Biology 9700/11 May/June 2024: question paper and mark scheme
Cambridge AS & A Level Biology (9700), Paper 1 Multiple Choice, May/June 2024. Read both free below, or download them. Done the paper? Get it marked by AI against this mark scheme.
The diagram shows a stage micrometer scale viewed with an eyepiece graticule, using a magnification of ×200.
0.1 mm
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Using the same magnification, a chloroplast is measured as 4 eyepiece graticule divisions long.
How long is the chloroplast?
A 1.0 × 101 μm
B 4.0 × 102 μm
C 2.5 × 10–1 μm
D 2.5 × 10–2 μm
Which range of cell diameters is typical for prokaryotic cells?
A 1 nm to 5 × 102 nm
B 1 × 103 nm to 5 μm
C 1 × 101 μm to 5 × 102 μm
D 1 × 102 μm to 5 × 103 μm
The diagrams show the structure of four amino acids in aqueous solution.
COO– COO–
H C H 3N + CH2 CH2 CH2 CH2 C
+
N H3 N+H3
H H glycine lysine
COO– O COO–
CH3 C C CH2 C
N+H3 O– N+H3
H H alanine aspartate
Which two structures have an overall charge?
A alanine and aspartate
B alanine and glycine
C aspartate and lysine
D glycine and lysine
The table shows the number of carbon atoms and the number of carbon–carbon double bonds in molecules of three triglycerides and the fatty acids they contain.
The information is shown in the format ‘number of carbon atoms : number of carbon–carbon double bonds’.
triglyceride fatty acid 1 fatty acid 2 fatty acid 3
54 : 1 15 : 0 18 : 0 18 : 1
56 : 4 17 : 0 X 18 : 2
57 : 3 18 : 0 18 : 1 18 : 2
Which description matches fatty acid 2 of the 56 : 4 triglyceride, identified in the table as X?
A saturated with 17 carbon atoms
B saturated with 18 carbon atoms
C unsaturated with 17 carbon atoms
D unsaturated with 18 carbon atoms
Collagen molecules are made up of three polypeptide chains interacting together. The individual polypeptide chains consist of a regular pattern of amino acids. Almost every third amino acid is glycine.
Which protein structures of collagen are described?
A primary and secondary
B primary and quaternary
C secondary and tertiary
D tertiary and quaternary
The masses of the parts of haemoglobin are shown in the table.
component mass / Da
α-globin chain 15 126
β-globin chain 15 868 haem group 15 617
There are 1000 Da in 1 kDa.
What is the mass of a haemoglobin molecule in kDa?
A 31.6 B 33.5 C 62.6 D 64.5
What is the correct order of locations in the cell for the production of an extracellular enzyme?
A nucleus → ribosome → rough endoplasmic reticulum → Golgi body
B ribosome → nucleus → Golgi body → rough endoplasmic reticulum
C ribosome → rough endoplasmic reticulum → nucleus → Golgi body
D rough endoplasmic reticulum → nucleus → Golgi body → ribosome
The graph shows the trend from an enzyme-catalysed reaction.
y
x
Which labels are correct for the x-axis and y-axis?
x-axis y-axis
A rate of reaction substrate concentration
B enzyme concentration temperature
C pH rate of reaction
D substrate concentration pH
Which statements about the Michaelis–Menten constant (Km) are correct?
1 The higher the Km, the higher the enzyme affinity for the substrate.
2 Km is a measure of the degree of enzyme affinity for the substrate.
3 Km is defined as the substrate concentration at which the enzyme functions at half its maximum rate.
A 1, 2 and 3 B 1 and 2 only C 1 and 3 only D 2 and 3 only
The diagram shows how nicotine is transported from the blood plasma into a cell using a type of cotransporter mechanism.
protons move down their concentration gradient blood out of the cell plasma
cell surface membrane
cytoplasm of the cell nicotine is transported cotransporter protein against its concentration gradient into the cell
In the phloem tissue, there is a cotransporter mechanism that moves sucrose into the cytoplasm of a companion cell.
Which statement correctly describes a similarity between the cotransport of nicotine and the cotransport of sucrose?
A The cotransporter proteins generate a proton gradient by moving protons out of the cell by active transport.
B The protons are transported through the cotransporter proteins by facilitated diffusion.
C The protons move through the cotransporter proteins in the opposite direction to the movement of nicotine and sucrose.
D The cotransporter proteins use energy from ATP to transport protons with nicotine and sucrose.
The diagram shows a simple metabolic pathway.
W→X→Y→Z
The letters W, X, Y and Z represent four different substances. At each step in the diagram the substrate undergoes a chemical reaction catalysed by an enzyme. The reaction produces the next substance in the pathway.
Which statements correctly describe the enzymes taking part in this metabolic pathway?
