Exercise 1 — IGCSE 0653 Mar 2023 Paper 32 Q1
Show mark scheme
mechanical
Cambridge IGCSE·Combined Sciences 0653·Biology
Human Nutrition
Key knowledge — Human Nutrition
Key facts & rules
- 7 components of diet: carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, vitamins, minerals, water, fibre.
- Digestion: physical (chewing, churning) and chemical (enzymes).
- Amylase: starch → maltose (mouth, small intestine).
- Protease (pepsin/trypsin): proteins → amino acids (stomach, small intestine).
- Lipase: lipids → glycerol + fatty acids (small intestine).
- Bile: produced by liver, stored in gall bladder, emulsifies fats (physical, not chemical digestion).
- Absorption occurs in the small intestine — villi increase surface area (large, moist, thin walls, good blood supply).
- Large intestine: absorbs water from undigested food.
- Vitamin C deficiency: scurvy. Vitamin D deficiency: rickets.
IGCSE Biology — Human Nutrition
44 Cambridge IGCSE 0653 Combined Sciences past paper questions on human nutrition, across Theory, Multiple Choice and Alternative to Practical.
About Human Nutrition on IGCSE 0653
The human digestive system breaks down large food molecules into small ones that can be absorbed into the blood. Key enzymes include amylase (starch → glucose), protease (protein → amino acids) and lipase (lipids → glycerol + fatty acids).
What's covered:
- Nutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, fibre, water
- Digestion: physical and chemical
- Enzymes: amylase, protease, lipase
- Absorption in the small intestine: villi
- Stomach acid and bile
Theory
Human Nutrition — Core3 · Paper 3
Exercise 2 — IGCSE 0653 May/Jun 2023 Paper 33 Q4
Show mark scheme
small intestine
Exercise 3 — IGCSE 0653 May/Jun 2024 Paper 31 Q1
Show mark scheme
A
Human Nutrition — Extended8 · Paper 4
Exercise 1 — IGCSE 0653 Mar 2023 Paper 42 Q4
Show mark scheme
catalysts
Exercise 2 — IGCSE 0653 Mar 2024 Paper 42 Q1
Show mark scheme
liver labelled
Exercise 3 — IGCSE 0653 May/Jun 2023 Paper 42 Q1
Show mark scheme
mango (fruit) (fruit) flies thrushes eagle ;
Exercise 4 — IGCSE 0653 May/Jun 2024 Paper 42 Q1
Show mark scheme
small(er)
Exercise 5 — IGCSE 0653 May/Jun 2024 Paper 43 Q4
Show mark scheme
pancreas labelled
Exercise 6 — IGCSE 0653 May/Jun 2025 Paper 41 Q1
Show mark scheme
lipase
Exercise 7 — IGCSE 0653 May/Jun 2025 Paper 42 Q1
Show mark scheme
protease:
Exercise 8 — IGCSE 0653 Oct/Nov 2023 Paper 41 Q1
Show mark scheme
one mark for each correct row
Multiple choice
Human Nutrition — Core MCQ14 · Paper 1
Question 1 — IGCSE 0653 Mar 2025 Paper 12 Q5
Show answer
Correct answer: B
Question 2 — IGCSE 0653 May/Jun 2024 Paper 11 Q4
Show answer
