Mark Scheme (Results)

Summer 2012

GCE Biology (6BI08) Paper 6B

Practical Biology and Investigative Skills
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Summer 2012
Publications Code UA031789
All the material in this publication is copyright
© Pearson Education Ltd 2012
General Marking Guidance

• All candidates must receive the same treatment. Examiners must mark
the first candidate in exactly the same way as they mark the last.

• Mark schemes should be applied positively. Candidates must be rewarded

for what they have shown they can do rather than penalised for
omissions.

• Examiners should mark according to the mark scheme not according to

their perception of where the grade boundaries may lie.

• There is no ceiling on achievement. All marks on the mark scheme should

be used appropriately.

• All the marks on the mark scheme are designed to be awarded.

Examiners should always award full marks if deserved, i.e. if the answer
matches the mark scheme. Examiners should also be prepared to award
zero marks if the candidate’s response is not worthy of credit according to
the mark scheme.

• Where some judgement is required, mark schemes will provide the

principles by which marks will be awarded and exemplification may be
limited.

• When examiners are in doubt regarding the application of the mark

scheme to a candidate’s response, the team leader must be consulted.

• Crossed out work should be marked UNLESS the candidate has replaced it
with an alternative response.
Question Answer Mark
Number
1(a)
1. suitable dependent variable identified e.g.
percentage cover of weeds ;

2. reference to method for measuring

dependent variable e.g. use of a quadrat
grid to estimate percentage cover ;

3. description of method for distribution of

random {quadrats / samples} eq ;

4. description of calculation needed to obtain

dependent variable e.g. number of squares
out of 100 containing weeds ;

5. reference to weedkiller is independent

variable

6. description of method of application of

weedkiller to {field / plot / quadrats / eq} ;

7. reference to control with {no / old / eq}

weedkiller ;

8. reference to measuring cereals as well as

weeds ;
(6)
9. idea of measuring {cereals / weeds} in field
before treatment / eq ;

Question Answer Mark

Number
1(b)(i) Any two from:

1. soil {type / pH /organic content / minerals /

eq} ;

2. water content of soil {humidity / eq} ;

3. temperature ;

4. wind speed / eq ;

5. light intensity / eq ;

6. topography / eq ; (2)
Question Answer Mark
Number
1(b)(ii)

1. appropriate variable chosen, with suitable

{control / monitoring} method described ;

2. description of likely effect on the dependent

variable e.g. (increase / decrease / eq) in
{growth / percentage cover / eq };
(2)

Question Answer Mark

Number
1(c) Any two from:

1. reference to cell elongation / eq ;

2. stimulates excessive growth of the (broad-

leaved) plant(s) / eq ;

3. interferes with { plant metabolism /

photosynthesis / respiration / mineral uptake
/ cell cycle / eq} ;

4. acts as an inhibitor of {enzyme / channel

protein / eq} / eq ;
(2)
5. toxic / eq ;
Question Answer Mark
Number
2(a)
there will be no significant {difference / correlation} in
the time it takes for the snail to {re-emerge / start (1)
moving / eq} and the {number of taps received /eq} /
eq ;

Question Answer Mark

Number
2(b)
1. suitable table format e.g. tap time or tap
number in 1st column ;

2. correct column headings with units ;

3. means correctly calculated ;

4. all raw data and means included ;

e.g.

Tap Time taken to re-emerge (and

time / start moving) / seconds
min A B C mean
0 90 108 80 93
2 40 60 48 49
4 30 40 80 50
6 10 15 20 15
8 0 5 0 2
10 0 0 0 0
12 2 0 0 1
(4)

Question Answer Mark

Number
2(c)

A axes correct orientation and continuous linear

scale with units and labels ;

F data plotted as x y scatter graph ;

P points plotted correctly ;

(3)
Question Answer Mark
Number
2(d)
1. identified anomalous result:
snail C at {4 min / 3rd tap /80} /
OR
snail A at {12 min / 7th tap / 2} /
OR
(mean result at) {4 min / 12 min /3rd tap / 7th tap
/ 50 / 0.7} eq ;

2. time to respond increased from 2nd to third tap

/ eq (2)
OR
would expect all at 12 min to be zero / eq
OR
appropriate reference to width of the range bar;

