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OCR Biology A Exam Thread (Breadth - May 26, 2016 and Depth - June 7, 2016)

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Don't you guys think the biology questions are vague? They're not really clear
What's the best way to revise for the depth paper on Tuesday ? I've been over everything and I just feel it's useless to keep going over notes as its not actually getting me anywhere. Feel like every time I get to a question my mind goes blank so I'm trying to do all past papers. Does anyone have like any resources where you can apply your knowledge instead of just reciting facts ?
Original post by Issy2906
What's the best way to revise for the depth paper on Tuesday ? I've been over everything and I just feel it's useless to keep going over notes as its not actually getting me anywhere. Feel like every time I get to a question my mind goes blank so I'm trying to do all past papers. Does anyone have like any resources where you can apply your knowledge instead of just reciting facts ?


Have you tried the legacy papers?
Original post by brodingoson
Have you tried the legacy papers?


Could you tell me where can you find legacy papers please?
Original post by JayP454
Could you tell me where can you find legacy papers please?


Just simple type in OCR biology legacy papers in google:smile:
Reply 925
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oni176
7
Original post by SolomonP
I think that was just water after the condensation reaction


But the question said ''What is the chemical produced when two nucleotides bond together?''. I thought water could be the answer but when I read it again I put RNA/Nucleic acid. The part where it said ''two nucleotides bond together'' confused me a bit.
(edited 7 years ago)
Reply 926
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oni176
7
Original post by OddFuturez
Don't you guys think the biology questions are vague? They're not really clear


Yeah, that's the first thing I said after doing that exam paper. The questions are asked in a way that students can come up with many logical answers. Hopefully they won't be very strict when marking the papers.
Reply 927
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oni176
7
Original post by SGHD26716
Does anyone have the locked specimen papers for depth in biology?

Also, for evolution, how much of a focus should be put on Wallace?


You just need to know the evidence of evolution and Darwin's observations as well as calculating standard deviation, t-test etc.
Also, a good idea of natural selection needs to be known (e.g. intraspecific variation causes species to overcome selective pressure etc).
Original post by oni176
But the question said ''What is the chemical produced when two nucleotides bond together?''. I thought water could be the answer but when I read it again I put RNA/Nucleic acid. The part where it said ''two nucleotides bond together'' confused me a bit.


Yeah that confused me as well, i thought the question asked
'What is the chemical produced when two Polynucleotides bond together?'', so i was like whatttt haha
Reply 929
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oni176
7
Original post by brodingoson
Yeah that confused me as well, i thought the question asked
'What is the chemical produced when two Polynucleotides bond together?'', so i was like whatttt haha


Yeah, literally spent 2 minutes thinking ''What is this?'' and literally gave up putting RNA/nucleic acid. I thought they were looking at the monomer of nucleotides, as joining smaller molecules make a polymer? Maybe it's wrong ;(
Original post by oni176
Yeah, literally spent 2 minutes thinking ''What is this?'' and literally gave up putting RNA/nucleic acid. I thought they were looking at the monomer of nucleotides, as joining smaller molecules make a polymer? Maybe it's wrong ;(


It asked what type of reaction occurs - condensation
Then it asked what molecule is released or something - water molecule
If you draw the structure, you can see the water molecule is being released when the phosphodiester bond forms.
Original post by brodingoson
I can't remember whether it said the bonding of 2 polynucleotides or 2 nucleotide molecules


You're getting confused with ADP and ATP I think, looking at your other posts, as they are phosphorylated nucleotides.

The question was asking about nucleotides joining together to form polynucleotides

I don't think CGP or the Pearson textbook tell you clearly that forming a phosphodiester bond is via a condensation reaction which releases a water molecule
Reply 932
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7
Original post by Jitesh
It asked what type of reaction occurs - condensation
Then it asked what molecule is released or something - water molecule
If you draw the structure, you can see the water molecule is being released when the phosphodiester bond forms.


So Ribonucleic acid is wrong? Could they accept the answer or just mark it as wrong
Reply 933
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S.G.
22
In evidence for evolution, my textbook includes comparative anatomy and homologous structures, although the spec doesn't mention this. Do we need to know this?
Original post by Jitesh
You're getting confused with ADP and ATP I think, looking at your other posts, as they are phosphorylated nucleotides.

The question was asking about nucleotides joining together to form polynucleotides

I don't think CGP or the Pearson textbook tell you clearly that forming a phosphodiester bond is via a condensation reaction which releases a water molecule


yeah I would've put water if i read the question properly haha, thanks tho:smile:
Original post by SGHD26716
In evidence for evolution, my textbook includes comparative anatomy and homologous structures, although the spec doesn't mention this. Do we need to know this?


No, I don't think so. My book says that the only evidence we need to know is the similar biological molecules, cytocrhome C, RNA, fossil evdience, characteristcs and behavioural....that's all i can think of, if that Q came up

Don't take my word for it tho haha
Reply 936
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S.G.
22
Original post by brodingoson
No, I don't think so. My book says that the only evidence we need to know is the similar biological molecules, cytocrhome C, RNA, fossil evdience, characteristcs and behavioural....that's all i can think of, if that Q came up

Don't take my word for it tho haha


How much does your book talk about cyctochrome c and ribosomal RNA. Mine just mentions that cyctochrome c is an example of protein and RNA for DNA evidence
Original post by SGHD26716
How much does your book talk about cyctochrome c and ribosomal RNA. Mine just mentions that cyctochrome c is an example of protein and RNA for DNA evidence


2 paragraphs or so, it just says that it's a protein and if 2 species have more of a similar sequence of cytochrome c, the more closely related they are

That's all you really need to know i think
How did people do with the breadth specimen paper on the OCR website? I just did it and got 44/70, man that was hard!
Reply 939
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S.G.
22
Original post by neil20143
How did people do with the breadth specimen paper on the OCR website? I just did it and got 44/70, man that was hard!


I got 56. But why are you doing the breadth paper now?

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