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Students are not expected to have memorised all the facts assessed, or be familiar
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assessed.
British Biology Olympiad 2019
This was split into 2 papers of 45 minutes each. There were originally 68 questions
in total.
You may use a calculator.
It is recommended that you have pen and paper to hand for rough work.
No marks are subtracted for incorrect answers.
Some questions have more than one answer you need to choose. For some
questions, you need to put the answers in the correct order.

Medal Mark Pupils

Gold 53% 7%
Silver 47% 10%
Bronze 41% 17%
High Commended 37% 18%
Commended 32% 18%

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Paper 1

Quickfire
Q1
Prokaryote and Eukaryote are two classes of living organisms.

Which of the following features is shared between them?

i) DNA
ii) ATP
iii) Ribosomes
iv) Mitochondria
v) Nuclei

A. i and ii
B. i, ii and iii
C. i, ii, iii, and iv
D. i, ii, iii, iv, and v
E. i and iii
F. iii, iv, and v

Q2
Which organelle in a leaf is responsible for photosynthesis?

A. Nucleus
B. Mitochondria
C. Chloroplast
D. Peroxisome
E. Amyloplast
.

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Q3
Parts of living things which work together to achieve a goal are often grouped
together.

Put the following groupings in order of size, from smallest to largest.

A. Cell
B. Organelle
C. Organ
D. Organism
E. Tissue

Q4
When does chromosome crossing over occur?

A. Growth Phase
B. Synthesis Phase
C. Mitosis
D. Meiosis 1
E. Meiosis 2

Q5
What do lipases break down?

A. Complex carbohydrates
B. Simple carbohydrates
C. Proteins
D. Fats
E. Vitamins

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Q6
Pavlov's dogs are famous for salivating when they heard a bell ring.

What is the best explanation for this?

A. The bell made the dogs hungry.

B. The dogs learnt that food appears when the bell rings.
C. The bell sounds like the dogs' food bowls.
D. The bell hurts the dogs' ears.
E. The dogs salivate after any loud noise.

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Biochemistry & cell biology
Q7
Heat causes the two strands of DNA helices to separate (melt / denature). G/C pairs
form with 3 hydrogen bonds, whilst A/T pairs form with 2 hydrogen bonds.

Which of the following helices will denature at the highest temperature?

A. Short strand with a high proportion of A/T base pairs.

B. Long strand with a high proportion of A/T base pairs.
C. Short strand with a high proportion of G/C base pairs.
D. Long strand with a high proportion of G/C base pairs.

Q8
Which of the following may be found in DNA but not in RNA?

A. 2’-hydroxy group
B. Pentose sugar
C. Phosphodiester bonds
D. Purines
E. Thymine

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Q9
Which of the following elements is NOT present in haemoglobin?

A. Iron
B. Oxygen
C. Nitrogen
D. Phosphorus
E. Hydrogen

Q10
Humans have various stores of chemical energy. We store more of our energy
reserves in some chemicals than others.

Put them in order from least energy stored to most energy stored.

A. Fat
B. Phospho-creatine
C. Liver glucose
D. ATP
E. Blood glucose
F. Protein

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Q11
An enzyme was extracted from a bacterium native to Antarctica. The enzyme was
mixed with an excess of substrates and the rate of reaction over time was
measured.

What could have happened at time A?

A. The substrates ran out

B. An excess of non-competitive (allosteric) inhibitor was added
C. The reaction tube was placed in an ice-water bath
D. A large volume of water was added to the reaction
E. The reaction tube was placed in a warm-water bath

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Q12
Particles can be put in a solution and then centrifuged. Bigger particles tend to move
faster and sediment quicker.

Ribosomes taken from a eukaryotic organism and a prokaryotic organism

were centrifuged and the following pattern was observed:

Which of the following is TRUE?

A. Eukaryotes and prokaryotes contain three types of ribosomes.

B. Eukaryotic ribosomes are smaller than prokaryotic ribosomes.
C. There are three subunits in these ribosomes.
D. Treatment with RNAse would alter the position of these bands.
E. Any particles with the same molecular weight will be found in the same band.

Q13
Put the following structures in order of size, from smallest to largest.

A. Virus
B. Mitochondria
C. Amoeba
D. Plant cell vacuole
E. Nucleus

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Q14
Put the following structures in order of size, from smallest to largest.

