These ten questions mix the five skills in drugs and biological effects. They are ordered from easier to harder. All substances and data are invented for practice, so do not treat them as real research.
Write each answer on paper in full sentences before opening the worked answer. Then use the routing guide at the end to decide which lesson to revisit. The mistake log and retest queue is a good place to record each slip.
Questions
1. Label each sentence as a use or a mechanism. (a) “Drug D is given to lower the swelling in a joint.” (b) “Drug D binds to a protein in cells so that the cells make less of a swelling chemical.”
Show answer
(a) is a use: it says why the drug is given. (b) is a mechanism: it names a target (a protein in cells), a change (binding) and a result (less swelling chemical).
2. Is caffeine a drug, a medicine or both? Give one reason for your answer.
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Caffeine is a drug because it changes how the body works by increasing activity in the nervous system. It is not normally called a medicine because people do not usually take it to treat or prevent a health condition.
3. Four students had reaction times of 210, 230, 250 and 270 ms after a stimulant. Calculate the mean.
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(210 + 230 + 250 + 270) ÷ 4 = 960 ÷ 4 = 240 ms.
4. In an invented trial, the test group had a mean reaction time of 250 ms before and 232 ms after a stimulant. The control group had 248 ms before and 244 ms after a plain drink. How much faster did the test group become than the control group?
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Test change: 250 − 232 = 18 ms. Control change: 248 − 244 = 4 ms. Difference: 18 − 4 = 14 ms. The test group improved by 14 ms more than the control.
5. A student writes: “This proves the stimulant works.” Rewrite the sentence using careful wording and add one limit.
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“The results are consistent with the stimulant making reactions faster, but each group was small, so chance could explain part of the difference.” “Consistent with” replaces “proves”, and the limit is the sample size.
6. Put these in order: neurotransmitter binds to receptors; impulse reaches the end of neurone 1; neurotransmitter diffuses across the gap; a new impulse starts in neurone 2; neurotransmitter is released.
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- Impulse reaches the end of neurone 1. 2. Neurotransmitter is released. 3. Neurotransmitter diffuses across the gap. 4. Neurotransmitter binds to receptors. 5. A new impulse starts in neurone 2.
7. Invented Substance S slows the removal of neurotransmitter from the gap. Predict and explain the effect on the second neurone.
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Neurotransmitter stays in the gap for longer, so receptors on the second neurone stay activated for longer. More impulses are likely to start in the second neurone, so signalling increases.
8. Invented data: hours of gaming per week and average test mark for four students.
| Hours of gaming | 2 | 6 | 10 | 14 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test mark | 78 | 70 | 62 | 54 |
By how many marks does the test mark fall for each extra hour of gaming? Describe the correlation.
Show answer
From 2 to 6 hours is 4 more hours, and the mark falls from 78 to 70, which is 8 marks. 8 ÷ 4 = 2 marks per extra hour. This is a negative correlation: more hours, lower mark. The other rows give the same 2 marks per hour.
9. Using the data in question 8, give two reasons why the data does not prove that gaming lowers marks.
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Any two of: a third factor (for example, less study time or less sleep) may affect both; the direction may be reversed (students with low marks may game more); only four students were measured, so chance may explain the pattern.
10. Rewrite in general wording suitable for an exam: “You should take an antibiotic for flu, because it will make you better.”
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“Flu is caused by a virus. Antibiotics act on bacterial cells, not viruses, so an antibiotic would not be effective against flu.” The rewrite corrects the science and removes the personal instruction.
If you got these wrong
| Where you slipped | Likely cause | Go to |
|---|---|---|
| Q1, Q2 | Mixing up a use, a drug and a mechanism | Distinguish a medicine from a mechanism description |
| Q3, Q4, Q5 | Skipping the control, arithmetic slips or “proves” | Interpret evidence about a stimulant |
| Q6, Q7 | Losing the order at the synapse or naming no target | Explain how a substance can alter signalling |
| Q8, Q9 | Stating a cause from a pattern | Recognise a correlation limitation |
| Q10 | Writing advice instead of explanation | Avoid turning a biology answer into personal medical guidance |
Return to the module overview if more than one row applies.
What next?
Retry any question you missed after a day, using different numbers where you can. If the same row keeps catching you, a teacher can trace the cause in your written work through online one-to-one Biology tuition.