Unit 3 AOS 2: Quarantined school-assessed coursework

TASK, INCLUDING STIMULUS MATERIAL

Respond to the following questions. Use the mark allocation as a guide to the required depth.

Plants are an example of a photosynthetic organism. With the aid of light, they can create organic
molecules from inorganic molecules.

Photosynthesis is an endergonic process where plants form glucose from inorganic compounds.
Plants can undergo photosynthesis in three different ways, depending on how carbon fixation
occurs. C4 and CAM plants have evolved from ancestral C3 plants in response to changing
environments, enabling them to undergo photosynthesis in differing levels of CO2.

In this task, you will identify the limiting factors of C3, C4 and CAM plants, and how photosynthesis
varies between the three types of plants.

The graph below shows the effect of light intensity on carbon dioxide fixation

FIGURE 1 The effect of light intensity on carbon dioxide fixation

Source: Wang, C., Guo, L., Li, Y., & Wang, Z. (2012, December). Systematic comparison of C3 and C4
plants based on metabolic network analysis. In BMC systems biology (Vol. 6, No. S2, p. S9). BioMed
Central
 Unit 3 AOS 2: Quarantined school-assessed coursework

1. Define carbon fixation. 1 mark

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2. Write the balanced chemical equation for photosynthesis. 1 mark

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3. What are the inputs, outputs and locations of both stages of photosynthesis? 2 marks

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4. With reference to figure 1, what effect does light intensity have on a C3 plant compared to a C4
plant? 2 marks

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 Unit 3 AOS 2: Quarantined school-assessed coursework

5. On figure 1, add a line that would show the effect of light intensity on carbon fixation of a CAM
plant. 1 mark

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6. With reference to your response to question 5, explain why you chose to place the line in its
given location. 1 mark

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7. Jade and pineapple are two examples of CAM plants. They are adapted to arid and dry
conditions and convert carbon dioxide into a 4-carbon molecule during the night. What
advantage does the plant derive from this process? 3 marks

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 Unit 3 AOS 2: Quarantined school-assessed coursework

Table 1 shows the effect of temperature on carbon dioxide changes in pineapple plants.

TABLE 1 Effect of two night temperatures on the mean net CO2 changes in pineapple plants
Night Day Plant CO2 exchange
Temp (oC) Duration (hr) Temp (oC) Duration (hr) Night Day
15 8 27.5 16 -1327 -805
35 8 27.5 16 +112 -2692
15 14 27.5 10 -1848 +284
35 14 27.5 10 -617 -2357
- = net CO2 uptake
+ = CO2 output

Source: Adapted from Neales, T. F. (1973). Effect of night temperature on the assimilation of carbon
dioxide by mature pineapple plants, Ananas comosus (L.) Merr. Australian Journal of Biological
Sciences, 26(3), 539–546.

8. What effect does temperature have on the rate of photosynthesis in pineapple plants during
the long day and short night? Use data from the table to support your answer. 2 marks

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9. Table 1 shows the effect of temperature on carbon dioxide changes in pineapple plants. What
effect does temperature have on the rate of photosynthesis in pineapple plants during the short
day and long night? Use data from the table to support your answer. 2 marks

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 Unit 3 AOS 2: Quarantined school-assessed coursework

10. Do CAM plants photosynthesise more during the short night or the long night? Use data to
support your answer. 3 marks

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11. With reference to Rubisco, predict what would happen to the rate of photosynthesis should the
temperature increase to 60 oC. Justify your response. 3 marks

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12. Table 1 shows both net gain and net loss of carbon dioxide. What can you infer about what is
occurring, and how do these rates rely on each other? 2 marks

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CRISPR, often referred to as molecular scissors, enables scientists to cut sequences of DNA from one
organism and insert it into another organism.
 Unit 3 AOS 2: Quarantined school-assessed coursework

13. Outline the steps required to insert genes from CAM plants into the genome of C3 plants.
4 marks

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 Unit 3 AOS 2: Quarantined school-assessed coursework

14. How could CRISPR be used to assist farmers in areas prone to drought to increase their crop
yield? 3 marks

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END OF ASSESSMENT