Correct answer: C
Question 3 — IGCSE 0653 May/Jun 2024 Paper 11 Q5
Show answer
Correct answer: B
Question 4 — IGCSE 0653 May/Jun 2024 Paper 11 Q6
Show answer
Correct answer: D
Question 5 — IGCSE 0653 May/Jun 2025 Paper 13 Q7
Show answer
Correct answer: B
Question 6 — IGCSE 0653 May/Jun 2025 Paper 13 Q8
Show answer
Correct answer: B
Question 7 — IGCSE 0653 Oct/Nov 2023 Paper 12 Q1
Show answer
Correct answer: D
Question 8 — IGCSE 0653 Oct/Nov 2023 Paper 13 Q1
Show answer
Correct answer: D
Question 9 — IGCSE 0653 Oct/Nov 2023 Paper 12 Q2
Show answer
Correct answer: D
Question 10 — IGCSE 0653 Oct/Nov 2023 Paper 13 Q2
Show answer
Correct answer: D
Question 11 — IGCSE 0653 Oct/Nov 2023 Paper 12 Q3
Show answer
Correct answer: B
Question 12 — IGCSE 0653 Oct/Nov 2023 Paper 13 Q3
Show answer
Correct answer: B
Question 13 — IGCSE 0653 Oct/Nov 2023 Paper 12 Q4
Show answer
Correct answer: C
Question 14 — IGCSE 0653 Oct/Nov 2023 Paper 13 Q4
Show answer
Correct answer: C
Human Nutrition — Extended MCQ11 · Paper 2
Question 1 — IGCSE 0653 Mar 2023 Paper 22 Q1
Show answer
Correct answer: C
Question 2 — IGCSE 0653 Mar 2023 Paper 22 Q2
Show answer
Correct answer: D
Question 3 — IGCSE 0653 Mar 2025 Paper 22 Q4
Show answer
Correct answer: C
Question 4 — IGCSE 0653 Mar 2025 Paper 22 Q5
Show answer
Correct answer: C
Question 5 — IGCSE 0653 May/Jun 2025 Paper 21 Q4
Show answer
Correct answer: C
Question 6 — IGCSE 0653 May/Jun 2025 Paper 21 Q5
Show answer
Correct answer: D
Question 7 — IGCSE 0653 May/Jun 2025 Paper 23 Q6
Show answer
Correct answer: C
Question 8 — IGCSE 0653 May/Jun 2025 Paper 23 Q7
Show answer
Correct answer: D
Question 9 — IGCSE 0653 May/Jun 2025 Paper 23 Q8
Show answer
Correct answer: B
Question 10 — IGCSE 0653 Oct/Nov 2023 Paper 21 Q3
Show answer
Correct answer: A
Question 11 — IGCSE 0653 Oct/Nov 2023 Paper 21 Q4
Show answer
Correct answer: A
Alternative to practical
Human Nutrition — ATP8 questions
Exercise 1 — IGCSE 0653 May/Jun 2023 Paper 51 Q1
Show mark scheme
volume of iodine solution remaining result recorded for 1.00%
Exercise 2 — IGCSE 0653 May/Jun 2023 Paper 52 Q1
Show mark scheme
size – greater than half available space
Exercise 3 — IGCSE 0653 May/Jun 2023 Paper 61 Q1
Show mark scheme
8.4 (cm3)
Exercise 4 — IGCSE 0653 May/Jun 2023 Paper 62 Q1
Show mark scheme
size – greater than half available space
Exercise 5 — IGCSE 0653 May/Jun 2023 Paper 52 Q2
Show mark scheme
One marking point from each section and any two others (if one section is missing max 6 etc).
Exercise 6 — IGCSE 0653 May/Jun 2023 Paper 62 Q2
Show mark scheme
One marking point from each section and any two others (if one section is missing max 6 etc).
