Extra Questions – Plant Biology – Marks Scheme

Lesson 1 – Reactions in plants

1. Plant cells and animal cells share several organelles (cell structures) in common with each other;
three examples are: (1 mark)
Nucleus, cell membrane, cytoplasm, ribosomes, mitochondria
1 mark for three correct
2. State the function of the cell wall (1 mark)
helps to keep the cell rigid
Accept: to protect the cell

3. Ribosomes are the where protein synthesis occurs (1 mark)

4. The vacuole is a large sac that takes up most of the plant cell. Describe its function (2 marks)
stores water, sap and nutrients
Regulates water balances in cell
1 mark for each of the above
5. Define the mitochondria (1 mark)
the site of respiration reactions where energy is released to the cell
do not accept: the powerhouse of the cell

6. Explain why a leaf palisade cell is green in colour and a root hair cell is not (2 marks)
The palisade cell has chloroplasts containing chlorophyll which absorb energy from the sun to
photosynthesise.
The root hair cells do not contain chloroplasts as the are not needed to photosynthesise.
1 mark for each of the above
7. State the word equation for photosynthesis (3 marks)

Carbon dioxide + water  sugar + oxygen

Allow: light and chlorophyll written above or below arrow (but do not allow if written as a
reactant or product)
One mark for reactants, one mark for products, one mark for 
Lose a mark for =

8. State the word equation for respiration (3 marks)

sugar + oxygen  carbon dioxide + water

One mark for reactants, one mark for products, one mark for 
Lose a mark for =
9. Compare the equation for photosynthesis and respiration (2 marks)
They have the same substances
 The products and reactants are flipped

10. Explain the difference between aerobic and anaerobic respiration (2 marks)
Aerobic respiration occurs when oxygen is available
Anaerobic respiration occurs when oxygen in not available
One mark for each of the above
11. Describe the role of photosynthesis (1 mark)
A chemical reaction that allows the plant to make its own food

12. Correct these sentences:

a. The role of light in photosynthesis is to provide sugar for the reaction (1 mark)
The role of light in photosynthesis is to provide energy for the reaction
b. Chlorophyll is a chemical that transmits light energy, they are found in mitochondria (2
marks)
Chlorophyll is a chemical that absorbs (traps) light energy, they are found in
chloroplasts
c. The rate of photosynthesis is the frequency of the reaction in a certain location (2
marks)
The rate of photosynthesis is the speed of the reaction in a certain time
1 mark for each correction
d. The rate of reaction can be measured by the amount of carbon dioxide produced in a
certain time (1 marks)
The rate of reaction can be measured by the volume of oxygen produced in a certain
time
1 mark for each correction

13. All living organisms need energy and must respire. Cross out which of the following that are not
life processes (1 mark)
a. Response, Nutrition, Regulation, Excretion, Reproduction, Sensitivity, Development,
Respiration, Movement, Growth, Photosynthesis, Transportation
Response, Regulation, Development, Photosynthesis, Transportation
1 mark for all correct

14. If there is a shortage of raw materials, how will this affect photosynthesis? (1 mark)
It will slow down

15. Plants produce more oxygen in the day and more carbon dioxide at night, explain this
observation (4 marks)
a. Photosynthesis reactions require light, which is only available in the day
b. Respiration does not require light, and happens at all time
c. More photosynthesis is happening than respiration and produces more oxygen than
carbon dioxide in the day by volume.
d. At night, photosynthesis stops, and so no oxygen is produced. Carbon dioxide becomes
the largest gas produced by volume.
 One mark for a similar point to each of the above, in any order

16. Challenge: Draw a graph that shows the difference in the production of photosynthesis and
respiration against time (3 marks)

Allow graph that looks similar to above, showing photosynthesis only active in the day (ignore shaded
area)

1 mark for photosynthesis line

1 mark for respiration line (accept line that is flat and not curved)

1 mark for example of time

17. Describe how glucose produced in photosynthesis and not stored as starch is used in the plant
(1 mark)
Glucose is transported to all parts of the plant to be used in cell respiration reaction

18. Suggest how waterlogged (too much water) soil can kill a plant (1 mark)
The water reduces the ability of the plant to get oxygen from the soil and it will die

19. Write the chemical equation for photosynthesis, the molecular formula for glucose is C 6H12O6 (3
mark)

CO2 + H2O  C6H12O6 + O2

1 mark for correct reactants, 1 mark correct products and 1 mark for 
20. Challenge: Write a balanced chemical equation for photosynthesis, remember the molecular
formula for glucose is C6H12O6 (3 marks)

