1 Living organisms: variety and common features

■■1 Living organisms: variety and common

features
Using and interpreting data

Question Mark scheme Marks

1 a) • S = scale linear and uses at least half of the grid 4
• L = lines neat, straight and through points
• A1 + A2 = axes correct way round (x-axis for pH) and labelled (pH, Rate of
protein breakdown in arbitrary units)
• P = points accurately plotted
Rate of protein breakdown

100
90
/ arbitrary units

80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
pH

b) • pH 5.5 (accept value from student’s graph) 1

c) i) • pH 3 1
ii) • (an enzyme catalyses a reaction because) the active site has the right shape to 3
bind substrates / eq
• (when substrates bind to the active site) they are in the correct orientation for
reaction / the reaction is facilitated / eq
• changes in pH cause the active site to change shape / eq
• less able / unable to bind to substrate / eq
• at extremes of pH the active site changes shape permanently
• the enzyme is denatured
d) • rate of protein breakdown would be lower / slower (than 96) / eq 3
• rates of enzyme-catalysed reactions vary with temperature / eq
• at 20°C molecules have lower kinetic energy / fewer collisions / eq

e) • Add a few drops pf Buiret reagent to a sample of the original solution in a test tube and 2
mix / eq
• Look for the appearance of a violet / purple colour, which indicates protein is
present / eq
Total 14

1
 Mark schemes

Question Mark scheme Marks

2 a) i) • ( + )0.1 g 2
• − 0.4 g (must show minus sign or say there is a loss in mass)
ii) • 0.3 ÷ 1.9 × 100 2
• 16% (allow 15.7 or 15.8%)
(correct answer with no working = 2 marks)
b) i) • −24% (must show minus sign) 1
ii) • 0.24 M / 0.25 M 1
iii) • above 0.24 M / 0.25 M or 0.24 / 0.25 M to 0.8 M 1
c) • water moved out / left the potato cylinders / eq 3
• (water moved) from a more dilute solution in cells / cytoplasm / cell vacuole to a more
concentrated solution outside / eq
• through partially permeable / selectively permeable (cell) membrane / eq
Total 10

Practical activities
Question Mark scheme Marks
1 a) • grind / chop up / break down the food with a knife / scalpel / scissors / eq 2
• Mix fragments in a small volume of water / make a solution of fragments / dissolved
food molecules for testing / eq

b) glucose Benedict’s YES blue Red / orange 3

protein Biuret NO blue Violet / purple
starch Iodine solution NO yellow Blue / black
(Allow 1 mark per correct row)

Total 6

Question Mark scheme Marks

2 a) • the movement of molecules down a concentration gradient 2
• from regions of higher concentration to regions of lower concentration
b) i) • cube B surface area = 54 cm2 (6 × (3 × 3)) 2
• volume = 27 cm3 (3 × 3 × 3)
ii) • rate of diffusion (into each cube) depends on surface area to volume ratio 2
• higher surface area to volume ratio in cube A (or converse), OR surface area to
volume
ratio for cube A = 6 : 1or 6 and for cube B = 54 : 27 or 2 : 1or 54 or 2
1 27 1
• the dye penetrates cube A more quickly / dye has reached the centre of cube A, but only
the outer edge of cube B / eq

c) • shading shown further in, towards the centre 2

• at higher temperature dye molecules have more kinetic energy / molecules move / diffuse
more quickly
d) • small organism has a large surface area to volume ratio 2 max
• (therefore) oxygen diffuses rapidly into the centre / to all parts / eq
• larger organism has a smaller surface area to volume ratio, so diffusion alone too slow to
supply cells in the centre / eq
Total 10

2
 1 Living organisms: variety and common features

Understanding structure, function and processes

Question Mark scheme Marks
1 a) A - Plasmid 5
B - Cytoplasm
C - Cell wall
D - Cell membrane
E - Ribosome
b) Prokaryotic cell - its single circular chromosome is not present within a nucleus / eq 2
3
c) i) = 4/3 x 3.14 x 1 2
= 4.2 μm
3

ii) Eukaryotic cells - Any number larger than 4.2 1

iii) Bacterial cells (prokaryotes) do not possess mitochondria. 1

d) i) DNA 1
ii) Viruses are a strand of DNA within a protein coat. They require a host cell to replicate and 2
assemble.
Total 14

