New Senior Secondary Mastering Biology (Third Edition)

Book
1A

Suggested answers to Exercise,

Reading to learn and Cross-topic
exercise
MS Word file is available in Teaching Resource Centre:
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The overseas examination boards bear no responsibility for the suggested answers contained in
this publication. Answers for HKDSE, HKCEE and HKALE questions are not available due to
copyright restrictions.

Ch 1 Introducing biology
Exercise

Section 1.1
Level 1 (p. 1-19)
1C

Section 1.2
Level 1 (p. 1-19)
2C

Level 2 (p. 1-19)

3 a No 1 The death rates of childbed fever were different in the two clinics. /
If fear of hospitalization caused childbed fever, the death rates would have been similar
in the two clinics. 1 b i The death rate of childbed fever in a clinic in which doctors
handle deliveries straight after dissecting dead bodies. 1 ii The death rate of childbed
fever would be lower in the clinic in which doctors wash their hands before handling
deliveries. 1

Section 1.3
Level 2 (p. 1-19)
4 a To prevent the exchange of any materials between the soil and the environment. 1 b i
Plants grow by absorbing materials from the soil. 1 ii The increase in mass of the tree would
be equal to the decrease in mass of the soil. 1

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iii The hypothesis is falsified 1 because the increase in mass of the tree was much
higher than the decrease in mass of the soil. 1
c Science advances through reasonable skepticism. 1 Van Helmont questioned the
general belief that plants grew by absorbing materials from soil. 1 (or other
reasonable answers)

Reading to learn (p. 1-20)

1 If the S-shaped neck of a flask was broken to allow microorganisms on dust particles to
reach the boiled broth, then microorganisms would appear in the boiled broth. 1 2 It was used
to show that the result of the experiment was due to the presence of microorganisms in the
air. 1 3
Nature of science Elaboration

Science is affected by the The invention of

technology and the types of microscopes helped the
equipment available at the discovery of
time. microorganisms in the air. 1

Scientists have to explore Pasteur used flasks with an

using different techniques and S-shaped neck to allow air but
methods to find out a good not microorganisms to enter the
solution to a problem. flasks. 1

Scientific knowledge is Scientists no longer think

tentative and subject to microorganisms arise from
change. non-living things by
spontaneous generation. 1

Ch 2 The cell as the basic unit of life

Exercise

Section 2.1
Level 1 (p. 2-38)
1D

Level 2 (p. 2-38)

2B

Section 2.3
Level 1 (p. 2-38)
3B4D
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Level 2 (p. 2-38)

5A6C

7 a Length of the cell in the photomicrograph (L) = 0.7 cm 1 Magnification = 40

Magnification = length of the image

length of the object

40 = 0.7 cm
actual length of the cell
Actual length of the cell = 0.0175 cm
= 175 μm 1 b Move the slide until the cell is located in the centre of the field of view. 1
Rotate the nosepiece to select an objective of higher magnification. 1 Focus by turning
the fine adjustment knob. 1 c He should use a 4X objective. 1 At low-power observation,
the area of the leaf epidermis observed is larger. 1 The results will be more accurate. 1

Section 2.4
Level 1 (p. 2-39)
8C9D

10 CE Bio 2008 I Q4c

Level 2 (p. 2-40)

11 D 12 B 13 A

14 Rough endoplasmic reticulum / ribosomes are involved in the synthesis of proteins. /

Mitochondria convert chemical energy in food into energy that the cell can use for protein
synthesis. 2

15 AL Bio 2011 IA Q3a, b

16 This cell is a eukaryotic cell. 1 Mitochondria, which are bounded by a double membrane,
can be observed in the electron micrograph. 1

17 a

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Title 1 Resemblance of drawing 1 Labels: cell wall / cell membrane / nucleus /

cytoplasm / chloroplast (any 2) 1 × 2
b The magnification and resolution of the light microscope may be not high enough. 1
c Organelle X captures light energy and converts it into the chemical energy in food
during photosynthesis. 1 Mitochondria convert the chemical energy in food into energy
in usable form. 1

