3.

4 ORGANISMS AND SUBSTANCE EXCHANGE – MASS TRANSPORT IN

ANIMALS (3) – QUESTIONS

Q1. (a) Explain how the shape of a red blood cell allows it to take up a large amount of oxygen in a
short time.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(2)

Samples of blood were mixed with equal volumes of different liquids. A drop of each mixture
was put on a slide and examined with an optical microscope. The table shows the appearance
of each slide.

Slide Liquid added Appearance of slide

A Distilled water No cells seen. Slide appears a
uniform pale red colour

B Sucrose solution Cells are smaller in diameter than

in an untreated sample of blood

C Detergent (dissolves lipids) No cells seen. Slide appears a

uniform pale red colour

(b) (i) What does the appearance of slide B tell you about the plasma membrane
surrounding a red blood cell?

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(1)

(ii) Explain the appearance of slide C.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(2)
(Total 5 marks)

Page 1 of 37
Q2. The graph shows dissociation curves for human oxyhaemoglobin at rest and during exercise.

Table 1 gives information about conditions in the body at rest and during exercise.

Rest Exercise

Plasma pH 7.4 7.2

Blood temperature / °C 37.0 39.0

Alveolar partial pressure of oxygen / kPa 13.3 13.3

Tissue partial pressure of oxygen / kPa 5.0 4.0

Table 1

(a) What is meant by the term partial pressure?

___________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________ (1)

(b) Use Table 1 and the graph to calculate the difference in the percentage saturation of
haemoglobin in the tissues between rest and exercise.

Page 2 of 37
 Answer ____________________ %
(1)

(c) Explain the differences between the figures shown in Table 1 for rest and exercise.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________ (4)

(d) Explain the advantage of the difference in position of the dissociation curve during
exercise.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________ (2)

Table 2 shows how the oxygen concentration in the blood going to and from a muscle changes
from rest to heavy exercise.

Oxygen concentration / cm3 per 100 cm3

blood
Blood in arteries Blood in veins
In solution 0.3 0.2
At rest As oxyhaemoglobin 19.5 15.0
Total oxygen 19.8 15.2
In solution 0.3 0.1
During
heavy As oxyhaemoglobin 20.9 5.3
exercise
Total oxygen 21.2 5.4

Table 2

(e) By how many times is the volume of oxygen removed from the blood by the muscle in
Table 2 during heavy exercise greater than the volume removed at rest?

Show your working.

Page 3 of 37
 Answer ____________________ times (2)

(f) Does enriching inspired air with oxygen have any effect on the amount of oxygen
reaching the tissues? Support your answer with evidence from the graph and Table 2.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(3)

(g) The change to the dissociation curve is one of a number of ways in which the total oxygen
supplied to muscles is increased during exercise. Give two other ways in which the total
oxygen supplied to muscles during exercise is increased.

1. _________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

2. _________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(2)
(Total 15 marks)

Q3. (a) Explain why both the heart and arteries are described as organs.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(1)

The table shows changes in the volume of blood in the left ventricle over a period of one
second.

Time / s Volume of blood as

percentage of maximum

0 70

0.1 100

Page 4 of 37
 0.2 70

0.3 30

0.4 0

0.5 35

0.6 60

0.7 70

0.8 70

0.9 100

1.0 70

Use information in the table to answer the following questions.

(b) What is the approximate length of one cardiac cycle?

___________________________________________________________________
(1)

(c) At what time is there least blood in the right ventricle? Explain your answer.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(1)

(d) (i) Between which times are the muscles in the wall of the left atrium contracting?

Give the reason for your answer.

Times _________________________________________________________

Reason ________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________ (1)

(ii) Between which times are the semilunar valves in the arteries open? Give the reason
for your answer.

Times _________________________________________________________

Reason ________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________ (1)

(e) The maximum volume of blood in the left ventricle is 45 cm3. Calculate the volume of
blood in the left ventricle at 0.5 s. Show your working.

Page 5 of 37
 Volume of blood = ____________________ cm3
(2)
(Total 7 marks)

Q4. (a) Explain how a rise in blood pressure results in a decrease in the rate of heartbeat.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(6)

(b) Some drugs inhibit the transmission of nerve impulses to the heart. Explain how these
drugs reduce high blood pressure.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________ (2)
(Total 8 marks)

Q5. The graph shows the oxygen haemoglobin dissociation curves for three species of fish.

