HKDSE BIOLOGY: Connecting Concepts (Book 1B)

Answers to Exam practice

Answers to Exam practice

Chapter 6 Food and humans
Multiple-choice questions (p.6-37)

1. A

2. D

3. B
Vitamin D is produced by the skin under sunlight.

4. B

5. D
The orange is rich in vitamin C and dietary fibre.

6. A

7. A

8. C

9. B
Let X be the concentration of vitamin C in the kiwi fruit juice.
X × number of drops of kiwi fruit juice needed to decolourize 1 cm3 of DCPIP solution
= 0.1% × number of drops of vitamin C solution needed to decolourize 1 cm3 of DCPIP
solution
X = 0.1% × 12 ÷ 24 = 0.05%

10. C

11. D

© Aristo Educational Press Ltd. 1

HKDSE BIOLOGY: Connecting Concepts (Book 1B)
Answers to Exam practice

Short questions (p.6-39)

12. (a) (i) Lactose / glucose / galactose (1)

(ii) It is broken down in respiration to release energy. /

In excess, it is converted into glycogen as energy reserves. (1)

(b) An essential amino acid is one that cannot be synthesized by the human body / must be
obtained from the diet. (1)

(c) (i) Calcium (1)

(ii) Rickets (1)

13. (a) A balanced diet supplies all the necessary nutrients in appropriate amounts but no single
does this. /
Vegetarians need to eat several foods to take in appropriate amounts of all the major
nutrients. (1)
Examples:
 Cereals / legumes lack some vitamins. (1) /
 Roots lack vitamins and minerals. (1) /
 Fruit and vegetables lack proteins and energy. (1)
(Any two, 2)

(b) A vegetarian diet has low fat content, (1)

which reduces the risk of obesity / heart diseases. (1)
OR
A vegetarian diet has a high content of dietary fibre, (1)
which helps prevent constipation / maintain normal peristalsis / reduce the risk of colon
cancer / avoid overeating. (1)
OR
A vegetarian diet has a high vitamin C content, (1)
which helps in preventing scurvy / the formation of connective tissues. (1)
(Any two sets, 4)
14. Too much energy is taken in, which could lead to obesity. (1)
Too much sugar is taken in, which could possibly lead to diabetes / obesity / tooth decay. (1)
Too much fat is taken in, which could lead to obesity / heart disease / circulatory disease. (1)
Too much salt / sodium is taken in, which could lead to high blood pressure. (1)
A lack of exercise affects heart and circulatory functions. (1)
Only one meal is being looked at and therefore when all the daily meals are considered then
the overshoot of the GDAs is large. (1)

© Aristo Educational Press Ltd. 2

HKDSE BIOLOGY: Connecting Concepts (Book 1B)
Answers to Exam practice

© Aristo Educational Press Ltd. 3

HKDSE BIOLOGY: Connecting Concepts (Book 1B)
Answers to Exam practice

Structured questions (p.6-40)

15. (a) Correct names of food substances (1)

Correct order (1)
Carbohydrates, protein, fats

(b) A serving of wholemeal bread contains more carbohydrates, fats and proteins than a
serving of white bread. (1)
Wholemeal bread contains dietary fibre while white bread contains no dietary fibre. (1)
Both wholemeal bread and white bread contain more or less the same amount of
sodium. (1)
Both wholemeal bread and white bread do not contain any trans fats or cholesterol. (1)

(c) (i) Scurvy (1)

(ii) Fruits, green vegetables (1)

16. (a) Milk contains certain ‘accessory factors’ (vitamins) which are essential for the healthy
growth of young rats. (1)

(b) From day 0 to day 24, the mass of the rats in group A increased rapidly. (1)
From day 24 to day 36, the mass of the rats increased slowly (plateaued). (1)
After day 36, the mass of the rats decreased. (1)

(c) The mass of the rats in group B increased only a little, (1)
because no milk was provided. (1)

(d) Changes in mass are more significant in young rats than in adult rats. (1)
Adult rats may have reserved some vitamins in their bodies. (1)

(e) This gives more accurate results / avoids failure of experiment due to accidental death of
an individual. (1)

17. (a) (32.2 – 7.6) ÷ 32.2 × 100% (1)

= 76.4% (1)

