BIOLOGY 9700/41 Paper 4 A Level Structured Questions May/June 2023

1 Fig. 1.1 shows a transmission electron micrograph of part of a chloroplast.

(a) Table 1.1 describes some functions that occur in different parts of a chloroplast. Complete Table 1.1
by identifying the letter on Fig. 1.1 that is a location matching the description. Each letter may be used
once, more than once, or not at all. [4]

(b) Membranes of the type labelled C in Fig. 1.1 were made into a liquid extract. Chromatography was
then used to separate and identify the colored components (pigments) in this extract. The resulting
chromatogram showed that these membranes contain a yellow pigment, an orange pigment, a green-
brown pigment and two different green pigments.
(i) Describe how you would carry out chromatography to separate and identify the colored pigments in
the liquid extract of C. [4]

First place the extract on the base line and repeat this to concentrate the extract. Then suspend the base
of paper in the solvent and mark the solvent front after some time. Calculate the Rf value which is
distance moved by the pigment ÷ distance moved by solvent front and compare it with known Rf values
to identify the pigments.

Place the chloroplast membrane extract onto a pencil baseline and ensure that the baseline of the
chromatogram is above the solvent level. Draw a line near the top so that when the solvent front
reaches this the chromatogram can be removed from the solvent. Along with writing how to calculate rf
value you have to state that the experimental Rf values would be compared with published values for
the purpose of naming or identifying the pigments.

(ii) Explain why membrane C has many different colored pigments to function efficiently. [3]

This is because since the pigments like chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and xanthophyll absorb light energy,
it would increase the range of wavelengths of light that can be absorbed thereby increasing the rate of
photosynthesis.

The purpose of the different pigments is to absorb different wavelengths of light and this would increase
the rate of photosynthesis. You can also name two or more thylakoid membrane pigments.

2 The natural ecosystem on Hawadax Island in Alaska was disrupted in the 1780s when brown rats,
Rattus norvegicus, swam to the island from a sinking ship and then rapidly increased their population
size.

The rats occupied a new niche on the island as predators. The rats ate the eggs and chicks of birds such
as the black oystercatcher, Haematopus bachmani, and the glaucous-winged gull, Larus glaucescens.
These birds make nests, lay eggs and rear their chicks on the beaches of the island.

(a) Define the terms ecosystem and niche.

(i) ecosystem [2]

An ecosystem is a self-contained unit containing a community of organisms and their interactions with
the biotic and abiotic environment and with each other and the physical environment.

An ecosystem comprises all the different organisms, that is, the entire community of organisms plus their
interactions with each other (the biotic component), plus their interactions with the abiotic component
of the environment. There is no such thing as ‘abiotic organisms’ and ‘nonliving organisms.

(ii) niche [1]

It is the role of a species within its habitat.

Conservation ecologists carried out a project to try to restore the natural ecosystem of Hawadax Island.
In 2008, they removed all rats from the island. Before removing the rats, the ecologists measured the
abundance of birds, invertebrates and seaweeds on eight of the island’s beaches.

Seaweeds are large algae that grow attached to rocks on the beach.

The ecologists repeated these measurements in 2013 and in 2019, so that they could calculate the
percentage change in abundance from 2008.

(b) To measure the abundance of invertebrates and seaweeds, the ecologists used this method:

• They laid 30m tapes from high-tide mark to low-tide mark on the beach.

• They placed quadrats at 5-meter intervals next to the tapes.

• They took a photograph of each quadrat.

• They analyzed the photographs to calculate the percentage cover of seaweeds and the percentage
cover of invertebrates such as mussels and sea snails.

(i) State the name of the sampling technique used. [1]

The technique used is interrupted belt transect.

(ii) Biodiversity can be assessed at a number of different levels.

Identify the levels of biodiversity:

• that were assessed by this sampling technique

• that were not assessed by this sampling technique. [3]

The levels of biodiversity that were assessed were abundance, density, % frequency, and % cover of
selected species. The levels that weren’t assessed were number of different ecosystems and genetic
variation within each species.

Each beach area sampled between the tide marks is assessed as a single entity so the method described
does not assess habitat diversity.

(c) Table 2.1 shows the percentage change in abundance of some of the seaweeds, invertebrates and
birds found on the beaches of Hawadax Island.
(i) Use Table 2.1 to state the genus name of one organism that has increased in abundance. [1]

Haematopus bachmani and Larus glaucescens.

