BIOLO GY

(Three Hours and a Quarter)

(The first 15 minutes of the examination are for reading the paper only. Candidates must NOT start writing
during this time.

Answer all questions in Section A. Answer any Six questions from section B.

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Section A (40 marks)

Question 1

a. Read the following questions care/111/y. For eacJ, que!l·tio11, tllere are jimr allen1t1til'e!I' A, B,C am/ D.
Choose the correct answer and circle the answer. [IX 15= 15}

1. Fruits like mangoes have juicy fleshy and smooth pulp but that of the pear is gritty. What makes the pear
pulp gritty?
A. Fibres B. Sclereids. C. ldioblasts D. Tracheids

2. Which of the following ideas is no/ pa11 of Darwin's conct:pt of evolution?

A. A population is capable of producing more offspring than the environment can suppLfft. .
B. Individuals that are best adapted to their environment nre more likely to survive and reproduce
.
C. A struggle for existence exists among individuals of a population.
D. Individuals in a population are genetically variable
3. Which of the following is not true of glycolysis
A. ADP is phosphorylated to ATP via substrate level phosphorylation.
B. The pathway does not require oxygen.
C. The pathway oxidizes two moles ofNADH to NAD for each mole of glucose that enters. ,
I

D. The pathway requires two moles of ATP to get started catabo-li zing each mole of glucose
4. Which one of the following pairs of the kind of cells and functions are correctly matcht:d'?
A. Oxyntic cells -A secretion with pH between 2.0 and 3.0
B. Alpha cells - secrets secretions that decreases blood sugar level
C. Kupffer cells -breaks down red blood cells
D. Sebaceous - secrets sebum that lubricates the skin against friction ,
5. ADH cannot cause
A. Loosening of glomerular capillary. B. Blood pressure increast:. C. Glom~rular blood flow
increase. D.Increase in glomerular filtration rate . .
6. Which of the following statements about muscle contraction is true?
A. The power stroke occurs when ATP is hydrolyzed to ADP and phosphatt:.
B. The power stroke occurs when ADP and phosphate dissociate from the myosin head ..
C. The power stroke occurs when ADP and phosphate dissociate from the actin active site.
D. The power stroke occurs when Ca 2+ binds the calcium head .

7. Macrophages ingest and digest many pathogens. Which organelle plays a mujor role in the activity of
macrophages?
A. Chloroplast B. Lysosome C. Nucleus D. Peroxisome
8. In non cyclic photophosphorylation
A. ATP is generated B. Both PSI and PSII are involved C. Electron flow is unidirectional
D. All of the above ·
9. Describe the process of Southern blotting.
 A. Southern Blotting is used to find DNA sequences. Fragments are separated on gel, incubated with
probes to check for the sequence of interest, and transferred to a nylon membrane.
B. Southern blotting is used to find DNA sequences. Fragments are separated on gel, transferred to a
nylon membrane, and incubated with probes to check for the sequence of interest.
C. When RNA is used, the process is called Northern blotting+-
D. Southern blotting is used to find RNA sequences. Fragments are separated on gel, incubated with
probes to check for the sequence of interest, and transferred to a nylon membrane. +--
10. Which is NOT a step in the emergence of life proposed in the Oparin-Haldane hypothesis?
A. Lighting sparked chemical reactions among simple organic compounds in the primordial soup
B. Molecules began copying themselves, using other molecules in the primordial soup as building
blocks
C. Photosynthesis supplied the oxygen necessary for self-copying molecules to thrive and form
membranes.
D. Simple inorg.anic molecules of the oceanic water interacted with one another to form simple
organic molecules.
11. DNA exists in a double-stranded form whereas RNA is mainly a single stranded molecule. What is the
likely reason for DNA being double stranded?
A. RNA strands cannot form base pairs.
B. Double stranded DNA is a more stable structure .
C. DNA cannot exist in the single stranded form .
D. It is easier to replicate double stranded DNA than single stranded RNA.
12. Stanley Miller and Harold Urey recreated Earth's early atmosphere in a test tube. Then they bombarded
the chemical mixture with ultraviolet light and simulated lightn ing. What were the results?
A. Cell membranes had formed.
B. Amino acids and other biological molecules were created.
C. RNA molecules formed.
D. DNA molecules emerged.
13. Wings of pigeon, bat and mosquito exhibit the phenomenon called
A. convergent evolution 8. di vergent evolution .
C. atavism D. all of these
14. Perhaps the most direct evidence for evolution comes from the fi eld of
A. Principles of genetics ('l ,·(\ C
B. Comparative anatomy \ dlY) ,
. l \,d ·,J· c<f"{'- C ,. t
C. D eve IopmentaI b10 ogy ,_,., o:r i . l ~ · oY"-
r • , ,

