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AQA Biology Exam-style questions

(1)

AQA June 2010

The diagram shows the action of a peptidase enzyme on a polypeptide.

a i Give the evidence from the diagram that the enzyme is an

endopeptidase.

(1 mark)

ii Describe the reaction catalysed by the enzyme.

(2 marks)
iii Explain why it is an advantage for a polypeptide to be digested by an
endopeptidase before an exopeptidase.

(1 mark)

b The graph shows the effect of pH on the activity of the endopeptidase.

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AQA Biology Exam-style questions

Suggest the region of the human gut in which this peptidase would be active.
Explain your answer.

(3 marks)

c Peptidases are usually secreted in an inactive form and activated to the active
form once in the gut lumen.
i Explain the advantage of peptidases being secreted in an inactive form.

(2 marks)

ii Amylase is not secreted in an inactive form. Explain why this is not a

disadvantage.

(2 marks)

A student set up an experiment to model digestion of starch in the human gut. The
diagram below shows the apparatus he used.
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AQA Biology Exam-style questions

Visking tubing is a semi-permeable membrane that allows small molecules to pass

through. In this experiment it models the lining of the gut.

d Before putting the amylase and starch mixture into the Visking tubing, the
student tested a sample of the mixture with iodine solution and did a Benedict’s
test on a second sample.
Colour of amylase and starch Colour of amylase and starch
mixture after testing with iodine mixture after Benedict’s test
Blue–black Blue

Suggest why he carried out these tests.

(2 marks)

e After he had put the amylase and starch mixture into the Visking tubing he rinsed
the outside of the tubing under the tap. Explain why.

(1 mark)
f The boiling tube containing the distilled water and Visking tubing sac were
placed in a water bath at 37 °C. Suggest why the boiling tube was placed in the
water bath at 37 °C.

(1 mark)

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AQA Biology Exam-style questions

Every 5 minutes, samples of the distilled water surrounding the Visking sac
were tested using iodine solution and a Benedict’s test was also done on
separate samples.
The table below shows the student’s results.
Time/min Colour of solution after Colour of solution after
testing with iodine Benedict’s test
5 Yellow Blue
10 Yellow Blue
15 Yellow Blue
20 Yellow Green
g i Describe what the results at 5 minutes and at 20 minutes tell the student
about the carbohydrates present in the distilled water.

(2 marks)

After 20 minutes the student removed the Visking tubing sac and emptied the contents into a
beaker. The solution was tested with iodine and a Benedict’s test.

Colour of solution from Colour of solution from

inside Visking tubing after inside Visking tubing after
testing with iodine Benedict’s test
Yellow Brick red
ii Explain the difference in colour of the Benedict’s test on the sample of
water surrounding the Visking tubing and colour of the Benedict’s test on
the solution inside the Visking tubing after 20 minutes.

(2 marks)

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