Biology: Key questions by topic

Maintaining a Balance
(a) Summarise the evidence that led to Beadle and Tatums one gene one protein
hypothesis!
Beadle and Tatum e"amined mutations in bread mould by e"posing it to #$rays! They
realised that di%%erent bread moulds produced speci%ic B vitamins and by e"posing the mould
to #$rays& some o% these en'ymes (ere lost! Thus& they concluded that one gene (as coded
%or by one protein!
)sing bread mould& Beadle and Tatum %ound that mould manu%actures speci%ic types o% B
vitamins! They produced several varieties that each had a change in one o% the genes
responsible %or di%%erent en'yme production! *s a result& some o% the moulds (ere no longer
able to manu%acture the speci%ic B vitamins! +t (as concluded that each gene (as
responsible %or a speci%ic B vitamin group& hence one gene one protein!
(b) ,"plain (hy B-T. passive and active transport are needed %or the process o%
reabsorption to occur in the /idney nephron!
0assive transport does not require energy and occurs as reabsorption o% (ater! This
happens (hen (ater returns via osmosis %rom the /idney tubule to the capillary! *ctive
transport requires energy and is sometimes necessary %or the reabsorption o% ions!
(c) -utline the role o% *1. in regulating (ater balance!
*1. controls (ater reabsorption in the /idney! 2hen %luid levels drop& the hypothalamus
causes the pituitary gland to release *1.& increasing the permeability o% the collecting ducts
and distal tubules to (ater3 this allo(s more (ater to be absorbed %rom the urine into the
blood! The opposite occurs (hen there is too much %luid! This regulates the blood volume
and helps to either conserve (ater or remove e"cess (ater! ,4! +% the blood concentration
is lo(& *1. is released in order to return blood volume to normal by enabling (ater to pass
via osmosis out o% the ducts bac/ into the body!
(d) Blac/ spot is an in%ectious apple disease that occurs in 5e( 6ealand and ma/es
apples unsuitable %or sale!
1escribe a method to prevent the spread o% the disease in *ustralia!
7uarantine: involves chec/ing all goods and baggage as it enters *ustralia %or the presence
o% apples carrying the disease organisms! +% necessary& goods are then placed in isolation %or
a period o% time! This minimises the spread o% diseases to *ustralia!
8egulate the quality o% %ruit9apples and inspection prior to entry3
Suppliers must con%orm to *ustralian standards
*ustralian inspectors carry out chec/s9tests on arrival& thereby minimising the
possibility o% such diseases entering the country by banning the importation o%
a%%ected %ruit9apples!
Blueprint o% :i%e
(e) +n ;<=>& ?ames 2atson& @rancis Aric/ and Maurice 2il/ins (ere a(arded the 5obel
0ri'e in Medicine %or identi%ying the structure o% 15*! )sing e"amples& evaluate the
impact o% this discovery on current genetic technologies (= mar/s)
The impact o% the discovery made by 8osalind @ran/lin and later (or/ carried out by 2il/ins&
2atson and Aric/ had a signi%icant impact on genetic technology! )nderstanding the
structure o% 15* has resulted in the development o% technologies currently used that assist in
the agricultural industry& medical and %orensic %ields! *dvances in these areas include the
creation o% transgenic species that are disease resistant (Bt cotton)& increasing yields ((ool in
sheep& mil/ in co(s)& cloning (production o% identical plant species)& overcoming genetic
diseases (gene therapy)& and 15* %ingerprinting! The /no(ledge applied has resulted in very
signi%icant advances: the quality o% human li%e can be improved by the possibility o% treatment
%or some diseases such as cystic %ibrosis through genetic screening& and agricultural
products have the potential to be cheaper and o% higher quality or quantity!
There are possible negative impacts as the technology described can result in reduced
genetic diversity3 monocultures can be e"posed to detrimental environmental changes3 the
costs may be a burden to the community3 and there are issues regarding control and
regulation due to un%orseen consequences!
(%) ,thical and moral issues surrounding transgenic species:
0ositives: transgenic organisms used %or agricultural purposes can increase productivity and
yields! They could possibly produce replacement human body parts and hormones %or
greater survival o% humans!
5egatives: (ho decides (hether it is appropriate to modi%y animalsB Modi%ication reduces
genetic diversity in a changing environment thereby a%%ecting biodiversity! +t can cause
unnecessary /illing o% animals! The %uture consequences are un/no(n!
