit 4, Q4(a)(iii) (3 marks): The diagram is 16 000 times larger than an actual chloroplast. Calculate the surface area of the actual chloroplast. Use the formula: Surface area = 4 πr2 Give
- January 2025, Unit 4, Q4(a)(iv) (2 marks): Explain the advantages of thylakoids in a chloroplast having a large surface area. (2)
- October 2024, Unit 4, Q9(b)(ii) (4 marks): The graphs show the results for the mean rate of photosynthesis and mean leaf biomass. 4 3 Mean rate of photosynthesis 2 / a.u. 1 0 control blue amber red Light
- October 2024, Unit 4, Q9(b)(iii) (3 marks): The table shows the results for the pigment content of the leaves. Mass of pigment / µg per g of leaf biomass Pigment Control light Blue light Amber light Red l
- October 2024, Unit 4, Q9(b)(iv) (3 marks): Plants treated with blue light had an increase in photosynthesis caused by an increase in the transcription of some genes in the leaves. Suggest two genes whose
- June 2024, Unit 4, Q1(a) (1 mark): Which process can be used to separate chloroplast pigments according to their solubility? (1) A chromatography B dendrochronology C gel electrophoresis D polyme
- June 2024, Unit 4, Q1(b)(i) (3 marks): Compare and contrast the types of chloroplast pigment found in the seaweeds with those found in the spinach. Use the information in the diagram to support your
- June 2024, Unit 4, Q1(b)(ii) (3 marks): Describe how the student could identify pigment P using this method. (3)
- June 2024, Unit 4, Q1(c)(i) (1 mark): Which row of the table shows the light that green seaweed can absorb? (1) Green light Red light A can absorb can absorb B can absorb cannot absorb C cannot abso
- June 2024, Unit 4, Q1(c)(ii) (2 marks): Explain the positions of the brown and red seaweeds on the submerged rock. (2)
- October 2023, Unit 4, Q1(a) (1 mark): Which is the site of photolysis? (1) A P B R C T D V
- October 2023, Unit 4, Q1(b) (1 mark): Which contains a gene coding for RUBISCO? (1) A P B Q C S D V
- June 2023, Unit 4, Q3(b)(iii) (2 marks): Explain why the four values in the table are all different from each other. (2)
- June 2023, Unit 4, Q5(a)(ii) (3 marks): Explain the effect PBF has on the production of oxygen. (3)
- January 2023, Unit 4, Q2(b) (2 marks): The graphs show the absorption spectrum of the photosynthetic pigments in a plant and in a bacterium. Plant 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5 Absorbance / a.u. 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.
- January 2023, Unit 4, Q2(c) (3 marks): Photosynthetic pigments can be identified using chromatography. The diagram shows part of a chromatogram. pigment direction of movement of solvent front origin
- October 2022, Unit 4, Q3(b)(i) (3 marks): Complete this diagram to show three other labelled structures found in a chloroplast. (3)
- October 2022, Unit 4, Q3(b)(ii) (4 marks): Compare and contrast the structure of the outer membrane of a chloroplast with that of a thylakoid membrane. (4)
- January 2022, Unit 4, Q2(a)(i) (2 marks): Draw the action spectrum for this plant on the axes below. (2) Rate of photosynthesis / a.u. 400 450 500 550 600 650 700 Wavelength of light / nm
- January 2022, Unit 4, Q2(a)(ii) (1 mark): Calculate how many times greater the percentage of light absorbed by chlorophyll b is than that absorbed by chlorophyll a, at their maximum absorptions. . (1) A
- January 2022, Unit 4, Q2(a)(iii) (2 marks): Thylakoid membranes contain different types of chlorophyll pigment. Explain the advantage of this for a plant. (2)
- January 2022, Unit 4, Q6(a)(i) (1 mark): Where in the chloroplast is RUBISCO active? (1) A P B Q C R D S
- January 2022, Unit 4, Q6(a)(ii) (1 mark): What is stored in S? (1) A GALP B lipid C starch D sucrose
- January 2022, Unit 4, Q6(a)(iv) (1 mark): Which is the correct order of size, smallest to largest? (1) A P R S B P S R C R S P D S R P
- October 2021, Unit 4, Q1(a)(i) (1 mark): Which row in the table identifies the structures labelled P, Q and V? (1) P Q V A DNA starch grain ribosome B starch grain DNA ribosome C starch grain ribosome
- October 2021, Unit 4, Q1(a)(ii) (1 mark): Which structure contains GALP? (1) A Q B R C U D V
- October 2021, Unit 4, Q1(a)(iv) (3 marks): Structures T and U are membranes. Compare and contrast the structure of these two membranes. (3)
- October 2021, Unit 4, Q1(b) (2 marks): An investigation studied the effect of periods of light and dark on the levels of chloroplast DNA in one species of a single-celled organism. One group of these
- October 2021, Unit 4, Q6(c)(i) (6 marks): Discuss the effectiveness of these extraction methods in the identification of these species. Use the information in the graphs to support your answer. (6)
- October 2021, Unit 4, Q6(c)(ii) (2 marks): Suggest why different concentrations of chlorophyll were obtained using these two different solvents. (2)
- October 2021, Unit 6, Q1(b) (3 marks): Explain how the features of the grana in a chloroplast enable photosynthesis to occur. (3)
- June 2021, Unit 4, Q2(a) (3 marks): Compare and contrast the structure of a chloroplast with the structure of a mitochondrion. (3)
- October 2020, Unit 4, Q1(a) (1 mark): Which row of the table shows where the light-dependent reactions and light‑independent reactions take place? (1) Light-dependent reactions Light-independent rea
- October 2020, Unit 4, Q1(b) (3 marks): The diagram shows the outline of a chloroplast. Draw three labelled features on this diagram that are found in a chloroplast, other than the stroma and the thyl
- October 2020, Unit 4, Q1(c) (1 mark): An absorption spectrum shows how much light is absorbed by chloroplasts at different wavelengths of light. The table shows the colour of light at four wavelengt
- October 2020, Unit 4, Q1(d) (1 mark): State what is meant by the term action spectrum. (1)
- October 2020, Unit 4, Q1(e)(i) (1 mark): Which process can be used to separate chloroplast pigments? (1) A chromatography B dendrochronology C osmosis D PCR
- October 2020, Unit 4, Q1(e)(ii) (1 mark): The diagram shows separated chloroplast pigments, J and K. 1.0 cm solvent front 1.5 cm J 2.5 cm K direction of 3.5 cm movement origin 1.5 cm What is the Rf valu
- January 2020, Unit 4, Q7(a)(i) (1 mark): Which row of the table shows the colour of each of these seaweeds? (1) U. fasciata S. linifolium C. officinalis A green brown red B green red green C red brown
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