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GCSE BiologyCombined and separate

GCSE Biology questions and answers

Practise GCSE Biology with questions on every topic, from cell biology to inheritance and evolution, for Combined Science and separate Biology.

The questions on this page come from the Show Working app, where Science is on its way. Each has the answer, the reason, and the trusted source we checked it against.

Try the questionsSee every topic
  • 7 topics
  • 644 facts
  • Foundation and Higher
  • AQA, Edexcel and OCR

Biology · Cell biologyTap one

What is the job of the nucleus in an animal cell?

  1. AIt is where proteins are made
  2. BIt contains the genetic material
  3. CIt controls what enters and leaves
  4. DIt releases energy from glucose

The nucleus holds the genetic material: DNA arranged in chromosomes. The genes on this DNA carry the instructions that control what the cell does and which proteins it makes.

Every answer comes with the reason

01 / TopicsFrom the national content

Every GCSE biology topic, in one list

Cell biology, transport systems, health, disease and medicines, coordination and control, photosynthesis, ecosystems and inheritance, variation and evolution. They follow the Department for Education’s GCSE biology content, which every board in England teaches.

Cell biology95 facts to learn · 8 for separate Biology onlyFree to try
Transport systems52 facts to learn
Health, disease and medicines101 facts to learn · 20 for separate Biology only · 15 Higher only
Coordination and control95 facts to learn · 47 for separate Biology only · 25 Higher only
Photosynthesis20 facts to learn · 5 Higher only
Ecosystems79 facts to learn · 31 for separate Biology only · 6 Higher only
Inheritance, variation and evolution103 facts to learn · 27 for separate Biology only · 13 Higher only

Facts marked separate Biology only don’t come up for Combined Science pupils, and Higher-only facts don’t come up on Foundation. In the app, your board, course and tier decide which you see.

02 / Sample questionsOne from each topic

GCSE biology questions to try now

Biology marks come mostly from knowing facts exactly and explaining them in the right words: what a structure does, why a process happens, what a result shows. The app practises exactly that, one fact at a time, and gives the reason with every answer.

01 / Cell biologyBoth tiers

What is the job of the nucleus in an animal cell?

  1. AIt is where proteins are made
  2. BIt contains the genetic material
  3. CIt controls what enters and leaves
  4. DIt releases energy from glucose
Show the answer

Answer: B It contains the genetic material

The nucleus holds the genetic material: DNA arranged in chromosomes. The genes on this DNA carry the instructions that control what the cell does and which proteins it makes.

Checked against OpenStax Biology 2e, 4.3 Eukaryotic Cells

02 / Transport systemsBoth tiers

What is diffusion?

  1. AMovement of water only through a membrane
  2. BMovement that needs energy from respiration
  3. CMovement of particles from a low to a high concentration
  4. DSpreading of particles from high to low concentration
Show the answer

Answer: D Spreading of particles from high to low concentration

Diffusion is the net movement of particles from where they are more concentrated to where they are less concentrated. It needs no energy from the cell. Oxygen diffuses into cells, while carbon dioxide and urea diffuse out.

Checked against OpenStax Biology 2e, 5.2 Passive Transport

03 / Health, disease and medicinesBoth tiers

Which of these best describes good health?

  1. APhysical, mental and social wellbeing
  2. BSimply having no disease
  3. CBeing physically fit and strong
  4. DNever needing to take medicine
Show the answer

Answer: A Physical, mental and social wellbeing

Health means feeling well in body and mind, and being able to get on with life. It is more than just not having a disease: someone with no disease can still be in poor health.

Checked against World Health Organization: Constitution (definition of health)

04 / Coordination and controlBoth tiers

How does a signal cross a synapse?

  1. AA hormone carries it in the blood
  2. BA chemical diffuses across the gap
  3. CThe impulse itself diffuses across
  4. DThe impulse jumps the gap
Show the answer

Answer: B A chemical diffuses across the gap

A synapse is a tiny gap between two neurones. The impulse arriving at the end of one neurone releases a chemical (a neurotransmitter) that diffuses across the gap and starts a new impulse in the next neurone.

Checked against OpenStax Biology 2e, 35.2 How neurons communicate

05 / PhotosynthesisBoth tiers

Which two substances react together in photosynthesis?

  1. Aglucose and oxygen
  2. Bglucose and carbon dioxide
  3. Ccarbon dioxide and water
  4. Doxygen and water
Show the answer

Answer: C carbon dioxide and water

Photosynthesis turns carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen, using energy from light. Glucose is made by the reaction, so it is a product, not a reactant.

Checked against OpenStax Biology 2e, 8.1 Overview of Photosynthesis

06 / EcosystemsBoth tiers

What is a population?

  1. Athe place where an organism lives
  2. Ball the organisms of one species in a habitat
  3. Call the organisms of every species in a habitat
  4. Da community and its non-living surroundings
Show the answer

Answer: B all the organisms of one species in a habitat

A population is all the organisms of one species living in a habitat. A community is all the populations of the different species living there together.

Checked against OpenStax Biology 2e, 44.1 The Scope of Ecology

07 / Inheritance, variation and evolutionBoth tiers

What is the shape of a DNA molecule?

  1. Aa triple helix
  2. Ba double helix
  3. Ca flat ring
  4. Da single straight strand
Show the answer

Answer: B a double helix

DNA is a polymer: a long molecule built from many repeating units. It has two strands twisted around each other, a shape called a double helix.

Checked against OpenStax Biology 2e, 14.2 DNA Structure and Sequencing

03 / Required practicals11 practicals across the boards

Biology required practicals, in short

Practical work is at least 15% of the marks. Here’s every biology practical AQA or Edexcel requires, plus OCR’s practical groups, with who has each one. Open one for the variables, the method, a safety point and where the marks go.