Search %or a better health
(a) ,valuate the contribution o% :ouis 0asteur and 8obert Koch on the understanding o%
the cause and prevention o% in%ectious disease in modern medicine!
Both :ouis 0asteur and 8obert Koch contributed signi%icantly to the understanding o% the
cause and prevention o% in%ectious disease in modern medicine! ,ach contributed
independently by (ay o% research in di%%erent areas!
0asteur identi%ied that microorganisms develop %rom pre$e"isting microorganisms rather than
%rom spontaneous generation! .e developed sterilisation as a method o% destroying
pathogenic microorganisms! This enabled %urther lin/s bet(een microorganisms to be made&
including the destruction o% the microorganisms and the understanding %or the need %or basic
hygiene& sanitation and (ater treatment!
Koch is attributed (ith the identi%ication o% a series o% postulates that could be used to identi%y
a microorganism and determine (hether it (as responsible %or a particular disease! This
contribution lead to the identi%ication o% a range o% speci%ic disease$causing microorganisms
and subsequently to their treatment!
Together the (or/ o% these men has been directly responsible %or ht procedures used in
identi%ying and treating disease today& (hether by eliminating the micro$organisms %rom %ood
and (ater or isolating the causative agent o% a disease ma/ing it possible to develop a
treatment or vaccinations to prevent its spread!
-ption: Aommunication
(a) ,"plain ho( signals %rom the auditory and optic nerves are interpreted correctly and
give reasons (hy this is important %or animal behaviour
Messages %rom the optic nerve are relayed to the cerebrum in the brain (here they are
perceived! Messages are conveyed to the cerebellum (here %inely coordinated muscular
movements may be produced as a response to the stimulus! * similar path(ay occurs %rom
the auditory nerve& e"cept that the region o% the cerebrum responsible %or the reception o%
sound (auditory area) is more central than the visual area! There are three areas in the
human corte" that are responsible %or processing the in%ormation %or the %ormation o% speech!
They are usually located in the le%t hemisphere only! The cerebellum is still responsible %or
producing the %ine motor control that results in speech production!
The thalamus& and in particular the reticular system& is believed to be responsible %or
activating the rest o% the brain in response to incoming stimuli o% both sound and sight!
Aorrect interpretation o% the signals in e"tremely important so that the response is
appropriate to the stimulus! Ahimpan'ees have a comple" pattern o% vocalisations including
grunts and bar/s and %acial gestures during communication! +% an animal incorrectly
interpreted vocalisation and gestures intended as a threat message& their response could
result in physical harm! *lternatively signals meant to indicate a (illingness to mate& i%
incorrectly interpreted& could result in a decline in population numbers!
(b) ,"plain the relationship bet(een (avelength& %requency and pitch o% a sound!
The (avelength o% a (ave decreases as %requency increases! The pitch o% a sound increases
as the %requency increases!
(avelength
(c) 2hat are the structural %eatures o% the cerebrum& cerebellum and medulla oblongataB
Aerebrum: %olded sur%ace (ith (hite matter in the inner layer and grey in the outer layer!
Aerebellum: smaller %olds on sur%ace!
Medulla: grey matter in the inner layer and (hite matter in the outer layer& e"tension o% spinal
cord!
(d) The light signal reaching the retina is trans%ormed into electrochemical signals!
1escribe the di%%erent structures and processes in the retina that can achieve the
energy trans%ormation described above (C mar/s)
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The retina contains t(o di%%erent types o% photoreceptors cells: the rods and cones! They
each contain di%%erent Dpigments that enable them to absorb di%%erent (avelengths o% light!
There are three di%%erent types o% cone cells each responding to three colour (avelengths:
red& green and blue! They are unable to detect these (avelengths under lo( light intensities!
The rods are scattered around the perimeter o% the retina and are sensitive to light intensity&
but are not sensitive to colours!
The visual pigments absorb light and change their structure resulting in an action potential
variance! +n this (ay& the light detected is changed into an electrochemical message that is
trans%erred to the brain via the optic nerve!
(e) ,"plain (hy 5-T all stimuli generate an action potential
1epolarisation o% a membrane potential must reach a threshold o% at least ;E mF more
positive than the resting potential o% $CG mF! *ction potential is not produced i% the
depolarisation is belo( this level and hence not all stimuli generate an action potential! +n
addition& each stimulus produces either a %ull or no action potential& each being a separate
event! The cell cannot produce another action potential until the %irst one is complete!