2324-Level M Biology Practical 1

Level M Biology Practical Booklet

Chapter 1: Nutrition in Humans

[0610/63 October/November 2017 Q.1]

Question 1
Citrus fruits, such as oranges, contain sugars.
A student investigated the simple (reducing) sugar content of three different citrus fruits.
Step 1 The student was provided with three fruits; orange, grapefruit and lemon.
Step 2 The juice from the orange was squeezed into a labelled beaker.
Step 3 Step 2 was repeated for the grapefruit and the lemon.
Step 4 The student put the juice they extracted into three measuring cylinders.
These are shown in Fig. 1.1.

a) i) In Table 1.1 record the volume of juice shown in each measuring cylinder in Fig. 1.1.

[1]

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2324-Level M Biology Practical 2
3 3
Step 5 The student added 2 cm of the orange juice and 2 cm of the solution used to test for reducing
sugars to a test-tube labelled orange and recorded the colour of the liquid.
Step 6 The student repeated step 5 for the grapefruit juice and the lemon juice.
Step 7 The test-tubes were then put into a water-bath and left for five minutes.
Step 8 The colour of the liquid in the test-tubes was recorded after five minutes.
The student’s observations are shown in Fig. 1.2.

ii) Use the information in Fig. 1.2 to prepare a table to record the student’s results in the space
provided.

[3]

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2324-Level M Biology Practical 3
iii) State the name of the solution used to test for reducing sugars.

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[1]
iv) Suggest a suitable temperature for the water-bath used in step 7.

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[1]
v) State which fruits contain reducing sugars.

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[1]
vi) Explain why the student recorded the colour of the reducing sugar test solution and fruit juice
mixture before heating.

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b) State one variable that was kept constant in this investigation.

Describe how this variable was kept constant.

variable _________________________________________________________________________

how it has been kept constant ________________________________________________________

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[2]
c) Identify two sources of error in the method.
For each of these errors, describe how the method could be improved to reduce the error.

error: ___________________________________________________________________________

improvement: ____________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

error: ___________________________________________________________________________

improvement: ____________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________ [4]
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2324-Level M Biology Practical 4
d) Describe a test that could be used to determine if the fruits contained protein.

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[4]
e) Citrus fruits are a good source of vitamin C.
DCPIP can be used to test for vitamin C. When DCPIP reacts with vitamin C the colour of the
solution changes from dark blue to colourless.

Vitamin C can be destroyed by heating it at high temperatures or by heating it for a long time.

Fruit juices are often heat treated to kill bacteria which allows the juice to be kept for a long time
without being refrigerated.

A student wanted to investigate the effect of heating on the vitamin C content of fruit juice.

Describe a method the student could use for their investigation.

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[6]

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2324-Level M Biology Practical 5

f) Fig. 1.3 shows a photograph of a slice of orange.

Draw a large diagram of the slice of orange.

[4]
[Total: 26]

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2324-Level M Biology Practical 6
Chapter 2: The Human Digestive System

[0610/62 May/June 2012 Q.1]

Question 1

Apple tissue changes colour in the air. Apple cells are thought to contain an enzyme which is a catalyst
for the reaction:

Some students investigated this reaction.

The students cut a slice of apple with a knife as shown in Fig. 1.1.

This slice was broken into two pieces as shown in Fig. 1.2.

Each piece was put into a different dish. The dishes were labelled 1 and 2.

A few drops of water were put on the cut surface and the broken surface of the piece of apple in dish 1.

A few drops of lemon juice were put on the cut surface and the broken surface of the piece of apple in
dish 2.

Every five minutes for 20 minutes the students observed the pieces of apple and recorded their
observations in Table 1.1.

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2324-Level M Biology Practical 7

The lemon juice was tested with litmus paper. It changed colour from blue to red.

a) State the meaning of this colour change.

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[1]
b) Look at Table 1.1. Describe the differences between the appearance of the cut surfaces in dish 1 and
dish 2 during the experiment.

