Please check the examination details below before entering your candidate information
Candidate surname Other names
Centre Number Candidate Number
Pearson Edexcel International GCSE (9–1)
Monday 9 June 2025
Morning (Time: 1 hour 15
minutes)
Paper
referenc
e
4BI1/2BR
Biology
🟐 🟐
UNIT: 4BI1
PAPER: 2BR
You must have: Total Marks
Calculator, ruler
Instructions
• Use black ink or ball-point
• If pencil is used for diagrams/sketches/graphs it must be dark
• Fill
pen.in
(HB or the boxes number
B). centre at the top of this
and page with
candidate your
number.
• provided – there may be more space
• Answer
name, all
Answer the questions in the spaces
• than
questions.
you need.
Show all the steps in any calculations and state the units.
Information
• The total mark for this paper is 70.
• The marks for each question are shown in
– use this as a guide as to how much time to spend on each question.
brackets
Advice
• Read each question carefully before you start to answer it.
• Write your answers neatly and in good
• Try to answer every
• Check your answers if you have time at the end.
English.
question.
Turn over
, Answer ALL questions.
Some questions must be answered with a cross in a box . If you
AREA
DO NOT WRITE IN THIS
change your mind about an answer, put a line through the box and
then mark your new answer with a cross .
1 Read the passage below. Use the information in the passage and your
own knowledge to answer the questions that follow.
Pollination in fruit trees
Plants need to be pollinated to produce fruits and seeds. Some
plants are self-pollinated and others are cross-pollinated.
Self-pollination is usually the transfer of pollen from flowers on the
same tree. In fruit trees, self-pollination also includes the transfer of
pollen from another tree of
5 the same cultivar. A cultivar is a genetically identical group of trees
produced by selective breeding. Self-pollinating plants need bees or
other insects to transfer pollen. Examples of self-pollinated fruit trees
are plum, apricot and peach that have sweet-tasting, soft fruits.
AREA
DO NOT WRITE IN THIS
(Source: © freya-photographer/Shutterstock) (Source: © Leena Robinson/Shutterstock)
Other fruit trees require cross-pollination and can only produce fruit by
10 fertilisation from a different cultivar. Cross-pollination is the transfer of
pollen from one cultivar to the flower of a different cultivar. Self-
incompatibility prevents the same plant or cultivar from fertilising its own
flowers. For example, the pollen from one cultivar of an apple tree will not
fertilise trees of the same cultivar. Most hard fruit trees such as pear
and apple require the presence of two different
15 compatible cultivars for pollination to result in fruit production.
AREA
DO NOT WRITE IN THIS
Pollen can be transferred by wind, insects or birds. Many fruit trees are
pollinated by insects. Nut trees are usually pollinated by wind.
After pollination the pollen grain must germinate to lead to fertilisation.
The success of pollination and fertilisation depends on favourable
environmental
20 conditions. It also requires the right pollen grain reaching the right
flower, as pollen can only fertilise specific, compatible flowers. For
example, pollen from a peach flower will not pollinate apple flowers.
, Cross-pollinating fruit trees should be planted no more than 60 m apart.
This will ensure that bees visit the trees often enough to ensure pollination. Nut
trees need
25 to be planted no more than 15 m apart.
A further complication is that a few apple and pear cultivars, known as
DO NOT WRITE IN THIS
triploids, produce sterile pollen. Triploid cultivars have three sets of
chromosomes within their cells. A triploid cultivar will require another
cultivar for pollination, and the trees must flower at the same time.
(a) Explain the differences between self-pollination and cross-
pollination. (lines 3 to 5 and 9 to 11)
(2)
AREA
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......... ........... ........... ........... .......... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ............ ........ ...... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ......................
......... ........... ........... ........... .......... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ............ ........ ...... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ......................
......... ........... ........... ........... .......... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ............ ........ ...... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ......................
......... ........... ........... ........... .......... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ............ ........ ...... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ......................
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......... ........... ........... ........... .......... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ............ ........ ...... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ......................
(b) Describe the sequence of events from pollen landing on a
flower to fruit production.
(4)
......... ........... ........... ........... .......... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ............ ........ ...... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ......................
AREA
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......... ........... ........... ........... .......... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ............ ........ ...... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ......................
......... ........... ........... ........... .......... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ............ ........ ...... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ......................
......... ........... ........... ........... .......... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ............ ........ ...... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ......................
......... ........... ........... ........... .......... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ............ ........ ...... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ......................
DO NOT WRITE IN THIS
......... ........... ........... ........... .......... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ............ ........ ...... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ......................
......... ........... ........... ........... .......... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ............ ........ ...... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ......................
......... ........... ........... ........... .......... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ............ ........ ...... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ......................
AREA
......... ........... ........... ........... .......... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ............ ........ ...... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ......................
