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1.1 The Microscope in Cell Studies

Question Paper

Course CIE AS Biology

Section 1. Cell Structure
Topic 1.1 The Microscope in Cell Studies
Difficulty Medium

Time allowed: 60

Score: /42

Percentage: /100

Page 1 of 10
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Question 1a
a)
Fig. 1.1 is a drawing of part of a plant cell as seen with an electron microscope. The scale bar (measuring 45 mm
in length) on this drawing represents a length of 10 μm.

Fig. 1.1

Calculate the magnification of the drawing in Fig. 1.1.

[2 marks]

[2 marks]

Question 1b
b)
Calculate the actual width of the cell in Fig. 1.1 from A to B. Give your answer in micrometres (µm).
[2 marks]

[2 marks]

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Question 1c
c)
Fig. 1.2 is a drawing of a mitochondrion at a magnification of ×20 000. The distance between points A and B in
the diagram is 6.4 cm.

Fig. 1.2

Calculate the actual length of the mitochondrion in Fig. 1.2 in micrometres (µm).
[2 marks]

[2 marks]

Question 1d
d)
The circumference of a mitochondrion, labelled C in Fig. 1.2, is 1.5 µm. A student is making an accurate scale
model of a mitochondrion for a school science project and wants to magnify a mitochondrion 50,000 times.
Calculate (in cm) what the circumference of the student’s model will be.
[2 marks]

[2 marks]

Question 2a
a)
A student is given a sample of plant tissue. Describe how the student would prepare a sample of cells from this
tissue, ready to be viewed using a light microscope.
[3 marks]

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[3 marks]

Question 2b
b)
Describe how the student in part (a) would then view their sample of cells using a light microscope.
[4 marks]

[4 marks]

Question 2c
c)
Identify two structures in a eukaryotic cell that cannot be identified using a light microscope.
[2 marks]

[2 marks]

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Question 3a
a)
A student used a light microscope to view a specimen. They wanted to work out the actual size of the specimen,
and decided to use a stage micrometer, together with the ruler visible inside the eyepiece of the microscope
(known as the eyepiece graticule).
Outline why a stage micrometer is needed as well as the eyepiece graticule.
[2 marks]

[2 marks]

Question 3b
b)
Describe the steps required to calibrate the eyepiece graticule of a light microscope using a stage micrometer.
[3 marks]

[3 marks]

Question 3c
c)
Explain why the steps outlined in part b) would need to be repeated when the student changes to a more
powerful objective lens.
[2 marks]

[2 marks]

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Question 3d
d)
Fig. 3.1 shows the appearance of the scale of a stage micrometer. The length of the whole scale is 1.00 mm.
Point A shows the point at which the edge of a human cheek cell appears in the microscope display. A typical
cheek cell has diameter of approximately 50 μm.

Fig. 3.1

Indicate on Fig. 3.1, with an arrow labelled B, the position of the opposite edge of the cheek cell.
[1 mark]

[1 mark]

Question 4a
a)
Fig. 4.1 below shows a cross-section of a leaf taken using a light microscope with a magnification of x250.

Fig. 4.1

Fig. 4.1 shows some cell organelles inside the cells of the leaf, but it doesn’t show structures such as
ribosomes or cell membranes. Use your knowledge of microscopes to explain why this is the case.
[2 marks]

[2 marks]

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Question 4b
b)
If the leaf sample in Fig. 4.1 were viewed under an electron microscope, ribosomes and cell membranes could be
viewed clearly. Explain why.
[1 mark]

[1 mark]

Question 4c
c)
Outline the general advantages and disadvantages of using a transmission electron microscope (TEM).
[4 marks]

[4 marks]

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Question 4d
d)
Fig. 4.2 below shows an image of algae taken using an electron microscope.

Image courtesy of SecretDisc. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License. Reused and distributed under conditions found at:
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en

Fig. 4.2

For the image shown in Fig. 4.2:

i)
Name the type of microscope used to produce this image.
[1 mark]

ii)
Give one piece of evidence to support your answer to part i)
[1 mark]

[2 marks]

Question 5a
a)
A student decided to produce a biological drawing of a plant cell they were viewed using a light microscope.
Give four conventions that the student must be sure to follow for their diagram to be classed as a biological
drawing.
[4 marks]

[4 marks]

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Question 5b
b)
In order to produce a scale line for their biological drawing in part a), the student needs to calculate the size of
each eyepiece graticule subdivision. Fig. 5.1 shows the field of view of the light microscope used by the student
at a magnification of x200. The student is told that each subdivision on the stage micrometer represents 10 µm.

Fig. 5.1

Calculate the distance represented by one subdivision of the eyepiece graticule scale at this magnification.
[2 marks]

[2 marks]

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Question 5c
c)
The student in parts a) and b) wants to be able to draw more detail of the plant cell infrastructure.
Explain why a transmission electron microscope would give a more detailed image of the plant cell
infrastructure than a light microscope.
[2 marks]

[2 marks]

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