2015 Senior External Examination
Biology
Monday 9 November 2015
Paper One — Question and response book
Time allowed
• Perusal time: 10 minutes
• Working time: 2 hours 30 minutes
9 am to 11:40 am
Candidate use
Print your candidate number here
1 5 –
–
Examination materials provided
• Paper One — Question and response book
• Notepaper
Attach barcode here
Equipment/materials allowed
• QCAA-approved equipment
• non-programmable calculator
• one A4 sheet of EBI question topic research notes
Number of books used
Directions
Supervisor use only
Do not write in this book during perusal time.
Paper One has three parts:
• Part A — Cell structure and function
• Part B — Physiology of organisms
• Part C — Organisms and ecosystems
Attempt all questions.
Supervisor’s initials
QCAA use only
Marker number
Suggested time allocation
• Part A: 40 minutes
• Part B: 55 minutes
• Part C: 55 minutes
Assessment
Paper One assesses the following assessment criteria:
• Understanding biology (UB)
• Investigating biology (IB)
• Evaluating biological issues (EBI)
Assessment standards are at the end of this book.
After the examination session
The supervisor will collect this book.
Take your research notes when you leave for use in Paper Two.
For all Queensland schools
Planning space
Part A — Cell structure and function
Questions 1–6 assess Understanding biology (UB) and Investigating biology (IB).
Attempt all questions. Write your responses in the spaces provided.
Suggested time allocation: 40 minutes.
Question 1 (UB)
A student used a light microscope to observe four different cells (A, B, C and D).
The observations are summarised in the table below.
a.
Cell
Unicellular or part of
multicellular organism
Nucleus
Cell wall
Approximate
length (m)
A
multicellular
present
present
200
B
unicellular
absent
present
5
C
multicellular
present
absent
30
D
unicellular
present
absent
100
Which of the cells is most likely a prokaryote? Explain your reasoning.
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b.
Which of the cells could be from a plant? Explain your reasoning.
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1
Question 2 (UB)
a.
Complete the following table for the organic compounds found in cells.
Type of organic compound
One function of the compound
Carbohydrates
Lipids
Nucleic acids
Proteins
b.
In which organelle of a plant cell would the following compounds be found?
Glucose
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DNA
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Question 3 (UB)
The following table compares the number of mitochondria, chloroplasts and Golgi bodies in four
different cells (W, X, Y and Z).
a. i.
Cell
Number of
mitochondria
Number of
chloroplasts
Number of Golgi
bodies
W
8
6
1
X
24
0
1
Y
6
0
6
Z
6
0
1
Which cell would you expect to be releasing large quantities of enzymes to its surroundings?
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ii.
Why?
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b. i.
Which cell would you expect to belong to active muscle tissue?
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ii.
Why?
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2
Question 4 (IB)
The research department of a forestry company has been asked to compare the photosynthetic rate of
leaf tissue from five species of eucalyptus trees. The researchers chose to use the leaf disc method for
their investigation.
Leaf disc method
When leaf discs are cut from fresh leaves and kept in water containing CO2 they remain alive and
are able to photosynthesise. Normally such leaf discs would float in water, but if air is removed
from the spaces between cells a low pressure is created. They will become less buoyant and sink.
When the leaf discs photosynthesise they produce oxygen, become buoyant and float to the surface
of the water. The faster the discs rise, the faster the rate of photosynthesis.
Design an experimental investigation for the research team.
•
•
•
•
Provide methodology.
Address variables.
Plan replicate treatments.
Identify data to be collected.
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Question 5 (UB/IB)
Plants are often grown commercially in a controlled environment in greenhouses.
Plant growers want their crops to grow quickly and will often artificially increase the concentration of
carbon dioxide in the greenhouse air during the day — to about 0.1% compared to the normal level of
about 0.034%. In cooler weather greenhouses are heated. The rate of photosynthesis changes in a
pattern similar to that shown in the table below.
Relative rate of photosynthesis
Concentration of CO2 in
the greenhouse air (%)
a. i.
At 20 °C
At 35 °C
0.005
20
23
0.020
80
95
0.034 (normal level of CO2 )
100
110
0.060
110
120
0.090
117
123
0.120
117
123
Use the data above to plot two graphs on the same set of axes.
