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1. 1990/I/1a
The diagram below shows four types of cells :

(i) Which of the above are plant cells ? State TWO plant cell features that are common to the cells you
have listed. (3 marks)
(ii) For each of the cells A and B
(1) suggest ONE function, and
(2) state ONE structural feature, as shown in the diagram, which is essential for this function.
(4 marks)
(iii) Describe the changes in cells C and D after they have been placed in distilled water for thirty
minutes. Explain your answer. (6 marks)

2. 1990/I/2a
In an experiment to study the effect of pH on enzyme activity, five test-tubes containing equal volumes of an
enzyme solution each at a different pH were prepared. A 1 cm
3
cube of coagulated (clotted) egg white was
then added to each tube. The tubes were allowed to stand at a room temperature of 25
o
C. The time taken for
the disappearance of the cube in each tube was recorded as follows :
pH of the enzyme solution Time take for the disappearance of the egg white
cube (min)
1
2
3
4
5
13
9
11
45
The cube still remained after 60 minutes
(i) How is the time for the disappearance of the egg white cube related to the rate of enzyme activity ?
(1 mark)
(ii) At which pH was the enzyme most active ? (1 mark)
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(iii) Suggest TWO ways to enable this experiment to be completed in a shorter period of time.
(2 marks)
(iv) Besides noting the time for the disappearance of the egg white cubes, suggest ANOTHER way to
measure the rate of enzyme activity in this experiment. (2 marks)
(v) Name a region of the human alimentary canal which secrets such an enzyme. (1 mark)
(vi) What control experiment should be carried out to confirm that the disappearance of the egg white
cubes is due to enzyme action ? (2 marks)

3. 1991/I/1a
Photomicrograph 1 show some cells of a human blood smear.
Photomicrograph 2 shows some cells of an onion epidermis.

(i) With reference to the photomicrographs only, state TWO structural differences between cell A and
cell C. (2 marks)
(ii) (1) The central part of cell B looks lighter in colour. Explain this with reference to its shape.
(2 marks)
(2) How is the shape related to its function ? (2 marks)
(iii) Cell A is found in large numbers in wounds. What is the function of cell A there ? (1 mark)
(iv) Describe and explain what would happen if cell B were put into a concentrated sugar solution for 20
minutes. (2 marks)
(v) Make a labelled drawing of cell C if the onion epidermis were put into a hypertonic solution for 20
minutes. (3 marks)

4. 1993/I/1a
Catalase is an enzyme that catalyzes the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. In an
experiment to study the activity of catalase in potato tubers, a 2 cm long cylinder of potato tissue was
prepared using a cork borer. The cylinder was cut into 10 discs which were put into the barrel of a syringe.
Then 10 cm
3
of dilute hydrogen peroxide solution was drawn into the barrel and the mouth of the barrel was
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sealed by a rubber cap. The gas released was collected as shown in the diagram below :

The volume of gas collected in the barrel was recorded throughout the experiment as shown in the table
below :
Time (min) 0 1 2 3 5 10 15 20 25 30
Volume of
gas collected
(cm
3
)

0

1.0

2.0

2.5

3.0

4.0

4.5

5.0

5.0

5.0
(i) Present the results of the experiment in the form of a graph. (3 marks)
(ii) At which time interval was the reaction rate
(1) the highest ?
(2) the lowest ? (2 marks)
(iii) Explain the changes in the reaction rate throughout the experiment. (4 marks)
(iv) On the same graph that you have plotted in (i), sketch a curve to show the volume of gas likely to be
collected throughout the experiment if 20 potato discs had been used instead of 10. (2 marks)

5. 1994/I/3b
A 10 cm long potato strip was placed in a sugar solution. Its length was measured at regular intervals over a
period of 3 hours. The results are shown in the table below :



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Time (hour) Length of the potato strip (cm)
0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
10.0
9.7
9.4
9.1
8.9
8.8
8.8
(i) Present the results in the form of a graph, which should have a suitable title. (3 marks)
(ii) Explain the change in length of the potato strip in the first hour. (4 marks)
(iii) (1) From your graph, find the period of time during which the length of the potato strip remained
unchanged. (1 mark)
(2) Explain why there was no change in length during this period. (2 marks)

6. 1995/I/1a
Ordinary washing powder does not remove egg stains from clothes easily. These stains, however, can be
removed by biological washing powder.
Below is some information given on a packet of biological washing powder :

(i) Explain why the biological washing powder can remove egg stains from clothes more easily.
(3 marks)
(ii) Why is it necessary to soak the clothes in a solution of this washing powder for several hours before
washing ? (1 mark)
(iii) Suggest a way to shorten the soaking time. Explain your answer. (2 marks)
(iv) Why is it not advisable to use this washing powder with water at temperature above 60
o
C ?
(1 mark)
(v) Suggest why this washing powder should not be used with silk and wool. (1 mark)


Ingredients:
Protease 0.2%
Detergent 15%
Directions:
Soak clothes in a solution of the washing powder for several hours before washing.
Use warm water for best results.
Do not use water at temperature above 60
o
C
Cautions:
Do not use with silk and wool.
Rinse your hands well after contact with this product.
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7. 1996/I/4a
In order to study the conditions for osmosis, a student prepared two set-ups as shown in the diagrams below.
The skin of each potato was removed and a cavity was made for holding the sucrose solution.

