plumiGene technology and bioinformatics: Edexcel International A Level Biology questions
Every Edexcel International A Level Biology exam question on Gene technology and bioinformatics (specification points 8.17–8.22), 2019–2025, with its mark scheme and examiner’s report.
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Q5(b)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q7(d)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q7(d)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q8(c)
The whole paper ↗Q5(c)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q5(c)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q2(b)(i)
The whole paper ↗Your answerQ2(b)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q7(a)
The whole paper ↗Your answerQ7(b)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q7(c)
The whole paper ↗Q8(f)
The whole paper ↗Q8(a)
The whole paper ↗Q8(c)
The whole paper ↗Q8(d)
The whole paper ↗Q5(a)
The whole paper ↗Q5(c)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q1(a)(i)
The whole paper ↗Your answerQ5(b)
The whole paper ↗Q5(c)
The whole paper ↗
All 41 questions on Gene technology and bioinformatics, as a list
- June 2025, Unit 4, Q5(b)(ii) (3 marks): Suggest how the scientists could make this single antibody. Use the information in the diagram to support your answer. (3)
- June 2025, Unit 5, Q7(d)(i) (4 marks): Describe how mouse cells can be genetically modified to synthesise human GH. (4)
- June 2025, Unit 5, Q7(d)(ii) (2 marks): Suggest one advantage and one disadvantage of using genetically modified mouse cells rather than E. coli bacteria to produce human GH. (2)
- June 2025, Unit 5, Q8(c) (2 marks): Describe the roles of nucleic acids and enzymes used in CRISPR gene editing to remove some of the Y chromosome genes (paragraph 5). (2)
- January 2025, Unit 5, Q5(c)(i) (3 marks): Describe how enzymes can be used to genetically modify the bacteria to produce human insulin. (3)
- January 2025, Unit 5, Q5(c)(ii) (2 marks): Suggest two advantages of producing human insulin using genetically modified bacteria compared with insulin produced from animals. (2)
- October 2024, Unit 4, Q2(b)(i) (1 mark): Which type of enzyme is used to produce DNA fragments? (1) A integrase B restriction enzyme C reverse transcriptase D RUBISCO
- October 2024, Unit 4, Q2(b)(ii) (3 marks): The results of the gel electrophoresis were used to identify the plants that contained the resistance genes. Deduce the types of plants that would have supplied
- October 2024, Unit 5, Q7(a) (1 mark): Which is a description of a GM organism? (1) A an amplified sequence of nucleic acid B an organism containing genetic material from another species C a virus co
- October 2024, Unit 5, Q7(b)(i) (3 marks): Describe three conclusions that can be made from these results. (3) .
- October 2024, Unit 5, Q7(c) (6 marks): Maize is a major food crop. The photograph shows a maize cob with rows of grains. (Source: © art nick/Shutterstock) Maize can be infected by a fungus. This fung
- October 2024, Unit 5, Q8(f) (3 marks): Some genes may be linked to an increase in the risk of dementia. Describe how scientists could identify the link between these genes and the risk of dementia (P
- June 2024, Unit 5, Q8(a) (3 marks): Explain how Ted Turlings and colleagues could have identified that the BtPMaT1 gene found in the whitefly was originally a plant gene (paragraph 2). (3)
- June 2024, Unit 5, Q8(c) (4 marks): Explain how populations of fluorescent red zebrafish could be produced for breeding (paragraphs 9 and 15). (4)
- June 2024, Unit 5, Q8(d) (3 marks): Suggest the risks and benefits of genetically modifying zebrafish (paragraphs 9, 14 and 20). (3)
- January 2024, Unit 5, Q5(a) (2 marks): Describe how active genes could be identified. (2)
- January 2024, Unit 5, Q5(c)(ii) (4 marks): The symptoms of Prader–Willi syndrome can be treated using human growth hormone (HGH). This hormone is a protein produced by the pituitary gland. Describe how E
- October 2023, Unit 5, Q1(a)(i) (1 mark): Which enzyme is used in the production of recombinant DNA? (1) A acetylcholinesterase B amylase C restriction endonuclease D RNA polymerase
- October 2023, Unit 5, Q5(b) (4 marks): The diagram shows how serotonin is produced from tryptophan. TRYPTOPHAN 5HTP SEROTONIN Enzyme A Enzyme B Enzymes A and B are found in the Madagascar periwinkle.
