# Life Sciences Paper 1, November 2024 > Practise 81 questions (150 marks) from Grade 12 Life Sciences Paper 1 November 2024. Answer any one and see it marked mark by mark, like the exam. Canonical: https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/ Last updated: 2026-11-12 81 questions in this paper. Answer any one and see it marked mark by mark. ## Every question - [1.1.1 (2 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q1-1-1/): Which hormone controls the amount of water in the blood by changing how much water the kidneys reabsorb? Choose the correct letter. - [1.1.2 (2 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q1-1-2/): Which ONE of the following is a stage in the early development of a human embryo, from fertilisation to implantation? - [1.1.3 (2 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q1-1-3/): A learner runs hard on the sports field and the carbon dioxide level in her blood rises above normal. - [1.1.4 (2 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q1-1-4/): A learner runs for a bus after getting a sudden fright and the adrenal glands release adrenalin. - [1.1.5 (2 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q1-1-5/): A boy touches a hot stove plate with his fingertips and pulls his hand away at once, before he feels any pain. - [1.1.6 (2 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q1-1-6/): The diagram below shows part of the human eye. A hiker standing on a hilltop looks at a farm windmill about 500 metres away. - [1.1.7 (2 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q1-1-7/): Which ONE of the following parts of the human brain acts as the body’s control centre for keeping its temperature steady? - [1.1.8 (2 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q1-1-8/): A pregnant woman learns about the fluid that surrounds her baby in the uterus. - [1.1.9 (2 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q1-1-9/): The diagram below shows part of the human ear, with structures labelled P, Q and R. - [1.1.10 (2 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q1-1-10/): The diagram below shows the inner ear and the pathway that nerve impulses follow to the brain. - [1.2.1 (1 mark)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q1-2-1/): Write down the correct biological term for the following description: the hormone-secreting organ that forms in the uterus wall during... - [1.2.2 (1 mark)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q1-2-2/): Write down the correct biological term for the following description: the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls... - [1.2.3 (1 mark)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q1-2-3/): Write down the correct biological term for the following description: the sensory structures inside the semicircular canals that detect... - [1.2.4 (1 mark)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q1-2-4/): Give the correct biological term for the following description: The tube in the middle ear that equalises air pressure on both sides of... - [1.2.5 (1 mark)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q1-2-5/): Write down the correct biological term for the following description: the directional growth of a plant shoot or root towards or away... - [1.2.6 (1 mark)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q1-2-6/): Give the correct biological term for the following description: The coiled, fluid-filled structure of the inner ear that contains the... - [1.2.7 (1 mark)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q1-2-7/): Give the correct biological term for the following description: a plant hormone that causes seeds to break dormancy and start to grow. - [1.2.8 (1 mark)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q1-2-8/): Name the structure at the tip of a sperm cell’s head that holds the enzymes used to break down the outer layers of an egg cell. - [1.3.1 (2 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q1-3-1/): Read each description below and decide which of the structures in the list it fits: the first one only, the second one only, both, or... - [1.3.2 (2 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q1-3-2/): Read each description below and decide which of the two structures it fits: structure A only, structure B only, both structures, or... - [1.3.3 (2 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q1-3-3/): Read the description below. Decide which of the structures, X and Y, it fits. Answer with one of these: X only, Y only, both X and Y, or... - [1.4.1(a) (2 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q1-4-1-a/): Look at the diagram below of the front view of the human male reproductive system. - [1.4.1(b) (2 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q1-4-1-b/): The diagram below shows the front view of the human male reproductive system, with parts labelled A to F. - [1.4.1(c) (2 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q1-4-1-c/): Look at the diagram below of the front view of the human male reproductive system. - [1.4.2(a) (1 mark)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q1-4-2-a/): The diagram below shows the male reproductive organs seen from the front, together with the bladder. - [1.4.2(b) (1 mark)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q1-4-2-b/): The diagram below shows the front view of the human male reproductive system, with the testis labelled E. - [1.5.1 (2 