Biology – Common Mark Scheme Answers

PHOTOSYNTHESIS

Light hitting leaf is not used by chloroplasts –

- Due to reflection
- Incorrect wavelength
- It is transmitted, not hitting the chloroplasts

Structures in a chloroplast involved in light dependent reactions

- Thylakoids
- Made of membranes
- Arranged as stacks of grana
- Contains chlorophyll

Oxygen from Light dependent reactions

- Energy from light
- Photolysis occurs
- Of water
- Produces oxygen

Energy from light is made available in ATP molecules for synthesis

- Thylakoid membrane
- In Granum
- Electrons become excited due to increase in light energy/Photoexcitation
- Electrons released from chlorophyll
- Taken by an electron carrier
- Series of redox reactions occurs
- Photophosphorylation occurs
- Synthesis of ATP from ADP + P
- Electrons from photolysis replace those which have been lost

Role of microorganisms in the recycling of the carbon from these

Compounds.
- Decomposition
- Respiration
- Releases CO2 for photosynthesis
- Methane is released in anaerobic respiration

Site of carbon fixation is the Stroma of a chloroplast

Carbon Fixation
- Produces GP
- GP is converted into starch
- Faster carbon fixation means faster production of starch
- Increased GPP of crop

Net primary productivity

- Rate of production of energy incorporated into biomass
- Losses in respiration in plants
- GPP –
 ECOSYSTEMS

Explain what is meant by the term NICHE:

- Role/Purpose/Interaction
- Of an organism
- It is predator – controls prey population/it is prey – provides food for other
animals
- Provides shelter for some animals

GLOBAL WARMING
Global Warming –
- Less greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide & methane
- Greenhouse gases cause greenhouse effect
- Absorb/trap infrared radiation
- Reflected from the earth
- Decrease in greenhouse gases means decrease in greenhouse effect
- Temp of earth’s surface is less likely to rise
- Reduced climate change for example ice caps melting & crop failure

Reduction of fossil fuels will not prevent global warming

- Carbon dioxide is produced when using fossil fuels
- There is no evidence that CO2 causes global warming
- CO2 is released by respiration & population is growing
- Evidence from past is being used – lacks temporal
- Scientists may be bias in research

Changes for concentration in RuBP & GP –

- RuBP – rises due to regeneration
- Falls as being used to fix carbon dioxide
- GP – drops due to less Carbon dioxide to convert into GP

SPECIATION/EVOLUTION

Reproductively isolated populations

- No mating or reproduction
- Due to geographical barrier
- Different behaviours
- Incompatible genitalia
- Restricted gene flow

Genetic diversity in a species

- Variety of alleles
- In a gene pool
Two species from a single population
- Original population spreading to a wider diversity of habitats
- Mutations may occur
- Reproductive isolation may occur
- Restriction in gene flow between extremes in populations
- Different environmental factors in each region
- Plants adapt to the region
- Change in allele frequency over time

Genetic Mutation
- Change in nucleotides
- In DNA
- Causing a change in the sequence of amino acids

Plants growth
- Pioneer communities
- Able to grow in little/no soil
- Break up rock fragments to form thin soil
- Plants with short roots can grow in thin soil
- Soil structure changes allowing shrubs to grow
- Competition could affect growth

Climax community
- Both animals and plants have high biodiversity
- Species can interact with each other
- Balanced equilibrium of species
- Stable without any human influence

FORENSIC INVESTIGATIONS/DNA ANALYSIS

Gel electrophoresis
- Source of DNA sample, blood, saliva, semen
- Small samples of DNA can be amplified by PCR
- Restriction enzymes can be used to break down DNA
- Stain the DNA fragments/samples
- Show up as bars to compare
- Number of bands that match indicate similarity of DNA

Estimate time of death –

- More than one species of insect present
- Succession will have occurred
- Life cycles of insects are known/used
- This depends on the environmental temperature

Body temp. –
Drop in body temp. is linked to time after death
Factors affect the temp. body size/clothing/environmental temp
Only useful for short period of time after death
State of decomposition –
- Body decomposes in a specific sequence with time
- Factors affect decomposition – environmental temp/wounds
- Not useful if all body has decomposed