Page 6 of 37
(a) Species A lives in water containing a low partial pressure of oxygen. Species C lives in
water with a high partial pressure of oxygen. The oxygen haemoglobin dissociation curve
for species A is to the left of the curve for species C. Explain the advantage to species A
of having haemoglobin with a curve in this position.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(3)

(b) Species A and B live in the same place but B is more active. Suggest an advantage to B
of having an oxygen haemoglobin dissociation curve to the right of that for A.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(2)
(Total 5 marks)

Page 7 of 37
Q6. The chart shows the change in the speed of flow and pressure of blood from the start of the aorta
into the capillaries.

(a) Describe and explain the changes in the speed of flow of the blood shown in the chart.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________ (2)

(b) Explain how the structure of the arteries reduces fluctuations in pressure.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________ (2)

(c) Explain how the structure of capillaries is related to their function.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________ (2)

(d) In one cardiac cycle, the volume of blood flowing out of the heart along the pulmonary
artery is the same as the volume of blood returning along the pulmonary vein. Explain
why the volumes are the same although the speed of flow in the artery is greater than in
the vein.

Page 8 of 37
 ___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________ (1)
(Total 7 marks)

Q7. Lung cancer, chronic bronchitis and coronary heart disease (CHD) are associated with smoking.
Tables 1 and 2 give the total numbers of deaths from these diseases in the UK in 1974.

Table 1 Men

Age/years Number of deaths

(in thousands)

coronary heart
lung cancer chronic bronchitis
disease

35 - 64 11.5 4.2 31.7

65 - 74 12.6 8.5 33.3

75+ 5.8 8.1 29.1

Total (35 - 75+) 29.9 20.8 94.1

Table 2 Women

Age/years Number of deaths

(in thousands)

coronary heart
lung cancer chronic bronchitis
disease

35 – 64 3.2 1.3 8.4

65 – 74 2.6 1.9 18.2

75+ 1.8 3.5 42.3

Total (35 – 75+) 7.6 6.7 68.9

(i) Using an example from the tables, explain why it is useful to give data for men and
women separately.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________ (2)

(ii) Data like these are often given as percentages of people dying from each cause.

Explain the advantage of giving these data as percentages.

Page 9 of 37
 ___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________ (2)
(Total 4 marks)

Q8. The graph shows changes in pressure in different parts of the heart during a period of one second.

(a) (i) At what time do the semilunar valves close?

______________________________________________________________ (1)

(ii) Use the graph to calculate the heart rate in beats per minute.

Show your working.

Answer ____________________ beats per minute (1)

(iii) Use the graph to calculate the total time that blood flows out of the left side of the
heart during one minute when beating at this rate. Show your working.

Page 10 of 37
 Answer ____________________ seconds (1)

(b) What does curve X represent? Explain your answer.

X = _______________________________________________________________

Explanation _________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(2)

(c) The volume of blood pumped out of the left ventricle during one cardiac cycle is called the
stroke volume.

The volume of blood pumped out of the left ventricle in one minute is called the cardiac
output. It is calculated using the equation

Cardiac output = stroke volume × heart rate

After several months of training, an athlete had the same cardiac output but a lower
resting heart rate than before. Explain this change.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(2)
(Total 7 marks)

Q9. This question should be answered in continuous prose.

Quality of Written Communication will be assessed in these answers.

(a) Describe and explain four ways in which the structure of a capillary adapts it for the
exchange of substances between blood and the surrounding tissue.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Page 11 of 37
 ___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(4)

(b) Explain how tissue fluid is formed and how it may be returned to the circulatory system.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(6)
(Total 10 marks)

Q10. (a) The graph shows a dissociation curve for human haemoglobin at pH 7.4. The position of the
curve is different at pH 7.2.

Page 12 of 37
 (i) Sketch a curve on the graph to show the likely position of the dissociation curve at
pH 7.2.
(1)

(ii) Explain how a change in pH from 7.4 to 7.2 affects the supply of oxygen by
haemoglobin to the tissues.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(2)

(b) Explain what causes the pH to be reduced from 7.4 to 7.2 in a tissue.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(3)
(Total 6 marks)

Page 13 of 37
Q11. (a) Tissue fluid is formed from blood plasma. Complete the table to show substances present in
tissue fluid and blood plasma. Use a tick if the substance is present and a cross if it is absent.

Substance

Glucose Sodium ions Haemoglobin

Tissue fluid

Blood plasma

(2)

(b) The hydrostatic pressure of the blood at the arteriole end of the capillary helps to form
tissue fluid. Explain how.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(2)
(Total 4 marks)

Q12. The graph shows changes in pressure in the aorta, left ventricle and left atrium during one heart
beat.

Page 14 of 37
(a) The maximum pressure in the left atrium is lower than the maximum pressure in the left
ventricle. What causes this difference in maximum pressure?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(1)

(b) A stethoscope can be used to listen to the sounds made by the heart.