......... ........... ........... ........... .......... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ............ ........ ...... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ......................
......... ........... ........... ........... .......... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ............ ........ ...... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ......................
Candidate surname Other names
Centre Number Candidate Number
Pearson Edexcel International GCSE (9–1)
Monday 9 June 2025
Morning (Time: 1 hour 15
minutes)
Paper
referenc
e
4BI1/2BR
Biology
🟐 🟐
UNIT: 4BI1
PAPER: 2BR
You must have: Total Marks
Calculator, ruler
Instructions
• Use black ink or ball-point
• If pencil is used for diagrams/sketches/graphs it must be dark
• Fill
pen.in
(HB or the boxes number
B). centre at the top of this
and page with
candidate your
number.
• provided – there may be more space
• Answer
name, all
Answer the questions in the spaces
• than
questions.
you need.
Show all the steps in any calculations and state the units.
Information
• The total mark for this paper is 70.
• The marks for each question are shown in
– use this as a guide as to how much time to spend on each question.
brackets
Advice
• Read each question carefully before you start to answer it.
• Write your answers neatly and in good
• Try to answer every
• Check your answers if you have time at the end.
English.
question.
Turn over
, Answer ALL questions.
Some questions must be answered with a cross in a box . If you
AREA
DO NOT WRITE IN THIS
change your mind about an answer, put a line through the box and
then mark your new answer with a cross .
1 Read the passage below. Use the information in the passage and your
own knowledge to answer the questions that follow.
Pollination in fruit trees
Plants need to be pollinated to produce fruits and seeds. Some
plants are self-pollinated and others are cross-pollinated.
Self-pollination is usually the transfer of pollen from flowers on the
same tree. In fruit trees, self-pollination also includes the transfer of
pollen from another tree of
5 the same cultivar. A cultivar is a genetically identical group of trees
produced by selective breeding. Self-pollinating plants need bees or
other insects to transfer pollen. Examples of self-pollinated fruit trees
are plum, apricot and peach that have sweet-tasting, soft fruits.
AREA
DO NOT WRITE IN THIS
(Source: © freya-photographer/Shutterstock) (Source: © Leena Robinson/Shutterstock)
Other fruit trees require cross-pollination and can only produce fruit by
10 fertilisation from a different cultivar. Cross-pollination is the transfer of
pollen from one cultivar to the flower of a different cultivar. Self-
incompatibility prevents the same plant or cultivar from fertilising its own
flowers. For example, the pollen from one cultivar of an apple tree will not
fertilise trees of the same cultivar. Most hard fruit trees such as pear
and apple require the presence of two different
15 compatible cultivars for pollination to result in fruit production.
AREA
DO NOT WRITE IN THIS
Pollen can be transferred by wind, insects or birds. Many fruit trees are
pollinated by insects. Nut trees are usually pollinated by wind.
After pollination the pollen grain must germinate to lead to fertilisation.
The success of pollination and fertilisation depends on favourable
environmental
20 conditions. It also requires the right pollen grain reaching the right
flower, as pollen can only fertilise specific, compatible flowers. For
example, pollen from a peach flower will not pollinate apple flowers.
, Cross-pollinating fruit trees should be planted no more than 60 m apart.
This will ensure that bees visit the trees often enough to ensure pollination. Nut
trees need
25 to be planted no more than 15 m apart.
A further complication is that a few apple and pear cultivars, known as
DO NOT WRITE IN THIS
triploids, produce sterile pollen. Triploid cultivars have three sets of
chromosomes within their cells. A triploid cultivar will require another
cultivar for pollination, and the trees must flower at the same time.
(a) Explain the differences between self-pollination and cross-
pollination. (lines 3 to 5 and 9 to 11)
(2)
AREA
......... ........... ........... ........... .......... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ............ ........ ...... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ......................
......... ........... ........... ........... .......... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ............ ........ ...... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ......................
......... ........... ........... ........... .......... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ............ ........ ...... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ......................
......... ........... ........... ........... .......... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ............ ........ ...... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ......................
......... ........... ........... ........... .......... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ............ ........ ...... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ......................
DO NOT WRITE IN THIS
......... ........... ........... ........... .......... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ............ ........ ...... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ......................
(b) Describe the sequence of events from pollen landing on a
flower to fruit production.
(4)
......... ........... ........... ........... .......... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ............ ........ ...... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ......................
AREA
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......... ........... ........... ........... .......... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ............ ........ ...... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ......................
......... ........... ........... ........... .......... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ............ ........ ...... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ......................
......... ........... ........... ........... .......... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ............ ........ ...... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ......................
......... ........... ........... ........... .......... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ............ ........ ...... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ......................
DO NOT WRITE IN THIS
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......... ........... ........... ........... .......... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ............ ........ ...... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ......................
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