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2014 Notes from the Marking Centre – Biology

Introduction

This document has been produced for the teachers and candidates of the Stage 6 Biology course. It contains comments on candidate responses to the 2014 Higher School Certificate examination, highlighting their strengths in particular parts of the examination and indicating where candidates need to improve.

This document should be read along with:

Section I

Part B

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

  • identifying at least one adaptive feature of inflammation (Q.21)
  • linking an adaptive feature to the immune response (Q.21)
  • identifying at least one personal hygiene or cleanliness practice (Q.22)
  • classifying a disease as infectious or non-infectious with justification (Q.22)
  • identifying suitable variables and the need to keep them constant with an appropriate control in the context of the aim of the experiment (Q.23)
  • distinguishing between arteries and capillaries (Q.24)
  • naming a historical development in our understanding of malaria and identifying an appropriate prevention strategy (Q.25)
  • relating the use of a vaccine to reduced transmission of a disease (Q.25)
  • describing the mechanism of evolution by natural selection (Q.26)
  • describing the features of convergent evolution using an appropriate example (Q.26)
  • demonstrating knowledge of the role of isolation (genetic/physical) in evolution in general (Q.26)
  • demonstrating understanding of the concepts of endotherms and ectotherms (Q.27)
  • predicting observations of endotherm responses to decreasing temperature (Q.27)
  • making general statements that changes in CO2 levels come from animals (Q.27)
  • demonstrating a basic understanding of conditions that affect enzyme activity (Q.28)
  • explaining the role of the structure and behaviour of chromosomes in providing variation during gamete formation (Q.29)
  • explaining the role of sexual reproduction in variability in offspring (Q.29)
  • describing the aspects of the experimental techniques used by Mendel that led to his success (Q.30)
  • outlining the roles of Sutton and Boveri in identifying the importance of chromosomes (Q.30)
  • explaining the relationship between the structure and behaviour of chromosomes during meiosis and the inheritance of genes (Q.30)
  • describing the inheritance of sex-linked genes and alleles that exhibit co-dominance, and explaining why these do not produce simple Mendelian ratios (Q.30)
  • describing the work of Morgan that led to the understanding of sex linkage (Q.30)
  • processing information from secondary sources to describe and analyse the relative importance of the work of James Watson, Francis Crick, Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins (Q.30)
  • determining the structure of DNA and the impact of the quality of collaboration and communication on this scientific research (Q.30).

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

  • identifying the process of phagocytosis (Q.21)
  • understanding the contribution of inflammation to the immune response (Q.21)
  • distinguishing personal hygiene practices from cleanliness practices involved in reducing the risk of infection (Q.22)
  • distinguishing between validity and reliability (Q.23)
  • relating the structure of a capillary to its function (Q.24)
  • clearly labelling diagrams (Q.24)
  • making a generic statement linking decreased occurrence and spread to knowledge of the immune response and vaccination (Q.25)
  • knowledge of the role of isolation (genetic/physical) in convergent evolution (Q.26)
  • making the link between the increase in CO2 levels and respiration (Q.27)
  • not extending the graph lines past the data points (Q.27)
  • linking knowledge of conditions for enzyme activity and the provided data on pH to the impact of rising CO2 levels (Q.28)
  • linking stimulus material to knowledge to explain implications of variation to the methodology of cloning (Q.29)
  • identifying the technology used by each scientist in the context of the question (Q.30)
  • demonstrating an understanding of scientific developments by Beadle and Tatum (Q.30)
  • linking the work of a scientist to inform and be built upon by other scientists (Q.30).

Section II – Options

Question 31 – Communication

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

  • identifying the structure as a neurone (part (a))
  • outlining a stimulus response pathway (part (a))
  • identifying two types of photoreceptors in the eye and the effect of each on vision (part (c))
  • explaining how the production of two different images of a view can result in depth perception (part (d))
  • relating how the loss of one eye could affect the survival of an animal (part (d))
  • identifying the uses of sound, both intraspecies and interspecies, for communication (part (e)).

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

  • understanding the order of the anatomical parts of the ear and the type of energy transformations that occur in the middle and inner ear (part (b))
  • describing the cause of the visual effects produced by photoreceptors (part (c))
  • describing the structures of organisms to produce and detect sound (part (e))
  • explaining why sound is a useful and versatile form of communication (part (e))
  • relating the transmission of a sound of a particular frequency to the frequency range that the receiver of the signal is tuned to, for successful communication (part (e)).

Question 32 – Biotechnology

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

  • demonstrating knowledge and evaluating the ethics of traditional biotechnologies (part (e)).

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

  • demonstrating knowledge of the difference between transcription and translation (part (a) (i))
  • outlining the process of the synthesis of a protein from polypeptides (part (a) (ii))
  • summarising the process of polymerase chain reaction (PCR), including the experimental process and the product (part (b))
  • identifying a biotransformational biotechnology (part (c))
  • demonstrating understanding of sterile techniques and strain isolation (part (d)).

Question 33 – Genetics: The Code Broken?

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

  • demonstrating what is meant by ‘gene cloning’ and giving an example of the product of the process (part (b))
  • comparing the inheritance of the ABO and Rhesus blood groups (part (c))
  • outlining the use of highly variable genes for DNA fingerprinting of forensic samples for paternity testing and for determining the pedigree of animals (part (c))
  • solving problems to predict the inheritance patterns of ABO blood groups and the Rhesus factor (part (c))
  • outlining polypeptide synthesis and gene expression (part (d))
  • understanding trisomy (part (e))
  • understanding gene therapy (part (e)).

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

  • understanding models of DNA (part (a))
  • outlining the ability of DNA to repair itself (part (a) (ii))
  • distinguishing between gene cloning and whole organism cloning in terms of the processes and products (part (b))
  • demonstrating understanding of evolutionary relationships and the data that supports this (part (d) (ii))
  • demonstrating understanding of recombinant DNA technologies (part (e)).

Question 34 – The Human Story

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

  • outlining the difficulty of interpreting the past from the fossil record alone (part (a) (ii))
  • comparing fossil evidence using a range of technologies (part (e))
  • demonstrating knowledge of hominin evolution and its related theories (part (e)).

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

  • identify Homo characteristics (part (a) (i))
  • drawing dichotomous keys (part (b))
  • understanding the similarities and differences between prosimians, old and new world monkeys, and apes (part (b))
  • demonstrating knowledge of the Human Genome Project and its applications (part (c))
  • reading trends from a graph (part (d) (i))
  • understanding polymorphism (part (d) (ii)).

Question 35 – Biochemistry

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

  • knowing how tracers have been used in biochemical research (part (d)).
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