Student Name

2015

HIGHER SCHOOL CERTIFICATE

EXAMINATION

Class Time

Blueprint of Life
Total marks 65

Section I
General Instructions

Reading time 5 minutes

Working time 1 hour 35 minutes
Write using black or blue pen
Draw diagrams using pencil
Board-approved calculators may be
used
Write your Student Name where
required

Pages 2 - 13

55 marks
This section has two parts, Part A and Part B
Part A 15 marks
Attempt Questions 1 15
Allow about 15 minutes for this part
Part B 40 marks
Attempt Questions 16 30
Allow about 1 hour for this part

Section II

Pages 14 - 17

10 marks
Attempt ONE question from Questions 31 33
Allow about 20 minutes for this part

Section I
60 marks
Part A 60 marks
Attempt Questions 1 20
Allow about 20 minutes for this part
Use the multiple choice answer sheet for Question 1 15.

Nucleotides are composed of which three components?

(A) Sugar, phosphate, nitrogen
(B)

Sugar, base, acid

(C)

Base, phosphate, sugar

(D)

Phosphate, carbon, nitrogen

Organisms such as the lungfish and platypus that have existed virtually unchanged for
millions of years are sometimes called living fossils. Which of the following models
of evolution best explains living fossils?
(A) Punctuated equilibrium
(B) Gradualism
(C) Adaptive radiation
(D) Mutation

In peas, the allele for round seeds (R) is dominant to the allele for wrinkled seeds (r).
If a pea plant that is homozygous for round seeds is crossed with a plant that is
homozygous for wrinkled seeds, what would be the phenotype(s) of the resulting
plants?
(A) All wrinkled
(B) All round
(C) All RR
(D) All rr

How many sex chromosomes does a normal human female inherit from her mother?
(A) 1
(B) 2
(C) 23
(D) 46

Which of the following is the correct base pairing in DNA?

(A) G C, A T
(B) T U, A G
(C) G T, A C
(D) G C, A U

Reproductive technologies focus on the transfer of genetic information.

Which process only involves the transfer of the nucleus?
(A) Cloning
(B) Transgenesis
(C) Artificial pollination
(D) Artificial insemination

Generally, gametes produced by an organism will not be identical.

Which of the following does NOT influence this genetic variability of gamete
formation?
(A) Mutation
(B) Sex linkage
(C) Independent assortment of alleles
(D) Crossing over in homologous chromosomes

A geneticist was studying coat colour in a herd of Shorthorn cattle. She peformed the
following cross:

The results of the cross are shown in the table below:

Phenotype

Offspring number

White coat

Red coat

Red and white coat (roan)

157

Total

157

The roan coat colour was the result of which type of inheritance?
(A) Co-dominance
(B) Dominant/recessive
(C) Heterozygous parents
(D) Hybridisation
9

A researcher prepared a pedigree (family tree) to trace a genetic disorder in a family.

How could the gene that causes the condition best be described?
(A) Co-dominant
(B) Dominant
(C) Recessive
(D) Sex-linked

10

Evolutionary relationship between vertebrates can be determined by comparing the

amino acid sequence of human haemoglobin with the haemoglobin of other
vertebrates.
Which area of study collects this type of evidence to support the theory of evolution?
(A) Biochemistry
(B) Biogeography
(C) Comparative anatomy
(D) Comparative embryology

11

Identical twins often have small physical differences. What best explains the cause of
these differences?
(A) The effect of environment on phenotype
(B) Genetic variability through sexual reproduction
(C) Crossing over during meiosis
(D) Co-dominant inheritance

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How have Walter Sutton and Theodor Boveri contributed to the understanding of
inheritance?
(A) By determining the structure of DNA
(B) By improving knowledge of sex linkage
(C) By demonstrating the effort of environment on phenotype
(D) By identifying the importance of chromosomes in inheritance

13

The effectiveness of a new insecticide was tested on a large population of mosquitoes

over a number of breeding cycles. At first, the populations of mosquitoes was reduced
dramatically by the use of the insecticide. After a number of breeding cycles the
population then began to increase until the insecticide appeared to have little effect.

How would the Darwin/Wallace theory of evolution by natural selection explain these
observations?
(A) Some of the original population were isolated from the insecticide as a control
group.
(B) Some of the original population had already reproduced before the insecticide
was used.
(C) Some of the original population were resistant to the insecticide and passed this
on to their offspring.
(D) Some of the original population adapted to the insecticide and survived to
produce offspring.
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Goltz Syndrome is a condition in humans that adversely affects the skin. It is

inherited as a dominant gene carried on the X chromosome.
A man with Goltz Syndrome and a woman who does NOT have the trait have two
children, a boy and a girl.
Which of the following is correct about the inheritance of Goltz Syndrome in these
children?
(A) Both children have the syndrome
(B) The girl has the syndrome and the boy does not
(C) The girl has the syndrome and the boy is a carrier
(D) The girl has a 50% chance of having the syndrome and the boy has a 0%
chance.

15

What is the best explanation for the successful development of transgenic species?
(A) Artificial pollination works across the plant kingdom.
(B) Nuclear transplantation from cell to cell is easily achieved
(C) DNA in the biosphere is composed of the same chemical components.
(D) Genes from different animals within the one species are easily combined.

