plumiNucleotides and the structure of DNA and RNA: Edexcel International A Level Biology questions
Edexcel International A Level Biology past-paper questions on 2.4.1 Nucleotides and the structure of DNA and RNA, 2019–2025, with mark schemes and examiner’s reports where available.
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Q5(c)(i)
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All 36 questions on Nucleotides and the structure of DNA and RNA, as a list
- June 2025, AS Unit 1, Q5(c)(i) (2 marks): Give one advantage and one disadvantage of using a Voronoi diagram to present this information. (2) Advantage Disadvantage
- June 2024, AS Unit 1, Q2(a)(i) (1 mark): The base labelled Q is thymine. Which is the base labelled P? (1) A adenine B cytosine C guanine D uracil
- June 2024, AS Unit 1, Q2(a)(ii) (1 mark): Which row of the table identifies the bonds labelled R, S and T? (1) R S T A covalent phosphodiester hydrogen B hydrogen covalent phosphodiester C hydrogen phos
- January 2024, AS Unit 1, Q6(c)(ii) (3 marks): Describe the structure of a mRNA molecule. (3)
- October 2023, AS Unit 1, Q1(a) (5 marks): Read through the following passage about DNA. Complete the passage by writing the most appropriate word or words on the dotted lines. (5) A strand of DNA is com
- October 2023, AS Unit 1, Q1(b) (3 marks): The table shows some components of DNA mononucleotides and RNA mononucleotides and shapes that can be used to represent them. Component Shapes bond thymine T U
- October 2023, Unit 4, Q6(a)(i) (1 mark): Which diagram shows a mononucleotide of DNA? (1) Key Sugar Phosphate Base Bond A B C D
- October 2023, Unit 4, Q6(a)(ii) (1 mark): Name the bond that joins nucleotides together in a strand of DNA. (1)
- October 2023, Unit 5, Q1(a)(iii) (1 mark): Which bond joins nucleotides together in a single strand of DNA? (1) A hydrogen B ionic C peptide D phosphodiester
- June 2023, AS Unit 1, Q1(b) (3 marks): The diagram shows part of a tRNA molecule. Compare and contrast the structure of an mRNA molecule with that of a tRNA molecule. (3)
- January 2023, Unit 4, Q7(a)(i) (1 mark): Which row of the table identifies the bonds Q and R? (1) Bond Q Bond R A covalent hydrogen B hydrogen covalent C hydrogen phosphodiester D phosphodiester covale
- January 2023, Unit 4, Q7(a)(ii) (1 mark): Which is a negatively charged part of a DNA molecule? (1) A P B R C S D T
- October 2022, AS Unit 1, Q8(a) (3 marks): The diagrams show the structure of the four bases. Guanine and adenine have two ring structures, cytosine and thymine have one ring structure. H N H O CH3 N N N
- October 2022, AS Unit 1, Q8(b)(i) (1 mark): Calculate the mean mass of a base pair. Express your answer in standard form. (1) Answer Da
- January 2022, AS Unit 1, Q3(a) (3 marks): Describe the structure of a nucleotide pair. (3)
- January 2022, Unit 4, Q5(a) (2 marks): Give two differences between the structure of nuclear DNA and mtDNA. (2)
- January 2022, Unit 5, Q8(e) (3 marks): Suggest how ES can damage mtDNA (paragraph 7). (3)
- October 2021, AS Unit 1, Q6(b)(i) (2 marks): The diagram shows part of the base sequence on one of the RNA strands. Complete the diagram to show the base sequence on the other RNA strand. (2) C A G A A A G
- October 2021, AS Unit 1, Q6(b)(ii) (3 marks): Describe the bonding in this double-stranded RNA molecule. (3)
- October 2021, AS Unit 3, Q1(b)(ii) (1 mark): Some of the total nitrogen content of a food is not due to protein. Give one other type of organic molecule that contains nitrogen. (1)
- October 2021, Unit 4, Q2(b)(i) (1 mark): The diagram shows part of the base sequence in the negative RNA strand. Complete the diagram to show the corresponding base sequence in the positive RNA strand.
- June 2021, AS Unit 1, Q1(a) (4 marks): Polymers are large molecules made of monomers. The table gives information about some of these polymers. Complete the table by filling in the empty boxes with e
- January 2021, AS Unit 1, Q1(a)(i) (1 mark): Which diagram shows a mononucleotide? (1) A B C D
- January 2021, AS Unit 1, Q1(a)(ii) (1 mark): Which diagram shows two components joined by a phosphodiester bond? (1) A B C D
- January 2021, AS Unit 1, Q1(a)(iii) (1 mark): Which diagram shows complementary base pairing? (1) A B C D
- January 2021, AS Unit 1, Q1(b)(i) (3 marks): The table shows some statements about the new complementary DNA strand and the mRNA strand synthesised using this sequence of bases. For each statement, put one
- January 2021, Unit 4, Q7(d)(i) (2 marks): Give two examples of circular DNA found in cells. (2)
- January 2021, Unit 4, Q7(d)(ii) (2 marks): Give two differences between the structure of circular DNA and that of linear DNA, other than their shapes. (2)
- October 2020, AS Unit 1, Q4(a)(i) (1 mark): Draw a circle around one mononucleotide that includes the base labelled R. (1)
- October 2020, AS Unit 1, Q4(a)(ii) (1 mark): Which row of the table identifies the bonds labelled S, T and U? (1) S T U A hydrogen phosphodiester covalent B hydrogen covalent phosphodiester C phosphodieste
- October 2020, AS Unit 1, Q4(a)(iii) (1 mark): The base labelled P is adenine. Which is the base labelled Q? (1) A cytosine B guanine C thymine D uracil
- January 2020, AS Unit 1, Q1 (6 marks): Polynucleotides include DNA and messenger RNA (mRNA). Some components of polynucleotides are found in both DNA and mRNA. Other components are found only in DNA
- January 2019, AS Unit 1, Q3(a) (3 marks): Each single strand of a DNA molecule is synthesised from mononucleotides. Draw a diagram to show two mononucleotides joined together in a single strand of DNA.
- January 2019, AS Unit 1, Q3(b)(i) (1 mark): Calculate the distance between one base and the next base on one strand of DNA. Give your answer to an appropriate number of significant figures. (1) Answer nm
- January 2019, AS Unit 1, Q3(b)(ii) (2 marks): The diagram shows the structure of thymine and four other bases, P, Q, R and S. Bases P and S can form three hydrogen bonds each and bases Q and R can form two
- January 2019, AS Unit 1, Q3(c) (4 marks): Compare and contrast the structure of messenger RNA (mRNA) with the structure of transfer RNA (tRNA). (4)
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