A. Human DNA strand

B. Muscle actin filament
C. Glucose
D. Triglyceride
E. ATP
F. Ribosome

Q15
Consider a plant cell. Different substances are found in different organelles.

Match the organelle to the substance associated with it.

1) Magnesium
2) Dissolved salt
3) DNA
4) RNA
5) Carbohydrates

A. Cell wall
B. Nucleus
C. Cytoplasm
D. Chloroplasts
E. Vacuole

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Circulation
Q16
Cows ferment grass in their stomach, which means almost everything they consume
is metabolised by microorganisms. Cows then digest these microorganisms
when they pass into their intestines.

Which of the following is correct?

A. Cows absorb a large amount of carbohydrate from their diet.

B. Cows eat small amounts of highly nutritious grass rather than large amounts
of tough grass.
C. Cows convert microorganism proteins into carbohydrate.
D. Cows convert microorganism fats into carbohydrate.
E. Cows have long and large intestines relative to their size.

Q17
Kwashiorkor is a severe form of malnutrition which occurs when people eat
insufficient protein. The levels of proteins in the blood plasma become very
low.

Which of the following are features of Kwashiorkor?

A. The blood has higher water potential

B. Water is absorbed from the blood into tissues
C. High sugar supplements are a treatment
D. The amount of urea producing enzymes is increased

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Q18
Several diseases can lead to someone producing large amounts of dilute urine.

What could cause one of them?

A. Absence of antidiuretic hormone (ADH / vasopressin)

B. Blood loss (haemorrhage)
C. Low blood glucose levels
D. Damage to the large intestine
E. Excessive salt consumption

Q20
The speed at which an action potential travels down a neuronal axon depends on the
following:

For myelinated neurons, the speed is directly proportional to the axon radius.

For unmyelinated neurons, the speed is directly proportional to the square

root of the axon radius.

Which of these axons conducts action potentials at the highest speed?

A. A myelinated axon of radius: r

B. An unmyelinated axon of radius: r/2
C. An unmyelinated axon of radius: r²
D. A myelinated axon of radius: r√2

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Q21
Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas which can be released by poorly burning fuels.

It enters the blood and binds haemoglobin very tightly.

The amount of oxygen in blood has been plotted against the concentration of
oxygen in the atmosphere, with and without the presence of carbon
monoxide.

Which of the following is true?

A. Carbon monoxide increases the tightness of binding (affinity) of haemoglobin

for oxygen.
B. Carbon monoxide increases the solubility of oxygen in the blood plasma.
C. Carbon monoxide increases the amount of functional haemoglobin in the
blood.
D. Carbon monoxide is a competitive inhibitor of oxygen binding to haemoglobin.
E. Carbon monoxide can be used in respiration instead of oxygen.

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Q22
Microscope images were taken of different blood vessels.

Black and white images were taken with an electron microscope. Colour
images are from samples where muscle has been stained blue and elastin
has been stained pink. Elastin is a strong, elastic protein.

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Q22 – continued
Match type of blood vessel to the number. Put the vessels in order from 1 to
6.

A. Aorta
B. Arteriole
C. Capillary
D. Vein
E. Venule
F. Artery

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Anatomy & Ecology
Q23
Complete the following sentence:

An action potential occurs because...

A. Voltage sensitive channels open allowing sodium to enter the cell.

B. Calcium sensitive channels open allowing sodium to enter the cell.
C. A pump pushes more sodium into the cell than potassium out of the cell.
D. Voltage sensitive channels open allowing calcium to enter the cell.
E. Electrons flow along the cell.
F.

Q24
Which of the following is LEAST likely to cause an immune response?

A. Proteins from the nucleus released into tissue fluids by damage

B. Blood taken from a baby and injected into the mother
C. An artificial small protein
D. An artificial small non-protein
E. Mutated proteins present on the surface of cancer cells

Q25
Cancer cells often contain many genetic mutations in their DNA.

Which of the following does NOT contribute to this observation?

A. Cancer tends to occur in older people after many cell divisions

B. Most DNA mutations cause cells to divide more often rather than less often
C. Genes must be mutated to allow uncontrolled cell division
D. Cancer can be caused by toxins and radiation which damage DNA
E. DNA repair mechanisms are often damaged in cancer cells

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Q26
Animals and plants have very different developmental genetics. This can be related
to the way plants and animals function.

