Biology 9700 · AS & A Level
Fluid mosaic membranes
100 practice questions on Fluid mosaic membranes, with worked solutions and instant marking.
Which row shows the correct association between molecules in the cell surface membrane and their functions?
Feb/March 2016
A person's blood group depends on the antigens found on the red blood cells. The table gives the antigens and antibodies present in the blood of people with different blood groups. In a blood transfusion, it is vital that the recipient's blood has no antibodies against the donor's blood. Which blood groups may be given to a person with blood group B?
Feb/March 2016
Paramecium is a single-celled protoctist with cilia. Their cilia are built in a similar way to those in the human trachea. The cilia beat to propel Paramecium through the water in which it lives. Fig. 6.1 shows Paramecium.
Feb/March 2016
Which range of measurements is correct for the width of the cell surface membrane?
Feb/March 2017
Beetroot root cells contain a red pigment. If small pieces of root tissue are placed in cold water, some of the red pigment escapes from the cells into the water. An experiment was performed to examine how temperature affects the amount of red pigment lost from the root cells. It was observed that as the water temperature increased, the rate at which red pigment left the root cells also increased. Which of the following statements could account for this pattern?
Feb/March 2017
The cell surface membrane has been described as a ‘fluid mosaic’. Which statement describes the ‘mosaic’ part of the cell surface membrane?
Feb/March 2017
Cholesterol is an essential part of the cell surface membrane. Which one of the statements about cholesterol is correct?
Feb/March 2018
What type of bond in phospholipids helps to increase the fluidity of cell surface membranes?
Feb/March 2018
The sliding filament model explains the contraction of striated muscle.
Feb/March 2018
The diagram illustrates part of a cell surface membrane. Which row correctly identifies the functions of two of the numbered molecules?
Feb/March 2019
The diagram presents a phospholipid molecule split into three sections, X, Y and Z. R, in section X, stands for a variety of possible chemical groups. The three sections X, Y and Z influence the properties of cell surface membranes in different ways. Which row identifies the effect of each section on the properties of a cell surface membrane?
Feb/March 2021
Which statements concerning the fluid mosaic model of a membrane are correct?
Feb/March 2021
Section B: Answer just one question.
Feb/March 2021
At high concentrations, ethanol disrupts cell membrane structure because it denatures proteins and increases the distance between neighbouring phospholipid molecules. Consequently, cell membranes may reduce in thickness by as much as $30\%$ and become more permeable. Yeast cells produce ethanol as a waste product of metabolism. When the ethanol concentration in their surroundings rises, yeast cells can increase the tolerance of their cell membrane to ethanol. Which statement correctly explains a response to ethanol that could account for the increase in tolerance of yeast cell membranes to ethanol?
Feb/March 2022
The diagram shows a molecule from a cell surface membrane. Which statement about one of the labels is correct?
Feb/March 2023
What measurement range is correct for the width of the cell surface membrane?
Feb/March 2024
In the cell surface membrane, where are the carbohydrate chains of glycoproteins and glycolipids chiefly found?
Feb/March 2024
Which molecule makes the bilayer in the cell surface membrane of a bacterial cell?
Feb/March 2025
Membranes inside cells and on the cell surface carry out different functions. The diagram makes it possible to identify the different organelles in the cell by referring to membrane structure and function. Which of the answers shown below correctly identifies the organelles that have the membrane and function given?
May/June 2010
Membranes located inside cells and on the cell surface carry out different functions. The diagram makes it possible to identify the different organelles in the cell by referring to their membrane structure and function. Which of the outcomes shown below correctly identifies the organelles that have the membrane and function described?
May/June 2010
Which statement is accurate for the cell surface membrane and the membranes inside cells?
May/June 2011
The diagram illustrates one method for investigating the effect of an antibiotic on bacteria. The table presents the results from tests on five different types of bacteria. Zones of less than 13 mm indicate the presence of resistant bacteria. Which statement is supported by these data?
May/June 2011
The diagram depicts a section of a cell surface membrane. Which molecules contain both hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions?
May/June 2011
Raising the number of which type of bond increases the fluidity of the cell surface membrane?
May/June 2011
Which statement is correct about the cell surface membrane and the membranes inside cells?
May/June 2011
Section B. Respond to one question only.
May/June 2011
The diagram illustrates the fluid mosaic model of membrane structure. Which feature would allow a hormone to identify its target cell?
May/June 2012
What function does cholesterol have in the cell surface membrane?
May/June 2012
The diagram illustrates the fluid mosaic model of membrane structure. Which feature would allow a hormone to recognise its target cell?
May/June 2012
Which of the following may raise the fluidity of the cell surface membrane at low temperatures?
May/June 2013
Which of the following is able to raise the fluidity of the cell surface membrane?
May/June 2013
A tissue graft, for example skin, taken from another person is normally rejected by the body. Which statement regarding graft rejection is correct?
May/June 2013
Which of the following could reduce the fluidity of the cell surface membrane?
May/June 2013
Several factors can alter the fluidity of the cell surface membrane. If the fluidity of cell surface membranes falls, which process would be affected the least?
May/June 2014
Which molecules in cell surface membranes play a role in cell recognition?
