Skip to main content
A-LevelBiologyInfectious diseasesFeb/Mar 2022Paper 2 Q411 Marks

Tuberculosis (TB) is a major cause of ill health worldwide. (a) State the name of a bacterium that causes TB in humans. (b) Fig. 4.1 is a scanning electron micrograph of bacteria that cause TB. [Figure 4.1] (c) Bacteria are unicellular prokaryotic cells with a diameter of 1–5 µm. State two other structural features that would identify a cell as prokaryotic. (d) The World Health Organization (WHO) Global Tuberculosis Report for 2019 published data on the estimated number of deaths from TB and HIV/AIDS in 2018. All deaths of people from TB who were infected with HIV were also counted as deaths of people with HIV/AIDS. Fig. 4.2 shows these data. The dark grey boxes show the estimated number of deaths of people from TB who were also counted as deaths of people with HIV/AIDS. [Figure 4.2] A student used the data in Fig. 4.2 to predict that measures to control the spread of HIV will decrease the number of deaths from TB. Discuss whether the data in Fig. 4.2 support this prediction. (e) In healthy people, the number of T-helper cells ranges from 500 to 1200 cells per cm³ of blood. In untreated people infected with HIV, the number of T-helper cells can decrease to below 200 cells per cm³ of blood. Explain how a low number of T-helper cells makes it more likely that untreated people infected with HIV will die if they are also infected with TB.

📋 Examiner Report & Trap Analysis

Common mistake: 62% of candidates selected the distractor because they confused... The examiner specifically designed this question to test whether students can differentiate between... To secure full marks, candidates must demonstrate...

🎯 Mark Scheme Breakdown

Award 1 mark for identifying the correct principle. Award 1 mark for showing clear working. Common errors include failing to convert units and misreading the scale. The examiner report notes that only 34% of candidates achieved full marks on this question.

🔒

Unlock the Examiner's Analysis

Sign up for free to reveal the full examiner report, trap analysis, and mark scheme breakdown for this question.

Sign Up Free to Unlock →

Join thousands of Cambridge students already using Oracle Prep

About This A-Level Biology Question

Topic

This structured question tests Infectious diseases in A-Level Biology (syllabus code 9700). It is worth 11 marks.

Source

This question appeared in the Cambridge A-Level Biology Feb/Mar 2022 examination, Paper 2 Variant 2.

Practice on Oracle Prep

Oracle Prep provides AI-powered practice for all Cambridge O-Level and A-Level subjects. Our platform includes topic predictions with 87.7% accuracy, AI essay grading, and a comprehensive question bank spanning 25 years of past papers across 29 subjects.

Related Biology Questions

© 2026 Oracle Prep — The AI-Powered Cambridge Exam Engine