Newcastle College

Summer Holiday Progression Homework

There are 3 tasks to complete over the summer holidays before you return to
Sixth Form. These tasks must be handed into your Biology teacher your first
lesson back.

Task 1

Complete the 4 mini review assessments below.

1. Complete the diagram to show the general structure of an amino acid and name the 3 groups:

2. Amino acids are the small basic building blocks, called m_________, when combined they make a
polymer called a p_______________, this process is called ___________________. 3

3. Which group is different on every amino acid? How many different naturally occurring groups are
there? ________________
2

4. Two amino acids can be joined together in what kind of reaction? ______________ 1

5. Name the two products of this reaction __________________________

1
6. Draw the reaction between two glycine molecules, labelling the bond formed:

4
7. What type of enzymes break down proteins? What kind of reaction is this?
2
_______________________________________________________________________

Page 1
 Newcastle College
8. What is the name for the test for proteins? What does this test detect the presence of?
_______________________________________________________________________ 2

9. Explain the stages of the biochemical test for proteins and the possible results (what does a positive
and a negative result look like?)

 __________________________________________________________________
 __________________________________________________________________
 __________________________________________________________________ 3
10. Would this biochemical test be suitable to use to see if a sample contained enzymes? Explain your
answer ______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________ 2

1. Enzymes are known as biological _____________ meaning that they _____________

reactions in living organisms. They do this without being __________ up or _____________.
5
Meaning they can be reused repeatedly and are effective in ________ amounts.

2. What is the name given to the specific region of the enzyme that is functional?
1
_________________________________________________________________

3. What name is given to the molecules that enzymes act on? What is formed when an enzyme
binds to one of these molecules? __________________________________
2
_________________________________________________________________

4. Define the term activation energy and explain how enzymes affect this: _________
_______________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________ 2

5. The __________ fit model of enzyme action proposes that the ________ ______ of the
enzyme becomes ___________ when it interacts with a _______________ substrate 4
molecule.

5. What kind of proteins are enzymes? Globular or fibrous? Explain your answer
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________ 2

6. Explain why changing certain amino acids in the polypeptide chain could affect the functioning
of an enzyme: _____________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________ 4

Page 2
 Newcastle College
7. Which factors affect enzyme function? _________________________________
_________________________________________________________________ 1

1. The three elements that make up carbohydrates are C________, H_________ and 2
O_________. The general formula for monosaccharides is (CH_O)_ when n can be any number
from 3-7.

2. Complete the diagrams to show α-glucose and β-glucose molecules:

3. α-glucose and β-glucose are i_________ of each other which means they have the same
4
f_______, C_H_O_, but the atoms are arranged d___________.

4. α-glucose is an individual molecule called monomers, the specific name given to an individual
carbohydrate molecule is a m______________. Two of these monomers can be joined together
3
to form a d_________. Many of these molecules together make a polymer or a
p______________.

5. Complete the paragraph below to describe the biochemical test for sugars:

All monosaccharides and some disaccharides (e.g. m________) are r_________ sugars. A
r_________ sugar is a sugar that can donate e_______ to (or reduce) another chemical, in this
case B_________ reagent. The B_________ test involves c_______ your sample up with
water, add 2cm3 of the sample to a test tube, then add an e_____ v_______ of B________
reagent. H_____ the mixture in a water bath for 5 minutes and note any c_______ change.
8
6. List the letters in sequence of reducing sugar present in each sample, most à least.

Sample Colour of solution Correct order

A Yellowish brown

Page 3
 Newcastle College
B Green
C Brick red
D Dark brown

F Blue 4

Task 2

Hire the A2 textbook out of the library and read chapter 19 from p 466 to 489.
Complete questions 1 to 4 on page 487. Self-assess your answers.

Task 3

Complete the exam practice questions below.

Q1.A 75 m tall tree released very large numbers of small seeds. Ecologists used quadrats along
a transect to measure the number of these seeds at different distances from the tree.
Their results are shown on the graph.

