Student Number

Sydney Girls High School

2019
TRIAL
HSC
EXAMINATION

Biology
General • Reading time – 5 minutes
Instructions • Working time – 3 hours
• Write using black pen
• Draw diagrams using pencil
• NESA approved calculators may be used

Total Marks: Section I – 20 marks (pages 2 – 9)

100 • Attempt Questions 1-20
• Allow about 35 minutes for this section

Section II – 80 marks (pages 11 - 30)

• Attempt Questions 21 - 33
• Allow about 2 hours and 25 minutes for this section
Section I

20 marks
Attempt Questions 1 - 20
Allow about 35 minutes for this part.
Use the multiple-choice answer sheet for Questions 1–20.

1. Immediately following a break in the skin, phagocytes engulf bacteria within the wound. This
is an examples of an immune response which can be classified as

A. Adaptive, specific
B. Innate, specific
C. Innate, nonspecific
D. Adaptive, nonspecific

2. In order to be regarded as infectious, a disease must be

A. caused by a pathogen
B. caused by a mutation
C. able to infect humans
D. able to infect animals

3. A section of DNA has the following nucleotide sequence. AGG TCT CAG ATC .
What is the nucleotide sequence of the newly-made strand following DNA replication?

A. AGG TCT CAG ATC

B. AGG UCU CAG AUC
C. UCC AGA GUC UAG
D. TCC AGA GTC TAG

4. Which of the following is true of a mutation that produces an allele that is dominant?

A. It would be expected to cause death.

B. It would be expected to spread more quickly through a population than a recessive mutation.
C. It could give an observable phenotype in a heterozygous genotype.
D. It could give an observable phenotype only in a homozygous genotype.
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5. A zebronkey hybrid is the result of crossing a male zebra which has a diploid (2N) number of
44 with a female donkey which has a haploid number (N) of 31. How many chromosomes
will the zebronkey have?

A. 53
B. 75
C. 84
D. 106

6. Which of the following processes occur in meiosis but do not occur in mitosis?

I. Spindle formation

II. Separation of homologous chromosomes

III. Separation of sister chromatids

IV. Recombination

A. I, II and III
B. I, II, III and IV
C. II only
D. II and IV

7. In genetic engineering, plant viruses are sometimes used to introduce a foreign gene into
a plant cell. This is because viruses are

A. non-living and therefore easy to store in the laboratory.

B. non-living and therefore there are no ethical issues with using them in this way.
C. able to invade the cell and produce a large number of viral particles very quickly.
D. able to invade the cell and merge their genetic material with that of the cell.

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Questions 8 and 9 relate to the following figure which shows the frequency of an allele (RAD) for a
gene in a population for 11 generations.

8. The frequency of the RAD allele in the population in Generation 3 is approximately

A. 0.2
B. 0.4
C. 0.6
D. 0.8

9. By Generation 8, the frequency of the RAD allele is 1.00, which means that it is now the
only allele present for this gene in this population. Which of the following needs to occur
before evolution can take place at this gene after Generation 8?

A. genetic drift
B. meiosis
C. mutation
D. natural selection

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Questions 10 and 11 refer to the following information.

Haemophilia is a human disease in which the blood of an affected individual does not clot. The
disease is known to be caused by a sex-linked recessive allele. The family pedigree shows the pattern
of inheritance of this disease in a family.

10. If Xh is the allele for haemophilia and Xn is the allele for normal clotting, what is the
genotype of individual 5?

A. Xh Xh
B. Xh Xn
C. Xn Xn
D. Xn Y

11. If Individual 8 has a child with a female carrier of the disease, what is the probability that the
child will have haemophilia?

A. 0%
B. 25%
C. 50%
D. 100%

12. A student was asked to identify a pathogen as either a bacterium or a prion after being given a
number of its characteristics. She was able to identify it immediately as a prion when she was
told its size. Which of the following sizes would have enabled her to be sure about this
identifications?

A. 5 nm
B. 5 µm
C. 5 mm
D. 5 cm
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13. In which one of the following circumstances will the prevalence of a disease in the population
increase, all else being constant?

A. If the incidence rate of the disease falls.

B. If survival time with the disease increases
C. If recovery of the disease is faster.
D. If the population in which the disease is measured increases.

14. The amount of time something is quarantined depends on all of the following EXCEPT:

A. The place from which something is being imported from

B. The organisations determining the rules of quarantine
C. The plant or animal in question
D. The amount of time the importer can afford to have their items/plants/animals quarantined

15. Which of the following helps prevent the entry of pathogens into humans?

A. Cilia
B. Antigens
C. B lymphocytes
D. Inflammation response

16. The following statements describe how vaccines, antibiotics and/or antiviral medications work.

I treat viruses and bacterial infections

II treat only viral infections
III can provide broad-spectrum treatment to a variety of
pathogens
IV are specific to each pathogen
V are only effective at the time when taken
VI can provide lasting immunity

Which of the following statements are true for antiviral medications?

A. I, III, V
B. II, III, VI
C. II, IV, V
D. I, IV, VI
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17. The following diagram summarises the steps of an experiment similar to that carried out by
Louis Pasteur, which identified microbes as agents of decay.

