Question 1 Medium
What does amylase break starch down into?
Show answer
Answer: sugars
- Starch is a long chain of sugar units.
- Amylase breaks it into sugars.
The digestive system and food tests: GCSE Combined Science Biology practice questions
A second set of questions on the digestive system and food tests. They are different from the ones on the topic page. Try each, then open the answer and compare your working.
More questions
Question 2 Medium
Name the organ that absorbs most digested food into the blood.
Show answer
Answer: small intestine
- It has villi for absorption.
- It is the small intestine.
Question 3 Medium
Name the organ that makes enzymes and releases them into the small intestine. It is also near the stomach.
Show answer
Answer: pancreas
- This organ also makes insulin.
- It is the pancreas.
Question 4 Medium
What colour is iodine solution before any starch is added?
Show answer
Answer: orange-brown
- Starch turns it blue-black.
- Before that it is orange-brown.
Question 5 Hard
A food turns brick-red when heated with Benedict’s solution. Which nutrient does it contain?
Show answer
Answer: sugar
- Benedict’s is the test for sugar.
- Brick-red means a lot of sugar.
Question 6 Hard
Bile emulsifies fat. What does this do to the surface area of the fat?
Show answer
Answer: increases it
- The fat is broken into small droplets.
- So the surface area is larger.
Question 7 Hard
Why is bile alkaline? Give one word for what it does to stomach acid.
Show answer
Answer: neutralises
- Stomach acid would stop the enzymes in the small intestine working.
- Bile neutralises it.
Question 8 Hard
In the ethanol emulsion test, what result shows lipid is present?
Show answer
Answer: cloudy white
- The ethanol mixture is poured into water.
- A cloudy white emulsion forms.
Question 9 Medium
What is the name for a group of similar cells that do the same job?
Show answer
Answer: tissue
- Cells form tissues.
- Tissues form organs.
Question 10 Medium
Which type of tissue in the stomach makes digestive juices?
Show answer
Answer: glandular tissue
- Glands make juices.
- It is glandular tissue.
Quick checks
Short questions with options. Choose one before you open the answer.
Check 1
Why must food be digested?
Show answer
The molecules are too large to pass through the gut wall into the blood.
Check 2
What does amylase break down?
Show answer
Starch into sugars.
Check 3
What does protease break down?
Show answer
Protein into amino acids.
Check 4
What does lipase break down?
Show answer
Lipids into fatty acids and glycerol.
Check 5
Where is amylase made?
Show answer
The salivary glands, the pancreas and the small intestine.
Check 6
Where is protease made?
Show answer
The stomach, the pancreas and the small intestine.
Check 7
Where is lipase made?
Show answer
The pancreas and the small intestine.
Check 8
Where is bile made?
Show answer
In the liver.
Check 9
Where is bile stored?
Show answer
In the gall bladder.
Check 10
What is the job of the stomach acid?
Show answer
It kills bacteria and gives the right pH for stomach protease.
Check 11
Why is bile alkaline?
Show answer
To neutralise the acid that comes from the stomach.
Check 12
What does emulsifying fat do?
Show answer
It breaks big fat drops into tiny droplets, giving a larger surface area for lipase.
Check 13
What is the test for starch?
Show answer
Add iodine. It turns blue-black.
Check 14
What is the test for a sugar?
Show answer
Heat with Benedict’s solution. It turns green, yellow or brick-red.
Check 15
What is the test for protein?
Show answer
Add Biuret solution. It turns purple.
Check 16
What is the test for a lipid?
Show answer
Shake with ethanol and pour into water. A cloudy white emulsion forms.
Check 17
What does the large intestine do?
Show answer
It absorbs water from the undigested food.
Check 18
What does soluble mean?
Show answer
Able to dissolve.
Check 19
What is an enzyme?
Show answer
A chemical that speeds up a reaction.
Check 20
What is the oesophagus?
Show answer
The tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach.
Check 21
What does the stomach do to food?
Show answer
It churns it and adds acid and protease.
Check 22
Why are villi useful in the small intestine?
Show answer
They give a large surface area to absorb food.
Check 23
What does bile do to fat?
Show answer
It emulsifies it into tiny droplets.
Check 24
Why is the ending of an enzyme name useful?
Show answer
It tells you the job, such as amylase for starch.
Check 25
What should you wear when doing food tests?
Show answer
Eye protection.
Check 26
What is a tissue?
Show answer
A group of similar cells that do the same job.
Check 27
What is an organ?
Show answer
A group of different tissues that work together to do a job.
Check 28
What is an organ system?
Show answer
Several organs that work together to do a job, such as the digestive system.
Check 29
Which tissues make up the stomach?
Show answer
Muscular tissue, glandular tissue and epithelial tissue.
Keep going with The digestive system and food tests
Practise free
Yumio is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to AQA, Pearson Edexcel or any other exam board.