9700_w22_qp_42
A paper of Biology, 9700
Questions:
10
Year:
2022
Paper:
4
Variant:
2

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Yeast cells can respire in anaerobic conditions. Outline how yeast carries out respiration in anaerobic conditions. Explain why respiration in anaerobic conditions is an advantage to yeast. Bioethanol is a type of biofuel produced from maize starch on an industrial scale. In the high temperature method, heating to 120 °C is used to break apart starch molecules. The enzymes α-amylase and glucoamylase are added to the resulting starch suspension once it has cooled down. These enzymes hydrolyse the starch to glucose. Yeast cells are then added and maintained in anaerobic conditions to produce ethanol. The high temperature method is expensive to carry out, so a new method has been developed which heats starch to a lower temperature of 80 °C. In the lower temperature method, enzymes catalysing the hydrolysis of starch do not need to be added to the starch suspension. A genetically modified (GM) strain of the same yeast species is used. The GM strain of yeast has genes that allow the cell to produce α-amylase and glucoamylase and to attach these enzymes to the external surface of the cell surface membrane. The GM yeast cells are added to the starch that was heated to 80 °C and are maintained in anaerobic conditions to produce ethanol. An investigation was carried out to compare the GM strain of yeast with the yeast that had not been genetically modified (non-GM strain). In this investigation, the starch suspension produced after heating to 80 °C was allowed to cool to 30 °C before adding yeast cells. The results are shown in . The rate of ethanol production is similar for the lower temperature method and the higher temperature method. Suggest why using the lower temperature method has a similar rate of production of ethanol to the higher temperature method. Suggest one reason why the high temperature method is expensive to carry out.
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Haemophilia is a blood clotting disorder in humans caused by a mutant allele on the X chromosome. Table 4.1 compares two forms of haemophilia: haemophilia A and haemophilia B. Table 4.1 haemophilia A haemophilia B gene F8 F9 clotting factor protein factor VIII factor IX proportion of males born with haemophilia 1 in 5000 1 in 30 000 length of functional gene (exons only) / kilobase pairs 7.0 1.6 Genetic engineering is used to make recombinant human proteins to treat people with haemophilia A and haemophilia B. Outline the principles of genetic engineering. Scientists are working towards a goal of treating haemophilia by gene therapy. They plan to use a common, harmless virus to introduce the functional gene. The virus has a genome that is 4.7 kilobase pairs long. With reference to Table 4.1 and the introduction to , assess: • which form of haemophilia, A or B, scientists should try to treat first • whether they should attempt to treat haemophilia with gene therapy at all. Explain your reasoning. In gene therapy trials to treat haemophilia, the gene coding for the clotting factor needs to be introduced together with a promoter. Explain why a promoter has to be introduced as well as the desired gene. Some individuals taking part in gene therapy trials have been naturally exposed to the virus carrying the functional gene, so that their blood already contains antibodies to the virus. Predict how this will affect the success of the gene therapy treatment. Gene editing is a newer technique for modifying DNA. Some scientists are researching the use of gene editing, instead of introducing a functional gene, to treat haemophilia. State two possible advantages of using gene editing as a method of treating haemophilia.
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Myosotis is a genus of small flowering plants. Many different Myosotis species grow on the islands of New Zealand, which are an important site of Myosotis evolution. Lowland Myosotis species grow at low altitude while alpine Myosotis species grow at high altitude at the tops of mountains. Scientists wanted to obtain molecular data to determine the evolutionary relationships of New Zealand’s Myosotis species. They extracted DNA from individuals of Myosotis species collected from three different islands in New Zealand. To carry out a polymerase chain reaction before DNA sequencing, the DNA samples were mixed with primers, deoxynucleotides and Taq polymerase and put through 35 cycles of treatment. Each treatment cycle involved one minute at 95 °C, followed by one minute at 50 °C and then four minutes at 72 °C. Describe what happened to the DNA at each temperature. shows the three largest New Zealand islands. North Island South Island Stewart Island km North Island has mostly lowland habitat. South Island and Stewart Island have mountains with alpine habitats that are above the tree line. DNA sequence data for three Myosotis species were compared. The results are described in the bullet points. • In the alpine species M. pygmaea, individuals on South Island showed genetic differences from individuals of M. pygmaea on Stewart Island. • In the alpine species M. pulvinaris, individuals from different mountains on South Island showed genetic differences. • In the lowland species M. pottsiana, individuals from different areas of North Island showed overall genetic similarity. Discuss reasons for the results in the three species. State two factors, other than natural selection, that could drive genetic changes in populations of Myosotis.
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The lac operon of prokaryotes contains a group of structural genes that are under the same control and are transcribed together. Another operon found in prokaryotes is the trp operon. summarises the structure and control of the trp operon. trpR promoter operator attenuator (regulates the extent of transcription) structural genes are transcribed RNA polymerase binds to promoter inactive repressor active repressor tryptophan trpE trpD trpC trpB trpA trpR promoter operator attenuator no transcription of structural genes trpE trpD trpC trpB trpA Describe the differences in structure and control between the lac operon and the trp operon. Suggest why structural genes in operons are transcribed together. trpA is an example of a structural gene and trpR is an example of a regulatory gene. Describe the differences between the functions of structural genes and regulatory genes. trpA codes for the enzyme tryptophan synthase. Tryptophan synthase catalyses the formation of the amino acid tryptophan. Explain why tryptophan synthase is an example of a repressible enzyme. Control of gene expression in eukaryotes is more complex than in prokaryotes. In plants, the control of gene expression can involve plant hormones, such as gibberellin, and proteins known as JAZ and MYC. Describe how gibberellin activates genes in plant cells. Transcription of some plant genes is prevented when JAZ proteins bind to other proteins known as MYC. When JAZ proteins are broken down, MYC proteins are free to bind to DNA. This allows transcription to begin. State the term that is used to describe proteins such as MYC proteins.
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