3 Cell structure

AQA Biology Exam-style mark scheme

Question
Answer Marks Guidance
number
1a Any two from: 2 Mark by row. Must
compare like with like.
plant cell has (cellulose) cell wall – animal cell has no cell wall;
plant cell has large central vacuole – animal cell has small / no
vacuole;
plant cells have chloroplasts – animal cells have no chloroplasts;
1bi Buckwheat; 1 15 + 84 = 99 protein
+ polysaccharides.
1 b ii Brazil nut 1 Lowest protein.
1c Thin slices of each seed on microscope slides; 3 max
iodine solution used as stain;
examine under microscope;
blue–black dots are starch grains;
2a To break open the cells; 1
2bi To slow down enzyme activity; 1 Reject stops enzyme
activity. Better
answers may refer to
hydrolytic enzymes.
2 b ii Isotonic solution will have same water potential (as 2 Reject reference to
mitochondrion / organelles); water moving in or
out of cell.
so water will not move into or out of mitochondria;
2 b iii To keep the pH constant; 2 Looking for
membrane proteins –
to prevent denaturation of proteins;
not enzymes.
2c Sediment 2 1
3a Magnification – how much larger the image appears than the 2
object / size of image ÷ size of object;
resolution – ability to distinguish between two points;

3b (resolution is) limited by the wavelength of light; 1

3c OM – living material can only be viewed under light / preparation 4 Look for valid reasons
for EM kills specimen; for use of each type
of microscope.
SEM – allows surface to be examined as pattern very small /
less than 0.2 μm;
TEM – preparation allows slice to be taken through organelles /
mitochondria so inside can be seen;
OM – coloured stain used EM images only black and white /
need to see several cells at once;
4 Feature Prokaryotic cell Eukaryotic cell Virus 7 Mark by row. First
row was given in the
cell wall P S A
question.
cell-surface P P A

© Oxford University Press 2015 www.oxfordsecondary.co.uk/acknowledgements

This resource sheet may have been changed from the original 1
 3 Cell structure
AQA Biology Exam-style mark scheme

Question
Answer Marks Guidance
number
membrane
ribosomes P P A
plasmid A S A
nucleic acids P P P
mitochondria A P A
capsid A A P
chloroplasts A S A
5a Cells are dividing / meristem tissue; 1
5bi To make the chromosomes visible; 2 Do not accept to
make DNA or cell
chromosomes contain DNA;
visible. To observe
mitosis you need to
see chromosomes.
5 b ii To get a single layer of cells; 1 Idea that you can’t
see stages if cells
overlap.
5c Interphase Prophase Metaphase Anaphase Telophase 2 2 marks for all
correct.
C B D E A
Deduct 1 mark for
each error.
5d (56 + 6); ÷ 209 × 24 2 2 marks for correct
answer.
7.12 hours;
1 mark for adding
7.12 × 60 = 427.2 minutes;
prophase and
metaphase (56 + 6).
5e Draw a circle and divide into segments for each stage; 3
divide number of cells in each stage by total and multiply by 360
(to find size of each segment);
use a protractor to measure size of each segment;
6a S-phase; 1
6b Number of Mass of DNA / 4 1 mark for each
Nucleus
chromosomes picograms correct answer.
at prophase of mitosis 28 64 First line was given in
question.
at telophase of mitosis 28 32
from a sperm cell 14 16

© Oxford University Press 2015 www.oxfordsecondary.co.uk/acknowledgements

This resource sheet may have been changed from the original 2