There are 36 questions in this .~ectio11. Direction.

,·:
The diagram.\· ill this section tire NOT necessarily tlruw11 to scale. Questions 6 and 7 refer to the graph below, which shows the energy levels o f the reac tant and
product of a biochemical reaction in the presence of its enzyme:
Direction.\': Questions I to 3 refer to the tab le be low, which shows the relative amounts of mitochondria,
chloroplasts and endoplasmic reticulum in four cell types P, Q, R and S:

Ce/I type
/llitoclw111/rio11
Relative a11101111t oftlte s11b-cel/11lar str11c/11re
Chloroplast E11dopfasmic retic11/11111
"
>
~
reduct
p + ++ +
§
Q +++ - + i.5" 1~
R +++ - +++
s + - +
Key: number of'+' indicates the re lative amount of the sub-cellular structure
'-'indicates the absence of the sub-cellular structure Progress of reaction

I. Which cell type is found in th e lining of the air sacs in the lungs? 6. The reaction shown in the graph is

A. p A. an anabolic process because e nergy is absorbed .

B. Q B. an anabo lic process because energy is released.
c. R c. a catabolic process because energy is absorbed.
D. s D. a catabolic process because energy is released.

2. Which cell type would you expect tq,be insulin-producing cell s in the pancreas? 7.
Which of the following graphs correctly shows the change in the energy level of th e reaction if the
enzyme involved is absent?
A. p Key: - - - - with the enzyme
~ ·..~·
13. Q without the enzyme
c. R
D. s A.
I B.

I·

I!
I'
3. Which of the following carbohydrate(s) is/are like ly to be found in cell type P? "
~
>
"
~
>

(I) starch
§
(2) glucose ""'
(3) glycogen
LJ.JL__
Progress of reaction
A. (I) only Progress of reaction
B. (2) only c.
c. (I) and (2) only . -- - . D.
D. (2) and (3) on ly
"
-;-; ,
'
'
,.,
2!'
"
~
>

4. For different DNA nucleotides, the part that varies from one to another is the
""'
LJ.JL_
A. base.
B. ribose. Progress o f reaction
Progress of reaction
c. deoxyribose.
D. phosphate gro up. 8.
Which of the following processes in photosynthesis require energy input from ATP?

(I) fixation of carbon dioxide and the formation of 3-C compound

5. Which of the following descriptions of the function of membrane proteins is i11correct? (2) reduction of 3-C compound leading to the formation of glucose
(3) regeneration of carbon dioxide acceptor
A. Some membrane proteins serve as antigens for cell recogn ition.
13. Some membrane prote ins serve as enzymes for cellular metabolism . A. (I) and (2) only
C. Some membrane proteins act as barriers which prevent the entry of some substances. B. (!)and (3) only
D. Some membrane proteins act as carriers which transport some substances across the C. (2) and (3) only
me mbrane. D. (I), (2) and (3)

20 13-DSE-B IO I A-2 20 13-DSE-B IO IA-3

6
 0
Directions: Questions IS lo 17 refer lo the pedigree below, which shows the inheritance of a certain trail
* 9. Whi ch of the fo ll ow ing substn nces arc produced in photochemica l reac tions ofphotosynthes is controlled by a pair of all eles located on an autosome (i .e. non-sex chromosome):

(I) ATP
(2) oxyge n p
0
•
(3) NAD PI I normal female

/\. ( 1) and (2) onl y Fl 2 affected female

13 . ( 1) and (3 ) onl y
c. (2) and (3) onl y
D normal male

•
D. (I ), (2 ) and (3) F2
affected male

Which of the followin g combinations best describes the processes in volved in respiration" F3
10. 4
Oxygen is required Carbo11 dioxide is released
/\ . Convers ion of pyruvale to acetyl CoA Glycolysis IS . Which cross( es) can be used to deduce which phenotype is dominant?
13. Conversion of pyruvate to acetyl CoA Krebs Cycle
c. Ox idati ve phosphorylation Glyco lysis A. cross Y only
D. Ox id ative phosphorylat ion Krebs Cycle B. cross Z only
C. crosses X and Y onl y
D. crosses X and Z onl y
11 . Which of the fol lowing statements about codons is correct?

A. /\codon may cons·i·; i of bases A, C, G orT. 16. What are the probable genotypes of indi viduals I and 2?
13. A codon is a tripl et of bases on transfer RNA .
C. Most amino ac'id s are coded by more than one codon . /11tlivitfua/ I /111/ivitlmtf 2
D. All codons code for amino acids. /\. homozygous homozygous
13. homozygous homozygous or heterozygous
c. homozygous or heterozygous homozygous
The DN/\ of a eukaryot ic cell contains 20% adenine (A) bases. Wh al is the percentage of cytosine (C) D. homozygous or heterozygous homozygous or heterozygous
12.
bases in thi s DNA ?

A. 60% 17. If individual s 3 and 4 are twins, wh ich of the fo llowi ng conc lusions can be drawn?
13. 40%
c. 30% A. They are developed from the same fertili sed egg.
D. 20% B. They are developed from different ferti lised eggs.
C. They are genetically different for characters disp laying cont inuous variation .
D. They are geneticall y different for characters di splaying discontinuous variation.
/\ man and hi s wife are heterozygous for blood type A and B respectivel y. What is the probabi lity of
13.
their son having blood type AB?
18. The diagram below shows a dividing cell wh ich is forming an animal's egg cell :
A. 0
B. 1/4
c. 1/2 y x
D. 3/4

14. Which of the foll ow in g consists of individuals that are genetically different from each other"

A. seeds of the same fru it

13. sti gmas of the same fl ower What conclusion about the cell di vision can be drawn fro m the diagram?
C. petals of the same plan!
D. buds of the same tuber A. The diagram shows a mitotic cell di vision.
B. The diagram shows the first meiotic cell di vision.
• The item intended to test whether camlid 11tcs can id entify which of the three options are products of photochemical reactions. C. X and Y are homologous chro mosomes.
In the live papa . the word ·compounds' was used instead of ·substances'. l lowevcr, oxygen is an demcnt instead of a D. Each daughter cell will have four chromosomes.
compound . Iknee. the item might not be abh: to eITecti ve ly assess candidates' ab ili ty and had been deleted. The question in
this Examinati on Report and Questio n papers has hccn rcclilicd.
20 13-DSE-fll O I A- 5
2013-DSE-fl lO I A-4 7
 26. Which of the fol low ing nutrient s enter the epithelial ce lls of the smal l intestine mainl y by simple 30. The graph be low shows the change in air pressure in th e lungs of a person:
diffusion?

-s"'

:::b~
A. amino acids 00
.s :i::
B. fatty ac ids " E
C. monosaccharides ~g >nm•
~ g},
D. nucleotides
.!:I
"'" .2
c '
758 .
I ' : :
Atmospheric pressure = 760 mm Hg
<!'.
Directions: Quest ions 27 and 28 refer to the diagram be low, which shows a sect ion of the human eye and the p Q R s
positions X 1 and Y 1 whe re the images of two coloured objects X and Y are formed respectively
on the retina:

At which point of time on the graph is the volume of the lung the largest?

A p
B. Q
C. R
~ s
x ~~~~~~--t......,F=='1--~~~~---t~

y 31. Muscles are found in

( I) arterioles.
(2) capillaries.
(3) veins.

27. Which of the fo llowing correctly describes a person's visual perception in day time' A. ( I ) and (2) on ly
B. (\ )and (3) only
A. X appears brighter because cone cells are found at posit ion X1• c. (2) and (3) only
B. X appears sharper because cone ce lls are fo und at pos ition X1• D. (I), (2) and (3 )
1'! C. Y appears black and white because rod ce lls are found at position Y 1•
D. Y appears blurred because rod cells arc found at position Y1•
32. Which of the fo llowing descriptions about antibiotics is correct?

28. When a person ages, structure Z becomes Jess elastic. When this happens, a person wi ll probably have A. Antibiotics can engulf pathogens.
diffi culty focusing on B. Antibiotics can be produced by fun gi.
C. Antibiotics can bind to specific antigens.
A. a nearby object because stni cture Z cannot be thickened ful ly. D. Antibiotics can be produced by lymphocytes.
B. a nearb y object because structure Z cannot be pulled th in ful ly.
C. a distant object because structure Z cannot be thickened fu lly.
D. a distant obj ect because structure Z cannot be pulled thin fol ly. 33. A person has not taken any food for 24 hours. Which of the foll owing will increase in concentration in
the blood?

29. Wh ich of the fo llowing combinations correct ly matches the structure of the human ear and its fun ction? A. glucagon
B. glucose
Strll cture F 1111 ctio11 C. glycogen
A. ear fl ap protecting the ear D. insulin
B. car drum ampli fying sound waves
c. car bones transmitting vibrations
D. round window setting the endolymph in motion

2013-DSE-BIO IA-8 II 2013-DSE-BIO IA- 9 12

 2013-DSE
BIO
B Please stick the barcode labe l here .

Wh ich of the fo ll owing information concern ing the characteristics of insulin-dependent diabetes and
34.
non- insu li n-dependent diabetes is correct?

/11.m/i11-tfepe111/e11t tfi11hetes No11-i11.mli11-tfepe111/eut t/i(lhetes

account s for the majorit y of diabetic cases accounts for a small portion of diabetic cases
A.
is mainl y due to an unhealthy lifestyle is mainl y due to hereditary fact ors
B.
may be cont ro lled through proper diet
c. requires regular injections of insulin
body produces a low leve l of insulin
D. body fail s to rospond to insuli n
BIOLOGY PAPER 1
Questions 35 and 36 refrr to the di agra m below, which shows the reproductive system of a man:
Directio11.\': SECTION B: Question-Answer Book B

Th is paper must be answered in English

2
INSTRUCTIONS FOR SECTION B

(1) After the announcement of the start of the examination.

you should first write your Candidate Number in the
space provided on Page 1 and stick barcode labels in
the spaces provided on Pages 1, 3, 5 and 7.

(2) Refer to the general instructions on the cover of the

Question Paper for Section A

(3) Answer ALL questions.

