plumiPlant responses: OCR A‑Level Biology A questions
OCR A-Level Biology A past-paper questions on 5.1.5.1 Plant responses, 2016–2025, with mark schemes and examiner’s reports where available.
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Q19(a)(i)
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All 20 questions on Plant responses, as a list
- June 2024, Paper 1, Q19(a)(i) (1 mark): Describe the meaning of the term tropism. [1]
- June 2024, Paper 1, Q19(a)(ii) (1 mark): State one named example of a tropism. [1]
- June 2024, Paper 1, Q19(a)(iii) (2 marks): Give one example of an abiotic stress and the corresponding plant response. Example Plant response [2]
- June 2024, Paper 1, Q19(b)(i) (1 mark): Mycorrhizae are associations between some types of fungi and the roots of plants, including trees. The fungal hyphae grow into the roots and help the trees take
- June 2024, Paper 1, Q19(b)(ii) (6 marks): (ii)* The results are shown in the table. Mean PPO Activity ± Standard Deviation (Arbitrary Units) Group At start After 72 h 1 18 ± 2 20 ± 2 2 16 ± 2 50 ± 4 3 1
- June 2023, Paper 1, Q11 (1 mark): In a phototropism investigation oat seedlings were illuminated from one side as shown by the arrow in the table. The table shows the results of four different e
- June 2023, Paper 1, Q17(a)(i) (2 marks): Explain why the Petri dishes were placed vertically and in the dark. [2]
- November 2021, Paper 3, Q3(d) (1 mark): Many plants have defensive responses to herbivores. State one example of a response that plants use against herbivory. [1]
- November 2020, Paper 3, Q3(a)(i) (6 marks): (i)* Describe and explain the results shown in Tables 3.1 and 3.2. [6] Additional answer space if required.
- November 2020, Paper 3, Q3(a)(ii) (1 mark): The students wanted to test whether there was a significant difference between the stem lengths of the seedlings in Group A and the seedlings in Group B. State
- November 2020, Paper 3, Q3(a)(iii) (1 mark): Justify your choice of statistical test given in part (ii). [1]
- November 2020, Paper 3, Q3(a)(iv) (3 marks): Table 3.2 records the direction of growth as: • away from light • neither away from nor towards light • towards light. The students used the chi‑squared test to
- November 2020, Paper 3, Q3(d) (2 marks): The growth of plant roots is thought to be controlled by specialised cells called statocytes. One hypothesis for how a statocyte controls root growth involves s
- 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, Q9 (1 mark): Which of the following statements, A to D, is evidence for geotropism? A leaves are shed from deciduous plants in the autumn B roots grow downwards C shoots gro
- June 2019, Paper 3, Q5(b)(i) (2 marks): What additional information do the scientists need to confirm their hypothesis? [2]
- June 2019, Paper 3, Q5(b)(ii) (1 mark): Suggest one valid conclusion it is possible for the scientists to draw from the results in Fig. 5.1. [1]
- June 2019, Paper 3, Q5(b)(iii) (1 mark): The scientists also recorded the level of cannibalism amongst the beet armyworm larvae. Cannibalism was measured as the number of beet armyworm larvae eaten by
- June 2017, Paper 1, Q14 (1 mark): The commercially grown tobacco plant, Nicotiana rustica, has many pests. One such insect pest is Manduca sexta, which causes damage to the stems and leaves of N
- June 2017, Paper 1, Q21(b) (6 marks): Another response affected by plant hormones is phototropism. A student completed an investigation into phototropism in cress seeds. This was the method used: •
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