Off Spec Bullshit Why Do I Have to Memorise This Tripe

Question 1

How can how smoking affects oxygen absorption relate to haemoglobin structure?

Answer 1

Cigarettes contain carbon monoxide, which can bind to the iron groups/haem groups on haemoglobin, which then prevents the oxygen from binding to the haemoglobin, reducing the amount of oxygen absorbed.

Question 2

How can Downy Mildew disease affect photosynthesis and how does this show the importance of chlorophyll?

Answer 2

Downy Mildew Disease can affect photosynthesis in plants, as shown by Plantago ovata having 34.74% and 62.11% reduction in chlorophyll content compared to healthy leaves, so the rate of photosynthesis decreases. This shows the importance of photoionisation and chlorophyll in photosynthesis

Question 3

How can certain health issues be used to relate to respiration?

Answer 3

impairment of oxidative phosphorylation can cause lactic acidosis and physical symptoms such as seizures, neurological impairment, stroke-like episodes and muscle weakness. This can occur when the genes involved in creating the enzymes/molecules for oxidative phosphorylation, causing a buildup of NADH and lactate and creating a lack of ATP.

Question 4

How has the use of nitrogenous fertilisers affected the environment?

Answer 4

It can cause the release of nitrogen oxide, causing up to 6.2% of the current causation of global warming being because of this substance.

Question 5

How can drinking coffee affect genetics and show how environment affects genotype?

Answer 5

It can cause epigenetic changes. Coffee drinkers in the US and the UK had their levels of methylation tested and found differences in 11 sites related to influencing health. this shows how epigenetics and environment can affect health.

Question 6

How have horses and donkeys developed behavior to help increase biodiversity?

Answer 6

Horse and donkeys dig wells in desert areas to increase biodiversity, as these wells can then provide more habitats and species richness was found to be 51% higher in this area.

Question 7

How can Pumpkin Toadlets show speciation?

Answer 7

They usually live on coastlines in Brazil, they have similar characteristics- they are tiny and have bright orange skin that releases neurotoxins. However, they found a new species said to be derived from this ( as they were similar) in the mountains which were much smaller and have black spots on their back and were a distinct species.

Question 8

What phenomenon has genome sequencing allowed us to understand?

Answer 8

Phenomena such as why mutations occur more often in older males

Question 9

Explain how coffee can be used to show an adaptation and selection?

Answer 9

A specific species of coffee- Coffea Stenophylla- has adapted to better thrive in the hot climates of Sierra Leone and Guinea, creating a large yield due to more of this species surviving, hence the mass production an selling of this.

Question 10

How can artificial life show the importance of recombinant DNA technology?

Answer 10

Artificial life has been created containing mycoplasma bacteria components with a chemically synthesized genome. They can divide to create identical cells, like bacteria.

Question 11

How can rabbits show an example of gene mutations causing adaptations?

Answer 11

Some rabbits have gene mutations that prevent from them that make them unable to hop. Therefore, they have become adapted to walk on their front leg.

Question 12

How can human skin cells relate to embryonic stem cells and ethics?

Answer 12

Human skin cells have been genetically altered to resemble embryonic stem cells. Therefore, we may in future not need IVF/blastocyst stage stem cells, which could be argued to be more ethical.

Question 13

How can fossils/archeology be used to show the stability of DNA molecules?

Answer 13

they have found mammoth DNA from fossils which is 1.2 million years old in Siberia.

Question 14

How do cockroaches show species specific courtship behavior?

Answer 14

No other species dos this- the cockroaches will nibble the other’s wings after mating, which could be done because it forces the specimen to stay and raise the offspring.

Question 15

How can gophers relate to niches and competition?

Answer 15

They used to have horns on their nose, with 5 species of gophers with these horns ( this being their niche). Competition would occur so only one species would maintain this and when it was no longer an adaptation it is no longer passed down to the offspring.

Question 16

How can the lack of activity in the ETC affect function of plants?

Answer 16

Lack of activity in the electron transport chain can severely affect carbon fixation. starch assimilation and it can attenuate enzymatic oxylipin synthesis.

Question 17

How can synapse dysfunction relate to disease?

Answer 17

Synapses can become dysfunctional and this diffusion can become inhibited by dysfunctional/mutated genes, which can be related to some developmental diseases such as ASD and epilepsy.

Question 18

Who discovered phototropism?

Who was this later proved by?

Answer 18

Charles Darwin when he saw that plants grow towards the light.
Peter Boysen then suggested that this was due to an auxin

Question 19

How are glomeruli different from most capillary beds?

Answer 19

As they have arterioles running to and from them, when usually an arteriole would run to them and a venule would run from them. They are the only capillary beds in mammals to have this.

Question 20

How does niche separation reduce competition?

Answer 20

Niche separation is when species become able to separate different abiotic factors, so they have different niches, therefore stopping competition.

Question 21

How can populations and factors affecting populations relate to humans?

Answer 21

The human population has doubled in the last 50 years, having been affected by factors such as immigration, birth rate and death rate.

Question 22

How can nitrous acid affect mutation?

Answer 22

It can bind to a -NH2 group on cytosine in DNA, causing it to change into uracil and therefore create a mutated polypeptide.

Question 23

How does lactase vary between infants and adults?

Answer 23

There is higher levels of lactase in infants than adults, some adults have a lack of lactase, which can cause lactose intolerance.

Question 24

How does their structure relate to the function of bile salts?

Answer 24

One end of bile salts are soluble in fat (lipophilic) but hydrophobic, while the other end is lipophobic and hydrophilic. This causes the lipophilic end to stick into the fat droplets, causing the bile salts to surround the droplet, form micelles and stop these micelles from reforming together.