Cambridge IGCSE™

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BIOLOGY 0610/42
Paper 4 Theory (Extended) February/March 2024

1 hour 15 minutes

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 80.
● The number of marks for each question or part question is shown in brackets [ ].

This document has 20 pages.

DC (DE/SG) 328326/4
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1 Enzymes are catalysts.

(a) (i) Describe what is meant by the term catalyst.

A catalyst is a substance that speeds up a chemical reaction without being
...........................................................................................................................................
used up. It lowers the activation energy required for the reaction to occur.
...........................................................................................................................................

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

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

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

(ii) Enzymes are proteins.

State the names of the chemical elements found in all proteins.

carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur.
...........................................................................................................................................

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

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(b) Lipase is an enzyme found in the human digestive system.

Fig. 1.1 shows the effect of pH on the percentage activity of lipase.

100

80

60
percentage
activity
40

20

0
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
pH

Fig. 1.1

Describe and explain the change in percentage activity of lipase shown on Fig. 1.1.
At pH levels lower than7, the percentage activity of lipase decreases. As pH
...................................................................................................................................................
deviates from 7, the enzyme's active site may become denatured, reducing its
effectiveness. Lipase works optimally at pH 7, where it achieves 100% activity,
...................................................................................................................................................
efficiently breaking down fats into fatty acids and glycerol. Deviations from pH 7
disrupt the enzyme's tertiary structure, affecting its ability to bind with substrates
...................................................................................................................................................
and catalyze reactions.
...................................................................................................................................................

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

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

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

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

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

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

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(c) (i) Complete the word equation to show the substrate and products for lipase.

fat lipase +
fatty acids glycerol
........................................ ........................................ ........................................
[2]

(ii) Lipase acts in the duodenum.

Explain how the body provides a suitable pH for lipase activity.

...........................................................................................................................................
first bile is released from the gall bladder through the duct and into the
duodenum to increase ph to be alkaline so the lipase can work at its optimum
...........................................................................................................................................
and more enzyme complexes formed. the pancreatic and intestinal juice also
provide optimum ph
...........................................................................................................................................

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

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

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

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

[Total: 15]

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2 Fig. 2.1 shows a cross-section of a human heart.

Fig. 2.1

(a) (i) On Fig. 2.1, label with an R the position of the right ventricle. [1]

(ii) State the names of the structures labelled A and B on Fig. 2.1.
tricuspid heart
A ........................................................................................................................................
bicuspid heart
B ........................................................................................................................................
[2]

(iii) Complete the sentence about blood vessel C.

lungs
Blood vessel C transports blood from the ................................................................ to the
heart
................................................................ .
[2]

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(b) Fig. 2.2 shows a cross-section of part of a heart that has an incomplete structure.

atria

incomplete
heart structure

Fig. 2.2

Explain how the incomplete heart structure shown in Fig. 2.2 may affect a person’s ability to
transport oxygen.
it allows mixing of oxygenated and deoxygenate blood. This leads to decreased
...................................................................................................................................................
efficiency in oxygen delivery to tissues. Consequently, it can result in fatigue, and
poor growth.
...................................................................................................................................................

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

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

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

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

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

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(c) Fig. 2.3 shows how the body uses aerobic and anaerobic respiration during the first 120
seconds of vigorous physical activity. Between 0 and 20 seconds, the body also uses stored
energy.

100

80 aerobic respiration

60
percentage of
energy released
40

20 anaerobic respiration

0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
time / s

Fig. 2.3

(i) Describe the data shown in Fig. 2.3.

...........................................................................................................................................
anerobic respiration : was steeper and gradually increased and most energy
released at 20 seconds then as time increased the energy released decreased
...........................................................................................................................................
and became less steeper and it became constant at 100 and 120 at 20%
areboic: was constant at 10-100 seconds , less steeper than anerobic and peak
...........................................................................................................................................
was at 100-120 and became constant at 100-120 at 80 %
...........................................................................................................................................