May/June 2014
The structures of phospholipids and triglycerides are shown below. Which features of these structures allow a lipid bilayer to form in cell surface membranes?
May/June 2014
The diagram illustrates the fluid mosaic model of part of a cell surface membrane. What functions does each of the components labelled 1 to 3 have?
May/June 2014
Proteins in the cell surface membranes of human cells and mouse cells were marked with red and green fluorescent dyes, respectively. After a human cell was fused with a mouse cell, the dyes were first found in separate areas, but later they became evenly spread throughout. What explains this observation?
May/June 2014
Which organelle lacks a partially permeable membrane?
May/June 2014
The diagram illustrates a section of the cell surface membrane. Which molecules contain both hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions?
May/June 2014
Section B. Answer just one question.
May/June 2014
What kind of cell has a large number of glycoproteins on its cell surface membrane?
May/June 2015
Which combination of factors will result in the highest fluidity of the cell surface membrane?
May/June 2015
Which statement correctly describes the permeability of the cell surface membrane?
May/June 2015
Which combination of factors will result in the most fluid cell surface membrane?
May/June 2015
Which combination of factors would lead to the cell surface membrane having the lowest fluidity? In every option, the factors named are shown as having increased.
May/June 2015
Proteins that move sugars out of cells have been identified. These proteins are known as SWEETs. Each SWEET contains seven coiled, cylindrical sections which together form a pore through the cell surface membrane bilayer, as shown in the diagram. What describes each of the seven coiled regions (1-7) of a SWEET shown in the diagram?
May/June 2016
What role does cholesterol have in a cell surface membrane?
May/June 2016
Which functions of the cell surface membrane arise from the properties of the phospholipids?
May/June 2016
The following list names some of the molecules present in a cell surface membrane. 1 glycoprotein 2 glycolipid 3 surface protein 4 trans-membrane protein Which of these molecules take part in cell signalling?
May/June 2016
When a small amount of phospholipid is placed in a test-tube containing water and the mixture is shaken strongly, an emulsion is produced with tiny droplets known as liposomes. Which diagram shows how phospholipid molecules are arranged in a cross-section through a liposome?
May/June 2016
The following are features of the structures of phospholipids and triglycerides. Which structures make the formation of a lipid bilayer possible in cell surface membranes?
May/June 2017
In an experiment, fluorescent dyes were used to tag proteins on the outer surface of cell surface membranes. Living human cells were marked with one colour of fluorescent dye and mouse cells with a different colour of fluorescent dye. A human cell and a mouse cell are then fused to make a hybrid cell. Initially, the two fluorescent labels stay separate, but after 40 minutes they are spread at random across the hybrid cell surface membrane. What does this experiment show?
May/June 2017
B-lymphocytes and T-lymphocytes are often unable to mount a response to the antigens on pathogens that exist as intracellular parasites. What is the reason for this?
May/June 2017
Proteins in the cell surface membranes of human cells and mouse cells were marked using fluorescent dyes. The human cells were given a red dye, whereas the mouse cells were given a green dye. A human cell and a mouse cell were then fused together to produce a hybrid cell. Initially, the two dyes stayed apart. After 40 minutes, the two dyes were spread evenly throughout the hybrid cell surface membrane. What accounts for this observation?
May/June 2017
The diagram illustrates the fluid mosaic model of membrane structure. Which molecules within the membrane are the same?
May/June 2017
Which functions apply to components of the cell surface membrane?
May/June 2017
Which of the following statements about the cell surface membrane are correct?
May/June 2018
Which features can increase the fluidity of the cell surface membrane at low temperatures?
May/June 2018
Some animals contain genes that encode small peptides known as cathelicidins. By binding to lipids in bacterial membranes, these peptides kill many different bacteria and therefore weaken or damage those membranes. Scientists have made a synthetic form of cathelicidin that kills bacteria resistant to several antibiotics, including tetracycline. Which pair of statements explains how this synthetic cathelicidin could help to solve the problem of antibiotic resistance?
May/June 2018
In which locations can antigens be found?
May/June 2018
When an organ is moved from one person to another, the recipient must not reject the foreign organ. At the same time, the recipient’s immune system has to be kept functioning so that death from infections is prevented. What stops the transplanted organ from being rejected?
May/June 2018
Which property of phospholipids allows a bilayer to form?
May/June 2018
The diagram illustrates a section of the cell surface membrane. Which components function as antigens?
May/June 2018
In what location are antigens found?
May/June 2018
Section B. Respond to one question.
May/June 2018
Which of the following statements are correct for myasthenia gravis?
May/June 2019
The fatty acids elaidic acid and oleic acid have identical structural formulae, each containing one double bond in the chain. Even so, the chain shapes are not the same, as the diagram shows. Which row indicates the effect of these fatty acids on the structure and behaviour of a cell surface membrane?
May/June 2019
The diagram illustrates a cell surface membrane. Which option gives a correct function of a labelled molecule?
May/June 2019
The diagram represents a basic cell signalling pathway where a signal molecule produces a response, for example a secretion. signal molecule → P → Q → response Which row correctly identifies P and Q?
