GCSE (9–1) Biology B (Twenty First Century Science) J257/04 Depth in Biology (Higher Tier) - Question Paper

Sep 5, 2026

GCSE (9–1) Biology B (Twenty First Century Science) J257/04 Depth in Biology (Higher Tier) question paper requiring answers to all questions within 1 hour 45 minutes. The assessment covers aerobic versus anaerobic cellular respiration, including exothermic processes, lactic acid production, glucose and oxygen requirements, and ATP yield comparisons. It also assesses field ecology sampling using small squares to estimate snowdrop numbers via mean, area calculations and bias-aware data collection, and includes circulatory system questions on substance exchange and heart structure function.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages20

Reading Time50 min

AccessFree to download

Instructions

Equipment and writing requirements

Questions

Cellular respiration: aerobic vs anaerobic

ATP production comparison in respiration

Field sampling: estimating snowdrops

Calculations using mean and field area

Circulatory system and heart structure

*1376030313* Oxford Cambridge and RSA Friday 7 June 2024 – Afternoon GCSE (9–1) Biology B (Twenty First Century Science) J257/04 Depth in Biology (Higher Tier) Time allowed: 1 hour 45 minutes You must have: • a ruler (cm/mm) You can use: • an HB pencil • a scientific or graphical calculator H * J 2 5 7 0 4 * | Please write clearly in black ink. Do not write in the barcodes. | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Centre number | | Candidate number | | | First name(s)
Last name | | | | INSTRUCTIONS • Use black ink. You can use an HB pencil, but only for graphs and diagrams. • Write your answer to each question in the space provided. If you need extra space use the lined pages at the end of this booklet. The question numbers must be clearly shown. • Answer all the questions. • Where appropriate, your answer should be supported with working. Marks might be given for using a correct method, even if your answer is wrong. INFORMATION • The total mark for this paper is 90. • The marks for each question are shown in brackets [ ] . • Quality of extended response will be assessed in questions marked with an asterisk (*) . • This document has 20 pages. ADVICE • Read each question carefully before you start your answer. © OCR 2024 [601/8506/5] DC (ST/CT) 347815/2 OCR is an exempt Charity Turn over 2 BLANK PAGE PLEASE DO NOT WRITE ON THIS PAGE 3 1 Aerobic and anaerobic cellular respiration take place in human body cells. (a) Put one tick (✓) in each row of the table to describe aerobic and anaerobic respiration in animal cells such as human body cells. | | Only
aerobic | Only
anaerobic | Both
aerobic and
anaerobic | Neither
aerobic nor
anaerobic | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Is exothermic | | | | | | Produces lactic acid | | | | | | Requires glucose | | | | | | Requires oxygen | | | | | [4] (b) Complete the sentence about ATP production in respiration. Use words from the list. more than less than equal to The amount of ATP produced per molecule of reactant in aerobic respiration is ........................................... the amount of ATP produced per molecule of reactant in anaerobic respiration. [1] © OCR 2024 Turn over 4 2 The diagram shows some different species of flowers that grow in a field. A student wants to estimate the total number of snowdrops in the field. They collect data from six small squares of the field. | Small square | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Number of snowdrops | 5 | 8 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 6 | (a)* Describe a method to collect the data in the table. Include: • the apparatus needed • how to use the apparatus on the field • how to avoid bias in the data. | | | --- | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ..................................................................................................................................................... [6] 5 (b) Use the student’s data to calculate the mean number of snowdrops per small square. Mean number of snowdrops per small square = .......................................................... [2] (c) The area of the field is 600 m2. The area of each small square is 0.25 m2. Calculate the number of small squares that fit in the field. Number of small squares that fit in the field = .......................................................... [2] (d) Estimate the total number of snowdrops in the field. Use the equation: tooftasnl numowdberrops = mean number of snowdrops × in the field per small square number of small squares that fit in the field Total number of snowdrops in the field = .......................................................... [1] (e) Suggest one reason why we can only estimate the number of snowdrops in the field from the student’s data. ......................................................................................

FAQs

What equipment is required for this Biology paper?

A ruler (cm/mm) is required, and students may use an HB pencil for graphs and diagrams. A scientific or graphical calculator can be used.

Which topics are assessed in the questions about respiration?

The paper asks students to compare aerobic and anaerobic respiration in animal cells, including whether processes are exothermic, whether lactic acid is produced, and what reactants are required, as well as how ATP yield differs.

How does the snowdrop estimation question use student-collected data?

Students calculate the mean number of snowdrops per small square, determine how many such squares fit into the total field area, then use the given equation to estimate the total number of snowdrops.

Sep 5, 2026

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