18 a Staining cells can increase contrast so that cell structures can be observed more clearly. 1
b Muscle cells are long in shape, while white blood cells are round in shape. 1 The size of
the nucleus is larger relative to the cell size in the white blood cell. 1 c i Z is likely to be
the muscle cell. 1 It has a large amount of mitochondria to meet the energy requirement
of muscle contraction. 1 Y is likely to be the white blood cell. 1 It has a large amount of
rough ER for producing antibodies which are made up of proteins. 1 ii Yes, I agree.
According to the table, W contains no mitochondria and rough ER. Both are
membrane-bound organelles. 1 A bacterial cell, which is a prokaryotic cell,
does not contain membrane-bound organelles. 1

19 Similarities:
Both of them are enclosed by a cell membrane. /
Both of them have a nucleus that contains DNA. /
Both of them have cytoplasm. /
Both of them have rough ER which is a site for the synthesis of proteins. /

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Both of them have smooth ER which is a site for the synthesis of lipids. / Both of them
have ribosomes which are involved in the synthesis of proteins. / Both of them may have
vacuoles. (any 3) 1 × 3 Differences:
Plant cells are generally larger than animal cells. /
Plant cells generally have a more regular shape than animal cells. /
 Plant cells have a cell wall but animal cells do not. /
Green plant cells have chloroplasts but animal cells do not. /
Plant cells often have a large central vacuole but most animal cells have only a few small
vacuoles or do not have any vacuole. (any 4) 1 × 4 Communication 3

Level 3 (p. 2-42)

20 A

21 a X: mitochondrion 1 Y: rough endoplasmic reticulum 1 b Glycogen acts as an energy

reserve in humans. 1 c i Liver cells have a high level of metabolic activities. A lot of energy is
required to support their activities. 1 They need a larger number of X to meet the energy
requirement. 1
ii Cell Z has a larger total membrane surface area of organelle Y. This means it has a
larger amount of Y. 1 Y is the site for the synthesis of proteins. A larger amount of Y
indicates cell Z may produce more proteins. 1

Section 2.5
Level 1 (p. 2-42)
22 C

Reading to learn (p. 2-43)

1 Umbrella alga is a eukaryote. 1 It has a true nucleus. 1 2 Nucleus of the umbrella algae is
located at their foot. 1
The part that is cut off can grow back only when the nucleus is present in the remaining
part, indicating that genetic information which instructs the growth of cells is likely to be
contained in the nucleus. 1 3 Doing science requires creativity and imagination.

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Hammerling designed this experiment to investigate whether genetic information is

contained in the nucleus. The process required creativity and imagination. / The success
of scientific investigation is the result of dedication, ingenuity and luck. Hammerling
chose the umbrella alga to carry out his investigation. 2

Ch 3 Movement of substances across cell

membrane Exercise
Section 3.1
Level 2 (p. 3-33)
1 a Similarity:
A phospholipid bilayer is present in both models. 1 Difference:
In the ‘sandwich’ model, protein molecules are located at the surfaces of the
phospholipid bilayer. In the fluid mosaic model, protein molecules are interspersed
among the phospholipid molecules. 1
b i Hydrophobic protein molecules are repelled by water. 1 They are not likely to be
located at the surfaces of the membrane, where they are in contact with water. 1
ii Polar molecules are repelled by the phospholipid bilayer and cannot move through it. 1
Channel proteins and carrier proteins which transport them across the membrane are
absent in the ‘sandwich’ model. 1 c Scientific knowledge is tentative and subject to
change. 1

2 DSE Bio 2015 IB Q6

Section 3.2
Level 1 (p. 3-34)
3A4C5B

6 a The core of the phospholipid bilayer is hydrophobic. 1 It is permeable to non-polar

substances but impermeable to polar substances and ions. 1
Fatty acids are small and non-polar. They dissolve in the phospholipid bilayer and move
across the membrane. 1 On the other hand, amino acids are small but polar. They are
repelled by the phospholipid bilayer and cannot move through it. 1 b They are
transported by channel proteins or carrier proteins. 1

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Level 2 (p. 3-34)