Which of the following stru ct ures are in vo lved in the production of the content of semen?
35 . (4) Write your answers in the spaces provided in this
1·
Question-Answer Book. Do not write in the margins.
1\ A. I and 3 Answers written in the margins will not be marked.
B. I and 4
C. 2 and 3 (5) Supplementary answer sheets will be supplied on
D. 2 and 4 request. Write your candidate number, mark the
question number box and stick a barcode label on each
sheet, and fasten them with string INSIDE this Question-
Which of the fo ll owing may st ill occur after structure 3 on both sides of the body has been tied up and Answer Book.
36.
cut?
(6) Present your answers in paragraphs wherever
(I) production of s perms appropriate.
(2) erection of penis
(3) ejacul at ion (7) The diagrams in this section are NOT necessarily drawn
to scale.
A. ( I ) and (2) only
B. ( I) and (3) only (8) No extra time will be given to candidates for sticking on
C. (2) and (3) on ly
the barcode labels or filling in the question number boxes
after the 'Time is up' announcement.
D. (I), (2) and (3)

END OF SECTION A
Go on to Question-Answer Book B for questions on Section B

13
2013-DSE-BlO Ill- I 14 I 111
20 t3-DSE-ll t0 t /\- tO * A 1 3 OE0 1 B >
 Please stick the barcode label here
SECTION B

Answer ALL questions. l'ut yo ur answers in the spaces provided.

I. For each of the hrain parts listed in column I, select from co lumn 2 one phrase that matches it. PLit the
~
appropriate lotter in the space provided . (3 mark s)

Co lumn I Column 2 3.
Figure A shows a section of part of the human alimentary canal. Figure B shows another section of the
same part with blood vessels stained.
Ccrchellum A. Damage causes inabi lity to_mah: decisions
Figure A
Figure B
Medulla oblongata B. Damage causes loss or body balance

Cerebrum c. Damage causes loss of control of breathing rate

D. Damage causes loss of wi thdrawal rcnex

2. The diagram below shows the structures of a joint.

-6 muscle -6 -6
-t" -t" -t"
"' 1i
E
.,E"' "'
E ~
"
.0 D _g E
0c 0 0
c c: .0 "
0c
::: ii -~
v. ~
c c:
'§) § .5 'ii
A I!!' ~
c
.,E" B \ E"' "'
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-5 "
-5 "
-5 ~-- :0.. "'
E
j, .E .E
c .5 "
-5
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-~ "
t:
(a)
Which part of the alimentary canal is shown in the figures ? Support your answer with evidence.
.5
c
-~
".,
:'.: (a) Name the type of joint shown and suggest an example or such a joint in the body. (2 marks) ""
:'.: ~
(2 marks)
~
"
.E

~c
Type of joint:
~
c ~" :'.:
~"
c:
< < < c
<
Example in the body:
------ --·-·----- --- - ·- ----- -· ·--- - (b)
- ------------- - - ---
For each of the above figures , describe one observable feature and explain how it is related to the
(b) Brieny describe how A and B work together to.bring about movement at the joint shown. functioning of this part of the alimentary cana l.
(4 marks)
Figure A:
(2 marks)

--···
Figure B:
(3 marks)

--- - - - - - - - - -- -

------ - ------ --------·-·-

Answers written in the margins will not be marked.
Answers written in the margins wi ll not be marked.

20 I3-DSE-1310 I B-2 2013-DSE-BIO IB- 3

~i'J;1..'~~blilll$ Ho~g ~ong P:iblic Libranes ! 16
 Please stick the barcode label here.
4. Red-green co lour bli ndness is an X-linkcd recess ive trait in humans. Peter is red-green colou r bl ind while
his da ughter, Mary, is normal.

(a) Deduce Mary's genotype without using a genetic diagram. (4 marks)

----·-· ------
5. Knowing that the nitrogen cycle is important to the healthy growth of fi sh, Tom purchased testing kits to
·-- - ---- -· --·----·------ monitor the levels of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate in his aquarium . He kept the aquarium aerated with an
air pump. The graph below shows the changes in the concentrations of the three compounds over 50 days:

------------------- ------- ----------

'..i 50 nitrate
M /1
E /
------- - .. __________ ,,';;;" 40 /
§ /
iW I I ,
v'°
,,n J'\ t"~,.
(b) Mary is an expectant mother. The photomicrograph below shows the karyotype of her foetus:
§ n itrit~, /
~ 20 // \ I

i I: .. -· ::?.C , ~ ~ // ',, __ _t
0 \. ·
13 ammonia // ·'\

JI ""H
-0 -0 -0
"
:a"
-0
":a
-"' -"' ~ water change
"' ~E
.II·. ",,. ; u,,or:"=:" ...
E E E
I 2 3 4 5
" "
.0 "
.0
.0
0 ! lj u 0 0
c:
8 0 10 20 30 40 50
u
.0
c: c: Time (day) 0
c:
'§; ·~
·~
~
c:
'§ . -u H ~~
.p 7 8 9 JO
'" ... u
-~ --~
II 12
.5
~
~

.5
~
(a) Name the process that led to the changes shown in the graph.
(I mark)
·~

.5
"
E
"
-5
.5
..
13 14
~~
15
•• ..16 17 18
Jl
"'
E
u
-5
.5
"'
E
"
-5
.5
u
-5
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(b) After three weeks, Tom observed a high concentration of nitrite in the water and the fish were
19 20 21 22 23 c: .5
i c:
u
t::
·~
c:
u
t::
·c
u
t::
-~
showing symptoms of nitri te po isoning. Therefore, Tom added a suspension of a bacterial culture u
c:
t::
(i) From the photomicrograph, can we deduce whether this foetus will be red-green colour blind :i: to the water to lower the nitrite concentration . Suggest the type of bacteria he added and explain ·;:::
~ ~ ~ how it lowered the nitrite concentration. (2 marks) :i:
or not? Explain your answer. (2 marks)
u
~
u
~
"~ ~
u
c:
c: c:
< ~
< -------- ------- <: --- ·---------- c:
<(

--------------- ----------·---- ---·-- - - - - - - - -

---------· -------------- - --
(c)
(ii) Is the foet us a boy or a girl? Exp lain your answer with reference to the photom icrograph . To prevent the accumulation of nitrate, Tom regularly replaced some water in the aquarium with
(3 marks) fresh water. What else cou ld Tom do to lower the nitrate concentration? (2 marks)

-----------··-----·------ ---·-------- ·--- ----. ----------------------------~------------

-------- -------------------·-

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ·------------

Answers written in the margi ns will not be marked. Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

2013-DSE-BIO IB-4 17 2013-DSE-BIO 113- 5 18

 Please stick the barcode label here.
6. The fo llowing set-up can be used to determi ne the transpiration rate of a leafy shoot:

leafy shoot
(d) The photomi crograph be low shows the appearance of the surface of a leaf during dayti me:

stand and c lamp ru bber tube

capillary tube

ce ll A
air bubble
beaker
ce ll B
water

c
(a) In setting up th is experiment, the lower end of the shoot shou ld be cut under water. Why? (I mark)
.,; .,; .,; .,;
"
~ "
-"'
:;i "'"
~
":;;
-"
E"' (b) Give 011e assumption for usi ng this set-up to measure the transpirat ion rate. (I mark) E "'
E E
"
..0 "
..0 "
..0
~
0
c: 0 0c: 0
c c:
·~ ·~ ·~
·~
} .
.5 .5 I
~
c:
"§l (i ) In te rms of sub-cellu lar structure, state two differences between cell A and cell B. (2 marks )
~
c:
~ ~ "§
E (c) Expla in how the transpiration rate will change if the fa n placed near the shoot is switched on .
E
: E"' "'
i E
(4 marks) - - -------- - - - - - - .,_ - - - - ----- - - - - - --·----...!....-
"
;S "
;S "
;S "
;S
.s .s .:: ..s
c: c: c: .c:
"
::: "
.E ~
"
.E
-~ ·~
~ ~
~ ~ ~
"~
c:
< <
"~
c:
"~
c:
<t'.
(ii ) What will happen to the size of C at night? Discuss the fu nct ional significance of thi s
change . (3 marks) ~
c:
<
------------------------------------ --------------·-----
--------· ·--~-----------------·-·-----------------------------

Answers wr itten in the margins will not be marked. Answers written in the marg ins w ill not be marked.

20 13-DSE-BIO JB--6 19 20 13-DSE-BJO I B-7 20

 "
7. In 1880, Darwin conducted an experiment to in vest igate the phototropism of plants. He placed some (c) In 1913 , Boysen-Jensen performed some other experimenls to study the nature of the signal
co leopti les in dark boxes, eac h with a hole at one side to allow li ght to pass thro ugh. The resu lts after tra nsmi ssion invo lved in phototrop ism. The diagram below shows his experimental set-u ps:
various treatmen ts of coleopti les are shown in the diagrams below:
Set-u A B c D
Ill IV Treatment
Set-up I II " of the Intact colcoptilc Tip removed
Cut tip placed on a Cut tip placed on
Treatment Opaque cap placed Buried in soil with mica block an agar block
Intact coleoptile Tip removed coleootile
of the on the tip tip exposed
Result ...__
mica block agar block

lU
coko tile

f
,.:...,.._
Result opaque cap

~E
E E
E
,,~
E

Growth with
bendin
i
No gro"1h and no
bend in
Growth without
bend in
E

Growth with
bendin
Growth with
bendin
No grom h and no
bend in
No gro m h and no

What conc lusion can be drawn from Boysen-Jensen's experiment?

bendin
Growth with
bendin

(3 marks)
-0 -0 -0
-0
"
(a) From the results of the experiment, which part of the co leoptilc is responsible for detecting "
~ ~ :;;"
-"'
~
"'
E
uni lateral light? Support your answer with reasons. (3 marks)
"'
E "'
E E
_g "
.D
"
"
.D
···-·---··-- ···----····--~----- ---- - ------· 0 0
.D
0c:
0 c: c:
c:
·~ ·~
::: -·----·-- -· -- -------- ------- ---------··· ··- ---------·
~
c:
. : ' .1 ~- "'c:
~ ~
c:
'§>
(d) Wh ich of the follow ing statements about the nature of sc ience are demonstrated in the above ~
c:
-~l
"§> historical events? Put a'./' in the space next to the statement and provide an explanation. The '§
"'
E
"'
E "'
E first one is an example for your reference. (4 marks) "'E
"
-5
"
-5 "
-5 "
-5
.S
.S .:: State111e111 E vitle11ce from th e ltbJlorica/ eve11ts .s
( I mark) c: c: Doing science requires creativity ,/ Bot h Darwin and Boysen-Jensen used innovat ion and c
c: (b) Explai n why it is necessary to have set-up Ill in the experiment .
" "
t:: "
t:: and imagination. imaginat ion to deshm their experiments. "
t::
t::
·;::: -~ ·~ ·;:::
Science is soc ially and cultura lly
"'
~
~ ~ embedded. · "'
~

"~ "~ "~ "~

c: c: c
<
c: < < <

Sc ience is based on evidence.

