plumiHow can and should gene technology be used?: OCR GCSE Biology B questions
Every OCR GCSE Biology B exam question on B1.3 How can and should gene technology be used?, 2018–2025, with its mark scheme and examiner’s report.
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Calculations
Q8(c)
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Q8(b)
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Q8(c)
The whole paper ↗Q8(d)
The whole paper ↗Q8(e)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q8(e)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q6(d)
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Q8(c)(ii)
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Q5(b)(iii)
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Q5(b)(iv)
The whole paper ↗Q5(b)(v)
The whole paper ↗Q10(d)(i)
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Q10(d)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q10(d)(iii)
The whole paper ↗Q10(d)(iv)
The whole paper ↗Q11(c)
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Q6(b)
The whole paper ↗
Q6(c)
The whole paper ↗Q10(b)
The whole paper ↗
Q9(c)
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All 45 questions on How can and should gene technology be used?, as a list
- June 2025, Paper 1 Foundation, Q8(c) (3 marks): The diagram shows a procedure that can be used during pregnancy to find out if a fetus has thalassaemia. Needle Fetus Fluid which contains cells of the fetus A
- June 2025, Paper 3 Higher, Q8(b) (1 mark): Scientists have genetically engineered bacteria to produce insulin. What would the insulin produced by the bacteria be used to treat? [1]
- June 2025, Paper 3 Higher, Q8(c) (1 mark): At the beginning of the genetic engineering process, scientists insert the insulin gene into a plasmid. Which word describes the plasmid’s role in this process?
- June 2025, Paper 3 Higher, Q8(d) (1 mark): The insulin gene is removed from a section of human DNA using enzymes called restriction enzymes. These enzymes cut the DNA at specific base sequences. The plas
- June 2025, Paper 3 Higher, Q8(e)(i) (2 marks): The number of bacteria doubles every 20 minutes. Calculate how many bacteria there will be after 2 hours if there are 120 at time zero. Number of bacteria after
- June 2025, Paper 3 Higher, Q8(e)(ii) (1 mark): Fig. 8.2 shows the bacterial growth curve for the bacteria grown in the fermenter. Fig. 8.2 D Stationary phase Number of cells (log) Log phase Lag phase Time (d
- June 2025, Paper 4 Higher, Q6(d) (3 marks): Conifer trees have a genetic variant that makes them resistant to crown gall disease. Scientists hope to transfer this genetic variant from conifer trees into s
- June 2025, Paper 4 Higher, Q8(c)(ii) (2 marks): The R and r alleles have different sequences of bases. Describe how the scientists could have worked out where the R allele is located in the genome of pea plan
- June 2024, Paper 2 Foundation, Q5(b)(iii) (2 marks): Wheat does not grow well in warmer, drier conditions. Scientists have transferred the HB4 gene from sunflowers into wheat. Describe the effects on the wheat of
- June 2024, Paper 2 Foundation, Q5(b)(iv) (1 mark): Which term describes the process scientists used to transfer the gene from sunflowers to wheat? Tick (✓) one box. Genetic engineering Natural selection Selectiv
- June 2024, Paper 2 Foundation, Q5(b)(v) (6 marks): Wheat and sunflowers are important food crops. (v)* Some people support the growing of this modified wheat and some people do not. Explain why. Include in your
- June 2024, Paper 3 Higher, Q10(d)(i) (2 marks): Explain why it is important that only the gene that is required from the daffodil is removed from the daffodil DNA. [2]
- June 2024, Paper 3 Higher, Q10(d)(ii) (1 mark): Explain why the scientists replicate the genes that have been isolated before inserting them into the plasmids. [1]
- June 2024, Paper 3 Higher, Q10(d)(iii) (1 mark): What vector is used to genetically engineer rice? [1]
- June 2024, Paper 3 Higher, Q10(d)(iv) (1 mark): Suggest why the genetically engineered rice plants are crossed with strains of rice that already grow locally. [1]
- June 2024, Paper 3 Higher, Q11(c) (1 mark): The cat breeder could use genome sequencing to determine which of the kittens has PKD. Genome sequencing costs a lot of money. Suggest why the cat breeder decid
- June 2024, Paper 4 Higher, Q6(b) (3 marks): Peas can be used to make meat-free versions of foods such as burgers. However, people don’t want these burgers to taste of peas. Some wild pea plants have a gen
- June 2024, Paper 4 Higher, Q6(c) (3 marks): Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is a greenhouse gas. Explain benefits to the environment of growing genetically engineered peas to make meat-free burgers, rath
- June 2023, Paper 3 Higher, Q10(b) (2 marks): If detected early those with the condition are less likely to have serious health problems. Jane’s sister is 24. Explain why she decides to have a genetic test.
