SOUTH EAST EDUCATION DIVISION EXAMINATIONS

2023 MALAWI SCHOOL CERTIFICATE OF EDUACTION MOCK EXAMINATION

BIOLOGY
PAPER I
1. a. is a care given to a patient’s suffering from terminal illness
- special medical care for people with serious illness. (1 mark)
b. -Lessen pain for the patient
-lessen side effects of drugs
-prolong life
-provide moral and spiritual support (any 2x1)
2. a. Gall bladder (1 mark)
b. Its walls produce mucus which provide barrier for the action of enzymes.
c. Enzymes are produced in an inactive form and later are activated by other substances hence
important enzymes will not be produced resulting in failure of chemical digestion of some
food substances. (3 marks)
3. a. liver. (1 mark)
b. A----insulin (1 mark)
B-----Glucagon (1 mark)
c. Glucose will not be converted to glycogen/hence there will be high level of glucose in blood/
glucose will be excreted or appear in urine
4. a. Tracheids
- vessel elements
- xylem fibres (any 2x1)
b. It has companion cell (1mrk)/ to allow active transport(1mrk)
it has sieve plate(1mrk) which allow transportation of materials from one tube to another
(1 mrk)
(2 marks)
c. xylem transport water and mineral salts while phloem transports organic food substances
 Phloem does not offer support while xylem offers support in woody plants (2 marks)

5. a. fish has two chambers

Amphibians has three chambered heart
b. Using swim bladder (1mrk)/ which when filled with air fish floats (1mrk)/ or when its
deflated fish sinks
use of pelvic fins (1mrk)/ when raised the fish sinks or when lowered the fish floats
6. a. A- Normal Red blood cells (1 mark)
B- Sickle shaped red blood cells (1 mrk)
b. Heterozygous (1 mrk)
c. These individuals are malaria resistant (1 mrk)/ hence they survive (1mrk) in malaria
regions
7. a. XB Xb (1mrk)
b. Zero Chance, because a girl will get a normal X from the father (2mrks)
8. a. Veins Arteries
-Carry blood without oxygen except - carry blood with oxygen
Pulmonary vein except pulmonary arteries
- Carry blood with less nutrients -carry blood with more nutrients
-Transport blood towards heart - transport blood from the heart
(2 marks) (3 marks)
b. Capillaries leaky/porous to facilitate exchange of materials
- one cell thick provide short distance for substances to diffuse
- They are numerous to increase surface area for exchange of materials
(any 2 x 2)
c. Heart failure is when the heart fails to pump (1 mrk) enough blood while Cardiac arrest is
when the heart stops (1 mrk) pumping blood due to electrical malfunction.(muscles can not
contract)
 (2 marks)
9. a. Plant response to stimulus of touch (1 mrk)
b. i. Gravity (1 mrk)
ii. A (1 mrk): high concentration of auxins in shoots retards growth (1 mrk) making the lower
side to grow more (1mrk) than the upper side, making the root to respond positively to gravity
(1 mrk). ( 4 marks)
iii. B- High concentration of auxins in shoots enhances growth (1 mrk) making the lower side
of the shoot to grow more (1mrk) than the upper side making the shoot to bend upward
(3 marks)
10. a. A (1 mrk)
C (1 mrk)
b. They will be transported against concentration gradient (1 mrk) using energy (1 mrk)
They are absorbed through active transport where energy is used.
(2 marks)
c. -glucose
-amino acids
-salts
-Vitamins
Any 2 x 2
d. Urea is a waste substance (1 mark)
e. Creatinine, ammonia, uric acid, drugs, alcohol, used hormones
11. a. proclactin
b - Has colostrum (1 mrk) = provide antibodies for protection
- improve emotional (1mrk) = support between mother and child
-its safe (1 mrk) = it can’t cause infection
-constantly changes in nutrient content to suit the babies need
Any 2 x 2
c. Rhythmic method (1mrk)- no sex during fertile period (1 mrk)
 - abstinence – No sexual intercourse
ESSAY QUESTIONS
12. – identify human insulin gene and the bacteria from which the plasmid is extracted (E.coil)
(2mrks)
-Remove a plasmid from E.Coli bacteria and cut it open using restriction enzyme (2mrks)
- Insert the foreign gene into the plasmid using ligase enzyme. Replace the plasmid back into
- Culture the bacteria in fermenters with nutrients to multiply bacteria into millions. (2 mrks)
- Harvest contents of bacteria and extract insulin, purify it ready for use. (2 marks)

13. Patient is connected to the machine by inserting a catheter into an artery connecting to a
flexible tube leading to the machine and return to a vein.
- Dialysis tube is semipermeable hence protein blood cells are large to escape patients blood.
- Dialysis fluid has 20ml concentration as of glucose, amino acids, salt acids and glycerol and
ions to that of blood to prevent loss of these nutrients through diffusion
- Dialysis of fluid has no concentration of urea hence urea and some other wastes diffuse from
blood to the machine
- Heparine is added to prevent blood clotting as it circulates in the machine
- A bubble trap removes gases from the blood returning to the body to prevent air thrombosis
- A pump draws blood from artery
14. - Vector transmitted (1mrk) and prevented by controlling population (1 mrk) of vectors using
insecticides
- Water borne and prevented by water treatment
- Through food and prevented by covering the food, cooking thoroughly, wash fresh food
- Through air prevention by isolation, mask wearing, ventilated rooms, avoid overcrowding
- Through body contact; prevented by avoiding sharing clothes, shaking hands, body contact
Any 5 x 2