1 They are all globular proteins.
2 They all have the same tertiary structure.
3 They all contain hydrogen atoms in their structure.
A 1, 2 and 3 B 1 and 2 only C 1 and 3 only D 2 only
A student observed the effect of two different concentrations of salt solution on blood cells.
The student added each concentration of salt solution to one of two microscope slides, and then a small drop of fresh blood was added.
Each slide was viewed using the high power lens of a microscope and the student’s observations were recorded.
slide 1 No red blood cells were visible. slide 2 The red blood cells were visible but looked slightly crinkled.
Which row correctly explains the results obtained?
slide 1 slide 2
A Swelling of the cells The of the cell was caused them all to burst. more negative than the of the external solution.
B The of the cell was The of the external solution key more negative than the was more negative than the = water potential of the external solution. of the cell.
C The of the cell was There is a net movement of less negative than the water out of the cell by osmosis. of the external solution.
D The of the external solution The of the cell was very was less negative than the similar to, but slightly of the cell. more negative than, the of the external solution.
Which statement correctly describes facilitated diffusion?
A The process only occurs using channel proteins that change shape and that use energy provided by the cell.
B The process occurs using channel proteins or carrier proteins that may or may not change shape.
C The process occurs using channel proteins or carrier proteins that use energy provided by the cell.
D The process only occurs using carrier proteins that create a gradient to move ions in opposite directions.
Eukaryotic organisms grow and increase in size as a result of cell division. The diagram shows some stages of mitosis with one stage missing, labelled X.
X
What happens in stage X?
A Spindle fibres attach to the centromeres and the chromosomes line up along the equator.
B The chromatin coils and condenses and the nuclear membrane disintegrates.
C The chromosomes line up in pairs along the equator of the cell.
D Microtubules shorten so that spindle fibres contract and the centromeres divide.
The graphs show various distance measurements taken from the start of metaphase of mitosis.
The graphs are to scale when compared to one another.
X
distance
time
Y
distance
time
Which row correctly identifies the distance measurement for each graph?
X Y
A distance between distance of centromeres poles of spindle from poles of spindle
B distance between distance between poles of spindle sister chromatids
C distance of centromeres distance between from poles of spindle sister chromatids
D distance of centromeres distance between from poles of spindle poles of spindle
Which row is correct for the start of anaphase of mitosis?
DNA is associated state of the form of DNA with histone cell surface proteins membrane
A chromosomes always broken apart
B chromosomes sometimes intact
C separated sister chromatids always intact
D separated sister chromatids sometimes broken apart
The diagrams show the chemical structure of four bases.
NH2 O
C C CH3
N HN C
C N
HC
C CH C CH
N N O N
H H
1 2
NH2 O
C C
N CH N C NH
HC
C CH C C
O N N N NH2
H H
3 4
Which diagrams show thymine and cytosine?
A 1 and 2 B 1 and 4 C 2 and 3 D 3 and 4
The diagram shows the nucleotide sequence of a small section of the transcribed strand of a gene.
CGG GCC CCG CGG
The table shows the amino acids coded for by 10 mRNA codons.
mRNA codon amino acid
AAG Lys
ACG Thr
CGG CGC CGU Arg
CCG Pro
GCC GCG Ala
GGC Gly
UGC Cys
What is the sequence of the four amino acids in the polypeptide translated from this small section of a gene?
A Ala-Ala-Cys-Ala
B Ala-Arg-Gly-Ala
C Arg-Ala-Pro-Arg
D Arg-Arg-Thr-Arg
What does the process of translation require?
A DNA, free nucleotide bases and mRNA
B DNA, mRNA, amino acids and RNA polymerase
C mRNA, ribosomes and RNA polymerase
D mRNA, ribosomes, amino acids and tRNA
The electron micrograph shows a longitudinal section of part of the stem of a plant.
X
What is the name of the structure labelled X?
A companion cell
B Casparian strip
C phloem sieve tube element
D xylem vessel element
The following tissues carry an electrical impulse during the cardiac cycle.
1 atrioventricular node
2 muscle wall of atria
3 Purkyne tissue
4 sinoatrial node
In which order does the electrical impulse travel during the cardiac cycle?
A 1→2→3→4
B 1→4→2→3
C 4→2→1→3
D 4→2→3→1
The graph shows changes in the volume of the ventricles during a single cardiac cycle.
atrial ventricular diastole systole systole volume of ventricles P
/ arbitrary units
R time
Which row is correct for the atrioventricular valve at P and for the semilunar valve at R?
atrioventricular semilunar valve at P valve at R
A closes closes
B closes opens
C opens closes
D opens opens
The graph shows how changes in oxygen concentration affect the percentage oxygen saturation of human haemoglobin and cat haemoglobin under normal physiological conditions. The partial pressure of carbon dioxide was kept constant at 5.0 kPa and the temperature was kept constant at 37 °C.
