OCR General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) Biology Practice Exam

Disable ads (and more) with a membership for a one time $2.99 payment

Get ready for the OCR GCSE Biology exam with our comprehensive quiz, featuring flashcards and multiple choice questions. Understand the exam format, key topics, and effective study strategies to excel.

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.

What is produced as a by-product of the photosynthesis process?

Water
Minerals
Carbon dioxide
Oxygen

The correct answer is: Oxygen

During photosynthesis, plants convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen using sunlight as energy. The process occurs in the chloroplasts of plant cells, where chlorophyll captures sunlight. As a result of this transformation, oxygen is produced as a by-product. This oxygen is released into the atmosphere, which is essential for the survival of aerobic organisms, including humans. In contrast, water is not a by-product but rather a raw material consumed in the process, carbon dioxide is also a raw material used in photosynthesis, and while minerals are important for plant growth and function, they are not directly produced by photosynthesis itself. Thus, oxygen is the correct by-product of this vital process.