Answers

Unit 2 Biology 2023

Test 2
SECTION A: MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS

Answer all multiple-choice questions on the answer sheet provided on the back page.

Question 1
A student cut a stem from a plant, just below the node. They applied some growth hormone and planted
the stem in potting mix. This is an example of

A. grafting.
B. budding.
C. cutting.
D. somatic cell nuclear transfer.

Question 2
Some organisms, such as the Komodo dragon, can repopulate via the process of parthenogenesis. The
advantage of this is

A. no energy is wasted finding a mate.

B. offspring are genetically identical.
C. the gender of the offspring can be determined based upon the incubation temperature.
D. only strong offspring are produced.

Question 3
Starfish can regenerate lost arms that fall off or are damaged, by a process called fragmentation. The arm
is replaced by

A. cells dividing by meiosis.

B. cells dividing by mitosis.
C. cells undergoing apoptosis.
D. cells undergoing binary fission.

Question 4
Tissue culturing in plants is a technique that can be used to produce

A. new tissue for medical procedures.

B. more varieties of a particular plant.
C. many new plants that are identical genetically.
D. new types of seedlings.

Question 5
Embryo splitting has been used in the livestock industry for many years. It enables the genetic output
from a top bull and a top cow to be doubled. The resultant offspring will be genetically identical to

A. the top bull.

B. the surrogate mother.
C. to the top cow.
D. each other.
Question 6
Cloning using nuclear transfer techniques has some limitations. Which of the following statements is
NOT a limitation?

A. Very few embryos make it to full term.

B. The telomeres on the end of the chromosomes become longer.
C. Few clones survive beyond birth due to many abnormalities.
D. The success rate of initiating development of the egg after transfer of the donor nucleus is low.

Question 7
Barnacles attach themselves to rocks and sometimes to whales. They emerge from their hard shells
exposing feeding arms that capture phytoplankton. These feeding arms are supported by buoyancy of the
seawater.

The biotic and abiotic factors present would be:

Biotic Factors Abiotic Factors

A. Phytoplankton, whales, barnacles. Buoyancy, rocks, seawater.
B. Buoyancy, rocks, water. Phytoplankton, whales, barnacles.
C. Phytoplankton, whales, rocks. Hard shells, salt, barnacles.
D. Hard shells, seawater, rocks. Whales, phytoplankton, barnacles.

Question 8
Identify which one of the following is an example of a physiological adaptation.

A. A snake biting when it is frightened.

B. A desert rat sleeping during the heat of the day.
C. A male seahorse looking after its young in its pouch.
D. A seal producing a chemical that helps it store extra oxygen for deep dives.

Question 9
When threatened, dogs raise the hair on their back. This is an example of a

A. adaptation to keep them warm.

B. behavioural adaptation to look larger.
C. physiological adaptation to demonstrate receptiveness to mating.
D. structural adaptation to remove heat from the body.
Question 10
A tolerance range is the specific abiotic conditions in which a particular species can successfully live and
reproduce. As shown below, there is an optimum range in which most butterflies can thrive.

The zone of physiological stress refers to

A. most organisms being able to deal with the conditions but overall, most will die.
B. some organisms being able to deal with the conditions and are able to thrive.
C. some organisms being able to deal with the conditions because the new environment has caused
mutations which enable them to thrive.
D. some organisms being able to deal with the conditions but overall, it is not a place where the
organisms thrive.

Question 11
The emperor penguin is the tallest and heaviest of all living penguin species and is only found in
Antarctica. Most other species of penguins are unable to survive in this environment. Which of the
following is a physiological adaptation that allows the emperor penguin to survive in extremely cold
conditions?

A. A counter current heat exchange system.

B. A very thick layer of blubber.
C. Possession of waterproof feathers.
D. Huddling in groups.

Question 12
An open forest consists of an upper story of leafy tops of various trees, a mid-story consisting of shrubs, a
ground cover of herbs and ferns, and many fungi living in the soil. Many animals also live in the forest.
These include marsupials such as possums in tree hollows, birds in all levels of the canopy, insects at all
levels and reptiles on the ground.
The term that best encompasses all these groups of organisms is

A. population.
B. community.
C. ecosystem.
D. food web.
Question 13
The population of rabbits in Australia is described as having a wide distribution. This means it has

A. a number of organisms in farmlands.

B. a number of organisms in a small area.
C. a number of organisms spread over a large area.
D. a number of organisms in the mountain ranges.