6CO2 + 6H2O  C6H12O6 + 6O2

 1 mark for correct reactants, 1 mark correct products and 1 mark for 

Lesson 2 – Measuring Photosynthesis

21. A student completes an experiment with pondweed to measure the rate of photosynthesis,
describe how they could measure the amount of oxygen produced by pondweed. (1 mark)
Count the number of bubbles produced

22. Draw and label a diagram to show the apparatus (equipment) used to measure the rate of
photosynthesis in pondweed (2 marks)

One mark for correct diagram

One mark for correct labels
23. Explain how you could change this apparatus to measure how the intensity of light effects
photosynthesis (3 marks)
Place the light 10cm away and count the number of bubbles produced in a certain time
Repeat this at different distances
Plot your results onto a graph
1 mark for each of the above

24. Explain how you could change this apparatus to measure how the carbon dioxide concentration
effects photosynthesis? (3 marks)
Increase the amount of dissolved carbon dioxide in the water and count the number of bubbles
produced in a certain time
Repeat this at different concentrations
Plot your results on a graph
1 mark for each of the above
 25. Predict the rate of photosynthesis if the light intensity was set to 0 lux. Explain your answer.
Note that lux is the unit of measurement for light. (2 marks)
No bubbles will be produced
because no photosynthesis reactions are happening as no light is available
1 mark for each of the above

Lesson 3 – Limiting Factors

26. State the limiting factors of photosynthesis (1 mark)
Light
Carbon dioxide
Temperature
1 mark for all three correct
27. Explain why water is not usually considered a limiting factor (1 mark)
there is usually enough water available for the react, and the reaction on uses very small
amounts

28. Explain why chlorophyll is not usually considered a limiting factor (1 mark)
The amount of chlorophyll doesn’t change in a leaf

29. Draw the graph for the rate of photosynthesis against Light intensity (2 marks)

One mark for shape

One mark for correctly labelled axes
30. Describe how the graph shape for rate of photosynthesis reaction against carbon dioxide would
compare to the above (1 mark)
It would be the same shape

31. For your graph drawn in question 29, explain its shape at the beginning and then at the end (2
marks)
At the beginning, light intensity is a limiting factor
At the end, another factor must be limiting the reaction.
 One mark for each of the above
32. Challenge: The graph below shows the rate of photosynthesis reaction against temperature.
Explain the shape of the graph after the optimum temperature. Use the keywords: enzyme,
denature, catalyse (4 marks)

After the optimum temperature, the plant is damaged by the heat

At high temperatures the bonds in enzymes are broken and they denature
This changes the shape of the enzyme so that it can no longer catalyse reactions
The plant will die as it will not be able to make food.
1 mark for each step above – must include the keyword for mark

Lesson 4 – Plant Adaptations

33. Describe how water and mineral salts are absorbed and moved around a plant (2 marks)
Water and mineral salts are absorbed through the roots
Water and mineral salts are moved up the xylem to the top of the plant

34. Compare the function of the xylem and the phloem (2 marks)
Xylem - Transport of water and minerals from the roots to the leaves
Phloem - Transport of glucose, oxygen and water to all parts of the plant for respiration

35. Roots are an example of an organ. This is when lots of tissues work together to perform a
function (1 mark)

36. Explain how the adaptations of roots (not root hair cells) are adapted to their function (1 mark)
They have a large surface area and are spread out to allow them to absorb more water and
mineral salts
 37. A variegated leaf is one with parts that are green and white. Explain how this effects
photosynthesis (1 mark)
It reduces photosynthesis as the leaf can only photosynthesis in the green parts where
chlorophyll is present

38. Suggest what has caused variegation in leaves (1 mark)

A genetic mutation or a virus
It has been emphasized by selective breeding

39. Explain how water exits a leaf during transpiration (3 marks)

water vapour leaves due to evaporation (transpiration)
The vapour diffuses out of the stomata
Water loss from the leaf pulls water up the xylem in the stem

40. Explain how a plant can regulate (control) water loss (2 marks)
the plant can lose water due to transpiration and dry soil
The guard cells surrounding stomata will open and close to reduce the amount of water lost by
diffusion

41. Compare a turgid plant with a wilted plant (2 marks)

A turgid plant is one that has enough water, it has enough water in its cells to support its shape
and structure
A wilted plant has lost more water than it has absorbed through its roots, all the cells are flaccid
(soft) and provide no support to the stem or leaves