Science know ledge is tentative and

dynamic.

Answers written in the margins wil l not be marked. Answers wrinen in the margins will not be marked.

21 2013-DSE-BIO 113- 9 22
2013-DSE-BIO I B-8
 8. A study was carried out to investigate the distribution and abundance of animal species A and B on a
rocky shore. The table below shows the results obta ined from the back of the shore to the waterfront:
--·--·--- - · ·----- - ------ --,----,---~---..---.-

Distance from the back of Abundance (number of individuals m-2\

the shore (m) Soecies A Soec ies B
10 I 0 1----1- - - -1---- - l . -- --- l-- ---j_____J_-- .:...---1-- --+----1
2 25 I 2
40 8
4 38 I 10
20 I 20
6 18 I 35
7 15 I 33 ___ __.__.--t------1---·-+-- -
8 (waterfront) II 28

(a) Using the graph paper on the opposite page, plot a graph to show the results. (5 marks)
··· •·
(b) Based on the information in the graph, suggest wh ich species would have a higher tolerance to
desiccation. Exp lain your answer. (4 marks)

.,; .,; .,;

.,;
"
-"' -c" -c" -c"
:;i - - - - - - - - - - - - ------ "'E E"' "'E
E
" "
.D "
.D
"
.D
.D
0 0
c 0
c:
0 c:
c
-~ . ,. ' i .;. ... -~
"f; "f;
-
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c
~
c
.,~·
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c:
·~
·;;;, - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- ------------ -- on
:;i :;i
E
"'
E E
E
£" £" £"
.S
I-----·
..... I ' I .. I ...
---l.-------~-l----·-r---,_._--l-.-
I ····· ..
____j
£"
.s
.5 (c) BrieOy describe the sampling procedure used to obtain the above data . (3 marks) I .sc: c: c
c: c" c"
ii,• . "
.E
"
.E ·~ -~
~ ·----- ~ ~
~ ~
~
"~ "~ "~
"~ ·--------·-· c: c:
<(
c:
c: <(
<(
<(
....

--------------------·---------------
,. '
.. ; ....

I __ ...__...:._:.J..:~_:.__ _'.J • - ·-

,. 1

. j. ·+ i···;· .;...•

. _ _ ___._______; _ __ L_ _ _ t _ _ __,___ _ _,__ _"'--'---.J_--..J_

Answers written in the margins wi ll not be marked.

Answers written in the margins will not be marked .

23 2013-DSE·BIO I B- 11 24
2013-DSE-lllO lll-10
 9. (a) The fo ll owing graph shows the change in levels of anti bodies in children's bod ies:
fo r the fo ll ow ing quest ion, candidates are required to present their answer in essay fo rm. Ci:itcria for
(A) antibodies from mother
mnrk ing will i nc lude relcvn nt content, logica l presentation and clarity of express ion.
(!3) children 's own antibodies with vaccination
(C) children's own antibodies without vaccination
* I 0. Proteins serve different functions in our body and their funct ional role is closely related to their
conformation (shape). Desc rihe how protein molecu les can have different conformations and explain how
the different conformations enab le them to carry out differen t functions. ( 11 mark s)

A
~
:2
:.c-
u :::
c: c:
·- ::>
-uc
;>"'
......
\ I
1' 8
2 J:: ... /
>.
-0
:.E~ /"
/.
0 ....-
"' /
:f! /
"::.: - c
<
E /,/
~....:-::: ::... --
Birth 3 months I year
Age
.,; .,; .,; .,;
~" (i) State the types of immunity resulting from A, B and C. (3 marks) ~" ~" ~"
"'E "'
E "'E "'E
"
.0 A:
- --· --·--·---·----------------- -- - - "
.0
"
.0 "
.0
15 15 0
c: c: c: -·---- - - · --· ------ ·- --- 0
c:
B:
·~ ·~ ;,
·~
~ ~
~
c: c:; ~
C: -··'· ·oo c: c:
·~ to '§ "§>
E (ii) Suggest two possible ways that newborns can acquire antibod ies fro m their mother.
E "'
E "
E
-s" (2 marks) -s" -s" -s"
.5 .5 .5 .5
c: c:; c: c:
·E";!; -····-----· -------·----- "
t:: "
t:: "
t::
·~ ·;::
-~
:::
~ ~ ~ ~
"~ "~ "~ "~
c:
<
c:
------------------- < .;; c:
<(

·-------------- -- --- -- -- -
(b) Explai n why children who have been vaccinated agai nst diseases are better protected than those
who have not. (4 marks)

---·-· ---------------------- ------------------- ----

-----------------------

- --··----- -------- • In th..: live paper. th e first word of the second line \\35 misrrinicd as 'i;onforrnaton· . As the meaning of lhc wo rd -
shapi.: - has been given in hrackcts and the: same \\o rd was correctly printed twice in th e suhsc4ucn t sentence. th is
misprint did not affci.:t candidates· understand ing or the question . The question in thi s Examinat ion Report and Question
Papers has bi:cn rcti lied.

__.,
Answers written in the margins will not be marked. An swers written in the margins will not be marked.

2013-DSE-BlO lB-12 25 2013-DSE-lllO 113- 13 26

 ---.--

- - ··----· -·-·-··-- ----------

-ci -ci -ci
-ci
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-t: -t:" -t:" "
-t:
"'
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0 0 0
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·e;, -· --- - - - · - - - - - - - - ---- "§ "§ "§
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"E "'E "'
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.:; "
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.5 .5 .5
.5 c: c:
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---·- - - - - -- --·--------------· --- ·---------------------- - - - - - - · -

-------------- ---- --------------- ___ _____________
,.

--- - -----· ---- ---- - --·

----------------·----

END OF PAPER

·---------------- --- _. __ ·---- - Sources of materials used in thi s paper will he acknowledged in the Examination Report and Question Papers
published by the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority al a later stage.

Answers written in the margins will not be marked.

Answers written in the margins will not be marked .

2013-DSE-810 18-14 27 2013-DSE-810 18- 15 28

2013-DSE
BIO
SECTION A lluman Physiology : Regulation and Control
PAPER 2
HONG KONG EXAM INAT IONS AND ASSESSMENT AUTHORITY
Answer ALL parts of the question.
HONG KONG DIPLOMA OF SECONDARY EDUCATION EXAMINAT ION 2013
l(a) The X-ra y photograph below shows a sma ll e lectronic dev ice that has been surgically implanted into the
chest cavity of a patient sufferin g from hca11 disease. This dev ice maintains the proper rhythm of lhe
patient's heart.

BIOLOGY PAPER 2 wire leading to the heart heart electronic device

11.45 am - 12.45 pm (1 hour)

This paper must be answered in English

INSTRUCTIONS

(1) There are FOUR sections, A. B, C and D in this Paper. Attempt ALL questions
in any TWO sections .
• .,'r• .

(2) Write your answers in the Answer Book DSE (C) provided. Start each question
(not part of a questiOfl) on a new page.

(3) Present your answers in paragraphs wherever appropriate. (i) Which structure of the heart does the device replace functionally? (!mark)

(4) Illustrate you r answers with diagrams wherever appropriate. (i i) The structure mentioned in (i) triggers a seri es of events that lead to the proper funct ioning of the
heart. Describe these events. (4 marks)
(5) The diagrams in this paper are NOT necessarily drawn to scale.
(iii) During the cardiac cycle, there is a period of time in which both atria and ventricles are in a re laxed
state. Briefly describe the pathway of blood tlow returning from the lungs to the heart chambers
during this period. (3 marks)

(iv) With reference to a hormone, describe how it can bring about an increase in cardiac output.
· (3 marks)

l (b) Kathy has been married for two years. In the first year, s he took a progesterone-containing contraceptive
pill. Then she stopped taking it a nd got pregnant. Three months later she noticed bleeding from her
vagina. Her doctor gave her progesterone to slop the bleeding.

( i) Expla in how progesterone in the contracept ive pi ll prevented Kathy from becoming pregnant.
(5 marks)

(ii) (!) What was the possible cause and consequence of the bleeding from Kathy's vagina?
(2 marks)

(2) How did the progesterone prescribed by the doctor help Kathy in this case? (2 marks)

Not to be taken away before the

end of the exam ination session

20 13-DSE-13 10 2-2 30
20 13-DSE-B IO 2-1 29
 SECTION B Applied Ecology
SECTIONC Microorganisms and Humans

Answer ALL parts of the question . Answer ALL parts of the question.

2(a) An experiment was conducted to stud y the effect of ac id rain on the growth of bean seedlings planted in 3(a) Garden composting can effectively turn food waste into fertilizer. This is done by mixing the right amounts
pots containing two different soils, either with or without heavy metal X. The same amount of water of food waste with soil containing various types of active microorganisms. The graph below shows the
with a pH of either 6 or 3 was used to water the seedlings every day and their average increase in fresh change in temperature inside a compost pile over I 00 days:
weight was measured after 30 days. The results are shown in the table below:

Avera~eincrease in fresh wei~ht of bean seedlin " (")

ol-1 6 I pH 3
I So il without heavy meta l X 13.0 I 7.7
Phase I Phase II
I Soil with heavy metal X 7.5 I 4.3 80
Note: Rainwater normally has a pH value of 6.

