No.
2/1
Student Personal
Marker Code Identification Number (SPIN)
Pacific Senior Secondary Certificate
BIOLOGY
2010
QUESTION AND ANSWER BOOKLET
Time Allowed: 3 hours
INSTRUCTIONS
1. There are three sections to the paper. ALL SECTIONS ARE COMPULSORY. Answer ALL
questions.
2. Write your answers to Section A on the Answer Sheet on the FOLD-OUT FLAP on the last
page. Write your answers to Sections B and C in the spaces provided in this booklet.
3. Write your Student Personal Identification Number (SPIN) in the space provided above and
on the fold-out flap.
4. If you use extra sheets of paper be sure to write clearly the number of the question being
answered. Write your SPIN on the top right hand corner of each sheet, and tie it securely at the
appropriate place in this booklet.
NOTE: You may not have seen or studied any of the organisms used as examples in this paper.
You are expected to apply the principles and knowledge learned during your Biology
course to the questions.
Recommended time allowed for each section:
Section A: 1 hour 40 marks
Section B: 1 ½ hours 140 marks
Section C: ½ hour 20 marks
TOTAL 3 hours 200 marks
Check that this booklet contains pages 2-33 in the correct order and that none of these pages is
blank. Page 34 has been left blank deliberately.
YOU MUST HAND THIS BOOKLET TO THE SUPERVISOR AT THE END OF THE
EXAMINATION.
TOTAL MARKS
200
2
SECTION A
(40 marks)
MULTIPLE CHOICE
ANSWER ALL THE QUESTIONS IN THIS SECTION.
Write the LETTER of the best answer in the boxes on the fold-out flap. If you change your
answer, put a line through the first answer and write your new choice beside the box.
1. The diagram below shows organisms in and around a pond.
Which ecological term refers to all the organisms shown in the diagram?
A. Biosphere
B. Population
C. Community
D. Heterotroph
2. Yeast undergoes fermentation in the production of bread and releases fermentation products.
Which of the following causes the dough to rise?
A. ATP
B. Oxygen
C. Water vapour
D. Carbon dioxide
3. Which of the following taxonomic classifications for the poisonous mushroom Amanita
muscaria is correct?
A. species: muscaria; genus: Amanita; kingdom: Fungi
B. species: Amanita; genus: muscaria; kingdom: Fungi
C. species: muscaria; genus: Amanita; kingdom: Plantae
D. species: Amanita; genus: muscaria; kingdom: Plantae
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4. One difference between sexual reproduction in plants and animals is that in plants, the
gametes
A. are diploid cells.
B. unite to form a zygote.
C. join in a process called fertilisation.
D. are produced in a haploid structure.
5. What does the sporophyte of an angiosperm consist of?
A. Vegetative and floral organs
B. Sporangium and sporophytes
C. Haploid cells and somatic cells
D. Gametophytes and pollen grains
6. When salt is poured on a slug, the animal dies because
A. salt moves into the slug, poisoning it.
B. water moves into the slug, causing it to swell.
C. water moves out of the slug, causing dehydration.
D. salt moves out of the slug, depriving it of essential minerals.
7. The diagram below shows three different bird species who all inhabit the same pine tree in the
areas indicated by the shading. Competition between these birds rarely occurs.
The most likely explanation for this lack of competition is that these birds
A. are unable to interbreed.
B. share food with each other.
C. have a limited supply of food.
D. have different ecological niches.
8. A pair of fruit flies with grey bodies and normal wings were mated. The resulting offspring
are described in the table below.
Traits Number of offspring
Grey body, normal wings 45
Black body, shriveled wings 5
Grey body, shriveled wings 15
Black body, normal wings 15
Which statement best explains the outcome of your cross?
A. Grey body and normal wings are incompletely dominant traits.
B. The alleles for body colour and wing shape assort independently.
C. The alleles for body colour and wing shape did not segregate during meiosis.
D. Crossing over failed to occur during meiosis, generating an unexpected ratio of traits.
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9. A pair of homologous chromosomes involved in normal meiosis in an ovary carries the alleles
shown below.
Which of the following shows the chromosomes that would be detected in the eggs produced?
A. I
B. II
C. III
D. IV
10. The diagram below shows part of the mammalian digestive system.
Which of the following part of the digestive system matches the correct principle of digestion?
A. i – Digestion
B. ii – Ingestion
C. iii - Absorption
D. iv - Egestion
5
11. Three babies born at a hospital had the following blood types:
• Baby Sue - Blood Type B
• Baby Karen - Blood Type O
• Baby Naomi - Blood Type AB
Later, there was a mix-up of these babies. To solve the problem, the parents of the three
babies were called in to conduct blood tests to confirm the real parents of each baby.
