Grade 9 biology answers

1
The correct answer is D because:

2 is the xylem as seen in a cross-section of a root in a dicotyledonous plant, and 3 is the

xylem in a cross-section taken of the stem. The dye molecules are dissolved in water
which moves up the xylem through the plant.

A is incorrect because 1 is the phloem. The phloem tissue is located in the outer region
of the vascular bundle.

B and C are incorrect because 4 is the phloem in the root, which is found in smaller
bundles surrounding the larger xylem vessels.
2
The correct answer is B because:

Root hairs are extensions of the cytoplasm of root cells, increasing the surface area to
maximise the absorption of water by osmosis and ions by active transport.

A is incorrect because ions are transported into the roots by active transport. Osmosis
only applies to the movement of water.
C Is incorrect because ions are transported into the roots by active transport, not
diffusion.

D Is incorrect because there is no indication that surface area is increased in this

explanation, and osmosis should be mentioned in relation to the movement of water.
3
The correct answer is D (1 and 4) because:

Water molecules evaporate from mesophyll cells, forming water vapour (a gas) which
diffuses from an area of higher concentration in the air spaces inside the leaf to a lower
concentration in the air outside the leaf (unless it’s very humid and the air is saturated
with water!)

A is incorrect because diffusion is involved in the loss of water from a leaf, but
condensation (change in the stage of gas to a liquid) is not.

B is incorrect because diffusion is only one of the processes involved in water loss from
the leaves of a plant.

C Is incorrect because evaporation is involved in the loss of water from a leaf, but
diffusion is also involved.
4
The correct answer is C because:

Amino acids would be the only substance from the options given to move through the
phloem (as well as sucrose).

A is incorrect because glucose is never transported through the

phloem; however, sucrose (a disaccharide that contains one glucose molecule) is transported
through the phloem.

B and D are incorrect because starch and cellulose are large biomolecules that are
insoluble in water, therefore they cannot be moved around the plant.
5
The correct answer is D because:

The less humid (drier) the atmosphere, the higher the diffusion gradient between the
inside of the leaf and the outside (through the stomatal pore).

A is incorrect because a decrease in stomatal density means less transpiration (as the
leaves have fewer stomata).

B is incorrect because a reduction in light intensity causes stomata to close, reducing

the rate of transpiration.
C is incorrect because a reduction in temperature means the water vapour molecules
move more slowly, so they would diffuse out of the stomata at a lower rate.
6
The correct answer is C because:

If a plant does not get enough water, it becomes limp and wilts. This is because water
has left the cells and they have become flaccid, providing less support to the overall
structure of the leaf. If a cell does not contain enough water there is no pressure
pushing outwards against the cell wall and the cells will all shrink a little.

A is incorrect because a decrease in light intensity would just reduce the rate of
photosynthesis, not cause the plant to wilt.

B is incorrect because an increase in humidity would reduce transpiration from the

plant, meaning it would retain more water.

D is incorrect because a decrease in wind speed would reduce transpiration from the
plant, meaning it would retain more water.

1
The correct answer is C because:

 After 48 hours the leaves have wilted, you can see them drooping in the image
 Wilting is a sign that a plant has insufficient water – it has lost more water by
transpiration than it has taken up and therefore water has moved out of cells,
causing them to become flaccid

A & B are incorrect because translocation is the term used to describe the movement of
sucrose and amino acids in the phloem.

D is incorrect because water loss occurs by evaporation of water from mesophyll cells
inside the leaf and then diffusion of this water vapour through the stomata. Osmosis
describes the movement of water between solutions separated by partially permeable
membranes.
2
The correct answer is A because:

 Water moves into root hairs by osmosis and then moves across the root cortex
into the xylem
 From here it is pulled up the stem by the transpiration stream to the mesophyll
cells in the leaf before evaporating from the surface of these cells into the air
spaces surrounding the spongy mesophyll cells
 It then diffuses out of the stomata into the air outside the leaf as water vapour (a
gas)
3
The correct answer is B because:

 Sugars are synthesised in the leaf via photosynthesis and then converted into
substances such as sucrose and amino acids (using nitrate ions). The leaf is
therefore a source - a region of production
 Sucrose and amino acids are then transported to other regions of the plant
through the phloem (through which movement can occur in both directions)
 Sucrose and amino acids are transported to regions of storage, or to regions
where they can be used in respiration (sugars) or for growth (amino acids) -
a sink

A is incorrect because translocation involves the movement of sugars and amino acids
through the phloem.

