Q1.

Stem cells can be used to treat some diseases.

(a)     What is a stem cell?

(2)

Figure 1 shows a malignant tumour in the trachea of a patient.

(b)     Give one way a malignant tumour differs from a benign tumour.

(1)

Scientists can treat the patient’s tumour by replacing the trachea with a plastic trachea.

The plastic trachea has a layer of the patient’s own stem cells covering it.

Figure 2 shows the procedure.

Page 1 of 9
  

(c)     In Step 3 the cells are left for 48 hours to divide.

Name the type of cell division in Step 3.

(1)

(d)     In Step 3 the cells are given oxygen and water.

Name two other substances the cells need so they can grow and divide.
(2)

(e)     Give two advantages of using the stem cell trachea compared with a trachea from a
dead human donor.
(2)

(f)      Sometimes the stem cell trachea is not strong enough.

Doctors can put a stent into the trachea.

Page 2 of 9
 Suggest how a stent in the trachea helps to keep the patient alive.
(2)

(g)     Stem cells can also be obtained from human embryos.

Evaluate the use of stem cells from a patient’s own bone marrow instead of stem
cells from an embryo.

Give a conclusion to your answer.

(6)
(Total 16 marks)

Q2.
Plants transport water and mineral ions from the roots to the leaves.

(a)     Plants move mineral ions:

•        from a low concentration in the soil

•        to a high concentration in the root cells.

What process do plants use to move these minerals ions into root cells?
 
Tick one box.  

Active transport

Diffusion

Evaporation

Osmosis

(1)

(b)     Describe how water moves from roots to the leaves.

(2)

(c)     Plants lose water through the stomata in the leaves.

The epidermis can be peeled from a leaf.

The stomata can be seen using a light microscope.

The table below shows the data a student collected from five areas on one leaf.
 
Number of stomata
Leaf
area Upper Lower
surface surface

1 3 44

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 2 0 41

3 1 40

4 5 42

5 1 39

Mean 2   X

Describe how the student might have collected the data.

(3)

(d)     What is the median number of stomata on the upper surface of the leaf?
(1)

(e)     Calculate the value of X in the table.

Give your answer to 2 significant figures.

(2)

(f)     The plant used in this investigation has very few stomata on the upper surface of the
leaf.

Explain why this is an advantage to the plant.

(2)
(Total 11 marks)

Q3.
A student carried out an investigation using chicken eggs.

This is the method used.

1.   Place 5 eggs in acid for 24 hours to dissolve the egg shell.

2.   Measure and record the mass of each egg.

3.   Place each egg into a separate beaker containing 200 cm3 of distilled water.

4.   After 20 minutes, remove the eggs from the beakers and dry them gently with a
paper towel.

5.   Measure and record the mass of each egg.

Table 1 shows the results.

Table 1
 
Mass of egg Mass of egg after
Egg without shell in 20 minutes in
grams grams

1 73.5 77.0

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 2 70.3 73.9

3 72.4 75.7

4 71.6 73.1

5 70.5 73.8

(a)  Another student suggested that the result for egg 4 was anomalous.

Do you agree with the student?

Give a reason for your answer.

(1)

(b)  Calculate the percentage change in mass of egg 3.

(2)

(c)  Explain why the masses of the eggs increased.

(3)

(d)  Explain how the student could modify the investigation to determine the
concentration of the solution inside each egg.
(3)

Chicken egg shells contain calcium. Calcium ions are moved from the shell into the
cytoplasm of the egg.

Table 2 shows information about the concentration of calcium ions.

