AQA A-level Biology — Responding to Change flashcards
10 of 75 cards free to study here · 1 topic · the whole deck is built into Willys
AQA A-level Biology topic 6: tropisms, taxes and reflexes (required practical 10), receptors, control of heart rate, nerve impulses and synapses, muscle contraction, and homeostasis of blood glucose (required practical 11) and water potential.
Learn deck · part of AQA A-level Biology · written against: AQA AS and A-level Biology (7401/7402) specification, version 1.6, July 2026 (eight topics). Updated 2026-10-10.
Study the free sample
10 cards from the deck as they are. Flip, rate yourself, filter by topic; your progress stays in this browser.
Tap the card or press Space to flip
The 10 sample cards as a list
-
A shoot is lit from one side. How does IAA make it bend towards the light?IAA moves to the shaded side of the shoot, where it stimulates cell elongation, so the shaded side grows faster and the shoot bends towards the light.Responding to Change › Survival and Response
This is positive phototropism. -
A root is laid horizontally. How does IAA make it grow downwards?IAA collects on the lower side, where in roots a high concentration inhibits cell elongation; the upper side grows faster, so the root bends down.Responding to Change › Survival and Response
This is positive gravitropism. -
Why does a high concentration of IAA make a shoot bend one way and a root the other?IAA stimulates cell elongation in shoots but inhibits it in roots.Responding to Change › Survival and Response
So the side where IAA collects grows faster in a shoot and slower in a root. -
What is the difference between a taxis and a kinesis?A taxis is a movement towards or away from a directional stimulus; a kinesis is a non-directional change in speed or rate of turning in response to stimulus intensity.Responding to Change › Survival and Response
Both help a mobile organism stay where conditions suit it. -
Woodlice in dry air move faster and stop less often than in humid air. What type of response is this, and how does it help them?A kinesis: moving faster carries them out of unfavourable dry areas sooner, and once they reach humid ones they slow down and settle, so they gather there.Responding to Change › Survival and Response
The response depends on the intensity of the stimulus, not its direction. -
Name the neurones of a simple three-neurone reflex in order, and say why the reflex is protective.Sensory neurone → relay neurone → motor neurone: it is rapid and involuntary, because the brain does not have to decide.Responding to Change › Survival and Response
Example: pulling your hand away from a hot object before you feel pain limits damage. -
In required practical 10, how is a choice chamber set up to test humidity preference in woodlice?One side contains a drying agent (such as anhydrous calcium chloride) and the other water, under a gauze platform; light and temperature are kept the same on both sides.Responding to Change › Survival and Response
Count the animals on each side at set times and repeat with fresh woodlice. -
In required practical 10, why is it important to use many animals and repeat the trial?Individual animals behave randomly, so many results are needed to show a real pattern and allow a statistical test.Responding to Change › Survival and Response
Handle the animals carefully and return woodlice to their habitat afterwards. -
What is the basic structure of a Pacinian corpuscle?The ending of a sensory neurone surrounded by many layers of connective tissue (lamellae), separated by viscous gel.Responding to Change › Receptors
Pacinian corpuscles lie deep in the skin and respond to pressure. -
How does pressure on a Pacinian corpuscle produce a generator potential?Pressure deforms the lamellae, which opens stretch-mediated sodium ion channels; Na⁺ diffuses in and depolarises the membrane, producing a generator potential.Responding to Change › Receptors
If the generator potential reaches threshold, an action potential is sent along the neurone.
Unlock the whole deck
You are studying a free 10-card sample. All 75 cards of AQA A-level Biology — Responding to Change, the other 8 AQA A-level Biology decks, and spaced-repetition scheduling are built into Willys. 14-day free trial, then $14.99 a year.
In Willys, tap Exam Library at the top of your Decks (or Browse Exam Library… under the + button), find the exam on its shelf or by search, tick it and tap Add.
More AQA A-level Biology decks
← All AQA A-level Biology decks, with the study guide and topic outline.
About these cards
Review status: Second-reader reviewed, with corrections applied.
Checked against:
- Topic outline follows the AQA AS and A-level Biology (7401/7402) specification, version 1.6 (July 2026) (outline only; no specification text reproduced).
- OpenStax Biology 2e and OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology 2e, consulted as references; no text copied.
- Also checked against the AQA AS and A-level Biology required practical handbook, version 2.3 (January 2026) (reference only; no text copied).
These are independent study notes written for Willys. They are not official exam material, may contain mistakes, and are no substitute for your course, your teacher or the exam owner's own publications. Found an error? Tell us — corrections ship as a new version of the deck.
AQA is a registered trademark of AQA Education, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse, this product.
Use of these pages is covered by our Terms of Use.