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Gold Paper
Question Paper 2

Level A Level
Subject Biology
Exam Board OCR
Paper Gold Paper
Booklet Question Paper 2

Time allowed: 76 minutes

Score:  /56

Percentage: /100

Grade Boundaries:

A* A B C D E
>69% 56% 50% 42% 34% 26%

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A student carried out an investigation into the production of CO2 in five different species of yeast.

The yeast cells were placed in different environments and the CO2 production was measured.

Table 20 shows the results of the experiment. The mean values for these data are also represented
as a graph in Fig. 20.

Carbon dioxide produced (bubbles min–1)

Conditions Species
S. cerevisiae C. krusei C. albidus C. albicans A. pullulans
Trial
1 23 18 34 12 22
2 18 17 20 15 21
3 23 19 32 26 24
4 24 23 26 13 22
5 25 19 28 14 26
Aerobic 6 15 17 29 12 22
7 16 19 20 15 25
8 17 23 36 13 27
9 23 19 20 10 27
10 25 17 19 13 25
11 25 16 34 11 25
12 23 16 20 11 25

Standarddeviation 4 2 7 4 2

Trial
1 12 6 22 8 34
2 10 9 29 22 36
3 12 10 19 6 29
4 13 12 34 12 32
5 15 7 25 19 28
Anaerobic 6 9 8 19 10 26
7 10 9 23 14 27
8 15 10 27 9 29
9 15 5 35 6 35
10 14 7 26 7 20
11 15 8 19 21 30
12 11 9 25 13 34

Standarddeviation 2 2 5 6
....................

Table 20

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(a) Using the information in Table 20, calculate the standard deviation for the number of CO2
bubbles produced by A. pullulans in anaerobic conditions.

Write the answer into the space provided in Table 20. Give your answer to one significant
figure. Show your working. [3]

[Answer on Table 20]

(b) Fig. 20 is a graph showing the mean values of the data from Table 20.

40

35

30
aerobic
mean CO2 production (bubbles

conditions
25
anaerobic
conditions
20

15
min–1)

10

0 S. cerevisiae C. krusei C. albidus C. albicans A. pullulans

species

Fig. 20

Plot the standard deviations for all data on Fig. 20.

[Answer on Fig. 20] [2]

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(c) Calculate the mean percentage change in CO2 production for S. cerevisiae when moving from
anaerobic to aerobic respiration. Give your answer to four significant figures.
. [3]
Show your working.

1 All the yeast I investigated produced more CO2 during aerobic respiration than
anaerobic respiration.
2 There is a significant difference between the CO2 production in aerobicand
anaerobic conditions in C. albidus.

For each conclusion, state and explain whether the student is correct. [2]
(d) (i) The student drew the following conclusions:

(ii) The student found the following definitions of errors in a text book:

Random errors:

mistakes during measurements caused by low-resolution equipment

Systematic errors:

repeated inaccurate measurements in the same direction caused by problems

with equipment

Which type of error is suggested by the student’s data? Justify your answer. [1]

(e) Anaerobic respiration in yeast cells requires enzymes.

Which organelle is responsible for synthesising these enzymes? [1]

[Total: 12]

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Two-spot ladybirds, Adalia bipunctata, show a colour polymorphism. They are normally red with
two black spots. However, melanic individuals occur which are black with two red spots.

A student investigated the proportion of these colour forms in the ladybird population along a
transect going up a hill near his school.

(a) (i) Suggest a suitable technique by which the student might have collected his samples
of ladybirds along this transect.
[1]

(ii) The student’s teacher suggested he should make several transects up the hill rather than
just one transect.

Explain why this is good experimental design. [1]

(b) The student’s results are shown in Table 7.1.

Table 7.1

height above total number of total number of

sea level (m) red form of ladybird black form of ladybird
100 93 7

200 78 13

300 71 16

400 54 14

(i) Suggest a method of processing this data to make comparisons between the frequency
of the red form and black form of ladybird at the different altitudes more valid.

