AQA BIOL5 Biology Unit 5 Exam - 22nd June 2011

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It asked for uses of DNA in science and technology which is quite vague. So insulin creation and genetic fingerprinting are valid, you will be fine if you mentioned processes within your answer.

Eg, even if a small sample is obtained for genetic fingerprinting, it can be multiplied and made into a large sample by PCR... (go on to explain PCR etc).

what did you talk about in your essay??

:smile:

Reply 2521

Gemma2010

Original post by Philhope

action potentials ? glucose? muscle contraction? worst exam ever, it was a sthough they couldnt be arsed so just through any questions they could think of, terrible imo

Yeah none of the base stuff came up! and they put it lots of other unit stuff in the main questions. But the DNA essay wasn't really synoptic. And they put chemical mediators in for a whole Q - that's like 1/4 of a page in the revision book!

Reply 2522

animal*nature

So So SO annoyed with this exam seriously where was the content all HSW!!
Please join this group if you thought this exam was pathetic (apart from the essay question)

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_219192354782279

Reply 2523

nkah

Original post by BackDoorEntry

I also wrote about Jeremy kyle in the essay, win!

I was actually very close to doing the same!

Reply 2524

MessyRoom

For Cycles I sort of wrote the essay as a journey almost.

Digestion->absorption of glucose->respiration->co2 in blood with medulla and carotid->blood pressure...

Then moved onto photosynthesis->eutrophication so that I DID get plants in.

Ran out of time towards the end so I have S02-->PUTRID just scribbled at the end :biggrin:

Reply 2525

sk_93

Original post by Abby :)

I think i said that in the question where it went 'what does it show about the dna'

and i went oh it must have another restriction site in it for it to make 2 strands

i something similr that the restriction endonuclease cut in two places therefore the plasmid must have two recognistion sites were it cuts it.

Reply 2526

woods.vanessa

I wrote about the Oestrous, Calvin, Nitrogen, Carbon and (briefly about) the Cell Cycle!
6 pages ! I hope I do well in the essay to make up for the paper :frown:

Reply 2527

percy93

Original post by cheekymon999

Did nobody do the DNA essay? i thought that was a beaut! made up for the stupid questions on this essay that hardly related to this unit!

yeh i did. but i wonder if i did enough
i wrote about-
DNA probing and sequencing etc in id for mutated gene
Genetic fingerprinting
DNA hybridisation- in the AS spec with measuring relationship with DNA between two samples
Gene therapy
Modifying DNA for crop animals and medicine..

Do you think I've done enough for breadth? What did you write?

Reply 2528

Seasick Steve

Original post by animal*nature

Nothing's going to happen.

Reply 2529

BackDoorEntry

Original post by Zakir

what did you talk about in your essay??

:smile:

I started with genetic diseases like cystic fibrosis and SCID, and linked it to embryonic DNA screening and gene therapy (and DNA hybridisation using vectors and liposomes), then went on a tangent about genetically modifying plants and animals with DNA for agriculture and stuff, then talked about prokaryotes and using them for antibody and insuline production, also talked about forensics and DNA testing to match a father with a child (Jeremy Kyle came in at this point), then I went into a bit of detail about PCR and all the other DNA technology i could possibly think of, then concluded to show how processes involving DNA are becoming more automated and stuff.

TL;DR: Just about everything I could think of :s-smilie:

Reply 2530

M | k e

Original post by animal*nature

Heh it didn't seem thattt HSW'y, unit 4 usually takes the cake for that. But it definitely seemed more topics that were alot smaller, i.e plant growth hormones, siRNA and chemical mediators than I expected. And reasonable amount of synopsis. I actually thought the paper was OK and didn't think there was much HSW :colondollar:

Reply 2531

jendra9311

Original post by Zakir

heyy...

i did the DNA essay too..wrote about 5 and a half sides..

what did you write in your plan?

i should have wrote about GM crops but didnt
i wrote about paternity test an forensics obv (though i got those into the essay)
Electrophoresis and PCR
Taxonomy because you can classfiy animals that way
Gene therapy - Gene supplementation
- Germline Therapy is banned - Designer Babies
IVF
seeing if your unborn child is alright...
Cant remember now :s-smilie:

it was only two hours ago...

Reply 2532

KezzyM

Original post by SirMuffin

YES!!! I was afraid to speak out thinking I definitely got it wrong... but that's exactly what I did... Not sure if it's right though seeing what other people are saying... At least I'm not alone! :colone:

I did that as well :s-smilie:

Reply 2533

Zakir

Original post by percy93

i think i messed up the essay?

i talkd about transription/translation

miosis/mitosis...gene therapy. transcriptional factors etc

Reply 2534

percy93

Original post by cheekymon999

I just basically wrote the whole gene technology section and applied it to how it is used :smile:

same, it was difficult to know exactly what the question meant, so i assumed that it was application of DNA in technology and medicine etc...

Reply 2535

cydonia

Original post by M | k e

It said under the table "Plantlets = Plants, and Callus = Undifferentiated Cells" or something. So when it asked for Papaya "Plants" I assumed it was looking for simply Plantlets, also Plantlets + leaves came up multiple times which gave different ratio's if I remember. The only one that could have 1 defined ratio was the 50:10, 5:1 one.

So, not sure what they were after but I went 5:1 :tongue:

I chose 5:2
You get plantlets and leaves. Evidence from the table showed that leaves could develop into full plantlets (from callus of course).

Which is better?
To get plantlets and then having to cut leaves or getting plantlets and some leaves so that new plantlets can form?

Reply 2536

my_username_rocks

eww just remembered the lizard one! what did people say for how the lizard kept its temperature in a small range of the optimum. i said that moving into the sun would increase heat gain by radiation and moving in the shade would decrease it. and then i sed that they would move more when their temperature deviates further away from the normal to maintain body temperature in the range. but that doesn't really make sense the more i think about it looool

Reply 2537

IFondledAGibbon

The one part of the syllabus that I actually found interesting I.E. nerves and muscles consisted of 2 marks!
Why AQA, WHY!?

Also for the 'Large fragment' I was so tempted to put 'my dick'.