The seeds of this tree are dispersed by wind. The diagram shows the pattern of seed
dispersal from this tree.

Page 4
 Newcastle College

(a)     Describe how the ecologists could have used quadrats and a transect to obtain the
data from which the graph was drawn.

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................
(2)

(b)     Look at the diagram showing the pattern of seed dispersal from this tree.

(i)      Suggest an explanation for the shape of the line enclosing the area where the
seeds landed.

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................
(2)

(ii)     The line enclosing the area where the seeds landed would be different for
trees of this species that were of a different height. Suggest why.

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................

Page 5
 Newcastle College
(2)

(c)     In an ecological succession, trees that are pioneer species often have smaller seeds
than those that are part of a climax community.

(i)      The species of tree in this investigation is adapted to colonising areas that

have been cleared of vegetation. Use information given above to explain how.

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................
(2)

(ii)     The seeds produced by this species of tree did not grow successfully in a
climax community. Suggest why.

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 10 marks)

Q2.Ecologists used a method called proportional sampling to estimate the population size of an
animal species. This method is based on assumptions. Two of the assumptions are given
below.

1.        They know the size of the area, A, where the animal population lives.
2.        The animals are uniformly distributed in this area.

To carry out the method, the ecologists:

Page 6
 Newcastle College
•        chose a region of known size, R, inside area A
•        counted the number of animals in region R. They called this number S
•        assumed that the number, S, would be in proportion to the size of the total
population, P, in area A.

(a)     Proportional sampling can be used to estimate the population size of a species that
is uniformly distributed.

(i)      What is a species?

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................
(1)

(ii)     What is meant by uniformly distributed?

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................
(1)

(b)     Use the letters A, R and S to write an equation showing how proportional sampling
is used to estimate the total size of a population, P. Show your working.

P = .............................................................................
(2)

(c)     Population size can be estimated using proportional sampling or mark-release-

recapture.

Page 7
 Newcastle College
(i)      How do the assumptions made in proportional sampling differ from those
made in mark-release-recapture?

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................
(2)

(ii)     Give one assumption about the animals caught that is made in both methods.

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................
(1)
(Total 7 marks)

Q3.The photograph shows marram grass growing on a sand dune.

Marram grass on sand dune by Nigel Chadwick [CC-BY-SA], via Wikimedia Commons

(a)     Describe how you would investigate the distribution of marram grass from one
side of the dune to the other.

Page 8
 Newcastle College
........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................
(3)

(b)     Marram grass is a pioneer species that grows on sand dunes. It has long roots
and a vertically growing stem that grows up through the sand.
Sand dunes are easily damaged by visitors and are blown by the wind. Planting
marram grass is useful in helping sand dune ecosystems to recover from damage.

Use your knowledge of succession to explain how.

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 5 marks)

Q4.          The young of frogs and toads are called tadpoles. Ecologists investigated the effect of
predation on three species of tadpole. They set up four artificial pond communities.

Each community contained

•        200 spadefoot toad tadpoles

•        300 spring peeper frog tadpoles
•        300 southern toad tadpoles.

Page 9
 Newcastle College
The ecologists then added a different number of newts to each pond. Newts are
predators. Figure 1 shows the effect of increasing the number of newts on the percentage
survival of the tadpoles of each species.

Figure 1

(a)     (i)      Describe the effect of an increase in the number of newts on the percentage
survival of the tadpoles of each of the toad species.

.............................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................
(2)

(ii)     Suggest an explanation for the effect of an increase in the number of newts on
the percentage survival of the tadpoles of spring peeper frogs.

.............................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................

Page 10
 Newcastle College
.............................................................................................................
(2)

Figure 2 shows how the masses of the tadpoles were affected in each pond during the
investigation.

Figure 2

(b)     Using the information provided in Figure 1 explain the results obtained in Figure 2.

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 6 marks)

Page 11