Explain why your method is an improvement. [2]

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(ii) Evaluate whether the student was correct to conclude as follows:

“My data showed a positive correlation between increasing altitude and the frequency of
the black form of the ladybird. I therefore concluded that high altitude causes the black
form to survive better.”

[3]

(c) The black, melanic, form of the ladybird is caused by an allele (B) that is dominant.

The red form of the ladybird is therefore homozygous recessive at this locus (bb).
[1]
(i) State what is meant by the term recessive.

(ii) The data in Table 7.1 give the total number of the red form of ladybird found as 296, and
the total number of the black form of ladybird as 50.

The Hardy-Weinberg principle states that:

p + q =1

p2 + 2pq + q2 = 1

Use the Hardy-Weinberg principle and the figures given above to calculate the frequency
of the dominant allele, p, and the recessive allele, q, in the two-spot ladybird population.
Show each step in your working. Give your answers to 2 decimal places. [3]

[Total: 11]

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A batch fermenter is used during the production of beer.

Fig. 5.1(a) and Fig. 5.1(b), of the insert, show some changes that take place in the fermenter
over the first 6 days.

(a) (i) Describe the pattern of growth of the yeast population in this fermenter. [4]

(ii) Fig. 5.1(a) shows that as the sugar concentration decreases the ethanol concentration
increases.

Explain this relationship. [3]

(iii) Using the information from Fig. 5.1(a), explain why ethanol is considered to be a primary
metabolite of yeast.
[1]

(iv) Using only the information from Fig. 5.1(a) and Fig. 5.1(b), outline how two factors may
limit the maximum size of the yeast population.
[2]

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(b) A mixture of three sugars is added to the batch fermenter at the beginning of the process:

 the monosaccharide glucose, which the yeast uses up first, during days 0 to 2

 the disaccharide maltose, which is used during days 1 to 5

 the trisaccharide maltotriose, which is used during days 4 to 6.

Suggest why the yeast uses the sugars in this order. [3]

(c) Ethanol is an important chemical that is manufactured on a large scale.

One large-scale process to produce ethanol uses biotechnology, with yeast acting on sugar in
a fermenter.

Another large-scale process uses a chemical method instead of microorganisms. This method
needs:

 ethene (obtained from oil)

 a high temperature of 300 °C
 high pressure steam.

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using yeast to make ethanol rather than using
the chemical method.

In your answer you should give a balanced account of both the advantages and
disadvantages.

[6]

[Total: 19]
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Total plant growth within an ecosystem depends on the light intensity, temperature and the supply
of water and inorganic minerals to the ecosystem.

Table 3.1 shows the net primary production by plants in four different ecosystems.

Table 3.1

ecosystem net primary production

(kJ m–2 year–1)
temperate grassland 9240

temperate woodland 11340

tropical grassland 13440

tropical rainforest 36160

(a) Discuss possible reasons for the differences in net primary production in these ecosystems.

[4]

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(b) To calculate the net primary production figures in Table 3.1 in kJ m–2 year–1, it is necessary to
measure the energy content of the primary producers.

Outline how the energy content, in kJ, of a primary producer such as grass can be measured
in the laboratory.
[2]

(c) The efficiency with which consumers convert the food they eat into their own biomass is
generally low.

Table 3.2 compares the energy egested, absorbed and respired in four types of animal.

Table 3.2

percentage of energy consumed that is:

animal egested absorbed respired converted to
biomass
grasshopper, a 63 37 24 13
herbivorous insect
perch, a carnivorous 17 83 61
fish
cow, a herbivorous 60 40 39
mammal
bobcat, a carnivorous 17 83 77 6
mammal

(i) Complete Table 3.2 to show the percentage of energy consumed that is converted into
biomass in the perch and the cow.

You may use the space below for your working. [2]

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(ii) Describe and explain, using the data from Table 3.2, how the trophic level of a mammal
affects the percentage of its food energy that it is able to convert to biomass.
[3]

(iii) Using the data from Table 3.2 and your knowledge of energy flow through food chains,
suggest which of these four animals could be farmed to provide the maximum amount of
food energy in kJ m–2 year–1 for humans.

Explain the reasons for your choice. [3]

[Total: 14]

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