Suggested answers to Exercise

Ch 2 The cell as the basic unit of life

Exercise
Multiple-choice questions (p. 2-30)
1 B 2 C 3 D 4 B
5 C 6 A 7 D 8 B
9 B 10 D 11 C 12 A
13 D

Short questions (p. 2-32)

14 (a) Irregular 0.5m
(b) cell wall 0.5m
(c) regular 0.5m
(d) cell wall 0.5m
(e) Absent 0.5m
(f) photosynthesis 0.5m
(g) centre 0.5m
(h) centre of the cell 0.5m

15 a A — nucleus 1m
B — cell membrane / plasma membrane 1m b Any one from: 1m
Absorbs light energy for photosynthesis
Absorbs light energy to make sugar / starch / carbohydrate / organic material / food
c Any two rows from:
Plant cell Animal cell
- Has vacuole OR has cell sap - No / small vacuole OR no cell sap
- Has cell wall / cellulose - No cell wall / cellulose OR only membrane
- Stores starch OR does not store glycogen - Does not store starch OR stores glycogen
1m x 2
16 a i
Part of Name Function
cell
X Nucleus Contains genetic information / genetic material / DNA /
chromosomes
OR
Gives instructions to the cells / controls cell processes /
activities
Y Cell wall Maintains cell shape / supports cell / stops cell bursting
Z Cell membrane Controls entry and / or exit of molecules / substances
2m ii Plant cells A and B have a cell wall / part Y, cell C / the animal
cell does not. 1m Cells A and B have a (large central) vacuole, cell C / the animal
cell does not. 1m b Glucose / oxygen / sugar 1m 17 a Cheek cells and onion
epidermal cells
(b) Cheek cells, onion epidermal cells and red blood cells c None of them
d Onion epidermal cells and xylem cells
(2m for all correct answers in each part or no marks)

18 a Remove small bits from the organism and observe under the microscope. 1m
Observe whether the cells had cell walls or not. It was likely to be a plant if the cells had cell walls.
1m
b i Remove small bits from different parts of the organism and observe under the
microscope. 1m
See whether the cells are different in size and shape, and group together. 1m
ii Organ level of organization — different tissues group together to form an organ
to carry out particular functions. 1m
System level of organization — several organs and tissues work together to
form a system that carries out a particular set of functions in a coordinated way.
1m
19 a
Eyepiece lens Objective lens
Total magnification
magnification magnification
7X 10X 70X
7X 20X 140X
7X 40X 280X
0.5m x 2 b i 0.1 mm 1m ii Plant cells are larger than
animal cells. 1m

20 a DNA is present in prokaryotic cells and lying free in the cytoplasm. 1m

DNA in eukaryotic cells is enclosed within the nucleus instead of lying free in the cytoplasm.
1m
Mitochondria are absent in prokaryotic cells. 1m
The cell wall in prokaryotic cells does not contain cellulose. 1m
The rough endoplasmic reticulum in eukaryotic cells is used for synthesizing protein. 1m
b Both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells are bounded by a cell membrane. 1m
Their genetic material exists in the form of DNA. 1m Structured questions (p. 2-33)
21 a i Substance B 1m
It contains carbon, oxygen and hydrogen only. 1m ii Fats and oils —
act as an energy reserve 1m Phospholipids — make up cell membranes 1m b
Protein 1m
It contains carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and sulphur which are the composition of proteins.
1m c Nucleic acid 1m
 Inside the nucleus (for DNA and RNA) and the cytoplasm (for RNA) of a eukaryotic
cell or the cytoplasm of a prokaryotic cell. 1m

22 a A — cell membrane B — cytoplasm

C — nucleus D — chloroplast
E — vacuole 1m x 5 b Cell wall 1m
It supports and gives the shape to the plant cell / protects the cell. 1m c Title 0.5m
Magnification 0.5m d Original magnification is 10X × 4X = 40X 0.5m
New magnification is 5X × 10X = 50X 0.5m
The cell will appear larger under a higher power of magnification. 1m

23 a A — cell membrane 1m
It controls the movement of materials into and out of the cell. 1m
B — cytoplasm 1m
It provides a place for cellular chemical reactions to take place. 1m b Cell
X — green leaf cell 0.5m Cell Y — chicken blood cell 0.5m
Reasons: (any 2, 1m each)
Cell X is rectangular.
Cell X contains oval structures which are most likely chloroplasts.
Cell X is covered by a cell wall. 2m c i Scale = 45 : 0.1 1m

Magnification = = 450 1m

ii Magnification of the eyepiece = = 15 1m

24 a i A — nucleus / nucleolus 1m
B — ribosomes 1m C — mitochondrion 1m ii
Present in a prokaryotic cell — B 1m Absent from a prokaryotic cell — A /
C 1m b i Can see detail of mitochondria, ribosome and nuclear membrane 2m
ii B; for protein / polypeptide synthesis 1m C; for ATP production /
energy release 1m
Essays (p. 2-35)
25 Water makes up the largest percentage by weight of most organisms.
It serves for many functions in the body:
Water is a good solvent for many substances. 0.5m
It dissolves various substances and provides the medium for chemical reactions to take place in cells.
1m
It also acts as a transport medium. For example, water is the major component of blood which
carries nutrients and many other substances throughout the body. 1m
Water removes heat by evaporation. 0.5m
It acts as a cooling agent to help regulate body temperature through sweating in mammals and
transpiration in plants. 2m
Water is the reactant in some chemical reactions. 1m
For example, carbon dioxide and water are the reactants in photosynthesis.
They react to produce oxygen and food in the presence of light and chlorophyll.
OR Water acts as a reactant in breaking down certain complex food substances during digestion of
food. 1m
Water gives shape and support to organisms. 1m
Plant cells become turgid when they are full of water. This gives support to young seedlings. 1m
Water provides buoyancy for plants and animals in water. 1m

26 The microscopes enable us to observe and understand the following:

Cell structures 2m
Tissue structures, e.g. histology of digestive system related to function, muscle structure, kidney
tubules, leaf structure, etc. 2m
Biological processes, e.g. cell division, fertilization, capillary circulation, etc. 2m
Whole organisms and their classification, e.g. bacteria and viruses, taxonomic differences in small
organisms. 2m
Other uses, e.g. understanding effects of disease / cancer, opportunities to improve/alter living
organisms. 2m

Reading to learn (p. 2-36)

1 Leeuwenhoek was skilful and hard-working. 1m
He was curious about the things around him. 1m

2 Leeuwenhoek was interested in Robert Hooke’s work. 1m

The work published by a scientist can inspire other scientists to do further research. Scientists
always build on the work of other scientists. 2m

3 Leeuwenhoek’s discovery of microorganisms is more important. His observations opened the

scope of the microbial world to the scientists. These laid the foundation for various fields of
biology, like bacteriology and microbiology.
(accept other reasonable answers) 2m