Mock Examination

Al-Rowad International Schools

May 2021
 Answer ALL questions.
Write your answers in the spaces provided.
1. The diagram below shows a growing pollen grain as seen under a light microscope.

(a) Name the parts labelled A and B.

A ...............................................................................................................................
B ...............................................................................................................................
(2)
(b) Describe the roles of the two male nuclei during fertilisation.
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(4)
(c) An experiment was carried out into the effect of sucrose concentration on the germination of pollen
grains from two species of plants, Cucumis sativus and Phaseolies aulicus. The results are shown in
the graph below.
 (i) What is the optimum concentration of sucrose for the germination of pollen grains from both
species?
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(1)
(ii) Compare the germination rate of these two species as the concentration of sucrose increases
from 20%.
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(3)
(Total for Question 1 = 10 marks)
 2. Protein synthesis and the secretion of products by a cell can be investigated by following method using a
radioactive substance.
In an experiment, pieces of pancreas tissue were kept in a medium containing the amino acid glycine. This
amino acid contained radioactive carbon, 14C. Then the tissues were then transferred to a medium in which
the radioactive glycine had been replaced with a large excess of non-radioactive glycine. They were
incubated for 2 hours and the path taken by the radioactive amino acids was observed.
The graph shows the changes in the radioactivity in the RER and the secretory vesicles, expressed as a
percentage.
100

90

80
Secretory
70 vesicles
Radioactivity (%)

60

50

40

30 Rough endoplasmic
reticulum
20

10

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120
Incubation time/min

(a) Compare the distribution of radioactivity in the rough endoplasmic reticulum with that in the secretory
vesicles during the experiment.
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(3)
 (b) Describe the process that takes place in golgi apparatus in relation to proteins.
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(3)
(d) After an incubation time of 20 minutes, most of the radioactivity was found in the Golgi apparatus.
Radioactivity associated with the Golgi apparatus then steadily decreased. Suggest an explanation for
these observations.
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(3)
(e) Describe the process by which enzymes are secreted by the pancreatic cells.
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(2)
(f) Some of the enzymes synthesised by the pancreatic cells appear in lysosomes, rather than in the
secretory vesicles.
Describe the functions of lysosomes.
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(2)
(Total for Question 2 = 13 marks)
3. The drawing below shows an animal cell, magnified × 1000, undergoing mitosis.

(a) Give two features that help to identify this as an animal cell.

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

2 .................................................................................................................................
(2)

(b) Name the parts labelled A and B.

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

B ................................................................................................................................
(2)

(c) Name the stage of mitosis shown in the drawing.

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(1)

(Total for Question 3 = 5 marks)

 4. A newspaper recently published the following report.

‘Scientists find gene to halt ovarian cancer’

A gene that can stop the development of cancer of the ovary has been identified. This gene acts as a tumour
suppressor. If the gene is switched off then a tumour develops.
Scientists have switched the gene back on in mice and the cancer cells stopped developing.
Scientists hope to be able to find a drug to turn this gene back on. This could provide a means of treating
ovarian cancer in humans.
(a) (i) If a suitable drug is found it will have to be carefully tested in clinical trials.
Describe the methods that would be used to trial a new drug to treat ovarian cancer.
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(4)
(ii) William Withering carried out trials of the digitalis soup which he used to treat patients. Explain
why his methods could not be used as part of a modern clinical trial.
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(2)
(b) In the future, it may be possible to treat ovarian cancer by transplanting healthy stem cells into a
diseased ovary. Some people think that stem cell research should not be carried out.
State whether you are for or against the use of stem cells to treat ovarian cancer.
For or against? ........................
Present an argument to explain why you hold this point of view (for or against) using your biological
knowledge of stem cell research and the ethical issues connected with it.
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(3)
(Total for Question 4 = 9 marks)
 5. A number of seed banks have been set up around the world.
(a) When a seed bank receives new seeds, it processes them in several ways. The processes can include the following stages:
• washing the seeds with disinfectant
• allowing the seeds to dry.
Explain the advantages of these two stages. (3)
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(b) describe and explain how to increase genetic diversity of seeds being collected (3)
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(c) The food store of many seeds is an organ called a cotyledon. An organ can be defined as (1)
(d) The processed seeds are stored at minus 20°C. At intervals, samples of seeds are removed from storage and tested for viability. If
at least 75% of the seeds in the sample germinate, the remaining seeds are described as viable. The diagram shows a container with
many seeds in it

Sunflower Seeds
mass of 1000 seeds = 50g
A sample of 3g of seeds was removed from this container. These seeds were given optimum conditions for germination. However,
only 48 seeds germinated. Determine whether the remaining seeds in the container are viable or not. (3)

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A sample of 3g of seeds was removed from this container. These seeds were given optimum conditions for germination. However,
only 48 seeds germinated. Determine whether the remaining seeds in the container are viable or not. (3)
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(Total for Question 5 = 13)
 6. The fibres from different species of plants have different properties. Therefore, plant fibres can be used in the
manufacture of a variety of materials.
(a) Describe the importance of magnesium ions in the production of plant fibres. (2)
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(b) Sisal fibres are extracted from the stems of the plant Agave sisalana. The tensile strength of sisal fibres was
investigated and calculated using two methods:
• calculation using the mean diameter of a number of fibres
• calculation using the actual diameter of each fibre Both methods calculated a relative standard deviation by comparing
the standard deviation to the mean tensile strength.

(i) Calculate the standard deviation when using the mean diameter. (2)

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(ii) Explain why the standard deviations were calculated for these data. (2)
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(c) Kapok (Ceiba pentandra) is a tree. Kapok produces seed pods containing waxy fibres made of cellulose covered in
lignin. These fibres are used as fillings for cushions.
(i) Describe the arrangement of glucose monomers in a cellulose molecule. (2)
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(ii) Devise a method to find the relationship between the actual diameter and the tensile strength of kapok fibres. (5)
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(Total for Question 6 = 13 marks)
 7. Muscular dystrophy is a group of disorders that gradually cause muscles to weaken. One type of muscular
dystrophy, caused by a recessive allele, affects 10 people in 100 000 of the population.
(a) Calculate the number of carriers in a population of 17.02 million.
Use the Hardy-Weinberg equation, p2 + 2pq + q2 = 1 (3)

Answer ..............................................................
(b) Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a sex-linked disorder.
(i) Explain what is meant by the term sex-linked disorder. (2)
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(ii) Dystrophin is a protein needed to maintain the structure of muscle cells. In DMD the affected allele prevents the
production of this protein, leading to symptoms that include a progressive effect on muscle tissue. Stem cells are a
potential treatment for DMD.
Explain why stem cells from a healthy donor may provide a treatment for this disorder. (3)
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(c) As pluripotent stem cells divide, epigenetic changes are passed on.
Explain how epigenetic changes affect the activation of genes in daughter cells. (3)
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(Total for Question 7 = 11 marks)
 8. Define what is meant by the following terms
(a) Biodiversity (2)
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(b) Genetic linkage (2)

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(c) Polygenetic inheritance (2)

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(Total for Question 8 = 6 marks)

TOTAL FOR PAPER = 80 MARKS