DEPARTMENT FOR CURRICULUM, LIFELONG LEARNING AND EMPLOYABILITY Directorate for Learning and Assessment Programmes Track 2 Educational Assessment Unit
Annual Examinations for Secondary Schools 2019
YEAR 9 BIOLOGY TIME: 2 hours
Name: ______Class: ______
Section A Section B Question No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5
Max 6 9 8 11 8 7 6 15 15 15 15 15 mark
TOTAL Actual MARK mark
85% Theory Paper 15% Practical 100% Final Score
Biology – Year 9 – Track 2 – 2019 Page 1 of 12 Section A: This section carries 55 marks. Answer all questions in this section.
1. Figure 1 shows an animal cell and an enlarged diagram of one organelle labelled ‘organelle A’.
organelle A
Figure 1
a. Identify ‘organelle A’.
______(1)
b. Describe the function of ‘organelle A’.
______(1)
c. Name one plant cell that would benefit from having a very large number of these organelles. Provide a reason for your answer.
______
______(2)
d. Explain why observing this organelle with a light microscope is limited.
______
______(2) [Total: 6 marks]
Page 2 of 12 Biology – Year 9 – Track 2 – 2019 2. While Buskett is known for its diversity of plants, various fungi such as different species of mushrooms also grow in this habitat.
a. An important biological difference between plants and fungi is in the cell wall. State the difference between the cell walls of fungi and plant cells.
______
______(2)
b. Figure 2 includes five photos of different species of mushrooms that grow at Buskett. One of them, Suillus collinitus, is a mushroom that uses the ground next to pine trees as its substrate and has a mutualistic relationship with this tree. It has a short swollen stem. Its top part (fruiting body) is chunky and rather flat or slightly rounded as opposed to other mushrooms that have a pointy (umbrella-like) fruiting body.
i. Using the information above, identify the photo that is showing the mushroom Suillus collinitus.
______(1)
A B C
D E Figure 2
ii. Define the term ‘mutualistic relationship’.
______(1)
Biology – Year 9 – Track 2 – 2019 Page 3 of 12 iii. Pine trees are gymnosperms. Describe their reproductive structures.
______
______(2)
c. Oranges that fall from trees at Buskett are often attacked by moulds which are filamentous forms of fungi. Describe the typical structure of a filamentous fungus and explain how it feeds.
______
______
______(3) [Total: 9 marks]
3. A newly discovered organism (Figure 3), found in a cave in China, has an elongated head with no eyes. It has one pair of thin and very long antennae attached. Its thorax is also elongated and has six long and slender legs.
a. Name the phylum and the class into which this organism should be classified.
______
______(2)
b. Give one reason for your answer.
______
______(1)
c. This organism consists of three segments. Name another segment of this organism apart from the head and the thorax.
______(1) d. Provide a possible biological reason why this source:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/ organism has evolved a head with no eyes. articles/PMC5769675/figure/F1/?report=obje ctonly Figure 3 ______
______(2)
e. This organism undergoes ‘complete metamorphosis’. Describe the life cycle of an organism that undergoes complete metamorphosis.
______
______(2) [Total: 8 marks]
Page 4 of 12 Biology – Year 9 – Track 2 – 2019 4. a. Oily skin results when sebaceous glands produce an excess amount of sebum. This flows from inside the epidermis to the surface of the skin through pores and hair follicles.
i. Figure 4 is a diagram showing the cross-section of the human skin. On this diagram label the epidermis, the sebaceous gland and the hair follicle.
(3) Figure 4
ii. Explain the function of sebum in human skin.
______(1)
b. Figure 5 is a skin care product that treats oily skin by entering pores to remove extra sebum and dead skin cells.
i. Explain the importance of the skin having a first layer of dead skin cells.
______
______(2)
ii. Being acidic, these products can cause a burning sensation. Name the skin structures that sense this stimulus. Figure 5 ______(1)
c. The skin has a thermoregulatory function. Explain, giving full biological details, the role of the skin in maintaining a constant body temperature.
______
______
______
______(4) [Total: 11 marks]
Biology – Year 9 – Track 2 – 2019 Page 5 of 12 5. Figure 6 shows a plant growing in a room with no other sources of light except for one window.
window
source: https://www.thoughtco.com Figure 6
a. i. Describe the growth pattern shown by the plant.
______(1)
ii. Name the biological process that produces this growth pattern in the shoot.
______(1)
b. Explain how this biological process brings about the growth pattern described.
______
______
______
______(4)
c. Explain how this biological function is beneficial to plants.
______
______(2) [Total: 8 marks]
Page 6 of 12 Biology – Year 9 – Track 2 – 2019 6. Euglena, which is a fresh water protist, and an adult frog are inhabiting the same pond.
a. Name the process by which the Euglena’s cell membrane and the frog’s skin exchange gases with the surrounding environment.
______(1)
b. Explain why the frog has lungs to assist with oxygen uptake whenever the skin cannot cope, while the Euglena can rely completely on its cell membrane.
______
______
______(3)
c. i. Specialised cells in some frogs’ skin can release poisons that deter predators. Explain the term ‘specialised cells.’
______(1)
ii. Give one example of a specialised cell in animals.
______(1)
d. Being plant-like, Euglena can feed autotrophically. Name an organelle which is only present when an organism feeds autotrophically.
______(1) [Total: 7 marks]
Biology – Year 9 – Track 2 – 2019 Page 7 of 12 7. Figure 7 shows two plants: a bryophyte and a pteridophyte.
A pteridophyte, growing vertically from the ground.