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[1]
c) i) The colour changes are thought to involve enzyme activity.

Explain how the observations in Table 1.1 and your description in (b) support this statement.

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[3]

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2324-Level M Biology Practical 8

ii) Using your knowledge of enzyme activity, describe another experiment that would test the
idea that enzymes are involved in this colour change.

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[3]
d) i) Look at Table 1.1. Describe the differences between the appearance of the broken surface
and the cut surface in dish 1 during the experiment.

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[2]
ii) Cutting the apple with a knife damages cells, releasing the contents.

Suggest, from the observations in Table 1.1 and your description in (d)(i), how breaking
instead of cutting the apple may affect the cells.

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____________________________________________________________________________
[1]
[Total: 11]

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2324-Level M Biology Practical 9

[0610/62 May/June 2014 Q.1]

Question 2

A student investigated the effect of surface area on the rate of digestion of food by observing the colour
change in agar jelly pieces placed in dilute sulfuric acid.

The student was provided with a Petri dish of agar jelly. The agar jelly contained Universal Indicator that
changed colour according to the pH of its environment.

The student was also provided with a beaker of sulfuric acid.

When a small piece of agar jelly was put into the beaker of dilute sulfuric acid, it gradually changed
colour.

a) Suggest what colour the agar jelly became after it changed colour in the dilute sulfuric acid.

It started orange and changed to ___________________________________________________

[1]

The student cut four identical blocks of agar jelly, each 2 cm × 1 cm × 1 cm, as shown in Fig. 1.1.

The student labelled the agar blocks A, B, C and D.

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2324-Level M Biology Practical 10

The blocks of agar jelly were then cut up as shown in Fig 1.2.

The student calculated the total surface area of all the pieces cut from each block.

b) i) Calculate the surface area of block A.

Show your working.

surface area of block A ...................................................cm2

[2]

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2324-Level M Biology Practical 11

ii) Calculate the volume of block A.

Show your working and include the units.

volume of block A _______________________________

[2]

The student labelled four large test-tubes, A, B, C and D.

The student put all the agar pieces that had been cut from each agar block, A, B, C and D, into the large
test-tube that was labelled with the same letter as the agar block.

This is shown in Fig. 1.3.

The student poured sulfuric acid into each large test-tube and timed how long it took for all the pieces of
agar jelly in each large test-tube to change colour.

The student wrote down their results.

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2324-Level M Biology Practical 12

c) i) State two pieces of apparatus, not shown in Fig. 1.3, that the student needed to use for this
investigation.

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[1]
ii) Use the space below to draw a suitable results table for this investigation.

[5]
d) Describe and explain the results.

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[4]

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e) Explain why it was important for blocks A, B, C and D to have the same volume at the start, before
they were cut into pieces.

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[1]
f) Suggest two possible sources of errors in the investigation.
For each error, describe one way that you could improve the investigation.

error 1 __________________________________________________________________________

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improvement 1 ____________________________________________________________________

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error 2 __________________________________________________________________________

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improvement 2 ____________________________________________________________________

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[4]
g) The surface area of food particles affects the rate of their break down.

A student carried out an experiment to investigate the rate of the breakdown of fat.

Two test-tubes were set up as shown in Table 1.1.

Each test-tube contained the same volumes and concentrations of enzyme.

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2324-Level M Biology Practical 14

i) Suggest a reason for the difference in results recorded in Table 1.1.

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[2]
ii) Another student carried out a similar experiment but also included a test-tube that contained fat
and water only.

Suggest a reason for this additional test-tube.

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[1]
[Total: 23]

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2324-Level M Biology Practical 15

[0610/62 May/June 2010 Q.1]

Question 3

A herbivore is an animal that gets its energy by eating plants.

A carnivore is an animal that gets its energy by eating other animals.
Fig. 1.1 shows the skulls with teeth of a sheep and of a dog.

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2324-Level M Biology Practical 16

a) i) Describe one similarity, related to nutrition, that you can observe between the teeth of the two
skulls.

