Rhabdostyla is a single-celled organism that has (no cell wall)and (no chlorophyll.

(a) Gases are exchanged across the cell membrane of Rhabdostyla.

Name: Rhabdostyla
cos
the gas produced by Rhabdostyla ....................................................................................
Respiration
the process that produces the gas ...................................................................................
diffusion
the method of removal of the gas .....................................................................................

[3]

Rhabdostyla lives in freshwater habitats, such as ponds, lakes and rivers.

Freshwater has a very low concentration of solutes.

Rhabdostyla has a contractile vacuole that fills with water and empties at intervals as shown in
Fig. 4.1. The contractile vacuole removes excess water.

contractile
vacuole
contractile
vacuole expels
excess water

n ot dra w n to s c ale

Fig. 4.1

(b) Explain, using the term water potential, why Rhabdostyla needs to remove excess water.

water enters the plant by osmosis

...........................................................................................................................................
-

water travel from a high water potential gradient to a low water potential through the
...........................................................................................................................................
-

semipermeable membrane
...........................................................................................................................................
water needs to be removed to prevent bursting
...........................................................................................................................................
-

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................... [3]

PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com
 In an investigation, individual Rhabdostyla were placed into different concentrations of sea water.
The rate of water excreted by the contractile vacuole of each organism was determined. The results
are shown in Fig. 4.2.

20

18

16 §É •
÷

¥÷ÉEÉ .;!;
3

14

÷ ÷ :;÷ :÷
3
12 .

rate of
water
excreted
/ µm 3 s –1
10

8
-

§
É
A
ÉÉ¥
.

or 3

6 0

4 i
5-
E
.

uÉÉ
2
É:
0
0 4 12
concentration of se a water / %

Fig. 4.2

(c) Explain the results shown in Fig. 4.2.

-

As concentration of sea water increase, the rate of water excreted

...........................................................................................................................................

would decrease
...........................................................................................................................................
As the concentration of sea water increase, sea water potential gradient
...........................................................................................................................................
-

decrease this would cause the total water potential decrease

...........................................................................................................................................
,

So less water enters at high concentration of sea water

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................... [3]

PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com
(d) Single-celled organisms with cell walls do not have contractile vacuoles. Suggest why.
-

Cell wall are in inelastic

...........................................................................................................................................
-

Cells have high turgor pressure

...........................................................................................................................................
-

Cells do not absorb excess water

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................... [3]

[Total: 12]

PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com
 Water moves into plants from the soil and exits through the leaves.

(a) Explain how water moves from the soil into the root.
-
Water diffuse into the root hair cell by osmosis
...................................................................................................................................................
-

Water travels from high water potential to low water potential gradient
...................................................................................................................................................
-

Water travels through the semipermeable membrane

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................................[4]

Water reaches the leaves from the roots through the xylem. Fig. 4.1 shows images of stomata
on the lower surfaces of leaves of two varieties of olive plant, A and B. Both are shown at the
same magnification.

% A
0
B

Fig. 4.1

(b) (i) Describe the function of stomata.

-

Guard cells regulate whether the stomata open or closed

...........................................................................................................................................
-

to allow C02 in and regulate the loss of water vapour during

...........................................................................................................................................

transpiration
...........................................................................................................................................
-

enables water to pulled up the plant

...........................................................................................................................................

.......................................................................................................................................[2]

PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com
 (ii) Compare the density of stomata between the two varieties of olive plant, A and B, shown
in Fig. 4.1.

more stomata in variety A less stomata in variety A

-

...........................................................................................................................................
,

more dense in
variety A , less dense in variety B
-

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

.......................................................................................................................................[2]

(iii) Under identical environmental conditions the rate of water uptake in plant A is higher
than plant B.

Explain why.
-

density of stomata in variety A is higher

...........................................................................................................................................
.

More transpiration loss of water vapour from the plant cools the plant
...........................................................................................................................................
,

down when the weather is very hot

...........................................................................................................................................
-

loss of water from lowers the water potential gradient

...........................................................................................................................................
-

creates tension in water in xylem rate of water uptake increase

...........................................................................................................................................
.

...........................................................................................................................................

.......................................................................................................................................[3]

(c) The density of stomata is an example of a leaf adaptation to the environmental conditions.

State two other adaptations of leaves for survival in a dry environment.

