N5 Biology PRELIM study set questions and answers.
What is the overall (summary) word equation for photosynthesis?
-(answer) carbon dioxide + water -> sugar + oxygen
What is the name of the pigment that traps light energy and in what part of a plant cell is it
found?
-(answer) chlorophyll, in the chloroplast
Describe what happens during the stage 1 of photosynthesis (the light reactions).
-(answer) Light energy is converted into chemical energy (ATP):
1) Water is split to produce hydrogen and oxygen.
2) The energy released is used to generate ATP
3) Oxygen diffuses from the cell.
Which two products of the light reactions are required for stage 2 of photosynthesis (carbon
fixation)?
-(answer) ATP and hydrogen
What is carbon fixation (stage 2 of photosynthesis)?
-(answer) A series of enzyme-controlled reactions, which use hydrogen and ATP (produced by
the light reactions) with carbon dioxide to produce sugar.
What happens to the chemical energy in the sugar that is produced during photosynthesis?
-(answer) 1) Some of it is used for respiration
2) Some of it is turned into a structural carbohydrate (cellulose)
3) Some of it is turned into a storage carbohydrate (starch)
Name an example of a limiting factor for photosynthesis and plant growth.
-(answer) 1) carbon dioxide concentration
2) light intensity
3) temperature
How can a farmer increase the photosynthetic rate of crops grown in a greenhouse, and therefore
increase the growth of her crops?
-(answer) She could increase the carbon dioxide concentration in a greenhouse, or increase light
intensity by adding artificial lighting, or increase temperature by adding heaters.
Why has there been a demand for higher food yield in recent years?
-(answer) There has been an increase in the human population.
Why do farmers use fertilisers?
, -(answer) Fertilisers provide chemicals such as nitrates. By increasing nitrate content of the soil
they can increase crop yield.
Why do farmers use pesticides?
-(answer) Plants and animals that reduce plant yield can be killed by pesticides.
What happens to the nitrates that are dissolved in soil water?
-(answer) 1 - absorbed by plants.
2 - plants use nitrates to make amino acids
3 - plants use amino acids to make plant proteins
How do animals get amino acids for making animal proteins?
-(answer) They eat plants or other animals to get amino acids.
What is the cause of algal blooms?
-(answer) Fertilisers leach into fresh water, adding extra unwanted nitrates. This will increase
algal populations which can cause algal blooms.
Why do algal blooms kill aquatic plants?
-(answer) They reduce light levels.
Why do algal blooms cause an increase in the number of bacteria in fresh water?
-(answer) Algal blooms kill aquatic plants. The dead aquatic plants and the algae become food
for decomposing bacteria, which allows them to increase in number.
Following an algal bloom there is an increased number of decomposing bacteria in the water.
Name a negative consequence of having more bacteria in the water.
-(answer) The bacteria use up oxygen when they respire, reducing oxygen availability for other
organisms.
What are some problems associated with using pesticides (such as DDT) on crops?
-(answer) - pesticides can accumulate in the bodies of organisms over time
- they are passed along the food chain
- the toxicity increases to lethal levels
What are two ways of increasing plant yield without using pesticides?
-(answer) - biological control
- Create GM (genetically modified) crops that resist pests.
What is an alternative to using fertilisers?
-(answer) We can use genetically modified (GM) crops that are better able to grow in low nitrate
soils.
, What is biological control?
-(answer) The use of a predator or parasite to control a pest species.
Give an example of biological control
-(answer) - Controlling aphids by releasing ladybirds (their predators)
What is a mutation?
-(answer) A random change to genetic material.
What are the three types of mutation that can arise?
-(answer) - neutral
- advantageous to survival
- disadvantageous to survival
Why are mutations important in evolution?
-(answer) They are the only source of new alleles.
Name a factor that can increase the rate of mutation.
-(answer) - radiation (e.g. X-rays and UV light)
- some chemicals (e.g. mustard gas).
What is an adaptation?
-(answer) An inherited characteristic that makes an organism well suited to survival in its
environment/niche.
Describe the process of natural selection in four main points.
-(answer) - species produce more offspring than the
environment can sustain.
- Survival of the fittest occurs when there are
selection pressures.
- The best adapted individuals in a population survive to reproduce passing on their favourable
alleles
- these alleles increase in frequency within the population
What is speciation?
-(answer) The formation of two different species from one.
Give an example of an isolation barrier in speciation
. -(answer) - geographical
- ecological
- behavioural
Why are isolation barriers important in speciation?
