Organisms and their environment — IGCSE Science - Combined (0653) questions by topic

21 real questions sit in this set, taken from 2023 to 2025 papers and worth 1 to 12 marks, so single-organism identification sits beside multi-part food-web explanations. Producers, herbivores and predators need identifying from a food web, energy-transfer arrows have to be drawn pointing the correct way, and petal colour's role in attracting pollinating insects needs describing precisely, with identify, state and draw the leading command words.

Practising with instant marking suits this topic well, since a reversed energy-transfer arrow, or an incomplete description of what attracts pollinating insects, is flagged immediately rather than repeated across a paper.

What examiners look for

May–June 2025, Paper 11

Question 13 · 1 mark

What are undesirable effects of deforestation? 1 extinction of species 2 flooding 3 loss of soil 4 an increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere A 1, 2, 3 and 4 B 1 and 4 only C…

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May–June 2025, Paper 12

Question 12 · 1 mark

Which process in the carbon cycle releases carbon back into the atmosphere? A feeding B formation of fossil fuels C photosynthesis D respiration

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Question 13 · 1 mark

Which type of organism makes its own organic nutrients? A carnivore B consumer C herbivore D producer

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May–June 2025, Paper 13

Question 12 · 1 mark

The diagram shows a food web. Grass is eaten by rabbit and vole; rowan tree is eaten by beetle; vole, beetle, rabbit and frog feed into pine marten; beetle is eaten by frog. Which…

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Question 13 · 1 mark

The diagram represents part of the carbon cycle, with boxes for 'carbon dioxide in air', 'animals', 'plants' and 'decomposers'. Numbered arrows show: 1 (animals to carbon dioxide…

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May–June 2025, Paper 21

Question 11 · 1 mark

Which term describes an area that contains all the organisms and their environment interacting together? A community B ecosystem C food chain D food web

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May–June 2025, Paper 22

Question 13 · 1 mark

The diagram shows a food web. Feeding relationships: grass is eaten by goat, ant and locust; wildflower is eaten by locust; tree is eaten by caterpillar and beetle. Goat is eaten…

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May–June 2025, Paper 23

Question 12 · 1 mark

Which types of consumer describe the cat in this food web? 1 primary consumer 2 secondary consumer 3 tertiary consumer The food web shows: plant is eaten by sparrow, slug and…

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Question 13 · 1 mark

What is an ecosystem? A a network of inter-connected food chains B a specific area in which a plant or an animal lives C all the plants and animals that live within a specific…

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May–June 2025, Paper 33

Question 3 · 7 marks

Fig. 3.1 shows part of a food web from a coral reef habitat. The arrows show: phytoplankton → zooplankton; phytoplankton → unicornfish; zooplankton → unicornfish; zooplankton →…

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May–June 2024, Paper 32

Question 7 · 7 marks

Fig. 7.1 describes the feeding relationships in one food chain: robins are small birds that eat caterpillars; caterpillars are primary consumers; a merlin is a large bird that…

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October–November 2024, Paper 41

Question 7 · 9 marks

(a) Fig. 7.1 shows a food chain: daisy → butterfly → frog → snake → eagle. (a)(i) State the name of an organism in Fig. 7.1 that: is a quaternary consumer ............ occupies…

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October–November 2024, Paper 43

Question 1 · 6 marks

Fig. 1.1 shows a food web. Leaves are eaten by the caterpillar. Grass is eaten by the rabbit and the grasshopper. The snake, hawk, owl and blue jay are higher in the web. The…

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May–June 2023, Paper 32

Question 7 · 9 marks

Fig. 7.1 shows an incomplete food web (algae → anchovy, shrimp, mussel; bluefish; crab). The bluefish eats the anchovy and the shrimp. Draw two arrows on Fig. 7.1 to show these…

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May–June 2023, Paper 33

Question 7 · 8 marks

Fig. 7.1 shows part of a food web (grasses, seeds → insects, grouse, chipmunk, marmot; bear; hawk). Identify the two herbivores in Fig. 7.1.

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May–June 2023, Paper 41

Question 4 · 7 marks

Fig. 4.1 shows part of a food web (fruit → flying squirrel, beaver; owl; cougar). Table 4.1 lists terms (producer, herbivore, secondary consumer) for organisms (flying squirrel,…

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May–June 2023, Paper 42

Question 1 · 10 marks

Fig. 1.1 describes some feeding relationships in an ecosystem: fruit flies eat mango fruit; thrushes eat fruit flies; eagles eat thrushes. Draw a food chain using the information…

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October–November 2023, Paper 31

Question 7 · 9 marks

Fig. 7.1 shows a food web (bladderwort, orchid as producers; carp, mosquito; frog, raccoon, heron; alligator). The food web is not complete. The heron eats the carp; the alligator…

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October–November 2023, Paper 32

Question 4 · 10 marks

Fig. 4.1 shows a food web for one ecosystem. The web links plants, caterpillar, shrew, songbird, bear and hawk. Identify the herbivore in Fig. 4.1.

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October–November 2023, Paper 33

Question 4 · 10 marks

Fig. 4.1 shows a food web for one ecosystem. The web links plants, caterpillar, shrew, songbird, bear and hawk. Identify the herbivore in Fig. 4.1.

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October–November 2023, Paper 42

Question 4 · 12 marks

Fig. 4.1 shows a food web (tree → caterpillar and beetle; caterpillar → blackbird and thrush; beetle → thrush; blackbird, thrush → hawk). Table 4.1 lists some organisms…

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Other IGCSE Science - Combined topics

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