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[1]
ii) Complete Table 1.1 to give two differences, related to nutrition, that you can observe between
the teeth of the two skulls.

[2]
b) Fig. 1.2 shows one 'back' tooth of the sheep and one 'back' tooth of a dog.

i) Make a large, labelled drawing of the 'back' tooth of the sheep.

[3]

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2324-Level M Biology Practical 17

ii) Look carefully at the 'contact' surfaces of the tooth of the sheep and the tooth of the dog.
Complete the Table 1.2 to give two differences between the ‘contact’ surfaces of these teeth.

[2]
c) The nutrient content of green leaves and animal flesh are compared in Table 1.3.

Using the data in Table 1.3, suggest why herbivores spend more time eating than carnivores.

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[2]
d) Describe how you would safely test samples of green leaves and meat to find out which has more
fat.

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[6]
[Total: 18]
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2324-Level M Biology Practical 18

Chapter 3: The Human Respiratory System

[0610/63 October/November 2013 Q.3]

Question 1

Inhaled air differs in composition from exhaled air.

Table 3.1 shows some of these differences.

a) Complete Table 3.1, to show the difference in composition of inhaled and exhaled air for carbon
dioxide and water vapour.

Write your answers in Table 3.1.

[2]
b) Describe how you could test for the presence of:

i) carbon dioxide;

test ________________________________________________________________________

result _______________________________________________________________________
[2]
ii) water vapour.

test ________________________________________________________________________

result _______________________________________________________________________
[2]
[Total: 6]

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2324-Level M Biology Practical 19

[0610/62 February/march 2018 Q.2]

Question 2

Fig. 2.1 shows a photomicrograph of a bronchus, surrounded by alveoli and other tissues, in the lung.

a) i) Make a large drawing of the bronchus shown in Fig. 2.1.

Do not include any of the alveoli or other tissues in your drawing. Do not label your drawing.

[4]

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ii) The diameter of the bronchus in Fig. 2.1 is shown by the line AB.

Measure the length of AB on Fig. 2.1. Include the units.

length of AB on Fig. 2.1 __________________________

The actual diameter of the bronchus in Fig. 2.1 is 1.5 mm.

The magnification of the bronchus in Fig. 2.1 can be calculated using the following equation:

Calculate the magnification of the bronchus in Fig. 2.1.

Give your answer to the nearest whole number.

Space for working.

_________________________
[2]

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2324-Level M Biology Practical 21

b) A student investigated the effect of exercise on breathing rate.

The breathing rates of five people were measured at rest and after running for different periods of
time. The people rested between each period of running.

The results are shown in Table 2.1.

i) Complete Table 2.1 by calculating the average breathing rate for four minutes of running.
Space for working.

[1]
ii) The student thought that the result for person two at six minutes was an anomaly.
Suggest what the student should do to determine if the result is anomalous.

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[1]

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2324-Level M Biology Practical 22

iii) Plot a graph, on the grid, to show the relationship between running time and the average
breathing rate. Draw a line of best fit.

[4]
iv) Use your graph to estimate the average breathing rate for one minute of the running.
Show on the graph how you obtained your answer.
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[2]
v) Use your graph to describe the relationship between running time and the average breathing
rate.

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[3]
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2324-Level M Biology Practical 23

c) i) Suggest one safety precaution for this investigation.

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[1]
ii) State two variables that should be kept constant during this investigation.

1. _______________________________________________________________________

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2. _______________________________________________________________________

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[2]
iii) State the variable that has been changed (the independent variable) in this investigation.

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[1]
[Total: 21]

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2324-Level M Biology Practical 24
Chapter 4: The Circulatory and Lymphatic Systems

[0610/63 October/November 2014 Q.1(a, b & d)]

Question 1

A group of students investigated how their pulse rate changed during exercise.

They measured their resting pulse rate before they started exercising.

a) i) Describe how to measure pulse rate.

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[2]
ii) Explain why it is important to measure the resting pulse rate.

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[1]
b) The students exercised for 1 minute and then measured their pulse rate.

