A LevelBiologyOCRExam Questions5. Communication, Homeostasis & Energy5.6 Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis (OCR A Level Biology)

Exam Questions

2 hours28 questions

Select a question set to download for
5.6 Photosynthesis

Select an answer set to view for
5.6 Photosynthesis

Easy
Medium
Hard
1
Sme Calculator1 mark

Which statement(s) correctly describe(s) chloroplast structure?

1 Thylakoids stack together to form lamellae
2 Thylakoid membranes contain photosystems 1 and 2
3 Chloroplasts are surrounded by a double membrane

  • 1, 2 and 3

  • Only 1 and 2

  • Only 2 and 3

  • Only 1

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

2
Sme Calculator1 mark

Which statement(s) correctly describe(s) photosynthetic pigments in photosynthesis?

1 Carotenoids are accessory pigments
2 The pigments pass electrons to the electron transport chain
3 Chlorophylls absorb light in the green part of the spectrum

  •  1, 2 and 3

  • Only 1 and 2

  • Only 2 and 3

  • Only 1

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

3
Sme Calculator1 mark

Below is a diagram of the Calvin cycle.ocr-a-5-6e-mcq-q3-calvin-cycle

Which row in the table correctly identifies compounds X, Y and Z shown in the diagram?

  Compound X Compound Y Compound Z
A Ribulose bisphosphate (RuBP) Triose phosphate NADPH
B Triose phosphate Ribulose bisphosphate (RuBP) NADPH
C Ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase Glucose NADP
D Ribulose bisphosphate (RuBP) Hexose sugars NADP

    Choose your answer

    Did this page help you?

    4
    Sme Calculator    1 mark

    The graph below shows the effect of carbon dioxide concentration on the rate of photosynthesis.ocr-a-5-6e-mcq-q4-rate-of-photosynthesis-co2-concentration

    Which of the following statements about the graph is correct?

    • There is a positive correlation between carbon dioxide concentration and rate of photosynthesis

    • At the point labelled P, photosynthesis could be limited by light intensity

    • At the point labelled P, photosynthesis could be limited by carbon dioxide concentration

    • At the point labelled P, photosynthesis reaction rate is decreasing

    Choose your answer

    Did this page help you?

    5
    Sme Calculator    1 mark

    Which statement(s) about the relationship between the light-dependent reaction and the light-independent reaction in photosynthesis is/are correct?

    1 The light-independent reaction can still continue in long periods of darkness
    2 Reduced NADP is used in the light-independent reaction to produce triose phosphate
    3 ATP produced in the light-dependent reaction is used to produce ribulose bisphosphate (RuBP).

    • 1, 2 and 3

    • Only 1 and 2

    • Only 2 and 3

    • Only 1

    Choose your answer

    Did this page help you?

    1
    Sme Calculator    1 mark

    Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic prokaryotes.

    A scientist exposed cyanobacteria to light of different colours and intensities and made the following observations:

    • Most cyanobacteria are blue in colour.
    • At low light intensities, glucose production in cyanobacteria is low.
    • When light intensity reaches a certain level the rate of glucose production in cyanobacteria stops increasing.

    Which of the following statements, A to D, correctly explains these observations?

    • The pigments in cyanobacteria absorb blue light and light intensity is a limiting factor for the rate of photosynthesis.

    • The pigments in cyanobacteria absorb red light and light intensity is not a limiting factor for the rate of photosynthesis.

    • The pigments in cyanobacteria absorb blue light and light intensity is not a limiting factor for the rate of photosynthesis.

    • The pigments in cyanobacteria absorb red light and light intensity is a limiting factor for the rate of photosynthesis.

    Choose your answer

    Did this page help you?

    2
    Sme Calculator    1 mark

    Which of the following, A to D, is a similarity in the way ATP is made in respiration and photosynthesis?

    • Both involve NAD.

    • Both involve substrate level phosphorylation.

    • Both involve photons.

    • Both involve proton gradients.

    Choose your answer

    Did this page help you?

