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Biology
Higher level
Paper 1

Wednesday 19 May 2021 (morning)

1 hour

Instructions to candidates
y Do not open this examination paper until instructed to do so.
y Answer all the questions.
y For each question, choose the answer you consider to be the best and indicate your choice on
the answer sheet provided.
y The maximum mark for this examination paper is [40 marks].

2221 – 6013
20 pages © International Baccalaureate Organization 2021
 –2– 2221 – 6013

1. The image shows an electron micrograph of virus particles known to infect the bacterium
Vibrio parahaemolyticus, which is associated with gastroenteritis, wound infections and septicemia
in humans and animals.

100 nm

What does a virus have in common with a living cell?

A. 70S ribosomes

B. Genetic material

C. Reproduction by binary fission

D. Anaerobic respiration

2. Three cell types are shown in the micrographs.

What feature distinguishes striated muscle fibres from the three cell types shown in the images?

A. Mitochondria

B. Nucleoid regions

C. Multinucleate structure

D. Membrane-bound organelles
 –3– 2221 – 6013

3. Which graph best represents the relationship between the concentration of chloride ions in the
external environment of a cell and the rate at which the chloride ions move by facilitated diffusion
into the cytoplasm of the cell?

A. B.
Rate of Rate of
facilitated facilitated
diffusion diffusion

Concentration of chloride ions Concentration of chloride ions

C. D.
Rate of Rate of
facilitated facilitated
diffusion diffusion

Concentration of chloride ions Concentration of chloride ions

4. When does DNA replication occur?

A. S phase of interphase

B. Early prophase

C. G phase of interphase

D. Late prophase

5. Which process is an example of catabolism?

A. Translation of mRNA

B. Replication of DNA

C. Hydrolysis of protein

D. Synthesis of a disaccharide

Turn over
 –4– 2221 – 6013

6. The diagram shows part of a molecule.

CH2OH
O
H H
OH H
O
H OH O
CH2OH CH2 CH2OH CH2OH
O O O H O H
H H H H H H
OH H OH H OH H OH H
O O O O O
H OH H OH H OH H OH

What is the molecule?

A. Amylose

B. Cellulose

C. Collagen

D. Amylopectin

7. Which organic molecules may contain the element sulphur?

A. Proteins

B. Carbohydrates

C. Phospholipids

D. Nucleic acids
 –5– 2221 – 6013

8. Bacteria cultured in a medium containing only 15N were transferred to a medium containing only
14
N and allowed to complete one round of replication. The DNA in bacteria produced as a result
of replication on the 14N medium was extracted and subjected to caesium chloride centrifugation
which separates DNA molecules according to their density.

Tubes
1 2 3 4 5 6

14
N

15
N

Controls

Which centrifuge tube shows the arrangement of bands observed after one round of replication?

A. Tube 3

B. Tube 4

C. Tube 5

D. Tube 6

9. What does the Rf value in thin layer chromatography represent?

A. The distance travelled by the pigment front in a fixed time period

B. The distance from the origin to the solvent front at the end of the experiment

C. The ratio of distances travelled by the pigment and solvent fronts

D. The concentration of the pigment applied to the chromatography plate

10. What is a feature of the human genome?

A. Plasmids

B. Messenger RNA

C. Transfer RNA

D. Mitochondrial DNA

Turn over
 –6– 2221 – 6013

11. What feature of eukaryotic chromosomes distinguishes them from the chromosomes of
prokaryotes?

A. Histone proteins

B. Circular DNA

C. Double-stranded DNA molecules

D. Multiple genes along the length of each chromosome

12. The image shows tetrads in the anther of a lily. A tetrad is a group of four cells, produced
when one mother cell divides by meiosis. The tetrad indicated by the arrow contains a total of
48 chromosomes.

What is the diploid number of the plant?

A. 12

B. 24

C. 48

D. 96
 –7– 2221 – 6013

13. A woman with blood type A has three children with a man who has blood type AB. The first child
has blood type B. What is the probability that the second child born to the couple will have blood
type AB?

A. 0.75

B. 0.50

C. 0.25

D. 0.00

14. Which organism would be classified as a saprotroph?

A. A single-celled eukaryote that obtains its carbon compounds by photosynthesis and ingestion
of other single-celled organisms

B.  jellyfish that uses the stinging cells in its tentacles to paralyse its prey, which is passed to
A
an internal gastric cavity through a single opening

C. A fungus that feeds by secretion of digestive enzymes onto its food and absorption of
digested material

D. A dung beetle that feeds on the fecal material left behind by other animals

Turn over
 –8– 2221 – 6013

15. The diagram shows the flow of energy through an ecosystem in kJ m–2 y–1.

Sunlight
8 000 000
kJ m–2 y–1

Primary producers
60 000 100 000
40 000 20 000

Primary consumers
15 500 20 000
4500 2500

Secondary consumers
1500 2000
Energy lost 500 400 Energy lost to
by cellular saprotrophs
respiration and detritivores
Tertiary consumers
80 100
20 20

Saprotrophs and detritivores

22 920 22 920

Total respiration
100 000

Key: Gross productivity: the amount of chemical energy that is stored

as biomass per unit time
Net productivity: the amount of chemical energy that is stored
as biomass per unit time after cellular respiration

What percentage of the energy passed from primary producers to primary consumers is lost to
cellular respiration by tertiary consumers?

