A LevelBiologyCIEExam Questions8. Transport in Mammals8.1 The Circulatory System

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First exams 2025

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The Circulatory System (CIE A Level Biology)

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8.1 The Circulatory System

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8.1 The Circulatory System

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11 mark

Arteries will resist any changes of blood pressure flowing through it.

Which feature of an artery allows it to do this?

1

Thick layer of muscle in the artery wall

2

Thick elastic layer in the artery wall

3

Smooth endothelium

  • 1, 2 and 3

  • 1 and 2

  • 1 and 3

  • 2 and 3

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21 mark

The following lists some features of the circulatory system.

Which is not a factor that enables one-way flow of blood?

  1. The separate of the systemic and pulmonary circulatory systems
  2. The structure of the veins
  3. The valves of the heart
  4. The diameter of the blood vessels

  • 1 and 2

  • 2 and 3

  • 1 and 4

  • 3 and 4

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31 mark

The following lists some features of blood, tissue fluid and lymph.

1

Fatty acids

2

White blood cells

3

Proteins

4

Carbon dioxide

Which of the above components are found in all three substances?

  • 1 and 2

  • 1, 2 and 4

  • 1, 2 and 3

  • 1 and 4

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41 mark

The majority of mammals (including humans) have a double circulatory system.

What does the term double circulatory system mean?

  • The heart has two of each chamber, the atria and the ventricles.

  • Blood passes twice through the heart during one complete circulation of the body.

  • The blood circulates separately in the two sides of the heart.

  • Two sets of valves closing contributes to the double-sound of each heartbeat.

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51 mark

All blood vessels are made up of different tissues.

Which of the following is present in all of them?

  • Smooth muscle

  • Endothelial

  • Elastin

  • Fibrous

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61 mark

An arteriole is a small blood vessel found leading to the capillary bed in tissues. One function of an arteriole is to increase or decrease the flow of blood to the tissues.

Which of the following tissues allows the arteriole to carry out this function?

1

Muscle

2

Collagen

3

Elastic

  • 1, 2 and 3

  • 1 and 3

  • 1 only

  • 3 only

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7
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The micrograph below shows human blood. There are four cells labelled.

cie-q7-8-1

Which row of the table below labels the cells correctly?

  W X Y Z

A

B

C

D

lymphocyte

erythrocyte

neutrophil

erythrocyte

erythrocyte

neutrophil

monocyte

lymphocyte

monocyte

phagocyte

lymphocyte

neutrophil

neutrophil

lymphocyte

erythrocyte

neutrophil

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    81 mark

    Arteries have thick elastic layers in their walls; those closest to the heart have thicker layers than the rest.

    Which of the following statements about this layer is correct?

    1 It reduces friction within the blood vessels.
    2 It maintains even blood flow from the heart.
    3 It prevents too high a pressure bursting the artery wall.

    • 1 and 2

    • 1 and 3

    • 2 and 3

    • 3 only

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    91 mark

    Which row shows correctly identifies the composition of tissue fluid?

      phagocytes platelets protein concentration compared to plasma

    A

    B

    C

    D

    X

    ✓

    X

    ✓

    X

    ✓

    ✓

    X

    higher

    higher

    lower

    lower

    Key ✓ = present, X = absent

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      101 mark

      The table below shows some features of arteries, veins and capillaries:

        feature  arteries veins

      capillaries

      1

      2

      3

      wall

      lumen

      blood pressure

      thick

      wide

      high

      thin

      narrow

      low

      single cell

      narrow

      low

      Which row in the table is correct?

      • 1 and 2

      • 1 and 3

      • 2 and 3

      • 1, 2 and 3

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      11 mark

      The image below shows two structures commonly found in mammals. A light microscope was used to view the sample.

      q11-cie-8-1

        X Y Feature
      A vein atrium Y contains deoxygenated blood
      B trachea artery the lumen of X allows air to pass through
      C bronchiole vein Y contains cells with oxyhaemoglobin
      D artery vein Y contains deoxygenated blood

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        21 mark

        When a transverse section of different blood vessels was viewed under a light microscope the following observations were made.

        Which row is correct?

          outer wall of artery  layer of muscles and elastic fibres diameter of the lumen
        A thinner thinner wider
        B thinner thicker narrower
        C thicker thinner wider
        D thicker thicker narrower

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          31 mark

          Most mammals have a closed double circulatory system.

          The diagram shows a circulatory system. The arrows indicate the direction of flow of the blood.diagram-5

          Which of the following is the correct description for this type of circulation?

          • open single

          • open double

          • closed single

          • closed double

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          41 mark

          The table shows the features of three blood vessels in the mammalian circulatory system.

          vessel 1 vessel 2 vessel 3
          thin layer of smooth muscle with few elastic fibres thick layer of elastic fibres and smooth muscle no elastic fibres or smooth muscle


          What are vessels 1, 2 and 3?

            vein capillary Artery
          A 3 2 1
          B 1 3 2
          C 2 3 1
          D 1 2 3

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            51 mark

            Figure 1 below shows a red blood cell with an actual size of 8 µm.

            Each small division on the ruler is 1 mm. 

            How many times has the cell been magnified?

            redbloodcellwithruler

            • 6625

            • 6.625

            • 662.5

            • 66.25

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            61 mark

            Which statement correctly identifies similarities between blood plasma and tissue fluid?

            • White blood cells are found in both blood plasma and tissue fluid.

            • The blood plasma is under the same pressure as the tissue fluid.

            • Protein is found in equal concentration in both blood plasma and tissue fluid.

            • The water potential of the blood plasma and tissue fluid are equal.

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            71 mark

            The pressure of the blood leaving the capillaries is about seven times smaller than that of blood entering the capillaries.

