Examiners Report/

Principal Examiner Feedback

Summer 2013

International GCSE
Biology (4BI0) Paper 1B
Science Double Award (4SC0)
Paper 1B
Edexcel Level 1/Level 2 Certificate
Biology (KBI0) Paper 1B
Science (Double Award) (KSC0)
Paper 1B

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Summer 2013
Publications Code UG035492
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Pearson Education Ltd 2013

Chief Examiners report International GCSE Biology

The examiners were once again impressed by the knowledge and
understanding shown by the students on the papers. Students were also
able to demonstrate application of knowledge and understanding, analysis
and evaluation and investigative skills. Many centres have worked hard to
carefully prepare students for the examination and this was evident in the
responses of many students. The more able students had little difficulty in
applying their knowledge to new situations and novel contexts. Only a small
number of students failed to attempt questions.
The papers gave a balance of question types and topics and the proportion
of marks for each Assessment Objective matched those published in the
specification.

4BI0 1B
Q1(a) gave part of a food web and students had to determine the number
of different groups in the web. Most students had no difficulty with this
item with the few errors observed being for the number of secondary
consumers. In Q1(b)(i) most responses correctly predicted that the
population of blue jays would decrease. Some students gave the reason for
the change but did not state the effect on the population size. In Q1(b) (ii)
a significant number of students were unable to state the meaning of
population and the number of animals or the number of people were
given. For (c) most could give two molecules that the tick could feed on
from the deers blood. A few students put blood cells or starch as
suggestions.
In Q2 (a) students were given a cross section diagram of an artery and a
vein and asked to give three differences. Most could do this but some got
the answers the wrong way round or their language lacked precision as they
described wider or bigger without specifying which tissue. Some gave
differences in function rather than structure. In part (b) information on DVT
and clot formation was given and in part (i) students had to suggest why
blood flow in a vein is slow when there is lack of movement. Only the best
students described how lack of muscle contraction would not squeeze the
blood back to the heart. Almost all answers were correct in (ii) for the cells
that transport oxygen. In part (iii) most students were able to suggest why
a clot that blocks the small vessels in the lungs could cause death. The
weakest students wrote about oxygen being taken to the lungs.
Q3 had a labelled section of the eye and students had to match a health
problem to the part of the eye. This proved more difficult than we would
have predicted with up to 20% of students getting an item incorrect.
Q4 presented a table of genotypes and phenotypes for wing length in
Drosophila. Most were able to complete the table showing the genotype,
description of genotype and phenotype. The most common omission was
the description of ll as homozygous rather than homozygous recessive.
In part (b) most students could calculate the expected number of Ll
offspring from a Ll x Ll cross. In (c) almost all could correctly draw a food

chain to show how fruit flies feed on yeast growing on fruit. The few who did
not gain full credit had the arrows facing the wrong way. In part (d) an
investigation was described and students had to name the factors to
control, most could do this. They were also able in (d)(ii) to suggest that
the results of the investigation may be unreliable as the experiment was not
repeated.
Q5 was about fish farming. In part (a) most responses gained some credit
on how to maintain the water quality in the pond. The best students
suggested putting in water plants to maintain or increase the oxygen
content or removing fish waste to prevent eutrophication or algal growth.
Weaker students suggested not dropping rubbish or littering the pond. In
part (b) more students scored marks with many suggesting that separating
different species or ages of fish into cages would reduce predation as would
covering the pond with a net. In (c) students had to suggest how to control
disease in the pond again most earned some credit with the best responses
suggesting sing antibiotics to reduce bacterial disease and isolated any fish
that showed signs of disease. In part (d) only the best students could
suggest that feeding should be high in protein and given in small amounts
often so as not to lead to build up of waste and bacterial growth.
Q6 described an experiment on diffusion. Most students could, in (a),
describe what is meant by diffusion. The weaker answers were about
substances or described movement along a gradient. In part (b) students
had to draw a graph to show the effect of concentration on the time taken
for the gas to diffuse. Most students scored 5 or 6 out of 6 for plotting the
graph with the most common error being the axes the wrong way around or
omitting the units. A few students used coloured pens to show different
concentrations. This causes problems with the scanning of the scripts as
some colours do not show up clearly. In part (c) most could correctly
describe the results shown in the graph. In (d) students were asked to
calculate the average rate of diffusion between 4 and 24 cm. Many found
this difficult or calculated the rate from 0 to 24. In part (e) most could
explain the difference in rates between the two concentrations but some
merely stated the difference without linking it to the concentration or
number of ammonia molecules. We would expect students to know the
difference between describing and explaining results. In part (f) most could
suggest that by varying the temperature and keeping the concentration of
ammonia the same Lily could investigate the effect of temperature on
diffusion rate.
Q7 required students to complete a passage on air pollution and most
scored 9 or 10 marks. The most common errors being gas combining with
oxygen in red blood cells and failing to name methane gas produced from
the digestive system of cows.
Q8 gave a photograph of lichen and then a diagram of a fungal hypha. In
part (a) around half of the students could explain what is meant by
saprotrophic nutrition.
This is despite it being a direct quote from the specification. In part (b)
most could correctly identify the part made from chitin but only a minority
could identify the part made from glycogen.

