Topic 2 Past Exam Questions

Data Analysis Questions

1. There are many abiotic factors that affect the rate of photosynthesis in terrestrial plants. Wheat
is an important cereal crop in many parts of the world. Wheat seedlings were grown at three
different concentrations of carbon dioxide (in parts per million) and the rate of photosynthesis
was measured at various light intensities.
Rate of photosynthesis / l CO 2 min –1

50

40

30 key:
1300 ppm CO2
20 500 ppm CO2
280 ppm CO2
10

0
0 5 10 15 20
3 –2
Light intensity / × 10 lumen m

[Source: Adapted from J P Kimmins, 1997 Forest Ecology, (2nd edition) page 161]

(a) Describe the relationship between the rate of photosynthesis and light intensity for wheat
seedlings grown at a CO2 concentration of 500 ppm.

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(2)

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Topic 2 Past Exam Questions
Data Analysis Questions

(b) Outline the effect of CO2 concentration on the rate of photosynthesis of the wheat
seedlings.

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(3)

(c) The normal atmospheric concentration of CO2 is 370 ppm. Deduce the effect of doubling
the CO2 concentration to 740 ppm on the growth of wheat plants.

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(2)

Leaf area and chlorophyll levels were measured in sun leaves and shade leaves of Hedera helix
(English Ivy) and Prunus laurocerasus (Cherry Laurel). Sun leaves developed under maximal
sunlight conditions while shade leaves developed at reduced sunlight levels in the shadow of
other leaves.

Species Leaf Type Chlorophyll/ Leaf Area/

g ml-1 cm2
Ivy Shade 4.3 72.6
Sun 3.8 62.9
Laurel Shade 4.7 38.7
Sun 4.2 25.7

[Source: D Curtis, Plant Ecology independent project, 1990]

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Topic 2 Past Exam Questions
Data Analysis Questions

(d) Calculate the percentage increase in the amount of chlorophyll in shade leaves of ivy
compared to sun leaves of ivy

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(1)

(e) Suggest a reason for the differences in chlorophyll concentration and leaf area in sun and
shade leaves in these two species.

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(2)
(Total 10 marks)

2. Studies were carried out on the leaves of the wild type of the flowering mustard plant
(Arabidopsis thaliana) to determine the pigment composition of the thylakoid membrane. The
results were compared with the leaves of a mutant strain of the plant. These studies were
repeated using thylakoid membranes from leaves grown in cultures deficient in either iron or
magnesium.

Chlorophyll / Carotenoids /
Strain of Plant Mineral Deficiency
g g–1 leaf g g–1 leaf
None 454 16
Wild Type Iron 441 71
Magnesium 317 64
None 387 67
Mutant Iron 317 81
Magnesium 172 95

[Source: Lu et al, (1995), Botanical Bulletin of Academia Sinica, 36, pages 175–179]

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Topic 2 Past Exam Questions
Data Analysis Questions

(a) State the concentration of chlorophyll found in the leaves of the mutant strain of plant
when deficient in iron.

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(1)

(b) (i) Calculate the percentage increase in carotenoids found in the wild type when
magnesium is deficient.

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(1)

(ii) Suggest why magnesium deficiency causes the changes shown in the pigment
content of the leaves.

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(2)

(c) Using the data in the table, outline the effects of iron deficiency on the pigment content of
the leaves.

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(2)
(Total 6 marks)

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Topic 2 Past Exam Questions
Data Analysis Questions

3. The electron micrographs below show mitochondria in longitudinal section. The mitochondrion
in A is from a bat pancreas cell and that in B is from a mouse liver cell.

A.

B.

[Source: Tribe and Whittaker, Chloroplasts and Mitochondria, (1972), 31, pp 28–29]

(a) Annotate the micrographs to show two similarities in the structure of the mitochondria.
(2)

(b) The mitochondria differ in size. State two other differences that are visible in the
mitochondria.

1. ..........................................................................................................................

2. ..........................................................................................................................
(2)

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Topic 2 Past Exam Questions
Data Analysis Questions

(c) Predict, with two reasons, which of the mitochondria would have been able to produce
ATP at a greater rate.

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(3)
(Total 7 marks)

4. Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) live and breed near the coast of Argentina.
However, their colonies are a long way from the open sea where they hunt for fish. They cannot
fly so have to swim to the feeding grounds. A study investigated how the water currents due to
high and low tides affected their journey to and from their colonies. The results are shown
below.

Current from Current to Current from

colony colony colony
70
60
50
40
Penguins / number
30
20
10
0
06:00 12:00 18:00 22:00
Morning Evening
Time of day / hour

Key: departing from colony arriving at colony

[Source: R. P. Wilson, “Magellanic Penguins Spheniscus magellanicus commuting through San Julian Bay;
do current trends induce tidal tactics?”, Journal of Avian Biology (Oct 30 2003), vol. 32, issue 1, pp. 83-89.
Copyright © 2003. Reprinted with permission of Blackwell Publishing Ltd.]

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Topic 2 Past Exam Questions
Data Analysis Questions

(a) (i) Identify the number of penguins departing from the colony at 06:00 hours.

