(c) A student investigated how changing the pH affected the activity of pepsin.

• He used a blender to make a suspension of egg white (protein) in water.

• At the start of the investigation the suspension was cloudy.

• He prepared fixed concentrations of egg white suspension, acid and pepsin to add
to each of six test-tubes.

• He removed 0.1 cm3 of the mixture from each test-tube and used universal indicator
to measure the pH of each mixture.

• He incubated each test-tube in a water bath at 35 °C and timed how long it took for
the egg white suspension in each tube to clear.

• He prepared a table in which he recorded his results (Table 1.1).

Volume of Volume of Amount Time for

Measured
Tube egg white acid added of pepsin suspension to
pH
suspension (cm3) added (cm3) clear (m)

1 5 2.0 3.0 1

2 5 1.5 3.0 2

3 5 1.0 3.0 3

4 5 0.5 3.0 4

5 5 0.0 3.0 5

6 5 2.0 0.0 1

Table 1.1

(i) Identify three errors the student made in the preparation of his table before he recorded
his results.

1 .......................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

2 .......................................................................................................................................

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3 .......................................................................................................................................

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[3]
(ii) Identify a change the student could make to his procedure that would increase the
validity of the investigation.

...........................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

(iii) State the term that best describes the purpose of tube 6.

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

(iv) Another student suggested that he should repeat the investigation at least twice.

How would this have improved the investigation?

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [2]
(d) Fig. 1.1 shows the effect of increasing the substrate concentration on the rate of activity of
pepsin.

100

Rate of
enzyme 50
activity
(arbitrary units)

0
0 10
Substrate concentration
(arbitrary units)

Fig. 1.1

(i) Pepstatin is a competitive inhibitor of pepsin.

On Fig. 1.1, draw a line to represent the effect of adding a fixed concentration of pepstatin
on the rate of pepsin activity over the whole range of substrate concentrations.

..................................... This should be answered on Fig. 1.1 ..................................... [2]

(ii) Pepstatin acts as a competitive inhibitor of pepsin.

What can you conclude about the structure of pepstatin?

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [2]

[Total: 19]
2 Lipids are a group of fatty or waxy compounds.

Triglyceride, phospholipid and cholesterol are examples of lipid compounds that are impoirtant in
living organisms.

(a) Table 7.1 lists a number of statements that could apply to these compounds.

Complete the table by indicating with a tick (..-') which of the compounds applies tio each
statement.

You may use more than one tick in a row.

Statement Triglyceride Phospholipid Cholesterol

Contains only the elements carbon,
hydrogen and oxygen

Insoluble in water

Contains glycerol

Contains ester bonds

Important in membrane structure

Contains fatty acids

[6]

Table 7.1

(b) Describe how to do the emulsion test for lipids and how a positive result would be identified.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................. [2]
(b) Hydrogen bonds also form between water molecules.

(i) Describe the formation of a hydrogen bond between two molecules of water and explain
why water can form these bonds.

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................... [3]

(ii) Hydrogen bonds allow water to act as a solvent.

Why is the ability of water to act as a solvent important for the survival of organisms?

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................... [3]

[Total: 10]
(c) Another protein that is important in mammals is haemoglobin.

(i) State one function of haemoglobin.

...........................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

(ii) Haemoglobin contains a prosthetic group known as haem.

Collagen does not contain a prosthetic group.

Describe three other ways in which the structure of haemoglobin differs from that of
collagen.

1 ........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

2 ........................................................................................................................................

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3 ........................................................................................................................................

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[3]

[Total: 15]