Unit 3: Interaction and Interdependence
Topic 3.4: Chemical Signalling (HL) Questions
Practice 20 exam-style questions for IB Biology Topic 3.4. Review the question stems below, then unlock the full Question Bank to access markschemes, model answers, and AI grading.
1Identify1 mark
Which molecule acts as the SECOND MESSENGER in the signal-transduction pathway studied here?
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A neurotransmitter has just been released into the synaptic cleft.
What must happen next for the signal to produce a response in the postsynaptic neuron?
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Which property of a steroid hormone allows it to bind a receptor INSIDE the target cell rather than on the cell surface?
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State where the receptor for a peptide hormone such as insulin is located in a target cell.
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State the name of the second messenger produced inside the cell after a hydrophilic hormone binds its transmembrane receptor.
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Acetylcholine is released into the gap between a nerve ending and a muscle fibre and acts on the cell immediately across that gap.
Which mode of signalling does this describe?
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A transmembrane receptor is best described as a protein that
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State precisely where a neurotransmitter binds in order to trigger a response in the postsynaptic neuron.
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A cell releases a signalling molecule that binds to receptors on the very same cell.
Which mode of chemical signalling is this?
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A signalling molecule binds to a receptor protein on a target cell.
What term is used for the signalling molecule that binds the receptor?
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During wound healing, a cell releases a growth factor that diffuses only as far as the cells directly beside it, stimulating them to divide.
Which mode of signalling is this?
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State where the receptor for a steroid hormone is located within a target cell.
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After a neurotransmitter has acted, the signal at the synapse must be switched off.
Which event ends the signal?
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State the term used for a signalling molecule that binds to a receptor.
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Describe how a neurotransmitter carries a signal across a synapse and produces a response in the postsynaptic neuron.
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The diagram shows how a hydrophilic hormone produces an effect on a target cell.
Which process does the diagram illustrate?
[Diagram: bio-signal-transduction]
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A peptide hormone and a steroid hormone both act on the same target cell.
Which row correctly matches each hormone class to the location of its receptor?
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Which row correctly matches each term to its role in chemical signalling?
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Which of these hormones binds an INTRACELLULAR receptor rather than a receptor on the cell surface?
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Which property of a peptide hormone forces its receptor to sit on the cell surface?
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