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Inheritance
Question Paper 1

Level IGCSE
Subject Biology (0610/0970)
Exam Board Cambridge International Examinations (CIE)
Topic Inheritance
Sub-Topic Inheritance

Booklet Question Paper 1

Time Allowed: 48 minutes

Score: /40

Percentage: /100

Grade Boundaries:

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
>85% 75% 68% 60% 53% 48% 40% 33% <25%

1
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1 Cells are formed by the division of existing cells. Four different cells are shown.

Which cell is produced by meiosis?

2 Albinism is an inherited condition in which pigment does not develop in the skin, hair and eyes.

The allele for albinism is recessive.

What are the chances of albino parents having an albino child?

A 0% B 25% C 75% D 100%

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3 The diagram represents processes in sexual reproduction.

cells in R
reproductive gametes
organs
zygote cells of
Q
embryo

Which processes are represented by stages Q and R?

4 Which name is given to the observable features of an organism?

A alleles
B genes
C genotype
D phenotype

5 Which structure will be found in the nucleus of a body cell in a woman?

A X allele
B X chromosome
C Y allele
D Y chromosome
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6 Owners of successful race horses hope that the horses’ offspring will be like their parents.

How does a young race horse inherit its characteristics?

A equally from its mother and father

B mainly from its father
C mainly from its mother
D passed across the placenta

7 In pea plants the allele for tall, T, is dominant to the allele for dwarf, t. Which
cross would produce plants in the proportion of 1 tall : 1 dwarf?

A TT × Tt B Tt × Tt C Tt × tt D tt × tt

8 In the inheritance of ABO blood groups, when two parents have the genotypes IAIA and IAIo, what
is the blood group of their offspring?

A group A
B group AB
C group B
D group O

9 When a cell divides, these events occur.

1 The DNA inside the cell is duplicated exactly.

2 Daughter cells are produced with the same chromosome number as the parent cell. Which

type of division has occurred?

A meiosis producing genetically different cells

B meiosis producing genetically identical cells
C mitosis producing genetically different cells
D mitosis producing genetically identical cells
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10 Which structures in plant cells build protein molecules under the control of the nucleus?

A cell walls
B chloroplasts
C mitochondria
D ribosomes

A S
11 Sickle cell anaemia is determined by the gene Hb. Hb is the allele for normal blood. Hb is the
allele for sickle cell anaemia.

Which combination of parents could result in some children with resistance to malaria and some
with all normal red blood cells?

A HbA HbA HbA HbA

B HbA HbA HbA HbS
C HbA HbA HbS HbS
D HbS HbS HbS HbS

12 Which substance is coded for by a length of DNA?

A fat
B fatty acid
C glycerol
D lipase

13 What are alleles?

A a pair of chromosomes
B different versions of the same gene
C the total number of genes on one chromosome
D two genes side by side on the same chromosome
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14 A pure-breeding plant with smooth stems was crossed with a heterozygous plant with hairy
stems.

What will be the ratio of hairy : smooth stems in the resulting plants?

A 1 hairy : 1 smooth
B 1 hairy : 3 smooth
C 3 hairy : 1 smooth
D all hairy

15 The diagram shows the sex chromosomes of a woman and of a man. Their genotypes for a
recessive sex-linked condition are also shown.

A a a key
A is dominant
a is recessive

What are the chances that their daughter will show the sex-linked condition?

A 0% B 25% C 50% D 75%

16 The diagram shows the inheritance of ABO blood groups. The blood groups of some of the
individuals are given.

A Priya

B O

O A

What could be Priya’s genotype?

A IAIo B IBIB C IBIo D IoIo

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17 Which statement about the human sex chromosomes is correct?

A All boys have two Y chromosomes.

B Everybody has at least one X chromosome.
C Girls have a Y chromosome and an X chromosome.
D Nobody has two X chromosomes.

18 What results from meiosis of a diploid cell?

A genetically different diploid cells

B genetically different haploid cells
C genetically identical diploid cells
D genetically identical haploid cells

19 What will be the genotypes of the offspring resulting from a genetic cross between two
individuals, one of which is homozygous dominant, (TT), and the other heterozygous?

20 Which of these cells is haploid?

A liver cell

B red blood cell

C sperm cell

D zygote
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21 A genetic cross between two organisms may be shown as Gg × Gg.