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(1)

(ii) Identify the time of day when most penguins arrive at the colony.

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(1)

(b) Describe the pattern of movement of penguins departing from the colony between 06:00
hours and 22:00 hours.

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(2)

(c) Suggest why there is little movement in either direction between 14:00 hours and 16:00
hours.

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(2)

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Topic 2 Past Exam Questions
Data Analysis Questions

The study also investigated the range of swim speed for one penguin when out hunting in the
open sea.

4.0

3.5

3.0

2.5

Swim speed / ms-1 2.0

1.5

1.0

0.5

0.0
06:00 11:00 16:00
Time of day / hour
[Source: R. P. Wilson, “Magellanic Penguins Spheniscus magellanicus commuting through San Julian Bay; do current trends induce
tidal tactics?”, Journal of Avian Biology (Oct 30 2003), vol. 32, issue 1, pp. 83-89. Copyright © 2003. Reprinted with permission of
Blackwell Publishing Ltd.]

(d) Calculate the greatest difference in swim speed during the study.

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(1)

(e) Suggest two reasons for the changes in swim speed of the penguin during the period of
time of the study.

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(2)

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Topic 2 Past Exam Questions
Data Analysis Questions

The diagram below shows part of the coastline.

point Y Land Open sea

walking distance 175 m

point X

[Source: R. P. Wilson, “Magellanic Penguins Spheniscus magellanicus commuting through San Julian Bay; do current trends induce
tidal tactics?”, Journal of Avian Biology (Oct 30 2003), vol. 32, issue 1, pp. 83-89. Copyright © 2003. Reprinted with permission of
Blackwell Publishing Ltd.]

(f) A penguin uses 88 joules of energy to walk one metre. Calculate the energy used to walk
from point X to point Y.

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(1)

(g) The penguin uses more energy swimming. Suggest one reason why most penguins
actually swim rather than walk from point X to point Y.

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(1)

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Topic 2 Past Exam Questions
Data Analysis Questions

(h) Explain why penguins have many mitochondria in the muscles used for swimming.

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(2)
(Total 13 marks)

5. Diatoms are unicellular algae which live as plankton in fresh water and oceans. Biochemists
investigated two species of diatom, Thalassiosira oceanica which lives in the open ocean where
the water is clear and Thalassiosira weissflogii which lives in coastal waters where the water is
often cloudy. Iron is an important part of a number of molecules involved in photosynthesis.
Iron however is often deficient in the waters of the open ocean. The scientists investigated the
amount of iron present in the cells of the diatoms when they were grown at different intensities
of light, in both high and low iron conditions.

Thalassiosira oceanica Thalassiosira weissflogii

1000
Key:
high iron conditions
800
low iron conditions
Iron 600
concentration
in cells /
mol dm–3 400

200

0 100 200 300 0 100 200 300

Light intensity / relative units

[Source: Reprinted with permission from Macmillan Publishers Ltd: Robert F. Strzepek and Paul J. Harrison, “Photosynthetic
architecture differs in coastal and oceanic diatoms”, Nature (7 October 2004), vol. 431, issue 7009, p. 689, © 2004]

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Topic 2 Past Exam Questions
Data Analysis Questions

(a) Compare the iron concentrations in the cells of T. oceanica and T. weissflogii under high
iron conditions.

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(2)

(b) Suggest a reason for the response of T. weissflogii to low light intensities.

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(2)

When the growth of these two species was compared in the two iron conditions it was found
that the growth of T. oceanica was not affected by low iron concentrations but the growth of
T. weissflogii was reduced by about 20%.

(c) Explain how T. oceanica is adapted to oceanic waters.

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(3)

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Topic 2 Past Exam Questions
Data Analysis Questions

(d) Predict what would be the effect on the populations of these diatoms if atmospheric
pollution reduced light intensities over the oceans.

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(1)
(Total 8 marks)

6. Mitochondrial electron transport defects (called mitochondrial myopathy) causes tiredness at

low levels of exercise and varies from mild to severe. Scientists measured oxygen delivery to
cells and oxygen use in cells of thirty-five patients with mitochondrial myopathy. The results
were compared to a control group of thirty-two healthy individuals. The results are shown in the
two charts below.

Oxygen delivery to cells Oxygen use in cells

400 50
45
350
40
35
Rate/ml Kg–1min –1

Rate/ml Kg–1min –1

300
30
250 25
20
200
15
10
150
5

Key: mitochondrial myopathy group control group

[Source: adapted from T. Taivassalo and R. G. Haller, (2006), ‘Exercise and training in mitochondrial myopathies’,
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 37 (12) 2094-2101, © Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, USA]

(a) State the mean value for oxygen delivery to cells in patients suffering from mitochondrial
myopathy.

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(1)

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Topic 2 Past Exam Questions
Data Analysis Questions

(b) Calculate the percentage difference of the oxygen use in cells by the control group
compared to oxygen use in cells of patients with mitochondrial myopathy.

................ %
(1)

(c) Discuss why people with mitochondrial myopathy tire more easily than healthy
individuals.

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(3)
(Total 5 marks)

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