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Human musculoskeletal anatomy: WJEC A‑Level Biology questions

Every WJEC A-Level Biology exam question on 4.B Human musculoskeletal anatomy, 2016–2025, with its mark scheme and examiner’s report.

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1,223 questions

  1. Q8(a)(i)

    Summer 2025 · Unit 4

    1 mark4.B Human musculoskeletal anatomy
    The whole paper ↗
    Summer 2025 Unit 4, question 8(a)(i): Identify structures X and Y in Image 8.1. [1] X Y

  2. Q8(a)(ii)

    Summer 2025 · Unit 4

    1 mark4.B Human musculoskeletal anatomy
    The whole paper ↗
    Summer 2025 Unit 4, question 8(a)(ii): State two structures found in Y. [1]

  3. Q8(b)(i)

    Summer 2025 · Unit 4

    3 marks4.B Human musculoskeletal anatomy
    The whole paper ↗
    Summer 2025 Unit 4, question 8(b)(i): Explain why treatments for osteomalacia include increasing the proportion of dairy products and oily fish in the diet. [3] Many of the symptoms of osteomalacia

  4. Q8(b)(ii)

    Summer 2025 · Unit 4

    1 mark4.B Human musculoskeletal anatomy
    The whole paper ↗
    Summer 2025 Unit 4, question 8(b)(ii): State what is meant by osteoporosis. [1]

  5. Q8(b)(iii)

    Summer 2025 · Unit 4

    3 marks4.B Human musculoskeletal anatomy
    The whole paper ↗
    Summer 2025 Unit 4, question 8(b)(iii): Explain why it is essential that treatment for osteoporosis in an older patient includes exercise. [3]

  6. Q8(b)(iv)

    Summer 2025 · Unit 4

    2 marks4.B Human musculoskeletal anatomy
    The whole paper ↗
    Summer 2025 Unit 4, question 8(b)(iv): A doctor carried out a bone density test on two different 50-year-old females to compare the bone density of a female with osteoporosis with a female who did no

  7. Q8(c)(i)

    Summer 2025 · Unit 4

    1 mark4.B Human musculoskeletal anatomy
    The whole paper ↗
    Summer 2025 Unit 4, question 8(c)(i): state the type of fracture; [1]

  8. Q8(c)(ii)

    Summer 2025 · Unit 4

    1 mark4.B Human musculoskeletal anatomy
    The whole paper ↗
    Summer 2025 Unit 4, question 8(c)(ii): describe how it was treated; [1]

  9. Q8(c)(iii)

    Summer 2025 · Unit 4

    2 marks4.B Human musculoskeletal anatomy
    The whole paper ↗
    Summer 2025 Unit 4, question 8(c)(iii): give two reasons why this treatment is necessary for hip fractures in particular. [2]

  10. Q8(d)(i)

    Summer 2025 · Unit 4

    2 marks4.B Human musculoskeletal anatomy
    The whole paper ↗
    Summer 2025 Unit 4, question 8(d)(i): State two conclusions that can be drawn from Graph 8.3 about the risk of hip fracture. [2]

  11. Q8(d)(ii)

    Summer 2025 · Unit 4

    3 marks4.B Human musculoskeletal anatomy
    The whole paper ↗
    Summer 2025 Unit 4, question 8(d)(ii): A similar study investigated the effect of smoking on the incidence of hip fracture across Europe. Data were collected from a number of hospitals and included 1

  12. Q8(a)(i)

    Summer 2024 · Unit 4

    1 mark4.B Human musculoskeletal anatomy
    The whole paper ↗
    Summer 2024 Unit 4, question 8(a)(i): Complete the appearance of transverse Section 3 shown on Image 8.1. [1]

  13. Q8(a)(ii)

    Summer 2024 · Unit 4

    4 marks4.B Human musculoskeletal anatomy
    The whole paper ↗
    Summer 2024 Unit 4, question 8(a)(ii): During contraction of the muscle, the sarcomere shortens. Describe and explain what happens to the H zone and A band. [4]

  14. Q8(a)(iii)

    Summer 2024 · Unit 4

    2 marks4.B Human musculoskeletal anatomy
    The whole paper ↗
    Summer 2024 Unit 4, question 8(a)(iii): When the sarcomere is contracted, its length is 1.5 μm long. Use Image 8.1 to calculate the percentage decrease in length when the sarcomere contracts. [2] Perc

  15. Q8(a)(iv)

    Summer 2024 · Unit 4

    2 marks4.B Human musculoskeletal anatomy
    The whole paper ↗
    Summer 2024 Unit 4, question 8(a)(iv): Describe how the structure of actin allows cross bridges to form during contraction of the muscle and explain why cross bridges are unable to form in a resting

