MARKING SCHEME (2023-24)

Class XII
044 Biology
Q. no Marks

Section - A

1 a) Collection of ovum 1

2 b) A-Antipodals; B-Egg apparatus 1

3 d) IV and VI 1

4 b) I and III 1

5 c) Graph C 1

6 b) Adaptive radiation 1

7 d) X linked Recessive 1

8 a) A. DNA, B. H1 histone, C. Histone octamer 1

9 b) anopheles 1

10 b) I, III and V 1

11 c) Recombinant DNA Technology, PCR, ELISA 1

12 d) Upright Inverted Upright 1

13 d) A is False but R is true. 1

14 a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. 1

15 c) A is true but R is false. 1

16 c) A is true but R is false. 1

Section - B

17 • The mother’s milk during the initial days after delivery is 2

called colostrum. It contains abundant antibodies (IgA) that
protect the neonate against many diseases. (1)
• It thus provides passive immunity to the new born infant. (1)

18 • RNA polymerase is capable of catalysing the process of 2

elongation. (1)
• It associates transiently with initiation factor (sigma factor) and
termination factor (rho factor) to initiate and terminate the
transcription respectively. (1)

19 • The symptoms indicate Pneumonia. 2

• Causal organisms– Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus
influenzae
• Bacteria (0.5 x 4 = 2)
20 (a) A: reverse transcriptase; B: DNA polymerase; C: restriction 2
enzyme
(b) viral DNA/phage DNA/ Agrobacterium tumefaciens (0.5 x 4 = 2)

21 • The first law of thermodynamics states that energy is neither 2

created, nor destroyed; it can only be converted from one form to
another. In the ecosystem also solar energy is converted to
chemical energy. It is neither created nor destroyed. (1)
• The second law states that there is a natural tendency of any
isolated system to move towards entropy, thus, there is some loss
of energy at each step of energy flow in the form of heat. This law
also stands true in ecosystem as transfer of energy in an
ecosystem follows the 10 percent law. Only 10 percent of the
energy is transferred to each trophic level from the lower trophic
level. Some energy is lost at each step in the form of heat and
some energy is also used for life processes. (1)
OR
a) In a food chain, secondary consumers feed on primary consumers.
In the given ecological pyramid, secondary consumers are more
than primary consumers, this is possible in case secondary
consumers are parasites/small size/have a rapid reproductive
cycle. (1)
b) Transfer of energy follows the 10 percent law and only 10 percent
of the energy is transferred to each trophic level from the lower
trophic level.
The percentage of energy transferred gets lowered as we move in
a food chain from one trophic level to the other because some
energy is lost via Heat/respiration; some energy is also used for
life processes. (1)

Section – C

22 a) In males, LH acts on Leydig cells and causes them to release 3

androgens, which stimulate the process of spermatogenesis (1);
while the FSH acts on the Sertoli cells, which helps in
spermiogenesis. (1)
b) (i) Primary spermatocyte – 46 chromosomes
(ii) Spermatid – 23 chromosomes. (1)

23 a) Ovulation - LH (1) 3
b) Graafian Follicle- Estrogen (1)
c) Corpus Luteum- produces progesterone (1)

24 a) Genes y and w are tightly linked as they show only 1.3 % 3

recombination so chances of crossing over/ independent
assortment are low. (1)
b) Alfred Sturtevant used the frequency of recombination between
gene pairs on the same chromosome as a measure of the distance
between genes and ‘mapped’ their position on the chromosome.
(1)
 c) Genetic maps are used as a starting point in the sequencing of
whole genomes as in the case of Human Genome Sequencing
Project. (1)

25  In a collection of moths in unpolluted area, more white-winged 3

moths on trees would survive than dark-winged or melanised
moths. However, in the polluted area, more dark-winged moths
would survive i.e., the proportion will be reversed.
 The predators will spot a moth against a contrasting background.
In a polluted area, the tree trunks become dark due to industrial
smoke and soot. Under this condition the white-winged moth
cannot survive due to predators, dark-winged or melanised moth
will survive. In unpolluted area, thick growth of almost white-
coloured lichen will cover the trees - in that background the white
winged moth will survive but the dark-coloured moth will be picked
out by predators.
 Lichens cannot grow in areas that are polluted. Hence, moths that
will be able to camouflage themselves, i.e., hide in the
background, will survive. No variant will be completely wiped out.
It is an example of process of Evolution by natural selection.

