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Mark Scheme (Results)

Summer 2014

IAL Biology (WBI06)

Paper 01

Unit 6: Practical Biology and Research

Skills
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Summer 2014
Publications Code IA038159
All the material in this publication is copyright
© Pearson Education Ltd 2014
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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.
• Mark schemes will indicate within the table where, and which strands
of QWC, are being assessed. The strands are as follows:

i) ensure that text is legible and that spelling, punctuation and

grammar are accurate so that meaning is clear
ii) select and use a form and style of writing appropriate to purpose
and to complex subject matter
iii) organise information clearly and coherently, using specialist
vocabulary when appropriate.
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Using the Mark Scheme

Examiners should look for qualities to reward rather than faults to penalise. This does NOT mean giving credit for incorrect
or inadequate answers, but it does mean allowing candidates to be rewarded for answers showing correct application of
principles and knowledge. Examiners should therefore read carefully and consider every response: even if it is not what is
expected it may be worthy of credit.

The mark scheme gives examiners:

• an idea of the types of response expected
• how individual marks are to be awarded
• the total mark for each question
• examples of responses that should NOT receive credit.

/ means that the responses are alternatives and either answer should receive full credit.
( ) means that a phrase/word is not essential for the award of the mark, but helps the examiner to get the sense of the
expected answer.
Phrases/words in bold indicate that the meaning of the phrase or the actual word is essential to the answer.
ecf/TE/cq (error carried forward) means that a wrong answer given in an earlier part of a question is used correctly in
answer to a later part of the same question.

Candidates must make their meaning clear to the examiner to gain the mark. Make sure that the answer makes sense. Do
not give credit for correct words/phrases which are put together in a meaningless manner. Answers must be in the correct
context.

Quality of Written Communication

Questions which involve the writing of continuous prose will expect candidates to:
• write legibly, with accurate use of spelling, grammar and punctuation in order to make the meaning clear
• select and use a form and style of writing appropriate to purpose and to complex subject matter
• organise information clearly and coherently, using specialist vocabulary when appropriate.
Full marks will be awarded if the candidate has demonstrated the above abilities.
Questions where QWC is likely to be particularly important are indicated (QWC) in the mark scheme, but this does not
preclude others.
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Question Answer Additional guidance Mark

Number
1(a)
1. allow snail to adjust to environment before starting
/ eq ;

2. stimulus described e.g. tapping the snail / eq ; 2. ACCEPT tapping table, use of any
tool to tap with
3. idea of maintaining strength of stimulus e.g. same 3. IGNORE firmly, gently unless
force ; repeated

4. description of what will be recorded as a response / 4. IGNORE timing retraction of snail

eq ; ACCEPT time for {snail /
eyestalks / eq} to reemerge
5. idea of repeating the stimulus (after response) ;

6. idea of repetition of experiment after time delay

OR with different snail ;

(5)
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Question Answer Additional guidance Mark

Number
1(b)(i) IGNORE variables related to
1. temperature ; stimulus, same snail

2. another named environmental factor e.g. background 2. ACCEPT use same surface or
noise, humidity, light intensity ; container for snail

3. idea of variable related to snail e.g. species, age,

gender ;

4. previous handling of the snail / time to recover

during experiment / eq ;

(2)

Question Answer Additional guidance Mark

Number
1(b)(ii)
1. variable with suitable control method described ; 1. ACCEPT any variable including
related to stimulus, use of
temperature controlled room
IGNORE measurement of variable
e.g. use of thermometer
2. description of likely effect on the dependent variable 2. ACCEPT any reasonable effect on
provided ; the results described (2)
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Question Answer Additional guidance Mark

Number
1(c)
1. (repeated stimulation) affects calcium channels / eq ;

2. fewer calcium ions enter the pre-synaptic knob / eq ; 2. ACCEPT pre-synaptic membrane

3. less neurotransmitter is released / eq ; 3. IGNORE runs out of

neurotransmitter
4. less depolarisation of the post-synaptic membrane /
fewer sodium channels open in post-synaptic
membrane / eq ;

5. {no / fewer / eq }action potential generated / no 5. IGNORE messages, signals

impulse (in post-synaptic cell) / eq ; (4)
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Question Answer Additional guidance Mark

Number
2(a)
1. Null hypothesis that has a reference to
{no / eq} significant correlation ;

2. between forced expiratory volume and the height

of a person / eq ;

(2)

Question Answer Additional guidance Mark

Number
2(b) ACCEPT raw data in table,
1. correctly calculated means ; units in headings only
e.g.
2. height and means in suitable table format of rows
Height / cm Mean FEV 1 / dm3
and columns ;
178 3.10
174 4.27
177 4.19
181 4.28
183 4.70
170 3.24
171 3.38
176 3.59
(3)
3. headings to include units ; 3. NOT if units repeated in rows
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Question Answer Additional guidance Mark

