CAMBRIDGE IGCSE™ BIOLOGY: MID-POINT TEST ANSWERS

Mid-point test – answers

Test total: 41 marks
Question Answer Marks

1a P [1]; R [1] 2
Any one from:
1b streamlined; has a tail or flagellum for movement; has a haploid nucleus; has an 1 max.
acrosome; enzymes. [1]

2 C [1] 1

3a P = incisors, Q = canine [1] 1

(The use of teeth / chewing to) break down food into smaller pieces [1] without
3b chemical change to the food molecules. [1] 2
Benedict’s solution is used for the glucose test; [1]
Cellulose is a carbohydrate in plants; [1]
4 4
Amylase is a protein that breaks down starch; [1]
Biuret reagent is used to test for proteins. [1]

5a Q [1]; R [1] or S 2

5b gall bladder [1] 1

Bile emulsifies fat [1] which increases its surface area [1] for lipase to digest it into
fatty acids and glycerol / for chemical digestion. [1]
OR
5c 3
Bile is an alkaline mixture [1] that neutralises the acidic mixture of food and gastric
juices entering the duodenum from the stomach [1], to provide a suitable pH for
enzyme action. [1]

6a T [1] 1
Because vessel Q (the aorta) contains blood that is pumped out of the stronger left
6b ventricle [1] and because this blood needs to reach all parts of the body. [1] 2

6c This is a valve. [1] It prevents backflow of blood (from the ventricle to the atrium). [1] 2

7a R [1] 1
The cartilage rings give strength / support [1] to prevent structures Q and S from
7b collapsing during breathing. [1] 2
The contraction of the diaphragm will not be able to increase the volume of the
7c thorax [1] so the pressure inside the lungs will fail to fall [1]. Air will therefore not 3
enter the lungs. [1]

8 A [1] 1

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 CAMBRIDGE IGCSE™ BIOLOGY: MID-POINT TEST ANSWERS

Question Answer Marks

9 D [1] 1

10 a As stomatal aperture increases, the rate of transpiration increases. [1] 1

In moving air, transpiration is faster. [1] This is because water vapour diffuses more
10 b rapidly out of the stomata. [1] 2
Any one from:
10 c 1 max.
mass of plant; temperature; humidity. [1]
Percentage increase in transpiration rate for the plant in moving air = final stomatal
transpiration rate – initial rate ÷ initial rate × 100
= 250 – 10 ÷ 10 × 100 = 2400% [1]

10 d Percentage increase in transpiration rate for the plant in still air = final stomatal 3
transpiration rate – initial rate ÷ initial rate × 100
= 70 – 5 ÷ 5 × 100 = 1300% [1]

Difference between the two figures = 1100%. [1]

Excretion is defined as the removal of the toxic waste products of metabolism. [1]
It is one of the seven characteristics of life, and therefore is carried out by all living
11 organisms. [1] Egestion is only carried out by organisms with an alimentary canal – 4
e.g. mammals such as humans [1] because it is the removal of undigested material
from the intestines. [1]

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