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1. 1992/I/4a
Digestion of different types of food substances starts in different regions of the human alimentary canal. The
extent of which proteins, fats and starch are being digested in successive regions (A to E) of the alimentary
canal can be represented by the graph shown below :

(i) In which region (A to E) does digestion of proteins start ? Name this region. (2 marks)
(ii) Which curve (X or Y) represents the digestion of starch ? Explain your answer. (2 marks)
(iii) Name all the digestive juices found in region D. (3 marks)
(iv) In which region (A to E) does absorption of digested food occur most ? (1 mark)
(v) Name region E and state its main function. (2 marks)

2. 1993/I/1c
If you were a doctor, what dietary restriction would you recommend for the following patients ?
(i) patient A whose gall bladder has been removed
(ii) patient B who suffers from tooth decay
Explain the biological principle behind your recommendation. (8 marks)

3. 1994/I/1a
Two pieces of dialysis tubing were filled with different solution mixtures and immersed in distilled water as
shown below :

After 30 minutes, 2 cm
3
of the water outside the dialysis tubing in set-up A was transferred into a separate
test tube and Benedicts test was performed. The same procedure was repeated with set-up B. The results are
recorded in the following table :
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Set-up A Set-up B
Results of Benedicts test + +++
Key : + represents a small amount of red precipitate
+++ represents a large amount of red precipitate
(i) What can you deduce from the result of set-up A ? (2 mark)
(ii) (1) Explain why the amount of red precipitate of set-up B is greater than that of set-up A.
(3 marks)
(2) Name two digestive juices from the human body that may produce the same result as digestive
juice X. (2 marks)
(iii) Suggest three important precautions to reduce experimental errors when setting up this experiment.
(3 marks)


4. 1995/I/3a
Plaque on tooth surface is mainly composed of bacteria. The graph below shows the changes in pH of the
plaque of a child in a certain period. The critical pH is the pH below which tooth decay may occur.

(i) Explain why the pH of the plaque drops after the intake of food. (2 marks)
(ii) Explain why a low pH in the plaque may cause tooth decay. (1 mark)
(iii) Based on the information provided, suggest one way of reducing the chance of tooth decay. Explain
your answer. (2 marks)
(iv) Draw a labeled diagram of a vertical section of a tooth at the early stage of decay. (4 marks)

5. 1996/I/2c
The diagram below shows the alimentary canal and the associated glands of a man :



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(i) What is the function of A ? (1 mark)
(ii) Name the process by which food is moved along B. (1 mark)
(iii) Explain how the secretion from C helps the digestion of protein. (4 marks)
(iv) In an operation, a large part of D of the man was removed. Explain what change will occur to his
faeces. (2 marks)
(v) State two functions of E that are not related to digestion. (2 marks)

6. 1998/I/4c
Four test tubes containing equal volumes of coagulated egg whit cubes were set up. Different solutions were
then added to the test tubes and they were allowed to stand at 30C. The table below shows the solutions
added to the test tubes and the results observed after 24 hours:
Tube 1 2 3 4
hydrochloric
acid
2 cm
3
2 cm
3

solution A 2 cm
3
2 cm
3

Solutions
added
distilled
water
2 cm
3
2 cm
3
4 cm
3

Result after 24 hours
Key : = egg white cube present
= egg white cube absent
(i) (1) What can be deduced from the results of tubes 1 and 3 ? (1 mark)
(2) What can be further deduced if the result of tube 2 is also taken into consideration ? (1 mark)
(ii) How would you confirm that the results obtained are due to the action of an enzyme in solution A ?
(3 marks)



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(iii) A digestive juice from the human body contains an enzyme which will produce the same result as
solution A.
(1) Name this digestive juice. (1 mark)
(2) Apart from digestion, state another function of this digestive juice. (1 mark)
(iv) 2 cm
3
of dilute sodium hydroxide solution and a few drops of copper sulphate solution are added to 5
cm
3
of solution A. What can be observed ? Explain your answer. (2 marks)

7. 1999/I/2b
The diagram below shows part of the human digestive system :

(i) Structure A is removed from a patient by surgical operation. Explain why this patient cannot digest
fatty food properly after the operation. (4 marks)
(ii) An obese (very fat) person had a surgical operation to remove part of structure D. Explain why this
method may lead to a significant reduction of his body weight several months after the operation.
(3 marks)
(iii) (1) Name one substance that is secreted by structure C directly into the blood. (1 mark)
(2) If a person failed to produce this substance, how would the homeostatic function of structure B
be affected ? Give a reason for your answer. (2 marks)

8. 2001/I/1c
The X-ray photograph below shows a human molar :