(ii) Seaweeds were once thought to be plants but are now classified in the kingdom Protoctista.

Outline the features of the kingdom Protoctista that are shown by seaweeds. [2]

Seaweeds have eukaryotic cells and cellulose cell walls and are autotrophic. They are aquatic, sessile and
multicellular with no vascular tissue.

(d) To evaluate the success of the Hawadax Island restoration project, the ecologists obtained data from
other islands near to Hadawax Island.

• Some islands had never been occupied by rats (rat-free islands) and had a healthy ecosystem.

• Some islands were still occupied by rats (rat-occupied islands) and had a disrupted ecosystem.

Table 2.2 shows the percentage differences in the abundance of organisms in rat-free islands compared
with rat-occupied islands.
With reference to Table 2.1 and Table 2.2, suggest and explain how removing rats has restored the
ecosystem on Hawadax Island. [4]

The ecosystem on hawdax island has been restored as the rats no longer prey on the birds and chicks
and the mussels and sea snails decrease because there are more birds. Moreover, the seaweeds increase
because there are fewer mussels and sea snails and Hawadax has changed to match a rat-free island as
the rats were an invasive species.

Explain the effects of the removal of rats rather than just the effects of their presence and how removing
rats affected the other species in the food chain, not just quote numbers from one or both tables
without suggesting logical reasons for the changes shown. Compare the two tables and mention the
similarities in the figures that shows that removing rats had returned the balance of species to the
situation seen on an island that has never housed rats.

3 Oryza is a genus of grass plants that includes the rice, Oryza sativa, a food crop.

(a) Farmers flood fields of rice because this encourages faster growth and higher yields.

(i) An adaptation of rice plants that allows them to grow in water is the development of aerenchyma.

State the function of aerenchyma. [2]

The aerenchyma is responsible for oxygen supply to the submerged cells of plant for aerobic respiration.

(ii) State one other way in which the roots of rice are adapted to being submerged in water. [1]

The roots of rice are able to carry out anaerobic respiration by ethanol fermentation and they have a
high tolerance to ethanol and more ethanol dehydrogenase.
(iii) Another adaptation in some varieties of rice is the fast growth of stems.

Describe how selective breeding could produce varieties of rice with fast-growing stems. [3]

This can be done by crossing rice plants with fast-growing stems by selecting and breeding offspring with
fast-growing stems. The process of crossing and selecting would be repeated over generations and
inbreeding depression would be avoided by out-breeding.

You need to clearly explain the step-wise progress of a selective breeding programme to produce rice
plants with fast-growing stems, which involves selecting and crossing the best offspring as well as the
best original parents, and continuing to carry out both selection and crossing in each generation for
several generations.

(iv) Auxin is a plant growth hormone that affects the growth of rice stems.

Explain how auxin affects the growth of rice stems. [3]

Auxin increases stem growth as protons are pumped into the cell walls and expansins break and link H
bonds between cellulose molecules. Water enters cells by osmosis and cells elongate and increase in
volume.

Describe the role of auxins in stem elongation in detail, particularly protons pumps moving protons from
the cytoplasm to the cell wall, and the passage of water into cells by osmosis causing the cells to expand
and the stem overall to increase in length. Don’t describe the biochemical details of the effect of acidity
on the cellulose cell wall by using the words ‘loosening’ and ‘weakening’ instead, refer to hydrogen
bonds between cellulose molecules or microfibrils breaking.

(b) O. rufipogon and O. nivara are two species of wild rice.

• O. rufipogon grows in places where water is always available.

• O. nivara grows within the same geographical range as O. rufipogon.

• The habitat of O. nivara can lack water for part of the year.

• The two species flower at different times of the year.

These two rice species may have evolved by sympatric speciation.

Explain how O. rufipogon and O. nivara may have evolved through sympatric speciation. [3]

This may be because of polyploidy or that the O. nivara adapted to dry conditions and different habitats
prevented interbreeding.

The different rice species experienced different selection pressures and although they were not
geographically separated, they were ecologically separated. Refer to the different flowering times as
seasonal or temporal isolation. Explain that the two species became reproductively isolated and that
polyploidy might be a factor in sympatric speciation.
4 (a) Recombinant human proteins can be used to treat disease.

(i) Define the term recombinant DNA. [1]

Recombinant DNA is when DNA is combined from two different organisms.