Table 2
 
Concentration of
Location calcium ions in
arbitrary units

Egg shell 0.6

Egg cytoplasm 2.1

(e)  Explain how calcium ions are moved from the shell into the cytoplasm of the egg.
(3)
(Total 12 marks)

Page 5 of 9
Mark schemes

Q1.
(a)     an undifferentiated / unspecialised cell
1

that can differentiate / become / change into (many) other cell types
1

(b)     (malignant tumours) invade / spread to other tissues via the blood (benign don’t)
or
(malignant tumours) form secondary tumours in other organs
ignore cancer unqualified
allow converse
allow metastasises
1

(c)     mitosis
correct spelling only
1

(d)     glucose
answers in any order
ignore sugar
1

protein / amino acids

1

(e)     no need to wait for a donor

or
can be done immediately
1

(so) no risk of rejection

or
no need for immunosuppressant drugs
if no other marks awarded, allow for 1 mark idea of ethics
surrounding the use of tissue from another / dead person
1

(f)      stent opens up the trachea

1

allowing air to flow through

or
allowing patient to breathe
1

(g)     Level 3 (5-6 marks):

A judgement, strongly linked and logically supported by a sufficient range of correct
reasons, is given.

Level 2 (3-4 marks):

Some logically linked reasons are given. There may also be a simple judgement.

Level 1 (1-2 marks):

 Relevant points are made. They are not logically linked.

Level 0
No relevant content

Indicative content

embryos advantages
•   can create many embryos in a lab
•   painless technique
•   can treat many diseases / stem cells are pluripotent / can become any type of
cell (whereas bone marrow can treat a limited number)
embryos disadvantages
•   harm / death to embryo
•   embryo rights / embryo cannot consent
•   unreliable technique / may not work

bone marrow advantages

•   no ethical issues / patient can give permission
•   can treat some diseases
•   procedure is (relatively) safe / doesn’t kill donor
•   tried and tested / reliable technique
•   patients recover quickly from procedure
bone marrow disadvantages
•   risk of infection from procedure
•   can only treat a few diseases
•   procedure can be painful

both procedures advantage

can treat the disease / problem

both procedures disadvantages
•   risk of transfer of viral infection
•   some stem cells can grow out of control / become
cancerous
[16]

Q2.
(a)     active transport
1

(b)     by transpiration stream / pull

1

in xylem
1

(c)     any three in the correct order from:

•        mount epidermis on a slide
•        count stomata in one area
•        repeat in four more areas
•        repeat method on other surface of leaf
•        calculate mean
allow nail varnish film
3

(d)     1
 allow numbers written out in a line with middle number
circled
1

(e)     (44 + 41 + 40 + 42 + 39) / 5 = 41.2

1

41
allow 41 with no working shown for 2 marks
1
allow 41.2 for 1 mark

(f)     less water lost

1

so it does not wilt

1
[11]

Q3.
(a)  (yes, because) the mass change (of egg 4) is much lower than the others
allow because it / egg 4 has gained (over) 50%
less mass than the others
allow it / egg 4 has gained 1.5 g and the others
have all gained more than 3 g (unit required)
1

(b)  
or equivalent
1

4.6 (%)
allow 4.558 / 4.56 (%)
allow any correct rounding of
4.558011049723757
1
an answer of 4.6 / 4.56 / 4.558 scores 2 marks

(c)  (mass increased because) water entered by osmosis

1

from a dilute solution in the beaker to a more concentrated solution in the egg
(cell)
allow from an area of high water concentration in
the beaker to an area of low water concentration
in the egg (cell)
allow ref to water potential
allow ref to ‘strong’ and ‘weak’ solutions
ignore along / across concentration gradient
do not accept ‘amount’ in place of concentration

through a partially permeable membrane

allow semi-permeable / selectively permeable
membrane
1
(d)  use five (or more) different concentrations of salt / sugar solution (in beakers)
allow any number of concentrations provided it is
more than four
1

(by) plotting percentage change (in mass / volume) on / using a graph

1

determine the concentration where the curve / line crosses the zero
percentage change (in mass / volume)
1

(e)  (ions are moved) from an area of low concentration to high concentration

allow against the concentration gradient
allow in terms of solution
do not accept molecules
1

(by) active transport

1

(which) requires using energy

do not accept idea of energy being created
1
[12]