Biology 9700 · AS & A Level
The heart
100 practice questions on The heart, with worked solutions and instant marking.
Cardiac muscle consists of numerous fibres that make up the walls of the heart chambers. As the heart contracts, these fibres become shorter, so the muscle produces a force that applies pressure to the blood and makes it flow. Which statement explains why the walls of the ventricles of the heart are different in thickness?
Feb/March 2016
The graph illustrates the changes in the volume of the left ventricle over a single cardiac cycle. Which point on the graph indicates the beginning of atrial systole?
Feb/March 2016
The tissues listed below conduct an electrical impulse during the cardiac cycle. In which sequence does the electrical impulse pass through the cardiac cycle?
Feb/March 2016
In both plants and mammals, transport systems work to move substances into and out of cells.
Feb/March 2017
During the cardiac cycle, which statement about blood flow is correct?
Feb/March 2018
Outline the roles of the sinoatrial node (SAN) and the atrioventricular node (AVN) in starting and regulating heart action.
Feb/March 2018
In a double circulatory system, blood moves through the heart twice during one full journey around the body. That full journey includes pulmonary circulation and systemic circulation.
Feb/March 2019
Which row gives the correct description of the heart during atrial systole?
Feb/March 2021
A person's heart rate while resting was measured at intervals across two 15-minute periods. In the first five minutes of the second 15-minute period, the person smoked a cigarette. The graph displays the readings obtained over the two 15-minute periods. What conclusion can be drawn from the graph?
Feb/March 2021
Blood that enters the heart from the vena cava moves past several structures before reaching the lungs. Five structures from this list are shown here: - atrioventricular node - aorta - semilunar valve - left atrium - pulmonary vein - Purkyne tissue - sinoatrial node - pulmonary artery Once these five structures have been placed in the correct sequence for blood flow from the vena cava to the lungs, which structure comes third?
Feb/March 2022
Heartbeat is controlled myogenically. This means that the electrical signals setting the pace of a regular heartbeat begin in the heart muscle itself. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an abnormal heart rhythm that makes the atria contract quickly and irregularly. If AF is left untreated, it can cause a stroke.
Feb/March 2022
Heart surgery may reduce the transmission of impulses through the Purkyne tissue to the right side of the heart. What effect could this reduction have?
Feb/March 2023
One kind of congenital heart defect is one in which the left and right atria are not fully separated. This condition is known as an atrial septal defect (ASD). ASD commonly causes blood to pass from the left atrium to the right atrium. As a result, the blood pressure in the right atrium increases and the blood pressure in the left atrium decreases. Which row shows the other effects of ASD?
Feb/March 2024
What occurs when the blood pressure in the left ventricle becomes greater than the blood pressure in the left atrium?
Feb/March 2025
Fig. $3.1$ and Fig. $3.2$ show transverse sections of the human heart at different points in the cardiac cycle. The cuts pass through the heart at a height just above the valves.
Feb/March 2025
The trace shows the electrical activity of the heart during a single heart beat. Which letters identify the flow of current through the atria and the recovery of the ventricle walls?
May/June 2010
What does systolic blood pressure mean?
May/June 2010
Aortic stenosis is a disorder of the heart valve in which the opening of the aortic semi-lunar valve becomes narrowed. Which effect could aortic stenosis have on the structure and function of the heart?
May/June 2010
Aortic stenosis is a disorder of a heart valve where the opening of the aortic semi-lunar valve is reduced in size. What effect could aortic stenosis have on the heart’s structure and function?
May/June 2010
The trace shows the electrical activity of the heart during one heart beat. Which letters show the movement of current through the atria and the recovery of the ventricle walls?
May/June 2010
Fig. 3.1 presents a cross-section through the heart at valve level.
May/June 2010
Fig. 2.1 shows a vertical section through a healthy mammalian heart.
May/June 2010
Fig. 2.1 presents a diagram of a cross-section through a human heart.
May/June 2010
What occurs during ventricular diastole?
May/June 2011
Which row gives the correct description of the events that occur during the cardiac cycle?
May/June 2011
Which events take place during contraction of the left ventricle?
May/June 2011
Which line accurately describes the events that occur during the cardiac cycle?
May/June 2011
What occurs during ventricular diastole?
May/June 2011
The graph illustrates the pressure in three regions of the heart over one cycle. At $0.2\ \text{s}$, which region of the heart is reacting to the excitatory stimulus?
May/June 2012
The graph illustrates how pressure varies in different regions on the left side of the heart during one cardiac cycle. Which row shows the pressure changes in each part of the heart?
May/June 2012
Stroke volume is the amount of blood ejected by each contraction of a ventricle. Ventricular end-diastolic volume is the quantity of blood in the ventricle immediately before systole. Which graph shows how stroke volume is related to ventricular end-diastolic volume?
May/June 2012
The graph illustrates the pressure in three regions of the heart during one cycle. At $0.2\,\text{s}$, which section of the heart is responding to the excitatory stimulus?
