plumiPlant hormones: OCR A‑Level Biology A questions
OCR A-Level Biology A past-paper questions on 5.1.5.2 Plant hormones, 2016–2025, with mark schemes and examiner’s reports where available.
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All 25 questions on Plant hormones, as a list
- June 2025, Paper 1, Q11 (1 mark): A student completes a series of experiments to investigate the role of auxin in apical dominance. The experimental procedures are shown in the table. Experiment
- June 2025, Paper 1, Q18(a) (4 marks): Describe the role of plant hormones in the control of seed germination. [4]
- June 2025, Paper 1, Q18(b) (6 marks): (b)* Scientists investigate the effect of gibberellin on stem length in young soybean plants. This is the method they use: • Select young plants with 4 pairs of
- June 2025, Paper 1, Q18(c) (3 marks): Soybeans are important food crops. Farmers often grow soybeans with the plants close together but this causes the stems to grow too long so that the plants fall
- June 2023, Paper 1, Q17(a)(i) (2 marks): Explain why the Petri dishes were placed vertically and in the dark. [2]
- June 2023, Paper 1, Q17(a)(ii) (2 marks): Explain the purpose of the Petri dish containing distilled water instead of IAA solution. [2]
- June 2023, Paper 1, Q17(b) (2 marks): One of the students recorded the result shown in Table 17.1. Table 17.1 Mean root length in test solution Mean root length in water (number of grid squares) (nu
- June 2023, Paper 1, Q17(c)(i) (4 marks): Plot a graph of the data in Table 17.2. [4]
- June 2023, Paper 1, Q17(c)(ii) (2 marks): The students were given an IAA solution of concentration 100 ppm. Outline a procedure the students could use to prepare the 8 test solutions required for the ex
- June 2023, Paper 1, Q17(c)(iii) (2 marks): Describe two precautions the students should take to make sure the concentrations of the solutions they prepare are accurate. 1 2 [2]
- June 2023, Paper 1, Q17(c)(iv) (1 mark): Suggest why the range of IAA concentrations could be described as logarithmic. [1]
- June 2022, Paper 3, Q3(b)(i) (1 mark): Use the graph to estimate the auxin concentration at which inhibition of lateral shoots is 100%. Auxin concentration = mol dm–3 [1]
- June 2022, Paper 3, Q3(b)(ii) (1 mark): The student identified a possible anomaly in their results: the data point for the apical shoot receiving 10–6 mol dm–3 of auxin. State what the student could d
- June 2022, Paper 3, Q3(b)(iii) (3 marks): Using the graph, describe the conclusions that can be drawn about the role of different auxin concentrations in the control of apical dominance. [3]
- June 2022, Paper 3, Q3(c)(i) (1 mark): Suggest appropriate units for the dependent variable in this investigation. [1]
- June 2022, Paper 3, Q3(c)(ii) (6 marks): (ii)* The student has access to standard laboratory equipment and planting materials. Outline a method that the student could use to investigate the effect of g
- November 2020, Paper 3, Q3(c)(i) (1 mark): State the name of a plant hormone that would be expected to affect root growth. [1]
- November 2020, Paper 3, Q3(c)(ii) (1 mark): In the investigation, the students controlled light, temperature and mineral concentration. State one other factor that the students should have controlled in t
- June 2019, Paper 1, Q7 (1 mark): The following passage outlines the process of phototropism in plants: Auxin is synthesised in cells at the of the shoot. Auxin causes the cells to on one side,
- June 2019, Paper 1, Q8 (1 mark): A scientist tested a plant suffering from water stress. The plant was found to have high levels of abscisic acid (ABA) in its tissues. Which of the following st
- June 2019, Paper 1, Q10 (1 mark): Many trees drop their leaves in the autumn. Which of the following plant hormones is/are thought to be involved in the control of leaf drop? 1 auxin 2 ethene 3
- June 2019, Paper 1, Q17(a) (3 marks): Explain why gibberellin is classed as a plant hormone. [3]
- June 2019, Paper 1, Q17(b)(i) (4 marks): Plot the results from Table 17 as a suitable graph. [4]
- June 2019, Paper 1, Q17(b)(ii) (1 mark): Gibberellin causes an increase in internodal length. State one other role of gibberellin in plants. [1]
- June 2019, Paper 1, Q22(e)(i) (1 mark): Explain why this relationship occurs in P. pusillus stems. [1]
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