MICROORGANISMS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS IN BIOTECHNOLOGY

Biology Concepts

Name
Name of Candidate:………..…………………………..
of Candidate: ………………….……………………. Date: ……………
Date: ……………………..
Subject: Biology / 5090
Subject: Biology Total [Marks:
Total Marks: ] [21]

1. Fig. 1.1 shows a young plant with its roots submerged in a container filled with a solution containing
mineral salts and a coloured dye.

Fig. 1.2 shows a section of a root and Fig. 1.3 shows a section of a stem.

(a) (i) Shade in the tissue to identify where the coloured solution may be found in the section of the root,
Fig. 1.2 and stem, Fig. 1.3. [2]

(ii) Name the tissue, in both Fig. 1.2 and Fig. 1.3, that you have shaded.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… [1]

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 MICROORGANISMS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS IN BIOTECHNOLOGY
Biology Concepts

(b) (i) Name the structures through which most of the solution will be absorbed into the roots.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… [1]

(ii) Indicate by means of an arrow on Fig. 1.1, one place where these structures are shown. [1]

(c) Describe how you would compare the rate of uptake of the coloured solution by theplant in Fig. 1.1 with
another plant that has had its roots cut off.

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………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….[6]

[Total: 11]

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 MICROORGANISMS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS IN BIOTECHNOLOGY
Biology Concepts

2. Fig. 6.1 shows a section through a leaf.

(a) Name the parts of the leaf labelled A and B.

A ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

B ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… [2]

(b) One function of a leaf is gaseous exchange.

(i) Name the process by which gases move in or out of a leaf.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… [1]

(ii) On Fig. 6.1 label the stoma. [1]

(iii) Complete Table 6.1 by placing a tick ( ) in the appropriate column to show the movement of gases or
vapour through open stomata on a sunny, dry day. Give a reason for each of your answers.

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 MICROORGANISMS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS IN BIOTECHNOLOGY
Biology Concepts

[3]

(iv) Suggest how the movement of water vapour might be different if it was raining.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… [1]

(c) The vascular bundle delivers water to replace water lost by the leaf. On Fig. 6.1 name and label the
tissue in the vascular bundle that does this. [2]
[Total: 10]

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 MICROORGANISMS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS IN BIOTECHNOLOGY
Biology Concepts

EXAMINER REPORT
Question no 1:

This question was based on transport in plants, involving knowledge and location of the tissues and
planning an investigation.

(a) (i) and (ii) The printed diagrams showed TS root (Fig. 1.2) and TS of a stem (Fig. 2.2). Candidates
were asked to shade in the tissues where the coloured solution would be found. This coloured solution
would be taken up in the xylem. All possibilities were seen on different scripts, ranging from a complete
shading of the whole section to just the outer epidermal layers. The more able candidate did complete just
the xylem in the centre of the root and the inner half of the vascular bundles of the stem successfully.
Some candidates mistakenly shaded only the phloem in both sections and some shaded the xylem in the
root and phloem in the stem or vice versa.
Most candidates were able to name the tissue involved.

(b) (i) This question was generally well answered. Common errors seen included reference to leaves,
roots, root nodules, xylem.
(ii) Many candidates were able to indicate the root hair zones at the end of the roots by an arrow, as asked
in the rubric.
(c) It was obvious that some Centres had done more work on planning practical investigations and
prepared their candidates much better for this question than others. All possible points covered in the mark
scheme were seen.
There were four main types of answer
● Those candidates who were trying to set up two comparable experiments and tried to keep as many
factors as possible the same. The able candidates had obviously learned to consider all aspects of the
experiment and easily gained maximum marks.

● Those candidates who realised they should do the same experiment with a similar beaker method or a
potometer. These candidates gained marks for the measurements and possibly correct references to size
of plants and equal volumes of coloured solution, but they did not control environmental conditions such as
light or temperature, nor repeat the experiment.
● Those candidates who performed the experiment for the rooted plant as in Fig. 1.1 but then went on to
perform the experiment for the rootless plant with a photometer, so they were not able to compare the two.
● The less able candidates who did not perform an experiment at all, but described the expected results
and all the processes and pathways involved.

Question no 2:

Section (a) instructed candidates to name relevant parts of a leaf and many candidates translated this as a
request to name parts of a cell. Also a significant number who identified the two labelled parts as the
cuticle and upper epidermis gave their response in the answer spaces in the wrong order suggesting they
did not look carefully enough at the positioning of the two labels. In (b) transpiration, osmosis and
respiration were common erroneous answers. Candidates were far better at labelling a stoma, (b)(ii), than
naming and labelling the xylem, (c). In the latter response the tissue was more often correctly named as
xylem than in pointing to a xylem component, most commonly in these cases, the label line terminated in
the phloem. Another common error was labelling an air space as a stoma. Many candidates ticked the
relevant box in each row but gave inadequate reasons for their responses. Simply stating that
photosynthesis was not adequate and should have been “used up in” or “produced by / waste product of”
should have also been stated. In Section (b)(iv) very many responses stated that during rainfall water
vapour entered the leaf via the stomata.

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 MICROORGANISMS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS IN BIOTECHNOLOGY
Biology Concepts

MARK SCHEME
Question no 1:

(a) (i) shade in all of the central xylem; [if other tissues are shaded – these must include the piliferous layer
NOT the phloem]
shade in the innermost half of all vascular bundles; [2]
(ii) xylem ; [no ecf] [if more than one tissue is named = 0] [ignore ‘vessels’] [1]
(b) (i) root hair/root hair cells/reject hair roots; [1]
(ii) correct arrow indicating ‘end of root’; [if no arrow check on Fig.1.2] [1]
(c) use numbers by ticks to indicate point awarded.
1 same age( of shoot)/similar shoot/same number of leaves/same mass/weight; [ignore same length –
insufficient]
2 same species/same type;
3/4 same temperature/warmth/light/wind/humidity ;;
or same conditions = 1 (2 possible marks for identified conditions)
5 same apparatus/set-up/concentration of dye in container;
6 same volume/amount of liquid/water;
7 same time [A mins, hours, days – even few hours if applies to both set-ups];
8 repeats;
9 method of measuring uptake either by bubble method or loss of coloured solution/water or change in
colour of plant;
10 AVP e.g. cutting the plant under water or adding oil to surface of water to prevent evaporation;
[Max: 6]
[Total: 11]
Question no 2:

(a) A – epidermis/epidermal cell; B – cuticle; [2]

(b) (i) diffusion; [1]
(ii) a stoma correctly labelled; [1]

(iii) slow down/stop leaving leaf; [1]

(c) xylem position identified by label; correctly named; [2]
[Total 10]

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