Draw two lines of best fit to compare the change in the concentration of CO2 in the
greenhouse air with the relative rate of photosynthesis at the two temperatures.
ii.
Relative rate of photosynthesis
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
0.01
0.02
0.03
0.04
0.05
0.06
0.07
0.08
Concentration of CO2
4
0.09
0.10
0.11
0.12
0.13
b.
Complete the equation for photosynthesis.
....................
c.
+ water Light energy
....................
+ ....................
Explain why the relative rate of photosynthesis stays the same after the concentration of CO2 in
the greenhouse exceeds 0.090%.
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d.
The concentration of CO2 in the greenhouse air was found to increase at night, even though none
is artificially added. Explain why.
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Question 6 (UB/IB)
Amoeba are single-celled aquatic organisms. Amoeba obtained from an estuary are to be used in a
study where amoeba will be added to three aquatic environments: marine, estuarine and freshwater.
The salt concentration of each environment is shown below.
a.
Environment
Marine
Estuarine
Freshwater
Salt concentration
(mg/L)
3000
2500
18
Hypothesise what will happen to the amoeba when they are introduced to each environment.
Justify each hypothesis.
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b.
Some amoeba have contractile vacuoles that collect and expel water from the cell. A large number
of mitochondria are generally found in the immediate vicinity of the contractile vacuole. The
diagram below shows a contractile vacuole.
Filling vacuole
50 mm
A contractile vacuole fills with fluid that enters from a
system of canals radiating throughout the cytoplasm.
Contracting vacuole
50 mm
When full, the vacuole and canals contract, expelling
fluid from the cell.
Explain the relationship between these contractile vacuoles and mitochondria.
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c.
The salt concentration within the amoeba remains constant even though extracellular salt
concentration changes. How does the amoeba achieve this? Explain your response.
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End of Part A
7
Part B — Physiology of organisms
Questions 1–5 assess Understanding biology (UB) and Investigating biology (IB).
Question 6 assesses Evaluating biological issues (EBI).
Attempt all questions. Write your responses in the spaces provided.
Suggested time allocation: 55 minutes.
Question 1 (UB)
The diagram below represents the gas exchange within an organism.
Blood flow
Gas exchange
Lungs or gills
X
Gas exchange
Blood transports gases
Y
Respiring cell
Blood flow
a.
Which two gases are exchanged at X?
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b.
What is the process by which gases are exchanged at X and Y?
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c.
List two characteristics that make lungs and gills efficient surfaces for gas exchange. Explain how
these characteristics make the structures more efficient.
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Question 2 (UB)
The diagrams below show the circulatory systems of a human foetus and a human baby. The foetal
heart has two vessels which allow blood to bypass the lungs.
In the foetal system:
• About 60% of the blood that enters the right atrium passes through the foramen ovale —
indicated on the diagram at (i) — to the left atrium.
• Most of the remaining 40% passes via the ductus arteriosus — indicated on the diagram at (ii)
— into the body circulation.
Lungs
Lungs
(ii)
(i)
Umbilical vein
(from placenta)
Liver
Liver
Heart
Heart
Umbilical artery
(to placenta)
Body
Foetal circulation (before birth)
a.
Body
Baby’s circulation (after birth)
In what significant way would the blood entering the left side of the heart of a foetus differ from
the blood entering the left side of the heart of a baby after birth? Explain your response.
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b.
Describe the disadvantages for the baby if, after birth, the bypasses remain unchanged.
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Question 3 (UB)
The diagram below shows two villi from the small intestine of a healthy person.
Blood capillary
a.
Explain how the structures of the villi are related to their function.
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The diagram below shows two villi from the small intestine of a person with coeliac disease, which
causes inflammation and affects the shape of the villi.
Blood capillary
b.
Without treatment, children with coeliac disease have low growth rates (failure to thrive), fatigue
and anaemia.
Explain how changes to the structure of the villi would result in these symptoms.
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Question 4 (UB)
The diagram below shows a simplified representation of the structural unit of a human kidney, the
nephron. Concentrations of three substances in various regions of the nephron are shown in the tables.