- October 2023, Unit 5, Q5(c) (4 marks): The genetically engineered E. coli was grown in a liquid culture. The concentrations of tryptophan and serotonin in the culture were measured. The graph shows t
- June 2023, Unit 5, Q8(g) (3 marks): Gut microorganisms produce LPS (paragraphs 15 and 17). White blood cells have receptors for LPS on their cell surface. Describe the techniques that could be use
- October 2022, Unit 5, Q7(a)(i) (4 marks): Sheep have been genetically modified to produce rHE in their milk. Explain how a sheep could be genetically modified to produce rHE in its milk. (4)
- October 2022, Unit 5, Q7(a)(ii) (1 mark): In a clinical study, 4382 patients were treated with rHE. They showed a mean increase in blood haemoglobin from 80 g dm–3 to 142 g dm–3. Calculate the percentag
- October 2022, Unit 5, Q7(b) (6 marks): Advances in genetic engineering have allowed for precise control of the genetic changes introduced into plants. The table describes some examples of the use of
- October 2022, Unit 5, Q8(b) (3 marks): Suggest how the genes expressed in a sensory neurone could be identified (paragraph 4). (3)
- October 2022, Unit 5, Q8(f) (2 marks): Explain what is meant by the phrase ‘Based on its similarity to Piezo 1, a second ion channel was found (Piezo 2)’ (paragraph 7 and Figure 3). (2)
- June 2022, Unit 5, Q4(b)(i) (4 marks): Explain the effects of these three genes in this investigation. (4)
- June 2022, Unit 5, Q4(b)(ii) (3 marks): Describe how tomato plants could be genetically modified to make the enzyme that converts tyrosine to L‑dopa. (3)
- January 2022, Unit 5, Q7(c) (4 marks): One potential treatment for AAT deficiency uses adenoviruses to genetically modify cells in an affected person. Adenoviruses contain double‑stranded DNA. Explai
- January 2022, Unit 5, Q8(b) (2 marks): Suggest how the genes affected by toxicants can be identified (paragraph 4). (2)
- January 2022, Unit 5, Q8(c) (3 marks): Explain how scientists could determine the high degree of homology of genes between humans and zebrafish (paragraph 5). (3)
- October 2021, Unit 5, Q2(a) (4 marks): Describe how genetic engineering could be used to produce rice that contains β‑carotene. (4)
- October 2021, Unit 5, Q2(b)(i) (3 marks): Describe the possible risks of growing genetically modified rice plants. (3)
- October 2021, Unit 5, Q2(b)(ii) (1 mark): Suggest how one of these risks could be reduced. (1)
- October 2021, Unit 5, Q8(f) (3 marks): The team found genetic material from P. gingivalis in the cerebral cortex (paragraph 13). Describe how the team could show that this genetic material is active.
- January 2021, Unit 5, Q5(b) (4 marks): Scientists are investigating the use of gene therapy to treat blindness caused by mutations in the RPE65 gene. In one investigation, different gene therapy dose
- January 2021, Unit 5, Q5(c) (3 marks): Mutations in other genes can result in blindness. Describe how these genes could be identified. (3)
- January 2021, Unit 5, Q8(e)(i) (4 marks): Describe how insect cells could be genetically modified to produce the antigens for an Ebola vaccine. (4)
- January 2021, Unit 5, Q8(e)(ii) (3 marks): Suggest three benefits of using an insect cell to produce the Ebola virus antigen. (3)
- October 2020, Unit 4, Q4(b)(i) (2 marks): Explain how attaching the gene for TNF to the viral gene results in TNF being displayed on the outside of the capsid. (2)
- October 2020, Unit 5, Q7(c) (4 marks): Describe how microarrays and bioinformatics could be used to investigate the genetic basis of Parkinson’s disease. (4)
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