Mark Scheme Answers Flashcards
Suggest how scientists should have treated the control group (2)
- Given only in ….
- Otherwise treated exactly the same way
Suggest and explain two factors which should be considered when deciding the number of mice to be used in an investigation (3)
- Ethical consideration: leads to death/suffering of mice
- Large number to improve repeatability/ reduce sampling error
- Number of mice is related to cost/species availability
The scientists measured the volume of the tumours. Explain the advantage of using volume rather than length to measure the growth of tumours (1)
- Vary in shape/ do not grow uniformly
What information does standard deviation give about the volume of the tumours in an investigation (1)
- Degree of spread/ variation from the mean
Apart from sex and age suggest the thee factors that scientists should have considered when selecting volunteers for a trial (5)
- Lifestyle e.g smoking, diet
- Genetic factors
- Ethnicity
- Health
- Body mass
How can mutations lead to the production of a non-functional protein (6)
- Change in base/ triplet sequence of DNA/ gene
- Changes sequence of codons on mRNA
- Changes sequence of amino acids in primary structure of polypeptide
-Changes the position of hydrogen/ ionic/ disulphide bonds in protein tertiary structure - Changes tertiary structure/ shape of protein and in the case of enzymes, the active site will change shape
- In the case of enzymes, the substrate will be unable to bind to the active site and form an enzyme-substrate complex
What is the role of RNA polymerase in transcription (1)
- Joins adjacent RNA nucleotides via phosphodiester bonds
Describe how alterations to tumour suppressor genes can lead to the development of tumours (5)
- Increased methylation of tumour suppressor genes
- Mutation in tumour suppressor genes
- Tumour suppressor genes are not transcribed/ expressed
- Amino acid sequence/primary structure altered
- Rapid/uncontrollable cell division
Papaya plants reproduce sexually by means of seeds. Papaya plants grown from seeds are very variable in their yield. Explain why (2)
- Meiosis/ independent assortment/ crossing over
- Fusion of genetically identical gametes/ random fertilisation of gametes
Explain the advantage of growing papaya plants from tissue culture rather than from seeds (1) KA-topic
- Will be clones/produced by mitosis/ will be genetically identical/ less variation
Tester one is a steroid hormone that belongs to a group of male sex hormones called androgens.
Steroid hormones are hydrophobic
Explain why steroid hormones can rapidly enter a cell by passing through its cell-surface membrane (2)
- Lipid soluble
- Diffuses through the phospholipid bilayer
The binding of testosterone to an AR changes the shape of the AR. This molecule now enters the nucleus and stimulates gene expression.
Suggest how the AR could stimulate gene expression (3)
- AR is a transcription factor
- Binds to DNA/promoter
- Stimulates RNA polymerase
Explain how the methylation of tumour suppressor genes can lead to cancer (3)
- Methylation prevents transcription of a gene
- Protein not produced that prevents cell division/ causes cell death
- No control of mitosis
Scientists investigated the role of a protein called CENP-W in mitosis. Their method involved cell fractionation and ultracentrifugation
The scientists began by lysing (breaking open) cells and organelles using a detergent that dissolves lipids in water
Suggest how the detergent releases CENP-W from cells (2)
- Cell membranes made from phospholipid
- Detergent dissolves membranes/ phospholipid bilayer
Explain how ultracentrifugation separates CENP-W from other molecules (2)
- Spin (liquid/ supernatant) at very high speed
- Molecules/ CENP-W separates depending on molecular mass/size/ density
Give one way in which benign tumours differ from malignant tumours (1)
For beginning cells don’t break off and spread to other parts in f the body/metastasise, for malignant they do
Explain how siRNA affects gene expression (3)
- siRNA has a specific complementary base sequence to mRNA
- Enzyme associated with siRNA hydrolyses/ destroys mRNA
- Translation of mRNA cannot occur
Explain how the deacetylation of histone proteins can lead to cancer (3)
- Deacetylation of histone proteins causes DNA to condense
- So transcription factors cant bind to promotor on DNA
- RNA polymerase is not activated and transcription does not occur
- Turns off the tumour suppressor gene, so leads to uncontrolled cell division
In the cytoplasm, testosterone binds to a specific androgen receptor (AR). An AR is a protein. Suggest and explain why testosterone binds to a specific AR. (2)
- Has a (specific) tertiary structure/shape;
Accept in context of AR or testosterone.
Ignore 3D. - (Structures are) complementary;
Reject reference to antigen.
Reject reference to active site, enzyme, substrate
or induced fit
The binding of testosterone to an AR changes the shape of the AR. This
AR molecule now enters the nucleus and stimulates gene expression.
Suggest how the AR could stimulate gene expression (3)
- (AR is) a transcription factor;
Ignore ‘binds to bases’ or ‘binds to gene’. - Binds to DNA/promoter;
Reject reference to active site, enzyme, substrate
or induced fit. - (Stimulates) RNA polymerase;
Explain how increased methylation could lead to cancer (3)
- Methyl groups (could be) added to (both copies of) a tumour
suppressor gene; - The transcription of tumour suppressor genes is inhibited;
- Leading to uncontrolled cell division.
A mutation of a tumour suppressor gene can result in the formation of a tumour.
Explain how. (2)
- (Tumour suppressor) gene inactivated / not able to control / slow
down cell division;
Ignore: references to growth - Rate of cell division too fast / out of control.
Some cancer cells have a receptor protein in their cell-surface membrane that binds to a
hormone called growth factor. This stimulates the cancer cells to divide.
Scientists have produced a monoclonal antibody that stops this stimulation.
Use your knowledge of monoclonal antibodies to suggest how this antibody stops the
growth of a tumour. (3)
- Antibody has specific tertiary structure / binding site / variable
region;
Do not accept explanations involving undefined
antigen - Complementary (shape / fit) to receptor protein / GF / binds to
receptor protein / to GF;
Ignore: same shape as receptor protein / GF - Prevents GF binding (to receptor).