7 a Oxygen molecules are small and non-polar. 1 They can dissolve in the phospholipid
bilayer. Therefore, they can move across both membranes at a similar rate. 1
b Sodium ions are charged. They are repelled by the phospholipid bilayer. 1 They cannot
move through the phospholipid bilayer. 1 In the cell membrane, they can be transported
across the membrane by channel proteins and carrier proteins. 1 As channel proteins and
carrier proteins are absent in the artificial membrane, sodium ions cannot move across
the membrane. 1

8 Structure of the cell membrane:

The cell membrane is mainly made up of phospholipids and proteins. /
The phospholipid molecules are arranged in a bilayer. /
 Their hydrophilic heads point outwards and hydrophobic tails point inwards. / The
protein molecules are interspersed among the phospholipid molecules. (any 3) 1 × 3
How the structure contributes to its differential permeability:
Since the core of the phospholipid bilayer is hydrophobic, it is permeable to non-polar
substances but impermeable to polar substances and ions. 1 Only small, non-polar
molecules can dissolve in the phospholipid bilayer and move across the membrane. 1
Polar substances and ions are repelled by the phospholipid bilayer and cannot move
through it. 1 Channel proteins and carrier proteins transport these substances across the
membrane. 1 Communication 3

Section 3.3
Level 1 (p. 3-35)
9 A 10 D 11 C 12 A

Level 2 (p. 3-36)

13 B 14 C 15 D

16 DSE Bio 2018 IB Q2

17 DSE Bio 2017 IB Q2

18 DSE Bio 2014 IB Q7

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19 CE Bio 2009 IA Q4

Level 3 (p. 3-38)

20 D 21 A 22 B

23 a Chloride ions are charged. They are repelled by the phospholipid bilayer. 1 Therefore,
they cannot move through it. 1 b i As chloride ions move out of the cells, solute concentration
in the cells decreases. 1 Thus, water potential of the cells increases. The water potential of the
cytoplasm becomes higher than that of the fluid in the lumen of the respiratory tract. 1
Therefore, water moves out of the cells by osmosis. 1 ii Since the defective channel proteins
transport less chloride ions from the cells to the lumen, 1 less water moves out of the cells to
the lumen. 1 As a result, the water content of the fluid decreases, thus it becomes thick. 1

Reading to learn (p. 3-39)

1 The concentrated sugar solution in the bag has a lower water potential than the seawater. 1
There is a net water movement from the seawater (high water potential) to the
concentrated sugar solution (lower water potential). 1 2 The emergency water filter bags are
lighter in weight. 1 The sugary drink produced in the emergency water filter bags can provide
energy. 1

Ch 4 Enzymes and metabolism

Exercise

Section 4.1
Level 1 (p. 4-27)
1B

Level 2 (p. 4-27)

2A3B

Section 4.2
Level 1 (p. 4-28)
4 DSE Bio 2019 IB Q2

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Level 2 (p. 4-28)

5C6B7A

8 Functions:
Enzymes are biological catalysts. 1 They speed up metabolic reactions in our body by
lowering the activation energy. 1 Importance of the shape of the enzymes in relation to
their functions:
Enzymes bind with substrate molecules to form enzyme-substrate complexes during
reaction. 1 Each enzyme has an active site with a specific shape. 1 An enzyme only acts
on a substrate that can fit into its active site. 1 Therefore, each enzyme catalyses one type
of reaction only. 1 Factors like high temperatures or extreme pH which can cause a
change in shape of the active site can affect the activity of enzymes. 1

Section 4.3
Level 1 (p. 4-29)
9B
Level 2 (p. 4-29)
10 B 11 B

12 a Plant tissues may be damaged by mechanical force upon dropping, the vacuole
membrane and cell membrane rupture. 1 The ruptured vacuole membrane allows the enzyme
PPO in the cytoplasm and polyphenolic compounds in the vacuole to come together. 1 The
ruptured cell membrane exposes polyphenolic compounds to another substrate oxygen,
producing brown pigment. 1
b i Boiling / High temperatures cause a change in shape of the active site of PPO. 1
It can no longer bind to the substrate molecules. Thus the reaction does not occur. 1
ii At low temperature, PPO becomes inactive. 1 The chance of PPO and its substrate
molecules colliding with each other is low, thus the reaction occurs only at low rate.
1 iii Oxygen is not available in a vacuum pack. 1 Oxygen is one of the substrates of
the reaction. Without oxygen, the enzymatic reaction cannot occur. 1