A. 0.001 %

B. 0.08 %

C. 0.2 %

D. 0.4 %
 –9– 2221 – 6013

16. Which gases have made the most significant contributions to global warming?

A. Water and carbon dioxide

B. Carbon dioxide and methane

C. Methane and nitrous oxide

D. Carbon dioxide and ozone

17. Which evolutionary pathway is most likely to result in the evolution of analogous structures in
Species W and Z?

A. Species V B. Species V

Species W

Species Y

Species X

Species W Species Z Species X

Species Y

Species Z

C. Species V Species Y D. Species V

Species X Species Y

Species W Species Z Species X

Species W

Species Z

Turn over
 – 10 – 2221 – 6013

18. The images show a structure found on members of a phylum of green plants.

Whole structure Structure sectioned longitudinally

Ovules containing
female gametes

What is the name of the phylum to which the organisms belong?

A. Coniferophyta

B. Angiospermophyta

C. Filicinophyta

D. Bryophyta

19. What information can be deduced from the sequence of nodes in a cladogram?

A. The geological period in which the species in the clade diverged from their common ancestor

B. The probable sequence of divergence among the species in the clade

C. The number of characteristics the species have in common

D. The number of mutations that have occurred since the species shared a common ancestor
 – 11 – 2221 – 6013

20. What is the name of the enzyme in the diagram?

CH2OH CH2OH CH2OH CH2OH

O O O O
H H H H H H H H H H H H
OH H O OH H O OH H O OH H
HO OH
H OH H OH H OH H OH

Enzyme H 2O

CH2OH CH2OH CH2OH CH2OH

O O O O
H H H H H H H H H H H H
OH H O OH H OH H O OH H
HO OH HO OH
H OH H OH H OH H OH

A. Amylase

B. Maltase

C. Glucosidase

D. Sucrase

21. The diagram shows changes in pressure in the left atrium, left ventricle and aorta during a single
cardiac cycle. At what point during the cycle does the atrioventricular valve close?

120

100
B. C.
Blood pressure / mm Hg

80
Key:
60 Aorta
Left ventricle
Left atrium
40

D.
20 A.

0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6
Time / s

Turn over
 – 12 – 2221 – 6013

22. What is the role of antibiotics produced by fungi?

A. Destruction of viral particles

B. Inhibition of the growth of prokaryotes

C. Digestion of food molecules

D. Stimulation of antibody production

23. Where in the body are type I pneumocytes found?

A. Alveoli

B. Nephrons

C. Capillaries

D. Trachea

24. The electron micrograph shows a transverse section through a myelinated neuron.

What process is facilitated by the presence of the structure labelled X?

A. Repolarization of the nerve cell membrane

B. Generation of an action potential

C. Saltatory conduction

D. Synaptic transmission
 – 13 – 2221 – 6013

25. What is a similarity between the testes of males and the ovaries of females in humans?

A. They produce gametes throughout the life of the individual.

B. They secrete hormones into the blood stream.

C. Their development is controlled by a gene on the Y chromosome.

D. They release products to the outside of the body directly through the urethra.

26. The graph shows results of an experiment by Hershey and Chase in 1952 in which bacteria were
infected with a mixture of virus particles labelled with either 32P or 35S. A suspension of the infected
bacteria was agitated with a blender, and samples collected from the suspension were centrifuged
to record the percentage of isotope remaining on the outside of the cells.

What do curves X and Y represent?

Curve X Curve Y

32 35
A. P in sediment S in supernatant

35 32
B. S in supernatant P in supernatant

32 35
C. P in supernatant S in sediment

35 32
D. S in sediment P in sediment

Turn over
 – 14 – 2221 – 6013

27. What is a feature of transcription in the single-celled organism shown in the electron micrograph?

1.0 µm

A. mRNA splicing

B. Removal of introns

C. Codon-anticodon binding

D. Synthesis of RNA in a 5′ to 3′ direction

 – 15 – 2221 – 6013

28. The mRNA codon UAC codes for the amino acid tyrosine. Which tRNA carries tyrosine?

A. B. 3′
3′
A OH A OH
C C
C C
5′ 5′
p p

A TG A UG
C. D.
3′ 3′
A OH A OH
C C
C C
5′ 5′
p p

U AC TAC

Turn over
 – 16 – 2221 – 6013

29. The dashed line shows the relationship between the activity of an enzyme and the concentration of
its substrate. Which curve shows the effect of a non-competitive inhibitor on this relationship?

Enzyme
activity
A.

B.

C.

D.

Concentration of substrate molecule

30. What molecule functions as the final electron acceptor in the mitochondrial electron transport
chain?

A. Oxygen

B. ATP

C. Reduced NAD

D. Reduced FAD

31. The Hill reaction occurs when isolated chloroplasts are exposed to sunlight in the presence of
DCPIP. DCPIP replaces NADP as the final electron acceptor for the light-dependent reactions of
photosynthesis. What are products of the Hill reaction?

