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Section A [15 marks]

Answer all questions in this section.
Indicate the correct answer on the Multiple-Choice Answer Sheet provided.

1. Three levels of biological biodiversity with their explanation are given in the table below.

Level of biological Explanation

diversity
Genetic diversity I Different types of wild orchids can be found from
highland to lowland forests or on rocky limestone hills
and peat swamp forests.
Species diversity II The size, shape and flower of hybrid and wild orchids
vary within their respective species.
Ecosystem diversity III Wild orchids could grow on the ground as terrestrial
orchids, on trees as epiphytes or on rocks as lithophytes.

Which level of biological biodiversity corresponds to their explanation?

Genetic diversity Species diversity Ecosystem diversity

A I II III
B II III I
C II I III
D III I II

2. The characteristics of an unknown marine organism are given below.

 Diploblastic
 Polymorphic
 Nematocyst for predation

What is the most probable phylum for the organisms?

A. Porifera C. Platyhelmonthes

B. Cnidaria D. Mollusca
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3. A phylogeny tree of some carnivores is shown below.

Which inference are correct about the phylogeny tree above?

I. The wolf and leopard are in different classes.
II. The badger and otter belong to the same order.
III. The leopard and otter do not share a common ancestor.
IV. The coyote and wolf share the first part of the scientific name.

A. I and II C. II and IV
B. I and III D. III and IV

4. All of the following factors threaten biodiversity except

A. Habitat loss C. Wildlife sanctuary
B. Global warming D. Selective breeding

5. All of the following are density-dependent factors that limit the size of a population except
A. Parasitism and disease C. Severe drought
B. Predation D. Accumulation of toxic waste

6. The gross primary productivity of producers in a terrestrial ecosystem is 6000kJm-2y-1.

The net primary productivity of producers is 1800kJm-2y-1. If the efficiency of energy
transfer from producers to herbivores is 20% and to the next level is 10%, what is the
amount of energy obtained by the secondary consumer?
A. 36 kJm-2y-1 C. 110 kJm-2y-1
-2 -1
B. 80 kJm y D. 360 kJm-2y-1
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7. A quadrat measuring 10cm X10cm is used to measure the population of moss on a tree
trunk.
The data collected is shown below.

Quadrat
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Area of
coverage 0 4 5 2 9 0 10 8 2 10
(cm2)

What is the percentage area coverage per cm2 of moss on the tree trunk?
A. 0.05% C. 5.00%
B. 0.50% D. 50.00%

8. Which of the following could cause phenotypic variation in organisms that have the same
genotype?

A. Mutation
B. Exposure to different environments
C. Continuous variation within the species
D. Crossing over during gametogenesis

9. Which type of selection causes the neck of giraffes to grow longer over a long period of
time?
A. Artificial selection
B. Stabilising selection
C. Disruptive selection
D. Directional selection

10. Humans hunted cheetahs almost to extinction in the 19th century. With the implementation
of conservation programmes, the cheetah population today has increased to over 3000
individuals. It was found that the cheetah population now lack genetic variation. This can
be explained by
A. The founder’s effect
B. The bottleneck effect
C. Gene flow
D. Adaptive radiation

11. The expression of gene means

A. The use of information in DNA to produce a protein.
B. The transcription of genes on the DNA
C. The transfer of genes from one organism to another.
D. The translation of mRNA by ribosomes during protein synthesis.
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12. What is the fragment of DNA that has no introns which is synthesised using mRNA as a
template?
A. Recombinant DNA
B. Complementary DNA
C. Cloned DNA
D. Sticky end DNA

13. Which of the following sequence in a double stranded DNA is most likely to be recognised
as a cutting site for a restriction enzyme?
A. 5’AAGGGTTT 3’ C. 5’GGGTT T’T 3’
3’TTCCCAAA 5 3’CCCAAAA 5
B. 5’GAGGCCTC 3’ D. 5’CATCATCAT 3’
3’ CTCCGGAG 5’ 3’GTAGTAGTA 5’

14. Colour and shape in carrot are determined by the interaction of two pairs of the following
alleles.

RR = red carrot LL = long carrot

Rr = purple carrot Ll = oblong carrot
r r = white carrot ll = round carrot
how many phenotypes will be produced from a cross between two purple carrot plants that
are oblong in shape?
A. 4 C. 9
B. 8 D. 16

15. In the human MN blood group system, the alleles, M and N are codominant. In a
population, there are 26% individuals with blood group M and 44% with blood group MN.
What is the frequency of allele N in the population?
A. 0.48 C. 0.51
B. 0.49 D. 0.52
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Section B [15 marks]

Answer all the questions in this section

16. (a) in the production of insulin by genetic engineering, plasmids are used as vectors. The
diagram below shows an artificial plasmid which is used as a vector.
Tetracycline resistance
gene

Restriction site

ampR gene

(i) Why it is important that there is only one restriction site in the plasmid? [2 marks]

(ii) Complete the table below to show whether bacteria which have taken up different
circles of DNA will be resistant to tetracycline and / or amipicillin.
(resistant : √ ; Not resistant : × )

Circle of DNA taken up by Ampicillin-resistant bacteria Tetracycline-resistant

bacteria bacteria
Reannealed plasmid

Recombinant plasmid

Reannealed human DNA

[3 marks]

(b) State two advantages of treating diabetes with recombinant DNA insulin. [2 marks]
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17. The cross below shows the genetic relationship between various grass species of Spartina.

Spartina maritime Spartina alterniflora

2n = 60 X 2n = 62
n =30 n =31
Sterile hybrid (P)

Process Y

Spartina anglica (Q)

(a) What is meant by

(i) 2n = 60 [1 mark]

(ii) n = 30 [1 mark]

(b) (i) What is the diploid number of chromosomes of the sterile hybrid (P)? [1 mark]

(ii) Explain why this hybrid is sterile. [1 mark]

(iii) Name the type of reproduction carried out by hybrid (P). [1 mark]

(c) Name process Y. [1 mark]

(d) (i) state the number of chromosome of species Q. [1 mark]

(ii) Explain why grass Q has become a fertile plant. [1 mark]

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Section C [30 marks]

Answer any two questions in this section.

18(a) (i) Define survivorship in reference to natural populations. [2 marks]

(ii) With the aid of graphs, explain the three basic survivorship curves. [9marks]
(b) Describe briefly how prey-predator interactions regulate the size of both populations.
[4 marks]

19(a) Both Thalassaemia and sickle cell anaemia are genetic disorders caused by gene
mutation. Compare these two disorders.
[6 marks]

(b) A group of birds drifted on a log off the mainland to a remote island several hundred
miles away. Discuss the evolutionary mechanisms that are likely to occur in this new
bird population on the remote island.
[9 marks

20(a) Define biotechnology.

[2 marks]
(b) Outline the process of electrophoresis in preparing DNA fingerprints.
[5 marks]
(c) Compare amnioncentesis and chorionic villus sampling used in genetic engineering.
[8 marks]