Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Chapter 6
2 [224 marks]
1. [Maximum mark: 10] 22M.2.SL.TZ1.1
Three-toed sloths (Bradypus variegatus) are placental mammals that live in trees in
Central and South America. They eat leaves and fruit and get almost all their
water from succulent plants.
[Source: Adapted from Laube, S., 2003. Three-toed-sloth (Bradypus variegatus), Lake
Gatun, Republic of Panama. [image online] Available at:
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Bradipus#/media/File:Bradypus.jpg]
(a.ii) Explain how this relationship differs from that in humans. [1]
The daily food intake of three-toed sloths and daily ambient temperatures were
monitored over a 160-day period from February to early July. The graphs show
the mean results.
[Source: Cliffe et al. (2015), Sloths like it hot: ambient temperature modulates
food intake in the brown-throated sloth (Bradypus variegatus). PeerJ 3:e875; DOI
10.7717/peerj.875 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.]
(f ) The mean daily food intake fluctuated from day to day. State
the month that contains the day on which the mean intake of
food was highest. [1]
(h) Suggest, with a reason, how the activity of the sloth varies with
ambient temperature. [1]
(c) Describe the movements in ions that occur during time t. [2]
(b) Describe how leaf cells make use of light energy. [5]
(c) Explain how cells and cell components in the blood defend the
body against infectious disease. [7]
4. [Maximum mark: 12] 22M.2.SL.TZ2.1
There is growing evidence of a decrease in bee populations. This decrease is a
serious problem because of their valuable role as pollinators in the ecosystems
where they live. Neonicotinoid pesticides have been implicated in this decrease
because they have been found at trace levels in the nectar and pollen of crop
plants and in the bee colonies.
The control colonies were given a solution of water and sugar that
resembled nectar produced by flowers.
A second group of colonies was given the same sugar solution containing a
neonicotinoid dissolved in it at low concentrations, similar to those found
in nature.
A third group of colonies was given the same sugar solution containing a
neonicotinoid dissolved in it at high concentrations, similar to those found
in nature.
After two weeks, all colonies were placed in the field to allow the bumblebees to
feed naturally.
The mass of the colonies, including adult bumblebees, wax, honey and larvae,
was recorded every week. The cumulative increase in mass was calculated and is
shown on the graph.
[Source: Adapted from Whitehorn, P.R., O’Connor, S., Wackers, F.L. and Goulson, D.,
2012.
Bumble Bee Colony Growth and Queen Production. Science, [e-journal] 336(6079),
pp. 351–352.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1215025.]
(a.ii) State the cumulative increase in the mass of control colonies at
7 weeks. [1]
The number of queen bumblebees produced in each colony was recorded. New
bumblebee colonies are started by a queen.
[Source: Adapted from Whitehorn, P.R., O’Connor, S., Wackers, F.L. and Goulson, D.,
2012.
Bumble Bee Colony Growth and Queen Production. Science, [e-journal] 336(6079),
pp. 351–352.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1215025.]
(b) Using the data in the graph, predict how the use of
neonicotinoid pesticides will affect bumblebee populations. [3]
(c) Explain how blood clotting occurs and the consequence for a
person who has hemophilia. [7]
6. [Maximum mark: 6] 21M.2.SL.TZ1.3
Celiac disease is an immune reaction to eating gluten, a protein found in many
cereals. The diagram shows the arrangement of normal villi and villi affected by
celiac disease in the small intestine.
(a) Outline the functions of the villi in the small intestine. [2]
(c) Wheat, barley and rye all contain gluten. Outline how a protein
such as gluten is digested. [2]
7. [Maximum mark: 3] 21M.2.SL.TZ1.4
Squid have been used for research on nerve impulses. The mechanism of nerve
transmission in these animals is the same as that in humans. The image shows an
oscilloscope trace from a nerve impulse in a squid’s giant axon.
[squid] Pixabay.
(b) Explain the process of gas exchange taking place in the alveoli. [7]
[Source: Onwuamah CK, Ekama SO, Audu RA, Ezechi OC, Poirier MC, Odeigah
PGC (2014) Exposure of Allium cepa Root Cells to Zidovudine or Nevirapine
Induces Cytogenotoxic Changes. PLOS ONE 9(3): e90296.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0090296 (CC0 1.0 -
https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/).]
(b) Compare and contrast the effect of ZDV and NVP on the growth
of Allium roots. [2]
Both ZDV and NVP are believed to have a damaging effect on the process of
mitosis but ZDV in particular is believed to block the formation of the spindle.
[Source: Medical Images / Carolina Biological.]
(c) Based on the information, suggest with a reason which of the
labelled cell types will become more common in Allium root tips
treated with ZDV. [2]
(d) Allium root tips continue to show some growth even at high
concentrations of NVP. Suggest a possible reason for the
growth seen in root tips with 800μmol NVP. [1]
(b) Explain how amino acids in casein could reach the liver, starting
from the moment when the person takes a bite of pastry cream
pie. [7]
............% [1]
In order to grow, honeybee larvae are fed royal jelly, a high energy food with
very high acetylcholine concentrations.