(i) What conclusion can yo u draw from the results of the experiment? (3 marks)
E6o
(ii) During the experiment, excess water that came out of the potted plants was collected and the ~

~
amount of heavy metal ion X in it was determined. The table below shows the results:
0..
H6 H3 E 40
Amount of heavy metal ion X ~
10
in excess waler (arbitrary unit
,.
Based on this informat ion, exp lain the effect of addi ng water of pl-I to the seedlings in soi l 20
contain ing heavy metal X. (3 marks)

(iii) State the a ir pollutants that cause acid rain and state the human health problem associated with these
air pollutants. (3 marks) 0 '--~~---.---~~-.-~~~...---~~~~~~~
0 20 40 60 80 100

2(b) Pollutant Y was found in sewage discharge from industry, lead ing to bioacc umulation in organisms. Time (day)

(i) Give three propert ies of chemica ls that make them liab le to bioaccumu lation. (3 marks)
(i) Describe and exp lain the changes in temperature inside the compost during Phase I and II. (5 marks)
(i i) Specimens we re collected from a site where pollutant Y was known to be discharged. The levels of
pollutant Y in sea water, sediment and some organisms collected from the site are listed in the (ii) It was noted that the diversity of microorganisms decreased during Phase I of the composting. With
following table: reference to the graph, suggest an exp lanation for this observation. (2 marks)

Concentration ofoollutant Y (arbitrarv unit) (iii) (I) Food waste should be chopped into small pieces before they are mixed with soil. What is the
Seawater 2 purpose of doing this?
(I mark)
Sedi ment 36
Clams 163 (2) Adequate and continuous stirring of the food waste-soil mixture is essential for effective
Birds composting. Explain why this is important. (3 marks)
1557
Fish 5 19

Based on the information in the above table, which organism is most likely the top consumer of the
food chain in the site? Explain your answer. (3 marks)

(iii) With reference to the functional role of organisms in an ecosystem, give 011e group of organisms not
included in the above table. State the ecological significance of this group of organisms. (3 marks)

(iv) If humans consumed fish contaminated with pollutant Y, whic h human organ wou ld have a high
concentration of this pollutant? Exp lain your answer. (2 marks)

2013-DSE-BIO 2- 3 31
2013-DSE-BIO 2-4 32

·clll'lllllr'-..~~-~~ ,..
J(b) Aspergillus 11iger is a llingus that spoi ls fruit. An enzyme called pectinase is sec reted from the fun gus SECTION D Biotechnology
during its colon isation on the fruit surface . This enzyme can be used in fruit juice production.
Answer ALL pans of the question .
(i) With reference to the features of fungi , exp lain how Aspergillus niger makes use of pcct inase to
obtain nutrients from the inside of the fru it. (4 marks) 4(a) In the past, diabetic patients were treated with insulin obtained from an imal pancreases. With advances in
recombinant DNA technology, insulin is now derived from genetica ll y modified (GM) bacteria. Below
(ii) With reference to the action ofpectinase, suggest why fruit juice produced by using pectinase shows a possib le scheme for developing such a GM bacterium :

(I) has a higher yie ld, and (I mark)

Step 2: lnsen the amplified Step 3: Screen and culture
is more nutritious. (2 marks) Step I: Iso late the human gene into bacterial
(2) the GM ·bacteria that
insulin gene and ampli fy it plasmids which are then produce human insulin.
People consuming food contam inated with microorganisms may suffer from food borne in fection or by PCR. introduced into bacteria.
(ii i)
food poisoning. Distinguish between food borne infection and food poisoning. (2 marks)

(i) Give two raw materials which are necessary in Step for the amplification of the human insulin
gene from a DNA template. (2 marks)

(ii) With reference to the immune response, explai n why insu lin from GM bacteria is used instead of
that extracted from anima l pancreas. (4 marks)

(iii) Explain why producing insuli n from GM bacteria is cheaper than extracting it from animal
pancreas. (2 marks)
- .~·
(iv) To funher cut the cost of in sulin production, a GM crop which produces human insulin has recently
heen developed . However, an environmenta l group is worried that growing such GM crops may
cause genetic poll ution . Exp lain why growing the GM crops may cause genetic pollution.
(2 marks)

33 2013-DSE-BIO 2-6 34
20 t 3-DSE-BIO 2- 5

._,
 Marking Scheme
4(b) The diagram below shows the DNA fingerprints of five members of a family, which consists of a couple
and three children. One of the children is from the mother's previous marriage.
This document was prepared.for markers' reference. It should not be regarded as a set of model
answers. Candidates and teachers who were not involved in the marking process are advised lo
Mother Father Child I Child 2 Child 3
interpret its contents with care.

A6e~o
~~~~~~~:.tl~~~'":!::. ~\";:,·:·~:j'~~ ' .~·' ·'· -~ ·..: ~:·~'~·,;:~·~
Paper I

SECTION A

[~~~1,];t,;~,gl ,·.,:•.: 1- -••

Question No.

I.
Key

D (54%)
Question No.

21.
Key .

D (54%)

~i"~'-:~"~t$+·.~~, · £·i~',''.P·~. .
,__:_j,''~''>tr··" 2. c (76%) 22. A (60%)
~~1f:~:i.~~·::~~1~~~; .-~~~. _· .::_··7· ;'; ~j-
, •~:.fl)iL~!!''' ~·.•· · 3. c (72%) 23. D (48%)
i~~: 4. A (81%) 24. A (65%)
: .~---.oil::.. ·nfi-:. ·-1;· ~ ...~t 2-·--~ ' ··~- . . .~· c
..
t1 ... ~:,.=~·~ ·.:tr: ·t\;.t~· Ir·~ .:
~,1;m•MJ.;Ji,;u,;..:;:...,..,H1;f.:,~~,.,,.\&'ii
· • ,· · ··•
1 • , - I 5.
6. A
(41%)
(47%)
25.
26.
B (24%)
B (33%)
~~~~t.l..'.1 ~;.~; ..·!: •1.-:3~
7. B (44%) 27. B (64%)
8. c (42%) 28. A (55%)

Based on the information a~·~~e, deduce wh ich child is from the mother's previous marriage.
9. • 29. c (62%)
(i)
(3 marks) 10. D (67%) 30. c (7%)

(ii) Although the other two children are the biological children of the parents shown, their DNA 11. c (35%) 3 1. B (64%)
fingerprints display different patterns. Explain why this is so. (3 marks)
12. c (80%) 32. B (47%)
(i ii) The different patterns shown in the DNA fingerprinting are due to the presence of variable number 13. B (84%) 33. A (79%)
tandem repeats (VNTRs) on human chromosomes. VNTRs are short sequences of repeated DNA 14. A (80%) 34. c (8 1%)
on the non-coding region of chromosomes and the number of VNTRs varies greatly from person to
15. B (47%) 35. D (90%)
person . Explain why a large number of variations can exist in VNTRs but fewer variations are
found in functional genes. (4 marks) 16. D (55%) 36. D (55%)
17. B (71%)
18. D (32%)
19. B (59%)
20. A (78%)

This item was deleted.

END OF PAPER
Note: Figures in brackets indicate the percentages ofcandidates choosing the correct answers.

Sources of materials used in this paper will be acknowledged in the Examination Report and Question Papers
General note on item deletion
published by the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority at a later stage.

It is normal for the HKEAA to delete a small number of items from its multiple-choice question papers if they prove
unsatisfactory. In pract ice, there are a number of reasons why this is considered necessary. By far the most common
reason for deleting an item is that the item fails to discriminate between weak and able candidates-in other words, the
majority of the candidates involved had to rely on guesswork in answering that question. lfsuch an item is retained, the
measurement process is rendered less effective . Where items have been deleted in the live papers, they are still
included in this series of publications . They are indicated as de leted items. Such items may be discussed in the
examination reports.

2013-DSE-BIO 2-7 35 36
 General Marking Instructions Paper I Section B

I. In order to maincain a uniform standard in marking, markers should adhere to the marking scheme agreed
Marks
at the markers' meeting.
I. 13
(I)
2. The marking sc heme may not exhaust all possib le answers for each question. Markers should exerc ise c ( I)
their professiona l discretion and judgment in accepting alternat ive answers that arc not in the marking A
scheme but arc correct and well reasoned. {I)
3 marks
3. The fo llowing symbols are used:
2. {a) Type of joint: hinge joint •
(I)
/\s ingle slash indicates an acceptable alternative wit hin an answer. Exa mple in our body: elbow jo int I knee jo int (I)
{b) /\b ind s hones toget her ( I )
Correc t spe lling requ ired
and prevents the dislocat ion of bones during movement (I)
B attac hes musc les to bones ( I ) (4)
4. In questi ons ask ing for a spec ifi ed number of reasons or examples etc. and a candidate gives more than and transmits the pulling fo rce produced by musc le contraction ( I)
the req uired number, the extra answers should not be marked . For instance, in a question aski ng 6 mark s
candidates to provide two examples, and if a candidate gives three answers, only the first two should be
marked .
3. (a) • it is taken ti-om the sma ll intestine I ileum (I)
{I)
5. In cases where a candidate answers more questions than requ ired, the answers to all questions shou ld be as evidenced by the presence of vi ll i in the region (I) (I)
marked . However, the excess answcr{s) receiving the lowest score(s) wil l be disregarded in the calculat ion
of the fina l mark. (b) Figure A: finger-like projections (vi ll i) ( I) provide a larger surface area for the
absorption of digested food substances (I) (2)
6. Award zero marks for answers which are contradictory.
Figure 13: rich supp ly of blood I dense capillary network (I) helps transport away
7. Where applicable, markers shou ld put a tick (v') aga inst the answer whic h counts for a point of merit and
the absorbed food substa nces quick ly ( I), thi s maintains a steep
the aggregated mark awarded for each question shou ld be entered into the mark box of the OSM system in (3)
concentration grad ient of these food substances lo facilitate the absorption
, I' the right-hand side. lfno marks are to be given, a cross {X) should be inserted there instead . { I)
I' :I 7 marks