The table below shows the result of the parents’ blood test.
Parents Parents’ Blood Types
1 A and B
2 A and A
3 AB and O
It is possible to conclude that the possible parents of Baby Naomi are
A. Parents 1.
B. Parents 2.
C. Parents 3.
D. None of them.
12. When a volcano erupted, the blast covered much of the surrounding area with ash. The
diagrams below show different stages of succession, though not in order.
Based on the diagrams above, which of the following shows the correct sequence of secondary
succession after the eruption?
A. W, Y, X, Z
B. X, Y, Z, W
C. Z, X, Y, W
D. Z, Y, W, X
13. Which of the following correctly identifies the dominant stage in the fern life cycle?
A. It is the archegonium.
B. The sporophyte stage.
C. The gametophyte stage.
D. It is made of haploid cells.
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14. The following are blood vessels of the heart except the
A. coronary arteries.
B. pulmonary veins.
C. superior vena cava.
D. pulmonary arteries.
15. The movement of particles from the region of their higher concentration to the region of their
lower concentration is called
A. osmosis.
B. diffusion.
C. ascent of sap.
D. active transport.
16. The diagram below shows a cell organelle responsible for respiration.
Which of the following functions matches correctly with the numbered part?
Part Number Function
A. 1 Speed up the process of glycolysis.
B. 2 Site where Kreb’s cycle takes place.
C. 3 Increase surface area for ATP production.
D. 4 Site where electron transport chain takes place.
17. The enzyme maltase catalyses the breakdown of maltose into glucose. Maltase was added to a
test tube containing a solution of maltose in water and incubated at 37°C. The amount of
glucose produced was monitored over a period of time. No maltose remained at the end.
Which graph shows the change in glucose concentration in the test tube?
A B.
C. D.
7
18. An oil-water mixture is effective when used as a spray against mosquitoes because the
A. water might change the colour of the insects.
B. oil might block the openings into the tracheal system.
C. mixture would allow lots of oxygen into the tracheal system.
D. mixture might interfere with gas exchange across the capillaries.
19. Termites can be found living in dead trees partially buried under soil and stones. Within the
tree trunks, the termites feed on the wood fiber, creating passageways having a high humidity.
The wood fiber is digested by protozoans living within the digestive tract of the termite.
What are the biotic factors in this habitat?
A. Soil and humidity
B. Termites and protozoans
C. Humidity, soil, and stones
D. Tree trunk, stones, and protozoans
20. The solute concentration of filtrate in the mammalian nephron changes as it passes along the
tubule.
Which statement about the solute concentrations in A, B, and C as shown in the diagram
above is correct?
A. A > B and B > C
B. A < B and B < C
C. A > B and B = C
D. A < B and B > C
8
SECTION B
(140 marks)
ANSWER ALL THE QUESTIONS IN THIS SECTION.
Write your answers in the spaces provided.
QUESTION B1 (20 marks)
1. The diagram below shows three digestive enzyme activities in relation to pH values.
a. What characteristic of enzyme is illustrated by the above graphs?
(1 mark)
b. Which enzyme has an optimum pH activity at an alkaline condition?
(1 mark)
c. Explain why each enzyme has its own preferred pH range at which it functions.
(2 marks)
9
2. Study the pyramid of numbers shown in the diagram below.
a. Describe how the data is collected in order to construct this pyramid.
(1 mark)
b. Explain how the chicken can be a limitation to this method of data collection.
(2 marks)
c. The flow of energy through a food chain constructed from the above diagram is illustrated
below.
Energy lost due to Respiration Energy lost due to Decomposition
Calculate the percentage of the light energy the producers incorporate into their biomass.
Show your working.
(2 marks)
10
3. In humans, blood type has multiple alleles. IA and IB are co-dominant while allele i (type O
blood) is recessive.
a. Explain why IA and IB are said to be co-dominant.
(2 marks)
b. Construct a punnet square for a cross between a homozygous red and white rose to
illustrate how incomplete dominance differs from co-dominance in blood group.
Assume that the allele for red rose is R and is dominant over white rose r.
(2 marks)
4. The diagram below shows the underside of a leaf epidermis as seen under a light microscope.
a. Identify structures X and Y.
X: ______________________________
Y: ______________________________ (2 marks)
b. Name TWO substances that move into the leaves through part Y.
(i) _______________________________________________________________
(ii) _______________________________________________________________
(2 marks)
c. What do plants use these substances for?