Order the features so as they match up with the list of evolutionary

consequences:

1) Cannot move
2) Susceptible to herbivory
3) Primary producer
4) Fast movement
5) Complex anatomy

A. Variable body plan

B. Nervous system
C. Large part of genome regulates transcription factors
D. Large part of genome encodes enzymes
E. Any cell can re-grow any body part

Q27
Plants use starch to store glucose, whilst animals store glycogen. Starch and
glycogen stores have different properties which reflect the different ways
plants and animals function.

Which of the following is NOT a correct explanation of the difference between

plant and animal stores?

A. Animals need to release glucose quicker than plants to contract muscles

B. Animals store most of their energy as fat
C. Animals need to store their glucose in a denser form than plants
D. Animals need to control the concentration of glucose in their fluids more than
plants
E. Animals often synthesise glucose from amino acids

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Q28
Lichens are organisms formed by the symbiosis of several kingdoms of life. They
often include filamentous fungi, yeasts, algae and cyanobacteria
(photosynthetic bacteria) living together.

Order the symbionts by their role in the organism.

1) Fixes nitrogen
2) Makes multicellular structure
3) Primary producer
4) Has chloroplasts
5) Reproduces sexually

A. Fungi
B. Cyanobacteria
C. Algae
D. Cyanobacteria & algae
E. Fungi & algae

Q29
Many species of plants are epiphytes, which means they grow on the branches of
trees, to get brighter sunlight. Epiphytes collect their own water and nutrients
so do not steal from the tree.

Which of the following correctly describes the epiphyte niche?

A. Growing on branches reduces competition

B. Epiphytes are parasites of trees
C. Trees and epiphytes are in a mutualistic symbiosis
D. Epiphytes increase the fitness of trees
E. Epiphytes only colonise living branches

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Q30
Monocots and dicots are the two major groups of flowering plants.

Which of the following are features of monocots? Choose from the options
below:

i. Two seed leaves (cotyledons)

ii. Long narrow leaves
iii. Radial veins
iv. Taproot
v. Stem vessels in a ring

A. i
B. ii
C. iii
D. iv
E. v
F. ii and iv
G. ii and v
H. iii, iv, v
I. i, iii, iv, v

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Genetics & Analysis
Q31
In a small village, 5% of people suffer Sickle Cell disease, caused by a recessive
haemoglobin allele.

Calculate the frequency of the sickle cell allele in the village population.

A. 5.0%
B. 7.4%
C. 13.1%
D. 22.4%
E. 39.7%

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Q32
Fruit flies are the best organism for studying genetics. Wild type flies have a yellow
body, whereas a mutant has an ebony body.

A yellow male and an ebony female were crossed. Their progeny had a
roughly equal number of yellow and ebony flies of both sexes.

Which of the following is true?

A. Inheritance of body colour is NOT mendelian.

B. The mutation is X-linked.
C. One parent was homozygous and one parent was heterozygous.
D. Both parents were homozygous.
E. Both parents were heterozygous.

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Q33
The colour of snapdragon flowers is genetically controlled as shown:

Genotype Phenotype
rr White
Rr Pink
RR Red

Parent plants are crossed to produce many offspring. None of these first-
generation offspring have white flowers. However, when these offspring are
crossed, some of the second generation have white flowers.

What colour could each of the parent flowers be? Choose from options in the
table:

Cross Parent 1 Parent 2

i White Red
ii Pink Pink
iii Pink Red
iv Pink White

A. i only
B. ii only
C. iii only
D. iv only
E. i and ii
F. i and iii
G. i and iv
H. ii and iii
I. ii and iv
J. iii and iv

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Q34
A genetic mutation occurred within Queen Victoria which caused many of her
descendants to die from Haemophilia.

The mutation is carried on the X chromosome, and is recessive.

Using this family tree, calculate the probability Alexis had Haemophilia.

A. 0%
B. 12%
C. 25%
D. 50%
E. 100%

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Q35
Scottish wildcats are an endangered species.

In a modern version of a mark recapture experiment, hundreds of motion

sensitive cameras were used to take pictures of wildcats. Volunteers used the
patterns of their fur to distinguish individual cats. In one year, they found 10
different wildcats. In the next year they found 9 different wildcats, one of which
had the same markings as a cat found the year before.

Calculate how many wildcats are left in Scotland.

