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IGCSEBiology
Trial Class

Original practice · 5 questions · 15 marks · about 17 minutes

Antibiotics and Drug Resistance Practice Questions

Biology editorial review is supported by the named review panel. Reviewer participation may vary by guide. Checked against Cambridge IGCSE Biology 0610 (2026–2028); last reviewed August 2026.

These questions test your understanding of antibiotics as medicinal drugs, their limitations, and the growing problem of resistance.

Before you open the answers

  • Attempt every question without notes.
  • Show working for calculations and write complete biological statements.
  • Use the suggested time as a guide, not a strict limit on the first attempt.

These are original practice questions. They do not reproduce an official Cambridge paper or official mark scheme.

  1. Question 1

    Paper 4 Both 3 marks Difficulty 3/5

    Explain why antibiotics can kill bacteria but cannot treat viral infections.

    Show model answer and marking guidance
    1. Antibiotics target bacterial cell structures or processes (e.g. Cell wall synthesis).
    2. Viruses do not have their own cellular machinery: they replicate using host cell processes.
    3. Antibiotics cannot target the virus without destroying the host cell.

  2. Question 2

    Paper 4 Extended 4 marks Difficulty 4/5

    A doctor prescribes a full 7-day course of antibiotics. The patient feels better after 3 days and stops taking them. Explain why this is a problem.

    Show model answer and marking guidance
    1. After 3 days, not all bacteria may have been killed.
    2. Remaining bacteria may be more resistant to the antibiotic.
    3. These resistant bacteria can survive, reproduce, and spread.
    4. Over time, this contributes to the development of antibiotic-resistant strains.

  3. Question 3

    Paper 4 Both 3 marks Difficulty 3/5

    State three actions that can help prevent antibiotic resistance from developing.

    Show model answer and marking guidance
    1. Only use antibiotics when necessary (not for viral infections).
    2. Always complete the full prescribed course.
    3. Develop new antibiotics to replace those that have become ineffective.

  4. Question 4

    Paper 2 Core 2 marks Difficulty 1/5

    Name the first widely used antibiotic and state who discovered it.

    Show model answer and marking guidance
    1. Penicillin.
    2. Discovered by Alexander Fleming (in 1928).

  5. Question 5

    Paper 4 Extended 3 marks Difficulty 4/5

    Explain why the overuse of antibiotics in livestock farming contributes to antibiotic resistance in humans.

    Show model answer and marking guidance
    1. Bacteria in livestock are exposed to antibiotics regularly: resistant strains develop.
    2. Resistant bacteria can transfer to humans through food, direct contact, or the environment.
    3. Humans may then develop infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Mark the set consistently

Award a point only when the idea is clearly present in the written answer. Correct any missed point in a complete sentence, then test the same skill on a different question several days later.

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