What does g represent?

A a dominant allele
B a dominant chromosome
C a recessive allele
D a recessive chromosome

22 Some fruit flies have orange eyes and others have red eyes.
If two orange-eyed fruit flies are crossed, their offspring always have orange eyes.

If two red-eyed fruit flies are crossed, their offspring sometimes include both orange-eyed and
red-eyed flies.

What can be concluded from these observations?

A Crossing an orange-eyed fly with a red-eyed fly will produce a 1 : 1 ratio in the offspring.
B The allele for orange eyes is dominant.
C The allele for red eyes is dominant.
D We could determine which allele is dominant only by doing a cross that produces a 3 : 1 ratio.

23 What are correct descriptions of mitosis and meiosis?

mitosis meiosis

A cells produced are genetically identical repairs damaged cells

B halves the chromosome number cells produced are genetically identical
C involved in asexual reproduction halves the chromosome number
D involved in sexual reproduction doubles the chromosome number
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24 A man has three sons.

What is the chance of his next child being a son?

A 0% B 25% C 50% D 75%

25 The diagram shows a cross between heterozygous tall pea plants.

Which statement is not correct?

A Offspring E and H are both homozygous.

B Offspring F and G are both heterozygous.
C The phenotypes of offspring E, F and G are the same.
D The ratio of different phenotypes in the offspring is 1 : 1.

26 The diagram shows a plant cell.

Where is most of the DNA found?

A
C

D
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27 The diagram shows the chromosomes in the nucleus of a cell that divides by mitosis.

28 The diagram shows the fusion of gametes to produce a son and a daughter.

father mother

parents

gametes Q

offspring R

son daughter

What are the sex chromosomes in gamete Q and son R?

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29 What are the sex chromosomes for human females and males?

30 A plant has two different alleles of a gene resulting in it having a green seed.
Which row describes the phenotype and genotype of the seeds of this plant?

31 The shape of a person’s earlobes is determined by a single gene. This gene has dominant and
recessive alleles.

The allele for detached earlobes is dominant to the allele for attached earlobes.

The diagram shows the inheritance of earlobe shape in a family.

parents
attached detached

children
attached detached detached

What is the probability of the next child from the same parents having detached earlobes?

A 0% B 25% C 50% D 75%

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32 Which sex chromosomes are present in all mature human sperm cells?

A both X and Y chromosomes

B either X or Y chromosomes
C only X chromosomes
D only Y chromosomes

33 The diagram shows a cell dividing into two.

DNA strand

DNA strand

Which process is shown in the diagram?

A asexual reproduction in a bacterium

B asexual reproduction in a potato plant
C meiosis in a woman’s ovary
D mitosis in the root of a plant
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34 The chart shows the inheritance of fur colour in a small mammal.

If the allele for white fur is dominant, which animal must be heterozygous for the gene controlling
fur colour?

A B

35 The diagram shows the chromosomes from one person.

1 2 3 4 5 6 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

17 18 19 20 21 22

What can be deduced about the person who has these chromosomes?

A a female with Down’s syndrome

B a male with Down’s syndrome
C a normal female
D a normal male
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36 Genetics is the study of

A development of organisms.
B mechanisms of inheritance.
C nuclear division.
D variation between species.

37 What is unlikely to be affected by the environment?

A blood group
B body mass
C health
D height

38 Which statement is true of both chromosomes and genes?

A Each codes for a specific protein.

B Each may be copied and passed on in mitosis.
C Each may be either dominant or recessive.
D Each may exist as two or more alleles.

39 Most birds have a coloured pigment in their feathers, but in a few individuals, pigment is
absent and the birds are albinos.

Albinism occurs when a bird is homozygous recessive for the gene which creates the coloured
pigment.

If two albino birds mated, what describes the appearance of their offspring?

A all albino
B all coloured
C 50% coloured, 50% albino
D 75% coloured, 25% albino
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40 In an animal, the allele for straight fur is dominant to the allele for curly fur.

A pair of these animals mate and have nine offspring with straight fur and three with curly fur.

F represents the allele for straight fur and f represents the allele for curly fur.

What are the most likely genotypes of the parents?

