Biology 9700 · AS & A Level
The immune system
95 practice questions on The immune system, with worked solutions and instant marking.
Which row correctly states the functions of B-lymphocytes and T-lymphocytes?
Feb/March 2016
Which statement could apply to both B-lymphocytes and T-lymphocytes?
Feb/March 2017
Some children are born with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID). Because of this inherited disease, these children usually lack T-lymphocytes and experience many infectious diseases. How can SCID be cured in these children?
Feb/March 2018
Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the principal bacterium responsible for tuberculosis (TB) in humans. In most instances, the illness affects the lungs. This bacterium is able to enter cells and stay inactive in a latent (dormant) condition. It can later become active and cause the symptoms of the disease. In a person with active TB, the pathogen may be found in airborne droplets that are breathed out. Usually, when a healthy person inhales these droplets, the gas exchange system has effective defence mechanisms that stop infection.
Feb/March 2018
Which row correctly shows the places where a type of molecule or cell may be found?
Feb/March 2019
T-helper lymphocytes and Leydig cells are both mammalian cell types. Their principal function is to make and release cell-signalling molecules. T-helper lymphocytes make proteins called cytokines. Leydig cells make the steroid (lipid) hormone testosterone from cholesterol. Leydig cells also make cholesterol.
Feb/March 2021
At $\times 400$ magnification with a light microscope, the various blood cell types can be recognised on prepared slides of mammalian blood. Fig. 4.1 provides a guide for identifying the different blood cell types on prepared slides of mammalian blood. In Fig. 4.1, letters C, D, E and F denote four separate blood cell types.
Feb/March 2021
Table 2.1 presents descriptions of three white blood cells. Complete Table 2.1 by giving the names of these three types of white blood cell.
Feb/March 2024
Fig. 6.1 shows a simplified representation of a section through the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) particle that causes HIV/AIDS. The diagram depicts the virus particle just before it attaches to the cell surface membrane of a T-helper cell at a receptor protein known as CD4. A second protein (coreceptor) called CCR5 is also required for the virus particle to enter and then infect the T-helper cell.
Feb/March 2024
State one difference between T-lymphocytes and B-lymphocytes in the immune system.
May/June 2010
In an investigation of the immune response, a volunteer was exposed to two different antigens, X and Y. The concentration of antibodies in the blood, relative to each other, was recorded at regular intervals throughout 60 days. The graph indicates the time at which the volunteer was exposed to each antigen and plots antibody concentration against time for antigens X and Y. What explains the results shown on the graph?
May/June 2010
What distinguishes T-lymphocytes from B-lymphocytes in the immune system?
May/June 2010
Which cells do memory cells form during the immune response?
May/June 2012
Which statement best characterises a T-helper lymphocyte?
May/June 2012
Which cells turn into memory cells in the immune response?
May/June 2012
Which statement describes a T-helper lymphocyte?
May/June 2012
Fig. 2.1 presents a transmission electron micrograph of a plasma cell. Plasma cells are antibody-secreting cells that develop from B-lymphocytes.
May/June 2012
Which statement is correct about both B-lymphocytes and T-lymphocytes?
May/June 2013
Which statement about the body's defence against infectious disease is incorrect?
May/June 2014
Table 4.1 presents information about five infectious diseases.
May/June 2014
Which cells develop into memory cells in the immune response?
May/June 2015
A person inhales tiny particles while in an extremely dusty environment. What effect will this have on B-lymphocytes and goblet cells?
May/June 2015
Natural immunity and artificial immunity may each be acquired in either a passive or an active way. Table 5.1 presents details of the immunity acquired by two individuals, P and Q.
May/June 2015
A person whose immune system is suppressed may be more prone to certain diseases. Which disease would this person not be more prone to?
May/June 2016
What functions do T-lymphocytes perform during an immune response?
May/June 2016
Which statement explains how passive natural immunity is acquired?
May/June 2016
What is meant by a non-specific immune response?
May/June 2016
Macrophages make intracellular enzymes inside the cell. Fig. 2.1 is a summary diagram showing the sequence of events that take place in a macrophage.
May/June 2016
What is the immune system’s initial response to a pathogen?
May/June 2017
The photomicrograph shows human blood, and three kinds of white cell are labelled. Which row correctly names these white cells?
May/June 2017
Why is malaria more common among people with HIV/AIDS than among people who do not have HIV/AIDS?