Looking at cells with a microscopeAQA, Edexcel and OCRMethod →Antiseptics and antibiotics on bacteriaAQA, Edexcel and OCRMethod →Osmosis in plant tissueAQA, Edexcel and OCRMethod →Food testsAQA, Edexcel and OCRMethod →Enzymes and pHAQA, Edexcel and OCRMethod →Light intensity and photosynthesisAQA, Edexcel and OCRMethod →Reaction timeAQAMethod →Rate of respirationEdexcel and OCRMethod →Light or gravity and seedling growthAQA and OCRMethod →Sampling with quadrats and transectsAQA, Edexcel and OCRMethod →Temperature and the decay of milkAQAMethod →

Test yourself: biology practicals

Questions from the app’s required practicals topic, with the answer and the reason.

01 / Required practicalsBoth tiers

Put these steps for focusing a light microscope in order.

  1. ARefocus using only the fine focus
  2. BUse the fine focus to make the image sharp
  3. CClip the slide on the stage, with the lowest-power objective in place
  4. DUse the coarse focus to get the cells roughly clear
  5. ESwap to a higher-power objective lens
Show the answer

The right order: C, D, B, E, A

  1. Clip the slide on the stage, with the lowest-power objective in place
  2. Use the coarse focus to get the cells roughly clear
  3. Use the fine focus to make the image sharp
  4. Swap to a higher-power objective lens
  5. Refocus using only the fine focus

Start on the lowest power, where the field of view is widest, so the cells are easy to find. Coarse focus gets them roughly clear and fine focus sharpens them. Only then move up to a higher power.

Checked against OpenStax Biology 2e, 4.1 Studying Cells

02 / Required practicalsBoth tiers · separate only

What does a large clear zone around a disc show?

  1. AThe bacteria are resistant to the substance
  2. BThe substance has evaporated
  3. CThe substance is good at stopping bacteria growing
  4. DThe bacteria grew best there
Show the answer

Answer: C The substance is good at stopping bacteria growing

The substance spreads out from the disc into the agar. Where it stops bacteria growing, the agar stays clear. Measuring the diameter lets you work out the area of the clear zone with πr², so the substances can be compared.

Checked against AQA GCSE Biology (8461) specification, Required practical activity 2

03 / Required practicalsBoth tiers

Put these steps of the amylase and pH practical in order.

  1. AAdd a drop of the mixture to iodine at regular intervals
  2. BNote the time when the iodine stays orange-brown
  3. CWait for them to reach the bath temperature
  4. DPut the starch, amylase and buffer in a water bath
  5. EMix them and start the stopwatch
Show the answer

The right order: D, C, E, A, B

  1. Put the starch, amylase and buffer in a water bath
  2. Wait for them to reach the bath temperature
  3. Mix them and start the stopwatch
  4. Add a drop of the mixture to iodine at regular intervals
  5. Note the time when the iodine stays orange-brown

The solutions are warmed to the same temperature before mixing. Drops of the mixture are tested with iodine at set intervals, which is continuous sampling. When the iodine no longer turns blue-black, the starch has all been digested.

Checked against AQA GCSE Biology (8461) specification, Required practical activity 5

04 / Required practicalsBoth tiers

Which instrument measures light intensity at each quadrat?

  1. AA measuring cylinder
  2. BA light meter
  3. CA pH probe
  4. DA thermometer
Show the answer

Answer: B A light meter

Abiotic factors are measured with instruments, such as a light meter for light intensity. To compare two areas fairly, use the same size of quadrat and the same number of quadrats in each.

Checked against AQA GCSE Biology (8461) specification, Required practical activity 9

04 / Long answers6 marks

Biology 6-mark questions, without the guesswork

In the app you write your answer, then tick off what a full answer includes and read our model answer. No AI marking, no score, no grade.

A biology 6-mark question

Describe what happens to a body cell during the cell cycle, and explain why mitosis is important.

See what a full answer includes, and a model answer

05 / Coming to Show WorkingWhat it will cost

Biology is coming to the app

We’re building Science for Show Working now, and biology is part of it. It isn’t on phones yet, and we won’t give a date until it’s ready.

  • One payment of £9.99 for Science, covering Combined Science and Biology, Chemistry and Physics. No subscription.
  • Free to try: Cell biology, Atoms and the periodic table, and Energy.
  • For AQA, Edexcel and OCR (Gateway and Twenty First Century). Show Working is independent and not affiliated with any exam board.
  • Spotted a mistake? Tell us at support@showworking.co.uk and we’ll put it right.

Doing GCSE maths too?

Maths is the subject in Show Working today: fresh questions every time, with the working shown for every answer. See the maths topics.

Coming soon to the App Store

06 / QuestionsAbout GCSE Biology

GCSE Biology, answered

What topics are in GCSE Biology?

The Department for Education sets the biology every board teaches. Show Working groups it into seven areas: cell biology; transport systems; health, disease and medicines; coordination and control; photosynthesis; ecosystems; and inheritance, variation and evolution. Separate Biology goes further in several of them.

Is GCSE Biology the same on every exam board?

The core content is the same, because it comes from the Department for Education. The boards group it differently, pick some different named examples (such as which diseases you study) and set different practicals. That’s why the app asks for your board.

Is there maths in GCSE Biology?

Yes, but less than in the other sciences: at least 10% of the marks are for maths skills, such as magnification, percentages, rates and reading graphs.

How many required practicals are there in GCSE Biology?

It depends on your board and course. AQA has 10 for Biology and 7 biology ones in Combined Science. Edexcel has 8 core practicals in Biology and 6 in Combined Science. OCR sets practical activity groups and lets schools choose the experiments.

More GCSE science

GCSE ChemistryGCSE PhysicsRequired practicals6-mark questionsGCSE Science

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