4. (a) - as Mary's fa ther is red-green colour blind, he must have a X chromosome

bearing the recess ive allele for red-g reen co lour blindness ( I )
being a fem ale, Mary must have inherited the X chromosome bearing the
recess ive alle le from her father {I) (4)
on the ot her hand, Mary is normal, therefore she must have a X chromosome
bearing do mi nant allele for normal eye sight ( I)
therefore, Mary is a hctero7.ygote ( I)

(b) (i) No, it is because

the photomicrograph cannot reveal the genet ic make-up of the foetus I the
photomicrograph on ly shows the number or appearance of chromosomes ( )
(I) 2
whereas red-green colour blindness is due to the presence of a certain
allele ( I)

(ii) the foetus is a female (I) because

the 23'd pair of chromosomes in the karyotype have simi lar size I length
(I) (3)
and th us the sex chromosomes of the foetus are both X chromosomes {I)
9 marks

5. (a) nitrification• {I)

{I)

37 38
 Marks Marks

j. (b) nitri fying bacteria (I) 8. (a) • correct title ( I )

(2)
wh ich convert nitrite to nitrate (I) and help lower the nitrite level concept: distribution of spec ies. defined location, e.g.
> The distrib ution and abundance of an imal species A and Bon a rocky
(c) • add ing aquatic plants to the aquarium ( I ) shore
(2)
the plants will assimilate I absorb I convert nitrate into their biomass (I)
> Ab undance of species A and B from the back of a shore to the
5 marks waterfront
correct cho ice of axes (I) (5)
axes w ith labe ls and units ( I )
5. (a) avoid blockage o f xylem by the air bubble formed durin g cutting (I) (I) X: di stance from the back of the shore (m); Y: abundance (n umber of
individuals m- 2 or m- 1)
(b) the rate of transpiration is the sam e as the rate of water absorption I the water (I) correct plotting and joining of line showing the distribution of spec ies .A and B
absorbed is used for transpiration onl y (I) (1, 1) ...

(c) • the transpiration rate will increase(!) (4) (b) • spec ies A is found to be more abundant at the back of the shore than species 13 (I)
because the air current sweeps away the water vapo ur around the leafy shoot (I) the back of the shore has a lower chance I shorter period of time to be covered by
the concentration gradient of water vapour between the atmosphere and the air seawater ( I )
space in the leaves becomes steeper (I) thus, organisms fou nd at this region is more likely to face the proble m of (4)
water vapour diffuse out to the atmosphere at a faster rate (I) desiccatio n ( I )
therefore, it can be deduced that spec ies /\ ·has a hi gher tolerance of desiccation
(d) ( i) • ce ll B contains c hloroplasts but cell A does not (I) (I)
(2)
the cell wall of cell B has uneven thickness wh ile that of cel l A is even (I)
(c) • place a transect line from the back of the shore to the waterfront (I)
(ii) • the size of C will be reduced (I) p lace a quadrat along the transact line at regular intervals (I) (3)
to red uce transpiratiQn I water Joss (I) count the number of species A and B in the quad rat ( I ) and record the res ults
(3)
wh en the need for ..g~s exchange decreases in the absence of photosynthesis 12 marks
(!)
I I marks
9. (a) (i) A: passive immunity (I)
13: act ive immunity (I) (3)
7. (a) • the tip is responsible for detecting the unilatera l light (I) C: active immunity ( I )
because if it is remo ved I b locked from the stimulus, no bending growth
movement occurs (I) (3)
on the other hand, the same response is produced even if the lower part of the (ii) some antibod ies in the maternal blood pass through the placenta and enter
coleopti le is covered in soil ( !) into the foetal b lood ( I)
some materna l antibod ies in the mother's mi lk pass to the newborn via (2)
(b) • to show that the fai lure to produce response in set-up II is not due to the effect of breast feed ing (I)
(I)
injury I damage when the tip is removed (I)

(c) • some substances are produced from the tip of the coleoptiles (I) (b) • vaccine contains antigens ( I)
which can diffuse through the agar block (I) to reach the lower part of the whic h st imul ate the immune system to produce memory cells for that particu lar
(3)
coleoptile antigens (I)
and exert effect I lead to bending growth at the lower part of the coleopti le (I) on the second exposu re to the same antigen (I) (4)

(d) Science is based on

,, Both Darwin and Jensen used the results from their
these memory cells are capab le of producing a large amount of antibodies ( I)
therefore, child with vaccination has a better protection
evidence. ( !) experiment to develop their understanding about 9 marks
phototropism in plants (I)

Sc ience knowledge is
,, Darwin's work on ly provided some understanding
(4)
tentative and dynamic. (I) about phototropism and Jensen's resu lts helped
develop further the science knowledge (I)

I I marks

39 40
 Marks Paper 2 Sec tion A

10. Factors determining the different conformat ions of protein molecules (S)
Marks
amino ac id seq uence: I. (a) (i) sinoatrial (SA) node I pacemaker ( I) { I)
./ proteins are bu ilt from 20 different amino acids (I)
./ am ino acids are joined together lo form a polypeptide (I) (i i) the structure init iates electrical impulses that spread through the walls
./ the amino acids sequence of the polypeptide determ ines the final conformation of both atria (I)
of protei n molecule ( I) prompting the at ri a to contract at the same time (I)
./ this amino acid seq uence is encoded by the base sequence of a gene I code I (4)
S = max. 3 the impulses then pass to a1rioven1ricular (AV) node (I)
nuc leotide on DNA ( I) wh ich relays signals lo the ventricular walls to initiate contraction of
both ventricles after the contraction of the atria (I)
fo lding of the po lypeptide:
./ the polypeptide chains the n coi l I fold up (I) (ii i) blood flows from lungs via the pulmonary vein ( I)
./ while some polype pt ide chains bind together ( I) lo form a molecule wit h and then enters into left atrium ( I)
specific conformation as the bicusp id va lve is open at this stage, the blood nows further into (3)
the left venlricle (I)
The unique shape of each protein all ows different proteins to perfonn different functional
roles in our body, e.g. it gives rise 10 (R) (iv) adrena l gland secretes more ad renaline ( I)
enzymes with unique active sites I substrate binding sites ( I) that fit with spec ific which stim ulates the heart muscle to contracl more rapidly ( I ) and (3)
substrates for controlling cellular melablism ( I) more strongly (I)
receptors with binding sites for neurotrans mitters (I) that allows transm iss ion of R = max. 5
nerve impu lses across synpase ( I) (b) (i) high leve l of progesterone inhibits the secretion off'SH ( I ) and LI-I (I)
antibodies which allow recognition of antigens I pathogens ( I) for body defence (I) from the pituilary
haemoglob in with bi nding site (.J.} for carrying oxygen ( I) the low level of FSH is not su fficie nt to sti mu late fo llicu lar
developmerll (I) (5)
C = max . 3 the low leve l ofLH is not sufficient to stimu late ovulation {I)
-··.·'· 11 marks as a resu lt, no fertilization takes place (I)

Mark award for communication: (ii) (I) • breakdown of uterine lining (I) wh ich may lead to poss ible
miscarriage I aboreion {I) (2)
Marl< Clarity of express ion and re levance to Logica l a nd systemat ic

3 . the Questi on
A nswers are easy to understand. • Answers
orcscnta tio n
arc well struc!Ured
(2) • progesterone maintains the thi ck ness I thickening of the uterine
lin ing I increases vascularisation I blood supply ( I)
(2)
They arc flu ent show ing good show ing coherence of thought and so that the placenta I embryo can atlac h to the uterine lining more
command of language. organisation of ideas. securely ( I)
• There is no or litt le irrelevant

2 . material .
Language used is unders tandab le but
there is some inappropriate use of
• Answers are organised , but there
is some repetition of ideas.

. words.
A litlle relevant materi al is included ,

I . but does not mar the overall answer.

Markers have to spend some time and • Answers are a bit disorganised,

. effort on understanding the answe r(s).

Irrelevant material obscures some
but paragraphing is evident.
Repet iti on is noticeab le.

0 .. mi nor ideas.
Language used is incomprehensible.
Irrelevant material buries the major
ideas reQuired bv the Question.
. Ideas are not coherent and
systemat ic. Cand idates show no
attemot to organise thoughts.

41 42
Paper 2 Section B Paper 2 Section C

Marks Marks

2. (a) (i) ac id rain I acid ic water retards the growth of bean seed lings ( I ) 3. (a) (i) Phase I: temperature increases from 20°C to 80°C (I)
presence of heavy metal X in the soi l retards the growth of bean as microbial util ize the organic matter for resp iration which produces a
seedli ngs (I) (3) large amou nt of heat ( I )
least growth occurs under the combined effect of low pH and heavy Phase 2: temperature decreases to close to the ambient level I 20 °C
(5)
metal X (I) ( I)
as nutrients have been depicted by the microbes I waste accumulates (I)
(ii) ac id rain releases the heavy meta l ions X in the so iI ( I) resulting in a drop in microbial act iv ity I a decrease in respiration rate
therefore there is a higher concentration of heavy metal ions X in the ( I)
so il ( !)
resu lting in a greater effect of inhibi tion on the growth of bean
(3)
(ii)
·. -
different species of bacteria wou ld have a different level of resistance I :
seed lings ( I ) tole rance to heat (I)
the increase in temperature eli minates species that are not able to live in (2)
(ii i) su lphur dioxide(!) and nitrogen oxides( !) from the burning of fossil high temperatures I se lects for species that are heat resistant I tolerant I
fuels (3) thermophilic (I)
these ac idic gases may cause irritation to eye I respiratory tract ( I )
(iii) ( I) it increases the surface area for microorgani sms to act on (I) (!)
(b) (i) Any three of the fo llowing:
hi gh fat solubi lity( !) (2) • adeq uate and continuous stirring ensures a continuous supply of air
cannot be metabo li zed eas il y I non-biodegradable ( I ) (max. 3) I oxygen into the compost pile ( I)
cannot be excreted ( i). . so that microorganism s can carry out aerob ic respiration to re lease (3)
stable and pers istent ( I) more energy ( I)
for fast er decomposit ion of the organic matter (I)
( ii ) birds (I)
highest amount of pollutant Y was detected in birds (I) (b) (i) • pectinase can break down pect in (I)
since the top consumers feed on a large number of organisms at the so that the cell wall of the plant ce lls can be broken dow n ( I)
(3)
lower trophic leve ls, they usually have the hi ghest amount of heavy as a result, hyp hae can grow deeper into the fruit ( I) (4)
metal ions accumulated I si nce the po llutant is acc umulated along the and secrete enzymes to carTy out external digesti on and abso rb nutrients
food chain, the top consumer has the hi ghest leve l of the pollutant ( I) from the deeper tissue of the fru it ( !)