Factors that can influence the rate at which a body cools after death:
Body Mass
Clothing
Gender/Age
Temperature

Primary Structure of a Protein

- Sequence of bases determines the amino acid sequence
- One triplet codes for an amino acid
- DNA acts as a template
- Transcription occurs
- mRNA moves from nucleus to cytoplasm
- Translation occurs
- tRNA carries an amino acid
- Peptide bonds form between amino acids
- Primary structure is the sequence of the amino acids

Fibrous & Globular Proteins

- Fibrous –linear chains, Globular – spherical
- Globular are folder, Fibrous are not
- Globular are soluble, Fibrous are not

DNA –
- Pentose present in nucleotides
- Phosphodiester bonds
- Adenine, thymine, guanine, cytosine
RNA
- Polymer formed from a single strand of nucleotides

Transcription –
- DNA strands unzip
- One strand acts as a template
- Complementary base pairing occurs
- Hydrogen bonds form
- DNA helicase

Translation –
- Anticodon attaches to the codon/triplet on mRNA
- Peptide bonds are formed
DNA profiling
- Assumes every individuals DNA is unique
- apart from identical twins
- DNA profiling analyses non-coding blocks
- There is a large number of non-coding blocks
- Many combinations at each locus

MICROORGANISMS & DISEASE

HYDROLYSIS - type of chemical reaction involved in the digestion of cellulose by

enzymes.

GLUCOSE - most likely product of the digestion of cellulose by the bacteria.

Chemical nature of cellulose

- Polysaccharide
- Unbranched chain
- 1-4 glycosidic bonds

Special adaptations for bacteria –

- Low pH / Oxygen
- Acid destroys bacteria
- Anaerobic respiration
- Resistant to stomach enzymes

Effect of temp. on the rate of growth

- Enzymes involved in growth
- Molecules have more kinetic energy as temp. increases
- Enzyme & substrates collide more & more enzyme substrate complexes are
formed
- Some enzymes denature
- Rate of growth decreases as less enzyme molecules available

High light intensity investigation

- Each temp. has same light intensity
- Must be above the compensation point
- Below which, no photosynthesis takes place
- So temp. is the limiting factor not light

Non specific/Phagocytosis stages

- Bacteria with antigens enter the blood
- B cells produce antibodies which bind to antigens and label bacteria
- Labelled bacteria attach to antibodies receptors on macrophage
- Macrophage engulfs labelled bacteria by forming vacuoles
- Enzymes is released into the vacuoles to destroy the bacteria

Specific response
- Antigens are specific to each bacteria
- Antibodies need to be complementary to antigens
- So binding can take place
 - Antibodies already present from passive immunity/breast feeding

How organisms are taken up by macrophages

- Bacterium recognises it as nonself
- Phagocytosis occurs
- Vacuole is formed

advantage of using monoclonal antibodies, rather than polyclonal

- specific antigen
- specific monoclonal antibody
- specific treatment can be given
- more likely to be effective

PATHOGENS/ANTIBIOTICS/HIV/TB
Active immunity –
- Vaccine contains the antigen
- Activates specific lymphocyte
- B memory cells are produced
- Body can produce specific antibody at a higher concentration

INVESTIGATE DIFFERENT ANTIBIOTICS ON BACTERIA GROWTH

- Distribute bacteria on plate of agar
- Control of antibiotic conc.
- Using aseptic techniques
- Incubate at a suitable temperature
- Measure inhibition
- Repeat with same & different bacterium

Both Viruses and Bacteria are involved

Antibiotics only target bacteria
So other medication is needed for viruses

Reduction of antibiotics
- Some bacteria can resist antibiotics
- This can be passed on genetically

HIV Infection & CD4 Lymphocytes

- Glycoprotein on virus
- Binds with receptors
- On membrane of lymphocytes
- Viral RNA enters the lymphocytes
- And is used to produce Viral DNA
- Using reverse transcriptase
- T killer cells destroy T helper cells
HIV enters through T cells and phagocytic cells
- Binds to CD4 receptors
- On cells
- Fusion of virus with cell membrane
- Phagocytosis – macrophage