-

Smaller leaf surface area

...................................................................................................................................................
-

sunken stomata
...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................................[2]

PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com
 (d) Water lost from the leaves enters the atmosphere.

Describe how water is recycled from the atmosphere back to the roots.
-

Water vapour
in atmosphere condenses to form clouds
...................................................................................................................................................
-

clouds causes rainwater to drop into river

...................................................................................................................................................
-

water in river down to soil

goes
...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................................[2]

[Total: 15]

PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com
 E cologists study plants and animals in their natural environment.
Some ecologists inserted probes into the water-conducting tissue in tre es, as shown in Fig. 4.1.
The ecologists me asured the time taken for water to move up from probe 1 to probe 2.

tre e probe 2
probe 1

data logger

Fig. 4.1

(a) (i) N ame the water-conducting tissue into which the two probes were inserted.

Xylem
..................................................................................................................................... [1]

(ii) D escribe how the structure of this water-conducting tissue is adapted to its function.

they lose their end walls so the xylem forms a continuous

-

...........................................................................................................................................
,

hollow tube
...........................................................................................................................................

strengthened by a substance called lignin , ling gives strength

in and
-

...........................................................................................................................................

support to the plant

...........................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [2]

PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com
 (b) E xplain the mechanism of water movement from the roots up the tre e to the le aves.
-

Water enters root hair cells osmosis by

...................................................................................................................................................
-

As the water enters the cell it water potential becomes high than in the
...................................................................................................................................................
,

cell next to it
...................................................................................................................................................

Capillary action which involved cohesive force and adhesive force causes
-

...................................................................................................................................................

water to travel up its own

...................................................................................................................................................
-

transpiration continuo sly removes water from the leaf

...................................................................................................................................................
-

this reduces the effective pressure at the top of the xylem vessels
...................................................................................................................................................
therefore it creates a transpiration stream
pulling water up
-

...................................................................................................................................................
,

Roots also produce forcing water up the

xylem vessels
-

.............................................................................................................................................
, [4]

PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com
 (c) Fig. 4.2 shows the rate of water conduction up thre e different tre es in a forest over 24 hours.

2.5

2.24

tree A
2.0

s
1.5
rate of water
conduction
/ dm3 per hour
1.0

tree B

0.5

tree C
0 4 6
0 4 8 12 I
16 20 24
.

time / h

Fig. 4.2
+
(i) D escribe the rate of water conduction in tre e A, during this 24 hour period.
You will gain credit for using the data in Fig. 4.2 to support your answer.
-

from 0h to 4h , rate of water conduction

...........................................................................................................................................
rate of water conduction increase from 0dm
' '
hour to 2.4dm per
-

...........................................................................................................................................
per
hour between 4h to 10h , 10h reaches the first peak of 24dm per hour '

...........................................................................................................................................
-

It slightly decrease from 2.4dm 'per hour to 224dm per hour between 10h '

...........................................................................................................................................
to 13h
...........................................................................................................................................
-

Second peak is also 2.4 dm per hour on 14 6h

'
...........................................................................................................................................
.

start to decrease from 24dm 'per hour to 0dm 'per hour between 14.6h [3]to
.....................................................................................................................................
24h

¥
PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com
 D
(ii) Suggest how the ecologists used the data in Fig. 4.2 to calculate the total volume of
water used by a tre e in 24 hours.
Calculate area under
graph
...........................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

(iii) In Fig. 4.2, tre e A is a tall tre e, tre e B is a medium-height tre e and tre e C is a short tre e.
Suggest re asons for the different rates of water conduction in the thre e tre es.
-

different number of leaf

...........................................................................................................................................
-

different surface area

...........................................................................................................................................

sunlight affecting transpiration

-

...........................................................................................................................................
-

different humidity
...........................................................................................................................................
-

different stomatal density

...........................................................................................................................................
-

length of roots is different

...........................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [3]

(d) Loggers often cut down the tall tre es in a forest.

D escribe the effects on the forest ecosystem of cutting down tre es.
Concentration of core increase
...................................................................................................................................................
-

Concentration of 02 decrease
...................................................................................................................................................
-

disrupts water cycle

...................................................................................................................................................
-

increased soil erosion

...................................................................................................................................................
-
less biodiversity
...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................. [4]

[Total: 18]

PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com