Q 1 Cholesterol is an integral component of the cell surface membrane.

Which statement about cholesterol is

correct?

A It allows ions to pass freely through the cell surface membrane.

B It has a hydrophobic head and a hydrophilic tail.

C It helps to regulate the fluidity of the cell surface membrane.

D It reduces the mechanical stability of the phospholipid bilayer.

Q 2 Which is correct for facilitated diffusion and active transport?

A both depend on the solubility of the transported molecule in the lipid bilayer

B both increase as the concentration of the transported molecule increases

C both require the use of ATP D both require the use of membrane proteins

Q 3 Which features increase the efficiency of ion uptake by a root hair cell?

1 many mitochondria in the cell 2 high concentration of ions in the vacuole

3 protein carriers in the cell surface membrane

A 1, 2 and 3 B 1 and 3 only C 2 and 3 only D 1 onl

Q 4 Which type of cell has a large number of glycoproteins on the cell surface membrane?

A ciliated cell B goblet cell C lymphocyte D red blood cell

Q 5 Batrachotoxin is a poison found in frogs in the Columbian jungle. The poison is used by Native Indians to
produce poison darts. The poison works by increasing the permeability of some cell surface membranes to sodium
ions, which move out of the cells. Which statements are correct for cells affected by batrachotoxin?

1 The intracellular fluid has a less negative water potential than the extracellular fluid.

2 The extracellular fluid has a less negative water potential than the intracellular fluid.

3 Water leaves the cells by osmosis, causing the cells to shrink.

4 Water enters the cells by osmosis, causing the cells to swell.

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

Q 6 What could happen to a typical bacterium when it is placed in surroundings which have a less negative water
potential than that inside the cell?

A The bacterium will burst because the cell wall has no structural function.

B The bacterium will die since water leaves the cell by osmosis.

C There is no change because the cell wall is impermeable to water.

D There will be a net movement of water into the bacterium.

Q 7 Which statements about the cell surface membrane are correct?

1 Channel proteins allow water soluble ions and molecules across the membrane.

2 Glucose can pass into the cell via carrier proteins.

3 Oxygen passes freely through the membrane as it is soluble in lipids.

4 Some glycoproteins act as antigens.

A 1, 2, 3 and 4 B 1, 3 and 4 only C 1 and 2 only D 2, 3 and 4 only

Q 8 The diagram shows the movement of substance Z across a cell surface membrane.

Which process is involved in this movement?

A endocytosis B exocytosis C phagocytosis D pinocytosis

Q 9 The diagram shows a glycoprotein embedded in the cell surface membrane of a human red blood cell. This
glycoprotein is part of a system of cell surface blood group recognition sites.

Which row identifies the role of this glycoprotein and regions P and
Q of the molecule?

[A]

Q 10 When red blood cells are put into pure water they burst (haemolysis). Which statements explain this
haemolysis?
1 The water potential of the surrounding liquid is lower than the water potential of the contents of the red blood
cell.

2 The cell surface membranes of red blood cells are not supported by cell walls.

3 More water moves into the red blood cells by osmosis than leaves the cells.

4 Water enters the red blood cells by osmosis but does not leave the cells.

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

Q 11 The graph shows how the rate of entry of substance X into a cell changes as the concentration of substance X
outside the cell increases. The diagram shows part of a cell surface membrane.

Which pathways could substance X use to enter the cell?

A 1 and 2 B 1 only C 2 and 3 D 2 only

1. (a) Fig. 1.1 is a simple diagram of a phospholipid molecule.

Explain how the structure of a phospholipid molecule makes it suitable for its function in cell
 membranes. You may label and annotate Fig. 1.1 as part of your answer.

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(b) State two components of a cell surface membrane other than phospholipid molecules and

describe their function.

component 1 ......................................................................................................................................

function ..............................................................................................................................................

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component 2 ......................................................................................................................................

function ..............................................................................................................................................