A. 9
B. 90
C. 900
D. 1111
E. 9000

Q36
The resolving power of a microscope is the minimum distance apart two features
have to be before the microscope can distinguish them.

The objective lenses of microscopes have two numbers engraved on them

which are ‘magnification / numerical aperture’. For example, a 40/0.65 lens
has 40x magnification and a numerical aperture (NA) of 0.65.

λ is the wavelength of light in μm used to see the sample.

The resolving power of a microscope, in μm, is 0.61λ/NA.

Which of the following is true?

A. Zooming in on the image produced by an objective lens allows more detail to

be seen.
B. Structures which glow red can be seen in more detail than structures glowing
blue.
C. The example microscope can resolve organelles 1 μm apart using light of
wavelength 1 μm.
D. A lens of NA = 0.2 is better than a lens of NA = 20.
E. Electrons in an electron microscope are accelerated to increase their
wavelength.

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Quickfire II
Q37
Some hormones have receptors in the cytosol (cytoplasm) and other have receptors
on the plasma membrane.

What could NOT explain this difference?

A. Some hormones have trans-membrane transporters.

B. Some hormones are hydrophobic and can pass through the plasma
membrane.
C. Some hormones can interact with their receptor from the other side of the
membrane.
D. Some signals move from one cell into another through tunnels between
them.
E.

Q38
Which of the following is an example of passive immunity?

A. Antibodies passed from mother to foetus.

B. Antibodies produced from B cells.
C. Cell death by killer T cells.
D. Vaccination with a weakened form of a virus.

Q39
Water travels from plant roots to plant shoots.

How is this achieved?

A. Water is actively transported up the phloem.

B. Water is actively transported up the xylem.
C. Water is pulled by transpiration up the phloem.
D. Water is pulled by transpiration up the xylem.

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Q40
What colour of sunlight does chlorophyll NOT absorb?

A. Ultraviolet
B. Blue
C. Green
D. Orange
E. Red

Q41
Genetic drift is a mechanism of evolution.

Which of the following is true?

A. Drift is a random process.

B. Drift results in adaptations.
C. Drift is driven by competition.
D. Drift occurs more in larger populations.
E. Drift only occurs in sexually reproducing organisms.

Q42
War horses are trained not to be frightened by the sounds of war.

What type of behaviour is this?

A. Reflex
B. Instinct
C. Habituation
D. Imprinting
E. Conditioning
F. Insight

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Ecology II
Q43
Flowers can use different strategies to spread their pollen.

Match the anatomy of the flower to the predicted pollination strategy it uses.

Put the strategies in the same order as the list below

1) Very fine, loosely attached pollen

2) Sturdy flowers with lots of nectar
3) Large pale flowers
4) Brightly coloured flowers with lots of pollen
5) Foul smelling flowers

A. Bird pollination
B. Bee pollination
C. Moth pollination
D. Fly pollination
E. Wind pollination

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Q44
Scientists carried out an experiment to see whether plants could sense and respond
to sounds. Specifically, they wanted to see if flowers changed their nectar
production due to the sound of bees.

They played three sounds to flowers, at the same volume, and measured the
amount of nectar produced after three minutes.

Which of the following is true?

A. The amount of nectar is always the same, irrespective of sound played.

B. Flowers only responded to the sound of bees.
C. Frequency of sound is important for flower perception.
D. The results are an artefact as a high pitch sound contains more energy than a
low pitch one at the same volume.
E. Flowers can sense high pitched sounds.

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Q45
Male and female bees visit distinct species of flower.

Males only need nectar for energy, but females need both nectar and pollen
for nesting.

Which of the following is true?

A. Male and female bees are different species.

B. Male and female bees have identical adaptations.
C. Male bees visit fewer types of flower than females.
D. Male and female bees equally prefer the same colour patterns.
E. This behaviour increases intraspecific competition.

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Q46
The gene RMS1 controls how branched plants become, and it was altered in modern
crops as part of the ‘green revolution’.

Parts of seedlings with normal RMS1 were grafted onto seedlings which have
no RMS1 to study how the gene works.

Which of the following is true?

A. RMS1 increases shoot branching.

B. The signal produced by RMS1 travels towards the shoot tip, rather than
towards the roots.
C. RMS1 in the roots alone is enough to give normal shoot branching.
D. Shoots cannot branch normally unless RMS1 is in the roots.
E. The signal produced by RMS1 only travels a short distance.