42. For the descriptions below, name the part of the leaf (4 marks)
a. Elongated cells that contain lots of chlorophyll – palisade cells
b. Waxy layer on top of the upper epidermis – cuticle
c. Controls stomata opening and closing – guard cells
d. Clusters of xylem and phloem – veins
One mark for each correct word

Lesson 5 – Measuring Transpiration

43. In an experiment to measure the amount of transpiration through the leaves of different plants,
a scientist places plastic over the pot and soil. Identify the independent, dependent and a
control variable (3 marks)
the independent variable is the different plants
The dependent variable is the amount of transpiration
The control is the evaporation through the soil

44. Explain why the scientist placed a bag over the soil (1 mark)
Evaporation through the soil is a variable that needs to be controlled to keep the test valid

45. Transpiration is the loss of water through a plants leaves by evaporation. State the quantity that
the scientist will measure to find out the amount of transpiration. (1 mark)
 The decrease in mass

46. Describe how to measure rate of this transpiration (1 mark)

measure the decrease in mass in a certain amount of time
Accept a given unit of time such as an hour, or day
Do not accept per second, per minute as these are too small

47. 5 plants are used in the scientists experiments. Each is the same species and variety, but are
different sizes. Explain how this will effect their results (1 mark)
The larger plants will have a larger loss in mass because they have larger surface areas to lose
water through transpiration

48. Instead of comparing the loss in mass (g), the scientist will use % loss in mass. How does this
effect the accuracy of results (1 mark)
increases

49. Write the equation that links loss in mass and starting mass, to calculate %loss in mass (1 mark)
loss∈mass(g)
x 100
starting mass (g)
Answer must include ‘x100’ to make a percentage

50. The starting mass of a plant A is 50g and the loss in mass is 4 grams. Calculate the percentage
loss of mass (2 mark)

loss∈mass(g)
Use equation x 100
starting mass (g)
4(g)
x 100 = 8%
50(g)
One mark for correct substitution, one mark for correct answer with units

51. The starting mass of plant B is 0.1kg and the ending mass of the plant is 95g. Calculate the
percentage loss of mass (3 marks)

loss∈mass(g)
Use equation x 100
starting mass (g)
Conversion of 0.1kg to 100g

100g – 95g = 5g loss in mass

5(g)
x 100 = 5%
100( g)
One mark for correct conversion, one mark for correct substitution, one mark for correct answer with
units
 52. Compare you answers for plant A and B above. Which lost the greater mass, and which lost the
greater %mass (2 marks)
Plant B lost the most mass
Plant A lost has the greatest %mass loss

53. How would an increased temperature effect the % mass loss? (1 mark)
Increase

Lesson 6 – Plant Products

54. Link the substance to what they are made of, what they make up and what they are used in (3
marks)

One mark for each colour correct

55. State where cellulose is used in a plant (1 mark)
plant cell walls
 56. Glucose is a monomer, plants store glucose by connecting monomers of starch into a long chain
called a polymer. State the name of the polymer of glucose. (1 mark)
Starch

57. State the process that describes the early growth of a plant seed after water is added but before
it can photosynthesize (1 mark)
Germination

58. A seed will lie dormant for a period of time before it grows. Enzymes will only begin to digest the
food store after water is added. (1 mark)

59. Seeds need enough resources in storage to allow the plant to grow its own leaves. State two
resources within this energy store (1 mark)
Starch, protein, fats
one mark for any two of the above

Lesson 7 – Testing for Plant Products

60. Plants contain lots of glucose, starch, protein and lipids. State the chemical indicator used for
each and what the positive result looks like. (4 marks)
a. Glucose – Benedictine solution – blue to green/yellow/red
b. Starch – iodine solution – orange to black-blue
c. Protein – biuret solution – light blue to purple
d. Lipids – ethanol – transparent to cloudy
One mark for each correct above

Lesson 8 – Growing Crops

61. Enzymes are catalysts, what does this mean? (2 marks)
They speed up chemical reactions
but do not get used up in the process

62. A farmer is experimenting with his crop. He wants to produce a super crop plant. State two
features it should have (2 marks)
Any two from:
Long roots, strong stem, lots of pollen, large, broad leaves, bright flowers, lots of nectar,
resistant to pests, large fruit/seeds
allow any sensible suggestion