2015 HIGHER SCHOOL CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION

Biology

Section I (continued)
Part B 40 marks
Attempt Questions 16 30
Allow about 1 hour for this part
Answer the questions in the spaces provided. These spaces provide guidance for the expected
length of response.

Question 16 (3 marks)
Clarify, using examples, the difference between the terms allele and gene.

Question 17 (5 marks)
(a) Construct a flow chart outlining the process of protein synthesis.

(b) Identify 2 limitations of using your flow chart as a model of protein

synthesis.

Question 18 (4 marks)
(a) On the diagram, clearly identify ONE nucleotide by placing a box around it.

Senior Biology, RJ King and FM Sullivan, Longman Australia/Pearson Education Australia.

(b) Outline the main steps of DNA replication.

Question 19 (2 marks)
Gregor Mendel and Thomas Morgan both used breeding experiments to deduce
fundamental principles of genetics.

Complete the four blank boxes in the table.

Mendels Monohybrid Cross
First Cross
Parents
Phenotype

Red eyed
female

tall x short

First Cross (F1)

Parents
Genotype

First Cross
Punnet Square

Morgans Fruit Fly Experiments

x

White eyed
male

XR XR x Xr Y

Tt

Tt

Tt

Tt

F1 Phenotype

Question 20 (5 marks)
(a) Use an example to explain why hybridisation within a species is carried out.

(b) Use an example of a named transgenic species to discuss the social impact of
technology.

Question 21 (5 marks)
Several scientists were involved in determining the structure of DNA.
To what extent did the quality of collaboration and communication between these
scientists impact on their scientific research?

10

Question 22 (3 marks)
How could a mutation in DNA affect polypeptide production?

Question 28 (6 marks)
(a) Explain how ONE named process that occurs during meiosis results in genetic
variation.

(b) Why is genetic variation important in the survival of a species?

11

Question 29 (6 marks)
As part of an independent research project, a student studied a genetic
condition suffered by members of his family. The student wrote the following
summary:

I am male and I have the condition

My mother does not have the condition
My father and his brother have the condition
My fathers sister and my fathers mother do not have the condition
My fathers father has the condition

(a) Construct a pedigree of this family.

(b) Why are diagrams, such as pedigrees, useful in analysing data?

(c) The student made the following conclusion from his study.
As only males have the condition, it must be a sex-linked genetic condition.
Assess the validity of the students conclusion, and provide support for your
assessment.

....

12

Question 30 (8 marks)
Most offspring resemble their parents in a number of characteristics, but there are
often some characteristics in the offspring that are unexpected.

Explain, using examples, how genetics and the environment can affect the
phenotype of individuals.

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2015 HIGHER SCHOOL CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION

Biology
Section II

10 marks
Attempt ONE question from Questions 31 33
Allow about 20 minutes for this part
Answer the question in a writing booklet. Extra writing booklets are available.

Pages
Question 31

Evolution and Natural Selection............

15

Question 32

Geneticists.........

16

Question 33

Following the Blueprint...

17

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Question 31 Evolution and Natural Selection (10 marks)

Answer parts (a), (b) and (c) of the question on pages 24 of the Section II Writing
Booklet.
(a) Explain the link between Darwin/Wallaces theory of evolution and the process
of natural selection.

(b) The following image was found in an article discussing evolution:

From what area of study is the image drawing evidence from?

(c) The development of new technologies has allowed the study of evolutionary
biology to accelerate faster than ever before.
Assess this statement.

16

Question 32 Geneticists (10 marks)

Answer parts (a) and (b) of the question on pages 24 of the Section II Writing
Booklet.
(a)

(i)

Outline the experiments carried out by Beadle and Tatum in their

experiment proving the one gene one protein hypothesis.

(ii)

Why was the name changed to the one gene one polypeptide
hypothesis?

(b) Experimental design is key to achieving accurate and reliable results.

Assess this statement in reference to Mendels genetic experiments with pea
plants.

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Question 33 Following the Blueprint (10 marks)

Answer parts (a) and (b) of the question on pages 24 of the Section II Writing
Booklet.
(a)

(i)

Outline how a gene is expressed in in a cell.

(ii)

Why would incorrect expression be potentially harmful for an

organism?

(b) The following image shows the second stage of polypeptide synthesis:

Assess the usefulness of images and models such as this in simplifying the
process of polypeptide synthesis.

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2015

Blueprint of Life
Answer Booklet Section I Multiple Choice
Select the alternative A, B, C or D that best answers the question. Fill in the response oval
completely.

If you think you have made a mistake, put a cross through the correct answer and fill in the
new answer.

If you change your mind and have cross out what you consider to be the correct answer, then
indicate the correct answer by writing the word correct and drawing an arrow as follows.

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2015

Blueprint of Life
Answer Booklet Section II Options

Instructions
You may NOT take any Writing Booklets, used or unused, from the examination
room.
Use this Writing Booklet to answer Questions 31, 32 or 33.
You may ask for an extra Writing Booklet to answer this question if you need more
space.
If you have not attempted this question, you must still hand in the Writing Booklet,
with the words NOT ATTEMPTED written clearly on the front cover.
Write using black or blue pen.
Write on the ruled pages only.

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