Question 14
The maximum number of a species that an ecosystem can support is the

A. logistic growth.
B. density distribution.
C. overshoot.
D. carrying capacity.

Question 15
Population numbers are limited by

A. access to habitat.
B. food availability.
C. opportunities to mate.
D. all the above.

Question 16

A species, which employs “K- selection” as a reproductive strategy is most likely to have which of the
following features? Members of the species

A. live in unstable environments.

B. produce a large number of offspring.
C. breed quickly.
D. produce few offspring and invest a lot of parental care into raising offspring following birth.

Question 17
In the deserts of Taru in Kenya, the mongoose, a mammal and hornbills, a bird species share a positive,
interspecific relationship. In the desert, there are no trees, so both species spend a large proportion of their
time on the ground foraging for food. For resting and sleeping purposes, both species need a safe ground
area as they are both exposed to high predator pressures. When the hornbills are sleeping or hunting for
food, the mongoose guard them and vice versa. Each species makes certain noises when threatening
reptiles are nearby to alert the other party. Together the two species protect each other. This ecological
relationship between the mongoose and the hornbills is best described as

A. mutualism.
B. commensalism.
C. parasitism.
D. amensalism.

Use the following information to answer questions 18 and 19

In the diagram below, A-D represent areas of a rock platform typical of coastal Victoria. The graph on the
right represents the tolerance limits of three different species: X, Y and Z.

Question 18
Organism Z would most likely be confined to area

A. A
B. B
C. C
D. D

Question 19
It would be reasonable to assume, with reference to temperature-tolerance limits, that

A. X is able to maintain its body temperature within a narrow range.

B. Y has a greater tolerance range for temperature than Z.
C. all organisms could exist together at a particular temperature.
D. Z could live in more diverse areas.

Question 20
Indigenous connection to the land ensures that Indigenous people

A. only hunt animals when they are abundant.

B. exist on a plant-based diet.
C. do cool burning in summer.
D. follow the western seasons.

Total 20 marks
SECTION B: SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

Answer all questions in the spaces provided.

Question 1
The image in Figure 1 shows the life cycle that occurs in jellyfish. They can alternate between sexual and
asexual reproduction to repopulate.

Figure 1

a. With evidence from Figure 1, explain the difference in genetic diversity between the planula and the
bud.

Planula is created using an egg therefore meiosis is involved ½ which creates more genetic diversity ½
than the bud from the polyp which has been produced via mitosis ½ and therefore are genetically identical
to the parental cell. ½

2 marks

b. Discuss the advantage of altering between asexual and sexual reproduction.

Asexual reproduction allows them to quickly reproduce ½ with less energy ½.

Sexual reproduction allows more diversity in offspring ½ increasing the chance that some will survive
changing conditions ½

2 marks
Question 2
Cloning has been used extensively in plant and animal breeding for years. Animal clones have been
produced from both embryonic and non-embryonic cells using nuclear transfer techniques.
‘Dolly’, was the first mammal to be cloned from nuclear transfer techniques. Figure 2 outlines this
cloning technique.

Dolly

Figure 2

a. Describe a clone.

Groups of cells, organisms or genes ½ with identical genetic make-up ½

1 mark
b. ‘Dolly’ was created using an udder cell from a six-year-old ewe. Discuss whether the udder cell is a
somatic cell or a germline cell.

The udder cell is a somatic cell ½ because it is a body cell. ½

Germline cells are found in gonads ½ therefore found in the ovary of the ewe. ½
2 marks

c. Three different breeds of sheep were used in the process of producing ‘Dolly’. Referring to Figure 2,
explain which sheep Dolly is the clone of.