A bryophyte, spreading horizontally over the ground.
source: https://www.coolgalapagos.com/biology/classification_plants.php Figure 7
a. i. Explain why the pteridophyte can afford to grow taller than the bryophyte.
______
______(2)
ii. Give one advantage that the pteridophyte has over the bryophyte by growing taller.
______(1)
b. i. Pteridophytes can limit water loss, while bryophytes cannot. Mention one feature of pteridophytes that allows them to control water loss.
______(1)
ii. Give one advantage that pteridophytes have over bryophytes by being able to control water loss.
______
______(2) [Total: 6 marks]
Page 8 of 12 Biology – Year 9 – Track 2 – 2019 Section B: This section carries 45 marks. Answer any three questions in this section. Write your answers on the separate A4 sheet provided.
1. The sources of plant disease may be abiotic or biotic. Examples of abiotic plant diseases include damage caused by growth in poor light, moisture or temperature conditions. Many biotic diseases are caused by bacteria that are microscopic, single-celled prokaryotic organisms and which are able to reproduce rapidly by binary fission. Fungi also cause diseases in plants. adapted from: https://www.sciencefocus.com/planet-earth/bacteria-controls-the-weather/
a. i. Name two abiotic factors mentioned in the text. (2) ii. Name two biotic factors mentioned in the text. (2)
b. i. Draw a labelled diagram of a typical bacterium. (5) ii. Name an organelle that bacteria do not have and which defines them as prokaryotes. (1) iii. Xylella fastidiosa is a type of bacterium that can cause disease in plants. Name the genus of this bacterium. (1)
c. Define the term ‘binary fission’. (2)
d. Mention one difference between bacteria and viruses. (2) [Total: 15 marks]
Biology – Year 9 – Track 2 – 2019 Page 9 of 12 2. Agave americana (Figure 8) is a local plant that grows a tall, woody stalk full of flowers before it dies. The flowers have six stamens and a large ovary. The plant dies after dispersing seeds. However it also reproduces by vegetative reproduction that makes it easier for the plant to colonise the area.
source:https://www.wallpaperup.com/354912/Agave_americana_plant_in_Dwejra_Gozo_Malta.html Figure 8
a. i. Name the asexual mode of reproduction used by Agave americana. (1) ii. Give one advantage of this mode of reproduction. (1)
b. Flowers allow this plant to reproduce sexually. Give one advantage of this mode of reproduction. (1)
c. Describe the functions of the following structures: i. tall and strong stem; (2) ii. stamen; (2) iii. ovary. (2)
d. Agave americana is a monocot adapted to dry conditions. i. Identify two characteristics of monocots. (2) ii. Mention two adaptations of plants to dry conditions. (2)
e. This plant and the Maltese Rock-centaury (Cheirolophus crassifolius) are competitors. List two factors that these two plant species can compete for. (2) [Total: 15 marks]
Page 10 of 12 Biology – Year 9 – Track 2 – 2019 3. Beetroot is a vegetable that contains sucrose. Six discs of beetroot were cut to the same diameter size and thickness and their weights were recorded. Each one was placed in 10 ml of a different sucrose solution concentration for 30 minutes. The weights were recorded again. Results are summarised in the table below.
Test tube Sucrose solution mol/dm3 Percentage change in mass A 0 +28.4% B 0.2 +8.5% C 0.4 -7.3% D 0.6 -19.4% E 0.8 -26.3% F 1.0 -30.8%
a. Name the biological process by which beetroot discs lost or gained mass in each test tube. (1)
b. i. Name the test tube with the beetroot disc showing the largest increase in mass. (1) ii. Explain what happened to this beetroot disc for this to occur. (3)
c. A student concluded that the sucrose concentration inside the beetroot was around 0.3 mol/dm3. Explain how the changes in masses of beetroot discs in test tubes ‘B’ and ‘C’ indicate that the student was correct. (3)
d. Name the test tube in which, by the end of the experiment, the largest number of beetroot cells appeared: i. turgid; (2) ii. plasmolysed. (2)
e. If animal cells were used in this experiment, cells in some of the test tubes would have burst. Explain why beetroot cells did not burst. (2)
f. Explain why beetroot discs were cut to the same diameter size and (1) thickness. [Total: 15 marks]
4. a. Some birds are adapted to help plants by carrying seeds to an environment where these can germinate. i. Name two conditions necessary for seeds to germinate. (2) ii. Explain why seeds need to have a store of food to start germinating. (2) iii. The seed grows a radicle that starts absorbing minerals by active transport. Define ‘active transport’. (2) iv. Birds have very light bones. Explain the importance of this feature to birds. (2) v. List two other characteristics common to all birds. (2)
b. i. Fish are adapted to a totally different type of habitat from that of birds. Name the kind of habitat that fish are adapted to. (1) ii. Select two features of fish and explain how they help them survive in this habitat. (4) [Total: 15 marks]
Biology – Year 9 – Track 2 – 2019 Page 11 of 12
5. a. Soil is made up of organic and inorganic particles. i. Name one example of an organic and one example of an inorganic soil particle. (2) ii. Explain why, for plants growing in the soil, retaining a film of water around soil particles is better than filling the gaps between particles with water. (2)
b. The film of water around soil particles hosts protists, such as various species of Amoeba. Some Amoeba group up to hunt nematodes while others are parasites to other small invertebrates. i. Mention one characteristic of nematodes. (1) ii. Define the term ‘parasite’. (2)
c. With the aid of diagrams, explain how Amoeba can feed on smaller food particles. (4)
d. Amoeba is a good source of nutrients for earthworms. Describe two beneficial effects of attracting earthworms to the soil. (4) [Total: 15 marks]
Page 12 of 12 Biology – Year 9 – Track 2 – 2019