PP3 Followup Questions

1 Which option, A to D, describes the role of cholesterol in cell surface membranes in the human body?
A Cholesterol binds to phospholipid phosphate heads, increasing the packing of the membrane, therefore
reducing the fluidity of the membrane.
B Cholesterol binds to phospholipid fatty-acid tails, reducing the packing of the membrane, therefore
increasing the fluidity of the membrane.
C Cholesterol absorbs ATP, preventing active transport across the membrane.
D Cholesterol binds to phospholipid fatty-acid tails, increasing the packing of the membrane, therefore
reducing the fluidity of the membrane.
Your answer [1]
2 Which statement describes the properties or functions of cholesterol?
A It increases the fluidity of the phospholipid bilayer at high temperatures.

B It is an unsaturated fatty acid because it contains carbon–carbon double bonds.
C It is used to produce some hormones.
D It is very hydrophilic so is attracted to the fatty acid tails in the membrane.
Your answer [1]
3 Polymers are important molecules that have structural and functional roles in organisms.
Chitin is a polymer that is found in insects, where it forms a major part of the structure of the exoskeleton.
Chitin is a macromolecule that is similar to a polysaccharide.

Chitin is composed of molecules of N-acetylglucosamine, the structure of which is shown in the figure below.
The monomers of N-acetylglucosamine join by 1–4 glycosidic bonds to form the chitin molecule.
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(i) How does the composition of N-acetylglucosamine differ from the composition of a monosaccharide sugar?
[1]
(ii) Which monosaccharide sugar does N-acetylglucosamine most closely resemble?
[2]
(iii) Using your knowledge of the formation of structural polysaccharides, describe the formation of the chitin
molecule from its monomer and predict its structure.
[4]

4 Glucose, glycogen and amylose are carbohydrates.
Glycogen and amylose are used for energy storage.

Glycogen is found in animals.
Amylose is found in plants.
Describe how the structure of glycogen allows it to perform its function and explain the advantage to animals of
using glycogen as an energy store.
In your answer you should make clear the links between structure and function.
[7]

5 Cellulose is a polysaccharide that is present in some living organisms.
(i) Complete the following table to show three other differences in the structures of starch (amylose) and
cellulose molecules.
Amylose Cellulose
coiled no coiling
[3]
(ii) Which properties of cellulose make it suitable for forming cell walls?
[2]
6 Many multicellular organisms need to be able to convert monosaccharides into polysaccharides and back again.
Mammals convert the monosaccharide glucose into a highly branched polysaccharide called glycogen, which
gets stored in liver cells.
Explain why mammals store glycogen instead of glucose.
[3]

7 A program has been developed for vaccinations against the influenza virus and is updated yearly. It is
recommended that the vaccination be given to adults aged 65 years and over and those under 65 years with ‘at-
risk’ health conditions. However, not all the people in these groups take up the offer of the influenza vaccination.
The data in Fig. 4.1 show the number of influenza cases in four different environments within a single city during
three consecutive winter periods from 2015–2018.
Fig. 4.1
The data in Fig. 4.2 show the percentage uptake of the influenza vaccine in four different environments in the
same city during three consecutive winter periods from 2015–2018.
Fig. 4.2

A student looking at the data in Fig. 4.1 and Fig. 4.2 made the following conclusion:
‘The data shows that a vaccination program is a successful way of reducing influenza cases in this city, as there
is a direct correlation between uptake of the influenza vaccine and the number of influenza cases.’
Evaluate the validity of this statement, based on the data in Fig. 4.1 and Fig. 4.2.
[4]

8 The specific immune system is based on white blood cells called lymphocytes.
A student wrote the following passage in an essay on the immune system.
Immunisation programmes involve injecting individuals with a small amount of the safe antibody, known as a
vaccine. In the UK, babies are given routine vaccinations against a range of infectious diseases including
diphtheria and measles. These injections provide a form of natural passive immunity that may last a year, a few
years or a lifetime.
State three errors that the student has made in this passage.
[3]

9 Fig. 22 shows four nucleotides.
Fig. 22
On Fig. 22, draw and label the bonds holding the nucleotides together as part of a DNA molecule.
[2]
10 DNA is arguably the most important molecule in the whole of biology.
When a cell divides an identical copy of its DNA is made in a process called DNA replication.
Explain how pairing of nitrogenous bases allows identical copies of DNA to be made.
[3]

