p2 exam questions Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
1
Q

some of the leaves from the gardener’s strawberry plant die. the dead leaves fall off the plant onto the ground. the carbon in the dead leaves is recycled through the carbon cycle. explain how the carbon is recycled into the growth of new leaves.

A
  • carbon compounds in dead leaves broken down by microorganisms
  • microorganisms respire and release the carbon from the leaves as carbon dioxide
  • plants take in the carbon dioxide released for use in photosynthesis to produce glucose
  • glucose produced is used to make amino acids / proteins / cellulose
  • which are required for the growth of new leaves
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

suggest two factors that may have caused the extinction of the siberian rhinoceros

A
  • drought
  • ice age / global warming
  • volcanic activity
  • asteroid / meteor collision
  • new predators
  • new disease
  • competition for food
  • competition for mates
  • lack of habitat
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

give two control variables the student should use in the milk investigation

A
  • volume of milk
  • exposure to oxygen
  • sterilise test tubes
  • treatment of milk before investigation
  • freshness / age of milk (at start)
  • time of day pH was measured
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

suggest two reasons the different types of milk took different lengths of time to reach pH 5

A
  • different concentrations of lipid
  • different concentrations of protein / carb / sugar
  • different types of bacteria present
  • may have been pasteurised by a diff process
  • different starting pH
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

dead plant material in compost heap and biogas generator doesn’t decay completely. explain why a farmer might spread the remaining dead plant material onto his fields

A
  • so plants grow faster
  • decays further and releases mineral ions
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

“light intensity affects the number of dandelion plants that grow in an area”
plan an investigation to test this hypothesis

A
  • place quadrat
  • large number of quadrats used
  • how randomness achieved e.g., along transect
  • quadrats placed at regular intervals along transect
  • transect running through areas of different light intensity
  • for each quadrat count number of dandelions and measure light intensity
  • compare data
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

describe how the students could sterilise the flask in a school lab

A
  • heating
  • to over 100
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

describe how bacteria change organic matter into carbon dioxide and inorganic mineral ions

A

digestion:
- enzymes released
- role of enzymes
- substrates & products

absorption:
- by diffusion / active transport

deamination:
- amino acids -> ammonia

respiration:
- produces carbon dioxide
- release of energy allows other processes to take place

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

human land use

A
  • crops for food
  • increasing population requires more food
  • farming crops for biofuels
  • peat use as compost
  • peat use as fuel
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

give two reasons why the total biomass of the daphnia in the pond is different from the total biomass of the algae

A
  • non-digestable parts of algae
  • not all absorbed
  • lost in urine / urea
  • used in respiration
  • algae not all eaten
  • some algae decompose
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

evaluate evidence for and against the theory that an increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere causes an increase in air temperature

A

for:
- overall increased temperature
- co2 traps long-wave radiation / IR / heat

against:
- in some years, temp falls while CO2 rises
- many large and small rises and falls in temp
- other unknown factors may be involved in temp change
- correlation /= cause

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

give two possible effects of a rise in the earth’s temperature

A
  • changes in climate e.g., droughts, flooding
  • rise in sea levels
  • reduce biodiversity
  • change in migration patterns
  • may change distribution of species
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

what structure causes the change in the size of the pupil and how

A
  • iris
  • muscle contraction
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

explain why more water was lost by breathing during the race

A
  • more energy needed
  • so more aerobic respiration
  • so increased breathing rate
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

suggest two advantages of asexual reproduction for bluebells

A
  • many offspring produced
  • takes less time
  • more energy efficient
  • genetically identical offspring
  • successful traits propagated
  • only one parent is needed
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

explain why sexual reproduction is an advantage for bluebells

A
  • genetic variation in offspring
  • so better adapted to survive
  • and colonise new areas by seed dispersal
  • many offspring so higher probability some will survive
17
Q

scientists want to produce a type of cattle that makes large volumes of low-fat milk. describe how the scientists selectively breed them

A
  • find female with lowest fat in milk and highest milk yield
  • find male whose female offspring have highest milk yield and lowest fat in milk
  • cross the best female with the best male
  • select best offspring from each generation and repeat for several generations
18
Q

explain why a long-sighted person has difficulty seeing near objects clearly

A
  • eyeball is too short or lens cannot be thickened enough
  • so light focuses behind retina
19
Q

describe how spectacle lens can correct long-sightedness

A
  • convex lens
  • light rays refracted more
  • light rays focused on retina
20
Q

in tissue culture cloning, give a reason for each of the following steps
- several groups of cells are scraped off the leaf
- nutrients added to the agar jelly
- hormones are added to the agar jelly
- plant cells are kept in sterile conditions
- plant cells kept at 20C

A
  • so many plants can be produced
  • for respiration
  • so roots / shoots develop
  • to prevent entry of microorganisms
  • so optimum / good growth
21
Q

explain two biological reasons why most doctors think a kidney transplant is a better method than dialysis

A
  • changes in concentrations of urea minimised
  • so less chance of causing damage to body cells
  • not repeatedly puncturing skin
  • so less chance of infection
22
Q

suggest three ways the scientist could maintain a high rate of reproduction in the bacterial culture

A
  • add more sugar
  • add more amino acids
  • add more oxygen
  • increase temperature
  • remove toxins
  • stir the culture
23
Q

explain the advantage of making crop plants resistant to herbicide

A
  • kills weeds but doesn’t affect crops
  • less competition for light / water / minerals / ions
  • so crops have higher yield
24
Q

explain how making dog food from insects could improve human food security in the future

A
  • less land required
  • so more spaces for crops for humans
  • less methane from animals therefore less global warming
  • therefore less harmful effects of global warming on human food production
25
Q

give one disadvantage and one advantage of mass extinction events. answer in terms of evolution

A

disadvantage:
- loss of potential, future biodiversity
- reduction in range of alleles

advantage:
- allows evolution of new species

26
Q

describe how microorganisms in the layers of soil help to recycle chemicals in the dead plants. describe how the chemicals are used again by living plants.

A

in microorganisms:
- digestion or large molecules to small molecules
- enzymes
- respiration
- production of carbon dioxide
- release of mineral ions

in plants:
- carbon dioxide taken in by leaves
- by diffusion
- via stomata
- used in photosynthesis
- making glucose
- ions taken in by roots
- by active transport
- nitrate ions for making amino acids
- phosphate for making DNA

27
Q

explain how the fossilised snake may have formed

A
  • snake is covered in sediment
  • the soft parts decay
  • bones are replaced by minerals
28
Q

suggest two ways the students could improve the method to make sure the reaction test would give valid results

A
  • drop ruler from same height each time
  • let ruler drop without using force
  • same weight of ruler
  • use same hand to catch ruler each time
29
Q

hyperthyroidism is caused by an overactive thyroid gland. suggest what would happen in the body of a person with hyperthyroidism

A
  • too much thyroxine released into the blood
  • which raises BMR
  • causing increase in rate of respiration