plumiThe vascular system: OCR A‑Level Biology A questions
OCR A-Level Biology A past-paper questions on 3.1.3.1 The vascular system, 2016–2025, with mark schemes and examiner’s reports where available.
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Q1(a)
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All 25 questions on The vascular system, as a list
- June 2025, Paper 3, Q1(a) (2 marks): The photomicrograph shows a transverse section through the root of a herbaceous dicotyledonous plant. A B Name the cells labelled A and B in the photomicrograph
- June 2024, Paper 3, Q3(b)(i) (2 marks): State and explain one safety precaution that the students should take when dissecting the vascular tissue. [2]
- June 2024, AS Paper 1, Q22(b)(i) (2 marks): Identify tissues E and F. Tissue E Tissue F [2]
- June 2024, AS Paper 1, Q22(b)(ii) (2 marks): Explain two ways tissue G is adapted for its function. [2]
- June 2023, Paper 1, Q21(a)(iii) (2 marks): The scientists found that the dye moved both up and down the stems. A student wanted to investigate this in the laboratory. They devised an experiment using wat
- June 2023, AS Paper 2, Q1(a)(i) (2 marks): Using the data provided in Fig. 1.1, calculate the surface area : volume of the large multicellular plant. Surface area : volume = [2]
- June 2023, AS Paper 2, Q1(a)(ii) (2 marks): Explain why a large multicellular plant needs a transport system but a small multicellular plant does not. [2]
- June 2023, AS Paper 2, Q1(b) (6 marks): (b)* Fig. 1.2 shows a diagram of phloem tissue in the stem of a herbaceous dicotyledonous plant. Fig. 1.2 Sieve pore Companion cell Sieve tube element Nucleus C
- June 2022, Paper 1, Q16(a) (3 marks): Explain, using examples of transported substances, why multicellular plants need transport systems. [3]
- June 2022, Paper 1, Q16(b)(i) (1 mark): Identify the tissue labelled B in Fig. 16.1. B [1]
- June 2022, Paper 1, Q16(b)(ii) (2 marks): State two functions of structure A. 1 2 [2]
- June 2022, Paper 1, Q16(c) (4 marks): Fig. 16.2 on the insert is a coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a longitudinal section through vascular tissue in the stem of a dicotyledon. Explain
- June 2022, AS Paper 1, Q13 (1 mark): Cells in the leaves of plants synthesise amino acids. Which of the statements explains why plants need a vascular system to support amino acid synthesis? A To t
- November 2021, AS Paper 1, Q10 (1 mark): The image below shows a transverse section of a stem vascular bundle of a sunflower, Helianthus annuus. Which of the options, A to D, labels the xylem vessels?
- November 2021, AS Paper 1, Q11 (1 mark): Wolffia arrhiza is one of the smallest flowering plants in the world. Which of the options, A to D, explains the absence of a transport system in Wolffia arrhiz
- November 2020, Paper 1, Q3 (1 mark): The figure below shows a drawing of a light microscope image. The image is a cross-section taken from the stem of a dicotyledonous plant. F E G Which of the row
- November 2020, Paper 1, Q4 (1 mark): Which of the following statements, A to D, does not correctly describe the structure or formation of plant vascular tissues? A Companion cells are linked to xyl
- November 2020, Paper 1, Q5 (1 mark): Large multicellular animals need a transport system for oxygen and carbon dioxide. Large multicellular plants do not need a transport system for oxygen and carb
- June 2019, AS Paper 1, Q24(c)(i) (3 marks): Identify A, B and C on Fig. 24. A B C [3]
- June 2019, AS Paper 1, Q24(c)(ii) (1 mark): Some plants, such as mosses, do not have xylem. Mosses are small plants that rarely grow more than a few cm in height. Suggest why mosses do not need structures
- June 2018, Paper 3, Q1(b) (2 marks): Fig. 1 shows a cross section of the root of an onion plant. M N Fig. 1 Identify the tissues shown at M and N. M N [2]
- June 2018, AS Paper 1, Q23(b)(ii) (2 marks): Name the two tissues labelled Q and S on Fig. 23. Q S [2]
- June 2017, AS Paper 1, Q3 (1 mark): Which of the options, A to D, is a reason why plants require specialised transport tissue? A to allow osmosis to take place B because they all have a large surf
- June 2017, AS Paper 2, Q2(a) (2 marks): A group of students wanted to observe the position of xylem vessels in the leaf stalks (petioles) of celery. Describe a procedure they could use to do this. [2]
- June 2017, AS Paper 2, Q2(c) (3 marks): Xylem and phloem are two vascular tissues found in plants. State one similarity and two differences between the structure of xylem and phloem. Similarity 1 Diff
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