(b) Grind pieces of cabbage of a known mass with distill water to obtain an extract. (1)
Add the extract drop by drop to a fixed volume of DCPIP solution until the solution
become colourless. (1)
Add vitamin C solution of a known concentration drop by drop to the same volume of
DCPIP solution. (1)
Calculate the concentration of vitamin C of the cabbage extract, hence the vitamin C
content of a unit mass of cabbage. (1)

© Aristo Educational Press Ltd. 4

HKDSE BIOLOGY: Connecting Concepts (Book 1B)
Answers to Exam practice

© Aristo Educational Press Ltd. 5

HKDSE BIOLOGY: Connecting Concepts (Book 1B)
Answers to Exam practice

(c) (i) Vitamin C is degraded by heat. (1) /

Vitamin C leaves cabbage cells because it is water soluble. (1) /
Cell membranes are damaged by heat, so vitamin C leaks out of the cells more
quickly. (1)
(Any two, 2)

(ii) The enzyme / ascorbic acid oxidase would have been denatured more quickly in
boiling water. (1)

(d) Stored sauerkraut still contains some vitamin C but cabbage would rot / decompose. (1)

18. (a) Yes. (1)

The daily energy intake from the diet is smaller than her daily energy requirement. (1)
Therefore, stored fat is broken down to release energy. (1)

(b) Anaemia (1)

The amount of iron obtained from the diet is too small. (1)

(c) Grind some brown rice with distilled water. (1)

Filter out the solids and collect the food extract. (1)
Dip the test end of a piece of protein test paper (Albustix paper) into the extract. (1)
A colour change of the test end (from yellow to green) indicates the presence of
proteins. (1)

19. (a) (i) D (1)

(ii) A (1)

(iii) B (1)

(iv) A (1)

(b) The participants should have the same / similar levels of activity. (1) /
The volume / mass / energy content of breakfast should be similar the same / similar. (1) /
The volume / mass / energy content of other meals / drinks during the day should be the
same / similar. (1) /
The duration of investigation should be fixed. (1) /
Other health factors (e.g. smoking, fitness, stress) of the participants should be controlled
the same. (1) /
The participants should have the same mass / BMI at the start of the investigation. (1) /
Each participant should have the same type of breakfast throughout the investigation. (1) /
Body mass should be measured at the same time of the day. (1)
(Any two, 2)

© Aristo Educational Press Ltd. 6

HKDSE BIOLOGY: Connecting Concepts (Book 1B)
Answers to Exam practice

© Aristo Educational Press Ltd. 7

HKDSE BIOLOGY: Connecting Concepts (Book 1B)
Answers to Exam practice

(c) Those participants who ate no breakfast had the third highest BMI / a higher mean BMI
than most other groups. (1)
Their mean BMI is 1.5 higher than those who ate cooked cereal / 0.5 higher than those
who ate fruit and vegetables / 0.5 higher than those who ate bread / 0.85 higher than those
who ate ready-to-eat cereal. (1)

20. (a) (i) Men have a larger body size than women. (1) /
Men tend to do more exercise / more physically active. (1) /
Men have a higher proportion of muscles / lower proportion of fat. (1) /
Men have a higher metabolic rate. (1)
(Any two, 2)

(ii) Carbohydrate (1)

(b) Women under 50 menstruate. /

Women over 50 stop menstruating. (1)
Haemoglobin contains iron. (1)
Women under 50 need more iron to replace the loss of iron during menstruation. (1)

(c) Calcium is a major component of bones and teeth. (1)

Children need more calcium for the development of bones and teeth as they grow. (1)
Women over 50 need more calcium to replace the loss of calcium from bones / prevent
osteoporosis. (1)

(d) The actual amount of protein needed varies with body size / height / mass / age. (1) /
Children need more protein when they are growing. (1) /
Children may need more protein after injury / illness. (1)
(Any two, 2)
Essay (p.9-44)

21. Lose weight and build muscle (Max. 4)

• lean meat does not contain much fat and carbohydrates, this reduces the energy intake (1)
• when the energy intake is lower than the energy expenditure (1)
our body will utilise food reserve, body fat in this case, to support our daily activities (1)
• protein in the lean meat will be digested to form amino acids (1)
• amino acids will be assimilated to form muscle fibres (1)
according to the needs of the body
Health problems associated with the unbalanced diet (Max. 2)
• such diet may lack other essential nutrients which are also important for our health (1)
such as certain mineals and vitamins
• insufficient intake of minerals and vitamins leads to deficiency diseases (1)

