Cambridge International Examinations

Cambridge Ordinary Level

* 5 3 8 5 3 6 1 7 1 1 *

BIOLOGY 5090/32
Paper 3 Practical Test May/June 2017
1 hour 15 minutes
Candidates answer on the Question Paper.
Additional Materials: As specified in the Confidential Instructions.

READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST

Write your Centre number, candidate number and name on all the work you hand in.
Write in dark blue or black pen.
You may use an HB pencil for any diagrams or graphs.
Do not use staples, paper clips, glue or correction fluid.
DO NOT WRITE IN ANY BARCODES.

Answer all questions.

Write your answers in the spaces provided on the Question Paper.

Electronic calculators may be used.

You may lose marks if you do not show your working or if you do not use appropriate units.

At the end of the examination, fasten all your work securely together.
The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or part question.

For Examiner’s Use

Total

This document consists of 11 printed pages and 1 blank page.

DC (NH/CGW) 132480/5
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In order to plan the best use of your time, read through all the questions on this
paper carefully before starting work.

1 (a) You are going to carry out an experiment to investigate the effect of two different
concentrations of sucrose solution on potato tissue.

You are provided with some potato tissue and two solutions of sucrose, labelled S1 and S2.

• Label one Petri dish S1 and the other Petri dish S2.

• Carefully cut two strips of potato tissue without skin, each measuring 80 mm × 4 mm × 4 mm.

• Place one strip into each Petri dish.

• Pour solution S1 into the dish labelled S1. Pour solution S2 into the dish labelled S2.
Make sure that the strips are completely covered by the solutions.

• Leave the strips for 20 minutes. Continue with question 1(b) while you are waiting.

• After 20 minutes, remove the strip from solution S1 and carefully blot it dry.

• Insert a pin near the end of the strip from solution S1 and then attach it to the apparatus
as shown in Fig. 1.1. Make sure that this end of the strip is level with the edge of the cork.

strip of
potato tissue

pin

graph paper
cork

specimen
tube filled
with water

bench surface

Fig. 1.1

• Record the position of the unpinned end of the strip on the graph paper, and label it S1.

• Repeat this procedure for the strip in solution S2.

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(i) Carefully copy your results onto Fig. 1.2. Use a small X to show the position of the
unpinned end for each strip. Label your results S1 and S2.

Fig. 1.2
[3]

(ii) Complete Table 1.1 by describing how flexible the strips are, that had been in solution S1
and in solution S2.

Table 1.1

strip covered
description of strip
in solution

S1

S2

[2]

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(iii) State two variables which were controlled in this experiment to ensure that the results
for S1 and S2 are comparable.

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

2 ........................................................................................................................................
[2]

(iv) Suggest an explanation for your results.

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

.......................................................................................................................................[4]

(b) When plant cells lose water, the cytoplasm may shrink and move away from the cell wall.
When this happens, the cells are plasmolysed.

Fig. 1.3 represents a group of plant cells, some of which are plasmolysed.

key

plasmolysed cell

non-plasmolysed cell

Fig. 1.3

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(i) Complete Table 1.2 by counting the number of plasmolysed cells and the number of
non‑plasmolysed cells.

Table 1.2

number of number of
plasmolysed cells non‑plasmolysed cells

[1]

(ii) Calculate the number of plasmolysed cells as a percentage of the total number of cells.

Show your working.

.............................................................%
[2]

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(c) A student carried out an investigation into the relationship between the concentration of
sucrose solution and the number of plant cells which were plasmolysed.

She placed small pieces of plant tissue in sucrose solutions and counted the number of cells
that were plasmolysed. She then calculated the percentage of cells that were plasmolysed in
each solution.

Her results are shown in Table 1.3.

Table 1.3

concentration of sucrose percentage of cells that

solution / mol per dm3 were plasmolysed
0.0 0
0.2 5
0.4 18
0.6 75
0.8 100

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(i) Plot a line graph of the results in Table 1.3. Join the points on your graph with ruled,
straight lines.

[4]

(ii) Use your graph to find the concentration of sucrose solution in which 50% of the cells
would be plasmolysed. On your graph, show how you obtained this value.

Concentration of sucrose solution in which 50% of the cells would be plasmolysed:

............................................................[2]

[Total: 20]

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Question 2 begins on page 9

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2 Fig. 2.1 shows cells as seen using a light microscope.

magnification × 200

Fig. 2.1

(a) In the space below, make a large drawing of the cell labelled P. You do not need to label your
drawing.

[4]

(b) Measure and record the maximum length of cell P in Fig. 2.1.

Maximum length of cell P in Fig. 2.1 ........................................ mm

Use the magnification of Fig. 2.1 to calculate the actual length of cell P.

Show your working.

................................................................
[4]

(c) State two structures, visible in Fig. 2.1, that are found only in plant cells.

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

2 ................................................................................................................................................
[2]

[Total: 10]
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3 (a) Describe how you would test a food sample for the presence of each of the following, giving
full experimental details.

(i) starch ................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

.......................................................................................................................................[2]

(ii) reducing sugars .................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

.......................................................................................................................................[3]

(b) Table 3.1 gives information about the composition of some foods.

Table 3.1

food fat / g per 100 g energy / kJ per 100 g protein / g per 100 g
potato chips 11.0 1050 4.0
cooked chicken 5.0 630 25.0
boiled sweet potato 0.6 360 1.0
boiled peas 0.4 210 5.0

(i) Using the information in Table 3.1, state the relationship between the fat content and the
energy content of these foods.

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

.......................................................................................................................................[1]

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(ii) Calculate the protein content of 250 g of cooked chicken.

Show your working.

..............................................................g
[2]

(iii) Calculate the mass of boiled peas that you would need to eat to obtain the same mass of
protein as in 100 g of cooked chicken.

Show your working.

..............................................................g
[2]

[Total: 10]

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