Solution for 2016-17 F6 Biology Mock Exam

Paper I
Section A: Multiple choice questions (36 marks)
Question No. Key Question No. Key
1 B 21 D
2 C 22 D
3 B 23 A
4 D 24 C
5 C 25 B
6 D 26 A
7 B 27 B
8 B 28 B
9 A 29 A
10 D 30 C

Question No. Key Question No. Key

11 C 31 B
12 D 32 D
13 A 33 C
14 D 34 A
15 D 35 A
16 C 36 C
17 C
18 D
19 B
20 A
Section B:
1a. The pollen grains are rough, spiky and sticky
so that they can be attached to the body of insect firmly for pollination.
b. Plant species Y is more likely to survive.
This is because plant species Y can still depend on other species of insect pollinators for pollination even when
some have become extinct.

2a. Enzyme P
Without enzyme P, all phenylalanine is finally converted to metabolites of phenylpyruvic acid and thus the
people with phenylketonuria have distinctive odour in their skin.
Without enzyme P, little tyrosine and hence little melanin is produced. Thus the people with phenylketonuria
have light hair colour.
b. Low in proteins / phenylalanine
With tyrosine
c As the son/ daughter suffers from this disease, he/she must have received at least one allele for the genetic defect
from either one of the parents.
However, both parents are normal, i.e. each of them should possess at least one normal allele
 Therefore, at least of the parent is heterozygous. In heterozygous condition, the effect of the defective allele is
masked. The defective allele is recessive.
d. In Europe where the mould is commonly found, pregnant women carrying an allele for PKU have a higher chance
of giving birth to a baby.
They have a higher chance of passing their alleles on to the offspring.
Therefore, the proportion of people having one or two alleles for PKU increases in subsequent generations. This
results in a higher prevalence of PKU in Europe.

3a. The filter contains nitrifying bacteria which convert ammonia to nitrite or nitrate.
b. Time is allowed for the multiplication of bacteria.
c. Nitrate is absorbed by the plants to make organic nitrogenous compounds (e.g. proteins, nucleic acids)

4a.i As the pancreatic duct is blocked, pancreatic juice cannot be delivered to the duodenum.
Pancreatic amylase, proteases and pancreatic lipase in pancreatic juice cannot reach the duodenum to help
digestion. Thus, starch, proteins and lipids may not be completely digested.
ii Digestive enzymes are proteins. They can be broken down by proteases / denatured by the acidic environment
in the stomach.
The capsules protect the digestive enzymes in the pills until they reach the duodenum.
b. Prepare an alkalined mixture (with sodium carbonate) of lipase, bile salts and oil.
Add pH indicator into the mixture to show the change in pH of the mixture (red in alkaline).
As fatty acid is produced as oil is broken down, it will turn the reacting mixture acidic (colourless in acidic).
The reacting mixture will change from red to colourless as sufficient amount of fatty acid is formed.
The faster the drop in pH, the faster the digestion of fat.
A control is set up with the same amount of lipase, oil, sodium carbonate and pH indicator as that of the
experimental set up.

5a. Sites (2), (3) and (5)

The germination rate of the seeds from these sites was still high after drying was carried out.

b. This is to maintain genetic variations in the species.

Genetic variations may help the species adapt to changes in the environment,
reducing the chance of the death of the whole population if changes occur.
(different sites may have different sites of selection pressure)

c Sterilize the surface of the seeds. /

Store the seeds in a low-oxygen environment.

6a. During interphase, DNA is dispersed loosely throughout the nucleus/ is the form of chromatin/ individual
chromosomes are not visible. (1)
During mitosis, DNA exists in a highly condensed form/ coils into chromosomes. (1)

b. The percentage of cells at interphase (about 65%) is about two times that at mitosis (about 35%) (1)
This suggests that the length of interphase is about two times that of mitosis (1)
c.i) centromere(1)
ii) Diagram should show: Majority of cells/ all cells are at mitosis. (1)
The percentages of cells at interphase and at mitosis add up to 100%. (1)

iii) epithelial cells of the intestinal lining are killed and so the absorption of nutrients are hindered and so water
cannot be absorbed by osmosis.