May/June 2012
The diagram illustrates the pressure changes in different structures on the left side of the heart during the cardiac cycle. At the end of which period, A, B, C or D, is the ventricle full of blood?
May/June 2013
Aortic stenosis is a heart valve disorder where the opening of the aortic semi-lunar valve is narrowed. Which effect might aortic stenosis have on the structure and function of the heart?
May/June 2013
The diagram illustrates how pressure varies in different parts of the right side of the heart during the cardiac cycle. Which structure is shown by letter X?
May/June 2013
The trace shows the heart’s electrical activity during one heart beat. Which letters show the current passing through the atria and the recovery of the ventricular walls?
May/June 2013
The statements below outline some of the events involved in the start and transmission of heart activity during one cardiac cycle.
May/June 2013
Fig. 5.1 shows a vertical section through the left side of a mammalian heart.
May/June 2014
Explain why transport systems are needed in multicellular plants and animals.
May/June 2014
The diagram shows a cross-section of the heart and the linked blood vessels. Which statement about the movement of blood through the heart is correct?
May/June 2015
What is one characteristic of coronary bypass surgery?
May/June 2015
Which row shows nicotine’s effects on the body when it is present in tobacco smoke?
May/June 2015
Statements A to E each describe a structure linked to the mammalian heart. For every statement, identify which structure is being described.
May/June 2015
The diagram shows the outside of the mammalian heart together with the blood vessels linked to it. Which statement about the blood vessels linked to a normal, healthy heart is correct?
May/June 2016
The graph illustrates how blood pressure changes over one cardiac cycle. What is taking place at time X?
May/June 2016
Which of the following statements about events that take place in the heart is correct?
May/June 2016
Which events take place during ventricular systole?
May/June 2016
Fig. 6.1 shows a sectional diagram of a mammalian heart.
May/June 2016
The graph illustrates how pressure changes over a cardiac cycle. Which row correctly identifies W, X, Y, and Z?
May/June 2017
Three structures that take part in controlling heart activity are given below. 1 atrioventricular node 2 Purkyne tissue 3 sinoatrial node What is the correct sequence in which they are involved?
May/June 2017
The diagram illustrates how the electrical activity in the heart muscle changes during a single cardiac cycle. This is known as an electrocardiograph (ECG). Which electrocardiogram shows a heart rate of 75 beats per minute?
May/June 2018
Which statement accounts for the ventricles contracting after the atria?
May/June 2018
If the left atrioventricular valve in the heart fails to close fully, blood is forced back into the atrium during ventricular systole. What is the immediate effect of this backflow?
May/June 2018
The photograph presents an external view of the anterior side of a mammalian heart. Which row identifies where the structures labelled P, Q, R and S are located?
May/June 2019
What occurs during ventricular systole?
May/June 2019
The diagram illustrates a cross-section of a mammalian heart. Which heart chambers are shown by W and X?
May/June 2019
At one stage in a cardiac cycle, the pressure in the right ventricle is less than the pressure in the right atrium and also less than the pressure in the pulmonary artery. Which row is correct?
May/June 2019
The mammalian circulatory system is known as a closed double circulation. Explain why it is called a closed circulation and why it is called a double circulation.
May/June 2019
Fig. 6.1 shows a vertical section through the human heart together with its related blood vessels.
May/June 2019
What accounts for the left and right sides of the heart contracting at the same time?
May/June 2020
The statements below show some events in the cardiac cycle, but they are not arranged in the right sequence. Which statement describes the third event to happen in the cardiac cycle?
May/June 2020
The diagram illustrates pressure changes in various regions of the heart throughout one cardiac cycle. At which stage are the semilunar valves open while the atrioventricular valves are shut?
May/June 2020
In a healthy mammalian heart, the sinoatrial node (SAN) and atrioventricular node (AVN) work together to coordinate contraction of the four chambers.
May/June 2020
The statements below show some events in a cardiac cycle, but they are not arranged in the correct sequence. Which statement identifies the fourth event to happen during the cardiac cycle? 1. The impulse passes through Purkyne tissue. 2. A wave of excitation spreads across the atria. 3. The atrioventricular node holds back the impulse for a fraction of a second. 4. The sinoatrial node contracts. 5. The wave of excitation moves upwards from the base of the ventricles. 6. The ventricles contract. 7. The atria contract.
May/June 2021
The sinoatrial node starts the cardiac cycle. In what correct sequence do the chambers of the heart contract?
May/June 2021
The graph illustrates pressure changes in various regions of the heart during a mammalian cardiac cycle. W, X, Y and Z show the times when a valve opens or closes. Which row is the correct one?
May/June 2021
Which diagram accurately shows the direction in which blood flows through the heart?
May/June 2021
Fig. 5.1 displays four kinds of cell that can be observed on a prepared slide of blood from a mammal.
May/June 2021
What takes place during ventricular systole in a mammalian heart?
May/June 2022
The diagram illustrates the pressure changes in different structures on the left side of the heart during the cardiac cycle. At the end of which phase is the ventricle filled with blood?
