[Ashface]

how do you think it went?

[ezeffy]

Really difficult!!!
You???

[Mulciber]

I thought it was quite easy. Edexcel mark schemes for biology are always annoying though, especially with all these questions that are quite ambiguous.

[ZKay]

the questions were so stupid! they were so vague and weird! weirdest exam ever! i wouldn't say it was hard, it was just i didn't know what to answer. like the question with the pathologist when it said 'suggest how the pathologist could use the flow chart and table to work out the time of death' its like ermmm use the flow chart and table ? pretty obvious. blagged everything way too much!!

[Aimanos]

The questions were way to vague and therefore i spent so much time writing large answers for 2/3 markers that I didn't finish the paper -_-

[greenhamrolls]

Such a horrible exam! I agree with those above that the questions were 'vague' and 'ambiguous'. I also can't believe that out of all the major topics like immune response/DNA+profiling etc/Antibiotics+Immunity etc etc ... BARELY ANYTHING CAME UP.

Also pretty much didn't finish the paper.. I missed loads out at the beginning to go back to at the end and then ran out of time. SO angry.


Stupid ecosystems and crappy scenario questions!
Goodbye university. I needed this stupid exam to go well so I had a chance

[Panicomg]

Am I the only person who found that the timing was crazy. I didn't finish the paper fully and neither did most of my class. I've never had that before. Considering its a 90 min paper and there is 90 marks available, thats 1 min per mark but on top of that they gave use pages half filled with writing to read. :/

[iacovos]

what did you guys put as an answer for the following:
-suggest how the 2 abiotic factors affect the distribution of the anemones?
-how the pathologist can use the table to determine time of death?
-how do we need to treat the piglets of group B?
-the graph with the RuBP and GP ?

any other that you can think about, throw them in

[greenhamrolls]

(Original post by iacovos)
-the graph with the RuBP and GP ?

Oh... The graph with RuBP and GP...... why couldn't they have just asked us about photosynthesis! The paper was hard enough!


I have to say, i haven't a clue what i wrote for my answers to anything, I was so rushed - I've definitely done rubbish! Just can't believe how ridiculous it was for timing and the amount of scenarios!

[Mulciber]

-The two abiotic factors annoyed me. For height above sea level, I mentioned that it might be the optimum height for capturing its prey, especially as the tide would bring turbulent water over the anenomes, probably containing prey. As for the temperature, I thought maybe it was something to do with the enzymes. So I said the anenome's enzymes and metabolic rate might be more productive at a higher temperature, as the reacting molecules had more energy and would have more successful collisions

-For the table one there are two things you have to talk about. The first is that the type of animal species you find on a corpse corresponds to how long the body has been dead, due to succession. This would give the pathologist a rough estimate. The second thing is to mention that the life-cycle of the species you find on the body gives gives you a more accurate estimate of how long that particular species has been there. You might have to use named examples from the table, which I forgot to do.

-Group B of the piglets/cows (can't remember which), were a controlled variable. You had to say that they needed to be treated the same as group A, except without the drugs. Therefore, no other factor could be seen as having an effect, such as diet, sleeping pattern etc.

-The graph with RuBP said to describe and explain. This means you might get 2-3 marks just describing the pattern of the lines comparatively, and some data manipulation.
Then it was just asking about the rate of carbon-fixation in the Calvin cycle. The Calvin cycle needs CO2 to convert RuBP into 2xGP, therefore, when the concentration of CO2 decreased, so did the rate at which RuBP was converted. This meant the level of RuBP rose, and the levels of GP fell.
I think the peak where RuBP rose and then fell, a little bit after the CO2 concentration levels fell, was due to the chloropast producing less RuBP, because less of it was being used up and it was becoming excessive in quantity.

Correct me if I am wrong.

[ELB141]

(Original post by Mulciber)
-The two abiotic factors annoyed me. For height above sea level, I mentioned that it might be the optimum height for capturing its prey, especially as the tide would bring turbulent water over the anenomes, probably containing prey. As for the temperature, I thought maybe it was something to do with the enzymes. So I said the anenome's enzymes and metabolic rate might be more productive at a higher temperature, as the reacting molecules had more energy and would have more successful collisions

-For the table one there are two things you have to talk about. The first is that the type of animal species you find on a corpse corresponds to how long the body has been dead, due to succession. This would give the pathologist a rough estimate. The second thing is to mention that the life-cycle of the species you find on the body gives gives you a more accurate estimate of how long that particular species has been there. You might have to use named examples from the table, which I forgot to do.

