GRADE 12 ST ANDREW’S SCHOOL TIME: 1h30mins

BIOLOGY (SUB) TERM II EXAMINATIONS 2023 TOTAL MARKS: 60

NAME _________________________________________

ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS

SECTION A

CHOOSE THE CORRECT ANSWER AND ENCIRCLE THE APPROPRIATE LETTER.

1 Which row describes the membranes surrounding each cell structure?

2 The mean width of mitochondria in an electron micrograph is 6 mm. The magnification of the electron
micrograph is 9600. What is the actual mean width of the mitochondria?

A 6 10–3 mm B 6 10–4mm C 6 10–2m D 6 103m

3 What is the definition of the resolution of a light microscope?

A the degree of sharpness produced by the microscope
B the greatest distance between two objects visible in the same field of view
C the minimum distance that allows two objects to be viewed as separate
D the size of the smallest object visible using the microscope

4 A student carries out a semi-quantitative test with Benedict’s solution. Which statement about this procedure
is correct?
A It detects only the presence or absence of glucose.
B It provides an indication of relative reducing sugar concentrations.
C The precipitate needs to be filtered, dried and weighed to give the reducing sugar concentration.
D A colorimeter needs to be used to determine the glucose concentration.

5 Which row is correct for carbohydrates?

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6 The diagrams show three hexoses.

In which carbohydrates do these three hexoses occur?

7 A student carried out four biochemical tests on a sample of food.

Which conclusion is supported by the results?

A Fat is not present. B Glucose is present. C Protein is present. D Starch is present.

8 A triglyceride has ......1...... bonds formed by joining fatty acids to ......2...... .

Which row correctly completes this sentence?

9 Which statement about collagen is correct?

A Tissues containing collagen fibres cannot stretch.
B Each polypeptide chain forms an alpha helix.
C Three helices are held together by hydrogen bonds.
D Three polypeptide chains form a single collagen fibre.

10 Which statements about the fluid mosaic model of a membrane are correct?
1 The movement of phospholipids in the membrane is reduced if the fatty acid tails are saturated.
2 Glycoproteins in the outer layer of the membrane can move.
3 Channel proteins are fixed in position.
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A 1, 2 and 3 B 1 and 2 only C 1 and 3 only D 2 and 3 only
11 The diagram shows an experiment using a model cell to investigate the movement of substances.

Which statements are correct?

1 There is net movement of sucrose out of the model cell.
2 There is net movement of glucose out of the model cell.
3 There is net movement of water into the model cell.
A 1, 2 and 3 B 1 and 2 only C 1 and 3 only D 2 and 3 only

12 What is the maximum number of water molecules produced when a triglyceride is synthesised?
A3 B2 C1 D0

13 What occurs during the formation of a peptide bond between two amino acids?
A OH is removed from COOH and H is removed from an R group.
B OH is removed from COOH and H is removed from NH2.
C H is removed from COOH and OH is removed from an R group.
D O is removed from COOH and 2H is removed from NH2.

14 The statements describe the structure of a polysaccharide found in the cell walls of certain plants.
1 The polysaccharide is composed of two different monosaccharides.
2 The monosaccharides are joined by 1,4 glycosidic bonds.
3 The polysaccharide contains pentose sugars.
Which statements are also true for cellulose?
A 1 and 2 B 1 and 3 C 2 and 3 D 2 only

15 What enables triglycerides to perform their functions in living organisms?

1 Triglycerides have hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions.
2 Triglycerides have a high ratio of carbon–hydrogen bonds to carbon atoms.
3 Hydrolysis of triglycerides releases metabolic water.
A 1 and 2 B 1 and 3 C 2 and 3 D 2 only

16 Which relationships could be investigated using a colorimeter?

1 the effect of light intensity on the rate at which a solution of a light-sensitive dye changes from green
to colourless
2 the effect of temperature on the rate of breakdown of cell membranes in tissues with pigmented cells,
such as beetroot (red beet)
3 the effect of pH on the rate of release of oxygen from the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide by
catalase
4 the effect of light intensity on the rate of change of skin colour of lizards that become paler in bright
light
A 1, 2, 3 and 4 B 1 and 2 only C 1 and 4 only D 2 and 3 only

17 Which transport mechanism does not require a concentration gradient to be present in order to take place?

A exocytosis B facilitated diffusion C osmosis D transpiration

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18 Which row correctly describes the primary structure, secondary structure, tertiary structure and quaternary
structure of some proteins?

19 Which molecule contains the smallest number of hydrogen atoms?

A -glucose B glycine, an amino acid in which the R group is H
C glycerol D a saturated fatty acid containing eight carbon atoms

20 Which factors can be changed to affect the rate of facilitated diffusion across a cell surface membrane?
1 the surface area of the membrane
2 the concentration gradient
3 the number of specific protein channels
A 1, 2 and 3 B 1 and 2 only C 1 and 3 only D 3 only

21 A student carried out the Benedict’s test on a sample and got a negative result.
What should the student do to confirm there are no sugars present in the sample?
A boil the sample for 5 minutes then repeat the Benedict’s test
B boil with alkali, neutralise with hydrochloric acid and repeat the Benedict’s test
C boil with hydrochloric acid, neutralise with alkali and repeat the Benedict’s test
D repeat the Benedict’s test but add more Benedict’s reagent

22 The diagram shows a metabolic pathway.

What would be the effect of adding a small amount of a non-competitive inhibitor of enzyme 2?
A Enzyme 2 would be partially denatured.
B Substance X would increase in concentration.
C Substance Y would no longer be formed.
D The initial reactant would no longer be metabolised.