(ii i) • producers(! ) (i i) ( I) • as cell wall has been broken down (I), more juice can be released (!)
captu re so lar energy and tum it into its biomass I chem ica l energy (I)
this provides food I energy source to other organisms in the ecosystem (2) • the digestion of cell wa ll releases some nutrients which ca nnot be
(I) obta ined by humans ( I)
(3) (2)
Or as the human digestive system does not produce enzymes to digest
deco mposers ( I) the cell wall ( I)
break down organ ic mailers into inorgan ic matters ( I)
this allows the cyc li ng of materi als in the ecosystem ( I) (i ii) • food-borne infection is caused by the ingested pathogens which
multiply inside our body I attack the body ce lls I causes illness ( I)
(iv) • liver(!) whereas food poisoning is caused by the to xin le ft in the food which is (2)
because it is the organ responsibl e for detox ification, thus toxic (2) produced by the microorgan isms ( I)
substances are captured and metabolised I processed there ( I)

43 44
Paper 2 Section D Candidates' Performance
Marks The 2013 DSE fliology Examinat ion was based on the 13iology Curricu lum (S4-6) imp lemented in 200'1. The
Biology public examinat ion consists of two papers : Paper I assesses the compulsory pat1 of the curriculum and
4. (a) (i) primers (I) Paper 2 assesses the elective part.
(2)
dcox yribonucleosidc triphosphatcs (dNTPs) (I)
Paper I
(ii) insulin produced from GM bacteria has the same amino acid s~que ncc s as
the insulin produced by our body (I) Paper I consisted of two sections, Section A (multiple-choice questions) and Section B (conventional question s).
so that the patient 's immune system docs not normally produce antibodies All questions in both sections were compulsory.
agai nst the insulin after injection I rejection on the insulin occurs (I)
(4)
whe reas the am ino acid seq uence of an im al insu lin is sli ghtly diffe rent Sect ion A (m ulti ple-choice quest ions)
from that of human insuli n ( I )
thus some patients' immune systems produce antibodies against it to There were 36 questions in this sect ion. Candidates' perfonnancc was sat isfactory in gencrar arfd th e mean raw
degrade I inactivate / lower the effect of insu lin (I) score was 2 I .

Some candidate mi sconceptions were revealed fro m their performance in the fo llowing items:
(i ii) due to the high growth rate of bacteria, the product yield from GM
bacteria is much higher than that from animal pancreas because it takes Directions: Quest ions 6 and 7 refer to the graph below, which shows the energy levels of the reactant and
long time to rear anima ls (I) product of a biochemica l reaction in the presence of its enzyme:
insulin can be prod uced cont inuously from the bacterial cu lture whereas (nrnx. 2)
each ani mal can provide only a lim ited amount of animal pancreas (I)
the cost of purificat ion of insuli n from bacterial cult ure is lower than
that from the ani ma l pMcreas ( I ) as it is less compli cated u>
..!! roduct
(iv) GM plants arc oflol\ grown out in the open areas ( I ) ~
thus po ll en gra ins from GM plants may po ll inate other non-GM crops and (2)
tij" 1 ~
are spread to other plants ( I )

(b) ( i) child 2 ( I )
because some of the bands resembles the pattern of the mother (I) (3) Progress of reaction
while the other bands can not be fo und in the patlem of the father ( I )
6. The reac tion shown in the graph is
(ii) they are resuited from fusion of different gametes I rando m fe11ilization
( I) A. an anabolic process because energy is absorbed. (47%)
due to independent assortment I crossing over of chromosomes (I) (3) 13 . an anabo lic process because energy is released. ( 13%)
each' gamete bears different copies or chromosomes from the parents C. a cataboli c process becatzse energy is absorbed. ( 15%)
( I) D. a catabolic process because energy is re leased. (25%)

(iii) as VNTRs are located in the non-cod ing region of chro mosomes, any
mutations do not affect the su rvival of the organi sms (I) Only half of the cand idates deduced fro m the graph that it rep resented an anabolic reaction as the higher energy
and the mutation s can pass on to the next generation (I) level of product showed an increased energy leve l, i.e. energy is absorbed during the reaction. Many candidates did
(4)
mutation s in functional genes, however, may lead to expression of not distingu ish between ana bo lic and catabo lic processes. They either held the misconception that energy is
non-functional proteins I fai lure of express ion of these genes (I) released in an anabolic process or energy is abso rbed in a catabol ic process.
which may affect the survival of the organi sms (I)
therefore, variat ions of VNTRs pass on from generation to generat ion lead ing
to huge variations
II. Which of the fol low ing statements abo ut codons is correct"

A. A codon may consist of bases A, C, G or T. (23%)

13. A codon is a triplet of bases on transfer RNA . (24%)
C. Most amino acids are coded by more than one codon. (35%)
D. All codons code for amino acids. (18%)

About one third of the candidates chose the key correctly while others were confused about the concepts involved .
Nearly half of the candidates were not aware that a codon refers to the code present on mRNA and as a result the
nucleotides involved should be A, C, G or U. Some cand idates did not know that some codons do not code for
amino acid but signify the start or stop of tra nscription.
45 46
Directions: Questions 23 to 25 refer to th e diagram below, which shows an experim ent on osmosis using n
Question
potato tuber. A washed potato was cut 10 fom1 a base. After that, a cavity was made and a I 0% Performance in General
Nu mber
sucrose solution was added into the cavity. The who le potato was then placed into a beaker
containing some di st illed water. After I day, the level of sucrose so lution rose. 6 Poor

7 Sat isfactory
beaker ------1

q ' I I 0% sucrose sol ution 8 Good

polalo skin

~----- potato 9 Satisfactory

distilled wate r - :\
10 Poor
' - - - - - - - - cut surface -
25 . Whi ch of the following treatments will lead to a higher final leve l of the sucrose so lution after I day' I. Well answered . More than half of the candidates scored foll mark for this question. Some candidates
wron g ly thou ght th at the medulla oblongaia was responsible for the withdrawa l renex.
(I) using 5% sucrose solution instead of I 0% sucrose so lution
(2) using 20% sucrose so lution instead of 10% sucrose solution
(3). peeling offal! the potato sk in instead of just cutting the bottom of the potato 2. (a) Satis factoril y answered. Some candidates wrongly identified the joint as a ball and socket joint.
Candidates who had correctly identified the j oint often miss pe lt the word ' hinge '. When they were
A. (I) only (3%) asked to give examples of the joint, they usually named the body part instead of a joint.
B. (2) only (24%)
C. (I) and (3) on ly (9%) (b) Fairly answered. Cand idates were usually ab le 10 give the function of A and B. However, most of
D. (2) and (3) only (64%) them failed to mention that A is responsib le for attach ing muscles to bones . Some candidates did
..·..~· not read the questions carefully. Instead of describing how A and A work together, they gave
separate description about the properties and functi ons of A and B.
The item aimed to assess candidates' understanding about osmosis and the ability to apply the concepts invo lved in
experimenta l design. Most candidates were aware that repl ac ing a I 0% sucrose so lution with a 20% sucrose
solut ion would lead to a higher final level of sucrose so lution inside the potato cup. However, almost two third of 3. (a) Well answered. More than half of the candidates scored full mark for thi s part. Some candidates
the candidates wrongly thou gh! that peeling off all potato sk in would produce the same effect. In fact , this only mistook vi llus as a part of the alimentary canal instead of a feature ol" the ileum .
increased the rate of osmosis but did not contribute to th e final vo lum e of water moving in.
(b) Satisfactor ily answered. For Figure A, most candidates correct ly described the feature and
prov ided a correct exp lanalion. for Figure B, alt hough candidates po inted out the feature as
Sect ion B (conventiona l questions) having a dense network of capillaries, the ir exp lanations were often vague. Quite a number of them
simply slated that it facilitated the absorption without further elaboration. Some candidates stated
Th is section includes a wide variety of question types and assesses candidates' basic understanding of biological that it helped maintain a steep concentration gradient without explaining how this is achieved .
know ledge and concepts, the application of biological concepts to realistic and novel situations and the enquiry
process of sc ience and communication skills.
4. (a) Fairly answered. The question aimed to assess candidates' ability to make logical deduct ions about
Markers considered the paper lo be appropriate with regard to the level of difficulty and ba lanced in terms of the genotypes (the allele combination of Mary, which is not observable) from the given phenotypes
curricu lum coverage. (Peter being colour blind and Mary being normal , which are observable). Many candidates failed
to present the how they arrive at the deduction clearly. For instance, Mary being normal has
The following tab le shows the general performance of candidates on individua l questions: already proved that she has one X-chromosome bearing an allele for norma l sight. It was not
necessary to mention that this X-chromosome comes from her mother. Some candidate simply
Question regurgitated answers from past exams and did not recogni ze that the inheritance is a X-linked trait.
Perfomiance in General They failed to exp la in how the aflected a lle le passed from Peter to Mary via the only
Number
X-c hromosome Peter has. Many candidates showed a poor understanding of the meaning of
I Well done genetic terms. They failed to distinguish chromosomes, genes and traits and wrong ly used them to
descr ibe the inheritance of the alle le for controlling red-green colour blindness.
2 Fair
(b) (i) Poorly answered. Many candidates kn ew that red-green colour blindness is a ge ne
3 Good mutation. However, most of them we re not aware that the photomicrograph could on ly
check the number and structure of the chromosomes found in the foe tus.
4 Satisfactory

