Cambridge IGCSE™

* 2 6 2 0 8 0 4 3 5 4 *

BIOLOGY 0610/61
Paper 6 Alternative to Practical May/June 2022

1 hour

You must answer on the question paper.

No additional materials are needed.

INSTRUCTIONS
● Answer all questions.
● Use a black or dark blue pen. You may use an HB pencil for any diagrams or graphs.
● Write your name, centre number and candidate number in the boxes at the top of the page.
● Write your answer to each question in the space provided.
● Do not use an erasable pen or correction fluid.
● Do not write on any bar codes.
● You may use a calculator.
● You should show all your working and use appropriate units.

INFORMATION
● The total mark for this paper is 40.
● The number of marks for each question or part question is shown in brackets [ ].

This document has 12 pages. Any blank pages are indicated.

DC (ST/CGW) 303948/3
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1 Rice contains starch. Amylase is an enzyme that catalyses the breakdown of starch to form
reducing sugars.

A student investigated the effect of amylase on cooked rice.

The student used this method:

Step 1 Two small beakers were prepared; each beaker contained 20 g of cooked white rice.
One beaker was labelled W and one beaker was labelled A.

Step 2 Both of the beakers were put into a 40 °C water-bath.

Step 3 A measuring cylinder was used to add 20 cm3 of distilled water to the rice in beaker W.

Step 4 The same measuring cylinder was then used to add 20 cm3 of a 1% amylase solution to
the rice in beaker A.

Step 5 The beakers were left in the water-bath for 10 minutes.

Step 6 One test-tube was labelled W10 and a second test-tube was labelled A10.

Step 7 After 10 minutes, a glass rod was used to stir the contents of beaker W.

Step 8 A clean pipette was used to remove 2 cm3 of the liquid surrounding the rice in beaker W.
The 2 cm3 of liquid was put into test-tube W10.

Step 9 Steps 7 and 8 were repeated with beaker A and test-tube A10.

Step 10 A syringe was used to add 2 cm3 of Benedict’s solution to each of test-tubes W10 and
A10.

Step 11 Test-tubes W10 and A10 were put into an 80 °C water-bath for five minutes.

Step 12 After five minutes, the colours of the contents of test-tubes W10 and A10 were observed.

The student’s observations are shown in Fig. 1.1.

W10 – started blue

and stayed
blue

A10 – started blue

and became
orange

Fig. 1.1

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(a) (i) Prepare a table to record the results shown in Fig. 1.1.

[2]

(ii) State a conclusion for the results shown in Fig. 1.1.

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

(iii) State two variables that were kept constant in this investigation.

1 ........................................................................................................................................

2 ........................................................................................................................................
[2]

(iv) State the purpose of adding distilled water to the beaker of cooked rice labelled W.

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

(v) It was important that step 3 was carried out before step 4.

Predict the effect on the results if step 4 was carried out before step 3.

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

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(vi) The temperature of the 40 °C water-bath was not maintained and decreased during the
investigation.

State one piece of equipment that could be used to maintain the temperature at 40 °C.

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

(b) State how you could show that cooked rice contains starch.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................. [2]

(c) Some students investigated the effect of temperature on the rate of amylase activity. They
measured the mass of reducing sugars produced in five minutes, at different temperatures.

The results of this investigation are shown in Fig. 1.2.

60

50

40

mass of reducing
sugars produced in 30
five minutes / mg

20

10

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
temperature / °C

Fig. 1.2

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(i) Describe the effect of temperature on the activity of amylase shown in the graph in
Fig. 1.2.

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [2]

(ii) Use the graph to estimate the rate of amylase activity, in mg per minute, at a temperature
of 42 °C.

Space for working.

........................................ mg per minute

[2]

(iii) The students wanted to obtain a more accurate value for the temperature at which
amylase works best.

Suggest further investigative work that the students should carry out.

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [2]

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(d) Plan an investigation to determine the effect of pH on the activity of amylase.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

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...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................. [6]

[Total: 22]

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2 Fig. 2.1 is a photomicrograph of a section through part of a marram grass leaf, Ammophila arenaria.

Fig. 2.1

(a) (i) Draw a large diagram of the section of marram grass leaf shown in Fig. 2.1.

Do not draw individual cells.

[4]

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(ii) Fig. 2.2 shows a cross-section of a whole marram grass leaf.

Q
P

magnification ×120

Fig. 2.2

Measure the length of line PQ on Fig. 2.2.

length of line PQ ................................................ mm

Calculate the actual diameter of the marram grass leaf using the formula and your
measurement.

length of line PQ on Fig. 2.2

magnification =
actual diameter of the marram grass leaf

Give your answer to one decimal place.

Space for working.

......................................................... mm
[3]
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(b) Scientists investigated the effect of different concentrations of sodium chloride solution on the
germination and growth of marram grass.

Marram grass seeds were germinated in Petri dishes on filter paper which had been soaked
in one of the different sodium chloride solutions. Each Petri dish contained 15 seeds and the
investigation was repeated four times.

After 20 days, the lengths of the seedling roots were measured with a ruler.

(i) State the variable that was changed (independent variable) and the variable that was
measured (dependent variable) in this investigation.

independent variable .........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

dependent variable ............................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................
[2]

(ii) State two ways the scientists designed the investigation to produce valid and reliable
results.

1 ........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

2 ........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................
[2]

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(c) The results of the investigation described in 2(b) are shown in Table 2.1.

Table 2.1

concentration of sodium
average root length
chloride solution
/ mm
/ g per dm3
0 33
2 22
4 19
6 13
8 2
10 1

(i) Using the information in Table 2.1, calculate the percentage decrease in the average
root length when the concentration of sodium chloride was changed from 4 g per dm3 to
6 g per dm3.

Give your answer to three significant figures.

Space for working.

............................................................ %
[3]

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(ii) Plot a line graph on the grid of the data in Table 2.1.

[4]

[Total: 18]

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