They immediately exercised for another minute and measured their pulse rate again.

They continued exercising and measured their pulse rate every minute up to a total of 5 minutes.

Fig. 1.1 shows the results for one of the students.

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2324-Level M Biology Practical 25

i) Draw a results table for the results shown in Fig. 1.1.

Write the results in your table.

[4]
ii) Describe the results and suggest an explanation for them.

description __________________________________________________________________

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explanation _________________________________________________________________

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[4]

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2324-Level M Biology Practical 26

c) Fig. 1.2 shows a cross-section of a human coronary artery as seen with a microscope.

The actual internal diameter of this coronary artery at AB is 4.3 mm.

i) Measure the length of AB in Fig. 1.2.

length of AB in Fig. 1.2 ______________________ mm

Calculate the magnification of Fig. 1.2.

Show your working.

magnification × _____________________
[3]

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2324-Level M Biology Practical 27

ii) The coronary artery in Fig. 1.2 has been affected by coronary heart disease.

A blockage has reduced the internal diameter of the coronary artery.

This reduced diameter is shown by the line CD.

The actual diameter AB is 4.3 mm.

The reduced actual diameter CD is 2.0 mm.

Calculate the percentage decrease in the diameter of the artery from AB to CD.

Show your working.

Give your answer to the nearest whole number.

........................................................%
[3]
[Total: 21]

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2324-Level M Biology Practical 28

Chapter 5: The Immune System and Its Diseases

[0610/33 October/November 2018 Q.7]

Question 1

a) i) State one type of blood cell that is involved in the defence against disease.

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[1]
ii) State two ways blood cells defend the body against disease.

1. _______________________________________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________________________________
[2]
b) i) HIV is a sexually transmitted infection (STI).
Define the term sexually transmitted infection.

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[2]
ii) State why antibiotics cannot be used to treat HIV infections.

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[2]
iii) Explain how the spread of STIs can be controlled.

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[3]
[Total: 10]
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2324-Level M Biology Practical 29

Chapter 6: The Excretory System

[0610/63 May/June 2015 Q.1]

Question 1

Urine is a waste product released from the body. It contains urea, water, salts and other metabolic
wastes.
A student investigated the chemicals present in different samples of urine, A, B and C.

These samples were made up in the laboratory to represent urine.

The student carried out a test for protein and a test for reducing sugar on each sample.

a) Describe the method that the student should use to safely test the samples for:

reducing sugar

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protein.

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[4]
b) Table 1.1 shows the student’s observations of the final colour in each of the two tests.

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2324-Level M Biology Practical 30

Urine is often tested as part of a medical health check. The results of these urine tests can be used to
suggest whether a person has a health problem.

Assume samples A, B and C were collected from three different people during a medical health check.

If reducing sugar is present, the person may be suffering from a disease called diabetes.

If protein is present, the person may be suffering from kidney problems.

However, if reducing sugar and protein are both absent from the urine, the person is likely to be healthy.

Use this information to make and explain a conclusion about the health of each of these people.

i) person A

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[2]
ii) person B

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[2]
iii) person C
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[2]

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2324-Level M Biology Practical 31

c) The student decided to test the pH of samples A, B and C using litmus paper. Their teacher
suggested that this was not the best way to test the pH and recommended that they used another
method.

i) Describe why the teacher thought that litmus was not suitable.

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[1]
ii) Suggest a suitable alternative method of determining the pH of a solution.

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[1]
d) One of the functions of the kidney is to reabsorb glucose back into the blood.

Table 1.2 shows the relationship between the glucose concentration in the blood and the amount of
glucose excreted in the urine.

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2324-Level M Biology Practical 32

i) Plot a graph of the data in Table 1.2.

[4]
ii) Describe the trend shown by the data plotted in (i).

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[2]
iii) Use your graph to find how much glucose is excreted in the urine when the blood glucose
concentration is 280 mg per 100 cm3.

_________________ mg per minute [1]

[Total: 19]
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