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Level 3 (p. 4-30)

13 B 14 A

15 DSE Bio 2015 IB Q7

16 a X and Y 1 b The rate at the 2nd minute is higher than that at the 20th minute. 1 The
concentration of substrate at the 2nd minute is higher than that at the 20th minute. 1
Therefore, the enzyme molecules collide with the substrate molecules more frequently
at the 2nd minute. 1 The chance of forming enzyme-substrate complexes is higher, thus
the rate of reaction is higher. 1 c X 1 The sum of the substrate concentration in tube Y
and the product concentration in tube W is always 100%, indicating that the
experimental conditions of these two tubes are the same. 1 d Lower temperature 1 (or
other reasonable answers)

17 a
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 Title 1 Choice of axes 1 Plotting and joining of line 1 Labels and units 1
b i pH 6 1 ii When pH increases from 4 to 6, the area of the remaining jelly block
decreases. This shows the activity of the protease increases as pH increases from 4 to 6.
1 When pH increases from 6 to 10, the area of the remaining jelly block increases. This
shows the activity of the protease decreases as pH increases from 6 to 10. 1
The protease denatures when pH is too low or too high. The substrate can no
longer fit into the active site of the protease to form the enzyme-substrate complex. 1 c
Put two or more jelly blocks in each Petri dish. /

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Measure the mass of each of the remaining jelly blocks instead of the areas of the
upper face of the jelly blocks. /
Mix the protease solution with the buffer solution before adding the jelly blocks.
(any 2 or other reasonable answers) 1 × 2
Section 4.4
Level 1 (p. 4-32)
18 a The beakers were the control set-ups with no enzymes added. 1 Water was added to
these beakers to keep the total volume the same, so that the results of different beakers
can be compared. 1 b Type of fruit / time of filtering / temperature
(any 2 or other reasonable answers) 1 × 2 c Compared with pH 7–8, the enzyme works
better at pH 3–4. 1 At pH 7–8, the amount of juice collected was much greater in the
beaker with enzyme added compared with the breaker with no enzyme, while the amount
of juice collected showed no significant difference in both beakers at pH 3–4. 1 d At
unsuitable pH, the activity of the enzyme decreases. 1 This is because unsuitable pH
causes denaturation of the enzyme. 1 The substrates can no longer fit into the active site
of the enzyme to form the enzyme-substrate complex. The enzyme loses its catalytic
ability permanently. 1

Level 2 (p. 4-32)

19 DSE Bio Sample paper IB Q9

20 a i Enzymes X, Y and Z are all moderately active at 35 °C. 1 ii 45 °C 1 45 °C is the

optimum temperature of enzyme Z, which is the enzyme for removal of egg stains. 1 b At a
temperature higher than 60 °C, the activity of all the enzymes in the washing powder
becomes 0. 1 This is because the high temperature causes denaturation of the enzymes. 1 The
substrates can no longer fit into the active site of the enzymes to form enzyme-substrate
complexes. The enzymes lose catalytic ability permanently. 1

Level 3 (p. 4-33)

21 a The active site of the enzyme glucose oxidase has a specific shape. 1 Only glucose can
fit into the active site of glucose oxidase to form an
enzyme-substrate complex and produce hydrogen peroxide, which causes the colour
change. 1 b The products of the reaction catalysed by glucose oxidase are invisible. 1

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Peroxidase catalyses the reaction between the product and a colourless compound,
forming a coloured compound. Thus the result becomes visible. 1 c Enzymes become
inactive at low temperatures. 1 The strip may give a false negative result if the
refrigerated sample is tested directly. 1

Reading to learn (p. 4-34)

