Exam practice
Exam questions
Write your answer. Then open the mark scheme and tick each point you made.
- Question 1 of 112 marks
Name the male gamete and the female gamete in humans.
Mark scheme
- Male: sperm (cell)
- Female: egg (cell) (accept: ovum)
- Question 2 of 112 marks
A sperm cell has a tail and many mitochondria. Explain how each of these helps the sperm cell to do its job.
Mark scheme
- The tail lets it swim (to the egg)
- The mitochondria release the energy it needs (for swimming)
- Question 3 of 112 marks
Name the organ where sperm are made, and the organ that contains eggs.
Mark scheme
- Sperm: the testes (accept: testis, testicles)
- Eggs: the ovaries (accept: ovary)
- Question 4 of 112 marks
The menstrual cycle lasts about 28 days. Describe what happens (a) during menstruation and (b) at ovulation.
Mark scheme
- Menstruation: the lining of the uterus breaks down and is lost through the vagina (accept: the lining is shed)
- Ovulation: an egg is released from an ovary
- Question 5 of 113 marks
Describe what happens at fertilisation, and state where in the body it happens.
Mark scheme
- A sperm (cell) joins with an egg (cell)
- Their nuclei join (accept: fuse)
- In an oviduct (accept: fallopian tube)
- Question 6 of 112 marks
Describe what happens to a fertilised egg in the days after fertilisation.
Mark scheme
- It divides (many times) to form a ball of cells (accept: an embryo)
- It settles into the lining of the uterus (accept: implantation)
- Question 7 of 112 marks
State the function of (a) the umbilical cord and (b) the amniotic fluid.
Mark scheme
- Umbilical cord: joins the foetus to the placenta (accept: carries blood between the foetus and the placenta)
- Amniotic fluid: protects the foetus (accept: cushions it against bumps)
- Question 8 of 112 marks
Name one substance that passes from the mother to the foetus at the placenta, and one that passes from the foetus to the mother.
Mark scheme
- To the foetus: oxygen or nutrients (accept: glucose or another named nutrient; also accept alcohol, nicotine or another named drug)
- To the mother: carbon dioxide (accept: waste, urea)
- Question 9 of 111 mark
Describe what the muscles in the wall of the uterus do during birth.
Mark scheme
- They contract and push the baby out (through the vagina)
- Question 10 of 112 marks
A pregnant woman smokes cigarettes. Explain how this could affect the foetus.
Mark scheme
- Harmful substances from the smoke pass across the placenta (accept: carbon monoxide means that her blood carries less oxygen to the foetus)
- The baby is more likely to be born early or with a low birth mass (accept: the foetus grows more slowly)
- Question 11 of 112 marks
Both of a woman’s oviducts are completely blocked. Explain why she is unlikely to become pregnant.
Mark scheme
- Sperm cannot reach the egg (accept: the egg and the sperm cannot meet)
- So the egg cannot be fertilised (accept: the two nuclei cannot join)