5 Satisfactory

47 48

(ii) Satisfactorily answered. Most cand idates were we ll aware of the fact that the 23 rd pair of
homo logous chromosomes was responsible for sex determination in human s and they knew
both arc X-chromosomes. However. they failed to observable evidence. i.e. both have
sim ilar size. from the photomicrograph to prove that they were X-chromosomes.
8.
5. (a) Satisfactorily answered. More than half of the candidates correctl y named the process. Some
cand idates wrongly thought that the process was nitrogen fi xation or wrongly spelt the word
nit ri fie at ion.
(b) Fairly answered. Many candidates were not aware of the aerated condition of the aquarium which
is not suitabl e for dcnitrification.
(d) Well answered . Many candidates se lected the statements correctly. However, some cand idates
were still weak at giv ing elaborat ion on how it is linked with the nature of science. They simp ly
repeated the historical events without elaboration .
(a) Well answered . More than one third of candidates demonstrated competence in graph plotting and
scored full mark s. Common mistakes committed includ ed wrong or missing title, failure to give the
units for the Y-axis, fai lure to join the points properl y, or to extend lines to the origin (point 0, 0).
(b) Poorly answered. Although most candidates poinlcd out that A should be the species that has a
hi gher tolerance of desiccation, they failed to do a good analys is of data shown in the graph. Many
cand id ates gave detail ed description of the distribut ion of the species A and B along the shore
separately without making cross comparison .

Fairly answered. Many candidates focused on the bacteria involved in nitrogen cyc le. Instead, the
(c)
question aimed to assess candidates ' understanding about the cyc ling of materia ls in which the
nitrate produced from the nitrifying bacteria will then be ava il ab le to plants . Some candidates
mixed up algae with plants in their answer.
9.
6. (a) Poorl y answered. Thi s is a bas ic experimental set-up for st udy ing the environmental factors
affecting transpiration. However, less than one third of the candidates pointed out the imponance
of having the lower end of the shoot cut under water. Many cand idatcs gave inaccurate
descriptions, such as 'to preven~· fonnation of air bubbles' and ' to prevent the blockage of stem· ,
which lacked details.
(b) Poorly answered . The quesi:~n aimed to assess candidates' understanding of the ass umption based
on a familiar experi menta l set-u p. Again, less than one third of the candidates pointed out the
assumption which is necessary for using this set-up to determine the transp irat ion rate of the leafy
shoot.
(c) Sati sfactori ly answered. Many candidates fai led to mention that water was lost in th e fo nn of water
vapour during transpiration. /\s a result, th ey gave inaccurate desc ript ions such as ·water diffuses
out of the leaves' or 'wate r potenti a l inside the leaves is higher than that of the atmosphere'. Some
candidates mixed up the effect of wi ndy conditions with that of temperat ure.
(c) Poorly answered. Many candidates were not familiar with the sampling method used for fi e ld
st udy.
(a) (i) Fa irly answered. About one third of the candidates correct ly identified al l the types of
immunity in volved. Some candidates mixed up immunity with immune responses and gave
answers such as humoral immune response or ce ll mediated immune response.
(ii) Well answered . About one third of the candidates listed the two possible ways newborns
acq uired maternal antibodi es and about half of the candidates listed one possib le way. In
fact, the graph had already given hint s to the answers. Firstly, the antibodies from mother
were already present in the newborns at binh, showing that some ant ibod ies have already
been passed to the newborn at foeta l stage throug h the placenta. Secondl y, the level of
antibodies from mother continued to increase after birth, showing that some antibodies were
acquired via breast feeding after binh.
(b) Fairly answered. Many candidates thought that memory cells were already present in the blood.
Some of th em mixed up pathogens with anti gens. As a result, they lost the marks about how the
antigen triggered the formation of memory ce lls and the conseq uences of second exposure to the
same antigen.

(d) (i) Poorly answered. Many candidates mi xed up ch lorop lasts with chlorophyll. Chloroplasts
refer to the suh-cell ular structure whereas chlorophyll refers to the pigment responsib le for
captu ring light energy. Only some candidates could figure out the uneven thickness of the
ce ll wall of cell B. This showed that candidates were weak at observation skills.
(ii) Fairly answered. Candidates were aware of the fact that stomata wou ld reduce in size to
conserve water at night. However, only a few of them po inted out that the need for gas
exchange wou ld decrease too due to the absence of photosynthesis at night.
7. (a) Well answered . Most candidates pointed out that the lip was responsible for the detection of
unilatera l light and cited the result of set-up II to suppo11 their answers. However, only some
candidates r~lated the result of set-up IV as supporting evidence to their conclusion.
(b) Poorly answered . Only one tenth of the candidates explained the necess ity of sening up set-up 111 in
this experiment. This showed that candidates were weak in concepts relating to control
experiment s.
I0. Poorly answered. The essay aims to assess candidates' abi lity to select re levant knowledge from related
topics and assemble it to produce a structured response to address the question . However, the essays
produced by candidates often lacked organisation or contained discrete and repeated ideas. Many
candidates simply gave lengthy descriptions about the functions of various proteins without pinpoint the
role of the prote in structure in relation to the functions mentioned . Some candidates regurgitated the
detai led process of tra nslation rather than how protein structures can be varied due to the differences in the
amino acid sequence of each protein molecule. On ly some more able candidates gave prec ise descriptions
of the relation of amino ac id sequences and the unique shapes of protein formed. Some candidates were
confused about the structures of DNA, proteins and am ino ac ids and the relationship among these three
kinds of biomolecules. In answering the pan related to the functions of the proteins, many candidates gave
lengthy descriptions of the structure of enzymes and the effect of temperature on dcnat uration. Candidates
are advised to plan and organize their thoughts before writing up the essay. Most candidates only scored
I mark for effect ive commun icat ion due to the fact that their essays contained too much irrelevan t material
and the ideas were often unorganized and repeated.

(c) Poorly answered. Candidates did not pay attention to the aim of the experiment . As a result, they
fa iled to give conclusions that add r.csscd the aim . Instead , they tended to give descriptions about
how auxins exerted an effect. con tro lling the bend ing growth of the colcopti le, and so scored very
low marks.

49 50
Paper 2 Scl'fion LI
2. (a) ( i) Poorly answered. Cand idates did not pay attention to the aim of the experiment. As a
Paper 2 consisted of four section s. Sect ion A contained questions on 'Human Physiology: Regulation and Control ', resu lt, they failed to recogni ze the condition pl I 6 represented normal cond iti ons whi le pH
Section 13 on ' Applied Ecology', Section Con ' Microorganisms and Human s' and Section Don 'B iotechnology'. 3 represented the presence of acid ra in . Therefore , they failed to analyse the res ults and
Candidates were required to attempt all questions in two of the sections. draw conclusions that addressed the aim of the experiment. Some simpl y repeated the
infonnation by stating the average increase in the fresh weight of bean seed lings under each
The fol lowing table shows the general perfonnance of candidates and the popularity of each section: condit ion.

Question Number Popularity% Perfonnance in Genera l (i i) Poorly answered. The ex periment in this part was a fo llow-up experiment lo find out the
heavy metal ions released in the so il due to the lowering of the pH va lue of the soil water.
l(a) Fair Most candidates gave a description of increas ing heavy metal ions X after addi ng pH 3
92 water but could not link this up with the retard growth shown in pa11 (i). Some candidates
Satisfactory
J(b) wrongly thought that the lower pl I affects the uptake of ions, lead ing lo more heavy metal
Poor ions X from the pot with the pH 3 condition. · -
2(a)
62
Good (ii i) Well answered. Most candidates pointed out both air pollutants that cause acid rains while
2(b)
some only staled one air pollutant. They were genera lly well aware of the health problem
3(a) Fair assoc iated with acid rai n. Some candidates gave vague answers such as poisonous or cause
12 erosion on sk in .
Poor
3(h)
(b) (i) Poorl y answered. The most often cited properties were ' could not be metaboli zed easily'
4(a) Poor
and 'could be excreted'. However, it should be noted that being fa t so luble was the most
34
Poor crucial property fo r a chemical liable lo bioaccumulation. Many candidates held
4(b)
misconceptions that the chemical having small molecular size would be accumulated eas ily.
Others thought that indigest ible was one of the properties .
Section A
I. (a) (i) Well an swered . Mci~e than two thirds of the candidates gave the correct answer. However, (ii) Wel l answered. About half of the candidates scored full marks for thi s question . Most
spe ll ing mistakes were common . cand idates pointed out that birds have the highest concentration of pollutant Y which was an
indication of the top consumer in a food chain due to bioaccumulation. However, some
(ii) Poorly answered. Candidates fail ed to give the events of the card iac cycle in an organized candidates gave detailed accounts of how pollutant Y was accumulated, which was
manner. Many candidates failed to mention that the electrical impu lses spread through the irrelevant.
wa ll of both atria. They used ' nerve impulses' instead of 'electrical impulses' in their
answers. They also failed lo point out that the atria contract at the same time. Some (iii) Fairly answered. Some candidates answered bacteria or plants instead of the functional
cand idates mixed up ventricles with atria. roles, which arc decomposers and producers respectively.