© Aristo Educational Press Ltd. 8

HKDSE BIOLOGY: Connecting Concepts (Book 1B)
Answers to Exam practice

(may cite specific examples)

Health problems associated with protein metabolism (Max. 3)
• excess amino acids will be deaminated in the liver forming urea (1)
• and the urea will be excreted through the kidney (1)
• this creates heavy workload to both the liver and the kidney (1)
and may lead to failure of their functioning (1)
Communication (3)

Chapter 7 Nutrition in humans

Multiple-choice questions (p.7-44)

1. B

2. D

3. D

4. D
In the mouth cavity, starch is broken down into maltose by the action of salivary amylase. In
the stomach, proteins are broken down into peptides by the action of proteases in the gastric
juice.

5. C

6. B

7. A

8. C

9. B
The pancreas secretes lipase into the small intestine (duodenum).

10. C
The pancreas produces pancreatic juice, which is released into the duodenum through the
pancreatic duct. The liver produces bile which is stored in the gall bladder before entering the
bile duct into the duodenum.

11. B
Amylase catalyses the digestion of starch into reducing sugars, which diffuse out of the
dialysis tubing. The presence of reducing sugars in the water sample causes the formation of a
brick-red precipitate in the Benedict’s test. Starch molecules are too large to diffuse out of the

© Aristo Educational Press Ltd. 9

HKDSE BIOLOGY: Connecting Concepts (Book 1B)
Answers to Exam practice

dialysis tubing, and so the water sample gives negative results in the iodine test.

© Aristo Educational Press Ltd. 10

HKDSE BIOLOGY: Connecting Concepts (Book 1B)
Answers to Exam practice

12. C
The mixture of amylase and starch solution represents the mixture of food and digestive
enzymes in small intestine. The dialysis tubing represents the wall of the small intestine which
is selectively permeable. Water surrounding the dialysis tubing represents blood.

13. B
The absorption of digested food into the blood decreases the water potential of the blood. As a
result, water is drawn into the blood by osmosis.

14. C
The main function of the colon is water absorption.

15. C
Vessel R is the hepatic portal vein, which carries blood from the capillaries of the small
intestine to the liver. The blood glucose concentration in the hepatic portal vein will increase
after a meal as food is digested and glucose absorbed by the small intestine.

16. B

Short questions (p.7-46)

17. (a) X: digestion (1)

Z: egestion (1)

(b) Mouth cavity (1)

(c) The small intestine is very long / inner wall is highly folded / has numerous villi / has
numerous microvilli on the epithelial cells of villi, which provides a large surface area for
absorption. (1) /
The epithelium of the villi is very thin / one-cell thick, which provides a short distance for
diffusion of food molecules into the blood. (1) /
The presence of lacteals and capillaries in the villi / movement of the villi caused by
peristalsis helps maintain a steep concentration gradient for the diffusion of food
molecules. (1)
(Any two, 2)

18. (a) X: molar (1)

Y: canine (1)
Z: incisor (1)

(b) The teeth cut food into smaller pieces. (1)

The tongue moves the food around inside the mouth cavity for thorough mastication. (1)

© Aristo Educational Press Ltd. 11

HKDSE BIOLOGY: Connecting Concepts (Book 1B)
Answers to Exam practice

19. (a) (i) Oesophagus (1)

(ii) Peristalsis (1)

(b) (i) Hydrochloric acid (1)

It provides an acidic pH for the proteases to work efficiently. (1)

(ii) The cardiac sphincter surrounding the entrance to structure Q prevents food from
moving up into structure P. (1)

(iii) The wall of structure Q secretes mucus, which forms a physical barrier to prevent
damage by the acid. (1)

20. (a) Large food molecules need to be digested to make them small enough to be absorbed / to
make them soluble / to pass into the blood through the intestine wall. (1)

(b) (i) The rate of digestion of lipids by lipase increases when the pH increases. (1)

(ii) Bile salts in bile emulsify lipids into small oil droplets. (1)
This increases the surface area for lipase to act on. (1)

21. (a) it is taken from the small intestine / ileum (1)

as evidenced by the presence of villi in the region (1)

(b) Figure A: finger-like projections (villi) (1)

provide a larger surface area for the absorption of digested food substances (1)
Figure B: rich supply of blood / dense capillary network (1)
helps transport away the absorbed food substances quickly (1)
this maintains a steep concentration gradient of these food substances to facilitate the
absorption (1)

