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Name:
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DNA
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Class:
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_______________________
Date:
_

Time: 26 minutes

Marks: 23 marks

Comments:

Page 1 of 11
Q1.
Use the Data Booklet to help you answer this question about DNA.
The figure below shows a fragment of a DNA double helix.
The letters A, C, G and T represent the four bases in one strand.
The numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 represent the bases in the complementary strand.

(a) Complete Table 4 to show the correct sequence of bases in the complementary
strand represented by the numbers 1 to 5

1 2 3 4 5

(1)

(b) Deduce the total number of hydrogen bonds formed between the five bases in each
strand.

Tick (✔) one box.

10 12 13 15

(1)

(c) Base A is part of a nucleotide in the DNA strand shown in the figure above.

A nucleotide contains a 2-deoxyribose molecule.

An incomplete 2-deoxyribose molecule is shown.

Complete the structure to show the nucleotide that contains base A.

You should represent base A by the letter A.

(2)
(Total 4 marks)

Q2.
Use the Data Booklet to help you answer these questions.

Page 2 of 11
 DNA exists as two strands of nucleotides in the form of a double helix with hydrogen
bonding between the two strands.

(a) A deoxyribose molecule in a strand of DNA is shown.

Name the types of group attached to 2-deoxyribose at positions X and Y.

X _________________________________________________________________

Y _________________________________________________________________
(2)

(b) In the DNA double helix, adenine is linked by hydrogen bonds to a molecule in the
other strand of DNA.

Complete the diagram below to show the other molecule and the hydrogen bonds
between it and adenine.

(2)
(Total 4 marks)

Q3.
Use the information in the Data Booklet to help you answer these questions.

A single strand of DNA is made from many nucleotides linked together.

(a) Draw the structure of the nucleotide that contains guanine, showing clearly the
bonding between the components.

(3)

Page 3 of 11
 (b) Two complementary strands of DNA form a double helix in which one strand is
attracted to another by interactions between pairs of bases.

Complete the base pair diagram showing the interactions.

(2)

(c) State how the interactions in the adenine-thymine base pair differ from those you
identified in part (b).

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(1)

(d) Urea has the displayed formula

Suggest why urea is effective at separating the complementary strands in DNA.

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(2)
(Total 8 marks)

Q4.
The anticancer drug cisplatin operates by reacting with the guanine in DNA.

Figure 1 shows a small part of a single strand of DNA. Some lone pairs are shown.

Figure 1

Page 4 of 11
(a) The DNA chain continues with bonds at X and Y.

State the name of the sugar molecule that is attached to the bond at X.

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(1)

(b) Messenger RNA is synthesised in cells in order to transfer information from DNA.
The bases in one strand of DNA pair up with the bases used to synthesise RNA.

Figure 2 shows two bases used in RNA.

Figure 2

Suggest which of the bases A and B forms a pair with guanine in Figure 1 when
messenger RNA is synthesised.
Explain how the base that you have chosen forms a base pair with guanine.

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Page 5 of 11
 ___________________________________________________________________

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(4)

(c) Cisplatin works because one of the atoms on guanine can form a co-ordinate bond
with platinum, replacing one of the ammonia or chloride ligands. Another atom on
another guanine can also form a co-ordinate bond with the same platinum by
replacing another ligand.

On Figure 1, draw a ring round an atom in guanine that is likely to bond to platinum.
(1)

(d) An adverse effect of cisplatin is that it also prevents normal healthy cells from
replicating.

Suggest one way in which cisplatin can be administered so that this side effect is
minimised.

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(1)
(Total 7 marks)

Page 6 of 11
Mark schemes

Q1.
(a) 1 2 3 4 5

T G C A G
1

(b) 13
1

(c)

1 for completed 2-deoxyribose plus A

Allow either OH or trailing bonds
Don’t penalise ‘sticks’ in 2-deoxyribose.
1

1 for correct phosphate joined to CH2

If two phosphates shown CE=0
If CH2 missing award 1 if no further errors
If phosphate attached to oxygen on C3 award 1 if no further
errors
1
[4]

Q2.
(a) X – base
1

Y – phosphate (group)
1
Ignore organic
Any mention of sugar in either loses that mark

(b) If not Thymine CE=0

Page 7 of 11
 Correct structure scores 2, penalise by 1 each error in
• structure of thymine
• orientation of thymine
• hydrogen bonding
Ignore lp on N and O
Don’t penalise non-linear H bonds
on RHS of thymine – allow with or without H or – [DNA
strand]
2
[4]

Q3.
(a)

CE=0 if nucleotide does not contain one base, one sugar

and one phosphate.
Max 2 for any slips in structures.

Correct phosphate-sugar link on C3.

Allow phosphate attached to C5.
1

Correct sugar-guanine link on C1.

1

Remainder of molecule correct.

1

Page 8 of 11
 (b)

Correct diagram of cytosine (base pair with guanine).

CE=0 if wrong base shown.
1

Three hydrogen bonds drawn.

Allow M2 if slip in M1.
1

(c) There are only two H-bonds in the adenine-thymine base pair.
Allow there is one fewer H-bond in the AT base pair.
1

(d) The amino/-NH2 groups in urea

1

are able to substitute for the H–bonds in the double helix.

Allow H bonds will form between the urea and the DNA
strands.
1
[8]

Q4.
(a) 2-deoxyribose
1

(b) Base A
If Base B stated, allow 1 mark only for response including
hydrogen bonding
1

Top N–H forms hydrogen bonds to lone pair on O of guanine

1

The lone pair of electrons on N bonds to H–N of guanine

1

A lone pair of electrons on O bonds to lower H–N of guanine

Allow all 4 marks for a correct diagram showing the
hydrogen bonding
Students could also answer this question using labels on the
diagram
1

Page 9 of 11
(c) Allow either of the nitrogen atoms with a lone pair NOT involved in bonding to
cytosine
1

(d) Use in very small amounts / target the application to the tumour
1
[7]

Page 10 of 11
Examiner reports

Q1.
(a) All but the weakest 9% of students answered this part correctly.

(b) This question was also answered well and 78.3% of students gained the mark.

(c) Only 14.4% of students gained two marks for this question. The drawing of the
phosphate group in the correct place was the mark most commonly gained. Trailing
bonds were rarely seen. It was common to see structures that had no phosphate
groups attached at all, with students simply copying the sugar straight from the data
sheet and adding the base A. A few scripts gave a structure with two phosphate
groups rather than just one. The CH2 group linking the sugar to the phosphate was
frequently omitted. For the attachment between the sugar and the base, an
additional oxygen atom was sometimes shown incorrectly as a linking group.

Q2.
(a) This question tested a topic new to the specification and it was pleasing that just
over half of the students were able to answer this part correctly.

(b) This question proved more challenging. Many students were able to recognise that
thymine was needed, but only 23% were able to draw thymine correctly, with the
correct orientation, and linked correctly to adenine by two hydrogen bonds.

Page 11 of 11