Which of the following statements best explains the results obtained?

A. There were no microbes in the air around Flask P at Steps 3 or 4.

B. There were no microbes in Flask P at the beginning of the experiment.
C. Microbes in Flask Q were not all killed by boiling, and multiplied following the cooling
down of the flask.
D. Any microbes present in both Flasks P and Q were killed by the boiling process, and only
Flask Q allowed microbes to re-enter.

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18. The following question refers to the diagram below. It shows four types of chromosomal mutations.

Which if the following correctly classifies the types of chromosomal mutations shown in the diagram.

Deletion Translocation Inversion Insertion

A 1 2 3 4
B 1 4 3 2
C 1 2 3 4
D 1 4 2 3

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Questions 19 and 20 refer to the diagram below.

19. Which of the following amino acids is coded for by the mRNA base triplet ACC?

A. Glycine
B. Proline
C. Threonine
D. Glutamine

20. A point mutation occurred in the mRNA base triplet UGG. The third base was substituted with
adenine. The impact of this mutation would be significant

A. depending on its location in a base

B. depending on its location in the nucleotide
C. depending on its location in the amino acid
D. depending on its location in the polypeptide

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 2019
TRIAL
HSC
EXAMINATION
Student Number

Biology
Section II
Answer Booklet

80 marks
Attempt Questions 21- 33
Allow about 2 hours and 25 minutes for this section

Instructions • Answer the questions in the spaces provided. These spaces provide
guidance for the expected length of the response.
• Extra writing space is provided at the back of this booklet. If you use this
space, clearly indicate which question you are answering.
• If you require more space than is available in the extra writing space
provided, please ask a supervising teacher for extra paper. Clearly
indicate which question you are answering on the extra paper.

Please turn over

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Question 21 (5 marks) 5K

Sometimes, genetic material does not replicate exactly. This may cause mutations in both somatic
and germ-line cells. Compare possible impacts of germ-line and somatic mutations on the continuity
of species.

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Question 22 (5 marks)

Connecticut reports 3rd measles of the year, linked to Brooklyn outbreak

by NEWS DESK
April 15, 2019

The Connecticut Department of Public Health confirmed the state’s third measles case of the year on Friday.
The patient, 6 year old Mary Smith, who had not been vaccinated against measles, contracted the viral
disease while on a visit to Brooklyn, New York which is currently experiencing a measles outbreak.
“We are monitoring and investigating this case very closely, to follow up with any individuals that may have
been exposed to measles. Science tells us that the single best thing anyone can do to protect themselves
from this highly contagious virus is to get vaccinated. Connecticut has very high vaccination rates, so we are
at low risk for a widespread measles outbreak. “ said Connecticut Department of Health (DPH)
Commissioner.

(a) Explain why Mary Smith contracted the disease while on a visit to New York rather than
in her home town in Connecticut. 2K

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(b) The Connecticut DPH Commissioner stated that “Science tells us that the single best thing
anyone can do to protect themselves from this highly contagious virus is to get vaccinated”.
Evaluate this statement. 3K

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Question 23 (8 marks)

The following diagram outlines processes that occur during the synthesis of a polypeptide.

a) Name the main process taking place inside the nucleus at Stage 1 and using the names
of structures P and Q briefly describe what is occurring in the processes inside the
nucleus. 3K

Process: ...........................................................................................................................

Description: ......................................................................................................................

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b) Name the overall process taking place outside the nucleus at Stage 2 and using the
name of structures E, F, G and S, describe what is occurring in the processes outside
the nucleus. 5K

Process: ...........................................................................................................................

Description: .....................................................................................................................

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Question 24 (8 marks)

An investigation was carried out into the effectiveness of a new antifungal cream on a skin infection
caused by the fungus Candida albicans. Two groups of mice were exposed to the pathogen. Group 1
was treated with Antifungal Cream A and Group 2 with Antifungal Cream B. The level of fungal
infection for both groups was measured as the area of skin infected with the pathogen. All mice
began with a similar level of infection. After three weeks of the trial, mice in Group 1 had an
average decrease of 98% in the level of infection, while Group 2 had an average decrease of 80%.

(a) Suggest a hypothesis for the investigation. 2A

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(b) Name the independent and dependent variables in the investigation. 1A

Independent variable = ..........................................................................................................

Dependent variable. = ..........................................................................................................

(c) State two variables that would need to be controlled to ensure that the experiment was a
fair trial. 1A

Variable 1 = ........................................................................................................................

Variable 2 = ........................................................................................................................

(d) How could you increase the reliability of the results? Justify your answer. 2A

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 (e) Suggest one change in the method that could have increased the validity of the investigation.
Justify your answer. 2A

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Question 25 (5 marks) 5K

Explain, using specific examples, the difference between co-dominance and incomplete
dominance.

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Question 26 (3 marks) 3A

Traditionally, banana plants in Australia have been propagated asexually by cutting out
and planting suckers from the adult plants being grown on the banana plantation. However,
there is a growing trend to produce disease-free plants in laboratories through a process of
cloning from disease-free tissues from a small selection of banana plants.
Assess the potential impact of the widespread use of such cloning processes on the genetic
diversity of banana plants in Australia.

