中文（繁體）
中文（简体）
English
S5 Biology: Nervous System – Practice Paper 1 (Foundation, 10 Questions)
S5 Biology: Nervous System – Practice Paper 1 (Foundation, 10 Questions)
Paper one fixes the vocabulary and the direction of travel: central and peripheral divisions, the three parts of a neurone, the figures for resting and action potentials, and the five links of a reflex arc in order.
Quick answer Brain and spinal cord form the centre while cranial and spinal nerves form the periphery; the resting potential is about -70 mV and the peak about +30 mV; 1.2 m crossed in 0.05 s gives 24 m/s.
01 Paper details (check answers afterwards)
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Questions | 10 questions |
| Suggested time | about 20 minutes |
| Difficulty mix | Foundation 3 · Intermediate 3 · Challenge 2 · Error redo 2 |
| Chapter | Chapter: S5 Biology | Nervous System: Nerve Impulses, Synapses and Reflexes |
| Level | Foundation |
02 Questions (10 items)
- FoundationInto which two divisions is the nervous system split, and which organs belong to each?
- FoundationWhat are the three main parts of a neurone, and what does each do?
- FoundationWhat is the resting potential, and which side of the membrane is more negative?
- IntermediateIn order, what are the five parts of a reflex arc?
- IntermediateDuring an action potential the membrane rises from -70 mV to about +30 mV: which ion influx causes this?
- IntermediateWhat conduction speeds do unmyelinated and myelinated fibres typically reach?
- ChallengeAt a synapse, why can the impulse travel only from the presynaptic to the postsynaptic membrane?
- ChallengeAn impulse crosses 1.2 m of nerve in 0.05 s: what is the average conduction velocity?
- Error redoError retry: a student wrote that the outside is negative at rest. What is correct?
- Error redoError retry: a student ordered the arc as receptor, motor neurone, interneurone, sensory neurone, effector. What is wrong?
03 Answers and one-line notes
| # | Answer | One-line note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Central: brain and spinal cord; peripheral: cranial and spinal nerves | The central division integrates information while the peripheral division carries signals in and commands out. |
| 2 | Cell body (holds the nucleus and runs metabolism), dendrites (receive signals), axon (conducts the impulse) | Dendrites are short and numerous while a neurone usually has a single long axon. |
| 3 | About -70 mV, with the inside more negative | The sodium-potassium pump moves sodium out and potassium in, leaving the inside negative relative to the outside. |
| 4 | Receptor, sensory neurone, central coordinator (interneurone), motor neurone, effector | Damage to any single link stops the reflex from being completed. |
| 5 | Sodium ions (Na+) flowing in | Voltage-gated sodium channels open, giving a depolarisation of about 100 mV. |
| 6 | About 0.5 to 2 m/s unmyelinated, and about 15 to 120 m/s myelinated | Myelin lets the impulse jump between nodes of Ranvier, giving speeds tens of times higher. |
| 7 | Vesicles of neurotransmitter exist only in the presynaptic terminal, and receptors only on the postsynaptic membrane | The one-way direction comes from where the structures sit, not from the strength of the impulse. |
| 8 | 24 m/s | Velocity is distance over time, and 1.2 divided by 0.05 gives 24. |
| 9 | The inside is negative and the outside positive; -70 mV measures the inside against the outside | The sign is quoted with the inside as the reference, so reversing it flips every later answer. |
| 10 | The direction is reversed: receptor, sensory neurone, interneurone, motor neurone, effector | Sensory neurones carry signals into the centre and motor neurones carry commands out to the effector. |
04 What to do after marking
- After marking, redo only the wrong items and write down which step went wrong (formula, unit, or misread number).
- Repeat the same item two days later; move to the next paper only when both attempts are correct.
- Parents only need the answer and note columns; there is no need to explain every item.
Find a tutor freeTutor Registration →
Questions and answers are written originally by the TutorZone team and are not taken from any school, publisher or examination authority paper. Every value is checked by computer.