Cambridge Assessment International Education

Cambridge Ordinary Level

BIOLOGY 5090/21
Paper 2 Theory October/November 2017
MARK SCHEME
Maximum Mark: 80

Published

This mark scheme is published as an aid to teachers and candidates, to indicate the requirements of the
examination. It shows the basis on which Examiners were instructed to award marks. It does not indicate the
details of the discussions that took place at an Examiners’ meeting before marking began, which would have
considered the acceptability of alternative answers.

Mark schemes should be read in conjunction with the question paper and the Principal Examiner Report for
Teachers.

Cambridge International will not enter into discussions about these mark schemes.

Cambridge International is publishing the mark schemes for the October/November 2017 series for most
Cambridge IGCSE®, Cambridge International A and AS Level components and some Cambridge O Level
components.

® IGCSE is a registered trademark.

This document consists of 10 printed pages.

© UCLES 2017 [Turn over

5090/21 Cambridge O Level – Mark Scheme October/November
PUBLISHED 2017
Mark schemes will use these abbreviations:

; separates marking points

/ alternatives
() contents of brackets are not required but should be implied
R reject
A accept (for answers correctly cued by the question, or guidance for examiners)
Ig ignore (for incorrect but irrelevant responses)
AW alternative wording (where responses vary more than usual)
AVP alternative valid point (where a greater than usual variety of responses is expected)
ORA or reverse argument
underline actual word underlined must be used by candidate
+ statements on both sides of the + are needed for that mark

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5090/21 Cambridge O Level – Mark Scheme October/November
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Question Answer Marks Guidance

1(a) B; 6
incisor ;
biting / cutting / tearing / gripping ;

C;
molar ; R pre-molar
chewing / crushing / grinding ;

1(b)(i) sugar ; 2 A named sugar, Ig sweets

bacteria ;
respiration ;
acid ;
plaque ;

1(b)(ii) reference to brushing ; 2

flossing ;
fluoride ; A fluorine
reference to dental check-ups ;

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Question Answer Marks Guidance

2(a)(i) P renal artery ; 2

Q renal vein ;

2(a)(ii) urine ; 4 R urea

ureter ;
bladder ;
urethra ;

2(b)(i) reference to artery + vein ; 1

2(b)(ii) lower pressure ; 1

less / no urea ;
reference to increase / decrease + concentration of ions AW ;

2(c) (artificial membrane) 5

partially permeable AW ;
small molecules or named + pass through (membrane) ;
correct reference to diffusion / osmosis ;
proteins do not pass through (membrane) ;

(dialysis fluid)
no / low urea OR removes urea ;
reference to concentration gradient ;
same glucose concentration + as normal blood ;
same ion AW concentration + as normal blood ;

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Question Answer Marks Guidance

3(a)(i) food chain ; 1

3(a)(ii) tree ; 2 A named tree

songbird / hawk ;

3(b)(i) doesn’t hit leaves / tree OR intercepted by other objects ; 2

reflected (off leaves) ;
not used in photosynthesis ;

3(b)(ii) movement / flight ; 3
excretion ;
egestion / faeces ;
sound / singing ;
heat / maintaining body temp / warm blooded ;
respiration ;
hawk doesn’t eat / digest all of songbird(s) OR
songbird(s) decay(s) ;

3(c) more food produced ; 5 A quote from Fig. 3.2 (e.g. 12 000 loaves vs. 1200
portions of meat)
comparative data manipulation ; A 25× more mass / 10× more food products (for
wheat)
fewer levels in food chain AW ;
correct reference to herbivore / carnivore + human ;
correct reference to primary / secondary + consumer ;
less energy lost / more efficient ;
example of energy not lost (e.g. through movement) ORA ;

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Question Answer Marks Guidance

4(a) red blood (cell) / erythrocyte ; 2

oxygen + carriage / transport / absorption AW ;

4(b) tiredness / fatigue / weak / dizzy / faint ; 4
inability to exercise / exert / inactive ;
breathing problems ;
reduced oxygen transport ;
reduced respiration ;
reduced energy (release) ;
irregular menstruation AW ;

4(c) low water potential / concentration inside cell ; 3

water enters ;
by osmosis / diffusion ;
cell expands ;
cell bursts ;
reference to no cell wall ;

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Question Answer Marks Guidance

5 (fruit A) 5
hooks / spikes AW ; R feathers / hairs
on animal / fur ;
falls off / rubbed off / leaves animal AW ;

(fruit B)
edible / eaten / food ;
colour / taste / juicy / sweet ;
thrown away / discarded / faeces / egested AW ;

(for A or B)
new location / away from parent plant ;

Question Answer Marks Guidance

6(a)(i) shaded circle drawn in iris + smaller than in 6.1(a) ; 1

6(a)(ii) iris + muscle ; 5

circular + contract ;
radial + relax ;
pupil ;
constricts AW ;

6(b) (type of action) 4

reflex / involuntary ;

(why the changes take place)

protection / prevent damage ;
reduces light (entering) ;
retina / rods / cones / photoreceptors ;

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Question Answer Marks Guidance

7(a)(i) (W) 4
fungus / microorganism / bacteria / nutrient /
yeast / water ;

(X)
carbon dioxide ;

(Y)
oxygen ;

(Z)
antibiotic / named antibiotic ;

7(a)(ii) respiration ; 2
aerobic ;
reference to increased yield ;
sparger / bubbles / more surface area ;
growth ;

7(b) detect changes ; 3

enzymes ;
denature ;
reduce rate of reaction / product formed ;
kill microorganisms or named ;
maintain optimum / best conditions ;

7(c) heat production / temperature ; 1

ease of maintenance ;
prevents water damage to motor ;
doesn’t take up space (in fermentation vessel) AW ;

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Question Answer Marks Guidance

8(a) active + more energy ; 4 marks are linked in pairs

reference to carbohydrates / fats ;

child AW + growth ;
reference to protein / calcium / vitamin D ;

(post-pubertal AW) female + iron ;

reference to menstrual loss of blood ;

old person + less growth / less active / no menstruation ;

reference to reduced need for correct named nutrient ;

8(b) muscle + wall ; 6 answer must refer to the stomach and not other
contracts / churn / mechanical digestion ; parts of the alimentary canal
acid ;
optimum AW pH ;
enzyme ;
protease / pepsin ;
protein(s) ;
to amino acids / (poly)peptides ;

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Question Answer Marks Guidance

9(a) hypothalamus ; 6
reference to detecting blood temperature ;
receptors ;
in skin ;
detect temperature + of surroundings AW ;
impulse ;
sensory neurone ;
to central nervous system / brain / spinal cord ;
motor neurone ;
effector ;
named effector ; A muscle or named effector / sweat gland
shiver / vasoconstriction or vasodilation / sweat increase or
decrease ;
reference to negative feedback ;

9(b) correct named situation ; 4

target organ / named ;

(any two effects from)

glycogen to glucose / sugar ;
increased (heart) rate ; increased heart rate = 2 marks (named target organ
pupils dilate ; + effect)
dry mouth ;
breathing rate change ;
diversion of blood to muscle / from gut ;

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