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Q47
You are familiar with food chains showing the flow of energy from primary producers
to consumers, which mainly follows the flow of carbon.

Construct a food chain based on the flow of nitrogen.

Put the organism which consumes nitrogen gas from the air first, and the one
which uses the nitrogen last at the end.

A. Plants
B. Anaerobically respiring gut bacteria
C. Saprotrophic bacteria (saprobionts)
D. Nitrogen fixing bacteria
E. Animals

Q48
Some ecologists categorise species into a continuum containing pathogens to
predators based on their niche and anatomy.

Below, the size of the attacker compared to the size of the victim is plotted.

i iii
v

ii

iv

Match the classification to the line letter.

Put the name corresponding to i first, then ii, iii, iv then v at the end.

A. Parasite
B. Predator
C. Pathogen
D. Herbivore
E. Mimic

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Genetics II
Q49
Behaviour can be genetically controlled.

Burrowing mouse species A digs burrows without an escape tunnel and a

short entrance tunnel. Burrowing mouse species B digs burrows with an
escape tunnel and a long entrance tunnel.

Species A and B were cross-bred, and the burrows of the hybrid offspring
(known as F1) were studied. The F1 mice were then cross-bred with species
A, and the burrows of these back-cross (BC) mice were studied.

Which of the following is true?

A. Entrance tunnel length is influenced by many genes.

B. Absence of an escape tunnel is dominant to presence of an escape tunnel.
C. A mix of F1 hybrids and species B can be separated accurately by looking at
their burrows.
D. Genes influencing entrance tunnel length and presence of an escape tunnel
are close to each other (genetically linked).
E. Environmental factors influenced escape tunnel digging.

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Q50
Sexual orientation in fruit fly matings can be controlled by the gene fruitless. Fruitless
can make protein A and/or protein B, depending on circumstances. Mutations
can disrupt which fruitless proteins are made.

Male Female

Genotype Appearance of Mates with Appearance of Mates

fly fly with

Normal flies
Male Females Female Males
No fruitless
Males &
proteins Male Female Males
Females
Fruitless protein A
only Male Females Female Females

Fruitless protein B
only Male Males Female Males

Which of the following is true?

A. Fruitless controls which sex organs flies grow.

B. Fruitless protein B influences the sexual orientation of female flies.
C. Fruitless protein A causes flies to court with females.
D. Fruitless protein A and B have the same role in male and female flies.
E. Normal male flies only produce fruitless protein B.

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Q51
A certain kind of blood cancer (leukaemia) is always caused when pieces of two
chromosomes are swapped, which causes two genes to be stuck together.
This new fusion gene produces a protein which forces cells to divide.

DNA from different chromosomes can be stained different colours, and seen
down a microscope. Chromosomes from a person with this blood cancer are
shown.

Which of the following is true?

A. This mutation is recessive.

B. Pieces of chromosome 8 and 3 are swapped.
C. This person is female.
D. This person has Down syndrome (an extra copy of chromosome 21).
E. This person is heterozygous for the mutation.

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Q52
The process of DNA fingerprinting involves using two primers to copy the bit of
someone's DNA between them. These copies are then cut with enzymes that
only bind specific DNA sequences. The length of the fragments of the copies
can then be measured by gel electrophoresis.

DNA fingerprinting was carried out on one person using the primers shown.

The person had one allele that did not contain the cut site, and one allele
which did contain the cut site.

Calculate how far apart the primer and enzyme binding sites are away from
one another. Which of the following is FALSE?

A. The primer 1b binding site is 100 bp from the Primer 1a binding site.
B. The enzyme cut site is 300 bp from the primer 1a binding site.
C. The primer 2 binding site is 1000 bp from the primer 1a binding site.
D. The primer 2 binding site is 700 bp from the cut site.
E. The primer 1b binding site is 300 bp from the cut site.

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Q53
The concentration of two proteins in the blood vary between people.

Some people also carry mutations in the gene for one of these proteins.

The concentration of each protein in different people is plotted.

Which of the following hypothesis is NOT supported by this data?

A. Protein 1 and protein 2 are two halves of the same hormone.

B. The same transcription factor could regulate the genes for protein 1 and
protein 2.
C. Environmental factors influence the concentration of protein 1.
D. Genetic factors influence the concentration of protein 1.
E. Protein 1 is required for the production of protein 2.

