Cambridge International AS & A Level

* 4 3 6 4 9 4 3 7 2 7 *

BIOLOGY 9700/23
Paper 2 AS Level Structured Questions October/November 2022

1 hour 15 minutes

You must answer on the question paper.

No additional materials are needed.

INSTRUCTIONS
● Answer all questions.
● Use a black or dark blue pen. You may use an HB pencil for any diagrams or graphs.
● Write your name, centre number and candidate number in the boxes at the top of the page.
● Write your answer to each question in the space provided.
● Do not use an erasable pen or correction fluid.
● Do not write on any bar codes.
● You may use a calculator.
● You should show all your working and use appropriate units.

INFORMATION
● The total mark for this paper is 60.
● The number of marks for each question or part question is shown in brackets [ ].

This document has 16 pages. Any blank pages are indicated.

DC (PQ/SG) 306205/2
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1 (a) During translation, a polypeptide is synthesised when amino acids are added to a growing
chain of amino acids.

Fig. 1.1 shows part of a growing chain of amino acids and the amino acid cysteine.

cysteine
SH
chain of amino acids
CH2
O H O
.......................... C + N C C
OH H H OH

.......................... C

Fig. 1.1

(i) Complete Fig. 1.1 by showing the formation of the bond between cysteine and the
growing chain of amino acids in the process of translation. [3]

(ii) State the name of the covalent bond that forms when cysteine is added to the growing
chain of amino acids.

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(iii) State the organelle where the reaction shown in Fig. 1.1 takes place.

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(b) Fig. 1.2 is a ribbon diagram showing the three-dimensional structure of a protein from the
bacterium Streptococcus.

Fig. 1.2

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(i) Describe the secondary structure of the protein shown in Fig. 1.2.

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(ii) Explain why the protein shown in Fig. 1.2 has tertiary structure, but not
quaternary structure.

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(iii) An analysis of the amino acid composition of the protein in Fig. 1.2 showed that it does
not contain any cysteine residues.

Explain how the three-dimensional structure of the protein shown in Fig. 1.2 is held
in place.

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[Total: 12]

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2 Fig. 2.1 is a scanning electron micrograph showing a macrophage engulfing some bacteria.

Fig. 2.1

(a) (i) Describe how macrophages engulf bacteria.

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(ii) Explain the functions of lysosomes in cells such as macrophages.

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Question 2 continues on page 6.

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(b) Fig. 2.2 shows the reported number of new cases of tuberculosis (TB) in the USA and the
number of new cases per 100 000 of the population of the USA between 1993 and 2018.

Key
number of new cases
30 000 number of new cases 12
25 000 per 100 000 population 10
20 000 8 number of
number of new cases
15 000 6
new cases per 100 000
10 000 4 population
5000 2
0 0
1993 1998 2003 2008 2013 2018
year

Fig. 2.2

(i) Calculate the percentage change in the number of new cases of TB in the USA between
1993 and 2018.

Show all your working.

answer ..................................................... % [3]

(ii) Use Fig. 2.2 to describe the trend in the number of new cases of TB in the USA between
1993 and 2018.

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(c) Suggest an advantage of calculating the number of new cases per 100 000 each year in the
prevention and control of TB across the world.

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(d) TB is endemic (always present) in many populations across the world and many countries
have high numbers of cases.

State two reasons why it is difficult to reduce the number of cases of TB across the world.

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[Total: 14]

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3 (a) Explain how water moves up xylem vessels in the trunks of trees.

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(b) Cavitation is the formation of air-filled spaces inside the columns of water in xylem vessels
in trees. These air-filled spaces form more often when there are high rates of movement of
water in xylem vessels.

When an air-filled space forms in a xylem vessel, a noise is made that can be detected as a
‘click’ by a sensor placed close to the xylem vessels in the trunk of a tree.

Students investigated the relationship between two environmental factors and the rate of
cavitation in a Scots pine tree, Pinus sylvestris, over a 50-hour period. The two factors they
investigated were:

• photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), which is the light energy available to plants
that they absorb and use in photosynthesis

• wind speed.

The cavitation rate was estimated by recording the number of clicks detected by the sensor.
The results are shown in Fig. 3.1.

Suggest the conclusions that can be made with reference to the data in Fig. 3.1.

