HKCE 2000 BIOLOGY

Paper 1

This paper emphasizes the application of biological knowledge in everyday

life and problem-solving through the scientific process. The questions in
general discourage rote memorization, and instead, they assess understanding
and higher cognitive abilities such as analytical power and communication
skills.

The markers consider the paper as a whole appropriate in the level of

difficulty and well balanced in terms of syllabus coverage.

The following table shows the popularity of each question and the general
performance of candidates:

Question No. * Popularity (%) Performance in general

1 74 Good
2 85 Fairly good
3 69 Fairly good
4 72 Satisfactory

* A choice of 3 out of 4 questions.

Candidates’ performance on individual questions

Q1(a) (i) Most candidates stated wrongly that the cells of the placenta
were formed from the foetus. The cells in the foetal part of the
placenta and those of the foetus are actually derived from the
zygote by repeated mitosis.

(ii) (2) Many candidates simply described the mechanism of sex

determination without explaining specifically how the sex
of the foetus concerned was determined at the time of
fertilization. Some candidates used wrong terms such as
‘X-sperms’, ‘Y-sperms’ or ‘X-eggs’; this indicated that they
had a poor understanding of the concept of sex
chromosomes.

(iii) The majority of candidates could point out that there is an extra
chromosome present.

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 (iv) Based on their biological knowledge, candidates were able to
suggest a variety of possible risks associated with the clinical
test.

(v) Some candidates scored no marks as they simply described the

composition of the blood entering and leaving the foetus without
making any comparison.

Q1(b) (i) There were a lot of spelling mistakes. Some candidates showed
a poor understanding of the term ‘tissues’ as they referred to the
two tissues as ‘mesophyll cells’.

(ii) Most candidates could work out the correct ratio of the density
of chloroplasts in the two regions of the leaf.

(iii) This part was well answered, although the answers of some
candidates were not well organized.

(iv) This investigation is included in the suggested practical work

stipulated in the syllabus. Candidates in general could state the
main steps, but many of the answers lacked practical details,
such as cutting a cross section of the leaf and examining the
section under the microscope. This suggested that the
candidates were not familiar with the practical details, or they
just memorized the procedure from textbooks.

Q1(c) (i) Most candidates did not realize that it is important for the
oxygen to dissolve in the water film of the air sac before it
diffuses across the walls of the air sac and the capillary.

(iii) Some candidates stated the effects of nicotine or carbon

monoxide which were not relevant to the question.

Q2(a) (i) This part was well answered. Most candidates pointed out
correctly that Jane could lose weight because her daily energy
intake was less than her daily energy requirement, and this led to
a mobilization of the fat reserve in her body.

(ii) Many candidates did not know that excess amino acids taken
into the body can be an energy source as they are broken down
in the liver and form carbohydrates.

(iii) Some candidates stated scurvy as a disease caused by mineral

deficiency. This suggests that they could not distinguish
between minerals and vitamins.
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 (iv) The grease spot test is a standard food test, but many candidates
did not seem to understand how it worked. For instance, some
did not emphasize that the translucent spot should remain after
drying. Many did not understand that it is necessary to immerse
the paper in an organic solvent in order to check whether the spot
is formed by fat or other substances. Some candidates showed a
poor understanding of the emulsion test, as they stated that a
mixture of fat and water would give a milky emulsion when
ethanol was added to the mixture.

Q2(b) (i) Most candidates could describe the general relationship between
the size of the pupil and light intensity. However, many failed to
point out that at relatively high light intensity, the size of the
pupil would remain unchanged with increasing light intensity.

(ii) This part was well answered.

(iii) Most candidates could draw a proper flowchart with arrows

indicating the direction of transmission of nerve impulses. Some
candidates, however, wrongly showed that the pupil reflex was
coordinated by the spinal cord despite the question stating
clearly that this reflex is coordinated by the brain. They might
have thought that all reflexes involved the spinal cord.

(iv) This part was poorly answered. Although the question referred
to an observation in everyday life, most candidates could not
stated precisely that the choroid and the retina absorb all the light
entering the eye and consequently no light is reflected out of the
eye through the pupil.

Q2(c) (i) Some candidates equated self-fertilization with asexual

reproduction or vegetative propagation. They erroneously stated
that self-pollination would result in no genetic variation or that
diseases from the parents could be readily transmitted to the
offspring.

(ii) This question assessed candidates’ ability to design an

experimental set-up in a novel situation. Some candidates were
able to present quite original and scientific designs. Others,
however, suggested methods that were incomplete or
unworkable.

(iii) (2) Most candidates could use genetic diagrams to show the
inheritance of pod colours, but some still had problems in
defining the symbols for alleles properly.
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Q3(a) (i) Some candidates could not interpret the photomicrograph
correctly; they wrongly identified blood vessel A as an artery.

(iii) Most of the drawings were of poor standard. Candidates need to

make greater effort in developing the proper drawing skills for
representing biological features clearly and accurately.

(iv) This question was well done. Most candidates demonstrated a

good knowledge of the circulatory pathway.
Q3(b) (i) Most candidates had difficulties in drawing a valid and accurate
conclusion on the basis of the experimental results. Some just
copied down the results of the experiments as answers.

