Biology 5090 · O Level
Mammalian nervous system
61 practice questions on Mammalian nervous system, with worked solutions and instant marking.
A motor neurone carries impulses away from
May/June 2015
The diagram shows part of the elbow joint. Explain why the muscles labelled X and Y are said to be antagonistic.
May/June 2015
Give one example of a reflex arc.
May/June 2016
The diagram illustrates a vertical section of the human brain. Which structure controls balance and muscular coordination?
May/June 2016
In what way do the biceps and triceps muscles bring about movement at the elbow joint?
May/June 2016
Give one example of a reflex arc.
May/June 2016
The diagram illustrates a vertical cut through the human brain. Which structure is responsible for balance and muscular coordination?
May/June 2016
The brain is one part of the nervous system.
May/June 2016
The diagram illustrates some of the nerve pathways involved in a reflex action. If the pathway at X is damaged, what effect does this have on the reflex?
May/June 2017
A man sustains an injury to his head, and his cerebellum is damaged. What is the outcome of this?
May/June 2017
Which one of these is a reflex action?
May/June 2018
The diagram illustrates the outside view of a brain. Which part of the brain is responsible for thinking and making decisions?
May/June 2018
What are some consequences of using heroin?
May/June 2018
Describe one simple reflex action and explain why this action is important to the body.
May/June 2018
Which statement gives an example of a simple reflex action in an arm or a leg?
May/June 2019
The nervous system controls and coordinates body activities.
May/June 2019
The diagram illustrates three locations, X, Y and Z, where a drug stops nerve impulses. Which person in the list below would move their leg after being pricked with a pin, but would not feel the pinprick?
May/June 2021
What effects does consuming a large amount of alcohol have on the human body?
May/June 2021
The diagram illustrates the human brain. What is the name of the shaded area of the brain?
May/June 2021
The diagram indicates three positions, X, Y and Z, where a drug prevents nerve impulses from travelling. Which person below would move their leg when pricked with a pin, yet would not feel the pinprick?
May/June 2021
The diagram depicts the structures involved in a reflex action that makes a person’s hand move away from a sharp object.
May/June 2021
The diagram depicts a cross-section of the human brain. If structure X is harmed, which body functions could be affected?
May/June 2022
The diagram shows a cross-section of the human brain. Which part of the brain controls the rate of breathing?
May/June 2022
Which short-term effect is brought about by excessive consumption of alcohol?
May/June 2022
Nerve impulses and hormones coordinate body functions.
May/June 2022
The diagram illustrates a reflex arc. A person had an accident and injured their arm. The sensory neurones at X have been cut. Which statement describes what occurs if this person touches a hot object with their finger?
May/June 2023
A person blinks when an insect enters their eye. What causes this reflex action?
May/June 2023
The nervous system controls and coordinates body activities. Fig. 3.1 contains two diagrams, each of which shows parts of the nervous system in a human.
May/June 2023
Which statement explains the functions of the parts of the nervous system?
May/June 2024
What role do sensory neurones perform?
May/June 2024
A narrow beam of intense light is directed into a human eye for two seconds. A comparable beam of light is directed at one side of the tip of a plant stem for several days.
May/June 2024
Which of the following statements about synapses are correct?
May/June 2025
Various investigations have found that the transmission of electrical nerve impulses along neurones becomes slower as age increases. Studies A, B, C and D have reported different outcomes. The average speed of a nerve impulse in people who are 40 years old is $55\,\text{m s}^{-1}$. Which study showed the smallest decrease in transmission speed between the ages of 40 and 60?
May/June 2025
Which row correctly shows how the neurones are linked in a reflex action?
Oct/Nov 2015
What is one role of sensory neurones?
Oct/Nov 2015
The diagram illustrates part of the human brain. What are the numbered structures?
Oct/Nov 2016
Nerve impulses in neurones may move: 1 away from the central nervous system, 2 towards the central nervous system, 3 inside the central nervous system. In what direction do impulses travel in sensory neurones and relay neurones?