A F and f B FF and ff C FF and Ff D Ff and Ff

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Inheritance
Question Paper 1

Level IGCSE
Subject Biology
Exam Board CIE
Topic Inheritance
Paper Type (Extended) Theory Paper
Booklet Question Paper 1

Time Allowed: 54 minutes

Score: /45

Percentage: /100
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1 Catalase is an enzyme that breaks down hydrogen peroxide inside cells. Red blood cells contain
catalase.

Some dogs have an inherited condition in which catalase is not produced. This condition is known
as acatalasia and it is caused by a mutation in the gene for catalase.

(a) Define the terms gene and gene mutation.

gene...................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

gene mutation....................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

[2]

(b) A geneticist was asked to investigate the inheritance of acatalasia in dogs.

The normal allele is represented by B and the mutant allele is represented by b.

The geneticist made the diagram in Fig. 3.1 to show the inheritance of acatalasia in a family
of dogs. The shaded symbols indicate the dogs with acatalasia.

normal male
1 2 3
normal female

male with acatalasia

4 5
female with acatalasia

Fig. 3.1

(i) State the genotypes of the dogs identified as 1, 2 and 3 in Fig. 3.1.

1 .............................................................................................................................

2 .............................................................................................................................

3 ............................................................................................................................. [3]
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(ii) The geneticist crossed dog 4 with dog 5. Approximately half of the offspring had
acatalasia and half the offspring did not have acatalasia.

Complete the genetic diagram to show how this is possible.

dog 4 dog 5
parental phenotypes normal has acatalasia

parental genotypes ............. .............

+
gametes .......... , .......... ..........

Punnett square

offspring genotypes................................................................................................

offspring phenotypes.............................................................................................. [3]

(iii) State the name given to the type of cross that you have completed in (b)(ii).

................................................................................................................................ [1]

[Total: 9]
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2 Anthocyanin is a red pigment found in carnation flowers. Some carnation plants have a gene for
making anthocyanin.

(a) (i) A flower grower bred red carnations.

Describe how growers selectively breed plants.

................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................ [3]

(ii) Explain the disadvantages of using sexual reproduction to breed red carnations.

................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................ [2]

(b) Meiosis is necessary for sexual reproduction of carnation plants.

Define the term meiosis.

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................... [2]
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(c) Carnation plants show co-dominance for the anthocyanin gene. There are two alleles:
A
• F – allele for anthocyanin pigment (red flowers)
N
• F – allele for no anthocyanin pigment (white flowers)

(i) State the genotype of a carnation plant that is heterozygous for this gene.

................................................................................................................................ [1]

(ii) Describe the phenotype of a heterozygous carnation plant for this gene.

................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................ [1]

A N A A
(iii) The breeder crossed a F F carnation plant with a F F carnation plant. Predict, using
a genetic diagram, the proportion of pure breeding carnation plants in the offspring.

parental genotypes FAFN × FAFA

+
gametes ........... ........... ........... ...........

Punnett square

offspring genotypes .............................................................................................

offspring phenotypes ...........................................................................................

proportion of pure breeding carnation plants .......................................................

[4]

[Total: 13]
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3 (a) Sex in cats is determined in the same way as in humans.

Complete the diagram below to show how sex is determined in cats.

male cat female cat

female cat (XX)

gametes X X

......
male cat
(.........)
......

offspring ratio..................................................................................................................... [3]

(b) A scientist investigated the inheritance of fur colour in cats.

The gene for coat colour is located on the X chromosome. The gene has two alleles:

• B black

• b orange.
B
The X chromosome with the allele for black is represented by X .
b
The X chromosome with the allele for orange is X .

A female cat can be a mixture of these colours, described as calico.

Fig. 3.1 shows the inheritance of this condition in a family of cats.

orange male
1 2
black male

calico female

orange female
3 4 5 6 7
black female
Fig. 3.1
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(i) State the genotypes of cats 1, 4, and 5 in Fig. 3.1.

cat 1 .......................................................................................................................

cat 4 .......................................................................................................................

cat 5 ....................................................................................................................... [3]

(ii) Coat colour in cats is an example of discontinuous variation.

Explain why coat colour is an example of discontinuous variation.

................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................ [3]

[Total: 9]
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4 Fig. 5.1 shows the nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans.

Fig. 5.1

(a) (i) State the genus of this nematode.