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.......................................................................................................................................................[4]

(c) Sodium ions cross cell surface membranes using facilitated diffusion or active transport.

Explain why sodium ions cross cell surface membranes by these mechanisms and not by
simple

diffusion ...........................................................................................................................................................................

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......[3]

2. Thale cress, Arabidopsis thaliana, is used to study the roles of genes and proteins in plants.

The cell membranes of the root hairs of A. thaliana contain proteins called aquaporins that

allow the movement of water between the soil and the cytoplasm as shown in Fig. 2.1.

(a) With reference to Fig. 2.1:

(i) explain how water is absorbed by root hairs of A. thaliana

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

(ii) state why aquaporins are necessary in cell surface membranes.

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(b) points can be awarded as annotations to the diagram

max 2 for structure – mp1 to mp3

1 ref. to hydrophilic / polar, phosphate, head / group

and

hydrophobic / non polar, hydrocarbon / fatty acid, tails / chains;

R if labelled correctly but incorrectly described in the text

2 ref. to forms part of a bilayer ;

3 (fatty acid) tails / chains, may be saturated or unsaturated ;

max 2 for function – mp4 to mp7

head

4 forms hydrogen bonds with water/ interacts with water/AW ;

5 stabilises the membrane ;

tails

6 idea that unsaturated fatty acids contribute to fluidity (of membrane) ;

7 barrier to, hydrophilic substances /water soluble substances /polar

substances /ions /AW ; ora

A movement of, non-polar/AW, substances [3]

(c) max two components, one mark each

one mark for function to match the stated component

I carbohydrate chains for component but allow ecf ‘cell recognition’ for function

glycoprotein ;
one of

antigen /markers /tags / described in terms ‘self’ ;

receptor (for signalling molecule)/AW ;

cell recognition ;

cell adhesion ;

interacts /AW, with water to stabilise the membrane ;

cholesterol ;

one of

stabilises membrane ;

regulates /maintains /AW, fluidity of membrane ;

A in low temperatures increases fluidity / in high temperatures decreases fluidity

prevents passage of ions /polar molecules, through membrane ;

glycolipid ;

antigen /markers /tags / described in terms ‘self’ ;

cell adhesion ;

interacts /AW, with water to stabilise the membrane ;

protein ; I any qualification of component e.g. channel / carrier/ transport

receptor (for signalling molecule)/AW ;

enzyme / co-enzyme ;

anchoring cytoskeleton ;

for cell to cell adhesion /any named type e.g. desmosome, tight junction ;

channel / carrier, allows facilitated diffusion /description ;

A for, protein / carrier protein / channel protein /transport protein

carrier, for active transport / description ;

A for protein / carrier protein /transport protein [4]

(d) three from

(sodium ions are) charged / hydrophilic ; I ref. to size / polar

cannot pass through hydrophobic, core / interior, (of phospholipid bilayer) ;

(so) must pass through, transport proteins / carrier proteins / channel

proteins (facilitated diffusion) ;

ref. to hydrophilic (amino acids lining) channels ;

ref. to active transport only way to move sodium ions against concentration gradient /AW ; [3]

3. (a) (i) 1 diffusion through (freely permeable) cell wall;

2 membrane is partially permeable ; A selectively

3 osmosis across membrane (into cell)

4 (only) some water may pass between phospholipids (across membrane);

5 movement across membrane facilitated by aquaporins ;

6 ref. down water potential gradient / from high water potential to low water potential;

A from a higher / to a lower, water potential if in context

7 AVP ; e.g. further detail about aquaporin (hydrophilic channel) [max 3]

(ii) 1 increases permeability of membrane to water ;

2 idea that osmosis across bilayer does not supply cell rapidly enough with water (that

needs to pass on to surrounding cells) ;

3 idea that phospholipids are relatively impermeable to water ;

4 idea that water cannot pass / only some water passes, through hydrophobic

region of membrane / AW ; [max 1]