(1 mark)
d. Explain what causes the opening and closing of part Y.
(2 marks)
QB1
20
11
QUESTION B2 (20 marks)
1. Two experimental set-ups were used to investigate the absorption of sulphate by plant roots:
• In Set A, oxygen was bubbled through the solution containing seedlings.
• In Set B, pure nitrogen was bubbled through the solution containing seedlings.
The result is shown in the table below.
Time (minutes) Total amount of sulfate ions absorbed (arbitrary units)
With oxygen (aerobic) With nitrogen (anaerobic)
0 0 0
30 220 140
60 290 190
90 350 210
120 390 225
150 430 238
180 490 250
210 500 260
240 530 290
a. Use the data above to construct a graph to show the results of the experiment.
(5 marks)
12
b. Name the dependent variable in this investigation.
(1 mark)
c. Describe the effect of oxygen on the dependent variable.
(1 mark)
d. Use the ideas developed from this investigation to explain why plants in waterlogged
areas die.
(1 mark)
2. Study the diagram of part of the nitrogen cycle given below and answer the questions that
follow.
a. Identify the main organisms that use nitrate.
(1 mark)
b. Name Process A.
(1 mark)
c. Explain why bacteria that are involved in Processes A and B grow in different places.
(2 marks)
13
d. Farmers often add fertilisers containing nitrogen to soil to improve productivity.
Explain how the use or over-use of fertilisers would affect the ecosystem.
(2 marks)
e. Describe what would happen to an ecosystem without decomposers.
(1 mark)
3. In pigs, curly tails (C) are dominant over straight tails (c). Pink color (P) is dominant over
gray (p). A male pig that is homozygous dominant for both traits is mated with a female pig
that is recessive for type of tail and heterozygous for body color.
a. Write the genotypes for the female pig.
(1 mark)
b. List the possible gametes that the female pig can produce.
(1 mark)
c. Construct a punnet square to show the genotypes of the offspring from this cross.
(2 marks)
d. Give the proportion of the offspring that have the same phenotype as the male parent.
(1 mark)
QB2
20
14
QUESTION B3 (20 marks)
1. In the Pacific Islands, a notable feature of people’s diet is the consumption of processed food.
a. Describe the effect of processed food on the digestive system.
(1 mark)
b. Explain the effect of a diet high in calories, simple carbohydrates and animal fat on
people’s health.
_______________________________________________________________________
(2 marks)
c. Describe how you can make a meal balanced if you eat processed food.
(1 mark)
d. Explain the function of the liver in maintaining blood sugar levels in blood.
(2 marks)
2. Use the key below to identify the organisms in the diagram on page 15.
A Key To The Genera Of Lemnaceae
1. a. Plants have roots .............................................................. go to 2
b. Plants have no roots ......................................................... go to 4
2. a. One root..................................................................... Lemna minor
b. Many roots ....................................................................... go to 3
3. a. Have 7-12 or more roots .................................................. go to 5
b. Have 2-3 up to 5 roots...................................................... go to 5
4. a. Plant body flattened, 3-10mm long.................. Wolfiella lingulata
b. Plant body globose-ovoid, 0.5-1.2mm long..........Wolffia borealis
5. a. Plant is 10mm long .........................................Spirodela polyrhiza
b. Plant is 3-6mm long .........................................Landoltia punctata
15
a. Identify the scientific name of Plant A and Plant D.
Plant A: ___________________________________
Plant D: ___________________________________ (2 marks)
b. Which genus does plant C belong to?
(1 mark)
c. Which family do the above plants belong to?
(1 mark)
3. A tilapia farmer has both pigmented tilapia and pink tilapia. Pink body colour is the recessive
phenotype, and it is produced by the recessive b allele. The normal body colour is the
dominant phenotype, and it is produced by the dominant B allele.
The farmer decided to grow only pink tilapia, as shown in the diagram below.
16
a. Name the breeding method shown on page 15 that the farmer used to obtain a
true-breeding pink population of tilapia.
(1 mark)
b. State the genotype(s) of the tilapia that are removed from the population.
(1 mark)
c. Describe the effect of removing all pigmented tilapia from the population.
(1 mark)
d. Give a reason why this method should not continue in future.
(1 mark)
4. Sexual reproduction involves the fusion of male and female gametes to form a zygote, which
develops into an embryo and enables the continuity of species.
a. Describe the THREE phases/events that lead to successful implantation of the embryo.
(i) ___________________________________________________________________
(ii) ___________________________________________________________________
(iii) ___________________________________________________________________
(2 marks)
b. Describe the roles of oestrogen and progesterone in the human menstrual cycle.