.......................................................................................................................................[1]

(ii) State two structural features of nematodes.

1 ........................................................................................................................................

2 ........................................................................................................................................
[2]

(b) Nematodes feed on dead and decaying material. Explain why this gives nematodes an
important role in ecosystems.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................................[3]
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(c) Fig. 5.2 shows the life cycle of C. elegans. The diploid number of this species is 12.

adult which has

both male and
female sex organs

diploid body cells

of the adult
P
egg
sperm

larval stage

embryo passes out

of adult and
not drawn to scale continues
development

Fig. 5.2

(i) Suggest why there is very little genetic variation in the offspring of the adult nematode
shown in Fig. 5.2.

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

.......................................................................................................................................[2]

(ii) State the haploid number of C. elegans.

.......................................................................................................................................[1]
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(iii) Explain why meiosis occurs at P and mitosis occurs at Q.

meiosis at P ........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

mitosis at Q ........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

.......................................................................................................................................[3]

(d) C. elegans was one of the first organisms to have its genome sequenced.

An organism’s genome is the sum of all its genetic material. Gene sequencing identifies all
the component parts of the DNA that makes up the genome.

State where DNA is located in a cell.

...................................................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................................[2]

[Total: 14]
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Inheritance
Question Paper

Level IGCSE
Subject Biology
Exam Board CIE
Topic Inheritance
Sub-Topic
Paper Type Alternative to Practical
Booklet Question Paper

Time Allowed: 28 minutes

Score: /23

Percentage: /100
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1 Fig. 2.1 shows part of a yellow maize cob, Zea mays.

A cob is composed of many individual fruits known as grains.

Fig. 2.1

Many colours of maize grains are known. The colour is inherited.

Fig. 2.2 shows part of a cob with light and dark coloured grains.

Fig. 2.2
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(a) (i) Complete Table 2.1 by counting the number of light and dark coloured grains.

Table 2.1

number of grains
light dark

[1]

(ii) Use the data in Table 2.1 to suggest the phenotypic ratio of light to dark coloured grains.

...................................................................................................................................... [1]

(iii) Describe one visible phenotypic difference, other than colour, between the grains shown
in Fig. 2.2.

...........................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................... [1]

Maize is used as a food source for humans and livestock. It contains mainly starch but also other
nutrients including proteins and fat.

(b) Describe how to test maize grains for the presence of protein and fat.

protein .......................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

fat ..............................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................
[5]
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Maize is a cereal. Cereals form a high proportion of the daily energy intake for many people.

The protein and fat content of maize and five other cereals is shown in Table 2.2.

Table 2.2

content per 100 g of dried cereal / g

cereal
protein fat
maize 9. 3.8
millet 10.4 5.0
oats 12.6 7.5
rice 7.1 1.8
sorghum 9.7 3.4
wheat 13.8 2.0

(c) Use Table 2.2 to identify the cereal that provides the largest energy content per 100 g.

Explain your choice of cereal.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................................................. [3]

[Total: 11]
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2 There is variation in the shape of human thumbs.

Fig. 3.1 shows the two forms referred to as ‘straight’ and ‘hitch hikers’.

straight hitch hikers

Fig. 3.1

A survey of thumb shape was carried out on 197 students. The results are shown in
Table 3.1.

Table 3.1

number of students with ‘straight’ number of students with ‘hitch hiker’

thumbs thumbs
age / years
male female male female

12 21 24 4 2

13 18 28 3 5

14 19 15 2 3

15 26 20 3 4

total 84 87 12 14

(a) Describe the results shown in Table 3.1.

[3]
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(b) Scientists think that thumb shape is controlled by a single gene.

What evidence is there from Table 3.1 to support this idea?

[3]

[Total : 6]
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3 Fig. 3.1 shows part of a root tip cut longitudinally. The section has been stained to show the
DNA of the nucleus.

Fig. 3.1

(a) (i) Draw a circle around a cell that shows the ‘daughter’ chromosomes have just
separated at the equator and are moving towards the poles of the cell (anaphase).
[1]

(ii) Describe two visible features of these dividing cells.

2 [2]

(iii) Name the type of cell division taking place.

[1]

(b) Suggest what happens to these cells after cell division, as the root grows.

[2]

[Total: 6]