| Date | November 2021 | Marks available | 1 | Reference code | 21N.1.HL:.tz0.38 |
| Level | Higher Level | Paper | Paper 1 | Time zone | time zone 0 |
| Command term | Question number | 38 | Adapted from | N/A |
Question
How can genes influence human characteristics?
A. Genes code for carbohydrates, which are responsible for the development of an individual.
B. Only a single, or at most a few, genes are responsible for superior athletic performance.
C. The physical expressions of human characteristics are called genotypes.
D. Genes can be switched on or off depending on internal or external factors.
Markscheme
D
Examiners report
Most candidates managed this question with ease and it was a good discriminator. Option A could be eliminated because genes code for proteins, not carbohydrates. B has been shown to be wrong with research, athletic performance is influenced by multiple genes. Physical characteristics are called phenotypes.