(ii) From the 1920s until the 1970s, insulin obtained from the bodies of animals was used to treat
diabetes. From the 1970s, recombinant human insulin was used instead.

Explain the advantages of using recombinant human insulin to treat people with diabetes. [3]

The protein is made in bacteria so it can be made in large quantities which is cheaper to make and does
not harm animals like pigs and cows. Moreover, there is no risk of disease transfer and infection. Since
the sequence is identical to human sequence, it does not cause allergy or an immune response, acts
more rapidly, and larger doses aren’t needed.

The advantages of recombinant insulin are large scale production, the absence of ethical and religious
issues and no immune response. Moreover, human insulin gives a faster response and if you mention
that it is more effective you have to mention in what way.

(b) Insulin is composed of two polypeptide chains, the A chain and the B chain, that are linked by
disulfide bonds.

Variations in amino acid sequence occur:

• in the insulin molecules of different animals

• in new versions of human insulin that have been engineered to control blood glucose concentration
more effectively than normal recombinant human insulin.

These new versions of human insulin are called analogues.

Table 4.1 shows the amino acid positions where variation occurs in different animal and human analogue
insulin molecules. The dashes indicate a missing amino acid.
(i) Cats with diabetes can be successfully treated with insulin injections. Cat insulin is not available, but
vets can choose from the other types of insulin shown in Table 4.1.

Identify the type of insulin that is most suitable for treating cats. [1]

The insulin from cows.

(ii) Suggest ways in which analogue insulin molecules can be produced by genetic engineering
techniques. [3]

This can be done by obtaining normal human gene from mRNA by reverse transcriptase and using gene
editing to alter human gene to obtain the nucleotide sequence for normal human insulin gene.
Synthesize the new nucleotide sequence, put the analogue gene in bacteria and add promoter for gene
expression.

The normal gene sequence needs to be edited to create a genetic blueprint for an altered, analogue
insulin molecule. Use Table 4.1 to pinpoint the changes in the amino acid sequence required. By
describing how to obtain a normal human insulin gene and creating transgenic bacteria containing it, you
don’t answer the question of how to produce an analogue insulin. You need to more carefully read the
introduction to the question which explains what an analogue insulin molecule is.

(c) Information about amino acid and nucleotide sequences is stored in computer databases.
Outline the advantages of using databases of nucleotide sequences to investigate evolutionary
relationships between species. [3]

Databases of nucleotide sequences can be used to share database from anywhere online and compare
and analyze multiple sequences faster. They can also quantify the nucleotide differences as closely-
related species have few differences.

5 The kidney is an important organ of homeostasis. One role of the kidney is osmoregulation.

(a) Fig. 5.1 is a photomicrograph of part of a kidney nephron.

(i) Identify the structures labelled A and B in Fig. 5.1. [2]

A: Glomerulus

B: Bowman’s Capsule

(ii) Describe how blood is filtered by the part of the kidney nephron shown in Fig. 5.1. [4]

Ultrafiltration takes place as there is a higher pressure due to the wider afferent arteriole than the
efferent arteriole. The capillary endothelium has fenestrations that allows small molecules like glucose
and amino acids leave the blood and enter the capsule. The basement membrane forms the main
selective barrier and podocytes form slit pores that support the basement membrane.

Substances don’t move due to diffusion or osmosis; they move due to the pressure gradient. This affects
all components of the blood, with the only restriction to movement being the physical or electrostatic
blocking effect of the combined capillary endothelium pores, basement membrane and slit pores. Small
molecules pass through and large proteins don’t and mention where the molecules came from and are
going to.

(b) The cell surface membranes of kidney cells have receptors for many molecules, including glucagon
and antidiuretic hormone (ADH).

(i) Glucagon binds to G-protein-coupled receptors on kidney cells. The binding of glucagon to kidney cells
activates a cell signaling pathway that is similar to the cell signaling pathway activated when glucagon
binds to liver cells.

Fig. 5.2 is an outline of the cell signaling pathway activated when glucagon binds to kidney cells.

Name the molecules labelled C and D in Fig. 5.2. [2]

C: Adenylyl cyclase

D: Cyclic AMP

(ii) Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuresis (SIAD) is a condition that affects osmoregulation in the kidney.
Fig. 5.3 shows how sodium ion concentration in the blood affects the ADH concentration in the blood in:
• people with normal homeostasis
• people with one type of SIAD, known as type C SIAD.

