11 Photosynthesis
AQA Biology Exam-style questions
1 Look at the image on the photo support sheet, the micrograph shows a
chloroplast.
a Give the letter of the site of the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis.
(1 mark)
b i ATP and reduced NADP are products of the light-dependent reactions.
Describe the roles of these products in the light-independent reactions.
(2 marks)
ii Oxygen is another product of the light-dependent reactions. Describe how
oxygen is produced.
(3 marks)
2 Students investigated the effect of light intensity on the rate of photosynthesis.
They set up a piece of aquatic plant in a test tube of sodium hydrogen carbonate
as shown in the diagram.
Light intensity was varied by moving the plant different distances away, between
5 and 30 cm, from a bench lamp. The plant was left for 5 minutes and then
bubbles rising from the cut end of the stem were counted for 1 minute.
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11 Photosynthesis
AQA Biology Exam-style questions
a The rate of bubbling can be used as a measure of the rate of photosynthesis.
Explain why.
(2 marks)
One of the students plotted a graph of the results.
1
b i Light intensity was calculated as where d is the distance
d2
from the lamp.
Calculate the distance from the lamp when the light intensity is 0.010.
Show your working.
(2 marks)
ii Explain the shape of the curve between points A and B.
(2 marks)
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11 Photosynthesis
AQA Biology Exam-style questions
iii Explain the shape of the curve between points C and D.
(2 marks)
3 A student carried out a chromatography experiment to separate the pigments
found in spinach leaves. The diagram below shows the resulting chromatogram.
a The student was provided with the spinach leaves, chromatography paper
and solvent. Describe how the student would use this equipment to produce
the chromatogram shown.
(3 marks)
b Chromatography separates the different pigments. Explain how.
(2 marks)
c Scientists calculate Rf values to compare results on chromatograms. The Rf
value is a ratio of the distance moved by the solute to the distance moved by
the solvent. State the measurements the student would have made to
calculate the Rf value of chlorophyll a.
(2 marks)
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11 Photosynthesis
AQA Biology Exam-style questions
4 Students at an agricultural college carried out an investigation into the effect of
different types of artificial light on the growth of wheat plants. Once fully grown
the total mass of the plants and the mass of the grain were measured.
The table below shows their results.
Grain yield as a
Total mass of Mass of
Type of lighting percentage of
plants/kg grain/kg
total biomass/%
Low pressure sodium lamps 171 61.7 36.1
High pressure sodium lamps 159 58.8
Metal halide lamps 162 62.4 38.5
a i The students calculated the grain yield as a percentage of total biomass.
Explain why.
(1 mark)
ii Calculate the grain yield as a percentage of total biomass for the wheat
grown under high pressure sodium lamps. Show your working.
(2 marks)
b Suggest two environmental factors that the students would need to consider
to ensure their results were valid. Give reasons for your answers.
Factor
Reason
Factor
Reason
(2 marks)
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11 Photosynthesis
AQA Biology Exam-style questions
c The students concluded that the type of lighting had little effect on the growth
of crops in artificial lighting. Evaluate this conclusion.
(3 marks)
d Wheat is not normally grown in glasshouses with artificial lighting. Suggest
two reasons why.
(2 marks)
5 Oxygen is produced in the light-dependent reaction of photosynthesis. A student
conducted an investigation where light of different colours was shone on Elodea
pondweed. The student counted the number of bubbles released in 1 minute in
each colour of light.
Number of bubbles of oxygen released in one minute in
Colour each trial
of light Standard
Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Trial 4 Trial 5 Trial 6 Mean Range
deviation
White 42 40 44 46 47 50 44.8 3.6 10
Blue 3 16 21 24 26 30 20.0 9.6 27
Green 14 13 18 18 19 17 16.5 2.4 6
Red 18 27 21 30 26 35 26.2 6.1 17
a Describe how the student calculated the range.
(1 mark)
b The student decided it was better to use the mean and standard deviation
rather than the range to describe variation in these results. Explain why.
(1 mark)
c After looking at the data the student decided to repeat the investigation with
more trials for each colour of light. He did this so that he could carry out a
statistical test. Suggest a suitable statistical test and give a reason for your
choice.
(2 marks)
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11 Photosynthesis
AQA Biology Exam-style questions
d The results indicate that white light gave the fastest rate of photosynthesis.
Suggest why.
(3 marks)
6 The diagram shows part of the light-independent reactions of photosynthesis.
a Two substances formed in the light-dependent reactions are necessary for
the conversion of GP into triose phosphate. Name these two substances.
(2 marks)
Scientists supplied carbon dioxide containing the radioactive isotope 14C to a
culture of photosynthesising single-celled algae. The algae were kept in the
light for 200 seconds, then in the dark for a further 1500 seconds, and were
then returned to the light.
The graph shows the amounts of radioactivity found in RuBP and in GP at
different times throughout the investigation.
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11 Photosynthesis
AQA Biology Exam-style questions
b Describe the evidence in the graph which supports each of the following
statements.
i The process by which RuBP is used to make GP is light-independent.
(2 marks)
ii RuBP is formed using GP only if substances formed in the light-dependent
reactions are present.
(2 marks)
c The amount of radioactive GP falls between 250 and 1700 seconds.
Suggest why.
(1 mark)
AQA Biology, 2009, Unit 5 (Question 3)
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