- June 2022, Paper 1 Foundation, Q9(c) (3 marks): Amaya and Jack do not have sickle cell anaemia. They want to have a baby. They decide to both have a genetic test. Explain why Amaya and Jack decide to have a g
- June 2022, Paper 2 Foundation, Q5(d)(i) (2 marks): Describe what is meant by a ‘genetically engineered fungus’. [2]
- June 2022, Paper 3 Higher, Q11(a) (3 marks): Describe how the scientists genetically modify the Zebra fish eggs. [3]
- June 2022, Paper 3 Higher, Q11(d) (1 mark): The genetically engineered Zebra fish are now sold as pets that glow under UV light. Suggest why this concerns some scientists. [1]
- November 2021, Paper 1 Foundation, Q11(a) (2 marks): Describe how Charlie and Eve could find out if they are carriers. [2]
- November 2021, Paper 1 Foundation, Q11(d) (2 marks): Charlie and Eve decide that they do not want to risk their child inheriting Tay-Sachs disease. Suggest two ways in which they can have a child that does not hav
- November 2021, Paper 2 Foundation, Q7(c)(ii) (2 marks): The scientists worked out that she had blue eyes. Suggest how they could have worked this out from her genome. [2]
- November 2021, Paper 3 Higher, Q2(a) (2 marks): Describe how Charlie and Eve could find out if they are carriers. [2]
- November 2021, Paper 3 Higher, Q2(d) (2 marks): Charlie and Eve decide that they do not want to risk their child inheriting Tay-Sachs disease. Suggest two ways in which they can have a child that does not hav
- November 2021, Paper 4 Higher, Q4(b) (2 marks): The scientists worked out that she had blue eyes. Suggest how they could have worked this out from her genome. [2]
- November 2021, Paper 4 Higher, Q4(e) (2 marks): The scientists found her complete genome in the remains of some of her cells. The cells were found in an ancient piece of tree gum that she had chewed. The tree
- November 2020, Paper 3 Higher, Q5(a) (3 marks): Which method of tackling Vitamin A deficiency in developing countries is the best long-term solution? Justify your answer. [3]
- November 2020, Paper 3 Higher, Q5(b) (2 marks): What is meant by 'genetic engineering'? [2]
- November 2020, Paper 3 Higher, Q5(c) (1 mark): State one concern about using genetically engineered crops. [1]
- November 2020, Paper 3 Higher, Q12(a) (2 marks): Describe how two parents who are at risk of passing on a genetic disease could use modern technology to have a child that is disease-free. [2]
- June 2019, Paper 1 Foundation, Q9(a) (2 marks): Define the term ‘genetic engineering’. [2]
- June 2019, Paper 1 Foundation, Q9(b) (2 marks): What condition could the insulin produced in this process be used to treat? [2]
- June 2019, Paper 1 Foundation, Q9(c) (2 marks): Bacteria were first used to produce human insulin in 1978. Before that, pig insulin was used to treat people who did not make their own insulin. Suggest two rea
- June 2019, Paper 2 Foundation, Q5(d) (6 marks): Cystic fibrosis is a disease caused by a person’s DNA. (d)* A different couple is also thinking about having a baby. • The woman has had a genetic test. It show
- June 2019, Paper 3 Higher, Q7(c) (1 mark): Scientists studied populations of great tits in the Netherlands to see if there were any differences between the genomes of birds there and in the UK. What gene
- June 2019, Paper 3 Higher, Q11(b) (1 mark): Foals with LWS do not survive. Producing a LWS foal is now avoidable. What technology is now available to assist breeders to prevent foals being born with LWS?
- June 2018, Paper 2 Foundation, Q4(b)(iii) (2 marks): Explain how gene technology could be used to help a doctor to give the correct dose of warfarin to a patient. [2]
- June 2018, Paper 3 Higher, Q6(b)(ii) (3 marks): One way scientists tried to solve the problem was to make genetically engineered mosquitoes that had a ‘kill switch’ gene. This gene caused the mosquitoes’ offs
- June 2018, Paper 3 Higher, Q6(b)(iii) (1 mark): The ‘kill switch’ gene codes for the production of a protein called tTAV. The tTAV protein blocks the transcription of other genes essential for mosquito surviv
- June 2018, Paper 3 Higher, Q6(b)(iv) (3 marks): Scientists thought using genetically engineered mosquitos was a better solution than using insecticide. Do you agree? Explain your reasons. [3]
- June 2018, Paper 4 Higher, Q4(b)(iii) (4 marks): Explain how gene technology could be used to produce ash trees with improved tolerance. [4]
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