ROUND 3 (PROBLEM OF THE DAY)

1. A mule is the offspring of a horse and a donkey. A donkey’s sperm contains 31 chromosomes and a
horse egg cell 32 chromosomes; hence the zygote (which develops normally) contains a total of 63
chromosomes. The combined set of chromosomes is not a problem for mitosis. However, the mule is
sterile because meiosis cannot occur normally in its testes or ovaries. Explain why mitosis is normal in
cells containing both horse and donkey chromosomes but the mixed set of chromosomes interferes
with meiosis.

SOLUTION

In mitosis, chromosomes do not synapse i.e. each chromosome is on its own. Chromosome replication and
the separation of sister chromatids for each of the horse and the donkey’s chromosomes occur
independently. Therefore, mitotic divisions (starting with the zygote) are not impaired or affected.
However, in meiosis, homologous chromosomes pair or synapse at prophase I. this process of synapsis
cannot occur properly because horse and donkey chromosomes do not match in number or content.

2. The 5 test tubes labelled A-E below demonstrate how different types of bacteria based on their
oxygen requirement can be identified. They are grown in a test tubes containing thioglycollate
broth to show the growth of these bacteria with varying responses to oxygen. Each dot
represents an individual bacterial colony within the broth. Which group of bacteria is
represented by the letters A – E assuming that the oxygen content of the medium decreases
with depth until the medium has no oxygen towards the bottom of the tube?

SOLUTION

A = Microaerophiles; C = Obligate anaerobe

B = Aerotolerant bacteria; D = Obligate aerobe; E = Facultative anaerobe
 3. The passage below represents the cycle of plasmodium or malaria. Fill in the blank
spaces.

Plasmodium , which belongs to the phylum ………..A………, lives in the salivary glands of an
infected Anopheles mosquito which belongs to the order ……..B……. As the infected
Anopheles mosquito bites a healthy person in order to take a blood meal, it transmits
Plasmodium spores called ……..C…… into the bloodstream through its saliva. These circulate
in the bloodstream for few minutes and eventually move to the liver cells. In these cells, they
divide asexually, by a process called …….D…….., to produce several thousands of spores
called ……..E……... This causes the cells to rupture or burst to release the parasites, which
immediately infect the erythrocytes (red blood cells). In these cells, the the haemoglobin are fed
upon, and in the process a toxin called ………F…… is formed. Within the RBCs some of the
actively feeding parasites develop into ………G…….. which undergo asexual multiplication to
form ……H…….. . Some of the parasites develop into sexual forms called male and female
……..I……... When a female Anopheles mosquito bites an infected person, it picks both male
and the female parasite during the blood meal to start and complete the sexual stage of the
cycle. In the stomach of the infected Anopheles, the male and female parasites fused to form a
zygote. The zygote embeds in the lining of the stomach walls, and eventually forms the
infective stage called ………J…… which migrate into the salivary glands of the mosquito.

SOLUTION

Plasmodium , which belongs to the phylum Apicomplexa, lives in the salivary glands of an
infected Anopheles mosquito which belongs to the order Diptera. As the infected Anopheles
mosquito bites a healthy person in order to take a blood meal, it transmits Plasmodium spores
called sporozoites into the bloodstream through its saliva. These circulate in the bloodstream
for few minutes and eventually move to the liver cells. In these cells, they divide asexually, by a
process called schizogony (or multiple fission), to produce several thousands of spores called
merozoites. This causes the cells to rupture or burst to release the parasites, which immediately
infect the erythrocytes (red blood cells). In these cells, the the haemoglobin are fed upon, and in
the process a toxin called haemozoin is formed. Within the RBCs some of the actively feeding
parasites develop into trophozoites which undergo asexual multiplication to form schizonts.
Some of the parasites develop into sexual forms called male and female gametocyte. When a
female Anopheles mosquito bites an infected person, it picks both male and the female parasite
during the blood meal to start and complete the sexual stage of the cycle. In the stomach of the
infected Anopheles, the male and female parasites fused to form a zygote. The zygote embeds in
the lining of the stomach walls, and eventually forms the infective stage called sporozoites
which migrate into the salivary glands of the mosquito.
4. A technician needed to determine the blood group (type) of four individuals. To do this, the technician
set up four slides, one for each individual. The technician placed a drop of antibody A serum and a drop
of antibody B serum on each of the four slides (at different spots). He then mixed a drop of blood from
each individual into anti-A and anti-B sera on a different slide. The results of the four tests are shown
below. Use it to answer the questions that follow:

a. What name is given to the antigen-antibody reaction (as shown by the key)
b. Determine the blood group and the genotypes of each individual
c. Which of the four individuals have codominant blood group?
d. Assuming slide 2 person married slide 3 person, calculate the probability of given birth to a child with
anti-B in his blood plasma.
e. Which of these individuals can donate blood to the slide 4 person? Slide 1, 2 or 3