-Group B of the piglets/cows (can't remember which), were a controlled variable. You had to say that they needed to be treated the same as group A, except without the drugs. Therefore, no other factor could be seen as having an effect, such as diet, sleeping pattern etc.

-The graph with RuBP said to describe and explain. This means you might get 2-3 marks just describing the pattern of the lines comparatively, and some data manipulation.
Then it was just asking about the rate of carbon-fixation in the Calvin cycle. The Calvin cycle needs CO2 to convert RuBP into 2xGP, therefore, when the concentration of CO2 decreased, so did the rate at which RuBP was converted. This meant the level of RuBP rose, and the levels of GP fell.
I think the peak where RuBP rose and then fell, a little bit after the CO2 concentration levels fell, was due to the chloropast producing less RuBP, because less of it was being used up and it was becoming excessive in quantity.

Correct me if I am wrong.

What question are you referring to about the enzymes? I do seem to forget questions after, but im slightly concerned I may have missed a question?!


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

[Mulciber]

(Original post by ELB141)
What question are you referring to about the enzymes? I do seem to forget questions after, but im slightly concerned I may have missed a question?!


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

Oh, it was like the third question in. It asked how to two abiotic factors might affect the number of anenomes growing. I different really have a clue, so I just wrote about enzymes, haha.

[Onipede]

(Original post by Panicomg)
Am I the only person who found that the timing was crazy. I didn't finish the paper fully and neither did most of my class. I've never had that before. Considering its a 90 min paper and there is 90 marks available, thats 1 min per mark but on top of that they gave use pages half filled with writing to read. :/

No, it certainly isnt just you, you'll be pleased to know.
I took 5 mins to go through the paper, noticed there was a 5 marker at the end and knew I wouldnt have time to do it at the end so did it before.
I barely finished, seriously rushed.
My friends were saying that they had reached half way at half an hour to go- riduculos, and even someone from another school said they thought they had the extra time people's ending time.
So if thats pretty much people in 3 schools saying that, there must have been not enough time to do it- loads of writing and 1 mark a min- seriously?!

[Onipede]

(Original post by greenhamrolls)
Such a horrible exam! I agree with those above that the questions were 'vague' and 'ambiguous'. I also can't believe that out of all the major topics like immune response/DNA+profiling etc/Antibiotics+Immunity etc etc ... BARELY ANYTHING CAME UP.

Also pretty much didn't finish the paper.. I missed loads out at the beginning to go back to at the end and then ran out of time. SO angry.


Stupid ecosystems and crappy scenario questions!
Goodbye university. I needed this stupid exam to go well so I had a chance

OMG! thats exactly what I said after- nothing on HIV/TB, immune response, antibiotic practical. Weird! Just stupid passive immunity in pigs wtf?

There was the 5 mark DNA protein synthesis one, which wasnt even difficult content wise, but they were assuming people wouldnt get to it- sneaky.

How do you think the synoptic paper (unit 5) will go- if they manage to slip some 'off the wall' stuff about Brown Adipose Tissue they need some sense knocked into them!

[greenhamrolls]

(Original post by Onipede)
OMG! thats exactly what I said after- nothing on HIV/TB, immune response, antibiotic practical. Weird! Just stupid passive immunity in pigs wtf?

There was the 5 mark DNA protein synthesis one, which wasnt even difficult content wise, but they were assuming people wouldnt get to it- sneaky.

How do you think the synoptic paper (unit 5) will go- if they manage to slip some 'off the wall' stuff about Brown Adipose Tissue they need some sense knocked into them!

I'm finding unit 5 difficult. I understand the basics of most of it, but I can't remember enough detail and think outside the box with it. Sooo worried about it all now

[Thatguywelike.]

I thought it was a really nice paper, so kind of easy. On the hand, I was pretty long, as I only JUST finished the paper in time, but I don't think I lost too many mark.

Did anyone else get SA:V ratio for the very first Sea Anemone question? I'm so proud of myself to deciphering that bit. :>