(b) Explain how gases are exchanged between the air in the
alveolus and the blood in the capillaries. [3]
14. [Maximum mark: 8] 19M.2.SL.TZ1.3
The diagram shows the human heart.
(b) Explain how valves control the flow of blood through the heart. [2]
The table shows data for four African countries that were affected by the 2014–
2015 Ebola outbreak.
(a.i) Identify the country with the largest number of Ebola cases. [1]
(a.ii) Identify the country with the largest number of deaths. [1]
(b) Analysis of the data suggests that the number of deaths from
EVD is not related to the total population size. State one piece
of evidence from the data that would support this analysis. [1]
[Source: Ebola Situation Report 2 March 2016 and data from International Journal of
Infectious Diseases, 38,
Ligui Wang et al, Epidemiological features and trends of Ebola virus disease in
West Africa, 52-53.,
Copyright 2015, with permission from Elsevier]
(d) Based on the data, compare and contrast the progress of the
epidemic in Liberia and Guinea. [3]
(e) Suggest two possible reasons for the drop in the daily numbers
of newly infected cases after October 2014 in Liberia. [2]
An antiviral drug, T-705, was tested in order to establish whether it has potential
to treat EVD. The graph shows the data from an in vitro trial of T-705 on cells that
had been infected with Ebola virus five days previously. Virus concentration and
live cells are shown as percentage of the control.
[Source: Oestereich, Lisa & Rieger, Toni & Neumann, Melanie & Bernreuther,
Christian & Lehmann, Maria & Krasemann,
Susanne & Wurr, Stephanie & Emmerich, Petra & de Lamballerie, Xavier &
Ölschläger, Stephan & Günther, Stephan. (2014).
Evaluation of Antiviral Efficacy of Ribavirin, Arbidol, and T-705 (Favipiravir) in a
Mouse Model for Crimean-Congo
Hemorrhagic Fever. PLoS neglected tropical diseases. 8. e2804.
10.1371/journal.pntd.0002804.]
(f ) Based on these data, outline the evidence that T-705 has
potential to be used as a treatment for EVD. [2]
(c) Explain how plants capture and use light in photosynthesis. [7]
17. [Maximum mark: 14] 19M.2.SL.TZ2.1
Mice (Mus musculus) have various defence systems against predators such as foxes
(Vulpus vulpus) or stoats (Mustela erminea). The mice release specific alarm compounds
when under threat that serve as danger signals for other mice. Predators also
release scents that the mice can detect.
In one study, mice were exposed to paper soaked in compounds taken from
other mice, foxes or stoats in a test chamber. The scientists then measured the
reaction of three different groups of neurons used in smelling: G1, G2 and G3, as
shown in the diagram.
The percentage of G1, G2 and G3 neurons responding to the mouse, fox and
stoat compounds, as well as a control compound, are shown in the chart.
Percentage of response of neurons in mice
[Source: Julien Brechbühl, et al., (2013), PNAS, 110 (12), pages 4762–4767]
(a) State the percentage of G2 neurons in the mice that respond to
the fox scent.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .% [1]
(b) Using evidence from the chart, identify, giving a reason, which
group of neurons responded most to the chemicals. [1]
The scientists recorded the neural traces (action and resting potentials) of six G1
neurons exposed to the compounds from the different animals. The horizontal
bar beneath each trace corresponds to the time of exposure to the test
compound.
[Source: adapted from J Brechbühl, et al., (2013), PNAS, 110 (12), pages 4762–4767]
(c) State the name of the instrument used to make these traces. [1]
(d) Distinguish between the effects of the mouse alarm compound
and the effects of the control compound on the G1 neurons. [1]
Another study was carried out on the defence systems in aphids (Myzus persicae)
which feed on thale cress plants (Arabidopsis thaliana). Individual aphids release an
alarm compound containing the chemical (E)-β-farnesene (EBF) when attacked
by a predator. Other aphids are repelled and leave the thale cress plant or hide.
The gene for EBF was inserted to produce transgenic (T) thale cress plants to test
aphid reaction to EBF over several generations. Aphids were raised on wild type
(W) thale cress and then allowed to feed for three generations on either W or T
thale cress. Aphids were tested in each generation for their reaction when EBF
was added to a choice chamber. The percentages of aphids attracted to or
repelled by EBF and those which made no choice were recorded.
[Source: M De Vos, et al., (2010), PNAS, 107 (33), pages 14673–14678]
(h) Identify, with a reason, the aphids that were most strongly
repelled by EBF. [1]
(i) Outline the conclusions that can be drawn from the data in the
graph for the group of aphids fed for three generations on
transgenic thale cress plants (T). [2]