(iii) Wel l answered. Some candidates ignored that fact that the question foc used on the blood
flow du ring the period when both atria and ventricles are in a relaxed stale. They wrongly
stated that blood flow from atria to ventricles was due to the contraction of the atrial wall.
Some candidates used a flow chart to answer the question. Jn this case, they did not score
fu ll mark.
(iv) Poorly answered. Candidates knew that the hormone involved is adrenaline. However,
many of them failed to mention that there wou ld be an increased in the secretion of
adrenali ne in their answers . Some cand idates were not aware that cardiac output consists of
two components.
(b) (i) Well answered. Cand idates were fam il iar with the interactions of the hormones invo lved.
Some candidates failed lo elaborate on the actions of FSH and LH, or they mixed up their
actions. Quite a number of cand idales thought that FSH and LH were released from the
hypothalamus.
(ii) (I) Satisfactoril y answered. Some candidates did not aware that Kathy was pregnant .
They treated it as normal menstrual cyc le rather than a sign of miscarriage .
(2) Fairly answered. Candidates who forgot that Kathy was pregnant missed the point
about secure implantation. Some candidates wrongly stated fertili zed egg instead of
embryo or foetus.
51
(iv) We ll answered. About ha lf of the candidates scored ful l marks for thi s question. Some
candidates wrongly slated that toxic substances would be transported to the liver for storage
instead of detoxificat ion.
Sect ion C
3. (a) (i) Satisfactori ly answered. Some candidates simp ly ment ioned that there was an increase in
temperature in Phase I without clearl y indicating the exact temperatures shown , i.e. from
20°C to 80°C. Some candidates interpreted the graph as the growth curve and regurgitated
related knowledge.
(ii) Poorly answered. Many candidates did not make reference to the graph when they
answered the quest ion. They wrongly thought that the decrease in the diversity was simply
a result of competition.
(iii) ( I) Satisfactorily answered . About half of the candidates answered this question
correctly. Some candidates gave incomplete answers such as ' increase surface area
fo r faster react ion 1 •
(2) Poorly answered . Many cand idates thought that stirring helps mix up the food waste
and decomposers. However, they missed the key in formation that the st irring was
done continuously. They were not aware that aerob ic respiration provided more
energy such that decomposition cou ld be taken place al a faster rate. This shared the
same principle as the aeration tank in sewage treatment. However, candidates failed
to apply this principle in this unfamiliar situation.
52
 (b) ( i) Poorly answered. Many candidates did not make reference to the features of fungi in their
answers. T hey did not know how the microbial deterioration was brought abo ut by the
external digestion. Nor did they know about the hyphae for penetrating deeper into the
substratum for nutrient absorption. Many cm1didates treated the process as a sim p le
digestion and absorption.
(ii) (I) Poorly answered. Many candidates gave some general comments such as pectinase
could lower the cost, or break down fruit molecules which were irrelevant for
increasing yie ld.
(2) Poorly answered . Many candidates were not aware that pectinase was a fungal
enzyme which could not be found in human digesti ve system. Again, they gave
vague answers such as ' it can break down the fruit or 'it can extract more nutrients'
1
Genera l comments and recommendations:
The perforrnance in the two papers showed that candidates were generally able to answe r questions that required
the reca ll of basic bio log ical knowledge. Many candidates relied too heavily on textbooks and tended to
regurg itate textbook materials when answering the questi ons. Hence, thei r perforrnance in questions that required
the integration of biolog ical concepts and the app lication of knowledge in daily li fe scenarios was poor. On the
other hand, it was worth noting that candidates did poorly in questions involving interpretation of photographs,
graphs and experimental resu lts. In many cases, they fai led to understand the situation presented and did not draw
valid conclusions that address the aims of the investigation . They simply reproduced facts on re lated topics with
lin le selection or adaptation. The training of skills involving in scienti fic investigation should be strengthened.
Spelling mistakes were common. Some cand idates did not use bio log ical tem1s correctly; they tended to use
layman's terms, which did not have the same, precise meaning.

wh ich did not explain why the fruit juice is more nutritious.

( iii) The perfonnance was unsatisfactory. Many candidates mixed up food borne infection with
food poisoning.

Section D
4. (a) (i) Fairly answered. Many candidates missed the keywords 'raw material ' in the quest ions.
They often included DNA polymerase or ligase in their answers. Enzymes shou ld not be
counted as raw materi als as they could be reused again. Some stated restriction enzymes
which were complete ly irrelevant.

(ii) Poorly answered. Many candidates did not make reference to the amino ac id sequence of
the insulin when the y,.attempted to ex plain why animal insulin would trigger an immune
resp onse . Some candidates.treated it as rejection of transplanted tissues.

(iii) Poorly answered. Candidates usually did compare the time taken for the production· of
insulin by the two methods. However, many candidates wrongly thought that the cost for
maintaining the bacterial culture was cheap.

(iv) Poorly answered. M any candidates were not aware that GM plants were grown in open
areas.

(b) (i) Well answered. More than one third of the candidates scored full marks in this question .
Many candidates did not point out that some bands resemb led the pattern of the mot her. It
was necessary to mention this point to exclude these bands when compared with the father's
pattern.

(ii) Fairly answered. Many candidates were aware that the vanat 1ons were a result of
fertilization of different gametes. However, onfy some candidates could further point of
that the genetic compositions of gametes were different from one another because of the
interdependent assortment in me iosis. Some candidate simp ly stated that the gametes from
father and mother are different without any exp lanati on.

( iii) Poorly answered. Only some candidates linked the mutation of function al genes to the
failure to produce important proteins, enzymes or traits that would affect the survival of the
organisms. Many candidates were not awa re that the non-coding region was where there
wou ld be no gene products produced.

53 54
School-based Assessment data analysis. As a res ult , they had litt le room to design the experiment and d iscuss the data. If the
experiments only involved the conduct of experiment accord ing to a set of procedures, these experiments
A ll school cand idates s itting for I IK DSE 13 iology Exam ination have to participate in School-based Assessment shou ld be used for assessing students' practical skills (Area A) but not for assessing repon writing (Area B).
(SBA). A total of 16996 Biology students from 437 schools submitted their SBA marks this year. The schools
were divided into twenty four groups and the implementation of SBA by the teachers in each group was monitored Students should complete the assessment tasks honestl y and responsibly in accordance with the stipulated
by a District Coord inator (DC) . The DCs were a lso respons ible for reviewin g the samples of students ' work which requirements. They will be subject to severe penalties for proven malpractice, such as plagiarizing others' work.
were submitted . The HKDSE Examination Regulations st ipulate that a candidate may be liable to disqua lification from pan or the
whole of the examination, or suffer a mark penalty for breaching the regulations.
Statistical moderation method was adopted to moderate the SBA scores submitted by schools. Outlier schools after Students can refer to the information leanet HKDSE Examination- lnfonnation on School -based Assessment
statisti cal moderation were identified for funher fo ll ow-up by the SBA Superv isor. 69 . 1% of schoo ls fell into the (http ://www.hkeaa.edu .hk/DocLibrary/ Media/Leanets/SBA_pamph let_ E_web.pdf) for guidance on how to
·within the ex pected range ' category, while 17.3% of schools had marks higher than expected, and 13.5% of properly acknowledge sources of in for mation quoted in their work.
schoo ls had mar ks lower than expected. However, among the schoo ls w ith marks higher or lower than expected,
the majori ty only deviated slightl y from the expected ra nge. These figures seem to ind icate that majority of the
teachers had a good understand ing of the SBA requirements, and that the marking standards were appropriate,
which is encouragi ng. However, a number of schoo ls had moderated SBA scores whic h were significantl y higher
or lower than their raw scores, which indicates that the marking standards of the teachers concerned were either too
strict o r lenient as judged by the supervisor and the DCs. Teachers shou ld pay due anen t ion to thi s d iscrepancy and
adjust their marking standards in the future .

Some schools were visited by the DCs to gather first-hand infonnation on the implementation on the Scheme in
sc hoo ls. Acco rd ing to the feedback of teachers an d the DC's repons, the assessment process was smooth and
effective in genera l. SBA marks were submitted on time and all requirements were met. The major observations on
thi s year' s Sl3A are:

I. As in the last yea r, the SBA tasks of most schools still concentrated around a sma ll number of tasks that came
from the SBA sample tasks and the t~xtbooks. Some of the tasks from the textbooks fa ll shon because they
are too simp le, for instance, simpleaiid obvious design, no hypothes is, salien t variab les, qualitative meas ures,
and straightforward conc lusions. A case in point was finding out the necessary cond itions for photosynthes is
through starc h testing of leaves. While this kind of s imple task could be used to fa miliari ze students with
scientific investigat ion early on, it may not be appropriate as the final learning outcomes o f senior secondary
b iology. If st udents are onl y exposed to thi s kind of task in their SBA learni ng, their understand ing of
scientific inquiry and the nature of sc ience will be severely hampered . It should be noted that understanding
sc ientific inqu iry and th e natu re of sc ience are centra l goa ls of the cun- iculum, in addition to bio logical
concepts, and some of the questions in the HKDSE biology papers also aimed to assess students'
understandi ngs in these areas. Therefore, teachers should make best use of the SBA experiences to fac ilitate
students' learning about sc ient ific inqu iry and nature of science.

2. The unsatisfactory performance o f some schools like ly stemmed in pan from the inadequate number of tasks
provided to the students. High leve ls of inquiry skil ls and understand ings wi ll not come without engaging
stude nts in progressive ly more comp lex inquiry tasks wit h careful ly p lanned learning outcomes. Some
schoo ls simp ly can-ied out a minimum number of assessments to meet the requirement of mark submission as
stipulated by the SBA scheme. This was de finitely not sufficient. Teachers shou ld provide enough practice
experiences for students so that deve lopment of the inquiry ski ll s and understandings could take place.

3. In the section about the principles of design, many students were unab le to distinguish between variables and
measures. Moreover, students were relative ly weak in exp laining the rationa les of the design in connection
with the biological concepts; instead, they exp lained the biological concepts and described the design
separately. Students a lso rarely mentioned alternat ive methods or gave justifications for the methods they
chose.

4. In the discussion and conc lusion section, conclusions were often drawn straightforwardly from data. Very
few students discussed the reliability of the data and the validity of the conclusions with reference to the
li m itat ions of the experiment. Teachers shou ld use this pan to teach about the limitations and tentativeness of
science, which is an imponant aspect of nature of science snidents need to underst and .

5. Some schoo ls conducted ex periments requiri ng compli cated techniques such as DNA fi ngerprinting and
paper chro matography. In these cases, studen ts were often prov ided with the fu ll procedure and methods of

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