SOLUTION

a. Agglutination (1 mark)

b. (4 marks)
 Slide 1 individual has blood group A; and a genotype of IAIA or IAIO (IAi)
 Slide 2 person has blood group B; and a genotype of IBIB or IBIO (IBi)
 Slide 3 individual has blood group AB; and a genotype of I AIB
 Slide 4 individual has blood group O; and a genotype of I OIO or ii

c. slide 3 individual (1 mark)

d. ¼ (2 marks)
e. None of them (2 marks)
5. (I) The following events explain an outbreak of food poisoning in a factory canteen. Put the
events in the appropriate order.
(a) Pathogenic bacteria in intestine.
(b) Unwashed hands prepare food.
(c) Kitchen worker has intestinal disease.
(d) Outbreak of food poisoning.
(e) Pathogenic bacteria in faeces.
(f) Pathogenic bacteria get into food.
(g) Hands not washed after defecation.
(h) Faeces expelled in lavatory.
(i) Food ingested by healthy people.

(II) When a particular strain of bacteria is called 'resistant', what is it resistant to?

SOLUTION
(I) The most likely order of events is as follows:
(c) Kitchen worker has intestinal disease.
(a) Pathogenic bacteria present in intestine.
(e) Pathogenic bacteria in faeces.
(h) Faeces expelled in lavatory.
(g) Hands not washed after defecation.
(b) Unwashed hands prepare food.
(f) Pathogenic bacteria get into food.
(i) Food ingested by healthy people.
(d) Outbreak of food poisoning.

Note: (e) and (h) are interchangeable. (9 marks)

(II) Drugs or particular antibiotics (1 mark)

 6. A pair of mice has, on average, a litter of six babies. Assuming that there are equal numbers of
males and females in the litters, and also the offspring breed freely amongst themselves, how
many mice will there be after three generations?

SOLUTION

7. A student set up a potometer in the laboratory and measured the rate of movement of water in
the capillary. An average of four readings gave a rate of 50mm per minute. The apparatus was
then taken outside, where there was a light breeze. Four more readings were taken without
delay. The average of these readings was 130 mm per minute. The student concluded that
exposure of the shoot to rapid air movement had increased the rate of transpiration. Criticise
the design of the experiment and the student's conclusions.

SOLUTION

a) By taking the second set of readings 'without delay', the student did not allow time for a new rate
to become established. The student should either have waited for 5 minutes or, better, kept taking
readings until four of them were nearly the same.

b) When the apparatus was taken outside, several variables were changed, e.g. light intensity,
temperature, humidity and air movement. There is no way of knowing which of these was
contributing to the increased transpiration rate. It would have been better to vary just one
condition while remaining in the laboratory, e.g. moving the apparatus from shade to sunlight.
8.
a. Which one of the following is the most likely speed of conduction of a nerve impulse?
10 m/s; 50 m/s ; 1000 m/s.
b. Distinguish between nervous system and endocrine system in terms of the affected area?
c. A transverse section through the spinal cord is examined under the high power of the microscope.
Part of it looks like diagram A and part looks like diagram B. Which is grey matter and which is
white matter? Give reasons for your decision.

A B

d. Complete the passage below with the most appropriate

In a spinal reflex a …..A ….. organ is stimulated to produce a nerve impulse which travels in a …..
B ….. fibre to the ….. C ….. Here, the nerve fibre makes a …..D ….. with a relay …… E ….. which
transmits the impulse to a ….. F ….. fibre. This fibre conducts the impulse to an …..G ….. organ
such as muscle or …….H……..

SOLUTION

a. 50m/s (1 mark)

b. Nervous system is diffused whiles endocrine system is general [1 mark]

c. Diagram A represents nerve fibres cut in cross-section and therefore comes from white
matter. Diagram B shows multipolar neurones which constitute much of the grey matter. [4
marks]

d. In a spinal reflex, a sense (A) organ is stimulated to produce a nerve impulse which travels in a
sensory (B) fibre to the spinal cord (C). Here, the fibre makes a synapse (D) with a relay
neurone (E) which transmits the impulse to a motor (F) fibre. This fibre conducts the impulse
to an effector (G) organ such as a muscle or gland (H)

[4 marks; ½ mark each]