11 A DNA molecule contains polynucleotide strands.
(i) Individual nucleotides are joined together to make a polynucleotide strand.
What type of chemical reaction takes place when two nucleotides in a single polynucleotide strand are
joined together?
[1]
(ii) Name the chemical released when the bond is formed between the two nucleotides.
[1]
(iii) A DNA molecule contains two polynucleotide chains.
Describe how these two chains are held together.
[3]
END OF QUESTION PAPER

Mark Scheme
Question Answer/Indicative content Marks Guidance
1 D✔ 1 ACCEPT A
Examiner’s Comments
Candidates could reasonably suggest

either A or D as correct answers and both
were credited in order to be fair to
candidates.
Total 1
2 C 1
(AO1.1) Examiner’s Comments
Candidates who performed well on this

question paper recognised that cholesterol
is used to produce steroid hormones and
chose option C as the correct response.
Option A was the most common incorrect
response with candidates associating
cholesterol with membrane fluidity, without
understanding that at high temperatures
cholesterol decreases membrane fluidity to
stabilise the phospholipid bilayer.
Total 1

Mark Scheme
3 i it contains, N / nitrogen 1 CREDIT any correct ref to the

or nitrogen‐containing group in Fig. 3.1
monosaccharide does not contain nitrogen NHCOCH3
✔ ACCEPT ‘OH is replaced with NHCOCH3’
or
‘NHCOCH3 is replaced with OH’
ACCEPT ref to H not being twice C / 15 H
instead of 12 / 8 C instead of 6
ACCEPT has no OH on carbon 2
ACCEPT ‘monosaccharide only contains
C, H & O’
DO NOT CREDIT ‘it has a nitrogen

molecule’
Examiner's Comments
Candidates' understanding of biochemistry

was generally good. The mechanism of a
condensation reaction was well known,
although some candidates confused
glycosidic and peptide bonds.
The presence of the N in various forms

was generally recognised.
ii beta / β ✔ 2 IGNORE alpha /α

DO NOT CREDIT B / b / beta pleated
glucose ✔ sheet
Examiner's Comments
Many candidates correctly suggested beta

glucose, although some failed to specify
the type of glucose or incorrectly
suggested alpha. If using the symbol for
beta, rather than writing it in full, it should
be stressed to candidates that the symbol
must be unambiguous and clearly
distinguishable from the letter B.
Consequently, β needed to have a clear
‘tail’ so as not to be confused with B. (B or
b were not acceptable answers because of
the potential confusion with protein
structure.)

Mark Scheme
iii four from 4 IGNORE ref to 1‐4 linkage & glycosidic (as
1 (in chitin glycosidic bond(s) formed by) given in Q)
condensation ✔ ACCEPT shown on a diagram
2 (molecule of) H2O / water, produced /

released ✔
3 alternate monomers are, upside‐down / 3 ACCEPT sugars / units / residues /

flipped / rotated through 180° ✔ molecules
DO NOT CREDIT glucose
4 because of the position of the, OH / H,
on carbon 1 ✔ 4 Must be a clear statement
ACCEPT the 2 OH groups cannot, line up /
bond
5 forms a, straight / linear / unbranched,
chain / molecule / polymer ✔ 5 IGNORE ref to branching
IGNORE ref to polysaccharide
6 similar to cellulose ✔
6 ACCEPT ref to H bonds crosslinking
between, molecules / chains
Examiner's Comments
Many candidates gained 2 out of the 4

possible marks. These tended to be the
mark points for condensation reaction and
the water released. There were some
excellent answers from candidates who
applied their scientific knowledge and
explained fully how chitin could be formed
to gain all 4 marks. The need to ‘flip’
alternate monomers was recognised but
few managed to clearly explain why this
was necessary. The similarity to cellulose
was identified but some were unable to
distinguish between the monomer and
polymer, stating that chitin molecules are
joined to each other by glycosidic bonds.
Weaker answers strayed into descriptions
of alpha helixes and beta pleated sheets.
Total 7