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Anatomy II
Q54
The organism which causes malaria, Plasmodium, has an organelle which is
descended from chloroplasts.

Which of the following is true?

A. Plasmodium is a plant.
B. Plasmodium is a virus.
C. Plasmodium is a prokaryote.
D. Plasmodium can be killed by some herbicides.
E. Plasmodium does NOT have mitochondria.

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Q55
HIV virus has a single stranded RNA genome which becomes incorporated into the
human genome and then produces new virus.

Put the following processes of the HIV life-cycle in order. Assume the HIV
genome has just entered the cell.

A. DNA-dependent RNA polymerisation (transcription)

B. RNA-dependent DNA polymerisation (reverse transcription)
C. Release of new virus
D. DNA-dependent DNA polymerisation (DNA replication)

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Q56
Some animals are able to regenerate their limbs if they are injured.

A phylogenetic tree of animals, and their regenerating ability is shown.

Which of the following is true?

A. Birds are more closely related to mammals than birds are to lizards.
B. Frogs are more closely related to lungfish than frogs are to birds.
C. The Amniota common ancestor could regenerate its limbs.
D. The coelacanth can regenerate its limbs.
E. Mammalian limbs cannot regenerate because the arrangement of bones is
too complicated.

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Q57
The heart can be stimulated to contract with either more or less force by nerves and
hormones.

The heart can be stimulated to contract either more or less frequently by

nerves.

Which of the following is true?

A. If pressure receptors of the arteries are over-stimulated, heart force and

speed will increase.
B. Hearts rely more on the changing of frequency than force after they are
transplanted into a new person.
C. The right-side of the heart contracts with more force than the left-side of the
heart.
D. Blockage of the arteries requires the heart to contract more frequently.
E. Blockage of the arteries requires the heart to contract with more force.

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Q58
Synapses transmit signals from one neuron to another, allowing them to process
information like a computer. Different kinds of synapses have different effects
on the neurons they signal to.

The effect of stimulation from synapses 1, 2 and 3 on the electrical potential of

neuron 4 was measured.

Put the following events in order of the size of the potential that they cause at
4. Put the event which causes the highest potential first, and the one that
causes the most negative potential last.

A. Stimulation from synapse 1, 2 and 3 simultaneously.

B. Stimulation from synapse 2 twice in quick succession.
C. Stimulation from synapse 1 and 3 simultaneously.
D. Stimulation from synapse 1 three times in quick succession.

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Q59
Insect and plant respiratory systems are similar. In both, openings (called spiracles
in insects and stomata in plants) spread across their surface allow gasses to
diffuse into air spaces within their bodies.

The facts listed below are true of both plants and insects, except one which is
not true of both - which is it?

A. Spiracles and stomata shut in hot, dry conditions to conserve water.

B. Cells must be very close to the airspaces for diffusion.
C. Insects and plants are coated in a waxy layer to conserve water.
D. When spiracles and stomata are shut, carbon dioxide builds up within the
organism.
E. Small hairs are used to trap humid air within plants and insects to conserve
water.

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Biochemistry II
Q60
Mycobacterium tuberculosis causes TB, one of the oldest and most feared diseases.

Most antibiotics do not work against TB, the vaccine is moderately ineffective,
and some strains are untreatable.

Listed below are special features of M. tuberculosis. Which does NOT make
developing treatments difficult?

A. M. tuberculosis grows extremely slowly

B. M. tuberculosis only lives within human cells
C. M. tuberculosis has a very thick fatty cell wall
D. M. tuberculosis does not exchange genes horizontally with other bacteria
E. M. tuberculosis can go dormant within humans for decades

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Q61
An agar plate was set up with 5 regions containing antibiotic at increasing
concentrations as shown.

0 nM 1 nM 10 nM 100 nM 1000 nM

Bacteria were introduced at the left-hand side of the plate.

They quickly covered the whole of the first section then paused for a few
days, before quickly spreading across the next section.

This behaviour repeated until, after 2 weeks, a uniform covering of bacteria

was present across the whole plate.

Which of the following contributes to this observation?

A. Some of the bacteria put on the plate already had mutations which made
them less susceptible to the antibiotic.
B. The bacteria spread out as far as possible to reduce competition for nutrients.
C. After 2 weeks, all the bacteria on the agar plate are resistant to the antibiotic.
D. The bacteria found on the right hand side are those which can swim the
fastest.
E. The antibiotic was destroyed by chemicals in the agar over time.

