GCSE BIOLOGY PHOTOSYNTHESIS

ANSWERS AND MARK SCHEMES

QUESTIONSHEET 1

(a) A - leaf; 1
B - stem; 1
C - root; 1
D - root hairs; 1

(b) 5
Function of part of plant Part of plant
Carries water to other plant
B;
organs
Makes food using light energy A;

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Anchors plant in ground C;
Supports the flowers B;
Absorbs water and mineral salts D;

e.c
(c) leaf; 1

(d) absorbs/traps light/sun's energy; 1

ctiv
TOTAL 11

QUESTIONSHEET 2
ma

(a) carbon dioxide; 1

(b) leaves/stomata; 1
he

(c) photosynthesis/to make food; 1

(d) respiration; 1
w.c

(e) A - breathing out/exhalation; 1

B - breathing in/inhalation; 1
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(f) animals eating plants/consumers eating producers/part of food chain; 1

TOTAL 7
GCSE BIOLOGY PHOTOSYNTHESIS
ANSWERS AND MARK SCHEMES

QUESTIONSHEET 3

(a) (i) A; 1

(ii) B; 1

(b) B; 1

(c) oxygen/glucose; 1

(d) (i) B; 1

om
(ii) requires light energy; 1

(e) soil/ground; 1

(f) food/animals/plants; 1

e.c
ctiv TOTAL 8

QUESTIONSHEET 4

(a) C; 1
B; 1
D; 1
ma

A; 1

(b) (i) boiling water makes leaf permeable; 1

he

(ii) alcohol removes chlorophyll from leaf; 1

(iii) iodine is used to test for starch; 1

w.c

TOTAL 7

QUESTIONSHEET 5
ww

(a) to remove starch/destarch leaves; 1

(b) to exclude light from that part of leaf; 1

(c) A - yellow/orange/brown; 1
B - yellow/orange/brown; 1
C - blue/black/purple; 1

TOTAL 5
GCSE BIOLOGY PHOTOSYNTHESIS
ANSWERS AND MARK SCHEMES

QUESTIONSHEET 6

(a) to maintain constant temperature/prevent heat affecting plant; 1

(b) plant photosynthesises; 1

and releases oxygen which causes change in colour of indicator; 1

(c) reduces time for indicator to change colour; 1

from 20 to 12 minutes; 1

(d) (i) 1.6/2.0%; 1

om
(ii) plant producing oxygen most rapidly; 1
indicator changes colour quickest; 1

TOTAL 8

e.c
QUESTIONSHEET 7

(a) five correct plots; 4

ctiv
(-1 each incorrect plot)

(b) (i) oxygen released increases as temperature increases; 1

(ii) higher temperatures cause increased rate of reaction; 1

ma

(c) no oxygen would be released;

enzymes denatured by high temperature so photosynthesis stops; 2
he

(d) Any two of: light intensity/ light wavelength/ carbon dioxide concentration/
water availability; 2
w.c

TOTAL / 10

QUESTIONSHEET 8
ww

(a) add hydrogen carbonate to the water; 1

(b) (i) oxygen; 1

(ii) it would rekindle a glowing splint; 1

(c) use heat shield/ container of water; 1

(d) place the lamp at different distances from the plant;

measure volume of oxygen produced at a set time;
keep all other conditions consistent/ same wattage bulb/ start with lamp a
long distance away and move up for each test; 4

TOTAL 8
GCSE BIOLOGY PHOTOSYNTHESIS
ANSWERS AND MARK SCHEMES

QUESTIONSHEET 9

(a) (i) C; 1

(ii) A; 1

(iii) E; 1

(b) absorbed by roots; 1

carried by xylem tissue; 1
up stem to leaf; 1

om
(c) phloem; 1

TOTAL 7

e.c
QUESTIONSHEET 10

(a) (i) carbon dioxide; 1

ctiv
(ii) through the stomata; 1

(b) oxygen; 1
ma

(c) leaves contain chloroplasts/chlorophyll; 1

chlorophyll absorbs light; 1

(d) no light at night therefore no photosynthesis; 1

he

no carbon dioxide absorbed; 1

respiration still occurring; 1
therefore carbon dioxide released; 1
w.c

TOTAL 9
ww

QUESTIONSHEET 11

(a) A – water/light; 1
B – light/water; 1
C - oxygen; 1

(b) absorbs light energy; 1

(c) starch; 1

(d) respiration; 1

TOTAL 6
GCSE BIOLOGY PHOTOSYNTHESIS
ANSWERS AND MARK SCHEMES

QUESTIONSHEET 12

(a) no starch present in leaves; 1

plants had been destarched/had used up starch in leaves; 1

(b) (i) carbon dioxide; 1

(ii) carbon dioxide; 1

light; 1

(c) reduces light reaching plant; 1

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(d) yellow/brown; 1
no starch present since plant lacking carbon dioxide. 1

e.c
TOTAL 8

QUESTIONSHEET 13
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(a) (i) blue; 1