(i) What is the evidence from the graph that the first heart sound is caused by the
atrioventricular valve closing?

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(1)

(ii) What causes the second heart sound? Give the reason for your answer.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(2)
(Total 4 marks)

Page 15 of 37
Q13. The graph shows dissociation curves for haemoglobin in a fetus and in an adult.

(a) (i) What is the difference in percentage saturation between fetal haemoglobin and
adult haemoglobin at a partial pressure of 3 kPa?

______________________________________________________________
(1)

(ii) Explain the advantage of the curve for fetal haemoglobin being different from the
curve for adult haemoglobin.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(2)

(b) The dissociation curve for adult haemoglobin changes during vigorous exercise.

(i) Sketch on the graph the position of the curve during vigorous exercise.
(1)

(ii) Explain the advantage of this change in position.

Page 16 of 37
 ______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(2)
(Total 6 marks)

Q14. The diagram shows some blood vessels in muscle tissue.

(a) (i) Which type of blood vessel is X?

______________________________________________________________
(1)

(ii) Name two substances which are at a higher concentration in the blood at A than in
the blood at B.

1. ____________________________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________________________
(1)

(b) The table shows the mean diameter of the lumen and the rate of blood flow in some types
of human blood vessel.

Type of blood vessel Mean diameter of lumen / Rate of blood flow /

μm cm s–1

Artery 400 10 – 40

Arteriole 30 0.1 – 10

Capillary 8 less than 0.1

Page 17 of 37
 Using information in the table, explain what causes the rate of blood flow to be slower in
capillaries than in other vessels.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(2)

(c) (i) Which type of blood vessel has most elastic tissue in its wall?

______________________________________________________________
(1)

(ii) How does this elastic tissue help to smooth out the flow of blood in the blood
vessel?

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(2)
(Total 7 marks)

Q15. The diagram shows the pathways in the heart for the conduction of electrical impulses during the
cardiac cycle.

(a) The table shows the blood pressure in the left atrium, the left ventricle and the aorta at
different times during part of a cardiac cycle.

Blood pressure / kPa

Page 18 of 37
 Time / s Left atrium Left ventricle Aorta

0.0 0.5 0.4 10.6

0.1 1.2 0.7 10.6

0.2 0.3 6.7 10.6

0.3 0.4 17.3 16.0

0.4 0.8 8.0 12.0

(i) At which time is blood flowing into the aorta?

______________________________________________________________
(1)

(ii) Between which times are the atrioventricular valves closed?

______________________________________________________________
(1)

(b) The maximum pressure in the left ventricle is higher than the maximum pressure in the
right ventricle. What causes this difference in pressure?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(1)

(c) The information below compares some features of different blood vessels.

Blood vessel

Artery Capillary Vain

Mean diameter
4.0 mm 8.0 μm 5.0 mm
of vessel
Property
Mean thickness
1.0 mm 0.5 μm 0.5 mm
of wall

Relative thickness (shown by length of bar)

Endothelium
Tissues
present in Elastic tissue
wall
Muscle

Use the information to explain how the structures of the walls of arteries, veins and
capillaries are related to their functions.

Page 19 of 37
 ___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(6)
(Total 9 marks)

Q16. Tissue fluid is formed when water and small molecules pass out of capillaries at their arterial end.
The diagram shows some pressures involved in tissue fluid formation. The relative lengths of the arrows
indicate the size of the pressures.

(a) What causes the pressure represented by the arrow labelled A?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(1)

(b) Explain why there is a net loss of water from a capillary at the arterial end.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Page 20 of 37
 ___________________________________________________________________
(2)

(c) The total volume of fluid that passes from the capillaries to the surrounding tissue fluid is
normally greater than the volume that is reabsorbed into them. Describe what happens to
this extra fluid.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(2)

(d) Tissue fluid accumulates in the tissues of people who do not eat enough protein. Explain
why.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(2)
(Total 7 marks)

Q17. (a) Gas exchange in a fetus occurs across the placenta. Explain why it is important to maintain
a supply of blood to the lungs of the fetus, even when they are not being used for gas exchange.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(1)

(b) The oxygen haemoglobin dissociation curves for a woman and her fetus are shown in the
graph.

Page 21 of 37
 (i) Use the graph to find the difference between the percentage saturation of
haemoglobin in the blood of the woman and the fetus when the partial pressure of
oxygen in the placenta is 4 kPa.

Answer ___________________________________
(1)

(ii) Explain how efficient gas exchange is ensured by the dissociation curve for the fetus
being to the left of the dissociation curve for the woman.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(2)
(Total 4 marks)

Q18. (a) A woman takes moderate exercise. Explain what causes her heart rate to increase while she
exercises.