Structured questions (p.7-49)

22. (a) (i) Cabbage mainly consists of carbohydrates / cellulose. (1)

The stomach does not have the corresponding enzymes / carbohydrases / cellulase to
catalyse the digestion of carbohydrates / cellulose. (1)

(ii) (1) Type of food (1)

(2) Time taken to complete digestion (1)
(3) Constant temperature / same volume of food (1)

(b) (i) Investigations 3 and 4 (1)

(ii) The rate of digestion of is higher at 37 °C than at 20 °C. (1)

Gastric juice contains proteases. (1)

© Aristo Educational Press Ltd. 12

HKDSE BIOLOGY: Connecting Concepts (Book 1B)
Answers to Exam practice

The enzyme works better / is more active at 37 °C which is close to its optimum
temperature. (1)

(c) In the stomach, food is churned and mechanically broken down into smaller pieces. (1)
Churning in the stomach also mixes food with the gastric juice to increase the contact of
food with the enzyme / protease / pepsin. (1)

23. (a) (i) Lipase (1)

(ii) Small intestine / duodenum / ileum (1)

(b) (i) Volume of milk / volume (concentration) of sodium carbonate solution / volume
(concentration) of enzyme solution / length of time for which the test tubes are kept
in the water bath before mixing / number of drops of indicator
(Any two, 2)

(ii) To ensure the contents in both tubes get to the correct temperature before mixing. (1)

(iii) Fat in the milk is broken down into fatty acids (1)
which lower the pH of the reaction mixture. (1)

(c) (i) At a higher temperature, fat and lipase molecules have more energy to move faster /
have more collisions so that enzyme-substrate complexes are more easily formed. (1)

(ii) Lipase / enzyme / active site is denatured so that it no longer fits the substrate. (1)

(d) • The same results were obtained at 30 °C and 40 °C. / The optimum temperature
could be any temperature between 30 °C and 40 °C. / No investigation was
conducted at 35 °C. / It is necessary to repeat the investigation at smaller temperature
intervals between 30 °C and 40 °C. (1) /
• The results are only accurate to the nearest minute. (1) /
• The end-point is difficult to be determined. (1) /
• There is no mention of repeats. / The investigation needs to be repeatable /
reproducible. (1)
(Any two, 2)

24. (a) bile salts emulsify fat into droplets (1)

such that there is an increase in surface area for the action of lipase / enzyme (1)

(b) as the bile supplementation increased, the fat content of the faeces decreased (1)
this indicates increased digestion of fat (1)

(c) to show that the addition of bile supplementation does not adversely affect the growth
of the pigs / indicate the effectiveness of the bile supplementation on promoting pigs’
growth / effectiveness of fat absorption (1)

© Aristo Educational Press Ltd. 13

HKDSE BIOLOGY: Connecting Concepts (Book 1B)
Answers to Exam practice

(d) Concept for mark award:

(1): suitable substrates and correct enzyme used in the experiment (1)
(2): identification of parameter for meausring the dependent variable (1)
(3): expected results was provided (1)
• prepare an alkalined mixture of lipase, bile salts and oil (1)
• add pH indicator into the mixture / use a data logger with pH sensor / pH meter to
show the change in pH of the mxiture (1)
• the faster the drop in the pH of the mixture, the faster the digestion of fat (1)
Accept other reasonable experiments

25. (a) (i) Less bile would be delivered to the duodenum to emulsify fat into droplets. (1)
The surface area of the fat for digestion by the lipase remains small. (1)
Thus, fat digestion is slowed down. (1)

(ii) The faeces lack bile pigments, (1)

which contain breakdown products of hemoglobin and darken the faeces. (1)

(iii) Pancreatic juice accumulates in the pancreas due to the blockage of the pancreatic
duct. (1)
Pancreatic juice contains digestive enzymes which lead to the digestion of the tissues
of the pancreas. (1)

(b) With a smaller ‘pouch’ stomach, the patient feels full quickly even has eaten only a small
amount of food. (1)
Thus, the patient tends to eat less. (1)
OR
Food will bypass the duodenum which is a main site of digestion. (1)
Thus, less food is digested. (1)
OR
Food will bypass the duodenum where absorption takes place. (1)
Thus, less food is absorbed. (1)
(Any two sets, 4)
Essays (p.7-52)
26. Digestion of food:
• Food is chewed into small pieces by the teeth during mastication. (1) /
• Mastication increases the surface area of food that comes in contact with saliva. (1) /
• Amylase in the saliva helps break down the starch in the mashed potatoes into maltose.
(1) /