(ii) plant using up carbon dioxide in photosynthesis;

no change in colour of indicator; 1
ma

(iii) acid; 1

(iv) colour of tube 5 - green; 1

snail gives off carbon dioxide; 1
he

as a result of respiration; 1
plant in dark and does not photosynthesise; 1
and use up carbon dioxide; 1
pH of tube 5 - acid; 1
w.c

carbon dioxide dissolves in pond water to form acid; 1

which causes indicator to change colour; 1

(b) (i) 2, 4; 1
ww

(ii) 2, 3, 4 and 5; 1

TOTAL 13
GCSE BIOLOGY PHOTOSYNTHESIS
ANSWERS AND MARK SCHEMES

QUESTIONSHEET 14

(a) 6 correct plots;;; (-1 mark each incorrect plot) 6

(b) (i) 2 pm; 1

(ii) high light levels at 2 pm; 1

plant photosynthesising rapidly; 1
and producing sugar; 1

om
(c) no light available for photosynthesis; 1
no sugar manufactured; 1
sugar in leaves used in respiration; 1
or converted to starch and stored; 1

e.c
(d) between 1.1 and 1.2%; 1

TOTAL 12
ctiv
ma

QUESTIONSHEET 15

(a) 50 (arbitrary units); 1

(b) 30 (arbitrary units); 1

he

(c) as light intensity increases, rate of photosynthesis increases; 1

up to a light intensity of 30 arbitrary units and then remains constant; 1
w.c

(d) one of:

temperature; 1
availability of water; 1
ww

(e) (i) increasing carbon dioxide levels increases the rate of photosynthesis; 1
which gives increases yield of tomatoes/faster growth of tomatoes; 1

(ii) rate of photosynthesis remains the same above a light intensity of 40 arbitrary units; 1
therefore increased light above this level would have no effect on growth of tomatoes; 1

TOTAL 9
GCSE BIOLOGY PHOTOSYNTHESIS
ANSWERS AND MARK SCHEMES

QUESTIONSHEET 16

(a) production of cell walls; 1

(b) to form protein; 1

for growth/production of new tissues; 1

(c) (i) nitrates; 1

(ii) absorbed by roots; 1

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in solution/dissolved in water; 1

(d) starch is insoluble; 1

does not cause water to accumulate in cells; 1
as a result of osmosis; 1

e.c
TOTAL 9
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QUESTIONSHEET 17
ma

(a) provides oxygen; 1

for respiration of roots; 1

(b) prevents algal growth; 1

which would use up some of minerals; 1
he

(c) measure increase in height/number of new leaves; 1

(d) (i) stunted/reduced growth; 1

w.c

yellow leaves; 1

(ii) yellow leaves; 1

leaves with dead spots; 1
ww

(iii) reduced/poor root growth; 1

purple younger leaves; 1

TOTAL 11
GCSE BIOLOGY PHOTOSYNTHESIS
ANSWERS AND MARK SCHEMES

QUESTIONSHEET 18

(a) carbon dioxide is increasing;

plant can absorb more carbon dioxide;
carbon dioxide is one of the reactants/ substrates in photosynthesis;
rate of reaction is speeded up/ not limited by carbon dioxide; 4

(b) other factors affect photosynthesis;

such as temperature/ light intensity;

om
one of these is a limiting factor between B and C; 2

(c) (i) more carbon dioxide results in more/ faster rate of photosynthesis;
leading to greater/ faster growth crops/ increased yields of plant foods; 2

e.c
(ii) carbon dioxide forms acid rain;
acid rain damages crops/ slow growth in crops; 2
ctiv
TOTAL 10

QUESTIONSHEET 19
ma

(a) (i) produce more amino acids/proteins;

leading to faster/greater growth/increased yield; 2
he

(ii) arid/dry soils could be planted with cereal crops;

plants would be able to grow during drought;
yields increased/food produced where there was none before; 3
w.c

(b) 1 of:
may affect human metabolism/health;
insecticide resistance in plants may kill useful insects;
transfer of insecticide residue into weeds; 1
ww

TOTAL 6
GCSE BIOLOGY PHOTOSYNTHESIS
ANSWERS AND MARK SCHEMES

QUESTIONSHEET 20

(a) placed in darkness for 24 / 48 hours;

so all starch carried away from leaf/ used in respiration;
thus no starch present to begin with which would obscure the results/
any starch found in experiment must have been made during the experiment; 3

(b) so that the level of carbon dioxide present is not limiting;

since carbon dioxide is a factor used in photosynthesis; 2

om
(c) A. all conditions for photosynthesis are present;
thus no starch will be made; 2

B. no light is present;
thus no starch is made; 2

e.c
C. all conditions for photosynthesis are present;
thus starch can be made/ref also made from glucose in solution; 2
ctiv
D. no light is present so photosynthesis cannot take place;
but leaves can make starch from the glucose supplied in the dark; 2

TOTAL 13
ma
he
w.c
ww