AQA GCSE Biology

Cancer

AQA GCSE Biology revision on Cancer. Aligned to the AQA GCSE Biology 8461 specification. This bank has 25 practice questions on this topic.

Sample questions (3 of 25)

Question 1

What is the primary biological cause of the uncontrolled cell division observed in cancer?
- A) Changes in cell DNA
- B) Mutations in the genes
- C) Increased cell energy
- D) Higher rate of osmosis
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Answer: Mutations in the genes

Cancer occurs when cells undergo mutations in their DNA, specifically in genes that regulate the cell cycle. These mutations prevent the cell from following normal signals to stop dividing, leading to the rapid and unregulated growth of a tumour.
Question 2

Which specific term describes a tumour that does not invade other tissues in the body?
- A) Malignant growth
- B) Benign tumour
- C) Secondary mass
- D) Metastatic area
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Answer: Benign tumour

A benign tumour is contained within a single area, usually within a membrane, and does not spread to other parts of the body. In contrast, malignant tumours can invade neighbouring tissues and spread to other organs via the bloodstream.
Question 3

What is the process by which malignant cancer cells spread to different parts of the body?
- A) Binary fission
- B) Metastasis
- C) Differentiation
- D) Active transport
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Answer: Metastasis

Malignant tumours are capable of releasing cells into the bloodstream or lymphatic system. These cells travel to other sites in the body to form secondary tumours, a complex process known as metastasis.

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22 more questions on Cancer — plus mistakes tracking and spaced repetition across the whole Biology spec.

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