1 The inhibitor decreases the activity of ALDH. 1 Acetaldehyde is broken down at a lower
 rate. 1 As a result, acetaldehyde accumulates and causes unpleasant symptoms. 1
2 The shape of their active sites may be different. 1 The inactive form may have an active site
that is less likely to bind to substrates. This decreases the chance of forming
enzyme-substrate complexes, causing a decrease in activity. 1

Cross-topic exercise 1
Multiple-choice questions (p. 4-36)
1A2B3D4D
5C6A7B8D
9 B 10 C

Short questions (p. 4-38)

11 a Magnesium is a component of chlorophyll / activates some enzymes. 1 Nitrate is a
source of nitrogen for the synthesis of proteins. 1 b The concentrations of the two ions in the
root hair cells are higher than those in the soil. 1 This indicates that the cells take up these
ions against concentration gradients. 1 c Addition of chemical fertilizers lowers the water
potential of the soil water. 1 The water potential of the soil water becomes lower than that in
the cytoplasm. 1 Water cannot enter the root hair cells by osmosis. 1

12 a Chloroplast 1 Cell wall 1 b i The water potential of the water in the pond is higher than
that of the cytoplasm. 1
Water enters the cells by osmosis. 1 The cells may burst. 1 ii Cell wall is rigid. 1

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As water enters the cells causing cytoplasm to swell, pressure that builds up on
the cell wall prevents further entry of water. This prevents the cells from
bursting. 1

Structured questions (p. 4-39)

13 CE Bio 2000 I Q3c

14 a It contains a large number of mitochondria. 1 Mitochondria release energy for active

transport. 1 The cell membrane of the cell is highly folded. 1 This increases the
surface area for diffusion. 1
b i A bacterial cell has no true nucleus while a eukaryotic cell has a true nucleus. / DNA
is lying free in the cytoplasm in a bacterial cell, but DNA is enclosed in the
nucleus in a eukaryotic cell. /
A bacterial cell has no membrane-bounded organelles, while a eukaryotic cell
has membrane-bound organelles. /
 Ribosomes are lying free in the cytoplasm in a bacterial cell. In a eukaryotic
cell, some ribosomes are attached to endoplasmic reticulum and some are lying
free in the cytoplasm.
(any 2 or other reasonable answers) 1 × 2 ii I The secretion of chloride ions into the
lumen would decrease the water potential of the contents in the lumen. 1 II The
water potential of the cells becomes higher than that of the contents in the lumen. 1
There will be a net water movement from the cells to the lumen by osmosis. 1

15 a i Keep the same size / thickness / surface area / surface area to volume ratio /
diameter of discs. /
Use the same variety / part of potato. /
Remove potato skin. /
Remove excess water before weighing, e.g. by blotting. /
Keep the same number of discs in each solution. /
Keep the same volume of sucrose solution. /
Keep the same temperature. /
Cover the tubes. (any 2) 1 × 2 ii When the water potential of sucrose solution equals
the water potential of potato tissue, the mass of potato discs remains unchanged. 1
There is no change in mass of potato discs when the concentration of sucrose
solution lies at a certain point between 0.2 and 0.3 mol dm−3. 1

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The student may plot a graph of the change in mass of potato discs against
concentration of sucrose solution to determine the exact concentration at which
the mass of potato is unchanged. / Carry out the experiment again with more
sucrose concentration intervals between 0.2 and 0.3 mol dm−3 to determine the
exact concentration at which the mass of potato is unchanged. 1
b i X: cell wall 1 Y: cell membrane 1 Z: vacuole membrane 1
ii Sucrose solution 1 c The root hair cells absorb ions / salts / solutes by active transport. /
The root hair cells store ions / salts / solutes. 1 Therefore, the water potential is lower
inside the root hair cells. 1

Essay (p. 4-40)