(2 marks)
c. State TWO roles of the placenta in maintaining the foetus development during pregnancy.
(i) _________________________________________________________________
(ii) _________________________________________________________________
(2 marks)
QB3
20
17
QUESTION B4 (20 marks)
1. The diagram below shows the structures of a typical cell.
a. Identify the cell above as an animal or a plant cell. Give a reason for your answer.
Cell: ________________________
Reason: _______________________________________________________________
(2 marks)
b. Give ONE advantage of having large numbers of organelle Q in a muscle cell.
(1 mark)
c. Give a reason why a cell involved in active transport would contain a large number of
organelle Q.
(1 mark)
d. State the function of the part labeled N.
(1 mark)
18
2. The diagram below shows the human circulatory system.
a. Describe TWO ways in which the type of blood circulation shown in the diagram above
is different from that of an insect’s.
(2 marks)
b. Draw an arrow on the diagram above to point to the main artery that carries oxygenated
blood under high pressure. Give the name of that artery.
Name of artery: _______________________________ (2 marks)
c. Describe TWO ways in which the internal transport system shown above is more
efficient for mammals than an open system.
(2 marks)
d. Compare the efficiency of the circulatory system shown above to an open system in terms
of organism’s size and movement.
(2 marks)
e. Explain how smoking and obesity can cause coronary heart disease in humans.
(2 marks)
19
3. The diagrams below show the different types of population distribution.
a. Describe TWO factors that contribute to the different distribution patterns in
Diagram 1 and Diagram 2.
(i) ___________________________________________________________________
(ii) ___________________________________________________________________
(2 marks)
b. Which diagram shows the type of population distribution in which members do not
frequently interact with one another?
Diagram: ________ (1 mark)
4. The diagrams below show two types of cell division.
Describe the role of each type of cell division in diagram X and Y above in the life cycle of an
organism.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(2 marks)
QB4
20
20
QUESTION B5 (20 marks)
1. Two species of paramecium, Paramecium aurelia and Paramecium caudatum were cultured.
• Graph 1 shows the growth curve for the culture of paramecium grown separately.
• Graph 2 shows the growth curves of both species when they are grown together.
a. Name the type of population growth curve shown in Graph 1.
______________________________________________ (1 mark)
b. Identify the type of competition illustrated by the two graphs.
______________________________________________ (1 mark)
c. Suggest a possible reason why P. aurelia seems to be a better competitor when grown
together with P. caudatum.
(2 marks)
d. State the ecological principle illustrated in the experiment with paramecium cultures.
(1 mark)
2. Name the type of gut system that the following organisms have:
a. Earthworm: _______________________________________ (1 mark)
b. Sea anemone: _______________________________________ (1 mark)
21
c. Give TWO differences between the digestive systems of an earthworm and a sea
anemone.
(i) ___________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
(ii) ___________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
(2 marks)
d. Describe TWO ways in which an earthworm’s gut system is more efficient than a sea
anemone’s.
(i) ___________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
(ii) ___________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
(2 marks)
3. The diagram below shows the procedure to follow to prepare a slide of an onion cell in water
and in sugar solution.
22
a. Complete Step 3 on the diagram on page 21, for the preparation of a slide of the onion
cell.
(1 mark)
b. If the eyepiece magnification was 15X and the objective lens was 10X, calculate the
magnification of the cells observed.
(2 marks)
c. Describe the observation that would be made on the cells in Slide A and Slide B when
viewed under low power.
(2 marks)
d. Explain how these observations illustrate how herbaceous plants are supported.
(2 marks)
e. The diameter of the field of view of the compound light microscope at 400x
magnification is determined to be 470 micrometers. Three cells were observed to stretch
across the diameter of the field of view. Calculate the length of each onion cell. Show all
working.
(2 marks)
QB5
20
23
QUESTION B6 (20 marks)
1. The diagrams below represent transverse sections through a root and a stem.
a. Which diagram represents the transverse section of a stem? Give a reason for your
choice.
(2 marks)
b. Which letter in Figure 1 represents the part that performs the same function as
Part F on Figure 2?
Letter: _________________ (1 mark)
c. Name the part you identified in (b) above and give its function.
Name of Part:
Function:
(2 marks)
2. The diagram below shows part of the gas exchange system of fish.
a. What do the letters A and B represent on the diagram above?
A:
B:
(2 marks)
24
b. Name the type of gas exchange system of fish as shown.
(1 mark)
c. Explain how the gas exchange system shown is efficient for fish.