Dolly is the clone of sheep 1. ½

Dolly’s DNA originates from the udder cell of sheep 1. ½
The nucleus was removed from the egg cell donated by sheep 2. ½
Sheep 3 did not provide any DNA just the uterus for the gestation period. ½

Or something similar

2 marks
Question 3
The graphs in Figure 3 shows a comparison between the ambient and body temperature of male and
female echidnas over a 12-month period.

Figure 3

a. Referring to Figure 3, state the months that the male and female echidnas hibernate.

Males hibernate from February to June ½ and females hibernate from April to August ½
1 mark

b. Propose a reason as to why males and females hibernate at different times.

Mating was observed in June (1).

The female hibernates for longer after mating ½ to increase the success of a live birth ½
Whereas the male leaves hibernation ½ to source food for the mother ½
3 marks

c. Describe and explain the benefit derived by the echidna by hibernating.

Conserves energy and resources ½ by remaining inactive (or, greatly reducing their metabolic rate) ½
during times when there are less resources available in the environment ½
increasing survival of the species ½
2 marks

d. Referring to Figure 3, compare the changes in the body temperature for the male and female echidnas
in varying ambient temperatures during active periods.
o
The male temperature ranges from 25 – 34 C ½ whereas the female temperature fluctuates from 25 – 37
o
C½
1 mark
Question 4
Cacti are a type of plant synonymous with desert conditions. They have numerous adaptations that have
enabled them to fulfil a unique niche in arid conditions.

a. Complete the following table to identify the type and significance of different adaptations in the cactus.

Adaptation Describe how water loss is reduced

Slows the flow of air across the leaves ½ reducing water loss
Hairs on leaf surface
Reflects sunlight and keeps leaf cool ½ which reduces water loss
Silver/grey coloured leaves
Creates a humidity chamber ½ to minimise water loss
Sunken stomata
Wax is made of a water proof material that locks the water inside the
Thick, waxy cuticles leaf ½ thus reducing water loss

2 marks

b. Identify a limiting factor for plants living in a desert environment and explain how this factor may
directly impact the chance of the plant’s survival.

Water availability. ½
For plants water is essential for photosynthesis. ½
Without photosynthesis glucose cannot be produced. ½
Glucose is an essential energy source for the plants to survive. ½

2 marks

c. Behavioural adaptations are easier to observe in animal species than plant species. Describe the
difference between behavioural adaptation and structural adaptation.

Structural - Physical features ½ of an organism that enable them to survive in a given environment. ½
Behavioural - Activities that an organism performs ½ in response to internal and external stimuli. ½

2 marks
Question 5
a. Describe the function of a keystone species.

Keystone species are species whose presence in an ecosystem is essential ½ for the maintenance of that
ecosystem. ½

1 mark

b. i) Population size and density can be affected by the absence of keystone species. However, there are
some factors whose impact on members of a population is not affected by the size of the population.
State the term used to describe such factors.

Density-independent 1
1 mark

ii) List two of these factors.

Any two of the following for ½ mark each
Acidity, rainfall, humidity, temperature, salinity
1 mark

Figure 5 is a graph showing population number of two species over time.

Figure 5

c. State the interaction seen between the two animals shown in Figure 5.

Predator – prey 1

1 mark
d. Referring to Figure 5, provide an explanation for the drastic decease in snowshoe hares just before
1965.

The arctic fox numbers started to increase in number ½ from 10 000 to about 60 000. ½
As arctic foxes increased there were more predators ½ to kill their prey, the snowshoe hares. ½

2 marks
f. Discuss the outcome if the arctic fox was removed for this habitat.

Numbers of snowshoe hares would increase, but not indefinitely. ½

At some point there would be too many ½ snowshoe hares that the habitat could not support.
(OR- Not enough food or space to support increase population) ½
The number of snowshoe hares will decline. ½
2 marks
Multiple-choice Answer Sheet
Student’s Name: ___________________________ Teacher’s Name: _________________________

Use a pencil for all entries. If you make a mistake, erase the incorrect answer – do not cross it out.
Marks will not be deducted for incorrect answers.
No mark will be given if more than one answer is completed for any question.

All answers must be completed like this example:

Use pencil only

Section A: Section B:
____ ____
20 30

Total: ____ %
50