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A-level
BIOLOGY
Paper 2

Tuesday 20 June 2017 Morning Time allowed: 2 hours

Materials
For Examiner’s Use
For this paper you must have:
• a ruler with millimetre measurements Question Mark
• a calculator. 1

Instructions 2
• Use black ink or black ball-point pen. 3
• Fill in the boxes at the top of this page. 4
• Answer all questions.
5
• You must answer the questions in the spaces provided. Do not write
outside the box around each page or on blank pages. 6
• All work must be shown. 7
• Do all rough work in this book. Cross through any work you do not want 8
to be marked.
9

Information 10
• The marks for the questions are shown in brackets.
TOTAL
• The maximum mark for this paper is 91.

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Answer all questions in the spaces provided.

0 1 . 1 Exercise causes an increase in heart rate.

Describe the role of receptors and of the nervous system in this process.
[4 marks]

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0 1 . 2 AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is an enzyme that regulates a number of

cellular processes. Exercise leads to activation of AMPK.

Figure 1 shows one effect of activation of AMPK during exercise.

Figure 1

CPT1 is a channel protein that transports fatty acids into mitochondria.

Using Figure 1, explain the benefit of activation of AMPK during exercise.

[3 marks]

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0 2 Dengue is a serious disease that is caused by a virus. The virus is carried from
one person to another by a mosquito, Aedes aegypti. One method used to try to
reduce transmission of this disease is the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT). This
involves releasing large numbers of sterile (infertile) male A. aegypti into the
habitat. These males have been made infertile by using radiation.

0 2 . 1 Explain how using the SIT could reduce transmission of dengue.

[2 marks]

0 2 . 2 Describe how the mark-release-recapture method could be used to determine the

population of A. aegypti at the start of the investigation.
[3 marks]

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0 2 . 3 The release of radiation-sterilised A. aegypti has not been very successful in

controlling the transmission of dengue.

Suggest one reason why.

[1 mark]

0 2 . 4 Recently a new method was developed to control A. aegypti. Scientists produced

transgenic males carrying a ‘lethal gene’ which kills their offspring before they can
reproduce.

The scientists released transgenic males every week in one area of a city in Brazil.
At regular intervals they determined the number of A. aegypti per km2 in the area
where transgenic males were released and in a control area where no transgenic
males were released.

Figure 2 shows their results.

Figure 2

Suggest why the scientists released more transgenic males every week.
[1 mark]

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0 2 . 5 The release of transgenic males proved successful in reducing the number of

A. aegypti.

Describe how the results in Figure 2 support this conclusion.

[2 marks]

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0 3 Scientists investigated the effect of regular exercise on skeletal muscle fibres in

mice. The scientists compared the muscle fibres of mice after six weeks of regular
exercise (trained mice) with those of mice that had not exercised (control mice).
The scientists stained the muscle fibres from both sets of mice to show succinic
acid dehydrogenase activity. The darker the stain the greater the succinic acid
dehydrogenase activity.

Figure 3 shows a typical set of results they obtained.

Figure 3

0 3 . 1 Succinic acid dehydrogenase is an enzyme used in the Krebs cycle.

Suggest one reason for the difference in the staining between the muscle fibres of
the control mice and the trained mice.
[1 mark]

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0 3 . 2 The scientists then compared the length of time that the control mice and the
trained mice could carry out prolonged exercise. The trained mice were able to
exercise for a longer time period than control mice.

Explain why.
[3 marks]

0 3 . 3 The scientists determined the mean diameter of muscle fibres in trained mice using
an optical microscope to examine sections of muscle tissue. The circular area (πr2)
of one field of view was 1.25 mm2. The diameter of this area was equal to the
diameter of 15 muscle fibres.

Using this information, calculate the mean diameter in µm (micrometres) of muscle

fibres in this section of tissue.
[2 marks]

Answer = µm

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0 3 . 4 The scientists also compared the diameter of samples of muscle fibres taken from
young mice and adult mice.

Some of their results are shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4

Describe two differences between these samples of muscle fibres.

[2 marks]

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0 4 A student isolated chloroplasts from spinach leaves into a solution to form a

chloroplast suspension. He used the chloroplast suspension and DCPIP solution
to investigate the light-dependent reaction of photosynthesis. DCPIP solution is
blue when oxidised and colourless when reduced.

The student set up three test tubes as follows:

• Tube 1 – 1 cm3 of solution without chloroplasts and 9 cm3 of DCPIP solution in

light.
• Tube 2 – 1 cm3 of chloroplast suspension and 9 cm3 of DCPIP solution in
darkness.
• Tube 3 – 1 cm3 of chloroplast suspension and 9 cm3 of DCPIP solution in light.