D. Paeontoogy.
I I ~ f _ , t"(fie,-\◊ .... c""" \.- \'(, "'"~ --~
1-: I),,,,)' ~r
15. The concentrated filtrate g e t ~ ?ue to . \ 6y1-, ~ c.. () u•"' <'-,,J..-\# 1 c
A. Passage of electrolytes to medullary fluid ........ '- ""C( ... J:. \" ~\J
,.J<'J, -< , ?"'-~ ( r
B. Passage of water to the inner sic:Je of tubules. -- v-i, \v"l- ~"" '- ,r:'
1
C. Passage of both water and electrolytes to the inner side of tubule. r ·'
D. Both A and 8. ~
b. Fill in the blanks with appropriate word or words'? t.. ( I X5 =5)
•' f' l>' "'

1. ....... is a non membranous organelle fo und in all the living cells.

2. An action potential will only be initiated if a neu ron reaches an action potential of ... ........ .
3. ....... .is the contractile unit of muscle. ' , ,, 1 '
4. The .................... consumed during cellular respiration is invo lved direc tly in.accepting electrons at the
end of the electron transport chain
5. .. ... .is responsible for curdling of milk in the stomach.
c. Match each item of column A with the most appropriate item of column e: (5)
Column A Column B
1. Management of resources a. Gene therapy
2. Defective gene b. Green Revolut ion
3. Threats to biodiversity C. Reserpine ·-
-
KA/TRIAL/BIO-Xll/2021 Page 2
 4. Eutrophication d. Climate Change
5. Rouwo/fia Serpentina e. Community Forest
f. Quinine

d. State true or false against each statement. (5)

l. The use of herbal pesticides is an example of sustainable management of natural resources.
2. The trait in all organisms is characterized by the type of proteins produced in the body.
3. Aerobic bacteria is used more frequently than anaerobic bacteria in municipal waste water treatment.
4. The use of fire to control the overgrowth of shrubs conserves biodiversity.
5. Collenchyma tissues are less in climbing stems.
e.Answer the following questions? (10 Marks)
1. Draw a neat diagram of monocot root and label at least 4 parts? (2)
2. Describe why aquatic birds have reduced wings based on Lamarckism? (2)
6. Explain cyclic photophosphorylation? (2)
7. Explain how plants help in mitigating global warming? (2)
8. National park is one of the strategies to conserve biodiversity in Bhutan. In your opinion is it the best
strategy to conserve biodiversity? Justify. (2)
Section B - 60 Marks
Answer any Six questions
Question 2
1. A patient is found to have abnormally high concentrations of glucose in his urine. Which portion of the
nephron is most likely to be damaged? Justify your answer? (2)
2. In a genetic engineering experiment, a piece of double stranded DNA containing 3600 nucleotides is
translated into a polypeptide chain. 20% of this DNA sequence consists of intrans. How many amino
acids do you think is present the polypeptide chain translated? Justify your answer? (2)
3. A biologist who was researching a new eukaryotic cell, wanted to study a particular protein U. This
protein synthesized within the cell was found to be traversing through the membrane on a certain cell
organelle. Identify the cell organelle and justify your answer? (2)
4. How can we confirm common ancestry from embryology? (2)
5. Explain significance of keystone species. (2)

Question 3
1. Crops such as tomatoes and bell pepper grown in a CO2 rich environment show higher yield. Why? (1)
2. Genetic code is the secret language coded in the DNA. Explain? (2)
3. A team researchers announce that it has identified a gene associated with high IQ. They then develop a form
of gene therapy that can insert this gene into the genome of an infant.
A. How will this gene be introduced in the infant? ( 1)
B. Write any social effects of this discovery? ( 1)
4. What effect will low blood calcium have on neurons? What effect will low blood calcium have on skeletal
muscles? (2)
5. Where does electron transport chain occur in prokaryotic cells and eukaryotic cells? ( 1)
6. Which of the following according to you is the major cause for loss of biodiversity amongst the four main
causes of loss of biodiversity (Habitat loss and fragmentation, alien species invasion, over-exploitation and
co-extinctions)? Justify your answer. (2)

Question 4
1. Liver is also responsible for producing much of body's cholesterol. High cholesterol is linked with
formation of gallstones which accumulate in bile duct.
A. It's not uncommon for individuals with gallstone to form pale faeces . Why?
B. How gall stone affect digestion of butter?

