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Homeostasis and the kidney: Eduqas A‑Level Biology questions

Every Eduqas A-Level Biology exam question on 3.4 Homeostasis and the kidney, 2016–2025, with its mark scheme and examiner’s report.

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2,061 questions

  1. Q5(b)(i)

    June 2025 · Component 3

    1 mark3.4 Homeostasis and the kidney
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2025 Component 3, question 5(b)(i): State the main form of nitrogenous waste excreted by: [1] Mammals Birds Mammals have kidneys which can change the concentration of their urine. Urine concentrat

  2. Q5(b)(ii)

    June 2025 · Component 3

    2 marks3.4 Homeostasis and the kidney
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2025 Component 3, question 5(b)(ii): I. Use the information in Table 5.1 to describe the relationship between the availability of water and the concentration of urine produced by different mammals.

  3. Q5(b)(iii)

    June 2025 · Component 3

    1 mark3.4 Homeostasis and the kidney
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2025 Component 3, question 5(b)(iii): Explain why Graph 5.2 uses a log scale for body mass. [1]

  4. Q5(b)(iv)

    June 2025 · Component 3

    4 marks3.4 Homeostasis and the kidney
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2025 Component 3, question 5(b)(iv): Use Graph 5.2 and your own knowledge to suggest how mammals living in habitats with a low water availability produce more concentrated urine. No details of ADH

  5. Q5(c)(i)

    June 2025 · Component 3

    3 marks3.4 Homeostasis and the kidney
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2025 Component 3, question 5(c)(i): Toxic particles from plasma can be removed from the body in urine. Renal clearance is a measure of the volume of plasma that can be cleared of a particle by the

  6. Q5(c)(ii)

    June 2025 · Component 3

    2 marks3.4 Homeostasis and the kidney
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2025 Component 3, question 5(c)(ii): If a human was dehydrated their urine flow rate would decrease. Suggest how this would affect renal clearance of particle X and the consequences of this to the

  7. Q5(b)(i)

    June 2024 · Component 3

    1 mark3.4 Homeostasis and the kidney
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2024 Component 3, question 5(b)(i): Explain how increasing RBF results in an increase in GFR as arterial blood pressure increases from 0 to 80 mm Hg. [1]

  8. Q5(b)(ii)

    June 2024 · Component 3

    2 marks3.4 Homeostasis and the kidney
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2024 Component 3, question 5(b)(ii): Use your knowledge of vasoconstriction in the afferent arterioles to describe and explain the GFR between 80 and 180 mm Hg. [2]

  9. Q5(b)(iii)

    June 2024 · Component 3

    1 mark3.4 Homeostasis and the kidney
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2024 Component 3, question 5(b)(iii): Above 180 mm Hg GFR increases dramatically. Suggest how the increase in GFR demonstrates that the kidneys are acting homeostatically to reduce blood pressure. [

  10. Q5(c)

    June 2024 · Component 3

    4 marks3.4 Homeostasis and the kidney
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2024 Component 3, question 5(c): Antidiuretic hormone (ADH) is a hormone that affects the volume of urine produced. Describe and explain the effect on the kidneys of a high concentration of ant

  11. Q3(d)(i)

    June 2023 · Component 1

    3 marks3.4 Homeostasis and the kidney
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2023 Component 1, question 3(d)(i): Following 12 hours without eating, a blood test was carried out on an adult with a total blood volume of 4.8 dm3 and total blood glucose mass of 4.6 g. Use the

  12. Q3(d)(ii)

    June 2023 · Component 1

    2 marks3.4 Homeostasis and the kidney
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2023 Component 1, question 3(d)(ii): The same patient was tested again two hours after eating. The result was 199 mg/dL. Use the value of the blood glucose concentration two hours after eating to e

  13. Q1(a)(ii)

    June 2023 · Component 3

    1 mark3.4 Homeostasis and the kidney
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2023 Component 3, question 1(a)(ii): (ii) Homeostasis [1]

  14. Q1(b)

    June 2023 · Component 3

    3 marks3.4 Homeostasis and the kidney
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2023 Component 3, question 1(b): Image 1.1 shows a section of kidney cortex that has been viewed using a ×40 objective lens. The microscope used was fitted with an eyepiece graticule. Image 1.1

  15. Q4(a)(i)

    June 2023 · Component 3

    2 marks3.4 Homeostasis and the kidney
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2023 Component 3, question 4(a)(i): glucose and amino acids; [2]