Substance Concentration
(mg/100 mL)
Glucose
90
Urea
30
740
Protein
Substance Concentration
(mg/100 mL)
Glucose
90
Urea
30
0
Protein
Substance Concentration
(mg/100 mL)
Glucose
0
Urea
2000
0
Protein
a.
On the diagram, label the four items: glomerulus, Bowman’s capsule, collecting tubule and
renal artery.
b.
Explain the processes that change the concentration of each of the substances below. Use the terms
renal artery, glomerulus, Bowman’s capsule and collection tubule in your explanations.
i.
Glucose
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ii.
Urea
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iii. Protein
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Question 5 (UB/IB)
The diagram below shows the cross-section of a leaf with the magnified view showing extra detail.
Magnified view
a.
Name two features shown in the diagram that help minimise water loss from the leaf.
Explain how each feature you named does this.
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b.
The graph below shows the rate of water loss of the plant on a hot summer’s day (February) and
on a cool winter’s day (June). The rate of water loss is measured on a scale from 0–6, with 0 being
no water loss.
June
6
Rate of 4
water loss
2
February
0
4
am
6
am
8
am
10
am
12
noon
2
pm
4
pm
6
pm
8
pm
Time of day (hour)
Interpret the graph to draw a justified conclusion about why the pattern of water loss is different
in summer than in winter.
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Question 6 assesses Evaluating biological issues (EBI). Write an extended response below.
Your response MUST refer to biological principles, concepts and ideas.
Question 6 (EBI)
The consumption of meat is linked to cancer, heart disease and obesity, although some people believe
that recommendations to cut down or give up meat altogether are too restrictive and could be doing
more harm than good.
Do you agree with this statement? Justify your decision referring to both health and environmental
concepts.
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End of Part B
15
Part C — Organisms and ecosystems
Questions 1–5 assess Understanding biology (UB) and Investigating biology (IB).
Question 6 assesses Evaluating biological issues (EBI).
Attempt all questions. Write your responses in the spaces provided.
Suggested time allocation: 55 minutes.
Question 1 (IB)
The Kaibab Plateau is on the edge of the Grand Canyon. Before 1905, the deer population on the
Kaibab Plateau was estimated to be approximately 4000. The average carrying capacity of the plateau
was then estimated to be about 30000 deer. In 1906, the Grand Canyon National Game Preserve was
created to protect the deer.
Unfortunately, by this time, the forest area had already been overgrazed by sheep, cattle and horses.
Most of the tall grasses had been eliminated.
A number of control mechanisms were taken to protect the deer population, including:
• all deer hunting was banned from 1905
• between 1907 and 1939, 816 mountain lions, 20 wolves, 7388 coyotes and more than 500
bobcats were killed.
Signs that the deer population was out of control began to appear as early as 1920 – the range was
beginning to deteriorate rapidly. By 1923, the deer were on the verge of starvation. Hunting was
reopened, and during 1924, 675 deer were killed by hunters.
The table below shows the deer population for selected years from 1905 until 1939.
16
Year
Deer population
1905
004000
1910
009000
1915
025000
1920
065000
1924
100000
1925
060000
1926
040000
1927
037000
1928
035000
1929
030000
1930
025000
1931
020000
1935
018000
1939
010000
a.
Graph the deer population data. Annotate the graph with the control mechanisms used.
Question 1 continues
17
b.
Two methods were used to protect the deer population. Discuss the success of these methods. Use
the data from the graph to support your response.
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c.
Explain why the deer population declined in 1925 despite the killing of predators.
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d.
The population of deer in 1905 was 4000, although the plateau had a carrying capacity of 30000.
Why was the population this size?
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18
e.
Predict what might have happened to the deer population without human intervention. Explain
your response.
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Question 2 (UB)
The diagram below shows part of the carbon cycle.
Carbon dioxide in
the atmosphere
Green plants
Animals
Microorganisms
a.
Explain how living things are involved in the constant cycling of carbon. Name the processes
involved.
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Question 2 continues
19
b.
Explain the likely effect on the carbon cycle if:
• decomposers were absent.
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• deforestation occurred.
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Question 3 (UB)
The food chain below is from a seashore.
Seaweed  Limpet  Crab  Seagull
The population and biomass of each of the organisms were estimated for part of a seashore as shown
in the table below.