In (c) most could correctly identify chlorophyll as the molecule that makes
algae look green, with only a few suggesting chloroplasts. Most could give a
word equation for photosynthesis but some chose to give a chemical symbol
equation and some then got it wrong.
Q9 gave students the opportunity to write a longer prose answer explaining
the development of pesticide resistance in a population. About half of the
answers scored full marks and these answers included the idea of variation
caused by a random gene mutation that allows a pest to survive. This
variety would then reproduce and pass on its resistance allele to the next
generation so that over time resistance would increase. Weaker students
wrote about survival of the fittest but gave no context or explained what
that means in this case. Some wrote about immune response.
Q10 was about an experiment to measure the rate of water loss from a
leafy shoot. How well students did on these items was determined by their
experience of such experiments. In (a) about half of the students could
identify the apparatus as a potometer. In (b) almost all could name the
process by which a plant loses water. Part (c) required a description of how
Stephen could set up and use the apparatus to measure the rate of water
loss. Most students score 2 or 3 marks for explaining how to measure the
distance in cm moved by the bubble in a certain time say a minute and
repeating their readings. The students who had carried out such an
experiment could describe how to set up the potometer cutting the stem
under water, ensuring a water tight seal and how to introduce a bubble to
the tube. In part (d) students had to explain the different rates of water
loss in different conditions. Most could explain the increase in water loss in
wind due to moist air being blown away thus maintaining a steep diffusion
gradient. Very few could explain he reduction in water loss in lower light
intensity. Many students seemed to think that less light meant less water
was used in photosynthesis and did not refer to closing of stomata at all.
The better students could explain why removing half the leaves reduced the
rate by reducing the surface area and the number of stomata. Weak
students once again described the results without any explanation of their
cause.
Q11 gave a diagram of a sperm cell and in (a) most students could give the
number of chromosomes present in its nucleus. In (b) most could explain
the importance of respiration in providing energy for the sperm to swim
using its tail. In part (c) almost all could correctly calculate the number of
sperm capable of swimming from the data provided. Part (d) described a
fertility test that measures the oxygen use by respiring sperm. In (i) the
best students realised that if the solution stayed purple no oxygen was
being used for respiration by the sperm so they must be dead or not
moving. In (ii) the best answers explained that a break in the seal, a lack of
temperature control or a small semen sample could make the results
incorrect. Other students suggested that one sample may be atypical.
Q12(a)(i) required students to draw a phagocyte. Most scored 2 or 3 marks
with the best drawings showing and labelling a cell membrane, cytoplasm a
lobed nucleus. Some labelled a cell wall and others drew a red blood cell. In
part (ii) almost all answers gave a correct difference between this cell and a

red blood cell. In part (b) the many students who had revised the material
gained 5 marks by describing how white blood cells defend the body against
infection.
Q13(a) students did less well with a few seeming to have no idea about
genetic modification. The better responses included extraction of the gene,
that codes for growth hormone, from human DNA using a restriction
enzyme. Using the same restriction enzyme to cut a bacterial plasmid and
using ligase to insert the human gene into the plasmid to make a vector
contain recombinant DNA. In part (b)(i) students had to explain what is
meant by a hormone. The majority of students earned some credit. The
best responses clearly stated that a hormone is released by endocrine
glands into the blood stream carried to target cells upon which it has an
effect. In part (ii) students had to describe how selective breeding could be
used to increase milk production. About half of the answers scored full
marks. Some responses had cows mating with other cows, some referred to
cloning and some had cows marrying! The best responses described
selecting cows with high milk yield and mating these with bulls from
mothers who had high milk yield. This process could then be repeated with
their offspring for many generations.
Q14 was the experimental design question and many students who had
practiced such items performed well. Many centres have encouraged
students to use the CORMS prompt. This has led to improved answers.
However, merely writing down O and same species or S and water will earn
no credit. We still expect students to write in prose and clearly explain their
method, they should only use CORMS as a prompt.

Grade Boundaries
Grade boundaries for this, and all other papers, can be found on the website on
this link:
http://www.edexcel.com/iwantto/Pages/grade-boundaries.aspx

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