63. Farmers want to get as much useful product (yield) from their crop as possible. Describe at least
two ways they can do this (2 marks)
Any two from:
using fertilisers to provide more minerals for plant growth
Using pesticides to kill pests that damage crops
using herbicides to kill weeds that compete with the crops
 Using fungicides to kill fungi that can damage crops
Using insecticides to kill insects that damage crops
Producing new plant varieties that have improved characteristics
Use machines to help plant and harvest crops
Use greenhouses to improve conditions for crops
Any sensible suggestion, one mark each

64. Describe the role of decomposers (1 mark)

microorganisms that break down waste into reusable minerals and fertilisers

65. State the main minerals present in fertilisers (1 mark)

Nitrogen, Phosphorus, potassium

66. Describe the role of each of these fertiliser mineral salts (3 marks)
Potassium to help absorb water
Nitrates to make proteins for cell growth
Phosphorus is used for cell processes and growth of the plant

67. Plants low on magnesium are yellow in colour, explain what this means for the role of
magnesium in plants (2 marks)
magnesium is used to make chlorophyll in plants.
Chlorophyll is green and plants low on magnesium are yellow, meaning they are low on
chlorophyll

68. Most fertilisers contain many mineral salts, why would a farmer need to use mineral salt
fertilisers after using their farm multiple times (3 marks)
as plants are harvested, decomposers do not recycle minerals back into the ground
The soil becomes nutrient deficient
If the fertiliser was not used, then the next crop would struggle to grow

69. Provide one reason why farmers need to increase yield since the industrial revolution (1 mark)
large population growth

70. Some crops are grown for biofuels such as wood. These are made into liquids or gases used
mostly in transport industries. They are an alternative to fossil fuels. They are a renewable
source of energy, meaning they won’t run out. They are useful in that they do not contribute to
additional carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. They are less useful in that they take up land
that could be used for food production. (2 marks)

1 mark for each 3 correct

Lesson 9 – New Plant Varieties
71. Explain the difference between a plant variety and a plant species (2 marks)
Species are organism that can breed and reproduce to create fertile offspring
varieties are different forms within a species

72. Breeding plant varieties together to hopefully get a breed that has desirable characteristics is
called… (1 mark)
cross breeding

73. A red, nutritious, large tomato is bred with an orange, poorly-nutritious and small tomato. State
one of the cross breeds (1 mark)
one of the following
red, nutritious, small
red, poorly nutritious, small
red, poorly nutritious, large
orange, nutritious, small
orange, nutritious, large

Lesson 10 – Selective Breeding

74. Selective breeding is the development of desirable characteristics in an organism by careful
selection of individuals for breeding. Recall the four main steps to selective breeding. (3 marks)
Decide what characteristic is important
Choose two parent plants that show this characteristic and breed them together
Select offspring that show this characteristic and breed them together
Repeat for many generations

75. Dog breeds have been selectively bred for many hundreds of years. Describe one example of an
advantage and a disadvantage of the selective breeding of dogs. (2 marks)
one advantage is the breeding of some dogs to be strong and fast
one disadvantage is the breeding of dogs with hip or joint problems
accept any combination of answers that are sensible

76. Selective breeding of farmyard animals can be done for a variety of reasons. Explain how a
farmer can selectively breed a cow that produces lots of milk (3 marks)
A parent that produces lots of milk is chosen and bred
The offspring that produces lots of milk is bred
This is repeated until all offspring produce lots of milk

77. Explain how selective breeding can lead to the introduction of less desirable characteristics with
an example (2 marks)
As animals are bred together to produce offspring with desirable characteristics, however there
is also a chance of introducing genetic diseases to the offspring.
For example, sheepdogs are more likely to develop cataracts.
 One mark for each of the above
Any sensible example can be given

78. The brussels sprout, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale leaf, and kohlrabi are all plants that
originate from the wild mustard, this makes them the same species. Evaluate this statement. (3
marks)
The plants are all the same species because they can breed and reproduce to create fertile
offspring
They are different varieties of the mustard plant
They have been selectively bred to exaggerate different desired characteristics

79. A farmer has used selective breeding to produce a better yield of crop. However, one day her
entire crop is killed by a virus. Explain why all of her crop was destroyed and suggest how she
could prevent this in future (4 marks)
Due to selective breeding all of her crop had similar genetics
This meant they were all susceptible to the virus and died
To prevent this in future she should select plants that have disease resistance and bred these
together
The new crop will be more likely to survive a virus
One mark for each of the above

