1. The chimpanzee Pan troglodytes is classified as shown in the table below.

Complete the table by inserting the appropriate word in each of the spaces.

Kingdom Animalia

Chordata

Class Mammalia

Primates

Family Pongidae

Genus

troglodytes
(Total 4 marks)

2. (a) Explain what is meant by the term multiple alleles.

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(2)

(b) The diagram below shows a family tree in which the ABO blood-group phenotypes are
shown for some members of the family.

O Male

1 2
Female

B A

3 4 5

B O A

6 7 8 9

2002 June Module 5B 1

 (i) Using the symbols IA, IB and Io to represent the allelei, indicate the genotypes of the
following family members.

Member 2 ..........................................................................................................

Member 5 ..........................................................................................................
(1)

(ii) Using a genetic diagram, show the possible blood groups for family Member 8.

(3)
(Total 6 marks)

3. Photosynthesis is a complex metabolic process which can be influenced by many different

environmental factors.

(a) Explain the term limiting factor with reference to photosynthesis.

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(2)

(b) An investigation into the effect of light intensity and carbon dioxide concentration on
photosynthesis was carried out using pond weed. The pond weed was placed in a test tube
that contained pond water and a quantity of sodium hydrogencarbonate. The light was
provided by a lamp. The oxygen bubbles produced by the pond weed were directed into a
length of capillary tubing.

2002 June Module 5B 2

 The graph below shows how the rate of oxygen production of the pond weed changed
with light intensity when immersed in two different concentrations of sodium
hydrogencarbonate.

0.8

0.7 0.5 mol dm –3 sodium

hydrogencarbonate
Rate of oxygen
production 0.6
/ cm 3 min –1
0.5

0.4
0.1 mol dm –3 sodium
0.3 hydrogencarbonate

0.2

0.1

0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400
Light intensity / arbitrary units

(i) Explain the shape of the graph between a light intensity of 0 and 400 arbitrary
units in the sodium hydrogencarbonate concentration of 0.5 mol dm–3.

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(4)

2002 June Module 5B 3

 (ii) Describe and explain the effect of increasing the concentration of sodium
hydrogencarbonate, on the rate of oxygen production.

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(3)

(iii) A number of precautions would need to be taken while carrying out this
investigation in order to obtain reliable data. Describe one precaution and explain
why this precaution is necessary.

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(2)

(c) During the light-dependent stage of photosynthesis, oxygen is produced by photolysis.

Describe the process of photolysis and explain its role.

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(3)
(Total 14 marks)

2002 June Module 5B 4

4. (a) Explain the term net primary production.

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(2)

(b) An area of deciduous forest in North America was destroyed by fire in order to create new
farmland. Within a few years the land was abandoned. The graph below shows the change
in the net primary production of the land and plant biomass over a period of
160 years, from the time the farmland was abandoned.

Net primary 40
production Plant biomass
/ kg dry mass Plant biomass
35 / kg dry mass m –2
m –2 year –1
Net primary
1.2 production 30

1.0 25

0.8 20

0.6 15

0.4 10

0.2 5

0 0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
Time / years

(i) Once the land was abandoned, succession took place. Describe the changes that you
would have expected to occur over the 160 years.

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(3)

2002 June Module 5B 5

 (ii) Calculate the percentage increase in biomass between 40 and 100 years.
Show your working.

Answer ……………………
(1)

(iii) The units of plant biomass are kg dry mass m–2. Explain why it would be more
informative to have determined the energy content of the plants.

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(2)

(iv) Suggest why the biomass continued to increase over the 160 year period but the net
primary production levelled off after 40 years.

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(3)
(Total 11 marks)

2002 June Module 5B 6

5. Using gene technology techniques, a gene that confers herbicide resistance can be incorporated
into the DNA of economically important plants such as wheat and tobacco.
The flow diagram below outlines such a technique.

A bacterial DNA sequence (gene) for

STAGE 1
herbicide resistance is isolated.

This gene is inserted into a plasmid of the

STAGE 2 bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens which
acts as a vector.

The vector inserts the gene for herbicide

resistance into plant cell DNA.
STAGE 3 A callus (mass of cells) is formed from which
a number of plantlets can be cultured.

STAGE 4 Plants are resistant to herbicide.

(a) Explain what is meant by the term plasmid.

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(3)

2002 June Module 5B 7

 (b) A marker gene may be inserted into the plasmid together with the herbicide gene.
Explain the reason for this.

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(2)

(c) The gene for herbicide resistance controls the synthesis of a new protein. Describe
how the information in this gene is transferred to mRNA during protein synthesis.

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(4)

(d) Suggest possible disadvantages that this example of gene technology may have.

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(3)
(Total 12 marks)

6. Read the passage below and then answer the questions that follow.

Nitric oxide (nitrogen monoxide, NO) is produced by certain plant and animal cells from an
amino acid. It is a small molecule that can diffuse through cell membranes and is often used as a
biological signal. Recently, it has been discovered that nitric oxide is involved in the production
of light (bioluminescence) in the firefly.

2002 June Module 5B 8

 Fireflies are insects that can produce flashes of light. Each flash of light lasts a few hundred
milliseconds. Fireflies produce carefully timed flashes and it is the timing of the flashes that
enables a firefly to attract a member of the opposite sex. The light is produced in an organ called
the lantern which is located in the insect’s abdomen. Action potentials, travelling towards the
lantern cause the release of a neurotransmitter substance, which in turn triggers light production
in the presence of oxygen.

Underside view of a firefly showing the lantern

Davidson/FLPA - Images of nature

The effects of different gas mixtures on bioluminescence in fireflies were investigated.
Fireflies were placed in glass chambers connected to a flow meter that allowed the gas mixture
to be controlled. During five successive 4-minute time periods the fireflies were exposed to
mixtures of gases as shown in the table below. Bioluminescence was determined by recording
the number of flashes and glow duration with recording software.

Time period Nitrogen Oxygen Nitric oxide

1 80% 20% ––
2 80% 20% Trace
3 80% 20% ––
4 80% 20% Trace
5 80% 20% ––

2002 June Module 5B 9

 The percentage of time within each 4-minute time period that the fireflies were bioluminescing
was recorded. The results are shown in the graph below.

60
Duration of
bioluminescence 50
as a percentage
of the time 40
period
30

20

10

0
1 2 3 4 5

(a) Describe the effect of nitric oxide on the duration of bioluminescence.

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(2)

(b) (i) Within the lantern there are specialised cells called photocytes. These cells are
densely packed with mitochondria. ‘Describe the precise role of oxygen in a
mitochondrion.

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(3)

(ii) Suggest a reason for the difference between the duration of bioluminescence in
period 2 and period 4.

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(1)

2002 June Module 5B 10

 (c) It has been found that enzyme inhibitors, such as cyanide, enhance bioluminescence.
Cyanide is a non-active site-directed inhibitor. Explain how this type of inhibitor
affects enzyme catalysed reactions.

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(3)

(d) Describe how an action potential results, in the release of a neurotransmitter at a synapse.

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(2)
(Total 11 marks)

7. Humans obtain carbohydrates from a wide variety of foods, whereas ruminants rely mostly on
grass. Discuss the digestion of carbohydrates in humans and ruminants.

(Allow three lined pages)

(Total 12 marks)

2002 June Module 5B 11