Describe the results shown in Fig. 5.3 and explain the effect of type C SIAD on osmoregulation. [4]

As Na+ concentration increases, ADH concentration increases after a certain point in both but in type C,
ADH rise occurs at a lower Na+ concentration. This is because of ADH as there are more aquaporins and
greater permeability to water in the collecting duct where more water is reabsorbed into the blood. A
more concentrated urine is formed and SIAD causes high blood water potential and low blood Na+
concentration.

The x-axis is not time and don’t state that ‘In C SIAD ADH concentration increased earlier’ instead of at a
lower sodium ion concentration. The higher ADH concentration in the blood at lower sodium ion
concentrations in C SIAD leads to increased permeability and reabsorption of water at the collecting
duct. For this reason, the urine would be more concentrated in C SIAD people and their blood would
have high water potential or a low sodium ion concentration.

6 Domestic rabbits vary in the length and color of their fur. Fig. 6.1 shows a domestic rabbit with short
fur and a fur color pattern called Himalayan.
The two genes that determine the length and color of the fur of this rabbit occur at the A / a locus and
the B / bh / b locus. These two gene loci are on separate chromosomes.

• The allele A results in short fur.

• The allele a result in long fur.

• A is dominant to a.

• The allele B results in black fur all over the body.

• The allele bh results in black fur on the nose, ears, paws and tail of the rabbit, and white fur on the rest
of the body (Himalayan pattern).

• The allele b results in white fur all over the body (albino).

• B is dominant to bh and bh is dominant to b.

(a) (i) List the four possible genotypes of the rabbit shown in Fig. 6.1. [2]

AAbhbh, Aabhbh, AAbhb, Aabhb

(ii) One phenotype of rabbit always breeds true. This means that when it is mated to a rabbit that looks
the same as itself, all the offspring look the same as the parents.

Describe the phenotype of the rabbit that breeds true [1]

It would be long albino.

(b) A rabbit with long, black fur all over the body that was homozygous at both loci was crossed with a
rabbit with short, white fur that was homozygous at both loci. The F1 offspring had short, black fur.
These F1 rabbits were mated together to become the parents of the F2 generation.

Draw a genetic diagram to predict the F2 offspring genotypes and the ratio of F2 offspring phenotypes.
[5]

(c) A rabbit breeder performed multiple crosses of the type described in (b). This gave enough data to
test the prediction that the genes for fur length and fur colour show independent assortment.

(i) Explain why the two genes assort independently. [3]

This is because they are on separate chromosomes and are not linked. Each bivalent orients itself
separately at the equator in metaphase I of meiosis and gives four combinations of alleles and the
parental allele combinations are not preserved.
(ii) The rabbit breeder placed the results in a table and started to calculate the χ 2 value.

Table 6.1 shows the results and some of the calculations made.

Calculate the expected numbers and write them in the shaded column in Table 6.1. [1]

(iii) Use the formula provided and the figures in Table 6.1 to calculate the χ 2 value. [1]

1.036 Add the figures in column 4 correctly.

7 Amino acids are the monomers that are used to produce proteins in organisms. Amino acids also have
other, non-protein, roles in the body.

(a) Fig. 7.1 shows the structures of five amino acids with varying numbers and arrangements of carbon
atoms.

In the liver, one of these amino acids can be converted to pyruvate and one of these amino acids can be
converted to oxaloacetate.

Suggest which of the amino acids shown in Fig. 7.1 would be most directly converted to:

• pyruvate

• oxaloacetate. [2]

amino acid converted to pyruvate: serine

amino acid converted to oxaloacetate: asparagine

(b) The amino acid glycine can act as a neurotransmitter.

A glycinergic synapse is shown in Fig. 7.2.

(i) The glycinergic synapse and a cholinergic synapse use different neurotransmitters and different
postsynaptic receptors.

Describe differences between the glycinergic synapse shown in Fig. 7.2 and a cholinergic synapse. [2]

In the glycinergic synapse, chloride ions and not sodium ions enter the post-synaptic neuron and glycine,
not choline re-enters the pre-synaptic neuron as glycine is not broken down but acetylcholine is in
synaptic cleft.

(ii) The binding of glycine to receptors, as shown in Fig. 7.2, makes an action potential less likely to occur
in the postsynaptic neuron.

