plumiGas exchange in fish and insects: OCR A‑Level Biology A questions
OCR A-Level Biology A past-paper questions on 3.1.1.4 Gas exchange in fish and insects, 2016–2025, with mark schemes and examiner’s reports where available.
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Q21(a)(i)
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All 24 questions on Gas exchange in fish and insects, as a list
- June 2025, Paper 1, Q21(a)(i) (3 marks): Describe three ways fish gills are adapted for efficient gas exchange. 1 2 3 [3]
- June 2025, Paper 1, Q21(a)(ii) (3 marks): Explain why insects can function with open circulatory systems. [3]
- June 2025, AS Paper 2, Q5(d) (4 marks): Explain why bony fish need water to flow over their gills for gaseous exchange to take place. [4]
- June 2024, Paper 1, Q8 (1 mark): Bumblebees are large insects that have a high demand for oxygen during flight. What adaptation enables bumblebees to obtain sufficient oxygen during flight? A A
- June 2024, Paper 1, Q9 (1 mark): Which option is not an adaptation that helps fish increase the efficiency of gas exchange? A Blood capillaries lie close to the surface of the lamellae to minim
- June 2024, AS Paper 1, Q1 (1 mark): Which process occurs during ventilation in bony fish? A During expiration, the operculum opens B During expiration, the volume in the buccal cavity increases an
- November 2021, Paper 3, Q1(a) (2 marks): The figure below shows a light micrograph of an insect’s gas exchange system. A B Name the structures labelled A and B in the figure. A B [2]
- November 2021, Paper 3, Q1(b)(i) (2 marks): In ventilation, water moves into the buccal cavity, across the gills and out of the opercular cavity. Complete the table by placing ticks (3) in the appropriate
- November 2021, Paper 3, Q1(b)(ii) (1 mark): A student described how they dissected a fish to view the gills: ‘I held the fish on a cutting board with one hand. I used scissors and a scalpel to carefully c
- November 2020, Paper 1, Q8 (1 mark): The graphs, A to D, represent gas exchange in bony fish. The graphs show the oxygen saturation in blood in the lamellae and water flowing over the lamellae. A 1
- November 2020, AS Paper 1, Q10 (1 mark): The drawing below shows the respiratory system of an insect. A B C D Which of the letters, A to D, shows a spiracle? Your answer [1]
- November 2020, AS Paper 2, Q6(b) (6 marks): (b)* Fig. 6.2 and Fig. 6.3, on the insert, show images of exchange surfaces in a bony fish and an insect. With reference to both Fig. 6.2 and Fig. 6.3 and your
- June 2019, AS Paper 1, Q19 (1 mark): The diagram shows part of the gas exchange system of an insect. D outside of organism muscle A tissue B C Which of the labels, A to D, indicates the trachea? Yo
- June 2017, Paper 1, Q7 (1 mark): Bony fish absorb dissolved oxygen from the water using gills. Water is passed through the buccal cavity and over the gill lamellae. The oxygen saturation of the
- June 2017, Paper 1, Q16(b)(i) (1 mark): Name these holes. [1]
- June 2017, Paper 1, Q16(b)(ii) (1 mark): Fluid is found in the tubes responsible for gaseous exchange in insects. Name this fluid. [1]
- June 2017, Paper 1, Q16(d) (2 marks): A student planned to carry out a dissection of insect and fish gaseous exchange systems. The student planned to complete diagrams of the different tissues. They
- June 2017, Paper 3, Q7(a)(i) (2 marks): Describe how the structures of the insect tracheal system and fish gills provide a large surface area for gas exchange. insect tracheal system fish gills [2]
- June 2017, AS Paper 2, Q3(a) (2 marks): Describe how you would carry out the dissection to display maximum detail of either gas exchange system. [2]
- June 2017, AS Paper 2, Q3(b)(i) (2 marks): Put a ring around the error in Table 3 and write the correct answer next to it. Use the space below to show your working. [2]
- June 2017, AS Paper 2, Q3(b)(ii) (1 mark): Fig. 3 shows a diagram of part of the gas exchange system of an insect. muscle trachea spiracle A Fig. 3 Name the structure labelled A. [1]
- June 2017, AS Paper 2, Q3(b)(iii) (2 marks): Describe how the trachea of a mammal is different from the trachea shown in Fig. 3. [2]
- June 2016, AS Paper 2, Q3(b)(i) (1 mark): What is the function of the circular bands of chitin labelled C? [1]
- June 2016, AS Paper 2, Q3(b)(ii) (1 mark): The mites use their mouthparts to bite through the walls of the trachea. They then feed off the haemolymph, the blood-like liquid that bathes the cells and orga
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