7.a. Neurotoxin affects the motor neurons in the medulla and spinal cord. Neurotoxin bind to the motor neurone
which then produce nerve impulse to cause muscle contraction and prevent muscle relaxation. Spasm results.

b. Antibodies in the serum drops very quickly to low level. Vaccine contains antigens of tetani bacteria which
trigger her to produce memory cells. Re-infection of the same bacterium will evoke secondary immune response.
Memory cells will differentiate into plasma cells which produce larger amount of antibodies immediately.

ci. Flu is not killed by antibiotic.

Antibiotic will kill the non-resistant bacteria. The resistant group survive and reproduce, pass their resistant
genes to their offsprings. More and more bacteria cannot be killed by the antibiotics. Previously treatable
diseases may become incurable.
ii. Seldom do bacteria develop two resistant genes at the same time. So combined dosage helps to kill all the
bacteria.

d. Antibodies produced by Carmen can diffuse into the foetal blood in placenta. So her child is being protected
against tetanus.

8a. The water lily stem has air space to provide buoyancy for support. Less mechanical tissue ( e.g. xylem and
pith) than the sunflower stem. This allows the water lily stem to be more flexible so that it is able to bend or
move with water current to mininize the damage.

b. Immerse the cut end of the sunflower stem into coloured water. Wait for a few hour for water pulled up the
stem by transpiration pull. Make a temporary mount of a thin section of the upper part of the stem and observe
under high power to identify the cell type stained.

9.a. Triplex drugs bind specifically to the DNA sequence that encodes for the disease-related proteins.
The DNA sequence cannot be transcribed. This prevents the production of mRNA from the DNA sequence.
Antisense drugs bind to the mRNA molecules for making the disease proteins. The mRNA molecules cannot be
translated into the abnormal proteins.

b)i) recombining DNA technology

ii) Triplex drug: AGCACTAGTTGC
Antisense drug: UCGUGAUCAACG

N.B. DNA is doubled stranded while RNA is single-stranded.

DNA with deoxyribose as its pentose sugar while RNA has oxyribose.
DNA with A, T, G, C as its nitrogenous base while RNA with A, U, G, C.
10 a Nerve impulses are transmitted from the dendrites / dendrons to the axon in a neurone.
b In synapses, only the endings of axons / synaptic knobs can release neurotransmitter.
Thus, nerve impulses can only travel from the axon of one neurone to the cell body or dendron of the next
neurone.
c Mitochondria release energy through aerobic respiration.
The energy released is used in synthesis of neurotransmitter / movement of synaptic vesicles.
d Acetylcholinesterase breaks down acetylcholine to stop it from stimulating the dendrons continuously. This
prevents a continuous generation of nerve impulses in the dendrons.
e
Nature of science Elaboration
Doing science requires creativity and Camillo Golgi developed a new cell-staining method using a
imagination. chemical used in the making of photographic film.
Scientists build on the work of other Santiago Ramon y Cajal used Golgi’s cell-staining method to
scientists. stain brain tissues and this led to the discovery of synapses.
Science is affected by the technology The detailed structure of synapses can only be observed after
and the types of equipment available at the invention of electron microscopes.
the time.

11.
Comparing the Importance of responses
 The response to an increase in the blood glucose level is to lower the blood glucose level to the normal range.
This prevents the abnormally high blood glucose level from lowering the water potential of the blood /drawing
water out of the body cells by osmosis.
 The pupil constricts in response to strong light so that less light is allowed to enter the eye.
This prevents overstimulation of photoreceptors / protects the photoreceptors on the retina from damage by
strong light.
Comparing the coordination mechanisms behind the two responses
 Regulation of the blood glucose level is coordinated by the endocrine system while the pupil reflex is
coordinated by the nervous system (i.e. nervous coordination)
 Regulation of the blood glucose level is mediated by insulin and glucagon/ hormones, while the pupil reflex is
mediated by nerve impulses.
Comparing the nature of messenger and the route of transmission in the two responses
 Hormones are chemical in nature while nerve impulses are electrochemical in nature. Insulin and glucagon are
transported by blood whereas nerve impulses are transmitted along nerve fibres.
 The transport of hormone is relatively slow while transmission of nerve impulse is always faster.