100 human cat
percentage saturation of haemoglobin with oxygen
0 partial pressure of oxygen
Which conclusion is supported by the graph?
A The affinity of cat haemoglobin for oxygen is greater than the affinity of human haemoglobin for oxygen.
B At high partial pressures of oxygen, cat haemoglobin picks up oxygen more easily than human haemoglobin picks up oxygen.
C At low partial pressures of oxygen, oxygen is released more easily from cat haemoglobin than from human haemoglobin.
D The shift in the oxygen dissociation curve caused by the Bohr effect is larger for cat haemoglobin than for human haemoglobin.
Which statement is correct about how oxygen combines with haemoglobin?
A Combining all four oxygen molecules with haemoglobin does not affect the shape of haemoglobin.
B One oxygen molecule can combine with each haem group of the haemoglobin molecule.
C The first oxygen molecule to combine with haemoglobin does not affect the shape of haemoglobin.
D The third oxygen molecule to combine with haemoglobin makes it more difficult for the fourth oxygen molecule to combine with haemoglobin.
How are alveoli adapted to their function?
A They contain squamous epithelium for a short diffusion distance.
B They contain goblet cells to produce mucus.
C They contain ciliated epithelium to move mucus.
D They contain cartilage to prevent alveolar collapse.
The diagram shows oxygen diffusing from the space inside an alveolus into the blood through the gaseous exchange surface.
thickness of alveolar wall and capillary endothelium
W X oxygen oxygen concentration concentration in the blood inside the alveolus oxygen
Y
What would increase the rate of diffusion of oxygen from the alveolus to the blood?
increase decrease keep the same
A W X Y
B W Y X
C Y X W
D X Y W
Steep concentration gradients must be maintained for efficient gaseous exchange to occur in the human lungs.
Which row correctly describes how steep concentration gradients can be maintained?
elastic fibres in the walls continual supply of of the alveoli recoil deoxygenated blood by when breathing out the pulmonary artery
A key
B = helps maintain
C = does not help maintain
D
A scientist investigated the effect of an antibiotic on the treatment of cholera.
320 people with cholera were divided into two groups. One group was treated with the antibiotic while the other group was not given the antibiotic. Both groups were given fluids containing sugars and mineral salts (oral rehydration therapy).
The scientist recorded the number of days that each person had diarrhoea.
The table shows the results.
mean time person had treatment diarrhoea / days
antibiotic and oral rehydration therapy 3.2 oral rehydration therapy 5.3
What is the percentage decrease in the mean time that a person had diarrhoea when they were treated with the antibiotic?
A 39.6% B 60.4% C 165.6% D 252.4%
How does the antibiotic penicillin affect the metabolism of a bacterial cell?
A Penicillin reduces cell growth by preventing water uptake.
B Penicillin inhibits the formation of cross-links in the cell wall between peptidoglycan molecules.
C Penicillin inhibits the hydrolysis of peptidoglycan links in the cell wall during cell extension.
D Penicillin weakens the cell wall by digesting peptidoglycan molecules.
Scientists studied the multidrug-resistant bacterial infections in children caused by one type of bacteria between 2007 and 2015. The percentage of multidrug-resistant infections rose from
0.2% to 1.5%.
What was the percentage increase in multidrug-resistant infections between 2007 and 2015?
A 1.3% B 87% C 130% D 650%
Whooping cough is a highly infectious disease of the gas exchange system, caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis.
Which method provides protection to infants against whooping cough and reduces the chance of developing this disease later?
A a short course of more than one type of antibiotic
B a six-month course of one type of antibiotic
C injections of antibodies specific to Bordetella pertussis
D injections of antigens from Bordetella pertussis bacteria
The electron micrograph shows a type of blood cell.
What can be concluded from the electron micrograph?
A The cell secretes products that are toxic to pathogens.
B The cell synthesises a large quantity of proteins.
C The cell synthesises large quantities of antigens.
D The cell digests pathogenic bacteria.
Why is mitosis important in the immune response?
A It allows B-lymphocytes to produce plasma cells.
B It allows B-lymphocytes to synthesise antibodies.
C It allows neutrophils to carry out phagocytosis.
D It allows T-lymphocytes to recognise foreign antigens.
It's multiple choice: one mark for each correct answer, and nothing taken off for a wrong one. The mark scheme is the answer key.
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On this page, free: the mark scheme for AS & A Level Biology 9700/11, May/June 2024 (9700_s24_ms_11), and the question paper (9700_s24_qp_11), to read or download, with each question's marking points written out underneath.
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Biology 9700/11 for May/June 2024 is out of 40 marks, with 1 hour 15 minutes to answer it.
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