Mark Scheme
4 G1 (contains α–) glucose which is, a 6

respiratory substrate / used in respiration;
G2 (glycogen) can be, broken down / G2 ACCEPT (glycogen) phosphorylase /
hydrolysed / digested, by enzymes; transferase / (α1-6) glucosidase / amylase
S1 polymer / polysaccharide / S1 IGNORE many glucose monomers

macromolecule / large molecule / long
chains;
S2 insoluble;
S3 does not affect, water potential / Ψ; S3 IGNORE refs to osmosis
C (compact so) energy dense / large C ACCEPT dense so can store a lot of
amount of energy in small volume; energy
C ACCEPT space / mass, as AW for
B1 (also) 1–6 glycosidic bonds (at volume
branches);
B2 branched;
B3 multiple sites / greater surface area /
AW, for, breakdown / (named) enzyme
activity;
B4 quickly, broken down / glucose can be B4 IGNORE easily
removed quickly; B4 IGNORE energy release for this
marking point
A1 animals / feature of animal's lifestyle, A1 ACCEPT ‘they’ as AW for ‘animal’

require, rapid / AW, energy / ATP, release; A1 must be a direct statement related to an
animal's lifestyle, e.g. exercise / muscle
contraction / (animal) movement
A2 animals have high(er) metabolic rate;

Mark Scheme
QWC – linking structure to function 1 A 1 AWARD if, e.g. A1 and B2 are given
mark and 1 B mark;
Examiner's Comments
Many candidates made a reasonable

attempt at this extended answer question
although very few gained the maximum 7
marks. The QWC was rarely awarded as
this required engagement with the context
of the question and discussion of why
animals might benefit from faster
breakdown of an energy store. Most of the
marking points were regularly seen, apart
from the ‘A’ marks. Well‐prepared
candidates tended to achieve more marks
than poorly prepared candidates but what
really differentiated responses was the
number of mistakes. Some candidates
made so many errors with basic
biochemistry that, where they had written
something that on its own might be
creditworthy, they could not be awarded a
mark because it was associated with
something clearly incorrect. For example, a
candidate might have stated that the
structure is branched, and thus potentially
gain marking point B2; however, if they
stated that it is branched because it
contains amylopectin (or even amylose)
then B2 could not be awarded at that point.
The rather imprecise term ‘easy’ was used
by many candidates, which on this
occasion did not attract any credit, unlike
more precise references to speed.
Total 7

Mark Scheme
5 i 3 Mark the first 3 responses

AWARD 1 mark for each correct row
irrespective of boxes
Three correct rows of responses written
within the same box can be awarded 3
points.
ACCEPT every second one is flipped
ACCEPT fibres / microfibrils / fibrils /

macrofibrils
DO NOT CREDIT myofibrils
ACCEPT grains
ACCEPT ‘(cross)links’ as AW for ‘bonds’
Examiner's Comments
This question was not answered well. Most

candidates gained 1 or 2 marks, usually for
identifying α- and β-glucose as subunits,
the fibrous nature of cellulose or the
arrangement of hydrogen bonding. Few got
full marks. A significant minority used
terms associated with protein structure and
gained no credit. Similarly, many
candidates gave differences relating to
function rather than structure and gained
no credit. A large number of candidates
answered as if one of the molecules they
were describing was glycogen, as
reference to 1-6 bonds and branches was
often seen. Candidates who did not
compare like with like within a given row
were not credited, nor were responses that
were written in a 4th or 5th row.

Mark Scheme
ii (tensile) strength / strong; 2 max ACCEPT mechanical strength

IGNORE fibrous / rigid
(H) bonds / links, can form (between
adjacent fibrils); ACCEPT fibres / microfibrils / fibrils /
macrofibrils
IGNORE refs to bonding with water
IGNORE ionic / myofibrils
ACCEPT crosslinks
DO NOT CREDIT peptide / covalent /
insoluble; glycosidic / disulfide etc
Examiner's Comments
Many gained 2 marks here for ‘strong’ and

‘insoluble’. Those that attempted to
describe binding between molecules
sometimes failed to provide enough detail
or were not given the mark because of
incorrect or contradictory science. A
significant number of candidates discussed
the permeability of the cell wall and gained
no credit.
Total 5

Mark Scheme
6 3 ACCEPT ORA for glucose for mps 1, 2 3 &

4 only
glycogen is
1 insoluble, so has no effect on, water 1 ACCEPT insoluble so has no osmotic

potential / Ψ (of cell) ✔ effect (on cell)
2 metabolically inactive ✔
3 compact / lots can be stored in a small

space ✔
4 able to store, large amounts / lots, of

energy ✔
5 (highly branched so) has lots of ends 5 IGNORE ref to surface area
for, adding / removing, glucose (when
needed)
or
can be broken down, fast / quickly /
rapidly, to release glucose ✔ Note:
‘compact so can store large amounts of
energy’ = 2 marks (mps 3 & 4)
Examiner’s Comments
Candidates understood that glycogen is

more compact than glucose, but didn’t
usually go on to explain that it stores large
amounts of energy. Many commented that
glycogen is insoluble, but didn't explain
that it can be stored without any water
potential implications for cells.
A large number of candidates substituted