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(i) Using the letters in the photograph, state all the structures that is / are
(1) richly supplied with capillaries,
(2) rich in calcium salts. (2 marks)
(ii) Based on the X-ray photograph, make a labelled drawing of this tooth. (4 marks)
(iii) Explain how the process of digestion would be affected if a person lost most of this type of tooth.
(3 marks)

9. 2003/I/2c
The function of the pancreas in some people may become impaired due to the blockage of the pancreatic
duct. The diagram below shows the pancreas and part of the alimentary canal :

(i) The faeces produced by such patients usually have a high fat content. Explain why. (3 marks)
(ii) In these patients, tissues of the pancreas may get digested. How would you account for this ?
(2 marks)
(iii) Explain why the patients may produce urine containing glucose if the tissues of the pancreas are
damaged by digestion. (4 marks)

10. 2004/I/1a
The photomicrograph below shows a cross section of the small intestine of a mammal :

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(i) With reference to two features of X observable from the photomicrograph, explain how these
features facilitate the absorption of digested food substances. (4 marks)
(ii) Using a flowchart to show how amino acids are transported to the heart after entering X. Indicate the
major organs and blood vessels along the pathway. (2 marks)
(iii) Describe how the muscle layer helps the movement and digestion of food inside the small intestine.
(3 marks)

11. 2005/I/3
Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow:

(a) If gastric ulcer is caused by excessive secretion of acid, what kind of chemicals should be used for
treatment? (1 mark)
(b) Many doctors were surprised at Marshalls observation because they thought that bacteria could not
survive in the stomach. Why did they think so? (1 mark)
(c) With reference to the treatment used by Marshall, what do you think is his hypothesis about gastric
ulcer? (1 mark)
(d) Suggest a method to test Marshalls hypothesis. What result would be obtained if his hypothesis is
correct? (2 marks)
(e) Explain the importance of the churning action of the stomach in the digestion of food. (3 marks)

12. 2006/I/2
The table below shows the average amount of water entering the alimentary canal and the average amount
being absorbed in the intestine of a person each day:
Water entering the alimentary canal Water absorbed by the intestine
Source Volume (mL) Site Volume (mL)
Ingestion 2000 Small intestine 9000
Secretions along the
alimentary canal
8000 Large intestine 850
(a) Based on the above information, how much water is egested with the faeces each day? (1 mark)
For many years, doctors believed that the gastric ulcer (damage and bleeding of
the stomach wall) was caused by excessive acid secretion in the stomach, so
they used certain chemicals to treat ulcer patients. However, after recovery,
many patients might develop gastric ulcer again. In the 1980s, an Australian
doctor, Barry Marshall, observed that all his ulcer patients had a type of bacteria
called Helicobacter pylori () in their stomach. He therefore put
forward a new hypothesis about gastric ulcer. Based on this hypothesis, he
treated his patients with antibiotics which are chemicals that kill bacteria. Many
of his patients recovered rapidly and did not develop gastric ulcer again.
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(Note: Neglect the amount of water absorbed in the other parts of the alimentary canal.)
(b) Give two examples of secretions that enter the alimentary canal. (2 marks)
(c) (i) Based on one structural difference between the small intestine and the large intestine, explain
why a much larger volume of water is absorbed in the small intestine. (2 marks)
(ii) Explain how the absorption of digested food facilitates the absorption of water in the small
intestine. (2 marks)

13. 2007/I/6
Read the paragraph below and answer the questions that follow.

(a) (i) With reference to the content of gastric juice, suggest a probable reason for its damage to the
oesophagus. (1 mark)
(ii) Food entering the small intestine carries some gastric juice from the stomach. Explain why the
gastric juice does not normally damage the small intestine. (3 marks)
(b) Suggest why the backflow of gastric juice is more likely to occur if a person has a meal just before
sleeping. (3 marks)
(c) A patient suffering from severe gastric reflux will also likely to have tooth decay. Give an explanation
for this. (2 marks)

14. 2008/I/1
The following diagram shows part of the human digestive system.

(a) Describe how structure A helps the digestion of food. (4 marks)
(b) The table below lists some information about the components of the secretion from structure B and C.
Complete the table. (5 marks)

Gastric reflux describes a backflow of the gastric juice from the stomach into the
oseophagus. This can irritate and sometimes damage the lining of the oseophagus, giving a
feeling of heartburn. In Hong Kong, the rate of patient suffering from gastric reflux rose
from 2.3 per 10 000 in 1996 to 6.2 per 10 000 in 2005. It is believed that the alarming rise is
related to the lifestyles of people in Hong Kong. These include having midnight snack right
before sleeping, excessive fatty foods, large meals, irregular mealtime, and drinking a lot of
alcohol or coffee.
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Some components of the secretion Function
Mucus (i)
Hydrochloric acid (ii)

B
Protease (iii)
Amylase Break down starch into maltose
Lipase (iv)

C
(v) Neutralize acid from gastric juice

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