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

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

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

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

..................................................................................................................................... [4]

(ii) State the balanced chemical equation for aerobic respiration.

C6H12O6 + 6O2 -> 6CO2 + 6H2O + energy
..................................................................................................................................... [2]

(iii) During anaerobic respiration an oxygen debt can build up.

State the name of the chemical that causes this oxygen debt.
lactic acid
..................................................................................................................................... [1]

[Total: 15]

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3 (a) Fig. 3.1 shows a growing plant. The plant is growing in the dark.

plant shoot

soil

plant root

Fig. 3.1

(i) State the name of the growth response shown by the plant shoot in Fig. 3.1.
positive phototropism
..................................................................................................................................... [1]

(ii) Explain how the growth of the plant shoot in Fig. 3.1 is controlled.

In positive phototropism, auxin hormone accumulates on the shaded side of the

...........................................................................................................................................
shoot. This causes cells to elongate more rapidly on the shaded side, bending
...........................................................................................................................................
the shoot towards the light source. This directional growth response helps the
plant maximize light absorption for photosynthesis.
...........................................................................................................................................

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

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

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

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

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(b) Plant roots growing towards water is another growth response.

State two uses of water in a plant.

maintaining turgor pressure
1 ................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................
photosynthesis
2 ................................................................................................................................................

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

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(c) A student measured the root length of a bean seedling over a period of 120 hours.

Fig. 3.2 shows the results.

30

20

root length
/ mm
10

0
0 24 48 72 96 120
time / hours

Fig. 3.2

Calculate the percentage increase in root length between 48 hours and 96 hours.

Give your answer to two decimal places.

Space for working.

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

[Total: 9]

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4 Fig. 4.1 shows the concentrations of female sex hormones during the menstrual cycle.

S
progesterone

R
concentration
of hormones
FSH

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
day of menstrual cycle

Fig. 4.1

(a) Identify, from Fig. 4.1, hormone:

oestrogen
R .............................................................
LH
S. ............................................................
[2]

(b) State the day or days of the menstrual cycle shown in Fig. 4.1 when:
14
ovulation is most likely to occur ................................................................................................
28
shedding of the uterine lining occurs. .......................................................................................
[2]

(c) Describe how the concentration of progesterone would change during pregnancy.

Give a reason for this change.

During pregnancy, the concentration of progesterone increases steadily. This is
...................................................................................................................................................
because progesterone is primarily produced by the ovary and later by the placenta to
maintain the uterus lining and support pregnancy.
...................................................................................................................................................

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

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

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

(d) State the sites of production of progesterone during a menstrual cycle and during pregnancy.
ovary
during a menstrual cycle ...........................................................................................................
placenta
during pregnancy ......................................................................................................................
[2]

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(e) Describe the role of FSH in the menstrual cycle.

FSH stimulates the development of follicles in the ovaries and the production of
...................................................................................................................................................
estrogen.
...................................................................................................................................................

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

[Total: 9]

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5 Fig. 5.1 shows part of a monkey flower plant.

Fig. 5.1

(a) (i) State two pieces of evidence, visible in Fig. 5.1, that show that monkey flower plants
are pollinated by insects.

large petals
1 ........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................
large pollen grains
2 ........................................................................................................................................

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

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(ii) The monkey flower plant in Fig. 5.1 reproduces sexually.

Describe the advantages and disadvantages of sexual reproduction for monkey flower
plants.
Genetic variation allows for adaptation to changing environments. It allows for
...........................................................................................................................................
the combination of genetic traits from different individuals. Have to find mates
to reproduce. There's a risk of unsuccessful fertilization.
...........................................................................................................................................

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

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

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

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

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

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

..................................................................................................................................... [4]

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(b) Monkey flower plants were introduced to Europe from North America about 200 years ago.

Scientists measured the leaf area of five monkey flower plants growing in Europe and five
monkey flower plants growing in North America.

Their results are shown in Table 5.1 and Table 5.2.