A. H2O and ATP

B. ATP and CO2

C. O2 and ATP

D. C6H12O6 and O2
 – 17 – 2221 – 6013

32. The apparatus in the diagram was used to assess the effects of factors on transpiration rates.

Plant shoot

Calibrated pipette

Plastic tubing

Which factor would be a controlled variable in an experiment designed to assess the effects of
temperature on transpiration rate?

A. The opening and closing of stomata

B. The intensity of light striking the plant

C. The height of the water in the reservoir

D. The evaporation of water from the leaves

33. The image shows part of a section through the stem of a non-woody plant. Where does transport
of sucrose occur?

B.

A.
C.

D.

Turn over
 – 18 – 2221 – 6013

34. How does auxin contribute to phototropism?

A. It increases production of light-sensitive proteins.

B. It increases growth of cells on the shaded side of the stem.

C. It inhibits growth of axillary buds.

D. It inhibits stem elongation.

35. What process occurs in both mitosis and meiosis?

A. Formation of chiasmata

B. Reduction division

C. Separation of chromatids

D. Exchange of alleles between non-sister chromatids

36. Which cell is a polyploid zygote produced by fusion of one haploid and one diploid gamete?

A. B.

C. D.
 – 19 – 2221 – 6013

37. The graph shows changes in the concentration of an antibody in the blood of an individual
subjected to two separate infections at time X and time Y.

Concentration
of antibody

X Y

Time

What distinguishes the events occurring at Y from those occurring at X?

A. The individual was infected with different pathogens at X and Y.

B. Memory B cells are involved in antibody production at Y but not at X.

C. There is no clonal selection involved.

D. There are no T lymphocytes involved.

38. The diagram shows structures involved in contraction of a sarcomere.

What is X?

A. Myosin filament

B. Sarcomere

C. Actin filament

D. Myofibril

Turn over
 – 20 – 2221 – 6013

39. What sequence shows the route taken by nitrogenous wastes in insects from their production in
body cells to their removal from the insect’s body?

A. Hemolymph → Malpighian tubule → hindgut → rectum

B. Hindgut → hemolymph → kidney tubule → bladder

C. Malpighian corpuscle → nephron → ureter → bladder

D. Neonicotinoid → rectum → antagonistic muscles → anus

40. What function is maintained as a result of the release of HCG?

A. Production of milk by the mammary glands

B. Release of oxytocin by the posterior pituitary gland

C. Production of FSH by the anterior pituitary gland

D. Production of progesterone by the ovary

References:

1. Lin, Y. and Lin, C., 2012. Transmission electron micrograph of phage ϕpp2 particles with several structural proteins. [micrograph]
(BMC Genomics, 13:224).

2. left: UCSF School of Medicine, Courtesy of Prof. D Schmucker.

middle: Professor Roger Meicenheimer, Miami University, Department of Botany.

right: Courtesy of visualhistology.com.

12. [Tetrad], 2012. [image online] Available at: https://www.iasprr.org/old/iasprr-pix/lily/tetrad.jpg [accessed: 4 April 2019]. Photo courtesy
of Professor Scott D. Russell.

15. "Energy flow: Figure 3" (https://cnx.org/contents/[email protected]:fbNheNoN@8/Energy-Flow) by OpenStax College, Biology CC

BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

18. left: Pratheep P S, www.pratheep.com (CC BY-SA 3.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/.

right: Curtis Clark (CC BY-SA 3.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/.

24. Transmission electron micrograph of a myelinated axon. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Myelinated_neuron.jpg.

This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en).

26. Republished with permission of ROCKEFELLER UNIVERSITY PRESS, from Independent functions of protein and nucleic acid
in growth of bacteriophage. Hershey, A.D. and Chase, M., 1952. (Journal of General Physiology, 36(1), p.47). Society of General
Physiologists, Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research, Rockefeller Institute; permission conveyed through Copyright Clearance
Center, Inc.

27. George E. Palade Electron Microscopy Slide Collection Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library Yale University Library.

32. Republished with permission of Springer-Verlag from Experimentelle Pflanzenphysiologie: Band 2, Peter Schopfer, 1st edition,
1st Jan 1989; permission conveyed through Copyright Clearance Center, Inc.

33. Courtesy of Kelly Cude, PhD, Professor Biological Sciences, College of the Canyons.

37. Illustration from Anatomy & Physiology, Connexions Web site. http://cnx.org/content/col11496/1.6/, Jun 19, 2013 OpenStax College
© 1999-2021, Rice University. Except where otherwise noted, textbooks on this site are licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

38. Anatomy & Physiology by Lindsay M. Biga, Sierra Dawson, Amy Harwell, Robin Hopkins, Joel Kaufmann, Mike LeMaster, Philip
Matern, Katie Morrison-Graham, Devon Quick & Jon Runyeon is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0
International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), except where otherwise noted.

All other texts, graphics and illustrations © International Baccalaureate Organization 2021