© Aristo Educational Press Ltd. 14

HKDSE BIOLOGY: Connecting Concepts (Book 1B)
Answers to Exam practice

• Food is churned and mixed with gastric juice in the stomach. (1) /
• Protease (pepsin) in the gastric juice helps break down proteins in meat into peptides. (1) /

© Aristo Educational Press Ltd. 15

HKDSE BIOLOGY: Connecting Concepts (Book 1B)
Answers to Exam practice

• In the small intestine, protease in the pancreatic juice helps break down the peptides into
amino acids. (1) /
• Bile contains bile salts which emulsify lipids in meat into small droplets. (1) /
• Pancreatic lipase helps break down lipid droplets into fatty acids and glycerol. (1) /
• Pancreatic amylase helps breakdown the remaining starch into maltose. (1) /
• On the membranes of the epithelial cells,
• carbohydrates help break down disaccharides into monosaccharides. (1) /
• proteases help break down peptides into amino acids. (1)
(Max. 5)
Absorption of digested food substances:
• Monosaccharides and amino acids are absorbed into the blood capillaries of the villi by
diffusion and active transport. (1)
• Fatty acids and glycerol enter the epithelial cells of the villi by diffusion. (1)
• In the epithelial cells, fatty acids and glycerol recombine to from small lipid droplets, (1)
which then enter the lymph in the lacteals. (1)
Communication (3)

27. Effects on carbohydrate metabolism:

• Less glucose is absorbed by the liver (1) /
• Less glycogen is stored in the liver (1) /
• (because) cells do not respond to insulin (1) /
• Less release of glucose from stored glycogen (1) /
• (if) cells do not respond to glucagon (1) /
• Less production of glucose from amino acids / glycerol (1)
(Max. 3)
Effects on protein metabolism:
• Less breakdown of protein (1) /
• Less conversion of amino acids to ammonia / less deamination (1) /
• Less production of urea (1) /
• Reduced synthesis of protein (1)
(Max. 3)
Consequences of any of the above:
• blood clotting problems (1) /
• transport role of proteins (1) /
• disturbance of water balance (1) /
• blood glucose concentrations remain high / inability to regulate blood glucose / diabetic
(1) /
• need for amino acid supplements (1)
(Max. 2)

© Aristo Educational Press Ltd. 16

HKDSE BIOLOGY: Connecting Concepts (Book 1B)
Answers to Exam practice

Communication (3)

Chapter 8 Gas exchange in humans

Multiple-choice questions (p.8-35)

1. C

2. D

3. D

4. B
The air sacs are made of living cells, which utilize glucose to obtain energy. Therefore, the
glucose content in blood decreases as blood flows from P to Q.

5. C

6. C

7. C
About 2% of oxygen is transported as dissolved oxygen in blood plasma.

8. B
During inhalation, the intercostal muscles contract, lifting the rib cage upwards and outwards.
At the same time, the diaphragm muscles contract so that the diaphragm becomes flattened.
The decrease of pressure in the thoracic cavity causes inflation of the lungs.

9. D

10. C
The volume of the lung keeps increasing during inhalation (from P to R) and becomes the
largest just before exhalation begins (at R).

Short questions (p.8-37)

11. (a) Ciliated epithelium (1)

(b) Trachea / bronchi / bronchus / bronchioles (1)

(c) The cells need to produce ATP / release energy (1)

for the movement of cilia / secreting mucus (1)

(d) It contains cells that secrete mucus. (1)

The mucus traps pathogens / bacteria. (1)
The cilia sweep the mucus up to the throat where it is then swallowed or coughed out. (1)

© Aristo Educational Press Ltd. 17

HKDSE BIOLOGY: Connecting Concepts (Book 1B)
Answers to Exam practice

© Aristo Educational Press Ltd. 18

HKDSE BIOLOGY: Connecting Concepts (Book 1B)
Answers to Exam practice

12. (a) Diffusion (1)

(b) The accumulation of fluid increase the distance for diffusion of oxygen. (1)
The oxygen uptake by the blood becomes slower. (1)
Thus, the oxygen content of the blood decreases / becomes lower than normal. (1)

(c) Red blood cells have a biconcave disc shape. (1)