2. What will happen if intrans are not removed from an mRNA? (2)
3. Explain saltatory conduction. (2)

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 ~
4. Do you think that photosynt~esis is an energy capturing or energy releasing
process? Why? ( ½ + ½ ) \
5. Define sacred groves. What is their role in the conservation of biodiversity?
(2)
Question 5
I. Based on the concentration of hydrogen ions in mitochondria, where would
you expect to find the most
acidic environment? How is this high pH generated and what is its significance?
(½+ l +½)
2. Which property of the pigment is responsible for its ability to initiate the
process of photosynthesis ? ( 1)
3. Namgay is suffering from haemophilia and has undergone gene therapy where
a copy of Factor VIII gene is
delivered into his liver. Will he pass the gene to his children? Justify your answer
? (2)
4. Give an account of coacervates formation after the large organic molecu
les synthesized on earth? (2)
5. You are observing some animal cells under the microscope and found the cells
to be multinucleated with lot
of glycogen granules. What kind of cells are those? Write three more characteristic
feat ures of the cell s?
(½+ I ½ )
6. Define dead zones.
( 1)
Question 6

1. Describe the process of mRNA processing.

2. Gazelles try to avoid being caught by lions by running away quick ly but they (2)
cannot mainta in the ir top
speed for long time . Why gazelles can 't maintain their initial top speed?
(2)
3. A researcher intends to test the effects of several growth factors on the differen
tiation of plant tissue.
What would be the best choice of experimental tissue? Justify your answer?
( l + l)
4. One bean plant is illuminated with green light and another bean plant of similar
size and leaf area is
illuminated with blue light. If all other conditions are identical, what differences
wi ll you observe in the
rate of these two plants? Justify your answer?
( 1 + 1)
5. Explain how mining causes loss of biodiversity.
(2)
Question 7
I. Bread contains high proportion of starch which is tasteless. If bread is chewed
for a longer time it begins
to taste sweet. Why?
( 1)
2. Suppose you discover a mutant yeast whose glycoly tic pathway is shorter because
of the presence of a
new enzyme that catalyzes the reaction :
glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate + H20 +N AO+ ➔ 3-phosphoglycerate + NADH
+ H+
Although this mutant enzyme shorten s glycolysis by one step, how does it affect
anaerobic ATP
production?
3. Wh~ flat fish has both its e7es on one side? . (2).
(2)·
4. Durmg chlorophyll extraction, some ye llow pigments were extracted and
discard ed. What is the poss ib le
advantage of having those discarded pi gments .
( 1)
5. How is the initiator tRNA different from the other charged tRNAs? What
is the importance of this
difference?
6. Explain ways to prevent human wildli fe confli ct. (2)
(2)
Questions
I. R~plication _and transcriptio_n occurs in the nucleus but translation occurs
2· Mitochondn~ in cytoplasm . Why? (I)
ar~ observed in plant ce ll s that contain ch lorop lasts. Why do you find mitoch
photosynthetic tissue? ondria in
3. Which phy · 1 I ·
. f h sic~ _e em:nts contrib uted to the large amount of energy available on primiti ve earth at the (I)
t 1me o t e ongm of hfe?
4 · C~els have longer loops 2
of Henle than elephants. Why? ( )
5. Sieve tubes are living cells 'th t I H . . .. 2
necessary t . d w1 ou nuc eus. ow are their act1v1t1 es monitored and how do they get ( )
pro ems an enzyme s?
6. Explain why do we ~eed to conserve biodiversity? (I)
7. Name 1 botanochem1cal and its importance. (2)
( 1)
.KALTRIAL/BIO-Xll/2021