The student recorded the colour of the DCPIP in each of the tubes at the start and
after the tubes had been left at 20 °C for 30 minutes.

His results are shown in Table 1.

Table 1

Colour of DCPIP in tube

Tube
At start After 30 minutes

1 blue blue

2 blue blue

3 blue colourless

0 4 . 1 The solution that the student used to produce the chloroplast suspension had the
same water potential as the chloroplasts.

Explain why it was important that these water potentials were the same.
[2 marks]

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0 4 . 2 Explain why the student set up Tube 1.

[2 marks]

0 4 . 3 Explain the results in Tube 3.

[2 marks]

0 4 . 4 The student evaluated the effectiveness of different chemicals as weed-killers by

assessing their ability to prevent the decolourisation of DCPIP in chloroplast
suspensions.

He added different concentrations of each chemical to illuminated chloroplast

suspensions containing DCPIP. He then determined the IC50 for each chemical.
The IC50 is the concentration of chemical which inhibits the decolourisation of
DCPIP by 50%.

Explain the advantage of the student using the IC50 in this investigation.
[1 mark]

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0 4 . 5 Explain how chemicals which inhibit the decolourisation of DCPIP could slow the
growth of weeds.
[2 marks]

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0 5 Arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF) are fungi which grow on, and into, the roots of
plants. AMF can increase the uptake of inorganic ions such as phosphate.

0 5 . 1 Suggest one way in which an increase in the uptake of phosphate could increase
plant growth.
[1 mark]

0 5 . 2 Suggest one way in which AMF may benefit from their association with plants.
[1 mark]

0 5 . 3 Scientists investigated the effects of different AMF species on the productivity of

the plant community of a prairie grassland ecosystem when growing in/on soil
containing different phosphate concentrations.

The scientists set up identical plots of prairie grassland soil containing seeds of the
plant species found in the ecosystem. The scientists added different AMF species
and different concentrations of phosphate to particular plots. Control plots without
AMF species were also set up. After 20 weeks the scientists determined the shoot
biomass for each plot.

The results the scientists obtained are shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5

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Explain why an increase in shoot biomass can be taken as a measurement of

net primary productivity.
[2 marks]

0 5 . 4 Using the data from Figure 5, evaluate the effect on plant productivity of adding
AMF species and adding phosphate to the soil.
[4 marks]

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0 5 . 5 Using the ex button on your calculator, determine the rate of shoot biomass
production in grams per day for the control plot in soil with normal phosphate
concentration.
[2 marks]

Answer = g day–1

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0 6 . 1 Each year, a few people with type I diabetes are given a pancreas transplant.
Pancreas transplants are not used to treat people with type II diabetes.

Give two reasons why pancreas transplants are not used for the treatment of type II
diabetes.
[2 marks]

0 6 . 2 The pancreas produces the hormone insulin.

Put a tick () in the box next to the statement which describes incorrectly the
action of insulin.
[1 mark]

Activates enzymes involved in the conversion of glucose to

glycogen.

Controls the uptake of glucose by regulating the inclusion of

channel proteins in the surface membranes of target cells.

Attaches to receptors on the surfaces of target cells.

Activates enzymes involved in the conversion of glycerol to

glucose.

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0 6 . 3 Scientists investigated the use of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) to treat
type I diabetes in mice. The scientists used four transcription factors to
reprogramme skin cells to form iPS cells. The scientists then stimulated the in vitro
differentiation of iPS cells into pancreatic cells.

The scientists set up three experimental groups:

• Group A – 30 mice with type I diabetes received pancreatic cell transplants

derived from iPS cells.
• Group B – 30 mice with type I diabetes were left untreated.
• Group C – 30 mice without diabetes were left untreated.

The scientists measured the blood glucose concentration of all the mice on a
weekly basis for 12 weeks.

The results the scientists obtained are shown in Figure 6.

Figure 6

Suggest how transcription factors can reprogramme cells to form iPS cells.
[2 marks]

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0 6 . 4 Using all the information provided, evaluate the use of iPS cells to treat
type I diabetes in humans.
[4 marks]

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0 7 . 1 What is meant by the term phenotype?

[2 marks]

0 7 . 2 The inheritance of fruit colour in summer squash plants is controlled by two genes,
A and B. Each gene has two alleles.

Figure 7 shows the interaction of these two genes in controlling fruit colour in
summer squash plants.

Figure 7

Name the type of gene interaction shown in Figure 7.

[1 mark]

0 7 . 3 What fruit colour would you expect the following genotypes to have?
[1 mark]

AAbb

aaBB

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0 7 . 4 Genes A and B are not linked.