May/June 2019
The diagram shows the fluid mosaic model of membrane structure. Which two of the numbered components help to make the membrane fluid?
May/June 2019
A glycoprotein found in the cell surface membrane of human cells is known as ICAM-1. ICAM-1 functions as a cell adhesion molecule, and the common cold virus also uses it to bind to human cells. Which statements about ICAM-1 are true?
May/June 2019
Growth factors are chemicals that trigger a cell to divide. Growth factors are carried through the body in the blood, and they bind to cells whose surfaces contain complementary growth factor receptors. In some cells, there are too many growth factor receptors on the surface, so the cells keep dividing and a tumour forms. Trastuzumab is used to treat some cancers. Trastuzumab acts by attaching to a particular growth factor receptor on a tumour cell. This prevents the cell from dividing and causes the cell to die. What is meant by trastuzumab?
May/June 2019
Section B. Answer a single question.
May/June 2019
Reducing some factors will make the cell surface membrane more fluid. Which pair of factors, if decreased, would increase the fluidity of the cell surface membrane?
May/June 2020
The diagram illustrates a cell surface membrane. Which of the following statements about the labelled molecules in the membrane are correct?
May/June 2020
The diagram illustrates the fluid mosaic model of membrane structure. Structures 1, 2, 3 and 4 are kinds of molecule. Which kinds of molecules are always the same?
May/June 2020
What function does G protein have in cell signalling?
May/June 2020
If a small amount of phospholipid is placed in a test-tube of water and the mixture is then shaken vigorously, an emulsion is produced by tiny droplets known as liposomes. Which diagram shows the arrangement of phospholipid molecules in a cross-section of a liposome?
May/June 2020
Myasthenia gravis is a condition caused by the immune system being unable to tell self from non-self. Antibodies attach to a component of the junctions between a muscle and its nerve. What is the correct description of Myasthenia gravis?
May/June 2020
Which description explains the fluid-mosaic model of membrane structure?
May/June 2020
A carbon dioxide molecule is positioned at the centre of a mitochondrion. If no other cell structures are in its path, how many phospholipid layers must the carbon dioxide molecule cross in order to leave the cell?
May/June 2020
Describe the ultrastructure shown by a striated muscle fibre.
May/June 2020
Describe and explain how stimulation of the sensory hair cells of a Venus fly trap plant causes an insect to become trapped.
May/June 2020
A student recorded three statements about cell signalling. Which of the statements are correct?
May/June 2021
Which row gives the description of the membranes around each cell structure?
May/June 2021
Which functions of the cell surface membrane arise from the properties of the phospholipids?
May/June 2021
Genetic technology involving the production of recombinant DNA can be used to treat a range of human diseases. These include conditions such as diabetes, which may have several causes, and inherited disorders caused by a single gene.
May/June 2021
The diagram illustrates a liposome. Liposomes may be used to carry therapeutic drugs into cells of the body to help treat conditions such as cancer. Which row identifies the property of a drug that could be transported in the parts of the liposome labelled 1 and 2?
May/June 2022
T-lymphocytes contain a protein called PD-1 on their cell membrane. Some cancer cells carry a receptor molecule on their cell membrane that attaches to PD-1 and switches off the T-lymphocyte. A monoclonal antibody, lambrolizumab, has been developed against this receptor. Trials found that, among 54 of 135 people with advanced skin cancer who were treated with lambrolizumab, the tumours shrank to less than half their original volume. In 6 of the 57 people who received the highest dose, the tumours vanished. Which conclusion can be made correctly from this information?
May/June 2022
A person’s blood group is decided by the antigens found on the red blood cells. The table gives the antigens and antibodies present in the blood of people with the different blood groups. When a blood transfusion is carried out, it is vital that the recipient has no antibodies against the donor’s blood. Which blood groups may be given to a person with blood group AB?
May/June 2022
The electron micrograph depicts onion root cells that were prepared by means of a freeze-fracture technique. The cells were rapidly frozen and then split open mechanically. Freeze fracture separates cells along weak regions, such as membranes and the surfaces of organelles. Which statement best accounts for the appearance of the electron micrograph?
May/June 2023
Which statement concerning cell signalling is correct?
May/June 2023
Which molecules in cell surface membranes are usually used for cell recognition?
May/June 2023
Which factor can make the cell surface membrane more fluid?
May/June 2023
Which row indicates how cholesterol and the carbohydrate chains of glycolipids and glycoproteins are distributed in a cell surface membrane?
May/June 2023
Why do the phosphate heads of phospholipids become polar?
May/June 2024
The structure of the cell surface membrane is called a ‘fluid mosaic’. Which statement gives the correct meaning of the ‘mosaic’ part of the cell surface membrane?
May/June 2025
Asthma may occur in both children and adults. The air passages get narrower, which greatly limits the movement of air into the lungs. Salbutamol is a drug that widens the air passages and eases the symptoms of asthma. In what way does salbutamol relieve the symptoms of asthma?
May/June 2025
As temperature falls, cell membranes become less fluid. Bacteria and yeast are unable to control the temperature of their cells. How do bacteria and yeast keep their cell membranes fluid when the temperature falls?
May/June 2025