  16. Q8(b)(i)

    Summer 2024 · Unit 4

    2 marks4.B Human musculoskeletal anatomy
    The whole paper ↗
    Summer 2024 Unit 4, question 8(b)(i): Explain how the structure of hyaline cartilage relates to its function in the skeleton. [2] Image 8.2 shows a normal knee joint and a joint affected by rheumato

  17. Q8(b)(ii)

    Summer 2024 · Unit 4

    2 marks4.B Human musculoskeletal anatomy
    The whole paper ↗
    Summer 2024 Unit 4, question 8(b)(ii): Describe what is meant by rheumatoid arthritis and name two types of tissues affected by rheumatoid arthritis as shown in Image 8.2. [2]

  18. Q8(c)(i)

    Summer 2024 · Unit 4

    2 marks4.B Human musculoskeletal anatomy
    The whole paper ↗
    Summer 2024 Unit 4, question 8(c)(i): Using Image 8.3 and your own knowledge, describe the effect of osteoporosis on the composition of the bones. [2] Amniotic fluid contains a form of stem cell tha

  19. Q8(c)(ii)

    Summer 2024 · Unit 4

    3 marks4.B Human musculoskeletal anatomy
    The whole paper ↗
    Summer 2024 Unit 4, question 8(c)(ii): Summarise the effect of stem cell treatment in the experimental group C in comparison to the healthy mice (A) and the control group (B) shown in Graphs 8.5 and