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23 Two enzymes are added to a solution containing a low concentration of a substrate that they can both use.
Which statement is correct?
A Both enzymes will use equal amounts of the substrate.
B Neither enzyme will be able to use the substrate.
C The enzyme with the lower Vmax will use less of the substrate than the other enzyme.
D The enzyme with the lower Vmax will use more of the substrate than the other enzyme. [23]

SECTION B

ANSWER THE QUESTIONS WHICH FOLLOW IN THE SPACES PROVIDED.

1 Fig. 1.1 shows five biological molecules.

Fig. 1.1
(a) State the name of the bond in molecule A indicated by the arrow.

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(b) Molecule B is described as a saturated fatty acid. State why molecule B is described as a saturated fatty acid.
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(c) Molecule D is a polymer. State the name of the monomer that is used to synthesise this polymer.

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(d) State the letter of the molecule that could be formed during the hydrolysis of a polypeptide.

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(e) State the letter of the molecule that forms part of the cell surface membranes of eukaryotic cells.

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(f) Molecule A and molecule C dissolve in water. Molecule B does not dissolve in water. Explain why molecule A and
molecule C dissolve in water, but molecule B does not dissolve in water.

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[Total: 6]
2 (a) Enzymes are polymers of amino acids. Complete Fig. 2.1 to show the general structure of an amino acid.

[1]
Fig. 2.1
(b) When bananas are peeled, the exposed tissue gradually turns brown in the presence of oxygen in the air. This is due to
an enzyme called catechol oxidase, which acts on the substrate catechol.
Catechol and catechol oxidase are present in the banana tissue. The overall reaction is shown in Fig. 2.2.

Fig. 2.2
A student investigated how the concentration of catechol oxidase affects the rate of this reaction. All other variables were
kept constant throughout the investigation. For each concentration of catechol oxidase used, the student mixed catechol
oxidase solution with catechol and recorded the time taken for the mixture to reach a standard brown colour.

The rate of reaction, R, for each concentration of catechol oxidase used was then calculated using the formula:

(i) Calculate the rate of reaction when the standard brown colour was reached in 2 minutes 30 seconds.

rate of reaction = ............................................... min –1 [1]

(ii) Fig. 2.3 is a graph showing the results of the investigation.
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 Fig. 2.3
State how the results shown in Fig. 2.3 show that substrate was in excess at all concentrations of catechol oxidase tested.
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(c) The student carried out a further experiment to investigate how the concentration of catechol affects the initial rate of
reaction. All other variables were kept constant throughout this investigation.
Fig. 2.4 is a graph showing the effect of varying the concentration of catechol on the initial rate of reaction.

Fig. 2.4
(i) Explain the shape of the curve shown in Fig. 2.4.

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(ii) Use Fig. 2.4 to calculate the value of the Michaelis–Menten constant (K m) for the reaction between catechol oxidase
and catechol.

Km = ........................................... mol dm–3 [1]

(iii) Methylcatechol has a similar shape to catechol. Catechol oxidase can also use methylcatechol as a substrate.
The Km value for the reaction using methylcatechol as the substrate was found to be much lower than the K m value for the
reaction using catechol as the substrate, when the reactions were carried out under the same conditions.
State what these Km values indicate about the relationship between the enzyme and the two substrates.

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[Total: 8]
3 Adipocytes are cells found in adipose tissue in mammals. These cells absorb glycerol and fatty acids to make
triglycerides for long-term storage.
Fig. 3.1a shows a glycerol molecule and three fatty acids. Fig. 3.1b shows the triglyceride molecule formed from these
components.

Fig. 3.1a Fig. 3.1b

(a) (i) State the name of the bonds that form between glycerol and fatty acids.

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(ii) When a bond forms between glycerol and a fatty acid, water is a product of the reaction. State the name given to this
type of reaction.

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(iii) Describe the differences between the fatty acids, X, Y and Z, shown in Fig. 3.1a.

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(b) (i) State reasons why triglycerides are described as hydrophobic.

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(ii) Explain why triglycerides are not suitable as a component of cell surface membranes.

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[Total: 9]
4 (a) A riparian plant is a type of plant that grows beside rivers and may disperse its seeds by releasing them into flowing
water.
Researchers investigated the effect of seed length on the distance the seeds travelled along a river. Seeds of different
length were released and the distance they had travelled after 24 hours was measured.
Table 4.1 shows the results of the investigation.
Table 4.1

(i) Table 4.1 includes an anomalous result. Draw a circle around the anomalous result. [1]

(ii) Calculate the mean distance travelled for the seeds of length 10.0 mm. Show your working.

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 mean distance travelled ........................................................... m [2]

(iii) Plot a graph of the mean data in Table 4.1 on the grid in Fig. 4.2. Use a sharp pencil.

[4]
Fig. 4.2
(b) Fig. 4.3 is a photograph of the seed of a riparian plant.

Fig. 4.3
magnification ×55
In Fig. 4.3, the line X–Y is drawn across the length of the seed.
Use the line X–Y and the magnification to calculate the actual length of the seed.
Show your working and use appropriate units.

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 actual length of seed = ...............................................................[3]

(c) Fig. 4.4 is a photomicrograph a leaf section.

Fig. 4.4
You will need to use the grid to find the area of the palisade layer and the total area of the leaf section in
Fig. 4.4. Each square of the grid is 1 cm2.
In some squares the palisade layer or the leaf section does not fill the whole square.
(i) Describe the method you will use to decide which of these squares to include.

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(ii) State the area of the palisade layer and the total area of the leaf section in Fig. 4.4.

area of palisade layer = ....................................................... cm 2

total area of the leaf section = ....................................................... cm 2

[2]
(iii) Calculate the area of the palisade layer as a percentage of the total area of the leaf section.

Show your working. [1]

[Total: 14]

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