What is the overall (summary) word equation for photosynthesis?
-(answer) carbon dioxide + water -> sugar + oxygen
What is the name of the pigment that traps light energy and in what part of a plant cell is it
found?
-(answer) chlorophyll, in the chloroplast
Describe what happens during the stage 1 of photosynthesis (the light reactions).
-(answer) Light energy is converted into chemical energy (ATP):
1) Water is split to produce hydrogen and oxygen.
2) The energy released is used to generate ATP
3) Oxygen diffuses from the cell.
Which two products of the light reactions are required for stage 2 of photosynthesis (carbon
fixation)?
-(answer) ATP and hydrogen
What is carbon fixation (stage 2 of photosynthesis)?
-(answer) A series of enzyme-controlled reactions, which use hydrogen and ATP (produced by
the light reactions) with carbon dioxide to produce sugar.
What happens to the chemical energy in the sugar that is produced during photosynthesis?
-(answer) 1) Some of it is used for respiration
2) Some of it is turned into a structural carbohydrate (cellulose)
3) Some of it is turned into a storage carbohydrate (starch)
Name an example of a limiting factor for photosynthesis and plant growth.
-(answer) 1) carbon dioxide concentration
2) light intensity
3) temperature
How can a farmer increase the photosynthetic rate of crops grown in a greenhouse, and therefore
increase the growth of her crops?
-(answer) She could increase the carbon dioxide concentration in a greenhouse, or increase light
intensity by adding artificial lighting, or increase temperature by adding heaters.
Why has there been a demand for higher food yield in recent years?
-(answer) There has been an increase in the human population.
Why do farmers use fertilisers?
, -(answer) Fertilisers provide chemicals such as nitrates. By increasing nitrate content of the soil
they can increase crop yield.
Why do farmers use pesticides?
-(answer) Plants and animals that reduce plant yield can be killed by pesticides.
What happens to the nitrates that are dissolved in soil water?
-(answer) 1 - absorbed by plants.
2 - plants use nitrates to make amino acids
3 - plants use amino acids to make plant proteins
How do animals get amino acids for making animal proteins?
-(answer) They eat plants or other animals to get amino acids.
What is the cause of algal blooms?
-(answer) Fertilisers leach into fresh water, adding extra unwanted nitrates. This will increase
algal populations which can cause algal blooms.
Why do algal blooms kill aquatic plants?
-(answer) They reduce light levels.
Why do algal blooms cause an increase in the number of bacteria in fresh water?
-(answer) Algal blooms kill aquatic plants. The dead aquatic plants and the algae become food
for decomposing bacteria, which allows them to increase in number.
Following an algal bloom there is an increased number of decomposing bacteria in the water.
Name a negative consequence of having more bacteria in the water.
-(answer) The bacteria use up oxygen when they respire, reducing oxygen availability for other
organisms.
What are some problems associated with using pesticides (such as DDT) on crops?
-(answer) - pesticides can accumulate in the bodies of organisms over time
- they are passed along the food chain
- the toxicity increases to lethal levels
What are two ways of increasing plant yield without using pesticides?
-(answer) - biological control
- Create GM (genetically modified) crops that resist pests.
What is an alternative to using fertilisers?
-(answer) We can use genetically modified (GM) crops that are better able to grow in low nitrate
soils.
, What is biological control?
-(answer) The use of a predator or parasite to control a pest species.
Give an example of biological control
-(answer) - Controlling aphids by releasing ladybirds (their predators)
What is a mutation?
-(answer) A random change to genetic material.
What are the three types of mutation that can arise?
-(answer) - neutral
- advantageous to survival
- disadvantageous to survival
Why are mutations important in evolution?
-(answer) They are the only source of new alleles.
Name a factor that can increase the rate of mutation.
-(answer) - radiation (e.g. X-rays and UV light)
- some chemicals (e.g. mustard gas).
What is an adaptation?
-(answer) An inherited characteristic that makes an organism well suited to survival in its
environment/niche.
Describe the process of natural selection in four main points.
-(answer) - species produce more offspring than the
environment can sustain.
- Survival of the fittest occurs when there are
selection pressures.
- The best adapted individuals in a population survive to reproduce passing on their favourable
alleles
- these alleles increase in frequency within the population
What is speciation?
-(answer) The formation of two different species from one.
Give an example of an isolation barrier in speciation
. -(answer) - geographical
- ecological
- behavioural
Why are isolation barriers important in speciation?
