NATIONAL JUNIOR COLLEGE, SINGAPORE

Senior High 1
Common Test
Higher 2
CANDIDATE
NAME
BIOLOGY
CLASS

1bi2____ / 1IPbi2__

REGISTRATION NUMBER

BIOLOGY

9648/02

Paper 2

29 May 2013
1 hour 30 minutes

Additional Materials: Answer Paper

READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST
Write your name and Biology class on all the work you hand in.
Write in dark blue or black pen on both sides of the paper.
You may use a soft pencil for any diagrams, graphs or rough working.
Do not use staples, paper clips, highlighters, glue or correction fluid.
For Examiners Use

Answer all questions.

Section A
At the end of the examination, fasten all your work securely
together.
The number of marks is given in the brackets [ ] at the end of
each question or part question.

(Total: 20)

/ 10

/ 10

Section B

(Total: 20)

/ 10

/ 10

Section C

(Total: 20)

/ 20

Total

This document consists of 11 printed pages.

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/ 60

Name: _______________________ Class: 1bi2___ / 1IPbi2___

20

Section A
Answer all the questions in this section.
1

A biologist investigated the concentration of product formed over time in an

enzyme-catalysed reaction at two different temperatures. The results are shown
in Fig. 1.1.

Concentration
of product
formed /
mg dm-3

Fig. 1.1
(a) Calculate the rate of reaction in the first 10 minutes at 30 C.
[1]
(b) Explain why the initial rate of the reaction was slower at 30 C than at 50 C

[2]

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3
(c) Account for the shape of the graphs after 45 minutes.

[3]
(d) Many different enzymes are involved in DNA replication. Explain how DNA
polymerases are involved in the process.

[3]
(e) Suggest why the structure of DNA polymerase varies very little from species to
species.

[1]
[Total: 10]

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4
2

Fig 2.1 shows how a collagen fibre is synthesized. Each collagen fibre is made
up of numerous triple helices bundled together.

Fig. 2.1
(a) With reference to Fig 2.1, explain how the triple helices formed in the RER are
secreted out of the cell.

[3]
(b) Suggest why the collagen fibre is assembled outside the cell.

[1]

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5
Stachyose is a storage oligosaccharide found in beans, peas and other legumes.
Stachyose can only be metabolized by anaerobic microorganisms in the large intestine.
It is responsible for the production of carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide and other gases
that collectively make up what is known as flatulence. The structure of one molecule of
stachyose is shown in Fig. 2.2.

galactose

galactose

glucose

fructose

Fig. 2.2
An enzyme known as -galactosidase cleaves (1,6) glycosidic bonds to sequentially
release terminal galactose residues. The breakdown of stachyose by -galactosidase is
a two-step process. In the first step of this process, stachyose is hydrolysed to
galactose and raffinose (made up of galactose-glucose-fructose residues).
(c) With reference to Fig. 2.2, draw the products formed from the complete
hydrolysis of one molecule of raffinose by -galactosidase.

[2]

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6
Fig. 2.3 shows how the concentrations of stachyose, galactose, raffinose, and
sucrose change over a period of time.
1.8
1.6

stachyose

1.4
1.2
1.0
0.8

galactose

0.6

sucrose

0.4

raffinose

React
ant or
Prod
uct
(mM)

0.2
0.0
0

10

12

14

16

18

20

22

24

26

Time (h)

Fig. 2.3
(d) With reference to Fig. 2.3, explain the changes in the concentrations of
stachyose, galactose, raffinose, and sucrose relative to one another.

[3]
(e)

Suggest why the rate at which stachyose is broken down decreases to zero after
26 h.

[1]
[Total: 10]

NJC 2013

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Name: _______________________ Class: 1Bi2___ / 1IPBI2___

20

Section B
Answer all the questions in this section.
3

Fig. 3.1 shows two types of organelles present in eukaryotic cells.

organelle A

organelle B
Fig. 3.1

(a) Identify organelles A and B.

organelle A:
organelle B:

[1]

(b) Explain why these two organelles are proposed to be of bacterial origin.

[2]

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(c) Describe two structural differences between organelles A and B other than their sizes.

[2]
Fig. 3.2 shows a section of an organelle membrane.

Fig. 3.2
(d) Some molecules are able to pass through the organelle membrane without the facilitation
of transport proteins. State the unique properties of these molecules.
[2]

(e) Explain how membrane integrity is maintained at low temperatures.

[3]
[Total: 10]

NJC 2013

Fig. 4.1 shows a segment of mRNA and the amino acids that it codes for.

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Fig. 4.1
(a) Describe which features of the genetic code are shown in Fig. 4.1.

[2]
Ripening process in tomato is caused by ethylene gas. The production of ethylene
gas is catalysed by ethylene-forming enzyme (EFE). A base pair substitution in the
gene coding for EFE caused aspartic acid in the normal enzyme to be replaced by
valine in the mutant enzyme. As a result, no ethylene gas is produced.
(b) Explain how the base pair substitution in the EFE gene affects the structure of the
enzyme.

[4]

Total RNA was isolated from the cytoplasm of tomato cells and mixed with a
purified, denatured DNA fragment that carried a large intron of a housekeeping gene
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(a gene that is expressed in almost all cells). The RNA-DNA mixture was incubated
for 12 hours under renaturation conditions. Fig. 4.2 shows two possible types of
RNA-DNA duplexes that could be formed.

Fig. 4.2
(c) Predict and explain which type(s) of RNA-DNA duplexes would be formed during the
incubation.

[2]
(d) Discuss the structure-function relationship of tRNA in the translation process.

[2]
[Total: 10]

Name: _______________________ Class: 1bi2___ / 1IPbi2___

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11
Section C
Answer all parts of this question in this section.
Write your answers on the separate answer paper provided.
Your answers should be illustrated by large, clearly labelled diagrams, where appropriate.
Your answers must be in continuous prose, where appropriate.
Your answers must be set out in section (a), (b) etc., as indicated in the question.

5 (a)

Describe how genetically identical cells are naturally produced in the meristem of a
plant.
[10]

(b)

Explain the importance of mitosis in living organisms.

[6]

(c)

Discuss the significance of different events at interphase of the cell cycle in preparation
for cell and nuclear division.
[4]

[Total: 20]

NJC 2013

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