    3
    Sme Calculator    1 mark

    Which of the images, A to D, correctly summarises photosynthesis?

    q2-paper-1-june-2017-ocr-a-level-biology

      Choose your answer

      Did this page help you?

      4
      Sme Calculator      1 mark

      RuBisCO is an enzyme that fixes carbon dioxide in photosynthesis. In some conditions, RuBisCO also carries out oxygen fixation.

      The graph below shows how the carbon dioxide and oxygen fixing activities of RuBisCO are affected by temperature.

      hw6zEUeZ_q8-paper-1-june-2017-ocr-a-level-biology

      What are the correct percentage changes in RuBisCO carbon dioxide and oxygen fixing activities between 30 °C and 40 °C?

      • Carbon dioxide fixation –12.7 %, oxygen fixation 23.3 %.

      • Carbon dioxide fixation –14.6 %, oxygen fixation 18.9 %.

      • Carbon dioxide fixation –2.4 %, oxygen fixation 54.2 %.

      • Carbon dioxide fixation –3.6 %, oxygen fixation 35.1 %.

      Choose your answer

      Did this page help you?

      5
      Sme Calculator      1 mark

      Phospholipid bilayers play crucial roles within plant cells.

      Which of the following statements linked to the importance of membranes in plant cells is/are true?

      Statement 1: ATP synthase embedded in thylakoid membranes maintains chemiosmotic gradients.
      Statement 2: Phospholipid bilayers within the chloroplast are impermeable to protons.
      Statement 3: Thylakoid membranes contain electron transport chain proteins.

      • 1, 2 and 3

      • Only 1 and 2

      • Only 2 and 3

      • Only 1

      Choose your answer

      Did this page help you?

      6
      Sme Calculator      1 mark

      During photosynthesis the following reaction occurs.

      2H2O → 4e- + 4H+ + O2

      Which of the following statements relating to this reaction is not correct?

      • All of the oxygen derived from the splitting of water is used for cellular respiration.

      • Water is broken down using energy derived from light.

      • The splitting of water replaces electrons lost during photoexcitation of photosystem II.

      • Electrons derived from the splitting of water are used in subsequent stages of photosynthesis.

      Choose your answer

      Did this page help you?

      7
      Sme Calculator      1 mark

      The graph below shows how light intensity affects the rate of carbon dioxide absorption by leaves at different temperatures and carbon dioxide concentrations.

      jmdWK3gv_h-5

      Which of the following rows correctly identifies the possible limiting factor for photosynthesis at I, II, III and IV?

        I II III IV
      A. CO2 concentration Light intensity Temperature Photosynthetic capacity
      B. Light intensity Temperature CO2 concentration Photosynthetic capacity
      C. Temperature Light intensity Photosynthetic capacity CO2 concentration
      D. Light intensity CO2 concentration Temperature Photosynthetic capacity

        Choose your answer

        Did this page help you?

        8
        Sme Calculator        1 mark

        Paper chromatography can be used to separate photosynthetic pigments obtained from chloroplasts. The chromatography strip shows distinct coloured pigment bands.

        chlorophyll-pigment-chromatography-mcq

        The table show the Rf values of the separated pigments.

        Pigment Rf value
        Carotene 0.95
        Chlorophyll A 0.45
        Chlorophyll B 0.35
        Xanthophyll 0.51

        Which pigment bands are represented by bands 3 and 4?

        • Carotene and xanthophyll

        • Carotene and chlorophyll A

        • Xanthophyll and chlorophyll A

        • Chlorophyll A and chlorophyll B

        Choose your answer

        Did this page help you?

        91 mark

        The effect of different colours of light on the growth of Arabidopsis thaliana (thale cress) seedlings was studied.

        Three different colours of light were tested and measurements of seedling height, shoot length, and biomass were taken.

        Colour of light  Wavelength of light
        (nm)         		 Height of seedlings
        (cm)         		 Shoot length
        (cm) 

        Total biomass
        (g)
        Blue 450 3.5 2.8 2.4
        Orange 600 2.3 2.0 2.8
        Red 630 7.4 6.1 3.7


        What conclusions can be drawn from the data?

        • White light gives the optimal conditions for photosynthesis.