Lesson 11 – Farming Problems

80. Outline the difference between leaching and run off (2 marks)
Leaching is when flow is through the ground
Run off is when flow is over the ground

81. Draw a labelled diagram that illustrates eutrophication (3marks)

should be similar to the above

1 mark for correct drawing
1 mark for labels
1 mark for correct arrows and labels for leaching and run off
 82. Explain your diagram (5 marks)
Excess fertiliser leaches or is washed as run off into water bodeis
Extra minerals cause algae to grow and cover the water surface
Algae blocks sunlight, killing the algae and other plants
Decomposer bacteria breakdown the dead organisms and use up lots of oxygen
This reduces the amount of oxygen in the water suffocating other plants and animals

83. Some pesticides are persistent (do not break down in the environment). Using the words
bioaccumulation and biomagnification, link the use of some pesticides to potentially diseases in
humans who eat lots fish. (4 marks)
1. pesticides are used on farms to kill small pests
2. Pesticides are washed into water bodies and enter the food chain
3. The pesticide is persistent and does not break down
4. Smaller fish or organisms take in small amounts of the pesticide
5. Larger organisms feed on lots of smaller organisms
6. Up the food chain the amount of the pesticide increases, this is called biomagnification
7. At the top of the food chain, humans collect large amounts of the pesticide, this is called
bioaccumulation
Students answer should be similar to the above
Biomagnification and bioaccumulation must be used correctly
3 marks for 5+ of the steps above
1 mark for clarity

84. Farming is problematic because it effects the carbon cycle. Identify two examples and how they
increase the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere (2 marks)
Deforestation – reduces the amount of CO2 uptake from the atmosphere
Fertiliser production – increases the amount of CO2 emission into the atmosphere
Animal or plant respiration – increases the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere
Use of machinery – increases CO2 emission into the atmosphere
Accept any sensible suggestion

85. Describe an effect of increased carbon dioxide into the atmosphere (1 mark)
Advanced global warming leading to any of the following:
increase likelihood of disease
Food shortages and famine
Reduction in arable crop land
Increasing global temperature
Melting ice and rising sea levels
Displaced population
Extreme weather events

Lesson 12 – Organic Farming

86. Describe the difference between organic farming and regular farming (1 mark)
Organic farming does not use synthetic fertilisers
 87. Suggest a reason why organic farming is more expensive than regular farming (1 mark)
Harder supply for organic fertilisers
Greater labour costs
Strict regulations and laws
Crop rotation
Smaller yields
Accept any sensible suggestion

88. A regular farmer uses a pesticide to protect their crop, suggest what an organic farmer might do
as an alternative. (1 mark)
Use a biological control by introducing natural predators to the pests

89. During crop rotation, after farmers have harvested a crop, they will plant clover on the field
which increases the number of nitrates in the soil. What is clover an example of here? (1 mark)
A natural fertiliser

90. The public often believe that organic foods are healthier to eat, however there is little evidence
to prove this. Suggest another reason why eating organic foods would be beneficial (1 mark)
reduces the amount of damage to the environment from farming

Extra – Working Scientifically

91. Fill in the gaps using the keywords below. You may use each word as many times as shown. (4
marks)

accuracy x3 reliable x1 reliability x2 error x4

Accuracy is how close the results are to a true or expected result. It can be improved by controlling all
variables. If the experiment is completed multiple times and the same result is obtained each time, then
the experiment is reliable. Taking an average will improve the accuracy. All sources of error will reduce
accuracy however not always reliability. For example, systematic error, such as uncalibrated equipment
will not change in each experiment, so all the results will have the same amount or error and will be the
same each time. Human error however will vary in each experiment and so will effect the reliability as
each result will be different.
1 mark for each word used in each place correctly

92. Explain what is meant by validity (1 mark)

Validity refers to whether or not the intended quantity was measured

93. Define clarity (1 mark)

writing is clear and easy to read

94. Define emphasis (1 mark)

the main point is obvious

95. Sometimes graphs can be biased, look at the graph below

 a. Explain what they graph is showing (1 mark)
That there is a correlation between the amount of cheese eaten and the number of
people who dies by being tangled in their bed sheets

b. Suggest how this graph is biased in its argument (1 mark)

the two pieces of data are correlated but they are not linked by cause and effect

96. Describe how bias can be accidental (1 mark)

The equipment used to measure had systematic error
The sample data was selected and not random
The scientist only chose areas of interest or areas they would expect to find the answer they are
looking for