UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL EXAMINATIONS

General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level

* 8 6 3 7 4 6 0 9 6 1 *

5090/62

BIOLOGY
Paper 6 Alternative to Practical

May/June 2011
1 hour

Candidates answer on the Question Paper.

No Additional Materials are required.
READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST
Write your Centre number, candidate number and name on all the work you hand in.
Write in dark blue or black pen in the spaces provided on the Question 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.
DO NOT WRITE IN ANY BARCODES.
Answer all questions.
At the end of the examination, fasten all your work securely together.
The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or part question.

For Examiners Use

1
2
3
Total

This document consists of 9 printed pages and 3 blank pages.

DC (SM/SW) 36353/2
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An investigation was carried out into how the green pigment is inherited in tobacco plants.
Two tobacco plants were cross-pollinated and the seeds were collected from the fruits that
developed. These tobacco seeds were then placed at random on wet paper in two dishes
and given suitable conditions for germination. Both dishes were exposed to light.
Fig. 1.1 shows the seedlings that developed.

dish B

dish A
Key
shaded = green
not shaded = white
Fig. 1.1

(a) Count the number of green seedlings and the number of white seedlings on the two
dishes A and B and complete Table 1.1.
Table 1.1
number of seedlings
dish
green

white

A
B
total
[2]

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(b) Suggest and explain what these total numbers in Table 1.1 indicate about the inheritance
of the green pigment.

For
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(c) Suggest how you could improve the reliability of this investigation.
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(d) Suggest and explain which seedlings, given the right conditions, would be able to grow
to become mature healthy plants.
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[Total: 11]

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2

Fig. 2.1 is a diagram of a section through human skin.

For
Examiners
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Fig. 2.1
(a) Identify structures C, D and E.
C ...............................................................................
D ...............................................................................
E ...............................................................................
[3]
(b) Describe how structure C might be involved in maintaining a constant body temperature.
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[Total: 6]

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3

Fig. 3.1 shows sections through two different types of flower that may develop on the same
marrow plant.

flower F

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flower G
Fig. 3.1

(a) Complete Table 3.1 by describing two visible differences between flower F and flower
G.
Table 3.1
difference

flower F

flower G

[2]

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Fig. 3.2 shows a photomicrograph of a pollen grain from a marrow flower.

scale:

0.05 mm
Fig. 3.2

(b) (i)

Calculate the magnification of this pollen grain.

magnification .................................................. [3]

(ii)

Suggest, with reasons, how pollination occurs in marrow.

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After pollination and fertilisation, the fruit develops. The fruits and seeds that develop from
these flowers are usually edible.

For
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Fig. 3.3 shows a transverse section of a marrow fruit.

Fig. 3.3
(c) Make a large, labelled drawing of the section through the fruit to show the arrangement
of the seeds and surrounding tissues.

[5]

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Melons are closely related to marrows but the fruits of melons are sweeter than those of
marrows.
(d) Describe how you could carry out an investigation, using a simple food test, to compare
the sugar content of melon and marrow fruits.
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The sugar content of some other fruits is shown in Table 3.2.

For
Examiners
Use

Table 3.2
sugar content g / 100 g of fruit
melon

grape

ripe banana

pomegranate

apple

6.3

15.5

20.0

17.0

11.8

(e) (i)

Draw a bar chart to show the sugar content of these fruits.

[4]
(ii)

Calculate how many times greater the sugar content of 100 g of a ripe banana is
than that of 100 g of a melon. Show your working.

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[Total: 23]

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Copyright Acknowledgements:
Fig. 3.2

Pollen from Cyaponia jenmanii ; http://www.nybg.org/botany/tlobova/hequet/pollen_atlas.html.

Permission to reproduce items where third-party owned material protected by copyright is included has been sought and cleared where possible. Every
reasonable effort has been made by the publisher (UCLES) to trace copyright holders, but if any items requiring clearance have unwittingly been included, the
publisher will be pleased to make amends at the earliest possible opportunity.
University of Cambridge International Examinations is part of the Cambridge Assessment Group. Cambridge Assessment is the brand name of University of
Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES), which is itself a department of the University of Cambridge.

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