Complete the genetic diagram to show all the possible genotypes and the ratio of
phenotypes expected in the offspring of this cross.
[3 marks]

Genotypes of parents aabb × AaBb

Genotypes of offspring

Phenotypes of offspring

Ratio of phenotypes

0 7 . 5 A population of summer squash plants produced only green and yellow fruit. The
percentage of plants producing yellow fruit in this population was 36%.

Use the Hardy−Weinberg equation to calculate the percentage of plants that were
heterozygous for gene B.
[2 marks]

Answer = %

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0 8 One way to detect and measure accurately the amount of RNA in a tissue sample
is by RT-PCR (reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction).

RT-PCR uses a reaction mixture containing:

• the sample for testing

• reverse transcriptase
• DNA nucleotides
• primers
• DNA polymerase
• fluorescent dye.

The principle behind this method is shown in Figure 8.

Figure 8

0 8 . 1 Explain the role of reverse transcriptase in RT-PCR.

[1 mark]

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0 8 . 2 Explain the role of DNA polymerase in RT-PCR.

[1 mark]

0 8 . 3 Any DNA in the sample is hydrolysed by enzymes before the sample is added to
the reaction mixture.

Explain why.
[2 marks]

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0 8 . 4 Figure 9 shows the results from using RT-PCR to detect RNA in two different
samples, A and B.

Figure 9

A quantitative comparison can be made of the amount of RNA in samples A and B.

This involves determining the number of cycles required to reach 50% maximum
concentration of DNA (C).
1
The amount of RNA in a sample can be measured as:
C
Use this information to calculate the ratio for RNA content in sample A : RNA
content in sample B.
[2 marks]

Answer =

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0 8 . 5 Suggest one reason why DNA replication stops in the polymerase chain reaction.
[1 mark]

0 8 . 6 Scientists have used the RT-PCR method to detect the presence of different RNA
viruses in patients suffering from respiratory diseases.

The scientists produced a variety of primers for this procedure.

Explain why.
[2 marks]

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0 9 . 1 What is a gene pool?

[1 mark]

0 9 . 2 Lord Howe Island in the Tasman Sea possesses two species of palm tree which
have arisen via sympatric speciation. The two species diverged from each other
after the island was formed 6.5 million years ago. The flowering times of the two
species are different.

Using this information, suggest how these two species of palm tree arose by
sympatric speciation.
[5 marks]

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1 0 Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a non-reversible brain disorder that develops over a

number of years. At the start of 2014 the number of Americans with AD was
estimated to be 5.4 million. Every 30 seconds another person in America
develops AD.

In the brain of a person with AD there is a lower concentration of acetylcholine. 5

This affects communication between nerve cells and initially results in memory
loss and confusion. Some of the symptoms of AD that are associated with
communication between nerve cells are reduced by taking the drug donepezil.
Donepezil inhibits the enzyme acetylcholinesterase.

A gene mutation called E280A found on chromosome 14 causes early-onset AD 10

at a mean age of 49 years. The age at which the E280A mutation is expressed
to cause AD varies.

Yaramul is a town in a historically isolated region of the Andes Mountains. The

population of this town has the highest frequency of the E280A mutation in the
world. The origin of the E280A mutation in this population has been traced back 15
to a common ancestor in the 17th century. Natural selection has not reduced
the frequency of the E280A mutation in the population.

This autosomal dominant mutation involves a change in triplet 280 from GAA to
GCA. Scientists analysed chromosome 14 from 102 individuals from Yaramul.
They recorded a sample size of 204 and detected 75 E280A mutations but only 20
74 potential AD cases. The scientists identified individuals with the mutation by
whole genome sequencing. They had decided that a DNA probe would not be a
suitable method to detect the E280A mutation.

1 0 . 1 Assuming no one with AD died in 2014, calculate the annual percentage increase in
AD cases in America for 2014 (lines 2–4).
[2 marks]

Answer %

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1 0 . 2 Explain how donepezil could improve communication between nerve cells (lines
7–9).
[3 marks]

1 0 . 3 Suggest and explain two reasons why there is a high frequency of the E280A
mutation in Yaramul (lines 13–15).
[2 marks]

1 0 . 4 Explain why natural selection has not reduced the frequency of the E280A
mutation in the population (lines 16–17).
[2 marks]

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1 0 . 5 The age at which the E280A mutation is expressed to cause AD can vary (lines
11–12).

Suggest and explain one reason for this.

[2 marks]

1 0 . 6 One scientific study which analysed chromosome 14 involved 102 individuals. The
scientists recorded a sample size of 204. In this sample they detected 75 E280A
mutations but only 74 potential AD cases (lines 19–21).

Suggest explanations for the figures the scientists recorded.

[2 marks]

1 0 . 7 Suggest why a DNA probe for the mutated triplet was not considered a suitable
method for detection of the E280A mutation (lines 22–23).
[2 marks]

END OF QUESTIONS
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