Page 22 of 37
 ___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(6)

(b) An electrocardiogram (ECG) measures the electrical changes occurring in cardiac muscle
as a heart is beating. An ECG trace for a healthy person and an ECG trace for a person
suffering from heart disease are shown.

(i) Describe the route taken when electrical impulses are transmitted from the sinoatrial
node to the muscles of the ventricles in a healthy heart.

______________________________________________________________

Page 23 of 37
 ______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(2)

(ii) Explain how information from these ECG traces suggests that the damage caused
to the diseased heart is unlikely to have affected the sinoatrial node.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(2)
(Total 10 marks)

Q19. In an investigation, the effects of caffeine on performance during exercise were measured. One
group of athletes (A) was given a drink of decaffeinated coffee. Another group (B) was given a drink of
decaffeinated coffee with caffeine added. One hour later the athletes started riding an exercise bike and
continued until too exhausted to carry on. Three days later the same athletes repeated the experiment,
with the drinks exchanged.

(a) (i) The researchers added caffeine to decaffeinated coffee. Explain why they did not
just use normal coffee.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(1)

(ii) The performance of the athletes might have been influenced by how they expected
the caffeine to affect them. How could the researchers avoid this possibility?

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(1)

During the exercise the concentrations of glycerol and fatty acids in the blood plasma were
measured. The results are shown in the table.

Drink Mean time to Mean Mean

exhaustion concentration of concentration of
/minutes blood glycerol/ blood fatty
mmol dm–3 acids/
mmol dm–3

With caffeine 90.2 0.20 0.53

Without caffeine 75.5 0.09 0.31

Page 24 of 37
(b) (i) Describe the effect of caffeine on exercise performance.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(1)

(ii) Suggest one explanation for the higher glycerol and fatty acid concentrations in the
blood plasma of the athletes after they were given caffeine.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(2)

(c) The researchers measured the volumes of carbon dioxide exhaled and oxygen inhaled
during the exercise. From the results they calculated the respiratory quotient (RQ), using
the formula

When a person is respiring carbohydrate only, RQ = 1.0

When a person is respiring fatty acids only, RQ = 0.7

(i) The basic equation for the respiration of glucose is

C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O

Explain why the RQ for glucose is 1.0.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(2)

(ii) The researchers found that, when the athletes were given the drink containing
caffeine, their mean RQ was 0.85. When given the drink without caffeine their mean
RQ was 0.92.

The researchers concluded that when the athletes had caffeine they used glycogen
more slowly than when they did not have caffeine, and that the store of glycogen in
their muscles was used up less quickly during the exercise.

Page 25 of 37
 Explain the evidence from the information above and from the table which supports
these conclusions.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(3)
(Total 10 marks)

Q20. The diagram shows a cross-section of an artery.

(a) Name the layer labelled Y.

___________________________________________________________________ (1)

(b) Layer Z contains a high proportion of elastic tissue.

Describe the advantage of having elastic tissue in the wall of an artery.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________ (2)

(c) Calculate the cross-sectional area of the lumen of the artery shown in the diagram. Show
your working.

The area of a circle is given by πr2, where r is the radius of a circle (π = 3.14).

Page 26 of 37
 Answer ____________________ mm2 (3)
(Total 6 marks)

Q21. The pressure of the blood in an artery was measured during a cardiac cycle. The minimum
pressure was 9.6 kPa and the maximum pressure was 13.4 kPa.

(a) Describe how the increase in pressure of the blood in the artery results from the events in
the cardiac cycle.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(2)

(b) The elastin fibres in the wall of the artery help to smooth out the flow of blood. What
happens to these fibres as the pressure of the blood in the artery changes?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(2)

(c) Give one way in which the structure of the wall of an artery is similar to the structure of
the wall of a capillary.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(1)
(Total 5 marks)

Q22. A decrease in the pH of blood plasma reduces the affinity of haemoglobin for oxygen.

(a) (i) Explain how aerobic respiration in cells leads to a change in the pH of blood
plasma.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

Page 27 of 37
 ______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(2)

(ii) What is the advantage to tissue cells of a reduction in the affinity of haemoglobin for
oxygen when the plasma pH decreases?

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(2)

(b) Deer mice are small mammals which live in North America. One population lives at high
altitude and another at low altitude. Less oxygen is available at high altitude. The graph
shows the oxygen haemoglobin dissociation curves for the two populations of deer mice.

