Answers to SAQs

5 On the wild side

1 Thin sections of mesophyll cells are necessary because the electron beam travels at high speed but at low energy. Specimens must be thin for electrons to pass through at all. So thin sections are cut and then stained with electron-dense salts to increase contrast. Also, air molecules would deflect this beam, so inside the electron microscope is a vacuum. Consequently, living material must first be killed, fixed in a life-like condition, and dehydrated (water would boil away in a vacuum). 2 Photosystem I many accessory pigment molecules harvest light energy and funnel the energy to a single, key chlorophyll molecule in the reaction centre has ground-state electrons that are raised to an excited state when light energy is received from the accessory pigments excited electrons are passed to oxidised NADP+ receive electrons in excited state and transfer them to NADP+ in the stroma 4 The important features of ATP, as the universal source of energy for chemical change in cells, tissues and organisms, are that it is able to: I move easily within cells and organisms, by facilitated diffusion I take part in many steps in cellular respiration and in very many reactions of metabolism I transfer energy in relatively small amounts, sufficient to drive individual reactions. 5 NPP of mature rain forest (Puerto Richo) is 54 600 kJ m2 y1. GPP of lucerne (alfalfa) crop (USA) is 102 480 kJ m2 y1) 6 Humans who eat food of plant origin only are at trophic level 2, as primary consumers. Humans who eat a diverse range of foods, such as hunter-gatherers, are at all consumer trophic levels (level 2 and higher). 7 (1600/14 000) 100% = 11.4% 8 a 3050 (1025 + 1900) = 125 kJ m2y1 125 100/3050 = 4.1% b 3050 100/21 250 = 14.4% 9 For example, in the hypothetical ecosystem illustrated in Activity 5.9 (the bottle ecosystem): a temperature, light b predation of flies by spiders and carnivorous plants, herbivory by fruit flies. 10 a high-water plant: channelled wrack high-water animal: rough winkle b low water plant: oar weed low-water animal: acorn barnacle 11 The estimated population size would be halved: 40 2 = 20 12 a primary succession b Decreasing soil density (increasing humus content) with increasing biota; decreasing wind speed with increased density of vegetation (decreased amount of bare ground). 13 a carbon dioxide b hydrogen carbonate ion c carbonates e.g. calcium carbonate 14 Atmospheric methane comes from anaerobic decay of organic matter (in bogs, lakes, paddy fields, sewage works, farm slurry pits and landfill sites). Also, it is a waste product of digestion, particularly from ruminants (e.g. cattle) and it escapes when fossil fuels are pumped out or mined, and when their subsequent combustion is incomplete. 15 See The Linnean Society of London: www.linnean.org. 16 There should be no shortage of contentious press reports to record and discuss. 17 The optima of the enzymes of marine plankton will be close to the mean sea water temperature, whereas the optima of the enzymes of an endothermic mammal will be close to its normal body temperature (therefore, much higher than those of the plankton). 18 The extinction of dinosaurs is probably linked with periods of prolonged Arctic winter, associated with violent impacts on the Earths surface of matter from space. TSD would not deliver breeding pairs in these conditions.

reaction centre with chlorophyll a molecule, absorbing light of wavelength 700 nm

electron-carrier molecules

Photosystem II many accessory pigment molecules harvest light energy and funnel the energy to a single, key chlorophyll molecule in the reaction centre has ground-state electrons that are raised to an excited state when light energy is received from the accessory pigments excited electrons are passed to photosystem I catalyses the splitting of water into hydrogen ions, electrons and oxygen atoms receive excited electrons and pass these on, simultaneous pumping protons from the matrix into the thylakoid compartment

reaction centre with chlorophyll a molecule, absorbing light of 680 nm wavelength

water-splitting enzyme

electron-carrier molecules

3 Electrons displaced from the reaction centre of photosystem II in an excited state are first passed to reaction centre of photosystem I. Here they are again raised to an excited state and this time they are passed to oxidised NADP (NADP+) to form reduced NADP (NADPH + H+).

ANSWERS TO SAQS

19 Table: the arguments of the Origin of Species presented as statements (S) and deductions (D). S1 S2 D1 S3 D2 organisms produce a far greater number of offspring than survive to be mature individuals the number of individuals in species remain more or less constant therefore, many organisms die before they can reproduce the individuals in a species are not identical, but show variations in their characteristics therefore, some individuals are more successful than others in the competition for survival so the parents for the next generation will be selected from among those members of the species better adapted to the conditions of the environment hereditary resemblance between parents and offspring is a fact therefore, subsequent generations will maintain and improve in the degree of adaptation of their parents, by gradual change

22 RNA involved in transcription messenger RNA (mRNA) A complementary copy of the code of a specific gene (part of the coding strand of DNA of a chromosome) mRNA is a linear molecule in the cytoplasm along which ribosomes move, reading the code and transcribing the information into a linear sequence of amino acid residues. In the cytoplasm amino acids available for incorporation into protein are activated by combining with short lengths of transfer RNA (tRNA). The special significance of tRNA is that it permits the translation a threebase sequence into an amino acid sequence. RNA is a major component of the ribosomes the organelles found in the cytoplasm and attached in rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER). Here the mRNA is read and the protein molecules are formed.

RNA involved in translation

messenger RNA (mRNA)

transfer RNA (tRNA)

S4 D3

20 See The HardyWeinberg principle and disturbing factors, page 41. 21 Sedimentary rocks are usually laid down under water, often under anaerobic conditions, from sediments washed in from dry land. Objects that fall to the bottom (for example, from dead organisms) are covered and compressed, and their molecules may eventually react with or be replaced by mineral ions.

ribosomal RNA