Free Heart & circulation questions for IGCSE Biology (0610), part of Transport. Each question has the answer and the marking points an examiner would look for.
Generate a full Heart & Circulation worksheet →All Transport questionsWhich sequence shows the path of blood from the body to the lungs?
Answer: C
Which term is described by this statement?
“Arteries that supply the heart muscle with oxygenated blood.”
Answer: A
The heart pumps blood around the body in a double circulation.
Explain why the wall of the left ventricle is thicker than the wall of the right ventricle.
Describe the role of the valves in the heart.
A student’s heart rate rises from 65 to 106 beats per minute during exercise. Calculate the percentage increase.
Explain why heart rate increases during exercise.
State three risk factors for coronary heart disease and explain how one of them causes the disease.
| Part | Answer and marking points | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| (a) | Left ventricle pumps blood all round the body (further, higher pressure); right pumps only to the lungs left pumps to the whole body / right only to lungs B1 needs higher pressure / more muscle B1 | 2 |
| (b) | Prevent backflow of blood; atrioventricular valves close when ventricles contract; semilunar valves close when ventricles relax prevent backflow B1 correct example of when a named valve closes B1 | 2 |
| (c) | 63.1% 41 ÷ 65 × 100 M1 63.1 A1 | 2 |
| (d) | Muscles respire faster; need more oxygen and glucose delivered and more carbon dioxide removed; faster blood flow more (aerobic) respiration in muscles B1 more oxygen/glucose supplied B1 more carbon dioxide removed B1 | 3 |
| (e) | diet high in saturated fat, smoking, stress, lack of exercise, genetics, age, male; fatty deposits/cholesterol block coronary arteries, reducing oxygen to heart muscle three risk factors B2 coronary arteries blocked/narrowed (fatty deposits) B1 less oxygen/glucose to heart muscle, cells cannot respire B1 | 4 |
A student runs for 3 minutes. Her heart rate is measured at rest, immediately after she stops running (time 0) and then every minute while she recovers. Table 4.1 shows the results.
| time after stopping / min | rest | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| heart rate / beats per minute | 70 | 160 | 135 | 102 | 84 | 76 | 72 |
Calculate the percentage increase in heart rate from rest to immediately after the run.
Explain why the heart rate increases during exercise.
Explain why the heart rate stays above the resting rate for several minutes after the run.
Use Table 4.1 to state how long her heart rate takes to return to within 5 beats per minute of the resting rate.
Describe how the structure of the wall of an artery is related to its function.
| Part | Answer and marking points | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| (a) | 129 % (160 − 70) ÷ 70 × 100 C1 129 % A1 | 2 |
| (b) | more respiration in muscles; more O₂ and glucose needed; more CO₂ removed muscles respire more (aerobically) to release more energy B1 so need more oxygen and glucose delivered B1 and more carbon dioxide removed B1 | 3 |
| (c) | oxygen debt; lactic acid to liver; broken down aerobically oxygen debt has built up B1 lactic acid must be transported to the liver B1 where it is broken down using oxygen (aerobic respiration) B1 | 3 |
| (d) | 5 minutes 5 min B1 | 1 |
| (e) | thick muscular elastic wall; withstands high pressure, maintains flow thick wall with muscle and elastic tissue B1 withstands / maintains high blood pressure from the heart B1 | 2 |
The heart pumps blood around the body in a double circulation.
Explain what is meant by a double circulation.
Give one advantage of a double circulation.
Explain why the wall of the left ventricle is thicker than that of the right ventricle.
| Part | Answer and marking points | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| (a) | blood passes through heart twice per circuit blood passes through the heart twice for each complete circuit of the body B1 once to the lungs and once to the rest of the body B1 | 2 |
| (b) | higher pressure to body blood can be pumped at high pressure to the body (after the lungs) B1 | 1 |
| (c) | pumps blood all round body the left ventricle pumps blood all around the body B1 it must produce a higher pressure B1 | 2 |
The heart has four chambers.
Name the chamber that receives deoxygenated blood from the body.
Describe the route of blood from the lungs to the body.
Explain the function of the septum.
| Part | Answer and marking points | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| (a) | right atrium right atrium B1 | 1 |
| (b) | pulmonary vein → left atrium → left ventricle → aorta Any 3 of: pulmonary vein; left atrium; left ventricle; aorta B3 | 3 |
| (c) | separates oxygenated and deoxygenated blood it separates oxygenated and deoxygenated blood B1 | 1 |
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