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[Total: 7]

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1600

1400

1200

1000
PAR
/ μmol m–2 s–1 800
600

400

200

12:00 24:00 12:00 24:00 12:00

3.5

3.0

2.5

wind speed 2.0

/ m s–1
1.5

1.0

0.5

0.0

12:00 24:00 12:00 24:00 12:00

70

60

50
cavitation rate
/ number of 40
clicks per
minute 30

20

10

12:00 24:00 12:00 24:00 12:00

time of day
Fig. 3.1
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4 The early development of an animal involves divisions of the zygote and daughter cells by mitosis
to form an embryo consisting of genetically identical cells.

Fig. 4.1 shows several cells at various stages of the cell cycle in an embryo of whitefish,
Coregonus artedi.

C A

magnification ×1200
microtubules

Fig. 4.1

(a) (i) Name the stage of mitosis in cell A and in cell B, shown in Fig. 4.1.

A ........................................................................................................................................

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

(ii) Fig. 4.1 shows microtubules in the cells that are dividing.

Describe the role of microtubules in mitosis.

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(iii) State what happens in cell C, shown in Fig. 4.1, until two new cells are formed.

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(b) The cells produced in the developing whitefish are genetically identical.

Identify and explain two events that occur during the cell cycle that lead to daughter cells
being genetically identical.

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[Total: 11]

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5 Cathelicidin LL-37 is a cell signalling compound that stimulates many different cells in humans.
One role of cathelicidin LL-37 is stimulating the production of endothelial cells in the formation of
capillaries during wound healing.

(a) (i) Explain how it is possible for many different cell types to respond to the same cell
signalling compound.

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(ii) Describe the appearance of the endothelial cells of a capillary.

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Cathelicidin LL-37 is a protein composed of 37 amino acids.

Table 5.1 shows:

• the sequence of the first 10 amino acids in the primary structure of cathelicidin LL-37

• DNA triplets in the non-transcribed strand in the gene that codes for the first 10 amino acids
in the primary structure of cathelicidin LL-37.

Table 5.1

amino 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
acid
position
amino leu leu gly asp phe phe arg lys ser lys
acid
DNA CTG CTG GGT GAT TTC TTC CGG AAA TCT AAA
triplet

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Table 5.2 shows the triplets of bases in DNA and the amino acids for which they code.

Table 5.2

second base
T C A G
TTT TCT TAT TGT T
phe tyr cys
TTC TCC TAC TGC C
T ser
TTA TCA TAA TGA stop A
leu stop
TTG TCG TAG TGG try G
CTT CCT CAT CGT T
his
CTC CCC CAC CGC C
C leu pro arg

third base
first base

CTA CCA CAA CGA A

gln
CTG CCG CAG CGG G
ATT ACT AAT AGT T
ile asp ser
ATC ACC AAC AGC C
A thr
ATA ile ACA AAA AGA A
lys arg
ATG met ACG AAG AGG G
GTT GCT GAT GGT T
asp
GTC GCC GAC GGC C
G val ala gly
GTA GCA GAA GGA A
glu
GTG GCG GAG GGG G

(b) Mutations of DNA base sequences in a gene can affect the primary structure of proteins.

Use the information in Table 5.1 and Table 5.2 to suggest the effect on the primary structure
of cathelicidin LL-37 of:

(i) the substitution of the base T with the base A in the middle of the triplet at position 5

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(ii) the deletion of base T in the triplet at position 2

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(iii) the insertion of base G between bases G and T in the triplet at position 3.

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(c) The genetic code is described as universal.

Explain why the genetic code is described as universal.

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(d) Use Table 5.2 to explain why some mutations have no effect on the primary structure of
a protein.

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[Total: 12]

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6 Fig. 6.1 shows some of the events that occur when a red blood cell flows through a capillary in
the lungs.

Cl –
HCO3–
CO2 carbonic
anhydrase
CO2 + H2O H2CO3 HCO3– + H+ plasma

X + O2 HbO2 + H+

O2 red blood cell

Fig. 6.1

(a) State why there are transport proteins in the membranes of red blood cells to allow the
movement of hydrogencarbonate ions (HCO3–) and chloride ions (Cl –).

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(b) Fig. 6.1 shows that chloride ions move out of the red blood cells.

Explain why this movement is necessary when red blood cells flow through capillaries in
the lungs.

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(c) State why carbon dioxide molecules diffuse from the red blood cells into the plasma.

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(d) State the name of the compound indicated by X.

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[Total: 4]
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