This provides a larger surface area to volume ratio to facilitate the diffusion of oxygen
into and out of the cells. /
This shortens the distance for oxygen to reach and leave the haemoglobin molecules in
the red blood cells. (1)

13. (a) (i) Diaphragm (1)

(ii) The volume inside the bell jar increases, (1)

causing the pressure to decreases. (1)
Therefore, air enters the balloon. (1)

(b) It moves by diffusion (1)

from a high concentration of oxygen in the air to a low concentration / down the oxygen
concentration gradient from the air to the blood. (1)

14. (a) From 0 to 1.2 seconds, the volume of the lungs increases (1)
by 0.48 dm3. (1)
It then decreases and returns to its initial value after 2.5 seconds. (1)

(b) The diaphragm becomes flattened, and causes the increase in lung volume. (1) /
The diaphragm returns to the dome shape, and causes the decrease in lung volume. (1) /
The rib cage moves upwards and outwards, and causes the increase in lung volume. (1) /
The rib cage moves downwards and inwards, and causes the increase in lung volume. (1)
(Any three, 3)

15. (a) • intercostal muscle contracts to result in upward and outward movement of rib cage
/ raise the rib cage (1)
• diaphragm muscle contracts to flatten the diaphragm (1)
• both actions increase the volume of the thoracic cavity (1)
• as a result, the pressure inside the lungs drops below atmospheric pressure (1)
hence air is forced into the lungs

(b) • air will leak into the pleural cavity from outside through the lungs
/ the negative pressure of pleural cavity cannot be maintained (1)
• the lung collapses due to its own elasticity (1)

© Aristo Educational Press Ltd. 19

HKDSE BIOLOGY: Connecting Concepts (Book 1B)
Answers to Exam practice

Structured questions (p.8-39)

16. (a) Correct labelling (1)

alveoli (air sac)

blood flow

blood flow
capillary network
P

(b) Oxygen diffuses at a higher rate than carbon dioxide (1)

because the difference in oxygen concentration between the air in the air sac and the
blood in the capillary is larger than that of carbon dioxide / the concentration gradient of
oxygen is steeper than that of carbon dioxide (or other acceptable answers). (1)

(c) A large surface area is provided by the large number of air sacs. (1) /
A large surface area is provided by the extensive capillary network. (1) /
The difference in gas concentrations is maintained by ventilation as air moves into and
out of the lungs. (1) /
The difference in gas concentrations is maintained by blood flow in the capillary
network. (1) /
The diffusion pathway is small because air sacs (and blood capillaries) have a thin wall. /
The diffusion pathway is small because blood capillaries are in close contact with air
sacs. (1) /
Inhaled air is warmed by blood vessels lining the respiratory track and diffuse occurs
faster in warmer gases. (1)
(Any five, 5)

17. (a) The wall of A is very thin (1)

so as to reduce the distance of diffusion of respiratory gases (1)
A is richly supplied with blood capillaries (1)
This allows a rapid transport of gas to and away from the air sacs / can maintain a steep
concentration gradient of gases between A and the blood (1)
The lung tissue is made up of numerous air sacs (1)
so that there is a large surface area for gas exchange / the diffusion of gases (1)

(b) During ventilation / breathing, some air in the lungs is replaced by fresh air (1)
which contains a high oxygen content (1)

© Aristo Educational Press Ltd. 20

HKDSE BIOLOGY: Connecting Concepts (Book 1B)
Answers to Exam practice

© Aristo Educational Press Ltd. 21

HKDSE BIOLOGY: Connecting Concepts (Book 1B)
Answers to Exam practice

(c) (i) Title (0.5)

Workable set-up: inverted gas jar, collecting gas under water, tube (1)
Label: water/water trough, blowing air, rubber tube, exhaled air collected
(any three) (1.5)
Quality of drawing (1)

(ii) Put a burning candle into the gas samples (1)

Compare the time that the candle can burn (1)

Essay (p.8-40)

18. The need for a breathing system:

• Body cells need oxygen for respiration and produce carbon dioxide which is a waste
product to be removed from the body. (1)
• Most body cells in humans are too far away from the surrounding air. / Humans have too
small a surface area to volume ratio for gas exchange through the surface of the body. (1)
• Humans need a breathing system to move air into and out of the body for effective gas
exchange. (1)
The roles of different parts of the breathing system in ventilation:
• Inhalation
• Contraction of the intercostal muscles causes the rib cage to move upwards and
outwards. (1)
• Contraction of the diaphragm muscles causes the diaphragm to become flattened. (1)
• The decrease of pressure in the thoracic cavity / lungs draws air into the lungs. (1)
• Exhalation
• Relaxation of the intercostal muscles causes the rib cage to move downwards and
inwards. (1)
• Relaxation of the diaphragm muscles causes the diaphragm to return to its dome
shape. (1)
• The increase of pressure in the thoracic cavity / lungs forces air out of the lungs. (1)
Communication (3)