Population
Mean mass of
one organism
(g)
Biomass of
population (g)
Seaweed
0050
4000
200000
Limpet
1200
0030
036000
Crab
0100
0090
009000
Seagull
0002
0900
Organism
a.
20
Use the information in the table to estimate the biomass of the seagull population.
b.
Draw a pyramid of biomass for this food chain.
c.
The biomass of the crab population is much less than the biomass of the limpet population.
Explain why.
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Question 4 (UB)
Using examples, explain the difference between primary and secondary succession.
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21
Question 5 (IB)
A gardener wanted to investigate if changing the pH of the soil would cause the flowers of her plants
to change colour. She collected five plants growing in pots and changed the pH of the soil as follows:
•
•
•
•
•
Pot 1 – pH 7
Pot 2 – pH 8
Pot 3 – pH 6
Pot 4 – pH 5
Pot 5 – pH 4
Evaluate the design of the experiment and propose refinements.
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22
Question 6 assesses Evaluating biological issues (EBI). Write an extended response below.
Your response MUST refer to biological principles, concepts and ideas.
Question 6 (EBI)
Climate change significantly affects the habitat in which a population of organisms lives.
Predict the effect an increase in average temperature will have on the Emperor penguin population of
the Antarctic.
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End of Part C
End of Paper One
24
Additional pages for responses (if required)
25
Part
Question
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26
Part
Question
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27
Planning space
28
Planning space
29
Planning space
30
31
Investigating
biology
Understanding
biology
Criterion
• designing an investigation by
providing incomplete
methodology with few
variables and attempts to
include a control
• organising data
• designing an investigation by
providing methodology,
addressing obvious variables
and control and planning
replicate treatments
• organising data
• designing an investigation by
providing methodology,
addressing variables and
control, planning replicate
treatments and identifying data
to be collected
• evaluating the design of the
investigation and reflecting on
the adequacy of the data
collected and proposing
refinements.
• interpreting and critically
analysing data with links to
theoretical concepts to draw
conclusions relating to the
question/s
• evaluating the design of the
investigation and the adequacy
of the data collected.
• using data to draw
conclusions.
• identifying researchable
questions
• formulating researchable
questions
• formulating justified
researchable questions
• interpreting data and drawing
conclusions relating to the
question/s
• designing an investigation
which provides incomplete
methodology and mentions
variables
The candidate communicates
investigative processes by:
The candidate communicates
investigative processes by:
The candidate communicates
investigative processes by:
• organising data to identify
trends and interrelationships
• using data to answer
questions
• applying knowledge and
understanding to a range of
tasks.
• applying knowledge and
understanding to a range of
complex tasks.
• applying knowledge and
understanding to a range of
complex and challenging tasks.
• attempting to organise data.
The candidate communicates
investigative processes by:
• defining and describing ideas,
concepts, principles and
theories, and
identifying interrelationships
• explaining ideas, concepts,
principles and theories and
describing interrelationships
between them
The candidate communicates
investigative processes by
providing incomplete
methodology, and transcribes
data.
The candidate states
terminology and ideas relevant
to concepts.
The candidate communicates
understanding by stating ideas
and using terminology relevant
to concepts and recalling
interrelationships.
• making links between related
ideas, concepts, principles and
theories to reveal meaningful
interrelationships
E
D
The candidate communicates
understanding by:
C
The candidate communicates
understanding by:
B
The candidate communicates
understanding by:
A
Paper One
Assessment standards derived from the Biology Senior External Syllabus 2006
32
Evaluating
biological
issues
Criterion
• recognising alternatives and
predictions that are relevant in
a range of past and present
biological contexts.
• integrating the information and
data to make logical decisions
• integrating the information and
data to make justified and
responsible decisions
• comparing alternatives and
predictions relevant in past,
present and future biological
contexts.
The candidate communicates by:
B
The candidate communicates by:
A
• recognising concepts that form
the basis of present-day
biological issues in a range of
biological contexts.
• making unsupported decisions
• selecting relevant information
and data to make plausible
decisions and predictions
• recognising that a given issue
has biological implications.
The candidate communicates
by:
D
The candidate communicates
by:
C
Paper One (continued)
The candidate communicates by
restating supplied information.
E
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