  16. Q4(a)(ii)

    June 2023 · Component 3

    2 marks3.4 Homeostasis and the kidney
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2023 Component 3, question 4(a)(ii): h 4.1 3 urea 2 Tubular filtrate to plasma ratio 1 amino acids glucose 0 0 20 40 60 80 100 Distance along length of proximal convoluted tubule / % (ii) urea. [2]

  17. Q4(b)

    June 2023 · Component 3

    1 mark3.4 Homeostasis and the kidney
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2023 Component 3, question 4(b): Non-polar molecules, such as the insecticide DDT, are fat soluble and diffuse through the cell membranes of the cells in the PCT. Suggest why more of these mole

  18. Q4(c)

    June 2023 · Component 3

    2 marks3.4 Homeostasis and the kidneyC.3 Cell membranes and transport
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2023 Component 3, question 4(c): People with uncontrolled Type 1 diabetes have high concentrations of blood glucose. This results in high concentrations of glucose in the glomerular filtrate. N

  19. Q4(c)

    June 2022 · Component 2

    1 mark3.4 Homeostasis and the kidney
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2022 Component 2, question 4(c): One symptom of cadmium poisoning in humans is the loss of high levels of glucose, phosphate ions and amino acids in the urine. Suggest which part of the nephron

  20. Q4(a)

    June 2022 · Component 3

    2 marks3.4 Homeostasis and the kidney
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2022 Component 3, question 4(a): Complete the risk assessment below for one hazard involved in this dissection. [2] Hazard Risk Control measure
All 40 questions on Homeostasis and the kidney, as a list
  1. June 2025, Component 3, Q5(b)(i) (1 mark): State the main form of nitrogenous waste excreted by: [1] Mammals Birds Mammals have kidneys which can change the concentration of their urine. Urine concentrat
  2. June 2025, Component 3, Q5(b)(ii) (2 marks): I. Use the information in Table 5.1 to describe the relationship between the availability of water and the concentration of urine produced by different mammals.
  3. June 2025, Component 3, Q5(b)(iii) (1 mark): Explain why Graph 5.2 uses a log scale for body mass. [1]
  4. June 2025, Component 3, Q5(b)(iv) (4 marks): Use Graph 5.2 and your own knowledge to suggest how mammals living in habitats with a low water availability produce more concentrated urine. No details of ADH
  5. June 2025, Component 3, Q5(c)(i) (3 marks): Toxic particles from plasma can be removed from the body in urine. Renal clearance is a measure of the volume of plasma that can be cleared of a particle by the
  6. June 2025, Component 3, Q5(c)(ii) (2 marks): If a human was dehydrated their urine flow rate would decrease. Suggest how this would affect renal clearance of particle X and the consequences of this to the
  7. June 2024, Component 3, Q5(b)(i) (1 mark): Explain how increasing RBF results in an increase in GFR as arterial blood pressure increases from 0 to 80 mm Hg. [1]
  8. June 2024, Component 3, Q5(b)(ii) (2 marks): Use your knowledge of vasoconstriction in the afferent arterioles to describe and explain the GFR between 80 and 180 mm Hg. [2]
  9. June 2024, Component 3, Q5(b)(iii) (1 mark): Above 180 mm Hg GFR increases dramatically. Suggest how the increase in GFR demonstrates that the kidneys are acting homeostatically to reduce blood pressure. [
  10. June 2024, Component 3, Q5(c) (4 marks): Antidiuretic hormone (ADH) is a hormone that affects the volume of urine produced. Describe and explain the effect on the kidneys of a high concentration of ant
  11. June 2023, Component 1, Q3(d)(i) (3 marks): Following 12 hours without eating, a blood test was carried out on an adult with a total blood volume of 4.8 dm3 and total blood glucose mass of 4.6 g. Use the
  12. June 2023, Component 1, Q3(d)(ii) (2 marks): The same patient was tested again two hours after eating. The result was 199 mg/dL. Use the value of the blood glucose concentration two hours after eating to e
  13. June 2023, Component 3, Q1(a)(ii) (1 mark): (ii) Homeostasis [1]
  14. June 2023, Component 3, Q1(b) (3 marks): Image 1.1 shows a section of kidney cortex that has been viewed using a ×40 objective lens. The microscope used was fitted with an eyepiece graticule. Image 1.1
  15. June 2023, Component 3, Q4(a)(i) (2 marks): glucose and amino acids; [2]
  16. June 2023, Component 3, Q4(a)(ii) (2 marks): h 4.1 3 urea 2 Tubular filtrate to plasma ratio 1 amino acids glucose 0 0 20 40 60 80 100 Distance along length of proximal convoluted tubule / % (ii) urea. [2]