Suggest why an action potential is less likely to occur after the binding of glycine to receptors. [2]

This is because Cl – decreases the membrane potential difference and it is harder to reach threshold as
glycine is inhibitory.
(iii) Neurons need to maintain a resting potential before an action potential can occur.

Describe how a neuron maintains a resting potential. [4]

The sodium-potassium pump pumps Na+ out and K+ in and three Na+ are pumped out for two K+ that
are pumped in. Some K+ can diffuse out of neuron and the inside of axon is more negative than outside.

Sodium-potassium pumps use active transport to move three sodium ions out of the neuron for every
two potassium ions moved in and a difference in membrane permeability allows greater negative charge
inside the neuron. Common errors include: the ions moving in the wrong directions, an incorrect number
of ions, ‘sodium and potassium’ rather than ‘sodium ions and potassium ions’, and ions moving ‘into’
rather than ‘across’ the membrane.

8 Fig. 8.1 shows a cell from the testis of a locust at the late prophase I stage of meiosis.

Explain how the behavior of the chromosomes in prophase I of meiosis results in the appearance shown
in Fig. 8.1. [4]

The DNA condenses and homologous chromosomes pair up to form bivalents. Crossing-over takes place
between non-sister chromatids and chromosomes stay joined at cross-over points called chiasmata.

Chromosomes condense and crossing over occurs in the locust testis cell at late prophase I of meiosis.
Don’t confuse chromosomes and chromatids, and sister and non-sister, and misuse the terms bivalent
and synapsis. The chiasmata visible in the micrograph show where crossing over has previously occurred.
9 Many factors affect the rate of cellular respiration.

(a) Pyruvate carboxylase (PC) deficiency is a rare disease. The rate of respiration in the cells of a person
with PC deficiency is much lower than normal.

The passage describes the occurrence of PC deficiency in human populations.

Complete the passage by using the most appropriate scientific terms. [2]

PC deficiency affects one in 250000 people. A person either has the disease or does not, so there are no
intermediate forms of the disease. PC deficiency is caused by a genetic mutation in one gene. Whether a
person develops the disease is not influenced by environmental factors. The distribution of PC deficiency
in human populations shows discontinuous variation.

(b) Coenzymes are important in aerobic respiration.

Outline the roles of named coenzymes in aerobic respiration. [5]

Coenzyme A accepts binds to the acetyl group and the acetyl group combines with oxaloacetate to form
citrate. It joins the link reaction and the Krebs cycle. NAD and FAD transfer and carry H+ in
dehydrogenation reactions and transport them to cristae for oxidative phosphorylation. NAD accepts H
in glycolysis and link reaction and Krebs cycle.

10 Sweet peas are garden plants that vary in height.

• Tall sweet peas grow to 200cm in height.

• Dwarf sweet peas grow to 30cm in height.

• Tall sweet peas contain a dominant Le allele.

• Dwarf sweet peas are homozygous for the recessive le allele.

Explain how the lele genotype results in the dwarf phenotype in sweet peas, with reference to the effect
of lele on:

• enzyme synthesis

• hormone production

• the expression of genes affecting plant growth. [6]

The le allele codes for a nonfunctional enzyme, 3 beta-hydroxylase. Alanine is replaced with threonine at
active site and inactive gibberellin is not converted to active gibberellin hence, less gibberellin is able to
bind to intracellular receptor and less gibberellin-receptor-DELLA complexes are formed. DELLA is not
broken down and stays bound to the transcription factors preventing them from binding to promoter.
The growth genes stay switched off and the stem does not elongate.
Instead of giving your answer in terms of the positive effects of the dominant allele, mention the
reduced stem growth of a plant that is homozygous recessive, as required by the question and describe
the effect of gibberellin on stem elongation rather than on seed germination. It is incorrect to assume
that le codes for the production of inactive gibberellin, instead inactive gibberellin does not get acted
upon by an enzyme to make active gibberellin. Also, thinking that gibberellin (rather than an enzyme) is
the protein product of the Le gene is also wrong. A lack of active gibberellin prevents DELLA from being
broken down, which stops PIF binding to a promoter. Mention the lack of binding of GA to a receptor and
the non-expression of growth genes. Don’t focus on the gene for amylase not being switched on as this
relates to the gibberellin signalling pathway in a germinating seed, not in a stem.