Chapter 9 Transport of substances in humans

Multiple-choice questions (p.9-42)

1. D
Cell X has a biconcave disc shape and is a red blood cell. Cell Y has a lobed nucleus and is a
phagocyte.

© Aristo Educational Press Ltd. 22

HKDSE BIOLOGY: Connecting Concepts (Book 1B)
Answers to Exam practice

2. C
Blood vessel 2 is the pulmonary artery.

3. D

4. C
Valves P and Q are semilunar valves. When the ventricles contract, the high blood pressure
forces valves P and Q open.

5. B

6. B
Blood vessel 2 is the aorta. It carries blood away from the heart to all parts of the body except
the lungs.

7. C

8. B

9. B

10. B

Short questions (p.9-44)

11. (a)
Name of part Function
Red blood cell Carry oxygen (1)
Lymphocyte (1) Produce antibodies
Phagocyte Engulf and destroy bacteria / pathogens (1)
Platelets Involved in blood clotting (1)

(b) Red blood cells are biconcave in shape. (1)

More light can pass through the centre because it is thinner there. (1)

12. (a) The blood pressure has a decreasing trend (1)

while it shows rhythmic fluctuations. (1)

(b) (i) 13 – 0.5 = 12.5 kPa (1)

(ii) From the arterioles to the capillaries, the distance from the heart increases. (1)
The narrow lumen of the capillaries results in a high resistance to blood flow. (1)
Therefore, the blood pressure drops.

(c) This prevents damage to the thin walls of the capillaries. (1)

© Aristo Educational Press Ltd. 23

HKDSE BIOLOGY: Connecting Concepts (Book 1B)
Answers to Exam practice

The rate of blood flow is reduced to provide more time for the exchange of material
between blood and body cells. (1)

© Aristo Educational Press Ltd. 24

HKDSE BIOLOGY: Connecting Concepts (Book 1B)
Answers to Exam practice

13. (a) Vessel X has a thick wall (1)

to withstand the high blood pressure. (1)

(b) The blood pressure in vessel Y is much lower than that in vessel X. (1)
The larger lumen reduces the resistance to the blood flow in vessel Y. (1)

(c) Correct route of pulmonary circulation (1)

Correct route of systemic circulation (1)
vessel Y  (inferior) vena cava  right atrium  right ventricle  lung  pulmonary
vein  left atrium  left ventricle  aorta  vessel X

14. (a) (i) Coronary artery (1)

(ii) Capillaries (1)

(b) (i) 14 arbitrary units (1)

(ii) Glucose / oxygen (1)

Structured questions (p.9-46)

15. (a)
Name of blood vessel carrying
Chamber Name of chamber
blood from chamber
X Right ventricle (1) Pulmonary artery (1)
Y Left ventricle (1) Aorta (1)

(b) (i) Line decreases (lowest at capillaries) followed by an increase (1)

Vein diameter drawn to be higher than artery (1)

Diameter of blood vessel (arbitrary unit)

arteries capillaries veins

Type of blood vessel

© Aristo Educational Press Ltd. 25

HKDSE BIOLOGY: Connecting Concepts (Book 1B)
Answers to Exam practice

(ii) The blood pressure in arteries is high because the blood is driven by the heart’s
pumping action. (1)
The walls of arteries contain more elastic tissue, which allows the arteries to distend
and recoil. This helps maintain the blood pressure. (1)
The arteries are near the heart while the veins are further away from the heart. (1)
The blood pressure in veins is low because the blood has overcome great resistance
of the walls of blood vessels after traveling through many vessels over a long
distance. (1)

16. (a) Blood in veins flows into the right atrium first, but not the right ventricle (1)
Blood will not normally pass through the septum from the right to the left ventricle (1)
Blood flows in one direction only, but not in both directions as suggested (1)
Blood will not be used up, but it undergoes circulation (1)
Blood in the right ventricle all flows to the lungs, instead of divided into two routes (1)
(Any three, 3)

