10.

Use of Biological Resources

Increasing Crop Yield

Glass houses and polytunnels are used to create the ideal conditions for photosynthesis.
● Optimum rate of photosynthesis means higher yield of crops - they can produce
more glucose, to provide energy needed for growth (through respiration)

CONDITIONS in glass houses / polytunnels

Light can be optimised: more light = more photosynthesis = more glucose = more energy = increased yield

Temperature can be controlled: provides optimum temperature for enzymes to work = more photosynthesis

C02 can be controlled: more reactants available for photosynthesis (more glucose = more energy for growth)

Water can be supplied: fertilisers added and the crops are protected from pests and diseases

ESQ
1. State conditions controlled in a glass house / polytunnel
2. Describe why a farmer may wish to control… (4 conditions)

Fertilisers
Fertilisers can be added to crops, which provide mineral ions needed for growth, including:
● Nitrates: For making proteins
● Magnesium: For making chlorophyll
These can be natural (eg. manure) or artificial

Disadvantages of artificial fertilisers:

● Leach into water supplies and lead to eutrophication.
(Also more expensive than natural ones)

ESQ
1. Explain why a farmer may want to add fertiliser to his crops
2. Describe advantages and disadvantages of using artificial fertilisers
3. Suggest alternative to artificial fertiliser

Pesticides: used to kill pests.

Pests include:
● Insects (killed by insecticides) - eat crops
● Weeds (killed by herbicides) - compete for light, space and minerals
● Fungi (killed by fungicides)
Fewer pests should increase crop yield

Disadvantages of pesticides:
● Nonspecific - can kill other important organisms
● Bioaccumulate in an organism, and biomagnify along a food chain
● Affect food chains
● Risk of insecticide resistance
Links to natural selection: Random mutation results in some insects becoming resistant,
survive, reproduce, pass on allele for resistance
Biological control (alternative for pesticides)
● Where an organism's natural predator is introduced to help kill the pest.
○ Example: ladybirds eating aphids.
Longer lasting: Do not have the same negative effects on food chains as pesticides
Hint: be specific if a question gives a food chain and asks for use of biological
control.

ESQ
1. Give an example of a pesticide
2. Describe advantages and disadvantages of using pesticides
3. Give an example of biological control
4. Explain advantages of using biological control methods when compared to pesticides

Yeast (production of food)

- Unicellular type of fungi
- Respire aerobically if oxygen is present, and if oxygen is not present, they respire
anaerobically

Fermentation: Glucose → Carbon dioxide + ethanol

Carbon dioxide from respiration in yeast can be used in baking to make bread rise:
1) Bread dough is made, which is a mixture of yeast, flour, water and some sugar.
2) Dough is left to rise
3) Enzymes break down carbs in the flour to sugars
4) Yeast respire aerobically at first, as there is oxygen present, then when this runs
out, respire anaerobically, both types of respiration produce carbon dioxide
5) CO2 gets trapped in dough, and these pockets of gas expand, causing the dough
to rise.
6) Dough placed in the oven, and high temps kill yeast. Any ethanol produced by
anaerobic respiration also evaporates.
7) Pockets are left in bread where the CO2 was

If conditions are kept anaerobic (in a fermenter), yeast respire anaerobically, and the ethanol
produced can be used to make alcohol
● Brewing: Process to describe the production of beer

ESQ
1. Equation for anaerobic respiration in yeast
2. Features of the yeast kingdom
3. How yeast is used in making bread
4. Product of anaerobic respiration needed in brewing
 Investigate the role of anaerobic respiration by yeast in different conditions

Potential investigations:
● How does the type of sugar (glucose, sucrose etc) affect rate of respiration of yeast
● How does the concentration of sugar affect rate of respiration of yeast
● How does temperature affect rate of respiration in yeast

Method:
1. Add water to a boiling tube, and gently boil (removed any oxygen dissolved in water)
2. Dissolve (x) amount of sugar in the water
3. Add yeast to the mixture
4. Stir
5. Connect to a delivery tube feeding into hydrogen carbonate indicator solution
6. Time how long it takes for the indicator to change from orange to yellow.
7. Repeat for different sugar concentrations

Optimum rate for enzyme activity

Low rate = less energy = less collisions = less enzyme -

substrate complexes

Enzymes denature = active site changes shape = no

respiration = yeast die

ESQ
1. What is the purpose of the oil / liquid paraffin layer
2. Identify the independent, dependent and control variables
3. Suggest a control
4. Describe and explain the results
5. Reliability & plot a graph

Bacteria (Lactobacillus) in the production of yoghurt

- Unicellular, prokaryotic (no nucleus) kingdom of organisms
- Bacteria break down sugars for energy, usually by anaerobic resp. (fermentation)
- Lactobacillus bacteria - making yoghurt: These ferment lactose (a sugar) to lactic
acid
 Fermentation in bacteria can be used to make yoghurt
Method:
1) Sterilise equipment to kill unwanted microorganisms
2) Pasteurised milk (heat for a few seconds) to kill any unwanted microorganisms
3) Cool milk and Inoculate (add) with lactobacillus bacteria
4) Incubate at 40oC in a fermenter for 8-12 hours
5) The bacteria ferment the lactose sugar in milk to lactic acid
6) This lowers pH, and causes the milk to clot and solidify to yoghurt.
7) Flavours and colours are added

ESQ
1. Features of bacteria kingdom
2. Name bacteria used in yoghurt production
3. Define fermentation
4. Describe process of yoghourt production

Industrial fermenter
Fermenter: Large vessel designed to provide optimum conditions for growth & reproduction
of useful microorganisms, increasing yield

Organisms grown in a fermenter:

● Penicillin (an antibiotic - kills bacteria)
● GM bacteria that produce Insulin (a hormone to lower blood glucose levels in human)

Method:
● Nutrients such as sugars are added to the culture medium (liquid in the fermenter)
● pH and temperature are monitored to provide optimum conditions for growth of
microorganisms and enzyme activity
● If they respire aerobically, oxygen can be added to the fermenter
● Paddles stir the culture medium to distribute heat, oxygen and nutrients
● Between uses, the vessels are sterilised with hot steam to prevent growth of
unwanted microorganisms to avoid contamination
ESQ
1. State a product in a fermenter
2. What is a fermenter
3. Describe (certain) conditions in a fermenter