Number
2(c)
A axes : scale with suitable labels ; A. ACCEPT linear scale with
discontinuity indicator if starts at zero,
axes labelled as mean FEV / dm3 and
height / cm
P data plotted as scatter graph with means plotted P. IGNORE joined points, line of best fit
accurately ;

B range bars included at each point ;

(3)

Question Answer Additional guidance Mark

Number
2(d)
1. idea that graph shows that there may be a 1. ACCEPT overlap in the range bars
relationship

OR

Idea that there is a lot of variability data ;

2. 0.71 identified ; 2. ACCEPT circled in table

3. the {calculated value / eq} is less than the value 0.65 is lower than 0.71 = Mps 2 and 3
at [{5% / 0.05} significance level / {95% / 0.95}
confidence level] / eq ;

4. the null hypothesis is accepted ;

5. there is no significant correlation between height 5. ACCEPT no significant relationship

and forced expiratory volume / eq ; between these variables (4)
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Question Answer Additional guidance Mark

Number
2(e)
1. idea that a named factor has not been taken into 1. ACCEPT weight, smoking
consideration e.g. health, age, gender, mass ;

2. small sample size / only eight individuals / eq ;

3. idea that study only carried out on one occasion 3. ACCEPT it would need to be repeated
/ eq ;

4. idea that study does not represent the whole

population e.g. narrow height range ; (3)
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Question Answer Additional guidance Mark

Number
3(a)
1. suitable ethical argument concerning care of
spiders ;

2. idea of impact on ecosystem of using spiders

e.g. change in food chain, food web ;

3. Suitable safety point e.g. possible irritant,

allergenic material, working in field, wearing
gloves qualified, protection against sunburn ; (2)

Question Answer Additional guidance Mark

Number
3(b) 1. practice the method to check it works / eq ; IGNORE references to research in texts
etc
2. identify suitable site with leafhoppers / eq ;

3. identify suitable time of year / eq ;

4. idea of number of spiders already present OR that

need to be added to rice ;

5. find a sampling method to determine number of

leafhoppers / eq ;

6. determine a time scale for detecting an effect of 6. ACCEPT time for damage to the
introducing the spiders / eq ; rice plants to be seen

7. consider impact of farming practices used e.g.

pesticides ;
(3)
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Question Answer Additional guidance Mark

Number
3(c) IGNORE comments about damage to
NB Maximum of 8 marks from the following + 2 SPG rice
marks

1. clear reference to independent variable e.g. number of

wolf spiders released, presence of wolf spiders ;

2. appropriate design e.g. 5 different numbers of spiders

(correlation) / eq ;

OR

spiders released in some fields and not in others / eq ;

3. clear reference to the dependent variable e.g. number

of leafhopper nymph / eq ;

4. idea of need to know initial number of leafhoppers ;

5. clear description of method for measuring dependent

variable e.g. count leafhopper nymphs in randomly
placed quadrats , sweep net / eq ;

6. and 7. identification of two variables ; 6/7 IGNORE size of quadrat, species of

spider
ACCEPT immi/emigration,
8. and 9. Description of how the two identified variables predation
can be {monitored / controlled / eliminated / eq} ;

10. clear reference to need for repeats / eq ;

(10)
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SPG award up to 2 marks

Level Mark Descriptor

Level 1 0 The account is very disorganised and is very difficult to follow. Scientific vocabulary is very limited with
many spelling and grammatical errors.
Level 2 1 There is some disorganisation in the account which is not always in the correct sequence. Some
relevant scientific vocabulary is used. The account is not always in continuous prose and there are
grammatical errors and some important spelling mistakes.
Level 3 2 The account is well organised with no undue repetition and a correct sequence. There is good use of
scientific vocabulary in the context of the investigation described. The account is written in continuous
prose which is grammatically sound with no major spelling errors.

Question Answer Additional guidance Mark

Number
3(d) 1. clear table for raw with headings ; 1. ACCEPT table includes damage to
rice plants
2. means calculated from repeat data ;

3. {scatter / line / bar} graph with correctly labelled 3. ACCEPT horizontal bars if each bar is
axes ; number of spiders

4. reference to an appropriate statistical test e.g. use 4. relate this to the content of the
of correlation test / Spearman’s Rank / t-test ; table of data e.g. with and without
spiders = t-test / Mann-Whitney U
range of spiders = correlation test /
Spearman’s rank / Pearson’s
(4)
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Question Answer Additional guidance Mark

Number
3(e) 1. idea that it is difficult to control (all) the variables ;

2. and 3 two uncontrolled variables e.g. temperature 2. ACCEPT weather, migration,

in field over a period of time, presence of another light intensity
predator, health of organisms eq ; IGNORE genetic variability

4. limitations related to{ sampling / counting

leafhoppers / distribution of leafhoppers};

5. idea that laboratory conditions may not relate to 5. ACCEPT reference to laboratory bred
what happens in rice fields ; spiders
(3)
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