Oct/Nov 2016
Nerve impulses in neurones can pass 1 from the central nervous system 2 to the central nervous system 3 inside the central nervous system In what direction do impulses move in sensory neurones and relay neurones?
Oct/Nov 2016
The diagram illustrates the brain in vertical section. Which part is the hypothalamus?
Oct/Nov 2017
The diagram shows a cross-section of the human brain. Which structure is the cerebellum?
Oct/Nov 2017
Which statement concerning brain structure and function is not correct?
Oct/Nov 2018
Which is not an example of a simple reflex action?
Oct/Nov 2018
Which major role is carried out by the medulla in the brain?
Oct/Nov 2018
The pictures depict a man who is fishing.
Oct/Nov 2019
The diagram shows a cross-section of the brain. Which labelled part is the hypothalamus?
Oct/Nov 2020
What is the meaning of a reflex action?
Oct/Nov 2020
Describe the main functions of the cerebrum in coordinating and regulating bodily functions.
Oct/Nov 2020
The diagram illustrates several of the nerve pathways involved in a reflex action. If the pathway at X is damaged, how is the reflex affected?
Oct/Nov 2021
A study of reaction times used three comparable large groups of adults. In each case, the adult had to press a button as soon as a light flashed. The interval from the light switching on to the button being pressed was recorded. Group 1 carried out the task 30 minutes after smoking a cigarette. Group 2 carried out the task 30 minutes after drinking 2 units of alcohol. Group 3 acted as the control group. This control group did not smoke or drink alcohol. The graph presents the findings from this study. What is the best conclusion from the data?
Oct/Nov 2021
The diagram illustrates several of the nerve pathways linked to a reflex action. If the pathway at X is damaged, what effect will this have on the reflex?
Oct/Nov 2021
In an experiment, one person measured their reaction time by recording how long it took to catch a ruler that was released by someone else. They then carried out the same test again some time after drinking alcohol. Which graph represents their results?
Oct/Nov 2021
The diagram illustrates the nerve pathway involved in a reflex action when a person accidentally touches something hot. Which row correctly names a sensory neurone, a relay neurone and a motor neurone?
Oct/Nov 2022
The flow chart shows a reflex action. a painful stimulus is detected by a ...E... → the impulse is carried by a ...F... neurone → the impulse is transferred to the ...G... neurone through the ...H... neurone → finally the impulse is carried to the ...I... to produce a response. Which row correctly completes the flow chart?
Oct/Nov 2022
Which graph illustrates the lengths of the biceps and triceps muscles in the upper arm when the elbow joint is fully extended and the arm is straight?
Oct/Nov 2022
Humans possess receptors that sense stimuli in their surroundings, together with a nervous system that coordinates the responses to those stimuli.
Oct/Nov 2022
The chart shows data for a car travelling at $110\,\text{km h}^{-1}$ with a driver who has not taken alcohol. It indicates the distance the car covers from the moment the driver spots a hazard and responds by applying the brakes, and then the distance it will continue to travel before it comes to a complete stop. If that same driver drinks alcohol before setting off, the distance covered before reacting to the hazard rises by $20\%$. What would the car’s total stopping distance be in that case?
Oct/Nov 2023
A student was asked to compare a typical spinal reflex response with a voluntary movement. He has made one error in his comparison. Which row contains the incorrect statement?
Oct/Nov 2023
Nerve impulses in neurones may move: 1 out of the central nervous system 2 into the central nervous system 3 inside the central nervous system. In what direction do impulses travel in sensory neurones and in relay neurones?
Oct/Nov 2024
Following an accident in a factory, a tiny fragment of metal entered an engineer’s spinal cord and cut through the tissue at X. The diagram presents a transverse section of the spinal cord in the neck at the site of the injury. A nervous pathway is also illustrated. Which consequence of the accident is possible?
Oct/Nov 2024
Fig. 3.1 illustrates the central nervous system along with some other parts of a man’s body.
Oct/Nov 2024
Fig. 8.1 illustrates a synapse between a sensory neurone and a relay neurone. The sensory neurone takes in information from a pain receptor. Fig. 8.2 shows the shape of some analgesic drug molecules.
Oct/Nov 2025