Lesson 4.6.1

4.6.1 Drug testing history and conditions for bacterial growth Quiz: Pearson Edexcel Biology A (Salters-Nuffield), Unit 4

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 4.6.1, Drug testing history and conditions for bacterial growth: 20 multiple choice questions for the Pearson Edexcel Biology A (Salters-Nuffield) (9BI0), Unit 4: Biodiversity and Natural Resources, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. Which plant did William Withering use in the 18th century to treat dropsy, which is the source of digitalis?

    • Cinchona
    • Willow bark
    • Opium poppy
    • Foxglove

  2. What is a placebo in a drug trial?

    • The drug being tested at its highest dose
    • A drug that has already been approved for use
    • An inactive look-alike treatment for a control group
    • A measurement of how fast a drug is broken down

  3. In a double blind trial, who knows which participants receive the real drug?

    • Only the participants and the doctors
    • Only the researchers analysing the data
    • No one involved in the trial during the trial itself
    • Only the pharmaceutical company funding the trial

  4. A new drug is compared with an existing standard treatment in a trial. Why is this comparison useful?

    • It shows whether the new drug matches current treatment
    • It proves the new drug has no side effects at all
    • It shows the new drug is cheaper to manufacture
    • It removes the need for a placebo in any trial

  5. Which sequence correctly describes the usual phases of drug testing from early to late?

    • Sales to the public first, then trials in a small group
    • Large comparison trials first, then safety testing in a small group
    • Efficacy testing only, with no safety testing
    • Small safety trial, then efficacy, then large trials

  6. Which conditions are required for bacterial growth?

    • A supply of nutrients, water and a suitable temperature
    • Only light and a high concentration of sodium chloride
    • Ribosomes but no carbon source
    • Chlorophyll and a rigid cell wall

  7. Why must aseptic technique be used when culturing bacteria in a school laboratory?

    • To remove the need for a nutrient agar
    • To prevent contamination and protect the user
    • To make the bacteria grow faster in the dish
    • To stop the bacteria from making any enzymes

  8. Which aspect of core practical 9 is the main focus?

    • Investigating the antimicrobial properties of plant extracts
    • Identifying phloem sieve tubes under a light microscope
    • Measuring the Hill reaction using isolated chloroplasts
    • Measuring the tensile strength of plant fibres

  9. Which feature of a three-phase drug test is most important for showing a drug is safe at first use?

    • Testing only on animals with no human volunteers
    • Phase I trials in a few volunteers to check safety
    • Post-marketing monitoring after the drug is sold
    • Phase III testing on thousands of patients

  10. A new antibiotic kills bacteria on a plate. Which control would best show the antibiotic is responsible?

    • A plate kept at a much higher temperature with the antibiotic
    • A plate with no bacteria at all and the antibiotic added
    • Same bacteria with no antibiotic, same conditions
    • A plate with a different species of bacteria and the antibiotic

  11. Why did the development of double blind and placebo-controlled trials improve drug testing?

    • They remove the need for participants to give consent
    • They make all drugs cheaper to produce
    • They allow drugs to be approved without any safety data
    • They reduce bias and show the drug's effect beyond expectation

  12. Which factor affects bacterial growth by controlling the chemical environment inside the cell?

    • Colour of the agar
    • pH
    • Shape of the petri dish
    • Age of the investigator

  13. Why is temperature a key condition for bacterial growth in a culture?

    • Bacterial enzyme activity depends on temperature
    • Temperature only affects bacteria that have a nucleus
    • Bacteria produce chlorophyll only at high temperature
    • Temperature changes the number of ribosomes in every cell

  14. A bacterial culture is incubated at a temperature far above the optimum. What is the most likely effect?

    • Chloroplasts start making starch in the bacteria
    • The cell wall dissolves to release nutrients
    • Enzymes denature and growth slows or stops
    • Enzymes become more efficient and growth doubles

  15. Why is a large number of participants important in a drug trial?

    • Large samples reduce the effect of chance
    • Large samples make the drug cheaper to produce
    • Large samples remove the need for a placebo
    • Large samples make the drug more potent

  16. What is the role of Phase II testing in drug development?

    • It tests how well the drug works in more patients
    • It removes the need for any control group
    • It tests the drug only in laboratory cultures of bacteria
    • It is carried out only after the drug has been sold to the public

  17. How does high oxygen concentration affect obligate anaerobic bacteria?

    • It inhibits or kills them, because they cannot tolerate oxygen
    • Oxygen forms the cell wall of bacteria
    • Oxygen has no effect on any bacterial growth
    • Oxygen is essential for all bacteria in every case

  18. Why is nutrient agar commonly used to culture bacteria in a school laboratory?

    • It kills all bacteria on contact so that none can grow
    • It supplies light energy for bacteria to use
    • It provides chlorophyll for photosynthesis by the bacteria
    • It supplies nutrients so that colonies grow and become visible

  19. In an investigation of antimicrobial plant extracts using agar discs, what is the dependent variable?

    • The type of plant extract placed on each disc
    • Diameter of the clear zone with no bacterial growth
    • The name of the student carrying out the test
    • The temperature of the incubator

  20. Why are antimicrobial compounds from plants of interest to researchers?

    • Plant extracts have no effect on microbes in any situation
    • Plant extracts contain no chemicals that could affect microbes
    • All plant extracts kill every bacterial species equally
    • Some plant compounds inhibit bacterial growth and may lead to new treatments

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