16 Comparison between animal cells and plant cells:
In terms of size, animal cells are generally smaller than plant cells. 1 In terms of shape,
plant cells generally have a more regular shape. 1 In terms of structure, animal cells have
no cell wall while plant cells have a cell wall. / Animal cells have small or no vacuoles
while plant cells often have a large central vacuole. /
Animal cells have no chloroplasts while green plant cells have chloroplasts. (any 2) 1 × 2
Responses when placed in a hypotonic solution:
 Water enters the cell by osmosis because the water potential of the hypotonic solution is
higher than that of the cytoplasm. 1 Animal cells do not have a cell wall. They will swell
and may finally burst. 1 In plant cells, the cytoplasm swells. The swelling is resisted by
the rigid cell wall. They
may finally become turgid. 1 Communication 3

Ch 5 Food and humans

Exercise

Section 5.1
Level 1 (p. 5-35)
1B2A

Level 2 (p. 5-35)

3D4A5A6A

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Level 3 (p. 5-36)

7 a Vitamin C content of the fresh cabbage juice = (0.1 × 15) / 50 1 = 0.03% 1 b The vitamin
C content of sample X is higher than that of samples Y and Z. 1 This indicates that boiling
causes a decrease in the vitamin C content of cabbage. 1 The vitamin C content of sample Z is
higher than that of sample Y. 1 This indicates that compared with adding cabbage to cold
water and boiling, adding cabbage to boiling water and boiling results in less vitamin C loss.
1

8 a i The mass of group A falls slightly 1 then rises. 1 The mass of group B rises 1 then falls.
1
ii Milk is needed for growth. 1 The effect is delayed. 1 b This is to ensure the
difference in mass is due to the milk but not other differences between the groups of
rats. 1 c Environmental factors (e.g. temperature / light / activity) controlled by keeping
the rats in cages of the same settings. /
Genetic factors controlled by using same species / strain / gender of rats. 2 d

Vitamin Function Source

A night vision carrot

C skin and gum kiwi fruit / bell

development pepper / guava
 D bone / teeth fatty fish / liver /
development egg yolk

Section 5.2
Level 1 (p. 5-37)
9A

Level 2 (p. 5-37)

10 D 11 C

12 a i The amount of protein in salad X

= 0.5 × 4 = 2 g 1 ii The amount of protein in salad Y
= 10 × 2 = 20 g 1 b Proteins are important for growth and repair of body
tissues. /

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Proteins act as enzymes, hormones, antibodies and haemoglobin. /

Proteins act as energy source if the carbohydrates and fat stored in our body are used up.
(any 2) 1 × 2 c If Jane only eats a box of salad X for each of her main meals, her daily
energy and protein intakes will be 120 kcal and 6 g respectively, 1 which is far less than
her requirements. She may become thin and weak. 1 d Heart disease / stroke 1

13 a The energy requirement is the highest for people aged 35–54, and is lower for children
and elderly. 1 Children are growing actively. They have highest metabolic rate because they
have highest growth rate and highest rate of heat loss. 1 But as their body mass is small, the
recommended daily energy intake is smaller than adults. 1 Elderly have lower energy
requirement than adults. This is due to their lower metabolic rate. 1
b Level of activity 1 The energy requirement of a very active male aged 35–54 is higher
than that of a moderately active male of the same age. 1
c Females generally need less energy. 1 This is because they have a lower metabolic rate
due to their smaller body size / being less muscular / lower rate of heat loss. 1

Level 3 (p. 5-38)

14 a The ‘light option’ sandwich has a lower energy value. Thus, it is less likely to cause
weight gain / obesity. /
It is lower in fat / lower in saturated fat. Thus, it is less likely to cause heart disease /
obesity. /
It is lower in salt. Thus, it is less likely to cause high blood pressure. 2 b The
 amount of saturated fat in the guideline daily amount:
6 g × 100
26
= 23 g 1 c Elderly have lower energy requirement than adults. 1 This is due to their
lower metabolic rate. 1

15 The boy needs more energy per unit body mass than the adult woman. /
It is because he has a higher growth rate. /
He also has a higher rate of heat loss due to his high surface area to volume ratio. /
Furthermore, he has a higher level of activity, more energy is needed for muscular
activities. /