C is incorrect because movement through the phloem is two-way (unlike movement in

the xylem, which is one-way)

D is incorrect because movement through the phloem occurs from a source to a sink.
Some parts of a plant may act as a source or a sink at different times during the
lifecycle of a plant.
4
The correct answer is D because:

Plants lose water through transpiration. Water vapour can diffuse out of the leaves
through the stomata. This water vapour comes from the spongy cells within the leaf;
water will evaporate from the surface of these cells.

A is incorrect because respiration produces water, but it is not the process by which
water is lost from the plant.

B is incorrect because translocation is the movement of nutrients and amino acids

through the phloem.

C is incorrect because photosynthesis requires water as a source of hydrogen to

produce carbohydrates.
5
The correct (false) statement is B. (in a potometer, an air bubble moves away from the
piece of plant tissue that is under investigation) because:

The air bubble moves towards the plant. the transpiration stream pulls water into the
xylem at the bottom of the piece of plant. The bubble moves with the water, therefore
towards the plant.

A, C and D are all correct statements.

For A, the transpiration of water pulls water up from the potometer, provided there is a
tight seal between the end of the cut stem of the plant and the water supply beneath.

For C, the rate of reaction (or any process) always requires a measurement of time so
that, in this case, the speed of uptake of water per minute/hour can be measured and
stated quantitatively.

For D, water on the leaves may block stomata and prevent water vapour from diffusing
out, hence affecting the rate of transpiration.

12

The correct answer is B because:

Palisade mesophyll cells contain the most chloroplasts, followed by spongy mesophyll
cells. Guard cells contain a small number of chloroplasts (far fewer than either
mesophyll cell).

Palisade mesophyll cells are found towards the top of the leaf and therefore have
access to more sunlight hitting them than the cells of the spongy mesophyll; this is why
they contain greater numbers of chloroplasts than spongy mesophyll cells.

Guard cells have a smaller number of chloroplasts; they indirectly help control stomatal
opening and closing.

Epidermal cells in the leaf do not contain chloroplasts. Cells in the upper epidermal
layer need to allow light to penetrate the mesophyll layers below, and cells in the lower
epidermal layer do not receive enough sunlight to photosynthesise.
4
The correct answer is B (the size of the aquatic plant and time exposed to light.)
because:

 A smaller plant would photosynthesise less than a larger plant, affecting the
amount of gas produced each time
 The time of exposure to light is also a control variable as light is necessary for
photosynthesis to occur, so each time the experiment is run the plants should be
exposed to the same amount of light

A is incorrect because neither the beaker nor the funnel will affect the rate of
photosynthesis.

C is incorrect because water is already in excess, the exact amount is not important as
long as there is water in the measuring cylinder to be displaced by any gas produced by
the plant and readings are taken before and after each experiment.
D is incorrect because the amount of gas in the measuring cylinder is the dependent
variable, not a control variable.
14
The correct answer is B because:

 Glucose is converted into cellulose which is needed to form cell walls

 Glucose is converted into starch for storage within the cell, as starch is insoluble
and therefore doesn’t influence water levels in the cells (glucose is soluble and
can affect osmosis)
 Glucose is also converted to fats and oils for energy storage in seeds

A and D are incorrect because cellulose is not used for storage and starch is not used
to build cell walls.

C is incorrect because glucose is converted into sucrose to be transported around the

plant (via the phloem), but cellulose is not used for storage.

15

The correct answer is D because:

In the presence of low levels of carbon dioxide hydrogencarbonate indicator changes

colour from red to purple, whereas in high levels of carbon dioxide hydrogencarbonate
indicator changes colour from red to yellow.

The leaf in the test tube on the left is able to photosynthesise as it is exposed to light,
so carbon dioxide is absorbed from the air surrounding the leaf, lowering the level of
carbon dioxide so that the indicator turns purple. Even though the plant leaf will be
respiring, the rate of respiration will probably be lower than the rate of photosynthesis.

The leaf in the test tube on the right is not exposed to light and so will not
photosynthesise (it is in the dark). However, it will respire, producing carbon dioxide.
Levels of carbon dioxide in the air surrounding the leaf increase, turning the indicator
yellow.