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q1-5-1/): The diagram below shows some structures of the human body that take part in homeostasis. - [1.5.2 (4 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q1-5-2/): The diagram below shows a section through human skin, with structures labelled P, Q, R and S. - [1.5.3(a) (1 mark)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q1-5-3-a/): Name the hormone that is released from the pituitary gland (the gland labelled P in the diagram below) to help the body control the... - [1.5.3(b) (1 mark)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q1-5-3-b/): The diagram below shows a person with some organs and glands involved in keeping the body’s water balance steady. - [2.1.1(a) (1 mark)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q2-1-1-a/): The diagram below shows part of the female reproductive system, with structures labelled P, Q and R. Name the structure labelled P. - [2.1.1(b) (1 mark)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q2-1-1-b/): The diagram below shows part of a woman’s reproductive system. The structure labelled R is the organ in which egg cells mature and from... - [2.1.2(a) (2 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q2-1-2-a/): After fertilisation, the embryo must attach to the inner lining of the uterus, called the endometrium, before it can develop further. - [2.1.2(b) (2 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q2-1-2-b/): The diagram below shows a part of the reproductive system of a different woman, drawn at one point in her menstrual cycle. - [2.1.3 (6 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q2-1-3/): The diagram below shows part of the female reproductive system. Structure C is the cell released from the ovary and drawn next to the... - [2.1.4 (3 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q2-1-4/): A tubal pregnancy is a type of ectopic pregnancy. The fertilised egg implants inside the fallopian tube instead of in the uterus. - [2.2.1 (1 mark)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q2-2-1/): Using the table, state the day on which the level of progesterone was at its highest. - [2.2.2 (1 mark)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q2-2-2/): Name the hormone from the pituitary gland whose level starts to rise towards the end of the cycle, from day 24, in the table above, so... - [2.2.3 (2 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q2-2-3/): In the previous part, you were asked what happens to the uterine lining at the end of the cycle (days 24 to 28). - [2.2.4 (3 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q2-2-4/): Use the table to calculate the percentage increase in the progesterone level from day 16 to day 20 of the cycle. Show ALL your working. - [2.2.5 (1 mark)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q2-2-5/): Describe how the progesterone level after day 24 would be different if this female had become pregnant during this cycle. - [2.2.6 (2 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q2-2-6/): Explain what causes the progesterone level to stay high instead of falling, in a woman whose egg has been fertilised and has implanted... - [2.3.1 (1 mark)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q2-3-1/): Use the passage to answer this question. Which type of glaucoma is linked to a problem with the kidneys? - [2.3.2 (5 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q2-3-2/): Use information in the passage to explain how a corneal scar can lead to loss of vision. - [2.4.1 (3 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q2-4-1/): A learner has hypermetropia (long-sightedness). Explain how the structure of her eyeball causes problems with her vision when she reads... - [2.4.2 (2 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q2-4-2/): A learner has hypermetropia (long-sightedness), so she cannot see nearby objects clearly. - [2.5.1 (1 mark)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q2-5-1/): The diagram below shows a neuron that has a long axon with a myelin sheath, a cell body with many short branched dendrites at one end... - [2.5.2 (1 mark)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q2-5-2/): The diagram below shows a nerve cell that carries impulses from the spinal cord to a muscle. - [2.5.3 (3 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q2-5-3/): A reflex arc includes a neuron that carries impulses from the spinal cord to a muscle in the hand, so that the hand pulls away from a... - [2.5.4 (2 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q2-5-4/): The diagram below shows a motor neuron with three structures labelled P, Q and R. - [2.5.5 (1 mark)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q2-5-5/): Some nerve fibres are wrapped in a fatty insulating layer called the myelin sheath. - [2.6.1(a) (1 mark)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q2-6-1-a/): The diagram below shows how the speed of nerve impulses changes with axon diameter in myelinated neurons. - [2.6.1(b) (1 mark)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q2-6-1-b/): Use the graph of the unmyelinated neuron in the diagram below to read off the axon width, in µm, that goes with a nerve impulse... - [2.6.2(a) (2 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q2-6-2-a/): Study the two graphs below. Use them to describe how the speed of nerve impulses in myelinated neurons compares with the speed in... - [2.6.2(b) (2 