(2 marks)
3. Differentiate between mutualism and commensalisms.
(2 marks)
4. The diagram below shows the genetic structures present in the nucleus of cells.
a. Describe the function of the genetic structure shown in the diagram.
(1 mark)
b. Describe the role of this structure in transcription and translation.
(2 marks)
5. Metabolic processes in the body produce waste products such as carbon dioxide, water and
nitrogen.
a. State the process that is involved in the production of carbon dioxide and water.
_________________________________ (1 mark)
25
b. Nitrogen from the deamination of proteins combines with other substances in the body to
produce a toxic compound called ammonia. Give a reason why fish are able to safely
excrete ammonia.
(1 mark)
c. Give ONE advantage of insects excreting uric acid rather than ammonia.
(1 mark)
d. Explain the effect of uric acid on a person’s normal body functions.
(2 marks)
QB6
20
26
QUESTION B7 (20 marks)
1. A student set up the apparatus below to estimate the rate of water loss from a plant cutting.
The initial weight shown on the balance was taken at 9.07am. The final weight was taken at
3.36pm.
Start: 9.07am Finish: 3.36pm
87.63 g 83.02 g
a. Name the apparatus used in the investigation, as shown above.
__________________________________________________ (1 mark)
b. Calculate the change in mass for the experiment.
(1 mark)
c. Calculate the rate of transpiration from the experiment.
(2 marks)
d. State ONE factor that can affect the rate of water loss from the plant.
(1 mark)
e. Explain how the experiment could be improved to make the results more reliable.
(2 marks)
27
2. The diagram below shows an organelle where photosynthesis occurs.
a. Which letter shows the part where light reaction occurs?
Letter: _____________________________________________ (1 mark)
b. Which reaction of photosynthesis occurs in Part Z?
____________________________________________________ (1 mark)
c. Write a word equation to represent the chemical reaction that occurs in photosynthesis.
(1 mark)
d. One of the products of the reactions that occur in Part Y is not involved further in the
overall process of photosynthesis. Name this substance.
(1 mark)
e. Explain why plants store their excess energy in a different form from that of animals.
_______________________________________________________________________
(2 marks)
28
3. The diagram below shows some tracheoles that carry air to a muscle fibre in an insect.
a. Describe how the structure of the gas exchange system of an insect ensures that
there is a large surface area for gas exchange.
(1 mark)
b. Describe ONE way in which the transport of oxygen to a muscle in an insect is
different from that in a fish.
(1 mark)
c. Give ONE reason why the insect’s tracheal system would be unsuitable for a crustacean.
(1 mark)
29
d. The concentration of gases inside the tracheoles of an insect is shown on the graph
below.
(i) From the graph, identify TWO ways you can determine the time the insect’s
spiracles opened.
(1)
(2)
(2 marks)
(ii) Calculate how long the insect’s spiracles opened.
(2 marks)
QB7
20
30
SECTION C: EXTENDED RESPONSE
(20 marks)
Answer BOTH questions in the spaces provided. The amount of space provided is a guide to
the length of response needed. Marks will be given for answers that show clear, accurate
expressions of ideas, and the ability to develop a discussion or an argument in a logical and
cohesive manner. Marking criteria are provided at the end of each question.
QUESTION C1 (10 marks)
Discuss the process of ecological succession from a pioneer community to a climax community.
Include a discussion of species diversity and interactions, accumulation of biomass and energy
flow.
31
Criteria Marks Allocated Marks Awarded
Definition and differentiation 2
Examples 2
Species diversity 2
Biomass accumulation 2
Energetics 2
TOTAL 10
32
QUESTION C2 (10 marks)
Discuss at least TWO examples of how genetic modification of organisms has been used to meet
human needs and demands. Include the advantages and disadvantages of genetic engineering.
33
Criteria Marks Allocated Marks Awarded
Definition 1
Two Examples 2
Discussions 2
Advantages 2
Disadvantages 2
Communication 1
TOTAL 10
34
This page has been left blank deliberately.
35
Student Personal
Identification Number
ANSWER SHEET – Section A (SPIN)
Write the letter of the correct answer only.
MULTIPLE CHOICE
BIOLOGY
1. 11. 2010
SECTION TOTALS
2. 12. (For official use only)
Marker Check Marker
3. 13.
A
40 40
4. 14.
B1
20 20
5. 15.
B2
20 20
6. 16.
B3
20 20
7. 17.
B4
20 20
8. 18.
B5
9. 19. 20 20
B6
10. 20. 20 20
B7
20 20
Number 2 =
Correct C1
40 10 10
C2
10 10
200 200
