Communicable Diseases, Disease Prevention & the Immune System (OCR AS Biology)

Exam Questions

3 hours38 questions
1
Sme Calculator
1 mark

Pathogens are  disease-causing organisms in plants and animals. Many microorganisms are pathogens.

Which of the following correctly links the type of pathogen and the disease caused by it in animals?

  Bacteria Viruses Fungi Protoctists
A Tuberculosis Influenza Athlete's foot Malaria
B Athlete's foot Malaria Tuberculosis Influenza
C Tuberculosis Influenza Malaria Athlete's foot
D Athlete's foot Influenza Tuberculosis Malaria

    Did this page help you?

    2
    Sme Calculator
    1 mark

    Which of the following is an example of a non-infectious disease?

    • AIDS

    • Ring rot

    • Athlete’s foot

    • Cystic fibrosis

    Did this page help you?

    3
    Sme Calculator
    1 mark

    The image below shows a human blood smear.ocr-as4-1e-mcq-q3-human-blood-smear

    The cell labelled C is a neutrophil.

    Which of the following statements correctly describes the neutrophil?

    1 They are released in large numbers when a pathogen attacks
    2 They are long-lived cells
    3 They carry out the process of phagocytosis
    • 1,2, and 3

    • 1 and 2 only

    • 1 and 3 only

    • 3 only

    Did this page help you?

    4
    Sme Calculator
    1 mark

    The diagram shows the primary and secondary responses to an antigen.ocr-4-1e-mcq-q4-primary-and-secondary-response-to-antigen

    Which of the following statements describes the secondary response if the same pathogen attacks?

    1 The antibody concentration in the blood takes one to two weeks to increase
    2 The antibody concentration in the blood increases quickly due to the presence of memory cells
    3 Many symptoms of the disease will develop during the secondary response

    • 1,2, and 3

    • 1 and 2 only

    • 1 and 3 only

    • 2 only

    Did this page help you?

    5
    Sme Calculator
    1 mark

    Which of the following plant diseases are caused by a pathogen from the kingdom fungi?

    • Tobacco mosaic disease

    • Ring rot

    • Potato blight

    • Black Sigatoka

    Did this page help you?

    1
    Sme Calculator
    1 mark

    Which of the following human diseases, A to D, is caused by a fungus?

    • athlete’s foot

    • influenza

    • malaria

    • tuberculosis

    Did this page help you?

    2
    Sme Calculator
    1 mark

    Which of the following plant diseases, A to D, is caused by a pathogen from the kingdom Protoctista?

    • black sigatoka in bananas

    • ring rot in tomatoes

    • tobacco mosaic disease

    • tomato late blight

    Did this page help you?

    3
    Sme Calculator
    1 mark

    Refer to the following image of a human blood smear.

    q4-paper-2-nov-2020-ocr-a-level-biology

    Which of the blood components, labelled A to D, shows a lymphocyte?

      Did this page help you?

      4
      Sme Calculator
      1 mark

      Plants can produce a variety of chemicals in response to pathogens.

      Which of the following, A to D, is produced by plants in response to pathogens?

      • antibacterial compounds

      • antibodies

      • ethylene

      • penicillin

      Did this page help you?

      5
      Sme Calculator
      1 mark

      Biodiversity is important for the development of new medicines.

      Which of the following statements about the development of new medicines is incorrect?   

      • Computer modelling can be used to identify useful medicinal compounds.

      • Genetically modified bacteria can be used to synthesise medicines.

      • Many pathogenic bacteria have become immune to antibiotics.

      • Microorganisms are an important source of new medicines.

      Did this page help you?

      6
      Sme Calculator
      1 mark

      Which of the following is/are not involved in the primary response against infection?

      • memory B-cells

      • mast cells

      • mitosis

      • platelets

      Did this page help you?

      7
      Sme Calculator
      1 mark

      Which of the following statements about antibiotic resistance is correct?

      • All antibiotics cause mutations in bacterial DNA.

      • Antibiotic resistance in bacteria is evidence to support Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection.

      • The development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria is an example of genetic drift.

      • The development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria is an example of stabilising selection.

      Did this page help you?