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q2-6-2-b/): Look at the graph below, which shows how fast nerve impulses travel along the axons of a certain type of neuron. - [3.1.1(a) (1 mark)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q3-1-1-a/): Read the passage below about a seabird. Penguins are flightless seabirds that feed on fish and squid. - [3.1.1(b) (1 mark)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q3-1-1-b/): Using the passage, give ONE reason why flamingos have a good chance of their chicks surviving even though each female lays only a single... - [3.1.2 (2 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q3-1-2/): Fertilisation in crocodiles takes place inside the body of the female. Give TWO advantages of this type of fertilisation to the survival... - [3.1.3 (2 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q3-1-3/): State TWO features of newly hatched young that show altricial development. - [3.1.4 (2 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q3-1-4/): Explain why birds with altricial development usually have a short incubation period. - [3.2.1(a) (1 mark)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q3-2-1-a/): The diagram below shows the front view of a human eye with two parts labelled P and Q. - [3.2.1(b) (1 mark)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q3-2-1-b/): The diagram below shows the front view of a human eye. Part P is the opening at the centre, and part Q is the coloured ring of tissue... - [3.2.2 (3 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q3-2-2/): A learner steps from a bright playground into a dim classroom. Within a second, the pupils of her eyes widen without her deciding to do so. - [3.2.3 (2 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q3-2-3/): A learner walks from a bright classroom into a dimly lit hall, and the pupils of her eyes change size automatically. - [3.2.4 (4 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q3-2-4/): The diagram below shows the same person’s eye photographed in two different rooms. In Room 1 the pupil is small. - [3.3.1 (2 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q3-3-1/): A researcher studied how the hormone thyroxine affects the resting heart rate of rats. She placed 12 rats in each of two groups. - [3.3.2 (4 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q3-3-2/): After a meal, the hormone insulin is released and the blood glucose level falls back to normal. - [3.3.3 (1 mark)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q3-3-3/): Look at the results in the table. Which group, P or Q, consists of the people with healthy blood glucose control? Write only the letter. - [3.3.4 (3 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q3-3-4/): A study looked at how insulin affects blood glucose. Two groups of eight adults each drank 75 g of glucose. Group P was healthy. - [3.4.1(a) (1 mark)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q3-4-1-a/): The flow diagram below shows how the level of calcium in the blood is kept steady in the human body. - [3.4.1(b) (1 mark)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q3-4-1-b/): The diagram below shows how the level of a hormone in the blood is kept steady by the pituitary gland and a gland in the neck. - [3.4.1(c) (1 mark)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q3-4-1-c/): The diagram below shows how the level of thyroxin in the blood is kept steady. - [3.4.2 (1 mark)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q3-4-2/): The thyroid gland releases a hormone called thyroxin into the blood. Give ONE function of thyroxin in the human body. - [3.4.3 (4 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q3-4-3/): The diagram below shows how the level of thyroxin in the blood of a healthy person is kept steady. - [3.4.4 (2 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q3-4-4/): A person has a thyroid gland that continuously secretes too little thyroxin. Explain why this may cause the person’s body mass to increase. - [3.5.1(a) (1 mark)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q3-5-1-a/): Name the independent variable in this investigation. - [3.5.1(b) (2 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q3-5-1-b/): Read the investigation described above and look at the diagram below. State TWO variables that were kept constant (controlled) in this... - [3.5.2(a) (1 mark)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q3-5-2-a/): Seedlings of the same species were grown in a dark cupboard for three days. In the setup described below, state what you would expect to... - [3.5.2(b) (1 mark)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q3-5-2-b/): A learner studied how auxins affect the growth of shoots, using the set-up described and shown in the diagram below. - [3.5.3 (2 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q3-5-3/): Explain how the researchers made sure the results of this investigation were reliable. - [3.5.4 (4 marks)](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/2024-nov-p1/q3-5-4/): After 72 hours in darkness, the shoots of the seedlings in set Q all curved towards the left-hand side. Explain these results. ## Related - [Grade 12 Life Sciences past papers](https://sharpkop.co.za/life-sciences/) Questions are based on National Senior Certificate papers set by the Department of Basic Education. Sharpkop is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Department.