(i) Explain why the level of sucrose solution of set-up A rose after 12 hours. (3 marks)
(ii) What can you conclude from the results of the two set-ups ? (2 marks)
(iii) Referring to set-up A, draw a labelled diagram to show the possible appearance of a complete potato
cell which is in contact with
(1) the sucrose solution,
(2) the distilled water. (4 marks)
(iv) At the end of the experiment, sucrose was found in the distilled water in set-up B. Explain why this
occured. (2 marks)

8. 1998/I/1b
Two similar pieces of dialysis tubing were set up as shown in the following diagrams. The concentrations of
the sucrose solution and the glucose solution were the same.

The height of the solution column in each capillary tube was measured and recorded in the table below :



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Height of solution column in the capillary tube Time (min)
Set-up A(mm) Set-up B(mm)
0 0 0
10 103 25
20 170 40
30 200 45
40 205 46
50 205 44
60 205 41
(i) Present the results in the form of a graph. (4 marks)
(ii) Explain the change in the solution level in the capillary tube of set-up A during 0 - 20 minutes.
(3 marks)
(iii) Explain the difference in the rate of change of solution levels between set-ups A and B during 0 - 20
minutes. (3 marks)

9. 1999/I/1c
Jelly contains a kind of protein called gelatin, which causes the jelly solution to solidify after cooling. In
order to prepare some jelly for a party, Mary dissolved the jelly powder in different ways as shown in the
table below :
Jelly solution Method of preparation
A Jelly powder dissolved in water at 40
o
C
B Jelly powder dissolved in water at 40
o
C + fresh pineapple juice
C Jelly powder dissolved in water at 80
o
C + fresh pineapple juice
(i) Solution A solidified after cooling while solution B did not. Suggest why
solution B failed to solidify. (2 marks)
(ii) Solution C was found to solidify after cooling. How would you explain the
difference in the results between solutions B and C ? (3 marks)
(iii) It is found that if beef is mixed with small pieces of fresh pineapple and left
to stand for about half an hour before cooking, the meat will become tender (less tough).
Based on the answer to (ii), explain why this treatment can tenderize the beef. (3 marks)

10. 2000/I/4a
In the production of beer, the raw material used is barley grains, which contain a large amount of starch.
When barley grains germinate, amylase is produced. The grains are then crushed and mixed with warm
water. After several hours, yeast is added to the mixture for fermentation.
(i) What is the action of amylase on the starch in the barley grains ? (1 mark)



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(ii) After the crushed grains are mixed with warm water, why is it necessary to wait for several hours
before adding the yeast ? (1 mark)
An investigation was carried out to study the effect of temperature on the activity of barley amylase. For
each temperature, the same amount of crushed grains and water were used. The amylase activity was
estimated by the rate of disappearance of starch using the iodine test. The results obtained are shown in the
graph below :

(iii) What conclusions can be drawn from the graph about the effect of temperature on amylase activity ?
(3 marks)
(iv) If you want to store the mixture of crushed grains and water with minimal reaction so that it can be
used several days later, what temperature would you choose ? Why ? (3 marks)
(v) Suggest another method to estimate the amylase activity for this investigation. (2 marks)

11. 2002/I/4c
A kind of Chinese dessert is made by mixing milk with ginger juice so that the milk becomes coagulated.
The coagulation of milk is due to the conversion of a soluble milk protein into an insoluble form. To find out
the conditions for milk coagulation, a person mixed milk at different temperatures with some fresh ginger
juice. The mixtures were observed for 15 minutes to see if coagulation would occur. The results are shown
in the table below :
Temperature of milk (
o
C) Result
20 No sign of coagulation after 15 minutes
40 Fully coagulated in 14 minutes
60 Fully coagulated in 1 minute
80 Fully coagulated in 1 minute
100 No sign of coagulation after 15 minutes
Note : The same study was repeated using boiled ginger juice and the milk did not coagulate at any
temperature.
(i) Referring to the above results, describe the effect of milk temperature on the rate of milk coagulation
by ginger juice. (3 marks)
(ii) How would you explain the action of fresh ginger juice in bringing about the coagulation of milk ?
Give evidence to support your answer. (2 marks)
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(iii) Milk protein also coagulates at low pH. In which part of the alimentary canal does this coagulation
occur ? Based on your biological knowledge, suggest why the coagulation of milk protein can
facilitate its digestion in that part of the alimentary canal. (3 marks)