‘energy’ for ‘glucose’ when describing how
the structure of glycogen allows a rapid
release of glucose. There was a tendency
to describe removal of glucose as ‘easy’
rather than ‘fast’. The highly branched
structure was noted but not explained
further in terms of the idea of lots of ‘ends’
for rapid hydrolysis.
A significant minority of candidates

appeared to have little understanding of
glucose and glycogen structure, e.g.
seeming to be unaware that glycogen was
a polymer of glucose or making statements

Mark Scheme
about the number of branches in glucose

molecules.
Total 3

Mark Scheme
7 1 data (as a whole) do not show, direct / 4 max max 3 if do not state mp1
positive / indirect / negative / any, (AO3.1)
correlation ✓ (AO3.2) ALLOW ora conclusion / trend, student
describes is, indirect / negative correlation
2 direct / positive, correlation is opposite to,
conclusion / trend, student describes ✓ ALLOW ‘flu case figures + / – 20 for mp 7
3 rest home time trend supports negative Number of ‘flu cases

correlation / as % vaccination decreases 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18
number of flu cases increases in rest rest 240 890 1690
homes / when vaccination higher flu cases homes
lower ✓ hospitals 120 170 240
schools 280 60 170
4 schools trend supports positive other 40 20 60
correlation / as % vaccination decreases
number of flu cases decreases in schools / Percentage uptake of vaccine
when vaccination higher flu cases higher ✓ 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18
rest 77 75 70
5 hospitals / other, trends show no homes
correlation / as % vaccination decreases hospitals 57 60 59
number of flu cases may increase or schools 42 36 38
decrease or stay the same ✓ other 70 67 50
6 idea that need to plot % vaccination 8 only three years studied /

against number of flu cases to judge small sample sizes /
correlation / uptake and cases highest in not a comparison of standardised groups /
rest homes ✓ case numbers not per 100, 000 /
percentages /
7 compare figures from 2 years for one age / gender / other health problems, not
group OR from 2 groups for one year OR controlled
rest homes and other both at 70% uptake
✓ Examiner’s Comments
8 limitation of data ✓ This question provided a challenge as

candidates needed to integrate two graphs
and evaluate their findings in the light of a
student statement that included a
contradiction. A general exam technique tip
is to use all the classes of data in the
answer. In this question that would mean
commenting on results from rest homes,
schools, hospitals and other. A teaching tip
is to show candidates examples of positive
(direct) and negative (indirect) correlations
on scattergraphs. Dose response curves
illustrate that effective medical
interventions produce a negative
correlation when drug dose is plotted
against disease incidence or prevalence or

Mark Scheme
against mortality.
Total 4
8 antibodies not used / should say antigens 3 IGNORE refs to attenuated pathogen
used ✓
not natural (immunity) / should say artificial Examiner’s Comments
(immunity) ✓
not passive (immunity) / should say active Candidates were asked to ‘state three
(immunity) ✓ errors’. Many candidates also wanted to
correct the errors and it was sometimes
difficult to ascertain whether the responses
written were the errors or corrections for
those errors. In this situation it may be
beneficial for candidates to be creative in
their response and use a small table in
which the column headings are ‘error’ and
‘correction’. Candidates could use tables
and bullet points in their responses if these
would help to make the response clearer.
Most candidates achieved full marks here.
There was some confusion over what
vaccinations are routinely provided. Many
candidates referred to dead or weakened
pathogens being injected rather than
antigenic material.
Total 3
9 bond drawn between phosphate and 2

carbon 3 of sugar ACCEPT just one phosphodiester bond
and drawn
labelled phosphodiester bond ✓
two bonds drawn between bases T & A

and
three bonds between C & G
and
labelled hydrogen bonds ✓
Total 2

Mark Scheme
10 three from 3
adenine / A pairs with thymine / T and
cytosine / C pairs with guanine / G (1)
(because of) hydrogen bonding (1) ALLOW 2 H bonds between A and T and 3
H bonds between C and G.
idea that purine can only bind with
pyrimidine because they are different sizes
(1)
idea that if one base is known it can pair

with only one other base (1)
Total 3

Mark Scheme
11 i 1 If additional incorrect answer given, then 0

condensation ✔ marks
ACCEPT esterification
Examiner's Comments
Most candidates identified the correct

reaction involved and stated that the
chemical released was water. Esterification
also gained credit for some candidates. A
minority of candidates wrongly answered
hydrolysis, with hydrogen given off.
ii 1 If additional incorrect answer given, then 0

water ✔ marks
ACCEPT H2O (correct formula only)
Examiner's Comments
Most candidates identified the correct

reaction involved and stated that the
chemical released was water. Esterification
also gained credit for some candidates. A
minority of candidates wrongly answered
hydrolysis, with hydrogen given off.