        • There is a linear relationship between wavelength of light and plant growth.

        • Red light enhances plant growth.

        • There is no correlation between total biomass and plant height.

        Choose your answer

        Did this page help you?

        101 mark

        Which row correctly identifies products of the light dependent stage with their corresponding destination?

          Products Destination
        A. NADH, ATP  The electron transport chain
        B. O2, NADPH, ATP The Calvin cycle
        C. Acetyl CoA, NAD, FAD The Krebs cycle
        D. NADPH, ATP The Calvin cycle

          Choose your answer

          Did this page help you?

          11
          Sme Calculator          1 mark

          The image shows an electron transport chain.

          BDYhMUe-_electron-transport-chain-mcq

          Which of the following correctly describes what is happening at X and Y?

            X Y
          A. Oxidation of NADH Oxygen acts as the terminal electron acceptor
          B. Photolysis of water Reduction of NADP
          C. Oxidation of water Reduction of NAD
          D. Photolysis of water Oxidation of NADP

            Choose your answer

            Did this page help you?

            1
            Sme Calculator            1 mark

            The diagram below shows the structure of a chloroplast.ocr-a-5-6h-mcq-q1-chloroplast

            Which of the following statements, A to D, describes an event that occurs inside the structure labelled X?

            • Movement of H+, against a concentration gradient, via ATP synthase

            • Cyclic photophosphorylation involving photosystem II

            • Splitting of water molecules

            • X contains photosystem I and photosystem II

            Choose your answer

            Did this page help you?

            2
            Sme Calculator            1 mark

            During autumn the nights lengthen and temperatures fall. Observations relating to plant activity at this time of year include:

            • Some leaves turn yellow or orange
            • Photosynthesis rates decrease

            Which of the following statement(s) correctly explain(s) these observations?

            1 There is less synthesis of chlorophyll a
            2 There is reduced carbon fixation by rubisco
            3 Xanthophylls and carotenoids absorb light at wavelengths of 600-650 nm

            • 1, 2 and 3

            • Only 1 and 2

            • Only 2 and 3

            • Only 1

            Choose your answer

            Did this page help you?

            3
            Sme Calculator            1 mark

            A student investigated the rate of the light-dependent stage of photosynthesis at different light intensities.

            DCPIP indicator was added into a series of test tubes containing leaf extract, and each tube was exposed to a different light intensity. 

            The time taken for the solution to turn green is recorded.  

            Which of the following statement(s) about DCPIP is/are correct?

            1 DCPIP undergoes reduction during the light dependent reactions
            2 The faster the DCPIP turns from blue to colourless, the more glucose is produced
            3 The DCPIP indicator turns green when the light dependent reactions are taking place

            • 1, 2 and 3

            • Only 1 and 2

            • Only 2 and 3

            • Only 1

            Choose your answer

            Did this page help you?

            4
            Sme Calculator            1 mark

            The table below shows how concentrations of GP and RuBP are affected by different carbon dioxide concentrations.

            Relative percentage concentration of carbon dioxide, CO2 (%)

            Concentration of glycerate 3-phosphate, GP (µmol)

            Concentration of ribulose bisphosphate, RuBP (µmol)
            0.01 1.2 1.5
            0.02 1.3 1.5
            0.03 1.4 1.3
            0.04 1.5 1.2

            Which of the following statements could explain the data provided?

            1 There is a reduction in ATP and reduced NADP from the light dependent stage
            2 Rubisco is inhibited by oxygen
            3 Triose phosphate is used to make glucose

            • 1, 2 and 3

            • Only 1 and 2

            • Only 2 and 3

            • Only 1

            Choose your answer

            Did this page help you?

            5
            Sme Calculator            1 mark

            Which of the following statements about triose phosphate is correct?

            • Triose phosphate production is unaffected by the absence of light

            • Glycerate 3-phosphate is reduced and loses a phosphate group to form triose phosphate

            • Triose phosphate is used to produce starch

            • Six turns of the Calvin cycle are needed to regenerate 6 RuBP from 12 triose phosphate

            Choose your answer

            Did this page help you?