            Which of the following statements describe this observation?

            1 Veins have fewer elastic and muscle fibres in their walls than arteries.
            2 Tissue fluid formation is due to a net loss of plasma from capillaries.
            3 Blood pressure decreases with distance from the heart.

            • 1 and 2

            • 1, 2 and 3

            • 2 and 3

            • 1 and 3

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            81 mark

            Which row of the table below correctly identifies the blood vessels?

              collagen fibres present in tunica externa (adventitia) thick tunica media present squamous endothelium present
            A veins veins arteries veins and capillaries
            B arteries and veins arteries arteries veins and capillaries
            C arteries and veins arteries veins and capillaries
            D veins arteries and veins arteries and capillaries

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              91 mark

              The following statements compare blood tissue fluid and lymph

              1 W lacks large plasma proteins and red blood cells and has a higher water potential than Z
              2 X is at a lower pressure than Y and contains red blood cells and large plasma proteins
              3 Y is at a higher pressure than W and contains red blood cells and large plasma proteins
              4 Z is at a lower pressure than Y and lacks red blood cells

              Which row identifies correctly W, X, Y, and Z?

                W X Y Z
              A tissue fluid blood leaving the capillary blood entering the capillary lymph
              B lymph blood entering the capillary tissue fluid blood leaving the capillary
              C blood leaving the capillary lymph tissue fluid blood entering the capillary
              D blood entering the capillary lymph blood leaving the capillary tissue fluid

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                101 mark

                Which of the following is the correct sequence of layers in the vessel wall from outside to inside?

                  tunica media tunica intima tunica externa
                A 3 2 1
                B 1 3 2
                C 2 3 1
                D 1 2 3

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                  11 mark

                  The graphs below show how different conditions change through blood vessels in the following sequence:

                  artery (art) → arterioles (a) → capillaries (c) → venules (v) → veins (vein)

                  Which set of graphs are correct in relation to the sequence above?

                  q21-cie-8-1-1

                      q21-cie-8-1-2

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                    21 mark

                    Kwashiorkor is a disease caused by a lack of protein. The concentration of plasma protein is much lower in a sufferer than in a healthy individual. One symptom of kwashiorkor is oedema. 

                    Which statement below correctly describes Kwashiorkor patients?

                    • The water potential is higher in the plasma than in the tissue fluid at the arterial end of the capillary bed.

                    • The water potential is lower in the plasma than in the tissue fluid at the arterial end of the capillary bed.

                    • Water is a polar molecule and is known as the ‘universal solvent; so less proteins will dissolve in the plasma.

                    • The water potential of the blood plasma and tissue fluid are equal.

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                    31 mark

                    Water is the basis of blood, tissue fluid and lymph.

                    Which of the following statements describes properties of water that makes it useful as the fluid of the circulatory system?

                    1 specific latent heat of fusion
                    2 specific heat capacity
                    3 polar molecule

                    • 2 and 3

                    • 1, 2 and 3

                    • 1 and 2

                    • 1 and 3

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                    41 mark

                    A student studied the structure of a blood vessel and found:

                    1 an innermost layer of endothelial cells
                    2 a thick middle layer of smooth muscle and elastic tissue
                    3 an outer layer of collagen fibres


                    Which vessel were they studying?

                    • Vein

                    • Capillary

                    • Venule

                    • Artery

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                    51 mark

                    Dissolved materials change the oncotic pressure of a fluid, which is related to water potential, ψ.

                    The following table shows some changes in the oncotic pressure and hydrostatic pressure in a capillary.

                    Which row shows the correct changes?

                      pressure (mmHg)
                    arterial end of capillary venous end of capillary
                    oncotic hydrostatic  oncotic Hydrostatic

                    A

                    B

                    C

                    D

                    −20

                    −20

                    20

                    −20

                    13

                    minus13

                    33

                    33

                    −20

                    −20

                    −20

                    −20

                    33

                    13

                    13

                    13

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                      61 mark

                      Tissue fluid is formed from blood plasma in the capillaries.

                      Which statement below correctly identifies why?

                      • solute potential < osmotic pressure

                      • hydrostatic pressure > oncotic pressure

                      • oncotic pressure > hydrostatic pressure

                      • osmotic pressure > hydrostatic pressure

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                      71 mark

                      Blood is made up of several different cells.

                      Which of the following statements about blood cells is incorrect?

                      • The majority of organelles in red blood cells are broken down by hydrolysis

                      • Erythrocytes develop large number of ribosomes early in their differentiation.

                      • Neutrophils undergo mutation during differentiation.

                      • Erythrocytes and neutrophils are derived from the same stem cells.

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                      81 mark

                      The aquatic crustacean Daphnia magna has a heart that pumps blood-like liquid called hemolymph around the body cavity

                      Which of the following statements about the circulatory system is correct?

                      • single closed

                      • single open

                      • double closed

                      • double open

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                      91 mark

                      Blood travels in several major blood vessels.

                      Which row in the table shows the correct sequence for the flow of the blood vessels after blood has passed through the vena cava?

                        pulmonary artery pulmonary vein aorta 
                      A 3 2 1
                      B 1 3 2
                      C 2 3 1
                      D 1 2 3

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                        101 mark

                        Water moves between the plasma and the tissue fluid at the venule end of the capillary.

                        Which of the following statements correctly describes the mechanism behind this movement?

                        • The hydrostatic pressure is greater than the oncotic pressure so water moves out of the capillary.

                        • The oncotic pressure is greater than the hydrostatic pressure so water moves into the capillary.

                        • The oncotic pressure is greater than the hydrostatic pressure so water moves out of the capillary.

                        • The hydrostatic pressure is greater than the oncotic pressure so the water moves into the capillary.

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