(ii) Only a small number of the candidates understood the aim of

experiment 3 and stated precisely that it was used to determine
whether the effective substance was a protein or a fat.
(iv) Some candidates wrongly stated that insulin was responsible for
converting excess glucose into glycogen. They conceived
insulin as an enzyme, which takes part in the actual conversion
process. This misconception was also shown by candidates in
previous years.
Q3(c) (i) This part was well answered. Most candidates could explain the
changes in terms of the difference in water potential between the
cell sap and the surrounding solution.
(ii) Cell B showed no change because its water potential was lower
than or the same as that of the surrounding sucrose solution.
Some candidates, however, compared the water potentials of cell
B and cell A instead.
(iii) The poor performance in this part indicates that candidates did
not possess adequate practical knowledge of the use of a
microscope.
Q4(a) (i) Many candidates erroneously stated that amylase converted
starch into glucose. This reflects that they had difficulty in
mastering the concept of reducing sugars.
(iii) Some candidates gave a good and systematic description of the
effect of temperature on amylase activity.
(iv) Many candidates demonstrated a good understanding of enzyme
action. They suggested keeping the mixture at low
temperatures, so that the enzymes were inactivated but not
denatured.
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 (v) Many candidates could not apply their knowledge in food tests
to answer this question. They could not think of using
Benedict’s test to compare the amount of reducing sugars
formed.

Q4(b) The performance on this part was good. Most candidates

demonstrated a satisfactory standard of understanding of the effect of
solid pollutants on the population of aquatic plants.

Q4(c) (i) While the performance on this question was satisfactory, many
candidates could not point out precisely that the increased rate of
sweat production during heavy exercise was stimulated by a rise
in body temperature.

(ii) Many candidates did not realize that when the body became
dehydrated, a greater proportion rather than a greater amount of
water was reabsorbed from the glomerular filtrate in order to
conserve water in the body.

(iii) (1) Most candidates did not point out precisely that the water
vapour in the exhaled air actually came from the
evaporation of the water film covering the surface of the air
sacs.

General comments and recommendations

On the whole, candidates demonstrated a satisfactory standard of

communication and understanding of biological principles. It is encouraging
that many of them were capable of using their knowledge to explain
phenomena set in both familiar and novel contexts. This shows that many
candidates had attempted to relate subject knowledge to their everyday life
experiences. This way of learning should be continued and strengthened as it
can foster students’ interest and motivation in the study of biology, enhance
their understanding, and promote the development of higher cognitive skills.

Some alternative conceptions, commonly detected in the scripts of previous

years, were still persistent in this year’s candidates. These include the action
of amylase on starch, the consequence of self fertilization, the action of
insulin on glucose, and the reabsorption of water from the nephron under
dehydrated conditions. Candidates were also weak in making biological
drawings, poor in drawing conclusions from experimental results, and
deficient in hands-on practical experiences. Candidates should make a greater
effort to clarify any misconceptions and overcome their weaknesses, so as to
learn the subject in a more effective and meaningful manner.
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Paper 2

There were 60 questions in this paper.

The following items serve to reveal some of the common weaknesses of the
candidates :

Directions: Questions 6 to 8 refer to the graph below, which shows the

digestion of three types of food substances, X, Y and Z, along
the alimentary canal:

8. In the alimentary canal, most water is absorbed in the

A. oesophagus. (2%)
B. stomach. (3%)
* C. small intestine. (55%)
D. colon. (40%)

Many candidates had the wrong concept that in the alimentary canal, most
water is absorbed in the colon. Although the main function of the colon is
water absorption, but in terms of quantity, the small intestine actually
accounts for 80% of the fluid uptake in the alimentary canal. Candidates
should realize that owing to the absorption of a lot of digested food in the
small intestine, a large amount of water is also absorbed into the blood as a
result of osmosis.

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Directions: Questions 17 to 19 refer to the graph below, which shows the
rates of transpiration and water absorption of a plant for a period
of 24 hours:

19. Area B was found to be greater than area A. A probable reason for this is
that

A. the relative humidity of air was high. (34%)

B. the plant could absorb moisture from the air. (12%)
* C. new cells were formed by the plant during plant growth. (24%)
D. the respiration rate of the plant was higher than its
photosynthetic rate. (30%)

This question tested candidates’ ability to thoroughly understand and analyze

the information presented in the graph. Area A represents the net amount of
water lost by the plant from 0800 to 1600 hour while area B represents the net
amount of water absorbed from 1600 to 0800 hour. If area B is greater than
area A, it implies that the plant has a net uptake of water during the 24-hour
period. Among the four options given, only option C can correctly explain
why the plant has a net uptake of water by suggesting that the plant takes in
water for forming new cells.

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Directions: Questions 30 and 31 refer to the diagram below, which is a
diagrammatic representation of the root and the leaf of a plant:

30. The direction of oxygen diffusion between the plant and the surroundings
under bright daylight is indicated by

A. (1) only. (55%)

B. (2) only. (14%)
* C. (1) and (3) only. (23%)
D. (2) and (3) only. (8%)

Although the majority of the candidates knew that there was a net uptake of
oxygen into the leaves through the stomata under bright daylight, about two-
thirds of them overlooked the point that oxygen was also taken into the root
for respiration.

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Directions: Questions 32 and 33 refer to the diagram below, which shows
part of the human central nervous system :

33. The movement of the diaphragm is under the control of

A. 1 and 2. (22%)
* B. 1 and 4. (25%)
C. 2 and 3. (21%)
D. 3 and 4. (32%)

About 75% of the candidates did not answer this question correctly. This
question aimed to test candidates’ knowledge of the control of breathing
movements, which are represented by the movements of the diaphragm in the
question. Candidates should be aware that both the cerebrum and the medulla
are involved in controlling breathing movements; the former being
responsible for voluntary breathing and the latter for involuntary breathing.

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