Mark Scheme (Results)

October 2017

Pearson Edexcel International Advanced Level

In Biology (WBI03) Paper 01
Practical, Biology and Research Skills
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October 2017
Publications Code WBI03_01_1710_MS
All the material in this publication is copyright
© Pearson Education Ltd 2017
General Marking Guidance

 All candidates must receive the same treatment. Examiners must mark the first candidate in exactly
the same way as they mark the last.
 Mark schemes should be applied positively. Candidates must be rewarded for what they have shown
they can do rather than penalised for omissions.
 Examiners should mark according to the mark scheme not according to their perception of where the
grade boundaries may lie.
 There is no ceiling on achievement. All marks on the mark scheme should be used appropriately.
 All the marks on the mark scheme are designed to be awarded. Examiners should always award full
marks if deserved, i.e. if the answer matches the mark scheme. Examiners should also be prepared to
award zero marks if the candidate’s response is not worthy of credit according to the mark scheme.
 Where some judgement is required, mark schemes will provide the principles by which marks will be
awarded and exemplification may be limited.
 When examiners are in doubt regarding the application of the mark scheme to a candidate’s response,
the team leader must be consulted.
 Crossed out work should be marked UNLESS the candidate has replaced it with an alternative
response.
Question Answer Additional Guidance Mark
Number
1(a)(i) Look at the answer as a whole. If mp1 not awarded
1. {diameter / radius / area / width} (e.g. they say ‘size of zone of inhibition’) but they
of {zone of inhibition / clear zone / go and say ‘measure the diameter with callipers’ ,
eq} ; then both marks could be awarded

2. method of measurement described ; Mp 2. e.g. using callipers, ruler {with suitably small
divisions / eq}, take several diameters and find the
mean, graph paper (2)

Question Answer Additional Guidance Mark

Number
1(a)(ii)
1. filter paper discs soaked in {solvent
/ eq} / filter paper disc with no
extract / use {plain water / solvent /
eq} ;
(1)
Question Answer Additional Guidance Mark
Number
1(a)(iii)
1. temperature (of incubation) ; If variable stated is inappropriate a mark can still
be awarded for a correct method of control

2. incubator / eq ; Mp2 ACCEPT oven / thermostatically controlled

{chamber / room} a {chamber / room / eq} at
{fixed / sensible stated temp.} Do not accept an
form of water bath
3. pH ;

4. use a buffer ;

5. same {mass / age} of frits used ;

6. balance OR from {same plant /

source / eq} ;

7. same {size / thickness / material / eq}

filter paper disc ;

8. ref. hole punch / choice of material to

use / stated appropriate diameter ;

9. volume of solution placed on disc ;

10. use of suitable measuring equipment,

(2)
e.g pipette ;
Question Answer Additional Guidance Mark
Number
1(b)(i)

B bar chart

A axes correctly labelled as (x – has bars

identified as each bacterial species, y- diameter
of {zone of inhibition / Z I} with units ;

K phenols and alkaloids identified ;

P correct plotting ;


S suitable scale ;

S linear, half of grid minimum, do not accept

discontinuity (5)
Question Answer Additional Guidance Mark
Number
1(b)(ii) 1. phenols are overall more effective ;

2. (little / no) difference between alkaloids

and phenols on {E. coli / S. pyogenes} ;

3. big difference between alkaloids and

phenols on {Streptococcus agalactiae /
Staphylococcus aureus} ;

4. manipulation of data to support ; e.g. calculation of mean for each chemical

(alkaloids 41.5, phenols 51.5)
any difference quoted
E. c. 3 (mm)
S aur 13 (mm)
S aga 23 (mm)
S pyo 1 (mm)
or any proportion correct
E.c A/P = 0.94, P/A = 1.06
S aur A/P = 0.73, P/A = 1.37
S aga A/P = 0.57, P/A = 1.77
S p A/P = 0.98, P/A = 1.02
or percentage
Ec P only 6% better than A, A
S aur P 37% better
S aga P 77% better
S p P only 2 % better (or vice versa)
(3)
Question Answer Additional Guidance Mark
Number
1(b)(iii) 1. each experiment should be repeated ;

2. calculate {standard deviation / standard Allow explanation of how the variability of the
error} / find the range ; data could be calculated (2)

Question Answer Additional Guidance Mark

Number
1(b)(iv) 1. idea of plotting a mean ;

2. {range bars / error bars / standard

deviation / standard error} plotted ; (2)

Question Answer Additional Guidance Mark

Number
1(c) Advantages
1. Plant extracts are {cheap / readily
available / easy to obtain / eq} ;

2. idea that bacteria (may) not (become)

resistant to plant extracts ;
Disadvantages
3. plant extracts have not been through
(clinical) trials / (correct) dosage unknown
/ eq ;

4. there may be {long term / side} effects of

using plant extracts/ eq ; (3)
Question Answer Additional Guidance Mark
Number
2(a) main solution
implant the azot gene ;

alternative solution
the use of {ibuprofen / modified virus /
telomerase} ; (1)

Question Answer Additional Guidance Mark

Number
2(b)
1. one suitable {bar graph / table / pie
chart} drawn ;

2. {four / five} {bars / rows / columns /

segments} ;

3. {axes / headings / segments} correctly

labelled ;

4. suitable title giving the idea of effect of

(different) treatments on {ageing /
lifespan} of organisms ;

(4)

Question Answer Additional Guidance Mark

Number
2(c)(i) accept
1. 7.8 ; 7.7 , 7.9 (1)
Question Answer Additional Guidance Mark
Number
2(c)(ii) Look at the answer as a whole.

1. 8 to 50 ; Accept range: (7-9) to (49-51)

Accept any correct subraction to give range as
a single figure
2. idea of using a horizontal line for age 22 51-7 = 44 50-7 = 43
or telomere length ; 49-7 = 42
51-8 = 43 50-8 = 42 49-
3. read ages from + and – 1 SD / see where SD 8 = 41
lines cross horizontal line / eq ; 51-9 = 42 50-9 = 41 49-
9 = 40 (3)

Question Answer Additional Guidance Mark

Number
2(d)(i) IGNORE any ref. to repeating the experiment

1. correct explanation of what is meant by peer ; peer in this context is someone with at least
as much experience in the science involved as
the people writing the paper
ACCEPT “scientists” or “experts”

2. correct explanation of what is meant by a to check the {paper / results} to see if

review ; {correct / valid / original / significant /
reliable} (2)
Question Answer Additional Guidance Mark
Number
2(d)(ii) 1. all 6 elements present with no extras i.e. Savage, S A and Bertuch, A A. (2010) The genetics
names, date, article title, journal, and clinical manifestations of telomere biology
volume number and pages do not award disorders. Genetics in Medicine, 12 (753-764).
if “vol.”, “pages”, “pp” are included ;

2. order correct ; there must be a minimum of 4 elements in the

correct order to judge this
3. reference has names followed by
initial(s) ; ACCEPT “et al” with one name (3)

Question Answer Additional Guidance Mark

Number
2(e)(i) 1. changed views on marriage ;

2. changed interaction between siblings

and parent ;

3. fall in incidence of depression /

stress ; (3)
 Question Answer Additional Guidance Mark
Number
2(e)(ii) 1. idea of religious objections ;

2. idea of objections to genetic

engineering ;

3. idea of objections to use of animals ;

4. idea of objections to experimenting on

humans ; (3)

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