May/June 2018
The diagram makes it possible to identify different kinds of immunity. Which row correctly names the types of immunity labelled 1, 2 and 3?
May/June 2018
Which of the following count as specific immune responses?
May/June 2019
Fig. 3.1 shows a photomicrograph of blood cells taken from a healthy person living at sea level. The cells marked C, D and E are white blood cells.
May/June 2019
The photomicrograph depicts three white blood cells labelled X, Y and Z. Which row identifies these cells correctly?
May/June 2020
A blood cell count can reveal how many white blood cells are present in the blood. In what other part of the body are white blood cells found?
May/June 2020
The photomicrograph displays three white blood cells labelled X, Y and Z. Which row identifies these cells correctly?
May/June 2020
What roles do T-lymphocytes carry out?
May/June 2021
Which statement about the function of memory cells in long-term immunity is correct?
May/June 2021
Which of the following statements accurately describe lymphocytes?
May/June 2021
The diagram illustrates the immune response after a virus infection. Which row correctly identifies the cells labelled E, F, G and H?
May/June 2021
Lysosomes are organelles in cells that contain enzymes called acid hydrolases. Fig. 6.1 illustrates some processes that take place in animal cells.
May/June 2021
A student used a diagram to illustrate four types of cells involved in the primary immune response. cell type 1: release chemicals that cause phagocytes to engulf antigens cell type 2: destroy cells infected with viruses which would be released into the body cell type 3: make the antibodies needed to bind to the antigen cell type 4: identify the foreign antigen, move towards it and surround it Which row is correct?
May/June 2022
Arachidonic acid is a fatty acid and a typical component of phospholipids. When phospholipids are metabolised inside cells, they can supply arachidonic acid through an enzyme-catalysed route called the cyclooxygenase (COX) pathway. The end products of the COX pathway differ between cell types, so they trigger a range of responses. In some cells, the products are involved in the inflammatory response, which is the body's response to infection. In other cells, cell division is stimulated. Fig. 5.1 shows the first reaction in the COX pathway. This reaction is catalysed by an enzyme known as COX-2: arachidonic acid + oxygen $\xrightarrow{\text{COX-2}}$ prostaglandin-$\text{H}_2$.
May/June 2022
What type of blood cell is unable to recognise, engulf and digest non-self particles?
May/June 2023
Immune system cells react to the presence of antigens that are non-self.
May/June 2023
In a primary immune response, what is the correct order in which the events occur?
May/June 2024
The events shown happen during the primary immune response to a particular pathogen. Which row indicates the correct order of these events?
May/June 2024
Alveolar macrophages are immune system cells that stay within the alveolar part of the gas exchange system. They help to prevent infection by pathogens that have been inhaled.
May/June 2024
A student examined a drop of human blood under a microscope and observed a cell with a very large diameter and a U-shaped nucleus occupying half of the cell’s volume. Which type of cell was the student looking at?
May/June 2025
What impact does a lower number of T-helper cells have on the immune system?
May/June 2025
Which cells taking part in the primary immune response are phagocytes?
May/June 2025
The diagram illustrates a section of the immune response. What are P, Q and R?
Oct/Nov 2010
When a body cell becomes infected by a pathogen, which option correctly describes an immune response?
Oct/Nov 2010
The photomicrograph is of human blood, and three kinds of white cell have been labelled. Which row identifies these white cells correctly?
Oct/Nov 2010
The photomicrograph shows human blood, and three kinds of white cell are labelled. Which row correctly names these white cells?
Oct/Nov 2010
If a body cell becomes infected by a pathogen, which option gives a correct immune response?
Oct/Nov 2010
What is the immune system’s initial reaction to a pathogen?
Oct/Nov 2011
Phagocytes and lymphocytes form part of the body’s cellular defence against invading pathogens. Fig. 6.1 shows where phagocytes and lymphocytes originate and how they mature.
Oct/Nov 2011
White blood cells have a key role in defence.
Oct/Nov 2011
Which row accurately pairs a function with B-lymphocytes and T-lymphocytes?
Oct/Nov 2012
Some children are born with Severe Combined Immune Deficiency (SCID). These children usually have no T-lymphocytes and are affected by many diseases. How may these children be cured?
Oct/Nov 2012
Which statement identifies the role of lymphocytes in the immune response?
