Subject: Biology

Chapter/Topic: IGCSE
Sub-Topic: Paper 63

1 Catalase is an enzyme found in plant and animal cells. It catalyses the break down of
hydrogen peroxide to form water and oxygen.

2H2O2 2H2O + O2
hydrogen peroxide water oxygen

The oxygen produced during the reaction forms a foam on the surface of the mixture of hydrogen
peroxide and catalase. The height of the foam can be used as a measure of the activity of the
catalase present.

A student investigated the effect of cooking on the activity of catalase in potato tissue using 3%
hydrogen peroxide.

The student used the following method:

Step 1 Cut two potato sticks so that they are identical in both shape and size.

Step 2 Put 5 cm3 of hydrogen peroxide solution into a test-tube labelled uncooked potato.

Step 3 Put 5 cm3 of hydrogen peroxide solution into a test-tube labelled cooked potato.

Step 4 Put one of the potato sticks into a beaker of hot water (90 °C) and leave it for five
minutes before carefully removing it.

Step 5 Put the potato stick from step 4 into the test-tube labelled cooked potato.

Step 6 Put the uncooked potato stick into the test-tube labelled uncooked potato.

Step 7 Leave the potato sticks in the hydrogen peroxide for three minutes and then measure
the height of the foam produced in each of the test-tubes.

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 Fig. 1.1 shows the test-tubes after three minutes.

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 (a) (i) Prepare a table for the student’s results.

Measure the height of the foam in each of the test-tubes in Fig. 1.1. Record these
values in your table.

[3]

(ii) Calculate the difference in the height of the foam produced by cooked and uncooked
potato after three minutes. Include the units.

Space for working.

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(iii) Describe how you made sure that your measurements of the height of the foam in each
test-tube could be compared.

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 (iv) State a conclusion for these results.

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(b) (i) Identify the variable that was changed (independent variable) in this investigation.

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(ii) State three variables, other than the way in which you measured the height of the foam,
that should have been kept constant in this investigation.

1 ........................................................................................................................................

2 ........................................................................................................................................

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

(c) Identify three sources of error in this method.

1 ................................................................................................................................................

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2 ................................................................................................................................................

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3 ................................................................................................................................................

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[3]

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 (d) A student was asked to test the hypothesis:

Catalase activity is the same in all species of plants.

Plan an investigation to test this hypothesis.

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(e) Potatoes contain a lot of starch. When potatoes start to grow to form new plants, the starch
is broken down by the enzyme amylase to form reducing sugars.

Explain how you could test samples of potato to show that starch and reducing sugars are
present.

starch ........................................................................................................................................

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reducing sugars ........................................................................................................................

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[5]

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 [Total: 24]

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2 Woodlice are small animals.

The rate of respiration of a woodlouse can be measured using a simple respirometer as shown in
Fig. 2.1.

As the woodlouse respires the drop of coloured liquid moves along the capillary tube.

ruler
Star
t

mesh barrier cm
1 2 3 4 5 6

capillary drop of
potassium woodlouse tube coloured liquid
hydroxide to absorb airtight
carbon dioxide bung

ruler
After 30 minutes

mesh barrier cm
1 2 3 4 5 6

woodlouse drop of coloured capillary tube

potassium liquid
hydroxide absorb airtight bung
carbon dioxide

Fig. 2.1

(a) (i) Record the position of the drop of coloured liquid in the capillary tube shown in
Fig. 2.1 at the start and after 30 minutes.

Start ........................................................ mm

After 30 minutes ........................................................ mm

[1]

(ii) Using the information in 2(a)(i), calculate the rate of movement of the drop of
coloured liquid in mm per minute. Give your answer to one decimal place.

Space for working.

................................ mm per minute [2]

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 (a) The rate of movement of the drop of coloured liquid along the respirometer can be used
as a measure of the rate of respiration. A student used the apparatus shown in Fig. 2.1 to
investigate the rate of respiration in different species of small animals.

The results are shown in Table 2.1.

Table 2.1

rate of movement of drop of coloured liquid / mm per minute

animal species
repeat 1 repeat 2 repeat 3 average
A 1.6 1.7 1.3 1.5
B 0.9 1.0 0.7 0.9
C 2.4 2.6 2.5 2.5
D 1.9 2.0 1.9 1.9

(i) Plot a bar chart on the grid to show the average rate of movement of the drop of
coloured liquid in the capillary tube for the four different species of animal.

[3]

(ii) State which letter represents the animal species with the highest rate of respiration.

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

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 (b) Fig. 2.2 shows a photograph of a woodlouse.

Fig. 2.2

(i) Draw a large diagram of the woodlouse in Fig. 2.2.

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 [4]

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