Q62
Rigor mortis occurs after death because muscles stiffen.

Which of the following does NOT contribute to the onset of rigor mortis?

A. Myosin must bind ATP before it releases actin.

B. Damage to cell membranes leads to calcium accumulation within the
cytoplasm.
C. Anaerobic glycolysis stops when cytoplasmic glucose runs out.
D. Damage to cell membranes leads to proteases degrading muscle proteins.
E. Oxygen is no longer delivered to muscles.

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Q63
RuBisCO is the enzyme which photosynthesising organisms use to fix carbon
dioxide (CO2) from the air to carbohydrates. However, RuBisCO can bind
oxygen (O2) instead of CO2, which forces the organism to consume energy.

Which of the following is true?

A. Plants do not need O₂ to grow.

B. If RuBisCO were modified to prevent oxygen binding, crops would grow
better.
C. When RuBisCO first evolved, oxygen binding was as common as today.
D. Increased atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are increasing the rate of oxygen
binding to RuBisCO.
E. Increasing the amount of RuBisCO in crops will help them grow better.

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Q64
Proteins fold into a shape based on non-covalent forces between atoms and the
formation of covalent disulphide bonds between the side-chains of amino
acids.

Urea is used to disrupt the non-covalent interactions, and DTT is used to

reduce disulphide bonds.

The activity of an enzyme was measured after the addition and removal of
DTT or urea to see how the denatured protein re-folds.

Added to begin Removed first Removed Enzyme activity

with second at end
None None None 100%
DTT & Urea None None 0%
DTT & Urea Urea None 0%
DTT & Urea Urea DTT 95%
DTT & Urea DTT Urea 2%

Which of the following is true?

A. The presence of the correct amino-acids alone is sufficient to give this

enzyme activity.
B. Disulphide bonds always form between the same parts of this enzyme.
C. Disulphide bonds are necessary for this enzyme to function.
D. Non-covalent interactions are needed for disulphide bonds to form.
E. Non-covalent interactions contribute minimally to the activity of this enzyme.

Q65
Many biological substances are polymers of simpler subunits. Condensation
reactions join two molecules and water is produced as a product.

Which polymer is NOT produced in a condensation reaction?

A. Glycogen
B. Protein
C. Cellulose
D. Triglycerides
E. DNA

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Analysis II
Q66
This is part one of two questions about protein translation.

During translation, the triplet code of mRNA is complementary to specific

tRNAs. Each type of tRNA is bound only to one of twenty different amino
acids. Three triplets of mRNA instead bind factors which STOP translation.

ARS enzymes join particular amino acids to particular tRNAs.

Match the number to the correct statement.

1) The number of different mRNA triplets is...

2) The minimum number of different tRNAs needed is...
3) The minimum number of different ARS enzymes needed is...
4) The maximum number of different amino acids which an mRNA doublet
code could specify is...

A. 20
B. 15
C. 64
D. 61

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Q67
This is part two of two questions about protein translation.

ARS enzymes attach the wrong amino acid to a tRNA once in every
10 000 reactions.

Ribosomes pair the wrong tRNA with a mRNA once in every 10 000 reactions.

RNA polymerase includes the wrong nucleotide once in every 10 000

reactions.

DNA replication includes the wrong nucleotide once in every

1000 000 000 reactions.

List the processes in order of the number of incorrect proteins they result in.
Put the least important contributor to incorrect protein production first, and the
most important contributor last.

A. Replication
B. Transcription
C. Translation

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019

Q68
Your brain manipulates your experience of the world in many ways.

One study asked if blinking eyes alters the perception of time. Specifically,
they measured perceptions of the duration of a visual or a sound stimulus.
Firstly, people were trained to get used to the duration of a long versus a short
visual stimulus, or a long versus a short sound stimulus.

Next, people were given a random visual or sound stimulus, and were asked if
they thought it had gone on for a long time. Sometimes, people happened to
blink while they were experiencing the stimulus.

Which of the following is true about these results?

A. Blinking has the same effect on visual and sound perceptions of time.
B. Blinking makes visual stimuli appear slower.
C. The brain has a central clock which it uses to time stimuli.
D. The vision processing areas of the brain assess how much stimulus they
received.
E. Blinking temporarily stops processing of sounds by the brain.

END

UKBiologyCompetitions.org BBO 2019