Oct/Nov 2012
Stem cells in bone marrow divide by mitosis to produce blood cells. Every division gives one replacement stem cell and one cell that later differentiates into a blood cell. Fig. 3.1 shows how the DNA mass in a human stem cell from the bone marrow changes across three cell cycles.
Oct/Nov 2012
Which option correctly describes the different types of immunity?
Oct/Nov 2013
Which of these are specific immune responses?
Oct/Nov 2014
Which method of acquiring immunity can be described as natural active immunity?
Oct/Nov 2014
What type of immunity is acquired after a pathogen infects the body?
Oct/Nov 2014
What best identifies a function of a macrophage?
Oct/Nov 2015
Which of the following statements is correct about a neutrophil?
Oct/Nov 2015
Which statements accurately describe lymphocytes?
Oct/Nov 2015
What is meant by natural active immunity?
Oct/Nov 2015
Which statement describes a function of a T-lymphocyte?
Oct/Nov 2016
Which statement concerning immunity is correct?
Oct/Nov 2016
The statements below describe responses made by cells of the immune system to a pathogen. Which response is correct for $$-lymphocytes?
Oct/Nov 2016
Which of the following statements about macrophages are correct?
Oct/Nov 2016
Stem cells become neutrophils through several distinct stages. A number of these stages can carry out cell division. Fig. 6.2 provides a summary of neutrophil development, and some features of cell structure are shown.
Oct/Nov 2016
Which means of acquiring immunity is referred to as natural active immunity?
Oct/Nov 2017
Which of the following statements give correct descriptions of lymphocytes?
Oct/Nov 2018
In a investigation of the mitotic cell cycle, a student prepared stained sections from an onion, Allium cepa, root tip and viewed them with a light microscope. Using the microscope at high power, the student produced drawings of six cells, A to F, as shown in Fig. 6.1.
Oct/Nov 2018
The diagram shows three white blood cells labelled X, Y and Z. Which row correctly names these cells?
Oct/Nov 2019
Fig. 4.1 is a photomicrograph showing a human blood smear. Identify the cells marked A and B in Fig. 4.1.
Oct/Nov 2019
Myasthenia gravis is a disorder that causes muscle weakness because it affects the immune response.
Oct/Nov 2019
If an antigen enters the body again, memory cells trigger a secondary immune response. Which option shows the secondary immune response correctly?
Oct/Nov 2020
Which row gives the correct information for neutrophils and B-lymphocytes?
Oct/Nov 2020
Fig. 6.1 shows Vorticella, a freshwater unicellular organism. Vorticella has many cilia, which it uses to feed.
Oct/Nov 2020
Which statement correctly describes a T-lymphocyte?
Oct/Nov 2021
The photomicrograph displays three white blood cells labelled X, Y and Z. Which row correctly identifies these cells?
Oct/Nov 2021
The photomicrograph displays a blood smear. Which cell is a monocyte?
Oct/Nov 2022
Which of the following statements about B-lymphocytes and T-lymphocytes is correct?
Oct/Nov 2022
Fig. 2.1 shows a scanning electron micrograph of a macrophage engulfing some bacteria.
Oct/Nov 2022
A number of responses made by cells of the immune system to a pathogen are listed. Which of these responses are correct for B-lymphocytes?
Oct/Nov 2023
A patient whose kidneys have failed may receive a kidney transplant. In a kidney transplant, a healthy kidney is removed from another person and placed into the patient’s body. At times, the donated kidney cells are destroyed by the patient’s body. In this primary immune response, T-lymphocytes attach to antigens on the donated kidney cells and become activated. The statements below show the later stages of the primary immune response. 1 Activated T-lymphocyte secretes cytokines. 2 B-lymphocytes differentiate into plasma cells and make antibodies. 3 T-killer cells bind to antigens on donor kidney cells. 4 T-killer cells release toxins that destroy the donor kidney cells. 5 T-lymphocytes multiply by mitosis and differentiate into T-killer cells. Which sequence correctly shows how donor kidney cells are destroyed?
Oct/Nov 2023
Some individuals carrying HIV go on to develop HIV/AIDS.
Oct/Nov 2023
T-lymphocytes are formed in bone marrow and become mature in the thymus gland. After maturation, T-lymphocytes exit the thymus gland and move around the body. They stay inactive in organs such as the spleen and lymph nodes until antigens are present to activate them. Fig. 5.1 illustrates what occurs to two inactive T-lymphocytes, U1 and V1, when they encounter an antigen from a virus.
Oct/Nov 2024