Scientific literacy in biology (H422/02) - A Level Biology B (Advancing Biology) - Question paper

Sep 14, 2026

A-level Biology B (Advancing Biology) question paper focused on scientific literacy in biology, structured around therapeutic antibodies for treating disease. The assessment includes definitions and explanations of antigen and B-cell receptor components, reasoning about antibody fragment combination via phage display, and comparisons of mouse monoclonal versus humanised/fully human antibodies. It also evaluates understanding of antibody fragment functions across neutralisation, agglutination, opsonins, and complement activation, plus applications in cancer treatment and discussion of cost–benefit justification.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages28

Reading Time1 h 11 min

AccessFree to download

Instructions

Questions

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Oxford Cambridge and RSA Friday 16 June 2023 – Morning A Level Biology B (Advancing Biology) H422/02 Scientific literacy in biology Time allowed: 2 hours 15 minutes You must have: • a clean copy of the Advance Notice Article (inside this document) • the Insert (inside this document) You can use: • a scientific or graphical calculator • a ruler (cm/mm) | Please write clearly in black ink. Do not write in the barcodes. | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Centre number | | Candidate number | | | First name(s)
Last name | | | | *9897855990* 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 100. • 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 28 pages. ADVICE • Read each question carefully before you start your answer. © OCR 2023 [601/4720/9] DC (ST/JG) 317619/3 OCR is an exempt Charity Turn over 2 1 This question is based on the Advance Notice Article ‘Development of therapeutic antibodies for the treatment of disease’. (a) (i) State what is meant by the term antigen. ...................................................................................................................................... [1] (ii) Scientists can combine antibody fragments using phage display to produce many different antibodies, each specific to a different antigen. Using the abbreviations from Fig. 1 in the Advance Notice Article, explain how combining antibody fragments allows scientists to produce many different antibodies, each specific to a different antigen. | | | --- | | | ........................................................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................................................... [2] (iii) The B cell receptor is an IgG molecule with the same structure as the human IgG shown in Fig. 1 in the Advance Notice Article. Use an abbreviation from Fig. 1 to identify the part of the B cell receptor that will be attached to the cell surface membrane of a B cell. ...................................................................................................................................... [1] 3 (b) (i) Explain why mouse monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have been largely replaced as therapeutic antibodies by humanised or fully human mAbs. | | | --- | | | | | ...................................................................................................................................... [2] (ii) Explain why the Fab and scFv antibody fragments shown in Fig. 1 are effective as neutralizing or agglutinating antibodies but are less effective as opsonins or in activation of complement. | | | --- | | | | | ...................................................................................................................................... [2] © OCR 2023 Turn over 4 (c) (i) Describe how therapeutic mAbs can be used in cancer treatment. | | | --- | | | | | | | | | | | ...................................................................................................................................... [3] (ii) The cost of treating a patient with advanced cancer using therapeutic mAbs can be extremely high. In some cases, the treatment can increase survival time by just a few months. Pharmaceutical companies justify the hig

FAQs

What does the paper assess in A Level Biology B (Advancing Biology)?

It assesses scientific literacy in biology through questions that require biological definitions, mechanistic explanations, and evidence-based discussion.

How are different antibodies produced using antibody fragments?

The paper expects students to explain how antibody fragments can be combined via phage display to generate many antibodies, each specific to a different antigen.

Why do therapeutic antibody types differ between mouse mAbs and humanised/fully human mAbs?

The paper asks students to explain why mouse monoclonal antibodies are largely replaced, focusing on differences that make humanised or fully human versions more suitable as therapeutic antibodies.

Sep 14, 2026

Uploaded by River Wang