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The boy needs more proteins and calcium than the adult woman as he is growing actively.
/
Proteins are needed to build body tissues like muscles. /
Calcium is needed for building bones and teeth. /
Both the boy and the woman need more iron. /
The boy needs iron to produce new blood cells as he is actively growing. / The woman
needs iron to replace the loss of iron during menstruation. (any 7) 1 × 7 Communication
3

Reading to learn (p. 5-39)

1 Heart disease and stroke (or other reasonable answers) 1 × 2 2 Vegetables and fruits are
high in dietary fibre. 1 If a person does not eat enough of them, constipation may result. 1 (or
other reasonable answers)
3 Plan the diet carefully to avoid excess energy intake. 1 Do more exercise. 1

Ch 6 Nutrition in humans
Exercise
Section 6.3
Level 1 (p. 6-37)
1B2A3C4C

Section 6.4
Level 1 (p. 6-37)
5A6A
Level 2 (p. 6-38)
7 C 8 C 9 B 10 A

11 DSE Bio 2012 IB Q10

12 DSE Bio 2018 IB Q8

13 a i Hydrochloric acid 1 ii The cardiac sphincter at the junction of the oesophagus and the
stomach prevents the contents of the stomach from flowing back into the oesophagus. 1

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iii Alkaline sodium hydrogencarbonate is present in bile and pancreatic juice. 1 It

neutralizes the acidic chyme to protect the small intestine from being damaged. 1
b i Pancreas is the main organ that produces lipase. 1 When the pancreatic duct is
blocked, pancreatic lipase cannot reach the duodenum. 1 Therefore, lipids cannot be
broken down and thus cannot be absorbed. Undigested lipids are egested in faeces. 1
ii When the pancreatic duct is blocked, pancreatic juice accumulates in the
pancreas. 1 Proteases in the pancreatic juice may digest the pancreatic tissues.
1

Level 3 (p. 6-40)

14 B 15 A 16 C

Section 6.5
Level 1 (p. 6-40)
17 DSE Bio 2013 IB Q3

Level 2 (p. 6-40)

18 B

Level 3 (p. 6-41)

19 a i Mitochondrion 1 ii Food molecules are absorbed by active transport into the epithelial
cells. 1 Mitochondria provide energy for the active transport of food molecules. 1 b i Shorter
microvilli in the epithelial cell of the infected person. 1 Fewer microvilli in the epithelial cell
of the infected person. 1 ii The surface area for absorption of food molecules is reduced. 1
iii The large amount of unabsorbed food decreases the water potential of the
contents in the lumen. 1 The water potential gradient between the contents in
the lumen and the cytoplasm of epithelial cells is reduced. 1 Less water is
absorbed, and this results in the formation of watery faeces. 1
Section 6.6
Level 2 (p. 6-41)
20 C 21 D 22 D

Level 3 (p. 6-41)

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23 How the food is digested in the person’s body:

In the mouth cavity, food is chewed by teeth into small pieces and mixed with saliva
containing salivary amylase, which catalyses the breakdown of starch into maltose. 1 In
the stomach, muscles in the stomach wall contract to churn the bolus and mix it with
gastric juice, which contains pepsin to digest proteins into peptides. 1 In the duodenum,
pancreatic juice is present. It contains pancreatic amylase catalysing the breakdown of
the remaining starch into maltose, and proteases catalysing the breakdown of some
proteins into peptides, and some peptides into amino acids. 1 Enzymes embedded in the
cell membranes of the specialized cells in the epithelium of the small intestine also help
digestion. Carbohydrases catalyse the breakdown of disaccharides into monosaccharides,
and protease catalyses the breakdown of some peptides into amino acids. 1 How the
person’s body uses the products digested:
Glucose is broken down by respiration in cells for releasing energy. 1 Amino acids are
used by cells to make different types of proteins for growth and repair. 1 They are also
the raw materials for making enzymes, antibodies and some hormones. 1
Communication 3