      81 mark

      Which of the following antibodies increase(s) the phagocytosis of pathogens?

      1 opsonins

      2 agglutinins

      3 anti-toxins

      • 1, 2 and 3

      • Only 1 and 2

      • Only 2 and 3

      • Only 1

      Did this page help you?

      91 mark

      Which of the following describes an autoimmune disease?   

      • a disease in which an individual’s own body cells are antigenic

      • a disease in which a pathogen attacks cells of the immune system

      • a disease that prevents production of antibodies

      • a disease to which an individual has developed immunity

      Did this page help you?

      10
      Sme Calculator
      1 mark

      Which of the options, A to D, is a primary defence against pathogens?

      • antibody production

      • inflammation

      • phagocytosis

      • T-killer cells

      Did this page help you?

      11
      Sme Calculator
      1 mark

      Three methods of pathogen transmission between animals or plants are listed below.

      1 direct contact
      2 vectors
      3 droplets


      Which of the methods of pathogen transmission does not apply to plants?

      • 1, 2 and 3

      • Only 3

      • Only 2 and 3

      • Only 1

      Did this page help you?

      12
      Sme Calculator
      1 mark

      If a person is bitten by a venomous snake, the immediate treatment is normally to inject the person with the appropriate antibodies.

      This is an example of which type of immunity?

      • artificial active immunity

      • artificial passive immunity

      • natural active immunity

      • natural passive immunity

      Did this page help you?

      13
      Sme Calculator
      1 mark

      The diagram represents the general structure of an antibody.

      q13-paper-2-specimen-ocr-a-level-biology

      Which of the following numbered part(s) of the diagram represent the part of the antibody that has the same sequence of amino acids in all antibodies?

      • 1, 2 and 3

      • Only 1 and 2

      • Only 2 and 3

      • Only 1

      Did this page help you?

      1
      Sme Calculator
      1 mark

      Plants respond rapidly to attacks from pathogens with a number of defence strategies.

      Which of the following strategies is not a chemical defence against pathogen infection?

      • Glucanases are released that break down polysaccharides in the cell walls of oomycetes.

      • Callose is deposited in the plasmodesmata between infected and healthy cells.

      • Chitinases are released that break down chitin in fungal cell walls.

      • Chemicals are broken down to form cyanide compounds.

      Did this page help you?

      2
      Sme Calculator
      1 mark

      The graph below shows the global annual reported cases of measles and coverage of the measles-containing Vaccine (MCV) between 1980 and 2013.ocra-4-1h-mcq-measles-graph

      Which of the following states the correct percentage decrease in the number of cases of measles between 1992 and 2004?

      • 67%

      • 50%

      • 7%

      • 6%

      Did this page help you?

      3
      Sme Calculator
      1 mark

      There are three main types of T lymphocyte that mature in the thymus gland. Which of the following descriptions correctly describe the different types of T lymphocyte?

      1 T killer cells have CD4 receptors on their cell-surface membranes.
      2 T memory cells are a part of immunological memory.
      3 T helper cells produce a chemical called perforin.
      • 1, 2 and 3.

      • Just 1.

      • 1 and 3 only

      • Just 2.

      Did this page help you?

      4
      Sme Calculator
      1 mark

      The table below shows data published by the WHO about the incidence of tuberculosis in two different years for four different income groups:

      Income group Incidence of TB per 100 000 population
      In 2000 In 2008
      Low 280 280
      Lower middle 150 150
      Upper middle 100 110
      High 17 14

      Which of the following calculated sets of results are correct?

        Percentage increase in upper middle income group from 2000 - 2008 Percentage decrease in high income group from 2000 - 2008 Overall percentage increase
      A 10% 82% 1.26%
      B 90.9% 12.1% 1.28%
      C 10% 17.65% 1.28%
      D 9% 12.1% 1.26%

        Did this page help you?

        5
        Sme Calculator
        1 mark

        Which of the following characteristics make bacterial plasmids ideal for genetic engineering?

        • Bacterial plasmids are able to self-replicate

        • Bacteria have a capsule for protection

        • Bacteria have flagella for movement

        • Bacteria contain ribosomes for protein synthesis

        Did this page help you?