Medicine in Modern Britain (Edexcel GCSE History: The Thematic & Historic Environment (Paper 1)): Exam Questions

Exam code: 1HI0

20 mins20 questions
1
1 mark

Who produced the x-ray image of DNA in 1951 that helped Watson and Crick with their discovery?

  • Ernst Ruska.

  • Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins.

  • Max Knoll.

  • Paul Ehrlich.

2
1 mark

What was the purpose of the Human Genome Project launched by Watson in 1990?

  • To find a cure for cancer.

  • To understand what combinations of DNA cause hereditary disease.

  • To get rid of all hereditary diseases.

  • To change the double helix structure of DNA.

3
1 mark

What health risks were discovered to be associated with smoking by studies in the 1950s?

  •  Increased risk of arthritis.

  •  Increased risk of diabetes.

  • Increased risk of Alzheimer's disease.

  • Increased risk of lung, throat and mouth cancers.

4
1 mark

How did Alexander Fleming discover penicillin?

  •  He accidentally left a petri dish unwashed.

  • He was experimenting with mercury compounds.

  • He observed mouldy bread.

  • He found it on a mouse.

5
1 mark

Who successfully tested penicillin on humans for the first time in 1941?

  • Paul Ehrlich.

  • Howard Florey and Ernst Chain.

  • Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins.

  • Alexander Fleming.

6
1 mark

In what year was the National Health Service (NHS) created?

  •  1948

  • 1984

  • 1955

  • 1848

7
1 mark

What major concern arose among General Practitioners (GPs) after the establishment of the NHS?

  •  A lack of work.

  • Improved access to medical training.

  • Loss of income and increased workload.

  • Decreased patient demand.

8
1 mark

Which bacterial strain became notorious for its resistance to antibiotics like penicillin?

  • E. coli.

  • Cholera.

  • Streptococcus.

  • MRSA.

9
1 mark

What did the Health Act of 2006 aim to regulate regarding smoking?

  • Restriction of smoking in enclosed public spaces.

  • Promotion of smoking as a healthy lifestyle choice.

  • Decreasing the price of cigarettes.

  • Increasing the price of cigarettes.

10
1 mark

Which treatment for lung cancer involves targeting the tumour with radiation from outside the body?

  • Chemotherapy.

  • Radiotherapy.

  • Bloodletting.

  • Transplants.

1
1 mark

How was the prevention of illness similar in the medieval and modern periods?

  • Doctors encouraged the use of sweet-smelling herbs, like lavender, to be used to prevent miasma.

  • Doctors continued to encourage a healthy lifestyle to prevent illness.

  • Doctors encouraged people to drink alcohol as water contained germs which caused diseases like cholera.

  • Doctors continued to use science to help prevent illnesses, such as the Human Genome Project.

2
1 mark

How was surgery different between the modern and industrial periods?

  • Pain and infection were an issue throughout the industrial period, unlike the use of aseptic surgery and anaesthetics in modern medicine.

  • Technological advancements in the industrial period were very limited. X-rays were not used until the modern period.

  • Organ transplants were not readily available in the industrial period. Microsurgery was not available until the late 20th century.

  • Surgery was not performed by surgeons in the industrial period. Surgeons would read from a textbook whilst someone else performed the surgery. In the modern period, surgeons performed their surgery.

3
1 mark

What consequence did the work of Florey and Chain with penicillin have on modern medicine?

  • The development of penicillin into a mass-produced drug inspired scientists to research new antibiotics.

  • They discovered penicillin, which was a new antibiotic which could kill Staphylococcus.

  • They tested penicillin on mice, which was the first time animals were used to test drugs.

  • Their discovery of penicillin went on to save approximately 80% of soldiers from their injuries during the Second World War.

4
1 mark

What impact did the creation of the NHS have on people’s health in Britain?

  • GPs were educated with the latest techniques and knowledge which provided patients with the best care.

  • New hospitals were built in every city and filled with the latest technology, providing patients with the best care.

  • Everyone in Britain had access to treatment for free at the point of access. Previously, patients had to pay for treatment which many could not afford.

  • Waiting times decreased in Britain as there were more doctors and hospitals available to the public.

5
1 mark

What caused the British government to take action against lung cancer in modern Britain?

  • There was a public outcry for government intervention.

  • The government took advice from independent charities such as Cancer UK.

  • The government wanted to fight the tobacco industry to reduce the number of deaths associated with smoking in the UK.

  • Deaths linked to smoking cost the NHS £165 million.

1
1 mark

Why was the Human Genome Project significant?

  • It discovered that DNA has a double-helix structure.

  • It helped doctors to understand the causes of diseases better, as the project helped doctors to understand what combinations of DNA cause some diseases.

  • It helped doctors to understand the consequences of diseases on the human body, as it mapped how DNA changed due to certain diseases.

  • It discovered DNA. The project took an X-ray image of DNA which helped Franklin and Maurice learn more about human biology.

2
1 mark

Why was Alexander Fleming’s discovery of penicillin significant to modern medicine?

  • The ‘magic bullets’ available at the time were resistant to Staphylococcus. Penicillin could treat infections which contain Staphylococcus, such as blood poisoning.

  • Fleming discovered penicillin which became the first ‘magic bullet’. This helped to inspire other ‘magic bullets’ to cure diseases.

  • Fleming’s discovery of penicillin helped to prove Germ Theory correct. His discovery led to the acceptance of Germ Theory in Britain.

  • Fleming’s discovery of penicillin resulted in the creation of a ‘magic bullet’ which helped to cure infections gained by soldiers in the First World War.

3
1 mark

How did the government continue to improve public health from the industrial period to the modern period?

  • The government continued to uphold their beliefs of miasma by cleaning the streets of waste.

  • The government continued to allow the public to be responsible for their own health. They instructed the local government to appoint health officers to manage local health issues.

  • The government continued to use technology to advertise and educate the public on healthy living campaigns, such as Stopober and Change4Life.

  • The government continued to introduce laws which protected and improved the public’s health such as the Clean Act Acts of 1956 and 1968.

4
1 mark

How did vaccinations continue to change and improve people’s lives in modern Britain?

  • The British government started to target other diseases through vaccination. Teenagers were given vaccinations for diphtheria, polio and HPV as vaccinations worked better on teenagers than children.

  • The British government started to target other diseases through vaccination. Adults were given vaccinations for diphtheria, polio and HPV as vaccinations worked better on adults than children.

  • The British government started to target other diseases through vaccination. Children were given vaccinations for diphtheria, polio and HPV as vaccinations worked better on children than adults.

  • The British government started to target other diseases through vaccination. Pregnant mothers were given vaccinations for diphtheria, polio and HPV as vaccinations worked better on pregnant mothers than children.

5
1 mark

How important were the anti-smoking laws?

  • The anti-smoking laws were important. They helped to reduce children’s exposure to second-hand smoke by only 40%.

  • The anti-smoking laws were very important. They helped to reduce children’s exposure to second-hand smoke by almost 70%.

  • The anti-smoking laws were not very important. They helped to reduce children’s exposure to second-hand smoke by only 10%.

  • The anti-smoking laws were very important. They helped to reduce children’s exposure to second-hand smoke by almost 90%.