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Question 27 (6 marks)

During your Biology course you conducted practical investigations to predict variations in the
genotype of offspring by modelling meiosis, including the crossing over of homologous
chromosomes. The following diagram shows one possible model of crossing over.

i) Evaluate the above model’s ability to present scientific information about variation in the
genotype of offspring due to crossing over. 4K

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ii) Name two other processes that occur during meiosis that would could be modelled in
order to predict variations in the genotype of offspring. 2K

Process 1 = ..........................................................................................................

Process 2 = .........................................................................................................

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Question 28 (6 marks)

In rose plants, the length of the stems is determined by a single gene. Individual plants can
grow either long stems or short stems. A rose grower crossed two long-stem plants and
grew the seeds to mature plants. She noticed that, of 120 plants, 33 had short stems.

(a) Explain, using appropriate symbols, the pattern of inheritance shown in this example.
Show your working. 3K

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(b) If one of the original long-stem plants was crossed with one of the new short-stem
plants, what proportion of the next generation of plants would have long stems? Show
your working. 3K

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Question 29 (5 marks) 5K

After an individual is exposed to a microbial infection the body’s defence system increases its
activities.

The following graph summarises the timeline of the level of those activities.

Interpret the information from the graph above and explain why the different measures of
protection are effective over different time periods.

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Question 30 (6 marks)

The following figure shows all the possible genotypes that can result from crossing two
parents, both of whom have the genotype BbEe. This is called a “dihybrid cross”. In this
example, there are two different alleles for the eye colour gene: the E allele for red eye
colour, and the e allele for brown eye colour. There are two different alleles for the body
colour gene: the B allele for brown body colour and the b allele for black body colour.

Figure: Crossing two parents with genotype BbEe

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(a) Explain how the results of the dihybrid cross shown in the Figure could be used to explain
Mendel’s principal of independent assortment which states that “the alleles of two (or more)
different genes get sorted into gametes independently of one another”. 4A

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(b) What would be the possible genotypes that can result from crossing two parents, both
of whom have the genotype BbEe, if the alleles are not sorted independently?
Complete the Punnett Square below to help you answer this question. 2A

BE be

BE

be

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Question 31 (8 marks)

The map below shows the worldwide distribution of malaria. Malaria is present in those areas that
are shaded.

(a) Describe the distribution of malaria. 3K

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(b) Unlike malaria, the disease tetanus, caused by a toxin made by spores of the 5K
bacterium, Clostridium tetanibacterium, occurs throughout the world.
Explain why an infectious disease, such as tetanus, is much more widely
distributed than malaria.

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Question 32 (8 marks)

Jai was snowboarding in Japan when he was caught in an avalanche. He was partially buried in the
snow and it took several hours to find him. Luckily he was relatively unhurt but, when found, was
suffering from the early stages of hypothermia. Below is a negative feedback model showing the
physiological responses to hypothermia.

(a) Complete the feedback loop below by writing the appropriate word/s in the spaces 3K
provided.

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(b) Several days after Jai was caught in the avalanche, he developed a cold, with a runny nose and
sore throat. His friends said Jai had become sick because he was in a cold environment. Using
your knowledge of infectious diseases and the immune response, explain how being in a cold
environment would not have been the cause of Jai’s infection, runny nose and sore throat. 5K

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Question 33 (7 marks)

Figure 1 shows a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP). SNPs are DNA sequence variations that occur when
a single nucleotide differs from a reference DNA sequence. For example, a SNP may replace the nucleotide
cytosine (C) with the nucleotide thymine (T) in a certain stretch of DNA. SNPS are the most common type of
genetic variation in humans.
Figure 2 shows that SNPs can be analysed in large groups of humans.
Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) search the human genome for SNPs that occur more frequently
in people with a particular disease (cases) than in people without the disease (controls). Each person gives a
sample of DNA. If a SNP is more frequent in people with the disease, the SNP is said to be associated with
the disease. The associated SNPs are then considered to mark a region of the human genome that may
influence the risk of disease.
Figure 3 shows a “Manhattan plot”. The plot depicts several strongly associated risk loci (locus = location of a
gene on a chromosome) for small blood vessels in the eye. Each dot on the plot represents a SNP, with the X-
axis showing the SNP’s location in the genome and the Y-axis showing the SNP’s association level for small
blood vessels in the eye. The strongest associations have the smallest probability value (P- values) and their
negative logarithms will be the greatest e.g. P-value 10−15 has a negative logarithm of 15.

Figure 1: A SNP replaces the nucleotide cytosine (C) with the nucleotide thymine (T) in a certain stretch of DNA

Figure 2: SNPs can be analysed in large groups of humans

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Figure 3: A “Manhattan plot” depicting several strongly associated risk loci for small blood vessels in the
eye.

a) Construct a graph of the data shown in Figure 2. 3A

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b) Use the information in Figure 3 to justify the statement “The use of SNPs was able to
show that particular components of the human genome show larger risk associations for
small blood vessels in the eye.” 4A

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END OF PAPER

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