First exams in 2025

IB Style Test - Topic A1. 2 Nucleic acids

Theme A - Unity and diversity Level of Organisation: Molecules
Mark scheme
Name ___________________ Time allowed: 30 mins SL / 40 mins HL
Mark: / 22(SL) 29(HL)

Multiple choice questions (3 marks)

1. As they do not have all the characteristics of living things, viruses are not considered to be living
organisms. Therefore which is the best evaluation of the statement, “One universal property of
living things is that they use DNA as the genetic material?”

A. Correct, as all living organisms have DNA as their genetic material.

B. Not correct, some viruses have RNA as their genetic material.
C. Correct as DNA base sequences are the same in all organisms.
D. Not correct because the genetic code is different in all organisms.

2. Which is the most accurate description of a nucleotide?

A. The centre of a chromosome.
B. A combination of DNA and histone protein.
C. A monomer unit of nucleic acids.
D. A nitrogenous base.

3. Which of the following describes the backbone of DNA?

A. Covalent bonding between nitrogenous bases.
B. Hydrogen bonds between deoxyribose and phosphate molecules.
C. Complimentary base pairing.
D. Covalent bonds between deoxyribose and phosphate molecules.

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 First exams in 2025
IB Style Test - Topic A1. 2 Nucleic acids
Theme A - Unity and diversity Level of Organisation: Molecules

Structured answer questions

4. Label the following parts of DNA on the diagram of DNA shown below. (5 marks)

a) Hydrogen bond
b) Covalent bond
c) Nitrogenous base
d) Deoxyribose sugar
e) A single nucleotide (by drawing a circle encompassing a single nucleotide)

5. Explain, using the DNA diagram, the meaning of complimentary base pairing. (2 marks).

(Any two of these answers)

The base Adenine (A) always pairs with Thymine (T).
or The base Guanine (G) pairs with Cytosine (C).

Bases from one DNA strand are joined by hydrogen bonds to bases on the other DNA strand.

Base pairs (A-T and C-G ) are equal in length.

Base pairs have the same number of Hydrogen bonds.

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 First exams in 2025
IB Style Test - Topic A1. 2 Nucleic acids
Theme A - Unity and diversity Level of Organisation: Molecules

6. Outline how complimentary base pairing is important in the replication of DNA as the
genetic material. (3 marks)

• DNA Replication is the production of new DNA molecules.

• The new replicated DNA molecule must have the same base sequence (as the parent
DNA).
• When the two strands of a DNA molecule are separated each one is used as a template
to build a new strand.
• Complimentary base pairing ensures that A pairs with T, and C with G, so new strands of
DNA have the same sequence as the original molecule.

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7. Complete the table to outline the differences between the structure of RNA and DNA
(3 marks).

RNA structure DNA structure

Single stranded molecule Double stranded molecule

Backbone contains ribose (Backbone contains) deoxyribose

Thymine replaced by Uracil Thymine is one of the four bases

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© Richard Scarr & David Faure, InThinking www.thinkib.net/biology

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 First exams in 2025
IB Style Test - Topic A1. 2 Nucleic acids
Theme A - Unity and diversity Level of Organisation: Molecules

Extended response questions

8. DNA is the genetic material of all living organisms. Outline how it is possible for these
universal DNA molecules to store varied genetic information both within species and
between species.

. (6 marks)

• The DNA base sequence is the store of genetic information / genetic material.
• There are a huge number of different base sequences possibe (in a DNA molecule or a
genome) which provides variety in the genetic information / genomes.
• Different lengths of DNA, or different sequences of the bases causes variation in the
genetic information stored in a genome
• Base sequence is a code/can determine protein structure/amino acid sequence and the
characteristics of an organism.
• Within species there each organism has many genes with a lot of similarity in the DNA
sequence and this gives the species it’s recognisable characteristics.
• There is some variation in the sequence of DNA in some genes even within species giving
elements of variation in characteristics.
• Between species there are more differences in the DNA sequence, which gives more
variation in characteristics.
• Diggerences in the DNA sequence between two species can prevent reproduction
between members of two different species.

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© Richard Scarr & David Faure, InThinking www.thinkib.net/biology

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 First exams in 2025
IB Style Test - Topic A1. 2 Nucleic acids
Theme A - Unity and diversity Level of Organisation: Molecules

Additional Higher Level only (7 marks)

9. Hershey and Chase used viral bacteriophages to demonstrate that DNA, not protein, is the
genetic material. This investigation used radioactive phosphorus to label DNA.

Outline how radioactive labelling was used in this investigation.

(4 marks)
• Radioactive labelling allows specific molecules to be observed.
• Phosphorus is found in DNA but not protein.
• Bacteriophage DNA was labelled with radioactive phosphorus.
• The radioactive label showed that the DNA part of the virus entered the (bacterial) cell.
• The radioactive labelled DNA was used to make new virus particles showing that DNA
was the genetic material passed from one generation to the next (and not protein).
• 3 marks max if the distinction between protein and DNA as the genetic material is not
clear in the answer.

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10. A nucleosome is a structural unit of a chromosome. Describe the structure of a nucleosome.

(3 marks)
• DNA molecule wrapped around histone proteins.
• There are 8 histone proteins (in the core of the nucleosome)
• Additional/one histone molecule and linker DNA join nucleosomes together.

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© Richard Scarr & David Faure, InThinking www.thinkib.net/biology

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