plumiDetecting stimuli and habituation: Edexcel International A Level Biology questions
Every Edexcel International A Level Biology exam question on Detecting stimuli and habituation (specification points 8.8–8.9), 2019–2025, with its mark scheme and examiner’s report.
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Q3(e)
The whole paper ↗Q3(a)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q3(a)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q2(a)
The whole paper ↗Q2(b)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q3(b)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q3(b)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q4(a)(i)
The whole paper ↗Your answerQ4(a)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q2(b)(i)
The whole paper ↗Your answerQ8(c)
The whole paper ↗Q3(d)
The whole paper ↗Q8(a)
The whole paper ↗Q8(e)
The whole paper ↗Q3(a)(i)
The whole paper ↗Your answerQ5(a)(i)
The whole paper ↗Your answerQ5(a)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q3(a)(i)
The whole paper ↗Your answerQ3(a)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Your answerQ3(b)(i)
The whole paper ↗
All 30 questions on Detecting stimuli and habituation, as a list
- January 2025, Unit 6, Q3(e) (1 mark): The change in response of an animal to repeated stimulation is an example of habituation. Give one reason why habituation is beneficial to an animal. (1)
- June 2024, Unit 5, Q3(a)(i) (2 marks): A section of squirrel monkey retinal tissue contained a total of 5 000 photoreceptors. Calculate how many of these photoreceptors would be rod cells. Assume an
- June 2024, Unit 5, Q3(a)(ii) (3 marks): Explain why there is a difference in the numbers of rod cells and cone cells in the retinas of the grey-bellied night monkey and the squirrel monkey. (3)
- June 2024, Unit 6, Q2(a) (4 marks): Woodlice are small animals that live in damp places, for example under stones and in areas with decomposing leaves. The photograph shows one species of woodlous
- June 2024, Unit 6, Q2(b)(i) (1 mark): The mean distance travelled by the fish decreased from 5.2 cm to 1.5 cm after five stimuli. Calculate the percentage decrease in mean distance travelled. (1) An
- January 2024, Unit 5, Q3(b)(i) (2 marks): Calculate the percentage difference between the number of roundworms in group 1 and group 2 that changed direction 30 minutes after habituation. Use the equatio
- January 2024, Unit 5, Q3(b)(ii) (3 marks): Describe three conclusions about recovery times after habituation. (3)
- January 2024, Unit 5, Q4(a)(i) (1 mark): Which is the ratio of the action potentials produced at 48 °C by nociceptors compared with thermoreceptors? (1) A 0.40 : 1 B 2.0 : 1 C 2.07 : 1 D 2.1 : 1
- January 2024, Unit 5, Q4(a)(ii) (4 marks): Nociceptors are better than thermoreceptors at preventing serious damage to tissues at high temperatures. Comment on the extent to which the results of this inv
- October 2023, Unit 5, Q2(b)(i) (1 mark): Which of the following pairs of molecules forms the photoreceptor in an eye? (1) A auxin and retinol B lysozyme and ribose C opsin and retinal D phytochrome and
- October 2023, Unit 5, Q8(c) (3 marks): Describe how the fascia generates a ‘diffuse pain’ (paragraphs 8 and 9). (3)
- January 2023, Unit 6, Q3(d) (2 marks): This animal has light sensitive pigments called opsins. Suggest how opsins allow the animals to respond in this investigation. (2)
- October 2022, Unit 5, Q8(a) (4 marks): Describe how light is detected by the rod cells in the eye (paragraph 1). (4)
- October 2022, Unit 5, Q8(e) (3 marks): Explain how mechanical stimuli, e.g. pressure, are converted into electrical signals in cells (paragraphs 5 and 7). (3)
- January 2022, Unit 5, Q3(a)(i) (1 mark): A beluga whale can become habituated to human divers. How many of the following statements about habituation are correct? (1) • habituation is an example of ana
- January 2022, Unit 5, Q5(a)(i) (1 mark): In which structure are rod cells located? (1) A iris B pupil C retina D spinal cord
- January 2022, Unit 5, Q5(a)(ii) (3 marks): Describe the role of rhodopsin in rod cells. (3)
- October 2021, Unit 5, Q3(a)(i) (1 mark): What is the name of the chemical formed when light is absorbed by the photopigment found in rod cells? (1) A cis‑retinal B phytochrome C rhodopsin D trans‑retin
- October 2021, Unit 5, Q3(a)(ii) (1 mark): Which row in the table shows the effects of light absorption on cells in the retina? (1) Rod cell Bipolar neurone A hyperpolarised hyperpolarised B hyperpolaris
- October 2021, Unit 5, Q3(b)(i) (2 marks): Describe the effect of light intensity on the mean potential difference of bipolar neurones. (2)
- October 2021, Unit 5, Q3(b)(ii) (2 marks): Calculate the percentage change in the mean potential difference when the light intensity increases from 4 to 12 a.u. (2) Answer %
- October 2021, Unit 5, Q3(b)(iii) (2 marks): Give two reasons why some people might have objections to the use of mammalian retinas in this investigation. (2)
- June 2021, Unit 5, Q5(a)(i) (1 mark): What is the name of this effect? (1) A absorption B adaptation C habituation D sensitivity
- June 2021, Unit 5, Q5(a)(ii) (1 mark): Why is it an advantage for the leech to respond in this way? (1) A it filters out what is important and what is not important to react to B it enables the anima
- June 2021, Unit 5, Q5(b)(i) (3 marks): Comment on the results of this experiment. (3)
- June 2021, Unit 5, Q5(b)(ii) (1 mark): Which statistical test would be used to analyse the effect of the increase in the number of predator encounters on the percentage of crabs running home? (1) A c
- June 2021, Unit 5, Q7(a)(ii) (4 marks): Describe the role of rhodopsin in causing changes in the polarisation of rod cells. (4)
- June 2021, Unit 6, Q3(a) (3 marks): Describe preliminary practical work that you might undertake to ensure your proposed method would provide quantitative results. (3)
- June 2021, Unit 6, Q3(b) (10 marks): Devise a detailed method, including an explanation of how you would control and monitor important variables. (10)
- June 2021, Unit 6, Q3(d) (4 marks): Suggest four limitations of your proposed method. (4)
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