Lesson 3.6.4.3.1

3.6.4.3.1 Hormonal control of blood water potential (ADH) Quiz: AQA Biology, Unit 6

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

In partnership with Revision Ninja

Lesson 3.6.4.3.1, Hormonal control of blood water potential (ADH): 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA Biology (7402), Unit 6: Organisms respond to changes in their internal and external environments, written with Revision Ninja.

Host it live on the board and students join with a game code on their own devices, or revise alone with Free Play. The answers are revealed in the game.

Host this setFree Play

The 20 questions

  1. Where is ADH synthesised and where is it released from?

    • Synthesised in the hypothalamus and released from the posterior pituitary
    • Synthesised in the kidney and released by the adrenal cortex
    • Synthesised in the liver and released by the pancreas
    • Synthesised and released by the anterior pituitary

  2. Which cells are the main target of ADH in the nephron?

    • Cells of the loop of Henle that pump sodium out
    • Cells of the glomerulus that increase filtration rate
    • Cells of the Bowman's capsule that absorb plasma proteins
    • Cells of the collecting duct that become more permeable to water

  3. How does ADH increase water reabsorption in the kidney?

    • By decreasing the number of sodium channels in the loop of Henle
    • By stimulating glucose uptake in the proximal convoluted tubule
    • By increasing the glomerular filtration rate
    • By increasing the number of aquaporins in the membranes of collecting duct cells

  4. Osmoregulation is best defined as:

    • Control of blood glucose by glycogen storage
    • Control of the water potential of the blood
    • Control of body temperature by sweating
    • Regulation of blood pressure by the heart

  5. Which part of the brain contains the osmoreceptors that detect a fall in blood water potential?

    • The cerebellum
    • The hypothalamus
    • The medulla oblongata of the brain stem
    • The cerebral cortex

  6. The proximal convoluted tubule reabsorbs which substances from the filtrate?

    • Plasma proteins, which are kept in the glomerulus
    • Only urea, which is excreted in urine
    • ADH, which is then released into the blood
    • Glucose and water, returning them to the blood

  7. The loop of Henle is important in osmoregulation because it:

    • Stores glucose as glycogen for later release
    • Maintains a sodium ion gradient in the medulla of the kidney
    • Produces ADH to be released into the blood
    • Filters blood cells out of the plasma

  8. A person sweats heavily and blood water potential falls. Which response is expected?

    • ADH release increases, less water is reabsorbed and urine becomes dilute
    • ADH release is unchanged and urine volume rises
    • ADH release increases, more water is reabsorbed and urine becomes more concentrated
    • ADH release falls, more water is excreted and urine becomes more dilute

  9. A person drinks a large volume of water so that blood water potential rises. What happens next?

    • ADH secretion rises and blood water potential rises further
    • ADH secretion falls and a large volume of dilute urine is produced
    • ADH secretion rises and a small volume of concentrated urine is produced
    • ADH secretion is unchanged and urine becomes more concentrated

  10. A person with no ADH produced by the pituitary would most likely excrete:

    • Large volumes of dilute urine
    • No urine at all because filtration stops
    • Urine containing large amounts of glucose
    • Small volumes of concentrated urine

  11. A drug blocks ADH receptors in the collecting ducts. What is the most likely effect?

    • Less water is reabsorbed and urine volume increases
    • More water is reabsorbed and urine volume decreases
    • Glucose reabsorption in the proximal tubule increases
    • Blood water potential rises because filtration stops

  12. Assume that 99 per cent of the 180 dm3 of glomerular filtrate produced each day is reabsorbed. What volume is reabsorbed each day?

    • 1.8 dm3
    • 99 dm3
    • 180 dm3
    • 178.2 dm3

  13. Which structure produces the sodium ion gradient in the medulla that allows water to be drawn out of the collecting duct?

    • The Bowman's capsule
    • The glomerulus
    • The posterior pituitary gland
    • The loop of Henle

  14. Alcohol reduces ADH release. What is the most likely result for the drinker?

    • Blood pressure rises because the glomerulus filters more slowly
    • Small volumes of concentrated urine are lost, raising blood water potential
    • Large volumes of dilute urine are lost, raising the risk of dehydration
    • Blood glucose falls because glucagon is released

  15. Why is the sodium ion gradient in the medulla important?

    • It converts glucose into glycogen in the medulla, so that the kidney stores energy in the form of glycogen during water conservation
    • It draws water out of the collecting duct by osmosis when ADH makes it permeable
    • It keeps the glomerulus at a constant pressure, so that the rate of filtration of plasma does not change when blood volume falls
    • It stops ADH from being released into the blood, so the posterior pituitary is kept inactive when the medulla is saturated with salt

  16. Why is water reabsorption regulated at the collecting duct rather than at the glomerulus?

    • The glomerulus is always fully permeable to water and solutes
    • The collecting duct filters blood cells out of the plasma, which the glomerulus is unable to do
    • Glomerular filtration is non-selective, while the collecting duct can alter its permeability to water under hormonal control
    • Glomerular filtration is controlled by ADH in the same way as the collecting duct

  17. Which sequence correctly describes negative feedback control of blood water potential?

    • Water potential rises, osmoreceptors detect it, ADH is released, collecting ducts reabsorb less water, water potential falls
    • Water potential falls, glucagon is released, the liver makes glycogen, water potential rises
    • Water potential rises, the pituitary stops, the kidney excretes glucose, water potential falls
    • Water potential falls, osmoreceptors detect it, ADH is released, collecting ducts reabsorb more water, water potential rises

  18. Why might drinking seawater cause dehydration?

    • Seawater contains ADH, which stops the kidneys reabsorbing water, so the urine loses large volumes of water and salt together
    • Seawater increases glucose in the filtrate, which blocks the aquaporins so that water cannot leave the collecting duct at all
    • Seawater is more concentrated than blood, so the kidneys must use water to excrete the excess salt, giving a net water loss
    • Seawater lowers the blood water potential, so ADH is switched off and the kidneys excrete only a small volume of concentrated urine

  19. A person excretes 1.5 dm3 of urine per day when ADH is working. Without ADH the same solute load would need 15 dm3 of urine per day. How many times more water is excreted without ADH?

    • 2 times
    • 5 times
    • 10 times
    • 15 times

  20. A mutation stops ADH being released from the posterior pituitary. Which outcome is most likely?

    • Blood glucose rises because ADH stops glycogen breakdown
    • Blood water potential falls and urine becomes more dilute
    • Blood water potential is unchanged because glomerular filtration stops
    • Blood water potential rises and urine becomes more concentrated

All AQA Biology quizzes