Biotechnology and genetic modification: past paper questions
Real questions on biotechnology and genetic modification
The newest 15 of 15 written questions, plus 25 multiple-choice. Open one to see it on the real paper.
- 5090/21 · October/November 2025 · Q6b[2]
Alcohol (ethanol) is used as a biofuel. It can be made from plants, such as sugar cane, which grow in tropical countries such as Brazil. Describe how a living organism can be used to convert sugar found in plants into alcohol.
See it on the paper → - 5090/22 · October/November 2024 · Q6b(i)[4]
Outline the stages in the genetic modification process used to produce these crop plants.
See it on the paper → - 5090/22 · October/November 2024 · Q6b(ii)[2]
Genetic modification has been used to change crop plants in other ways. One example of this is the production of crop plants that contain a chemical to make them resistant to insect pests. Outline two potential risks of growing these crops.
See it on the paper → - 5090/21 · May/June 2024 · Q5a(iii)[2]
Explain why plasmids are useful in biotechnology.
See it on the paper → - 5090/21 · May/June 2024 · Q5b(i)[1]
Give the name of the large industrial containers used to grow bacteria.
See it on the paper → - 5090/22 · May/June 2024 · Q2c(i)[1]
Name the process that led to the evolution of the muscle behind each eye of the swordfish.
See it on the paper → - 5090/22 · May/June 2024 · Q2c(ii)[4]
Suggest reasons why the evolution of this feature has adapted swordfish to survive in the ocean.
See it on the paper → - 5090/22 · May/June 2024 · Q3b(ii)[1]
Most of the DNA in bacterial cells is found in one large loop in the cytoplasm. Name another structure in bacterial cells which contains DNA.
See it on the paper → - 5090/22 · May/June 2024 · Q5a(iii)[4]
Pineapples are an important crop in Hawaii, USA. They were introduced to Hawaii from South America. Birds called hummingbirds pollinate pineapple flowers. If pollinated, pineapple fruits develop and they contain hard, inedible seeds. If not pollinated, pineapple fruits develop without seeds. Hummingbirds are not found...
See it on the paper → - 5090/22 · October/November 2023 · Q5c[2]
Bacteria can be genetically modified to produce enzymes for use in biotechnology. State two reasons why bacteria are suitable for this purpose.
See it on the paper → - 5090/22 · May/June 2023 · Q7b[5]
Explain how genetic modification can be used to change the function of an enzyme so that it acts on a different substrate.
See it on the paper → - 5090/22 · May/June 2021 · Q9[9]
Describe the large-scale production of a named antibiotic and explain the importance of each stage of the process.
See it on the paper → - 5090/22 · October/November 2020 · Q3b[3]
Scientists have recently used the process of genetic engineering to develop a type of apple that does not produce the enzyme PPO in its tissues. Suggest possible advantages of this type of apple.
See it on the paper → - 5090/22 · October/November 2019 · Q2c(i)[1]
Name the process that scientists would use to transfer the gene from these bacteria into the DNA of a plant.
See it on the paper → - 5090/22 · October/November 2019 · Q2c(ii)[3]
Suggest and explain the possible advantages of transferring this gene into the DNA of a plant used to produce crops that humans eat.
See it on the paper →
What examiners said
The syllabus states that two reasons why bacteria are useful in biotechnology are the presence of plasmids and the fact that there are no ethical concerns over their use. It was relatively rare to find candidates mentioning either of these points; instead they tended to score marks if they mentioned that bacteria reproduce very fast or that bacteria are relatively easy to grow.
— Examiner report, October/November 2023, 5090/22 Q5(c) (Cambridge)
After the straightforward recall question in (a) candidates were challenged by the final question. To do well on this question they were required to synthesise information from different parts of the syllabus in order to produce a clear, logical explanation. Many picked up on the term ‘genetic modification’ and wanted to explain details of how a gene is modified rather than how modifying a gene ca...
— Examiner report, May/June 2023, 5090/22 Q7(b) (Cambridge)
This was the least commonly answered question in this section. A small number of candidates did not gain credit as they wrote about irrelevant processes including why antibiotics are used, what diseases can be treated by antibiotics, and genetically engineering bacteria to produce insulin. A small number of candidates misinterpreted the question to be about yogurt making rather than the productio...
— Examiner report, May/June 2021, 5090/22 Q9 (Cambridge)
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