UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL EXAMINATIONS

General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level

* 0 5 6 6 6 4 4 8 3 9 *

5090/32

BIOLOGY
Paper 3 Practical Test

October/November 2012
1 hour 15 minutes

Candidates answer on the Question Paper.

Additional Materials:

As listed in the Confidential Instructions.

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.
You may use a 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 8 printed pages.

DC (LEO/SW) 50777/4
UCLES 2012

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In order to plan the best use of your time, read through all the questions on this paper
carefully before starting.
1

Starch is broken down into reducing sugars by the enzyme amylase.

Iodine solution is used to test for the presence of starch. When no starch is present the
yellow-brown iodine solution does not change colour. If starch is present the iodine solution
turns blue-black.
You are required to investigate the effect of sodium chloride on the breakdown of starch by
amylase.
You are provided with

two test-tubes each containing 5 cm3 of 1% starch solution, labelled A and B,

two test-tubes each containing 2 cm3 of 1% amylase, labelled A2 and B2,

test-tube containing 1 cm3 of water, labelled water,

test-tube containing 1 cm3 of 0.5% sodium chloride solution labelled sodium chloride,

two dropping pipettes,

Iodine solution,

two white tiles.

Proceed as follows:

Label one white tile, A and the other white tile, B.

Add 10 separate drops of iodine solution to each tile, as shown in Fig. 1.1.

tile A

tile B
Fig. 1.1

To test-tube A add the 1 cm3 water and the contents of A2.

Record the time .........................................

Carefully shake the mixture.

After one minute remove a drop from this mixture and add it to the first drop of iodine
solution on the white tile A.

Record the colour in Table 1.1.

Continue taking one drop from the mixture every minute, recording the colour until the
yellow-brown iodine solution does not change colour.

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For
Examiners
Use

To test-tube B add the 1 cm3 of 0.5% sodium chloride solution and the contents of B2.
Record the time .........................................

Carefully shake the mixture.

Repeat the procedure of taking one drop from this mixture, adding it to the iodine
solution drops on the white tile B. Record the colours in Table 1.1 until the yellow-brown
colour of the iodine solution does not change colour.

For
Examiners
Use

(a) Time 0 minutes has been done for you.

Table 1.1
time / mins

test-tube A

test-tube B

blue-black

blue-black

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
[4]
(b) (i)

Using your data in Table 1.1, state how long it took for the starch to be completely
broken down in test-tubes A and B.
test-tube A ........................................... test-tube B .............................................. [2]

(ii)

Describe the effect of sodium chloride on the breakdown of starch by amylase.

..................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................. [2]

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(c) Explain why the following procedures were carried out
(i)

use a white tile

.............................................................................................................................. [1]

(ii)

shake the mixture

.............................................................................................................................. [1]

(iii)

add the 1 cm3 of water to test-tube A

..................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................. [2]

Some students carried out an investigation on the effect of pH on the activity of amylase. The
results are shown in Table 1.2.
Table 1.2

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pH

time taken to break

down starch / minutes

20

13

12

22

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For
Examiners
Use

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(d) (i)

Using the data in Table 1.2 construct a graph to show the effect of pH on the time
taken for the breakdown of starch.

For
Examiners
Use

[4]
(ii)

State the optimum pH for the activity of this enzyme.

.............................................................................................................................. [1]

(iii)

Describe and explain the effect of pH on the activity of this enzyme.

..................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................. [3]
[Total: 20]

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2

You are provided with a fresh, soaked seed of broad bean, Vicia faba, labelled W1.

Carefully remove the testa (the seed coat).

Carefully separate the cotyledons (the seed leaves).

For
Examiners
Use

Observe the structure of the embryo on one side of the cotyledon, examining the specimen
using the hand lens provided.
(a) (i)

Make a large, labelled drawing of the cotyledon with the embryo attached.

[6]

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(ii)

Measure the length of the cotyledon.

For
Examiners
Use

length of cotyledon ................................................. mm

Measure the length of the cotyledon on your drawing.
length of cotyledon on your drawing ................................................. mm
Draw a line on your drawing to show where you have measured this length.
Calculate the magnification of your drawing.
Show your working.

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

You are provided with two different types of bean fruits labelled W2 and W3.
(b) (i)

Describe two observable differences, apart from size, between W2 and W3.
1 ...............................................................................................................................
2 ........................................................................................................................... [2]

All bean seeds contain substantial quantities of protein.

(ii)

Design an investigation, but do not carry it out, to compare the protein content of
the seeds from these two bean fruits W2 and W3.
..................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................. [4]
[Total: 15]

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3

Fig. 3.1 shows the bones in the human forearm and the leg.
Y

For
Examiners
Use

Fig. 3.1
(a) Describe how the arrangement of bones is similar in the forearm and the leg, excluding
the joints.
..........................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................... [3]
(b) Describe the movement that can be made at X and Y.
X ......................................................................................................................................
Y .................................................................................................................................. [2]
[Total: 5]

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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