24 The concentration of oxygen in blood leaving the liver is lowered as oxygen is consumed
in respiration to supply energy for metabolic activities. /
The concentration of carbon dioxide in blood leaving the liver becomes higher as carbon
dioxide is produced when the liver cells carry out respiration. /
When the blood glucose level is high, the concentration of glucose level in blood leaving
the liver is lowered as excess glucose in blood is converted to glycogen. / When the blood
glucose level is low, the concentration of glucose in blood leaving the liver becomes
higher as stored glycogen is converted back to glucose and released into the blood. /
The amount of amino acids in blood leaving the liver is reduced when amino acid is taken
in in excess as the excess amino acids are broken down by deamination. / The amount of
toxins in blood leaving the liver is reduced as they are broken down into milder toxic
substances by detoxification. (any 4) 2 × 4 Communication 3

Reading to learn (p. 6-42)

1 After the surgery, the patients feel full sooner and the feeling lasts longer. 1 They eat less
 food as a result. 1 2 Large pieces of food may not be able to pass through the narrow channel
between the two portions of the stomach. 1 They may remain in the upper portion for a long
time. This may cause discomfort. 1

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3 Liquid can pass through the narrow channel quickly without giving the feeling of fullness. 1
The surgery cannot help reduce the intake of these high-energy foods. The patients are
not able to lose weight if they continue to take large amounts of these foods. 1

Cross-topic exercise 2
Multiple-choice questions (p. 6-44)
1B2B3C4D
5A6B7B8D
9 A 10 D

Short questions (p. 6-46)

11 a The rate of lactose digestion is limited as lactase is insufficient or even absent. 1 The
large amount of lactose decreases the water potential of the contents in the lumen of the small
intestine. 1 The water potential gradient between the contents in the lumen of the intestines
and the cytoplasm of epithelial cells is reduced. Less water is absorbed, and this results in the
formation of watery faeces. 1
b At low temperature, lactase is inactive. 1 Thus, passing the milk through the column
several times can increase the time for lactase to work. 1 This allows more lactose to be
broken down. 1

12 a
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b The colour of the iodine drop remained brown. 1 The temperature of the mixture rose
after it was removed from the 0 °C water bath, 1
amylase became active again and catalysed the hydrolysis of starch. 1 c i Mouth / small
intestine 1 ii Addition of amylase helps the breakdown of large starch molecules in the
food into smaller maltose molecules. 1
Maltose can be further digested into glucose, which can be absorbed by the
 babies. 1

Structured questions (p. 6-47)

13 a This tube remains pink throughout the experiment. 1 At high temperatures / Upon
boiling, lipase is denatured. 1 Lipids can no longer fit into the active site of lipase to form
enzyme-substrate complex. Boiled lipase loses catalytic ability. 1
b The presence of bile salts causes the emulsification of lipids into small droplets. 1 This
facilitates chemical digestion by increasing the surface area of lipids for lipase to act on.
1 Fatty acids are released more quickly and an acidic pH is attained more quickly. 1
c Enzymes are sensitive to pH and work best at their optimum pH. 1 At unsuitable pH,
enzymes denature and lose their catalytic ability. 1 Sodium hydrogencarbonate provides
an alkaline medium for the action of the enzymes in the small intestine. 1

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d Bile contains brown bile pigments which are waste products formed from the
breakdown of haemoglobin from red blood cells. 1 When the bile duct is blocked,
these pigments cannot enter the intestine and thus the faeces appears pale in colour.
1

14 a To show the effect of the inhibitor / drug 1 To show that yoghurt does not affect blood
glucose concentration on its own 1 b Food affects blood glucose concentration. / Different
food contains different amount of starch / glucose / sugar / carbohydrate. 1 All of the mice
were given the same food each day to keep the starch / dietary fibre intake the same / similar.
1 c When inhibitor is added, fewer enzyme-substrate complexes are formed. 1 Less / No starch
is digested into maltose and subsequently into glucose. 1 Therefore, less glucose is absorbed
in the small intestine. 1 d The sample size is not large enough. The results might not be
representative. / The investigation only lasted for 20 days. The long-term effects are still
unknown. / The decrease in blood glucose level is small. Mice with inhibitor still have a large
increase in blood glucose level. / The difference is not significant.
(or other reasonable answers) 2

Essay (p.6-48)
15 DSE Bio 2014 IB Q11
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