TOPIC 6: MICROBIOLOGY, IMMUNITY AND FORENSICS

Chapter 6C: Decomposition and forensics

Question Answer Additional guidance Mark

number
1 A 1 and 2 only (1) (1)

(Total for Question 1 = 1 mark)

Question Answer Additional guidance Mark

number
2 Four from: (4)
• Running requires muscle contraction (1)
• which uses ATP and glycogen (1)
• so muscle stores of ATP are soon depleted (1)
• so myosin heads cannot detach from actin binding sites. (1)
• Muscle cells are permanently contracted. (1)

(Total for Question 2 = 4 marks)

Question Answer Additional guidance Mark

number
3 Eight from: (8)
• Colonisers – the body’s own anaerobic bacteria (1)
• Grow quickly in high concentrations of lactic acid (1)
• That have been produced by anaerobic respiration of muscle cells (after
death) (1)
• Begins in gut but (hydrolytic/digestive) enzymes break down cells/
connective tissue (1)
• Bacteria spread throughout body (1)

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 • Fly species attracted to body for food/moisture (1)
• Lay eggs in orifices/wounds (1)
• Larvae/maggots hatch and feed on tissues (1)
• Penetrate deeper into tissues (1)
• Larvae pupate and new adults lay more eggs so cycle repeats (1)
• Beetles lay eggs and their larvae feed on fly maggots (1)
• Parasitic wasps lay eggs in/on fly and beetle larvae (1)
• As body dries, cheese/coffin/carcass beetles arrive (1)
• Moths and mites feed on hair (1)

(Total for Question 3 = 8 marks)

Question Answer Additional guidance Mark

number
4(a) A microsatellite (1) (1)
4(b) Three from: (3)
• Each individual has two copies of chromosome 13 (in their somatic
cells)/each person/child inherits one copy chr 13 from their mother and
one from their father. (1)
• Child 1 has inherited chromosome 13 with 6 repeats from father and chr
13 with 98 repeats from mother. (1)
• Child 2 has inherited chr 13 with 142 repeats from each parent. (1)
• Child 3 has inherited chr 13 with 98 repeats form mother and a
chromosome 13 with 50 repeats from a different father. (1)
4(c) Three from: (3)
• Exons are coding regions. (1)
• Therefore little/no difference between (most) individuals. (1)
• But mutations occur during evolution. (1)
• So can identify species by distinct sequences within a particular exon.
(1)

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 (Total for Question 4 = 7 marks)

TOTAL FOR ASSESSMENT = 20 MARKS

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Copying permitted for purchasing institution only. This material is not copyright free. This document may have been altered from the original.