Question Answer Mark

Number
2(e)
1. reference to critical value is 0.79 ;

2. the calculated value is greater than the {critical

value / 0.79} at the 95% confidence level /eq ;

3. therefore there is a (significant negative)

correlation between the number of taps received
by the snail and the time it takes the snail to
start moving again / eq ;

4. repeated stimulation results in loss of response

/eq ;

5. lack of {reinforcement / reward /punishment

/eq} ;

6. idea that Ca2+ ion channels become less

responsive /eq ;

7. fewer {action potentials / waves of (5)

depolarisation / impulses /eq} / eq ;
Question Answer Mark
Number
3(a)
1. alcohol is flammable / irritant / eq ;

2. keep alcohol away from naked flames / wear gloves

/ eq ;

3. need to prevent {growth of harmful bacteria /

exposure to bacteria} / eq ;

4. (prevention of growth or exposure by) use of any

one of the following:

aseptic conditions needed / eq

use of a strain of bacteria that is not harmful /
do not incubate at 37oC /eq
secure lids on plate but not air tight to prevent
anaerobic conditions / eq
use of antiseptic
need safe disposal of plates / eq ;

5. other acceptable risk;

(3)
Question Answer Mark
Number
3(b)

1. practise proposed method / see if proposed method

will work / eq ;

2. check most suitable conditions for growth of the

bacteria / eq ;

3. select suitable timescale for measuring growth of

bacteria / eq ;

4. check method of measuring effect on growth of

bacteria / eq ;

5. consider what other variables need to be taken into

account / eq ;

6. check the method of adding alcohol to plates / eq ;

7. determine a suitable concentration range for alcohol

/ eq ; (3)

8. check which {type / strain / eq} bacteria to use ;

 Question Answer Mark
Number
3(c) 1. clear statement of dependent variable e.g. (zone of
inhibition of bacteria / absorbance of bacterial
culture / eq) ;

2. clear statement of independent variable as

concentration of alcohol ;

3. range of concentrations suggested (at least 5) ;

4. clear description of how the alcohol will be added to

the bacterial culture / eq ;

5. clear reference to need for nutrient gel / nutrient

broth /eq ;

6. some clear consideration of time period over which

the growth will be measured / eq ;

7. consideration of which type of bacteria to use /

named example / eq ;

8. and 9. Identification of up to two other variables

that could affect growth of bacteria ;

10. and 11. description of how these two identified

variables can be controlled ;

12. clear reference to need for repeats (at each (8)

concentration) ; + 2 SPG
(see
13. clear description of how the bacterial culture/plate below)
will
be set up e.g. lawn, inoculation of broth ;

SPG award up to 2 marks

level Mark Descriptor
Level 1 0 The account is very disorganised and is very difficult to follow.
Scientific vocabulary is very limited with many spelling and
grammatical errors.
Level 2 1 There is some disorganisation in the account which is not
always in the correct sequence. Some relevant scientific
vocabulary is used. The account is not always in continuous
prose and there are grammatical errors and some important
spelling mistakes.
Level 3 2 The account is well organised with no undue repetition and a
correct sequence. There is good use of scientific vocabulary in
the context of the investigation described. The account is
written in continuous prose which is grammatically sound with
no major spelling errors.
Question Answer Mark
Number
3(d)
1. clear table which matches method described with
headings and units ;

2. change in bacterial growth calculated e.g. by

measuring area of zone of inhibition / absorbance of
culture ;

3. means calculated from repeat data ;

4. graph type selected that matches the data to be

collected ;

5. reference to an appropriate statistical test e.g. use of

correlation test (Spearman’s Rank / eq) / suitable test
to compare bacteria growth with and without alcohol
(t- test / Mann-Whitney U test / Chi – squared / eq) ; (4)

Question Answer Mark

Number
3(e)
1. difficult to control all variables (affecting bacterial
growth) / eq ;

2. uneven spread of bacteria at start / eq ;

3. another variable may be acting as a limiting factor for

bacterial growth / eq ;

4. idea of need to test effect on more than one type of

bacteria / eq ;

5. idea that experimental conditions do not match use of

hand wash ;

6. reference to effects of diffusion / eq ;

7. reference to effects of ethanol evaporation ;

(3)
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