Exercise 7 — IGCSE 0653 May/Jun 2024 Paper 51 Q1
Show mark scheme
sensible temperature recorded
Exercise 8 — IGCSE 0653 May/Jun 2024 Paper 61 Q1
Show mark scheme
51.0 (°C)
All Human Nutrition questions in this collection
| Type | Level | Paper | Session | Q# | Marks | Answer / key |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATP | Core | Paper 51 | May/Jun 2023 | Q1 | 13 marks | volume of iodine solution remaining result recorded for 1.00% |
| ATP | Core | Paper 52 | May/Jun 2023 | Q1 | 7 marks | size – greater than half available space |
| ATP | Core | Paper 52 | May/Jun 2023 | Q2 | 7 marks | One marking point from each section and any two others (if one section is missin… |
| ATP | Core | Paper 51 | May/Jun 2024 | Q1 | 13 marks | sensible temperature recorded |
| ATP | Extended | Paper 61 | May/Jun 2023 | Q1 | 13 marks | 8.4 (cm3) |
| ATP | Extended | Paper 62 | May/Jun 2023 | Q1 | 7 marks | size – greater than half available space |
| ATP | Extended | Paper 62 | May/Jun 2023 | Q2 | 7 marks | One marking point from each section and any two others (if one section is missin… |
| ATP | Extended | Paper 61 | May/Jun 2024 | Q1 | 13 marks | 51.0 (°C) |
| MCQ | Core | Paper 12 | Mar 2025 | Q5 | 1 mark | B |
| MCQ | Core | Paper 11 | May/Jun 2024 | Q4 | 1 mark | C |
| MCQ | Core | Paper 11 | May/Jun 2024 | Q5 | 1 mark | B |
| MCQ | Core | Paper 11 | May/Jun 2024 | Q6 | 1 mark | D |
| MCQ | Core | Paper 13 | May/Jun 2025 | Q7 | 1 mark | B |
| MCQ | Core | Paper 13 | May/Jun 2025 | Q8 | 1 mark | B |
| MCQ | Core | Paper 12 | Oct/Nov 2023 | Q1 | 1 mark | D |
| MCQ | Core | Paper 13 | Oct/Nov 2023 | Q1 | 1 mark | D |
| MCQ | Core | Paper 12 | Oct/Nov 2023 | Q2 | 1 mark | D |
| MCQ | Core | Paper 13 | Oct/Nov 2023 | Q2 | 1 mark | D |
| MCQ | Core | Paper 12 | Oct/Nov 2023 | Q3 | 1 mark | B |
| MCQ | Core | Paper 13 | Oct/Nov 2023 | Q3 | 1 mark | B |
| MCQ | Core | Paper 12 | Oct/Nov 2023 | Q4 | 1 mark | C |
| MCQ | Core | Paper 13 | Oct/Nov 2023 | Q4 | 1 mark | C |
| MCQ | Extended | Paper 22 | Mar 2023 | Q1 | 1 mark | C |
| MCQ | Extended | Paper 22 | Mar 2023 | Q2 | 1 mark | D |
| MCQ | Extended | Paper 22 | Mar 2025 | Q4 | 1 mark | C |
| MCQ | Extended | Paper 22 | Mar 2025 | Q5 | 1 mark | C |
| MCQ | Extended | Paper 21 | May/Jun 2025 | Q4 | 1 mark | C |
| MCQ | Extended | Paper 21 | May/Jun 2025 | Q5 | 1 mark | D |
| MCQ | Extended | Paper 23 | May/Jun 2025 | Q6 | 1 mark | C |
| MCQ | Extended | Paper 23 | May/Jun 2025 | Q7 | 1 mark | D |
| MCQ | Extended | Paper 23 | May/Jun 2025 | Q8 | 1 mark | B |
| MCQ | Extended | Paper 21 | Oct/Nov 2023 | Q3 | 1 mark | A |
| MCQ | Extended | Paper 21 | Oct/Nov 2023 | Q4 | 1 mark | A |
| Theory | Core | Paper 32 | Mar 2023 | Q1 | 9 marks | mechanical |
| Theory | Core | Paper 33 | May/Jun 2023 | Q4 | 8 marks | small intestine |
| Theory | Core | Paper 31 | May/Jun 2024 | Q1 | 9 marks | A |
| Theory | Extended | Paper 42 | Mar 2023 | Q4 | 9 marks | catalysts |
| Theory | Extended | Paper 42 | Mar 2024 | Q1 | 8 marks | liver labelled |
| Theory | Extended | Paper 42 | May/Jun 2023 | Q1 | 10 marks | mango (fruit) (fruit) flies thrushes eagle ; |
| Theory | Extended | Paper 42 | May/Jun 2024 | Q1 | 10 marks | small(er) |
| Theory | Extended | Paper 43 | May/Jun 2024 | Q4 | 8 marks | pancreas labelled |
| Theory | Extended | Paper 41 | May/Jun 2025 | Q1 | 8 marks | lipase |
| Theory | Extended | Paper 42 | May/Jun 2025 | Q1 | 9 marks | protease: |
| Theory | Extended | Paper 41 | Oct/Nov 2023 | Q1 | 9 marks | one mark for each correct row |