Mark Scheme
iii max 3 IGNORE antiparallel

1 phosphodiester bonds in, backbone /
described ✔ 1 ACCEPT covalent bond in backbone
2 hydrogen / H, bonds / bonding (between 2 DO NOT CREDIT if other bond

chains / bases) ✔ mentioned to connect between the two
chains
DO NOT CREDIT H+ bonds
IGNORE strength of bond
3 purine to pyrimidine / A to T and C to G 3 DO NOT CREDIT thiamine / cysteine /

✔ adenosine
4 ref to correct number of bonds between

base pairs (A-T & C-G) ✔
Note:
‘Two bonds between A and T and three
bonds between C and G’ = 2 marks (mp 3
and mp 4)
‘Two hydrogen bonds between A and T
and three hydrogen bonds between C and
G’ = 3 marks (mp 2, mp 3 and mp 4)
Examiner's Comments
Generally this was a well answered

question with candidates recalling correctly
the base pairs and the relevant number of
hydrogen bonds between the pairs. Fewer
candidates were able to describe the
correct location of the phosphodiester bond
in the sugar‐phosphate backbone. A few
candidates were unsure of DNA structure,
incorrectly identifying them as polypeptides
and then going on to list the bonds found in
protein structure.
Total 5
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1 Which option, A to D, describes the role of cholesterol in cell surface membranes in the human body?

Your answer [1]

2 Which statement describes the properties or functions of cholesterol?

A It increases the fluidity of the phospholipid bilayer at high temperatures.

Your answer [1]

Chitin is a macromolecule that is similar to a polysaccharide.

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(ii) Which monosaccharide sugar does N-acetylglucosamine most closely resemble?

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Glycogen and amylose are used for energy storage.

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Explain why mammals store glycogen instead of glucose.

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A student wrote the following passage in an essay on the immune system.

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(i) Individual nucleotides are joined together to make a polynucleotide strand.

(iii) A DNA molecule contains two polynucleotide chains.

Describe how these two chains are held together.

END OF QUESTION PAPER

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Question Answer/Indicative content Marks Guidance

Candidates could reasonably suggest

Candidates who performed well on this

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Question Answer/Indicative content Marks Guidance

3 i it contains, N / nitrogen 1 CREDIT any correct ref to the

DO NOT CREDIT ‘it has a nitrogen

Candidates' understanding of biochemistry

The presence of the N in various forms

ii beta / β ✔ 2 IGNORE alpha /α

Many candidates correctly suggested beta

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Question Answer/Indicative content Marks Guidance

2 (molecule of) H2O / water, produced /

3 alternate monomers are, upside‐down / 3 ACCEPT sugars / units / residues /

Many candidates gained 2 out of the 4

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Question Answer/Indicative content Marks Guidance

4 G1 (contains α–) glucose which is, a 6

S1 polymer / polysaccharide / S1 IGNORE many glucose monomers

A1 animals / feature of animal's lifestyle, A1 ACCEPT ‘they’ as AW for ‘animal’

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Question Answer/Indicative content Marks Guidance

Many candidates made a reasonable

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Question Answer/Indicative content Marks Guidance

5 i 3 Mark the first 3 responses

ACCEPT every second one is flipped

ACCEPT fibres / microfibrils / fibrils /

ACCEPT ‘(cross)links’ as AW for ‘bonds’

This question was not answered well. Most

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Question Answer/Indicative content Marks Guidance

ii (tensile) strength / strong; 2 max ACCEPT mechanical strength

Many gained 2 marks here for ‘strong’ and

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Question Answer/Indicative content Marks Guidance

6 3 ACCEPT ORA for glucose for mps 1, 2 3 &

1 insoluble, so has no effect on, water 1 ACCEPT insoluble so has no osmotic

3 compact / lots can be stored in a small