  17. June 2023, Component 3, Q4(b) (1 mark): Non-polar molecules, such as the insecticide DDT, are fat soluble and diffuse through the cell membranes of the cells in the PCT. Suggest why more of these mole
  18. June 2023, Component 3, Q4(c) (2 marks): People with uncontrolled Type 1 diabetes have high concentrations of blood glucose. This results in high concentrations of glucose in the glomerular filtrate. N
  19. June 2022, Component 2, Q4(c) (1 mark): One symptom of cadmium poisoning in humans is the loss of high levels of glucose, phosphate ions and amino acids in the urine. Suggest which part of the nephron
  20. June 2022, Component 3, Q4(a) (2 marks): Complete the risk assessment below for one hazard involved in this dissection. [2] Hazard Risk Control measure
  21. June 2022, Component 3, Q4(b)(i) (2 marks): Using your knowledge of ultrafiltration, explain why the body responds to ADPKD by increasing the blood pressure to above normal levels. [2]
  22. June 2022, Component 3, Q4(c) (4 marks): Another symptom of ADPKD is severe pain in the kidneys. A study was carried out to determine whether a procedure to destroy the pain receptors in the kidney wou
  23. Autumn 2021, Component 1, Q7(b)(i) (2 marks): An adult male sea otter with a surface area of 7.2 × 103 cm2 has approximately 8.64 × 108 hairs on its body surface. Calculate the number of hairs per cm2 of bo
  24. Autumn 2021, Component 1, Q7(b)(ii) (1 mark): Suggest the homeostatic role of the high density of hair in sea otters.  [1]
  25. Autumn 2021, Component 3, Q6 (9 marks): A student drank 1 000 cm3 of distilled water. The student’s urine was collected immediately after 6 drinking the water and then at 30-minute intervals for three
  26. Autumn 2020, Component 3, Q4(a)(i) (1 mark): State the evidence shown in image 4.1 that this is a section through the medulla and not through the cortex. [1] Patients with the condition Bartter syndrome ha
  27. Autumn 2020, Component 3, Q4(a)(ii) (3 marks): Explain the effects of Bartter syndrome on the function of the nephron and suggest one symptom of this condition. [3]
  28. Autumn 2020, Component 3, Q4(c) (3 marks): Image 4.3 shows the nephrons of three different mammals X, Y and Z. Image 4.3 X Y Z Identify which nephron is most likely to belong to a mammal adapted to livin
  29. June 2019, Component 3, Q2(a)(i) (1 mark): Name the parts of the kidney labelled D, E and F on figure 2.1. [1] D E F
  30. June 2019, Component 3, Q2(a)(ii) (1 mark): Using letters D, E or F from figure 2.1, identify the part of the kidney in which each of the following processes takes place: [1] ultrafiltration selective rea
  31. June 2019, Component 3, Q2(b)(i) (2 marks): Identify the structures labelled X on figure 2.2 and explain how they are involved in selective reabsorption by the proximal convoluted tubules. [2]
  32. June 2019, Component 3, Q2(b)(ii) (1 mark): Explain how the capillaries increase the rate of selective reabsorption. [1]
  33. June 2018, Component 1, Q4(a) (1 mark): What general name is given to this type of negative feedback mechanism? [1] Glycogen is a molecule the body uses to store glucose, a source of energy. Glycogen
  34. June 2018, Component 1, Q4(b)(i) (1 mark): What would be the main symptom of low blood glucose? [1]
  35. June 2018, Component 3, Q7 (9 marks): MDMA (Ecstasy) is an illegal recreational drug which has side-effects including: • increased body temperature and sweat production • increased ADH secretion • i
  36. June 2017, Component 1, Q8(b) (3 marks): If a human eats a diet low in nutrients, amino acids from muscle tissue can be used as an alternative respiratory substrate. The amino acids, when processed, pr
  37. June 2017, Component 3, Q4(a)(i) (3 marks): Describe a biochemical test that could demonstrate the presence of glucose in urine and explain why this test can only provide semi-quantitative results. [3]
  38. June 2017, Component 3, Q4(a)(ii) (4 marks): Explain how glucose is reabsorbed from the filtrate into the blood even at very high blood glucose levels. [4]
  39. June 2017, Component 3, Q4(b)(i) (2 marks): Using the information provided above and on page 12, explain how an SGLT2 inhibitor could be used to treat Type 2 Diabetes and control blood glucose levels. [2]
  40. June 2017, Component 3, Q4(b)(ii) (2 marks): Suggest how the use of an SGLT2 inhibitor could also be used to help obese people lose weight. [2]

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