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AQA A2 Biology BIOL5 - 17th June 2015

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Here's the situation: everything I included in essay B was relevant to the title and I covered all three key words (development growth and reproduction); I assessed 'organisms' in the context of micro-organisms, plants, animals and human so hopefully breadth marks?; my quality of written communication was fine (I do essay subjects)..

However in order to achieve sufficient breadth in the limited time I left myself - roughly 30 mins - I wrote lots of points in very limited detail. A lot of my points of discussion were superficial and not explored in much depth, and I failed to properly utilise technical terms.

Do you think it would be possible to get a low mark for scientific content -say 4 or 6-, and then full marks (3,3,3) for the other areas? In past papers I've only needed 4-5 marks in the essay to get an A* so I'd be content with 14-15 marks (although I doubt I've have even got that, lol)
I think the argument is more along the line of atpase not directly breaking down atp whereas water does
Original post by talkbiology
An enzyme is a molecule :':wink:
Actin and tropomyosin are proteins too, a protein is just a macromolecule
Original post by talkbiology
An enzyme is a molecule :':wink:
Actin and tropomyosin are proteins too, a protein is just a macromolecule


Ooo that's a good point! The question asked about molecules and one of the answers was tropomyosin. Tropomyosin is protein and so is an enzyme. So in this question writing ATPase would not be wrong
Reply 2063
Haha okay thanks! How did you find it?
Original post by lauraedgar
What did people put for the monoclonal antibody question?

I couldn't decide whether the antibody binded to the growth factor or the receptor site.
In the end I put, the antibody binds to the growth factor, meaning it is the wrong shape so is no longer complementary with the receptor so cannot bind.

I know some people put that the antibody binds to the receptor so that blocks the growth factor from binding.

In the end I thought that an antibody is shaped more like a receptor than a growth factor, meaning it would be complementary to the growth factor so attached to that.


I'm not sure: my reasoning was that if the antibody bound to the growth factor, it would prevent cell division in all cells, not just cancer cells, whereas the question said that the receptor in question was specific to cancer cells?
I might be talking bull, either way you'd get some if not 3 marks for that I'm sure
I think we should all take a moment to thank that Saint who stole the original freaking paper - our essay question was so much nicer 🙌🙌🙌 praise be to god thank you please very much thank you amen
Original post by lauraedgar
What did people put for the monoclonal antibody question?

I couldn't decide whether the antibody binded to the growth factor or the receptor site.
In the end I put, the antibody binds to the growth factor, meaning it is the wrong shape so is no longer complementary with the receptor so cannot bind.

I know some people put that the antibody binds to the receptor so that blocks the growth factor from binding.

In the end I thought that an antibody is shaped more like a receptor than a growth factor, meaning it would be complementary to the growth factor so attached to that.

I went for the antibody binding to the protein, i think yours is right, bit annoying because its very hard to tell what they were looking for
****, **** **** I didn't write which essay I was answering - I did start it with a sentence which basically said "internal and external environments should be kept constant because" though, will it be OK?
Original post by talkbiology
I'm not sure: my reasoning was that if the antibody bound to the growth factor, it would prevent cell division in all cells, not just cancer cells, whereas the question said that the receptor in question was specific to cancer cells?
I might be talking bull, either way you'd get some if not 3 marks for that I'm sure


Ah you make a good point
Reply 2069
Original post by plasmaman
>>One similarity and one difference between a tropism and a phototropism (2)


Fairly sure it was tropism and taxis
Original post by TAPTUT
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP IM DONE WITH EXAMS!!!!!
chem 5 c4 and bio 5 in the last 3 days!
WOOOP IM DONE!

Me too! 7 exams in 10 days including the same three since Monday! Time to relax....good luck to those who still have any left...the end is in sight!
Original post by sexyboy123
i got simipar answers to the guy who posted hes answers a few pages ago so look at that


Thanks!
Original post by Azurefeline
****, **** **** I didn't write which essay I was answering - I did start it with a sentence which basically said "internal and external environments should be kept constant because" though, will it be OK?
i did exactly the same, it would be unfair to penalise such a stupid mistake so im not too worried about it, especially since my essay obviously relates to question 10a
Original post by SM101
Fairly sure it was tropism and taxis


just seen this thanks
So grateful for the very limited amount of gene technology questions as I never even learnt it let alone get round to revising it! Thank you aqa for actually being kind for once
Original post by lauraedgar
What did people put for the monoclonal antibody question?

I couldn't decide whether the antibody binded to the growth factor or the receptor site.
In the end I put, the antibody binds to the growth factor, meaning it is the wrong shape so is no longer complementary with the receptor so cannot bind.

I know some people put that the antibody binds to the receptor so that blocks the growth factor from binding.

In the end I thought that an antibody is shaped more like a receptor than a growth factor, meaning it would be complementary to the growth factor so attached to that.

Frankly, I don't think it would matter. It could bind to both of them really, I put the receptor because I know antibodies do bind to protein - but I can understand why people would put growth factor.
I also forgot to write which question! :frown: they must get that every year though because there isn't a clear box or anything to say make sure you put which one you are answering! Should be ok (hopefully!)
Original post by sexyboy123
i did exactly the same, it would be unfair to penalise such a stupid mistake so im not too worried about it, especially since my essay obviously relates to question 10a
could someone link me to the 'unofficial mark-scheme' please as i did so bad and want to know if im going to uni :frown:
>The three molecules involved in muscular contraction (3)
>How muscle contraction is effected by myosin molecules not bonding to one another (3)

>Role of LH in the oestrous cycle (2)
>How testosterone is inhibited (3)
>How sperm cell production is inhibited (2)

>How is a generator potential produced in a Pacinian corpuscle (3)
>How are movements made jerky or slow in sufferers of MS when the myelin sheath is damaged (2)
>How is muscular contraction affected when Ca 2+ ion channels close (4)
>Advantage of synthetic cannabinoids over those in cannabis (2)
>Why do hydrophobic molecules enter the cell so easily (1)
>Something about a faulty gene and a growth factor (2)
>How do monoclonal antibodies prevent cell division from occurring (3)
>Why may the amino acid sequence remain the same following the mutation (1)
>Explain how the root tip grew away from the salt (3)
>What does the diagram show about the responses of the tomato plants to salt and gravity (3)
>Explain why there may be another factor affecting % of deaths/enzyme inhibitor/resistant gene question (4)
>Explain the role of the control group (2)
>How did the mice keep their blood glucose concentration constant (3)
>How did mutant mice keep blood glucose levels constant (3)
>How does the data support the conclusion (with the error bars) (3)
>What does the data show about the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system in response to changes in blood pressure (3)
>Why use cells undergoing mitosis (2)
>DNA fragment/electropheresis question (4)
>Why use the same restriction endonuclease (2)
>The ratio question (2)
>The p value question (2)
>One similarity and one difference between a taxis and a phototropism (2)
>Questionnaire question (2)
>The primers question (2)
73/75
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by JulietR
I totally forgot to talk about things like tropism and kinesis for 10 a)
I only talked about thermoregulation in terms of enzymes and how this can affect metabolic reactions e.g respiration
I talked about how osmoregualtion in the kidney prevents dehydration
I talked about haemoglobin and how percentage saturation changes depending on the partial pressure of oxygen
And then I spoke about the control of the heart rate in relation to maintain blood pressure
Looking at what everybody else put I don't think I have got anywhere near enough breadth but I did talk about each point in reasonable detail and included something off spec


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SAME!! :/ I did no external examples, I'm scared I'll lose marks for that

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