Table 5.1

plants growing in Europe

plant
leaf area / cm2
number
1 310
2 335
3 390
4 348
5 365
mean 350

Table 5.2

plants growing in North America

plant
leaf area / cm2
number
1 285
2 310
3 302
4 315
5 294
mean 301

(i) Using the data in Table 5.2, calculate the mean leaf area for plants growing in North
America.

Give your answer as a whole number and include the unit.

301 leaf area/ cm^2
................................................................
[2]

(ii) State a conclusion for the results shown in Table 5.1 and Table 5.2.
plants growing in europe has greater leaf area
...........................................................................................................................................

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

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

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(iii) Ancestors of monkey flower plants had a much smaller leaf area.

Explain how the monkey flower plants have developed a larger leaf area over time.
Through natural selection, monkey flower plants with variations favoring
...........................................................................................................................................
larger leaf areas were better adapted to capture sunlight for
photosynthesis. These variants had a reproductive advantage, passing
...........................................................................................................................................
on their genes. Over generations, this process led to the evolution of
...........................................................................................................................................
monkey flower plants with increasingly larger leaf areas, enhancing their
fitness and survival in their environment.
...........................................................................................................................................

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..................................................................................................................................... [5]

[Total: 14]

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6 (a) Fig. 6.1 shows part of the carbon cycle in the ocean.

Sun
carbon dioxide in
the atmosphere

ocean surface

phytoplankton

feeding
krill

krill faeces

zooplankton eating
krill faeces

Fig. 6.1 (not to scale)

(i) Phytoplankton contain chlorophyll.

Explain how phytoplankton lower carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere.

Phytoplankton use chlorophyll to photosynthesize, converting carbon

...........................................................................................................................................
dioxide into organic compounds. This process reduces carbon dioxide
...........................................................................................................................................
concentrations in the atmosphere.
...........................................................................................................................................

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

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

(ii) Suggest the role of zooplankton in this ecosystem.

decomposers
...........................................................................................................................................

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

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(iii) State the names of two processes that add carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

Respiration
1 ........................................................................................................................................
Combustion
2 ........................................................................................................................................
[2]

(iv) Describe the effect on the environment of additional carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Additional carbon dioxide in the atmosphere enhances the greenhouse

...........................................................................................................................................
effect and leads to global warming. This can disrupt ecosystems,
...........................................................................................................................................
causing habitat loss and altering weather patterns. Increased carbon
dioxide levels also contribute to ocean acidification, harming marine life.
...........................................................................................................................................

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

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

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

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

(b) Fig. 6.2 shows the pyramid of energy for a food chain in an ocean ecosystem.

herbivores

Fig. 6.2

(i) On Fig. 6.2, label the trophic level containing herbivores. [1]

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(ii) Explain why pyramids of energy usually have fewer than five trophic levels.
Pyramids of energy have fewer trophic levels due to energy loss at each
...........................................................................................................................................
level, limiting available energy for higher levels. This inefficiency results
...........................................................................................................................................
in insufficient energy to support more than a few trophic levels effectively.
Energy transfer between trophic levels is only about 10% passed on
...........................................................................................................................................

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

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

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

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

(iii) State two advantages of using a pyramid of energy rather than a pyramid of biomass to
represent a food chain.
It takes into account the rate of production, in contrast to the pyramids
1 ........................................................................................................................................
of numbers and biomass which indicate the standing states of
organisms at a particular moment in time
...........................................................................................................................................

2 ........................................................................................................................................
Weights for weight two species do not necessarily have the same
energy content.
...........................................................................................................................................
[2]

(c) The oceans contain fish stocks that can be managed as a sustainable resource to provide
food for humans.

(i) State what is meant by the term sustainable resource.

renewable natural resources
...........................................................................................................................................

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

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

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

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

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(ii) Fishing can be managed to promote the conservation of fish stocks.

Explain one way that fishing can be managed to conserve fish stocks.
limits on the amount of fish that can be caught helps prevent
...........................................................................................................................................
overfishing and allows fish populations to replenish.
...........................................................................................................................................

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

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

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

[Total: 18]

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