Cambridge IGCSE™

* 3 8 1 4 7 1 4 7 2 9 *

BIOLOGY 0610/63
Paper 6 Alternative to Practical October/November 2021

1 hour

You must answer on the question paper.

No additional materials are needed.

INSTRUCTIONS
● Answer all questions.
● Use a black or dark blue pen. You may use an HB pencil for any diagrams or graphs.
● Write your name, centre number and candidate number in the boxes at the top of the page.
● Write your answer to each question in the space provided.
● Do not use an erasable pen or correction fluid.
● Do not write on any bar codes.
● You may use a calculator.
● You should show all your working and use appropriate units.

INFORMATION
● The total mark for this paper is 40.
● The number of marks for each question or part question is shown in brackets [ ].

This document has 12 pages. Any blank pages are indicated.

DC (RW/CB) 211604/3
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1 Catalase is an enzyme found in many plants. It speeds up the break down of hydrogen peroxide
into water and oxygen, as shown in Fig. 1.1.

hydrogen peroxide water + oxygen

Fig. 1.1

The oxygen produced during the reaction forms a foam on the surface of the liquid. The height of
the foam can be used as an indication of the activity of catalase.

(a) A student investigated the activity of catalase in three different types of plant tissue: seeds,
roots and fruits.

The student used this method:

Step 1 Put one seed into a test‑tube labelled S1.

Step 2 Cut a small piece of root and place it into a test‑tube labelled R1.

Step 3 Cut a small piece of fruit and place it into a test‑tube labelled F1.

Step 4 Put 5 cm3 of 6% hydrogen peroxide solution into each test‑tube.

Leave for three minutes.

Step 5 After three minutes, use a ruler to measure the height of the foam produced in each
test‑tube.

The student’s results from step 5 are shown in Fig. 1.2.

results

S1 = 40 mm of foam

R1 = 14 mm of foam

F1 = 4 mm of foam

Fig. 1.2

Step 6 Repeat step 1 to step 5 with fresh plant tissues and fresh hydrogen peroxide solution
to get a second set of results.

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Fig. 1.3 shows the second set of test‑tubes from step 6 after three minutes.

S2 R2 F2

foam

height of foam

seed root fruit

Fig. 1.3

(i) Prepare a table to record the two sets of results and the average height of the foam
for each tissue. Measure the heights of the foams in the three test‑tubes in Fig. 1.3.
Calculate the average height of the foam for each tissue.

Include in your table:

• the student’s results from Fig. 1.2
• the heights of the foams you have measured from Fig. 1.3
• the average heights you have calculated.

[5]
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(ii) State a conclusion for these results.

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(iii) Identify one potential source of error in this investigation.

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(iv) The student collected two sets of results for each plant tissue. Explain why it would have
been better to have collected three sets of results.

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

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

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

(v) State two variables that should have been kept constant during this investigation.

1 ........................................................................................................................................

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

2 ........................................................................................................................................

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[2]

(vi) State the variable that was measured (the dependent variable) in this investigation.

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

(vii) Identify one safety risk when carrying out this investigation and describe how the risk
could be reduced.

risk .....................................................................................................................................

method of reducing risk .....................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................
[2]

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(b) A student wanted to calculate the rate of gas production but could not do this using the height
of the foam.

Describe how the student could change the method to collect the data they needed and state
how they would calculate the rate of gas production.

change to method .....................................................................................................................

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

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

how the rate would be calculated .............................................................................................

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

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[2]

(c) (i) The student added iodine solution to samples of the three types of plant tissue. The
student observed the colour of the iodine solution on the plant tissue after a few minutes.

Their observations are shown in the table.

Complete the table by writing a conclusion for each observation.

plant tissue observation conclusion

seed blue‑black

root blue‑black

fruit yellow‑brown

[2]

(ii) State the name of the reagent that would be used to test a seed for protein.

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

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(d) A student stated that:

‘Different types of plant tissue will lose different amounts of water by osmosis when
immersed in a salt solution.’

Plan an investigation to find out if the student was correct.

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............................................................................................................................................. [6]

[Total: 24]

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2 Fig. 2.1 is a photograph of the cut surface of an apple.

Fig. 2.1

(a) Make a large drawing of the cut surface of the apple shown in Fig. 2.1.

[4]

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(b) Fig. 2.2 is a photograph of an apple ermine moth (Yponomeuta malinellus).

magnification ×9

Fig. 2.2

(i) Line AB represents the length of the apple ermine moth.

Measure the length of line AB on Fig. 2.2.

length of line AB on Fig. 2.2 ......................................... mm

Use your measurement and the formula to calculate the actual length of the apple ermine
moth.

length of line AB on Fig. 2.2

magnification = actual length of the apple ermine moth

Give your answer to two significant figures.

Space for working.

.......................................................... mm
[3]

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(ii) Fig. 2.3 is a photograph of a bird‑cherry ermine moth (Yponomeuta evonymella).

magnification ×9

Fig. 2.3

Identify two similarities and one difference between the apple ermine moth in Fig. 2.2
and the bird‑cherry ermine moth in Fig. 2.3.

similarity 1 ..........................................................................................................................

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

similarity 2 ..........................................................................................................................

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

difference ...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................
[3]

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(c) In a study, the number of apple ermine moths in one area was recorded every two weeks
over a 12‑week period.

The results are shown in Table 2.1.

Table 2.1

number of apple ermine

week
moths
0 0
2 0
4 11
6 22
8 22
10 18
12 4

(i) Plot a line graph on the grid of the data in Table 2.1.

[4]
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(ii) Use your graph to estimate the number of moths in week 11.

Show on your graph where you took your readings.

................................................................
[2]

[Total: 16]

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at www.cambridgeinternational.org after the live examination series.

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Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES), which itself is a department of the University of Cambridge.

© UCLES 2021 0610/63/O/N/21