Unit 2: Form and Function

Topic 2.8: Muscle and Movement (HL) Questions

Practice 20 exam-style questions for IB Biology Topic 2.8. Review the question stems below, then unlock the full Question Bank to access markschemes, model answers, and AI grading.

1State1 mark
Aimnova practice
State the name given to the functional contractile unit of striated muscle that lies between two adjacent Z-discs.
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2Identify1 mark
In a sarcomere, which protein makes up the thin filaments that are anchored to the Z-discs?
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3Identify1 mark
In a relaxed muscle fibre, what prevents the myosin heads from attaching to actin?
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4State2 marks
Aimnova practice
State which protein makes up the thin filaments of a sarcomere and which structure these thin filaments are anchored to.
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5State1 mark
Aimnova practice
State the name of the contractile unit of a muscle — the smallest repeating structure that shortens to produce the muscle's pull.
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6Identify1 mark
Two muscles act on opposite sides of a joint, so that when one contracts to bend the joint the other relaxes, and vice versa. What is this arrangement called?
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7Identify1 mark
Which statement best describes how a skeletal muscle produces movement?
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8Identify1 mark
Which part of a synovial joint has the role of reducing friction on the surfaces where the bones meet?
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9Identify1 mark
A sarcomere is the functional contractile unit of striated muscle. Which structures mark its two ends?
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10Identify1 mark
Which connective tissue attaches a muscle to a bone so that the muscle's pull moves the bone?
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11State2 marks
Aimnova practice
State the action of the biceps and the action of the triceps on the elbow joint.
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12Identify1 mark
Why must skeletal muscles work in antagonistic pairs to move a joint?
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13State1 mark
Aimnova practice
State the names of the two regulatory proteins of the thin filament that control whether myosin can bind to actin.
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14Identify1 mark
To straighten (extend) the arm at the elbow, what happens to the biceps and triceps?
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15Identify1 mark
Calcium ions released into the cytoplasm of a muscle fibre bind directly to which protein?
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16Identify1 mark
According to the sliding filament model, what changes when a muscle contracts?
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17Identify1 mark
An insect beats its wings to fly. Which feature does this share with a human bending an arm at the elbow?
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18Identify1 mark
A structure joins a muscle to a bone so that the muscle's pull turns the bone. Which structure is this?
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19Identify1 mark
When the biceps contracts to lift a load in the hand, the forearm acts as a lever. Which part of this lever system acts as the pivot (fulcrum)?
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20Identify1 mark
How does a ball-and-socket joint differ from a hinge joint in the movement it allows?
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