Movement into and out of cells: past paper questions
Real questions on movement into and out of cells
The newest 20 of 52 written questions, plus 57 multiple-choice. Open one to see it on the real paper.
- 5090/21 · May/June 2025 · Q5c(ii)[2]
Explain how this will help the carbon to stay trapped in the dead seaweed. There is very little oxygen in the water at the bottom of the ocean. (ii)
See it on the paper → - 5090/22 · October/November 2024 · Q7a[4]
diffusion and active transport
See it on the paper → - 5090/21 · October/November 2023 · Q3b(i)[3]
Discuss why water makes up such a high percentage of an adult’s total body mass.
See it on the paper → - 5090/21 · October/November 2023 · Q3b(ii)[3]
Explain why a cell from human tissue will burst when it is placed in water.
See it on the paper → - 5090/21 · May/June 2023 · Q3b[3]
Explain how the movement of water molecules is involved in this increase in cell size.
See it on the paper → - 5090/21 · October/November 2022 · Q6a(ii)[6]
Water travels from A to D. The arrows on the diagram represent the movement of water molecules during transpiration. With reference to these arrows, name and define each process taking place. arrow arrow arrow
See it on the paper → - 5090/22 · May/June 2022 · Q2a(i)[1]
Describe what will happen to the upper box containing air as a person takes one breath in from the apparatus.
See it on the paper → - 5090/62 · May/June 2022 · Q1a[1]
Name a piece of apparatus suitable for measuring 2 cm 3 , other than a measuring cylinder. Some of the students’ results are shown in the table. total volume of juice collected / time / A B 0 0.0 0.0 2 12.0 4.0 4 18.5 6.5 6 21.0 7.0 8 21.5 8.0 10 The diagram below shows the juice collected in both measuring cylinders a...
See it on the paper → - 5090/62 · May/June 2022 · Q1b[3]
Complete the table headings and record the volumes of apple juice in the table.
See it on the paper → - 5090/62 · May/June 2022 · Q1d(i)[1]
stirring the contents of beakers A and B
See it on the paper → - 5090/62 · May/June 2022 · Q1d(ii)[1]
using a clean stirring rod to stir the contents of beaker B.
See it on the paper → - 5090/62 · May/June 2022 · Q1f(i)[4]
Use the information in the table to construct a line graph for the data for A. Join your points with ruled, straight lines.
See it on the paper → - 5090/62 · May/June 2022 · Q1f(ii)[3]
Use your graph to estimate the volume of juice collected at five minutes. Show your working on your graph. volume of juice collected at five minutes
See it on the paper → - 5090/61 · October/November 2021 · Q1a(i)[3]
Describe in detail how you would cut strips of potato to this size. The student then labelled four test-tubes A, B, C and D. She placed one potato strip in each and then added distilled water to test-tube A, and the sucrose solutions B, C and D to test-tubes B, C and D. She made sure that each potato strip was fully co...
See it on the paper → - 5090/61 · October/November 2021 · Q1a(ii)[1]
Describe what she could do to ensure that, after they had been removed from the test- tubes, she knew which potato strip had been in which solution. The diagram shows the four potato strips after 30 minutes in the solutions. A B C D
See it on the paper → - 5090/61 · October/November 2021 · Q1a(iii)[3]
Measure the lengths of strips A, B, C and D. Record the lengths of each strip at the start and end of the investigation and calculate the changes in length. Enter your results in the table. solution start length / mm end length / mm change in length / mm flexibility of strip A B C D She also assessed the flexibility of...
See it on the paper → - 5090/61 · October/November 2021 · Q1a(iv)[2]
Arrange the strips in order of decreasing flexibility and use the scale below to record this in the table. Record the most flexible strip as ++++ and the least flexible as +. most flexible/bendable ++++ +++ ++ least flexible/bendable +
See it on the paper → - 5090/61 · October/November 2021 · Q1a(v)[4]
Describe and explain the changes in length and flexibility in the potato strip that had been in solution A.
See it on the paper → - 5090/61 · October/November 2021 · Q1a(vi)[4]
Identify two problems with the method used in this investigation that might have led to unreliable conclusions. Suggest a way in which each could have been improved to make the results more reliable. problem improvement problem improvement
See it on the paper → - 5090/61 · October/November 2021 · Q1b(i)[2]
State two factors, apart from the mass of tissue, that should have been kept constant when using this method. When he removed the pieces of tissue from the test-tubes, he carefully dried them on a paper towel.
See it on the paper →
What examiners said
There were correct answers such as the importance of water as a solvent and its use in sweat, and in blood for transport. However, some answers were too vague to score, such as simply stating ‘used in temperature regulation’. Others just stated that water was needed to avoid dehydration or to stay hydrated.
— Examiner report, October/November 2023, 5090/21 Q3(b)(i) (Cambridge)
Many candidates seem to have heeded the advice of previous examiners’ reports and answered in terms of water potential differences. There were also many correct references to the lack of a cell wall being responsible for the bursting. A common error was to refer to the human cells becoming turgid.
— Examiner report, October/November 2023, 5090/21 Q3(b)(ii) (Cambridge)
Most candidates appreciated that the cells take up water to increase in size but did not always link this to osmosis. When explaining osmosis, the best answers referred to the differences in water potential inside and outside the cell. Candidates should be encouraged to use this terminology, as stated in the syllabus. If they describe concentration differences, it is often unclear whether they are...
— Examiner report, May/June 2023, 5090/21 Q3(b) (Cambridge)
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