Comparing the affected area and the duration of effect in the two responses
 Insulin acts on the liver and body cells which are widespread and the duration is usually long-lasting. In the pupil
reflex, however, nerve impulses are sent to iris muscle (i.e. localized ) and effect is short-term.
Paper 2
1.(a) (i) His body temperature would increase due to increased heat production by vigorous muscle contractions. (1)
Thermoreceptors in the hypothalamus and the skin detect an increase in the body temperature. They send more
nerve impulses to the thermoregulatory centre in the hypothalamus. (1)
The heat loss centre then sends more nerve impulses to cause vasodilation of skin arterioles in the skin / to
increase sweat production by sweat glands. (1)
This increases heat loss from our body surface through conduction, convection and radiation / evaporation of
sweat. (1)
(ii) (1) At low temperatures, the skeletal muscles contract involuntarily in short bursts (shivering) to generate heat.
(1)
The thermoreceptors in hypothalamus detect a fall in body temperature, and the hypothalamus stimulates the
pituitary gland to secrete a hormone which in turn stimulates the thyroid gland to secrete thyroxine into the
bloodstream. (1)
The increased thyroxine level in the blood causes an increase in metabolic rate of body cells. Hence, more
heat is generated. (1)
(2) To prevent the body temperature from falling too low.
Metabolic enzymes become inactive at low temperatures. (1)
(iii) Above the upper lethal temperature, the body temperature becomes so high that enzymes become denatured.
(1)
Without functional enzymes, metabolism stops. (1)
(iv) Both the lower and upper critical temperatures would be lower / shift to the left on the graph. (1)
This is because the environmental temperature of their habitat is low. (1)
Total: 12 marks

1. (b) (i) (1) Luteinising hormone (1)

(2) The pituitary gland secretes more FSH to stimulate follicle development in the ovary. (1)
The developing follicle in the ovary secretes oestrogen, causing the level of oestrogen in the
blood to rise. (1)
The level of oestrogen continues to rise and reaches a peak. This stimulates the pituitary gland
to secrete LH. (1)
Therefore, the level of LH surges just after the peak of oestrogen level.
(ii) Human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) (1)
Because HCG is secreted by the implanted embryo (1)
(iii) The couple may be having implantation problems. (1)
(iv) Progesterone stimulates the thickening of the uterine lining to prepare for the possible implantation
of the embryo, so the embryo has a greater chance to successfully implant and develop. (1)
Total: 8 marks
2. (a) (i) Heating breaks the hydrogen bonds between the complementary bases of DNA,
producing two single strands (which serve as the templates for PCR).
(ii)(1) 70-72
(2) (Taq) DNA polymerase
It catalyses the formation of bonds between nucleotides to produce new DNA strands.
 (3) Primers are short sequences of synthetic single-stranded DNA which are complementary to specific
regions of the DNA template at the two ends .
One primer binds to one DNA strand at one end of the target sequence, while another primer binds to
another DNA strand at the other end. In this way, the target sequence to be amplified is marked.
The Taq polymerase attaches to the ends of the primers and then free nucleotides begin to pair up with
the base sequences of the two DNA strands.
DNA polymerase catalyses the formation of bonds between nucleotides. Through the extension of primers,
two new strands of DNA are synthesised.

(iii) Any one set of the following:

 PCR can be used to amplify the DNA extracted from foetal cells found in the amniotic fluid.
The PCR products can then be used for the detection of genetic diseases.
 PCR can be used to amplify the DNA found in the remains of dead organisms.
The PCR products can then be used in archaeological studies.
(or other acceptable answers)
Total: 10 marks

b(i) The uppermost parts of the trees have apical meristem,

which contains cells capable of carrying out mitotic cell division rapidly to form new cells.
(ii) The tissue samples are put on a sterile culture medium.
The culture medium contains plant hormones and nutrients which provide energy and raw materials for the
tissue samples to grow.
A mass of undifferentiated cells known as callus is formed by mitotic cell division.
Small pieces of the callus are transferred to different culture media which contain plant hormones that promote
the growth of shoots and roots.( plantlets)
(iii) Plant tissue culture can produce a large number of clones in a short period of time.
Plant tissue culture is carried out under sterile conditions, and the clones are then grown in a disease-free
environment, thus reducing the loss caused by diseases.
The plantlets only take up little space.
(or other acceptable answers)
(iv) DNA fingerprint, The closer the phylogenetic relationship, the more common the bands in their fingerprint.
Total: 10 marks