O Level / IGCSE Biology chapter 14: Coordination and control MCQs with answers

By Team Megalecture · Updated 4 Nov 2026

60 exam-style questions on Coordination and control, each with the answer and a short explanation. Ten of them are below to try. The chapter test draws ten fresh questions each time and is marked the moment you finish, with your score by topic.

60 questions · 6 topics · 10 per test

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What chapter 14 covers

Ten Coordination and control questions with answers

Try each one, then open the answer. These ten stay the same; the test draws new ones every time.

1. What happens when blood glucose concentration falls below the set point?

  1. A
    the adrenal glands release glucagon; the kidneys release stored glucose
  2. B
    the pancreas releases insulin; the liver breaks down glycogen to glucose
  3. C
    the pancreas releases glucagon; the liver breaks down glycogen to glucose
  4. D
    the pancreas releases glucagon; the liver stores glucose as glycogen
Show answer

Answer: C. Glucagon from the pancreas causes the liver to break down glycogen, releasing glucose into the blood.

2. A patient is very thirsty, tired and passes a large volume of urine. Tests show a high blood glucose concentration and glucose in the urine. What is the most likely cause?

  1. A
    the adrenal glands are making too little adrenaline
  2. B
    the pancreas does not make enough insulin
  3. C
    the liver is making too much glucagon
  4. D
    the kidneys are not reabsorbing water from the filtrate
Show answer

Answer: B. Without enough insulin (Type 1 diabetes), blood glucose stays high and some glucose is not reabsorbed by the kidneys, so it appears in the urine.

3. Where are relay neurones found?

  1. A
    in the skin, where they detect stimuli
  2. B
    only in the eye, where they detect light
  3. C
    in muscles, where they cause contraction
  4. D
    in the brain and spinal cord
Show answer

Answer: D. Relay neurones lie in the brain and spinal cord (the central nervous system) and pass impulses from sensory to motor neurones.

4. Why must blood glucose concentration be controlled?

  1. A
    high glucose levels make the blood clot inside the vessels
  2. B
    glucose is toxic to cells in even very small amounts
  3. C
    the liver needs a high glucose level to make urea
  4. D
    cells need a steady supply of glucose for respiration
Show answer

Answer: D. Too little glucose starves cells of energy for respiration; too much lowers the water potential of the blood so that cells lose water by osmosis.

5. How does shivering help to warm the body?

  1. A
    shivering stops the sweat glands from producing sweat
  2. B
    shivering traps a layer of air next to the skin as insulation
  3. C
    shivering reduces blood flow to the skin and so cuts heat loss
  4. D
    rapid muscle contractions increase respiration, releasing heat
Show answer

Answer: D. Rapid involuntary muscle contractions increase respiration, which releases heat.

6. What happens after neurotransmitter molecules are released into the synaptic gap?

  1. A
    they are turned into electrical impulses inside the synaptic gap
  2. B
    they are carried away from the gap in the blood to the liver
  3. C
    they travel back into the first neurone to be used again at once
  4. D
    they diffuse across the gap and bind to receptors on the next neurone, starting an impulse
Show answer

Answer: D. Neurotransmitter diffuses across the synaptic gap and binds to receptor proteins on the next neurone, which starts an impulse there.

7. A person has a rare disorder in which the liver cannot break glycogen down into glucose. Which effect is most likely several hours after a meal?

  1. A
    a rise in the amount of glucagon made by the liver
  2. B
    no change, because the muscles release their glycogen as glucose
  3. C
    a fall in blood glucose concentration, because glycogen cannot be turned back into glucose
  4. D
    a rise in blood glucose concentration, because the liver stores too much glycogen
Show answer

Answer: C. Glucagon, a hormone made by the pancreas, makes the liver break down its stored carbohydrate, glycogen, into glucose between meals. If the liver cannot do this, blood glucose falls. The muscles do not release their glycogen as glucose into the blood.

8. What are sense organs?

  1. A
    glands that secrete hormones into the blood when a stimulus is detected
  2. B
    muscles and glands that carry out a response to nerve impulses
  3. C
    nerves that carry sensory impulses from the receptors to the brain
  4. D
    groups of receptor cells that respond to specific stimuli, such as light or sound
Show answer

Answer: D. Sense organs contain receptor cells sensitive to stimuli such as light, sound, touch, temperature or chemicals.

9. When the body is too cold, what happens to the arterioles supplying the skin surface capillaries?

  1. A
    they constrict, so less blood flows near the surface
  2. B
    the capillaries constrict while the arterioles stay unchanged
  3. C
    they dilate, so more warm blood reaches the skin surface
  4. D
    they move deeper into the skin to reduce heat loss
Show answer

Answer: A. Vasoconstriction of the arterioles reduces blood flow through the surface capillaries, keeping warm blood deeper in the body and reducing heat loss.

10. A spinal injury cuts the neurones that carry impulses from the spinal cord to the muscles of the leg. Which type of neurone is damaged, and what is the effect?

  1. A
    motor neurones; the leg muscles cannot be told to contract
  2. B
    sensory neurones; the brain cannot tell what the leg is touching
  3. C
    relay neurones; the muscles contract without any control
  4. D
    sensory neurones; the leg muscles cannot contract
Show answer

Answer: A. Motor neurones carry impulses from the central nervous system to effectors such as muscles. If they are cut, the muscles receive no impulses. Sensory neurones carry impulses from receptors to the CNS.

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Ways to practise this chapter

Coordination and control: questions students ask

How many Coordination and control MCQs are there?

60, each with the answer and a short explanation, across 6 topics: Mammalian nervous system, Mammalian sense organs, Mammalian hormones, Homeostasis, Temperature control, Blood glucose control. Every chapter test draws ten of them, so you can take it many times.

Is the O Level / IGCSE Biology chapter 14 test free?

Yes. The test, the answers and the explanations are free and need no sign-up. Sign in only if you want your scores kept across devices.

How is the chapter test marked?

The moment you press Finish: your score, the right answer and an explanation for every question, and the ones you got wrong saved in My mistakes to retry.

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