(b) (i) The presence of semi-lunar valves in the pulmonary artery blocked the passage of
the metal wire when it was inserted from the pulmonary artery into the right ventricle
(1)

(ii) (1) Treatment 1: (1)

Water can flow out of the right heart/ ventricle through the pulmonary artery (1)
Treatment 2:
Water cannot enter the right ventricle through the pulmonary artery / water
overflow from the pulmonary artery (1)

(2) The idea of Galen that blood can flow in opposite directions was challenged (1)

(c) Science theory / knowledge is tentative / When new evidence is found, the theory /
knowledge can be challenged/ rejected / replaced by a new one (1)
(or any other reasonable answers)

17. (a) Blood contains red blood cells while lymph does not contain red blood cells. (1) /
Blood contains plasma proteins while lymph does not contain plasma proteins. (1) /
Blood contains blood platelets while lymph does not contain blood platelets. (1) /
(Any two, 2)

(b) The digested products of the fatty food are absorbed into the lacteal in the villi in the form
of lipid / oil droplets. (1)
The lymph in vessels X turns milky due to the presence of a large number of lipid / oil
droplets. (1)

© Aristo Educational Press Ltd. 26

HKDSE BIOLOGY: Connecting Concepts (Book 1B)
Answers to Exam practice

(c) Lymph is kept flowing by the contraction of the skeletal muscles that surround the lymph
vessels. (1)
Valves are present in the lymph vessels to prevent the backflow of lymph. (1)

(d) Tissue fluid is continuously formed in the leg. (1)

Since the lymph vessels are blocked, excess tissue fluid cannot be transported away. (1)
Excess tissue fluid accumulates in the leg, causing the leg to swell. (1)

Essays (p.9-48)

18. Arteries:
• have thick walls (1)
to withstand high the blood pressure created by the pumping action of the heart. (1)
• have a thick layer of muscles in their walls; (1)
muscles contract and relax to change the size of the lumen to control the amount of blood
flow to different parts of the body. (1)
• have walls with considerable elastic tissue (1)
to allow them to stretch and recoil to maintain a continuous blood flow. (1)
Veins:
• have a large lumen (1)
to reduce the resistance to the blood flow. (1)
• have valves (1)
to prevent the backflow of blood. (1)
Capillaries:
• have walls composed of a single layer of cells; (1)
this provides a short diffusion distance for rapid exchange of materials. (1)
• have a very small lumen; (1)
this brings red blood cells in close contact with the capillary walls, reducing the distance
for oxygen to diffuse from red blood cells to the body tissues. (1)
• form a highly branched network (1)
which provides a large surface area for the exchange of materials. (1)
(Max. 8)
Communication (3)

© Aristo Educational Press Ltd. 27

HKDSE BIOLOGY: Connecting Concepts (Book 1B)
Answers to Exam practice

19. Formation of lymph and its return (Max. 5)

• blood pressure / hydrostatic pressure at the arteriole end of the capillary bed is higher than
that of the tissue fluid, this forces some of the plasma out (1)
• the remaining blood cells / proteins are left in the blood and drain to the venous end (1)
• water moves into the capillary bed at the venous end by osmosis (1)
• excess tissue fluid will enter the lymph vessels to form the lymph due to the higher
hydrostatic pressure (1) in the tissue spaces
• with the assistance of the contraction of skeletal muscles to squeeze the lymph vessels (1)
• and the presence of valves in lymph vessels to prevent the back flow of lymph (1)
• thus, the lymph will flow along the lymph vessels and eventually return to the heart (1)

whether the claims are scientifically valid

Improvement of Circulation (max. 1)
Valid:
• as the valves of the lymph vessels prevent back flow, pressing along the lymph vessels,
especially along the limbs towards the trunk, does help the return of lymph to the heart (1)
OR
Not valid:
• lymph vessels are usually found deep inside the body (1) which makes it difficult improve
the circulation by pressing

` Reduction in Body weight (max. 2)

Not valid:
 this may reduce the accumulation of tissue fluid / lymph at the limbs (1), giving a slimmer
appearance temporarily
 the lymph only returns to the circulatory system but is not eliminated (1), i.e. no change in
body weight
 this does not affect the energy input / energy output / food consumption of the body (1)
 therefore, there should be no effect on body weight (1)

Effective communication (0-3)

© Aristo Educational Press Ltd. 28