3.2.1.1.2 Specialised cells and multicellular organisation Quiz: AQA Biology, Unit 2

The 20 questions

1. What is the correct order of levels of organisation in a complex multicellular organism, from smallest to largest?

   • Cells, tissues, organs, systems
   • Cells, organs, tissues, systems
   • Organs, tissues, cells, systems
   • Tissues, cells, organs, systems

2. What is a tissue?

   • A group of similar specialised cells working together to perform a particular function
   • A complete organism that has organs grouped into systems
   • A collection of different organs that work together to carry out a process
   • A single cell that has a specialised shape and function

3. Why do mature mammalian red blood cells lack a nucleus?

   • To allow the cell to produce more lysosomes for digestion
   • To leave more space for haemoglobin, which carries oxygen
   • To make the cell lighter so it can flow through the capillaries faster
   • To allow the cell to divide rapidly during mitosis

4. How are root hair cells adapted for absorbing water and mineral ions?

   • They have a large surface area from a long extension of the cell surface
   • They have a thick lignified wall to resist water pressure
   • They have many chloroplasts to make glucose for the root
   • They have a large central vacuole that stores mineral ions for release with no exceptions

5. What is the main adaptation of a sperm cell to its function?

   • A large vacuole that stores enough nutrients for the journey
   • A thick cellulose wall that protects the genetic material
   • A large nucleus with many nucleoli for protein synthesis
   • A flagellum that allows it to swim to the egg

6. Palisade cells in a leaf contain many chloroplasts. Why is this an adaptation?

   • To produce haemoglobin for the transport of oxygen
   • To maximise the absorption of light for photosynthesis
   • To store water for the leaf during drought conditions with no exceptions
   • To break down toxins in the surrounding air

7. What is the main role of goblet cells in the airway?

   • To make haemoglobin for oxygen transport
   • To contract and move the lungs during breathing
   • To absorb oxygen directly from the air
   • To secrete mucus that traps particles and pathogens

8. Why is a biconcave shape useful in a red blood cell?

   • It allows the cell to divide into two identical cells more easily
   • It makes the cell more rigid so it can carry more haemoglobin
   • It increases the surface area to volume ratio, which speeds diffusion of oxygen
   • It gives the cell a larger volume, which stores more oxygen

9. A cube-shaped cell has sides of 2 cm. What is its surface area to volume ratio?

   • 3
   • 1.5
   • 0.33
   • 6

10. Why do root hair cells contain many mitochondria?

    • Active transport of mineral ions requires ATP, which is produced by aerobic respiration in the mitochondria
    • Mitochondria store the minerals in their matrix until they are needed by the leaves of the plant
    • Mitochondria absorb the water that flows through the root, drawing it into the cells of the root
    • Mitochondria produce the cellulose that is needed to build the walls of the root cells in the plant

11. A sperm cell has many mitochondria in its midpiece. What is the advantage of this?

    • Mitochondria produce the acrosome enzymes that digest the egg membrane
    • Mitochondria store the genetic material that is passed to the egg
    • ATP is produced to power the movement of the flagellum
    • Mitochondria synthesise glycogen for use during fertilisation

12. Neutrophils contain many lysosomes. What is the advantage of this to their function?

    • They can make more haemoglobin for the transport of oxygen
    • They can store large amounts of glycogen for energy release
    • They can contract to move the blood through the capillaries
    • They can digest engulfed pathogens using hydrolytic enzymes

13. Ciliated cells line the trachea. What is the function of the cilia?

    • To move mucus and trapped particles out of the airway
    • To contract the trachea to force air into the lungs
    • To produce oxygen by photosynthesis within the trachea
    • To absorb nutrients from the air as it passes into the lungs

14. Xylem vessels are made from dead cells with lignified walls. What is the main advantage of this structure?

    • Continuous hollow tubes with strong walls that carry water and support the plant
    • Cells that contain many chloroplasts for photosynthesis in the stem
    • Cells that divide rapidly to repair the root and stem tissue
    • Living cells that can store large amounts of sugar for the plant

15. A heart is described as an organ made of several tissues. What does this indicate about the level of organisation?

    • The heart is at the organ level, which is one level above tissues and below systems
    • The heart is a single cell that has been specialised for pumping blood
    • The heart is a tissue, because it is made of similar cells only
    • The heart is an organelle that works within each cell of the body

16. Explain why a large single cell is less efficient at exchanging substances than many small cells with the same total volume.

    • A large cell has no cytoplasm in its central region, so substances cannot pass through the membrane
    • A large cell has a smaller surface area to volume ratio, so diffusion across its surface cannot meet the needs of its volume
    • A large cell has more membrane pores than small cells, which slow down the rate of diffusion across it
    • A large cell has a higher surface area to volume ratio, so exchange across its membrane is slower overall

17. Explain why goblet cells have a large amount of rough endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus.

    • They make and package large amounts of glycoprotein for secretion as mucus
    • They make large amounts of cellulose for the cell wall of the airway
    • They store large amounts of lipid for use during respiration
    • They make haemoglobin for oxygen transport in the blood

18. A student claims that all specialised cells in a multicellular organism contain the same set of organelles. Which evaluation is correct?

    • Correct, because all specialised cells have a nucleus, mitochondria and chloroplasts in every case
    • Incorrect, because specialised cells differ in their organelles according to their function, such as chloroplasts in palisade cells
    • Correct, because specialisation changes only the shape of a cell and never its organelles or internal structure
    • Incorrect, because all cells lose their organelles once they become specialised for a particular function

19. Explain why organisation into tissues and organs allows a multicellular organism to achieve functions that a single cell cannot.

    • Grouping cells allows each individual cell to make more organelles, so the whole organism is able to grow larger
    • Tissues and organs remove the need for mitochondria in the body, which saves a large amount of energy overall
    • Organs replace cell division entirely in the adult organism, so the organism never needs to grow any further
    • Division of labour lets cells specialise, and grouping them into tissues and organs allows coordinated functions at a larger scale

20. Explain why a red blood cell cannot divide, and why this suits its function.

    • It has no nucleus and so cannot replicate DNA, which gives space for haemoglobin to carry oxygen
    • It has no cell membrane, so it cannot separate into two daughter cells
    • It has too many organelles to divide, which prevents the cell from copying its DNA
    • It contains only lysosomes, which digest the chromosomes before cell division

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