(i) Explain the advantage for mice living at high altitude in having a dissociation curve
which is to the left of the curve for mice living at low altitude.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(2)

(ii) Suggest why it would be a disadvantage for the curve to be much further to the left.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(1)

Page 28 of 37
 (Total 7 marks)

Q23. The graph shows the changes in pressure which take place in the aorta of a mouse during several
heartbeats.

(a) Which chamber of the heart produces the increase in pressure recorded in the aorta?

___________________________________________________________________
(1)

(b) The pressure of blood in the aorta decreases during each heartbeat but does not fall
below 10 kPa. Explain what causes the pressure of blood to

(i) decrease during each heartbeat;

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(1)

(ii) stay above 10 kPa.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(2)

(c) The heart rate of a mouse is much higher than the heart rate of a human. Use the graph
to calculate the heart rate of the mouse. Show your working.

Page 29 of 37
 Heart rate = ____________________ beats per minute
(2)

(d) The cardiac output is the volume of blood pumped by a heart in one minute. The stroke
volume is the volume of blood pumped by a heart in a single heartbeat.

cardiac output = stroke volume × heart rate

The cardiac output for a mouse with a heart rate of 550 beats per minute is 16.6 cm3 per
minute. Calculate the stroke volume for this mouse. Show your working.

Stroke volume = ____________________ cm3

(2)
(Total 8 marks)

Q24. (a) The graph shows hourly blood pressure recordings from a group of 65 people.

(i) Describe how the mean maximum arterial blood pressure changes over the period
shown in the graph.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(1)

Page 30 of 37
 (ii) In each cardiac cycle, the arterial pressure has a maximum value. Explain the link
between this maximum value and the events of the cardiac cycle.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(1)

(iii) The recordings shown in this graph were taken from an artery. Describe two ways
in which you would expect blood pressure in a vein to differ from that in an artery.

1 ____________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

2 ____________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________ (2)

(b) Molecules of different substances differ in size. The relative molecular mass of a
substance gives an indication of the size of its molecules. The table shows the relative
permeability of the wall of a capillary to different molecules.

Substance Relative molecular Relative permeability

mass of capillary wall

Water 18 1.00

Urea 60 0.96

Glucose 180 0.60

Haemoglobin 68 000 0.01

Albumin (plasma protein) 69 000 0

Globulin (plasma protein) 140 000 0

(i) Describe the relationship between molecule size and the permeability of the
capillary wall.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________ (2)

(ii) The water potential of the plasma at the venule end of the capillary is more negative
than the water potential at the arteriole end. Use the table to explain why.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

Page 31 of 37
 ______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________ (2)

(iii) Although the capillary walls are slightly permeable to haemoglobin molecules, there
is no haemoglobin in the tissue fluid. Explain what causes the absence of
haemoglobin in tissue fluid.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________ (1)
(Total 9 marks)

Q25. The diagram shows vessels in a small piece of tissue from a mammal. The chart shows the
hydrostatic pressure of the blood as it flows through the capillary.

(a) Name the fluid contained in vessel X. ____________________________________

(1)

(b) Draw an arrow on the capillary to show the direction of the flow of blood. Describe the
evidence from the chart to support your answer.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(1)

(c) Describe and explain how water is exchanged between the blood and tissue fluid as blood
flows along the capillary.

___________________________________________________________________

Page 32 of 37
 ___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(4)

(d) Shrews are small mammals. Their tissues have a much higher respiration rate than
human tissues. The graph shows the position of the oxygen haemoglobin dissociation
curves for a shrew and a human.

Explain the advantage to the shrew of the position of the curve being different from that of
a human.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Page 33 of 37
 ___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(3)
(Total 9 marks)

Q26. (a) The diagram shows a section through the heart at one stage of the cardiac cycle.

(i) Name the structure labelled X.

______________________________________________________________
(1)

(ii) Suggest how the structures labelled Y help to maintain the flow of blood in one
direction through the heart.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(2)

(b) The chart shows the actions of the atria and the ventricles during a complete cardiac
cycle. Different stages have been given letters and a time scale added.

Page 34 of 37
 (i) Give the letter of the stage which is shown in the diagram of the heart.

______________________________________________________________
(1)

(ii) The heart beats for one minute at the rate shown by the chart. Calculate the total
time the ventricles are relaxed during one minute. Show your working.

Answer ____________________ seconds

(2)
(Total 6 marks)

Q27. (a) Haemoglobin is a protein with a quaternary structure. What is meant by a quaternary
structure?

___________________________________________________________________

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(1)

(b) Explain how oxygen in a red blood cell is made available for respiration in active tissues.

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(3)

(c) Haemoglobin is broken down in the liver. One product of this breakdown is amino acids.
Give one use in the body of these amino acids.

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(1)
(Total 5 marks)

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