  20. Q8(c)(iii)

    Summer 2024 · Unit 4

    2 marks4.B Human musculoskeletal anatomy
    The whole paper ↗
    Summer 2024 Unit 4, question 8(c)(iii): The use of human stem cells is being considered for clinical trials in humans to treat osteoporosis. Using all of the information provided, suggest how stem cel
All 43 questions on Human musculoskeletal anatomy, as a list
  1. Summer 2025, Unit 4, Q8(a)(i) (1 mark): Identify structures X and Y in Image 8.1. [1] X Y
  2. Summer 2025, Unit 4, Q8(a)(ii) (1 mark): State two structures found in Y. [1]
  3. Summer 2025, Unit 4, Q8(b)(i) (3 marks): Explain why treatments for osteomalacia include increasing the proportion of dairy products and oily fish in the diet. [3] Many of the symptoms of osteomalacia
  4. Summer 2025, Unit 4, Q8(b)(ii) (1 mark): State what is meant by osteoporosis. [1]
  5. Summer 2025, Unit 4, Q8(b)(iii) (3 marks): Explain why it is essential that treatment for osteoporosis in an older patient includes exercise. [3]
  6. Summer 2025, Unit 4, Q8(b)(iv) (2 marks): A doctor carried out a bone density test on two different 50-year-old females to compare the bone density of a female with osteoporosis with a female who did no
  7. Summer 2025, Unit 4, Q8(c)(i) (1 mark): state the type of fracture; [1]
  8. Summer 2025, Unit 4, Q8(c)(ii) (1 mark): describe how it was treated; [1]
  9. Summer 2025, Unit 4, Q8(c)(iii) (2 marks): give two reasons why this treatment is necessary for hip fractures in particular. [2]
  10. Summer 2025, Unit 4, Q8(d)(i) (2 marks): State two conclusions that can be drawn from Graph 8.3 about the risk of hip fracture. [2]
  11. Summer 2025, Unit 4, Q8(d)(ii) (3 marks): A similar study investigated the effect of smoking on the incidence of hip fracture across Europe. Data were collected from a number of hospitals and included 1
  12. Summer 2024, Unit 4, Q8(a)(i) (1 mark): Complete the appearance of transverse Section 3 shown on Image 8.1. [1]
  13. Summer 2024, Unit 4, Q8(a)(ii) (4 marks): During contraction of the muscle, the sarcomere shortens. Describe and explain what happens to the H zone and A band. [4]
  14. Summer 2024, Unit 4, Q8(a)(iii) (2 marks): When the sarcomere is contracted, its length is 1.5 μm long. Use Image 8.1 to calculate the percentage decrease in length when the sarcomere contracts. [2] Perc
  15. Summer 2024, Unit 4, Q8(a)(iv) (2 marks): Describe how the structure of actin allows cross bridges to form during contraction of the muscle and explain why cross bridges are unable to form in a resting
  16. Summer 2024, Unit 4, Q8(b)(i) (2 marks): Explain how the structure of hyaline cartilage relates to its function in the skeleton. [2] Image 8.2 shows a normal knee joint and a joint affected by rheumato
  17. Summer 2024, Unit 4, Q8(b)(ii) (2 marks): Describe what is meant by rheumatoid arthritis and name two types of tissues affected by rheumatoid arthritis as shown in Image 8.2. [2]
  18. Summer 2024, Unit 4, Q8(c)(i) (2 marks): Using Image 8.3 and your own knowledge, describe the effect of osteoporosis on the composition of the bones. [2] Amniotic fluid contains a form of stem cell tha
  19. Summer 2024, Unit 4, Q8(c)(ii) (3 marks): Summarise the effect of stem cell treatment in the experimental group C in comparison to the healthy mice (A) and the control group (B) shown in Graphs 8.5 and
  20. Summer 2024, Unit 4, Q8(c)(iii) (2 marks): The use of human stem cells is being considered for clinical trials in humans to treat osteoporosis. Using all of the information provided, suggest how stem cel
  21. Summer 2023, Unit 4, Q8(a)(i) (1 mark): With reference to the names of the muscles involved, state how the muscles work together to lift the weight. [1]
  22. Summer 2023, Unit 4, Q8(a)(ii) (2 marks): Image 8.1 represents a third order lever. Use Image 8.1 and your knowledge of levers to identify the effort, load and fulcrum and explain why it is a third orde
  23. Summer 2023, Unit 4, Q8(b)(i) (2 marks): Suggest what causes the muscle to fatigue. [2] Image 8.2 shows an electromyogram (EMG) which is used to measure fatigue over time. The amplitude (mV) of the sig
  24. Summer 2023, Unit 4, Q8(b)(ii) (3 marks): Use the equation to calculate the rate of fatigue for Gabriel. Suggest a unit for rate of fatigue. [3] Rate of fatigue = Unit =
  25. Summer 2023, Unit 4, Q8(b)(iii) (3 marks): It was concluded that females had better endurance than males. With reference to the data in Table 8.3 comment on the validity of this conclusion. [3]
  26. Summer 2023, Unit 4, Q8(c)(i) (1 mark): Use the letters X, Y and Z to label the following proteins on the sarcomere in Image 8.4. [1] X actin Y myosin Z tropomyosin
  27. Summer 2023, Unit 4, Q8(c)(ii) (4 marks): Low blood calcium increased the rate of muscle fatigue. Use your knowledge of sliding filament theory to explain the reason for this. [4]
  28. Summer 2023, Unit 4, Q8(d)(i) (2 marks): State what spinal region the vertebra in Image 8.5 is from and explain your answer. [2] Scheuermann’s kyphosis is a medical condition similar to scoliosis which
  29. Summer 2023, Unit 4, Q8(d)(ii) (1 mark): Suggest which way the spine would curve in the body of a person with Scheuermann’s kyphosis. [1]
  30. Summer 2023, Unit 4, Q8(d)(iii) (1 mark): Suggest a possible treatment for Scheuermann’s kyphosis. [1]
  31. Summer 2019, Unit 4, Q9(a)(i) (1 mark): Name the bone shown within the thigh. [1]
  32. Summer 2019, Unit 4, Q9(a)(ii) (2 marks): At point X-X on the image the thigh has an actual width of 150 mm. Calculate the magnification of the image. [2] magnification =
  33. Summer 2019, Unit 4, Q9(a)(iii) (1 mark): Bones have an outer layer of compact bone. State which inorganic components strengthen the bone. [1]
  34. Summer 2019, Unit 4, Q9(a)(iv) (2 marks): Explain how the structure of the thigh bone enables nutrients to be supplied to the osteoblasts and osteoclasts. [2] The proportion of fast and slow twitch musc
  35. Summer 2019, Unit 4, Q9(a)(v) (2 marks): Investigators observed a difference in colour between fast and slow twitch fibres. Suggest what this difference may be and explain your answer. [2]
  36. Summer 2019, Unit 4, Q9(a)(vi) (2 marks): Explain why the percentage of fibres was calculated rather than using the total number of each fibre type. [2]
  37. Summer 2019, Unit 4, Q9(a)(vii) (1 mark): Explain why the athletes chosen were of the same age, gender and ethnicity. [1]
  38. Summer 2019, Unit 4, Q9(a)(viii) (3 marks): It was concluded that Athlete B was a weightlifter as further analysis of the tissue found high lactate levels. With reference to the graph and your own knowled
  39. Summer 2019, Unit 4, Q9(b)(i) (1 mark): State two functions of this part of the skeleton. [1]
  40. Summer 2019, Unit 4, Q9(b)(ii) (1 mark): With reference to the X-ray, state which region of the vertebral column contains a fracture. [1]
  41. Summer 2019, Unit 4, Q9(b)(iii) (1 mark): If fractures of the vertebral column are not treated correctly they can lead to problems with posture. Apart from surgery, suggest one other type of treatment t
  42. Summer 2019, Unit 4, Q9(c)(i) (1 mark): State the type of joint shown. [1]
  43. Summer 2019, Unit 4, Q9(c)(ii) (2 marks): Using all the information provided, conclude what type of degenerative disease is affecting the patient. Describe the evidence that supports your diagnosis. [2]

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