plumiSpecialised exchange surfaces: OCR A‑Level Biology A questions
OCR A-Level Biology A past-paper questions on 3.1.1.1 Specialised exchange surfaces, 2016–2025, with mark schemes and examiner’s reports where available.
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Q21(a)(iii)
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All 24 questions on Specialised exchange surfaces, as a list
- June 2025, Paper 1, Q21(a)(iii) (2 marks): The largest fish is the whale shark. Whale sharks have an average mass of 20 tonnes. The largest marine mammal is the blue whale. Blue whales have an average ma
- June 2025, AS Paper 1, Q23(a)(i) (2 marks): Calculate the surface area to volume ratio (SA:V) of the plasma cell. Assume the plasma cell is spherical. Use the formulas: surface area of sphere = 4πr2 volum
- June 2025, AS Paper 2, Q5(b) (2 marks): Clownfish are multicellular bony fish. Explain why multicellular organisms need a specialised exchange surface. [2]
- June 2025, AS Paper 2, Q5(c) (1 mark): State one feature that both gill lamellae and root hairs have that makes them efficient as an exchange surface. [1]
- June 2024, Paper 2, Q8 (1 mark): The graph shows the results of an investigation into diffusion rates in cubes of agar jelly with different surface area to volume ratios (SA:VOL). 0.4 0.3 Rate
- June 2024, Paper 2, Q9 (1 mark): Calculate the SA:VOL of a cube with edges 4 cm long. A 0.25 B 0.67 C 0.96 D 1.5 Your answer [1]
- June 2024, AS Paper 1, Q3 (1 mark): The blue whale can grow up to 30 m long and can weigh up to 200 000 kg. Whales have specialised surfaces for gas exchange. Which option is not a reason why blue
- June 2023, Paper 3, Q1(b)(i) (3 marks): An alveolus in the lung of a cat has: • a spherical shape • a diameter of 0.13 mm a surface area of 0.053 mm2. • Calculate the SA:V of this alveolus. Use the fo
- June 2023, Paper 3, Q1(b)(ii) (1 mark): Explain why the large SA:V of alveoli is an advantage to mammals. [1]
- June 2023, AS Paper 1, Q21(a) (1 mark): Alveoli provide an efficient gas exchange surface because of their large surface area. State one other feature of alveoli that provides an efficient gas exchang
- June 2022, AS Paper 1, Q12 (1 mark): The table shows the dimensions of a dividing ball of cells and their surface area to volume ratios. Surface area Number of Number of Radius Surface Volume to vo
- June 2022, AS Paper 1, Q14 (1 mark): Fick’s Law describes the relationship between the rate of diffusion and factors that affect this rate. This can be simplified as the equation: Rate of diffusion
- November 2020, Paper 1, Q21(d) (5 marks): Complete the following statements about exchange surfaces. Use the correct terms selected from the list below. circulatory system concentration gradient diffusi
- November 2020, AS Paper 2, Q6(a) (2 marks): The cubes shown in Fig. 6.1 represent two different sized animals. Small multicellular animal Large multicellular animal Volume = 8 cm3 Volume = 64 cm3 Surface
- June 2019, Paper 3, Q5(a) (2 marks): Organisms can use simple diffusion to exchange gases when the diffusion pathway is less than 1 mm. A beet armyworm larva: • has a cylindrical shape • is 15 mm l
- June 2018, Paper 1, Q1 (1 mark): Which of the following statements, A to D, correctly explains a feature of an efficient gaseous exchange surface? A The layers are thin for a short diffusion di
- June 2018, AS Paper 1, Q21(c)(i) (2 marks): Suggest why the Titicaca water frog has evolved the unusually large folds of skin seen in Fig. 21.1. [2]
- June 2018, AS Paper 1, Q21(c)(ii) (2 marks): When out of the water, the Titicaca water frog is able to use its lungs to absorb oxygen. Lungs contain specialised gaseous exchange surfaces. Describe and expl
- June 2018, AS Paper 1, Q21(d)(ii) (2 marks): In Fig. 21.2, Cube A is 10 mm along each side and Cube B is 4 mm along each side. Calculate the surface area to volume ratio (SA:V) for both cubes A and B. Show
- June 2017, Paper 1, Q13 (1 mark): Different sized mammals have different surface area to volume ratios. The table shows the surface areas and volumes of four different groups of mammals. Surface
- June 2017, Paper 2, Q9 (1 mark): Cut pieces of agar jelly can be used to investigate the factors affecting diffusion rates in cells. Four pieces of agar jelly containing universal indicator wer
- June 2017, Paper 3, Q7(a)(ii) (1 mark): The lugworm, Arenicola marina, is a species of segmented worm that lives in burrows in damp sand. They have hair-like external gills that increase the surface a
- June 2017, AS Paper 2, Q3(c) (6 marks): Bony fish and insects have different gas exchange systems. Both can be observed by dissection. (c)* Alveoli are located in the lungs of mammals. Explain how alv
- June 2016, AS Paper 1, Q17 (1 mark): Which of the cells below, represented by cubes A to D, has a surface area to volume ratio of 3 : 1 ? 6 μm 4 μm 2 μm 1 μm nucleus nucleus nucleus nucleus A B C D
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