Question Mark scheme Marks

2 a) Plant cells can possess: 2
• chloroplasts
• permanent vacuoles
• cell walls
(These are not present in animal cells)

b) i) These are mitochondria. They are the scattered throughout the cytoplasm, where key 2
reactions of aerobic respiration take place.

ii) Chloroplasts 1
c) i) Starch (grains) 1
ii) Store of glucose 1
iii) Glycogen 1
Total 8

3
 Mark schemes

Question Mark scheme Marks

3 a) i) Award one mark for circular cell with smaller circular nucleus within it. Award 3
additional marks for correct labelling of nucleus, membrane and cytoplasm up to
a maximum of three.

ii) • yeast cell has a cell wall 2

• yeast cell has a large central vacuole
• yeast cell may have buds
(give appropriate credit for cheek cell differences from yeast cell)

b) i) Tissue 1
ii) • tissue: epithelium / muscle / connective tissue / nervous tissue / epidermis 3
/ xylem / phloem / mesophyll / eq
• organ: eye / heart / kidney / liver / lung / large or small intestine / ovary /
testis / flower / stem / leaf / root / eq
• system: digestive / endocrine / excretory / nervous / reproductive / skeletal / transport /
circulatory / eq

c) i) Stem cells can: 2

• differentiate / eq
• become other cells types / specialised cells / eq

ii) Stem cells may be used to; 3

• treat spinal injuries / paralysis / eq
• treat diseases like Parkinson’s / eq
• rebuild bones and cartilage / eq
• make replacement heart valves / eq

(Allow other suitable examples.)

Total 14

Applying principles
Question Mark scheme Marks
1 a) • A cell wall 3
• B cytoplasm
• C cell vacuole
b) i) (unboiled potato) 2
• liquid level inside well has risen / eq
• water level in dish has fallen / eq
ii) • water has moved into the well (from the potato) / eq 3
• water moves down concentration gradient from potato cells / vacuoles / eq or water
moves from dilute solution in cells / vacuoles / eq to more concentrated solution in well / eq
• (cell) membranes of potato cells are partially permeable / selectively permeable / eq
• water moves down concentration gradient from dish into potato cells / eq
iii) • boiling damages the cell membrane / eq 2
• (cell membrane) no longer partially permeable / becomes permeable / eq
Total 10

4
 1 Living organisms: variety and common features

Question Mark scheme Marks

2 a) i) • the cell on slide A is the same size / looks the same, as at the start / appears 2
biconcave / unchanged / eq
• the cell on slide B is smaller / not biconcave / wrinkled / eq
ii) • water moves out of the cell 3
• from more dilute solution inside cell to 3.0% salt solution / to more concentrated solution
outside cell / eq
• (through) partially permeable /selectively permeable cell membrane / eq
iii) • the concentration of the blood plasma stays the same / constant / eq 2
• the same as the concentration inside the red blood cells / eq
• reference to osmoregulation / homeostasis
b) • in active transport (molecules / substances) are moved against the concentration 2
gradient / in osmosis (molecules / substances) move down the concentration
gradient / eq
• active transport requires energy / osmosis does not require energy / osmosis is
passive / eq
• a range of different substances are moved by active transport / osmosis applies only to
water / eq
Total 9

Question Mark scheme Marks

3 a) • no starch in small cube / eq 2
• in large cube, no starch near the edges of the cube, but starch present in the centre / eq
b) • (starch in small cube) broken down (to sugar / maltose) / eq 2
• by amylase / enzyme / eq
c) • (in both) amylase diffuses into the cube / eq 3
• from high to low concentration (of amylase) / eq
• small cube has larger surface area to volume ratio / eq (or converse for large cube)
• in large cube, amylase does not reach the centre, but is small cube it does / eq
Total 7