May/June 2022
The graph illustrates how pressure changes on the left side of the heart during one cardiac cycle. What is the heart rate in beats per minute?
May/June 2022
Which events take place during ventricular systole?
May/June 2022
The sinoatrial node, the atrioventricular node and the Purkyne tissue each have important functions in the cardiac cycle.
May/June 2022
Which set of letters shows the correct order of events in the cardiac cycle? T atrial walls contract U the impulse is held up for a fraction of a second V the wave of excitation enters the atrioventricular node W the wave of excitation travels along the Purkyne tissue X the wave of excitation spreads out from the sinoatrial node Y ventricles contract
May/June 2023
The diagram shows how blood pressure changes on the left side of the heart during the cardiac cycle. The valves either open or shut at the numbered points. Which row names the valves that are opening or closing at the numbered points?
May/June 2023
These diagrams display the heart valves in cross-section from above during different points of the cardiac cycle. Which stages of the cardiac cycle are being shown?
May/June 2023
What occurs during ventricular systole in a mammalian heart?
May/June 2023
The sinoatrial node (SAN) and atrioventricular node (AVN) play a vital part in regulating the cardiac cycle. The timing of atrial and ventricular systole and diastole has to be coordinated so that blood flows through the heart efficiently.
May/June 2023
The electrical impulse travels through the following tissues during the cardiac cycle. 1 atrioventricular node 2 muscle wall of atria 3 Purkyne tissue 4 sinoatrial node What sequence does the electrical impulse follow during the cardiac cycle?
May/June 2024
The graph illustrates how the volume of the ventricles changes over one cardiac cycle. Which row is correct for the atrioventricular valve at P and for the semilunar valve at R?
May/June 2024
The diagram illustrates the internal arrangement of the mammalian heart. Which letter indicates the position of the atrioventricular node?
May/June 2024
The diagram illustrates changes in pressure on the left side of the heart during the cardiac cycle. What occurs in the heart at X?
May/June 2024
The diagram illustrates the layout of an amphibian heart and the way blood flows through it. Which of the following statements about differences between the amphibian heart and a human heart are correct?
May/June 2025
Atrial septal defect (ASD) is a heart defect that is present in some newborn babies. ASD is a gap between the right and left atria. What possible effects may babies born with ASD have compared with babies born without ASD?
May/June 2025
Which statement describes the function of the atrioventricular node in the heart?
May/June 2025
The sinoatrial node (SAN), the atrioventricular node (AVN) and the Purkyne fibres all contribute to the initiation and regulation of heart action.
May/June 2025
The diagram illustrates the valves inside the heart. When the atria are relaxed and the ventricles are contracted, which valves are open and which are closed?
Oct/Nov 2010
The graph illustrates pressure variations throughout one cardiac cycle. Which row correctly names W, X, Y, and Z?
Oct/Nov 2010
In what way does nicotine in cigarette smoke increase the risk of cardiac disease?
Oct/Nov 2010
The diagram illustrates the valves within the heart. When the atria are relaxed and the ventricles are contracted, which valves are open and which are closed?
Oct/Nov 2010
The diagram illustrates how pressure in the left side of the heart and the aorta varies with time. This cardiac cycle lasts $0.6\,\text{s}$. Points $1$, $2$, $3$ and $4$ show when the atrio-ventricular valves and the semi-lunar valves open or close. What is the total length of time in one cardiac cycle for which the atrio-ventricular valves and the semi-lunar valves are both closed together?
Oct/Nov 2011
The diagram illustrates pressure changes in the aorta, left atrium and left ventricle throughout the cardiac cycle. Which row describes the changes in the left ventricle at different points on the graph?
Oct/Nov 2011
The diagram illustrates how pressure in the left side of the heart and the aorta varies during this cardiac cycle, which lasts $0.6\,\text{s}$. Points 1, 2, 3 and 4 show the moments when the atrio-ventricular valves and semi-lunar valves open or close. What is the total duration in one cardiac cycle for which both the atrio-ventricular valves and the semi-lunar valves are closed at the same time?
Oct/Nov 2011
Describe the role of each of the following structures in the human heart: sinoatrial node (SAN).
Oct/Nov 2011
What takes place during ventricular systole in a mammalian heart?
Oct/Nov 2012
The diagram illustrates pressure changes on the left side of the heart during the cardiac cycle. What occurs at X?
Oct/Nov 2012
The graph illustrates how pressure varies in the left atrium, left ventricle and aorta throughout one cardiac cycle. Referring to the semilunar valve and atrioventricular valve, what is occurring at points 1, 2, 3 and 4?
Oct/Nov 2012
Which of the following may lead to heart failure?
Oct/Nov 2012
Mammals possess closed, double circulatory systems.
Oct/Nov 2012
Coronary artery bypass grafting is the world's most frequently carried out heart operation. Fig. 6.1 shows a diagram of a coronary bypass. The graft is a piece of healthy blood vessel. The blood vessel shown in Fig. 6.1 is the internal mammary artery. Surgeons commonly choose it because it is fairly resistant to arteriosclerosis.
Oct/Nov 2012