12. 2003/I/3b
The following shows the procedure of an experiment to study the effect of pH on the activity of catalase
extracted from bean seedlings :

The results of the experiment are shown below :
pH of hydrogen peroxide solution T (s)
3 > 100
5 50
7 20
9 20
11 27
(i) Explain why the paper discs rose to the surface of the solution in some of the tubes. (2 marks)
(ii) (1) Work out the rate of reaction from the value of T for each tube. Tabulate your answer.
(2 marks)
(2) Using the data obtained in (1), plot a graph on graph paper to show the effect of pH on catalase
activity. (3 marks)
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(iii) (1) Based on your graph, estimate the optimum pH, what further work would you carry out in this
experiment ? (1 mark)
(2) In order to get a more accurate estimate of the optimum pH, what further work would you carry
out in this experiment ? (1 mark)
(iv) A sample of bean extract was refrigerated at 4
o
C and then allowed to warm to room temperature. If
the experiment was repeated using this sample, would the catalase activity be different from that of
the previous experiment ? Explain your answer. (2 marks)

13. 2007/I/2
One day, when Keith and Jane walked past a fresh fruit juice shop, Keith noticed that some pears were cut
into pieces and stored in a tank of water before use.
(a) Keith thought that the shopkeeper stored the cut pears in water in order to extract more juice. Explain
the biological principle behind Keith's idea. (3 marks)
(b) Jane disagreed with Keith because she found that the shopkeeper also stored whole pears in water
tanks. Explain why this observation provides Jane with evidence to oppose Keith's idea. (2 marks)
(c) Suggest one possible hygienic problem of storing the cut pears in water tanks. (1 mark)

14. 2007/I/4
A student carried out an investigation to compare the activity of three brands of yeast. He added a mixture of
fixed amounts of dough and yeast into a measuring cylinder and recorded the volume of the mixture. After
putting the measuring cylinder in a water bath at 30
o
C for one hour, the volume of the mixture was recorded
again. The diagram below shows his set-up:

(a) The results of the investigation are shown in the table below. Complete the table by finding out the
percentage change in the volume of mixture for brand C. (1 mark)
Brand of
yeast
Initial volume of
mixture (cm
3
)
Volume of mixture
after 1 hour (cm
3
)
Percentage change in the
volume of mixture (%)
A 20 28 40
B 20 49 145
C 20 46
(b) Draw a bar chart to show the activity of the three brands of yeast in terms of the percentage change in
the volume of mixture. (3 marks)

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(c) Explain why the yeast can make the mixture rise. (3 marks)

(d) The student wants to make a cake that is the most spongy. Based on the above results, which brand of
yeast should be used? (1 mark)
(e) Why should the set-up be kept in a water bath? (1 mark)
(f) If the student wanted to study the effect of temperature on the activity of yeast, suggest two changes
that should be made in his experiment design. (2 marks)

15. 2008/I/4b,c
Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.

(b) Later, scientists found that living cells are made up of many cellular structures. State two cellular
structures present in all living cells. (2 marks)
(c) The following table shows some steps of preparing a temporary slide of onion epidermis and the
purpose behind each step. Complete the table. (2 marks)
Step Purpose
Peeling of epidermis Separate a thin tissue for observation
Staining with iodine solution (i)
Adding a drop of water Reduce the refraction of light
(ii) Flatten the tissue


The Discovery of Cells
Most cells are too small to be observed with the naked eye. Thus the existence of cells
remained unnoticed until 17
th
century. In 1665, Robert Hooke studied a thin section of cork
under his self-made compound microscope. He found that the cork was made up of many
units which he named cells. According to his observation, a cell is an empty space
bounded by a thick wall. At that time, Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, using the single-lens he
made, discovered single-celled organisms.
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16. 2008/I/6
Ginger milk curd () is a Chinese dessert. Below is a recipe of this dessert.

Having studied the recipe, a science student, Kelvin, conducted an investigation on the making of ginger
milk curd. He followed the steps in the recipe with the use of raw ginger juice for one setup and boile ginger
juice for another setup. The results are shown below:
Result
Boiled ginger juice No coagulation
Raw ginger juice Coagulation occurred
(a) With reference to the treatment used by Kelvin, what do you think is his hypothesis about the
coagulation of milk in making ginger milk curd? (1 mark)
(b) What is the principle behind the design of this investigation? (1 mark)
(c) Kelvin then carried out another investigation on the effect of temperature on milk coagulation by
cooling the boiled milk to different temperatures before mixing it with ginger juice. He found that milk
coagulation only occurs at around 65
o
C. After that, he would like to test if boiling of milk is necessary.
Suggest the procedure he would have to carry out in his test. (2 marks)
Recipe:
1. Grind the ginger to obtain some ginger juice.
2. Boil the milk.
3. Wait until the temperature of the milk drops to around 65C.
4. Pour 220 mL of milk into 15 mL of ginger juice.
5. Ginger milk curd is made as the milk coagulates.
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