26 a) The BOD test measures the rate of uptake of oxygen by 3

microorganisms in a sample of water. It is thus an indicator of
pollution level of the water. (1)
Biological treatment or Secondary treatment (1)
b) Sample C is most polluted because it has highest BOD level
among the three samples of water. (1)

27 a) Bt toxin gene can be isolated from bacterium Bacillus 3

thuringiensis and using rDNA techniques it is introduced in the
genome of the conventional variety. The gene would express an
insecticidal protein. This would provide the plant resistance to the
corn borer, without the need of insecticide. Spray of insecticide
will not be needed. (1)
b) cryIAb – It is a Bt toxin gene isolated from Bacillus thruingiensis
which codes for toxic insecticidal protein. The activated toxin due
to alkaline pH of the gut solubilizes the crystals. The active toxin
binds to the surface of mid -gut epithelial cells and creates pores
that cause swelling and lysis and eventually cause death of the
insect. (1)
c) This toxic insecticidal protein exists as an inactive protoxin form
in the bacterium but once an insect ingests the inactive toxin, it
is converted into an active form of toxin due to alkaline pH of the
gut which solubilizes the crystals. (1)
OR
a) Haemophilia (1)
b) Factor VIII received from donor’s blood may carry pathogens
leading to infection and may elicit immune response/allergy which
can be overcome by recombinant human factor VIII. (1)
c) Haemophilia is a X- chromosome linked recessive genetic
disorder and it follows criss- cross pattern of inheritance. (1)
28 Ex-situ. (1) 3
 Ex-situ conservation is conservation of biological diversity outside
their natural areas and is done through different methods like
captive breeding, botanical garden, zoos, aquaria and gene bank
etc. (1)
 It differs from the other strategy called In situ conservation. In-situ
conservation is the conservation and protection of genetic
resources of plant and animal species in their natural habitats
itself, as in Biosphere reserves, National Parks and sanctuaries
etc. (1)

Section – D

29 a) Using Agrobacterium vectors (1) 4

b) Infection by viruses having RNA genomes or mobile genetic
elements (transposons) (1)
c) Being complimentary, one RNA strand of the newly introduced ds
RNA will bind to already existing mRNA of the host cell which will
result in silencing of this mRNA of for translational purposes. (RNA
interference)
Parasite will thus not be able to survive in the transgenic host. (1)
OR
c) It is used for development of pest resistant plants. A nematode
Meloidegyne incognita infects the roots of Tobacco plants and
causes a great reduction in yield. To prevent this infestation RNA
interference technique is used which involves silencing of mRNA
due to a complimentary dsRNA molecule that binds to and
prevents translation of the mRNA.

30 a) Exponential or geometric growth pattern (1) 4

b) Nt = N0 ert (1)
Where Nt = population density after time t
N0 = Population density at time zero
r = intrinsic rate of natural increase
e = the base of natural logarithms
c)

J – shaped growth curve (1+1)

OR
c) Logistic growth - sigmoid shape, will be obtained. (1)
In the logistic growth, the population increases at the onset and
continues exponentially till the mid when the resources are utilized
at maximum level. The graph becomes stationary when the
population exceeds its carrying capacity.
 (1)

31 i) Administration of progestogens or progestogen estrogen 5

combinations or IUDs within 72 hours of coitus. (1)
ii) Progestogens alone or in combination with estrogen inhibit
implantation as well as alter the quality of cervical mucus to
prevent the entry of sperms. (1)
IUDs increase the phagocytosis of sperms within the uterus,
suppress sperm motility and fertilising capacity of sperms. (1)
iii) No, STDs can be prevented by use of condoms. (1)
iv) Gonads are endocrine glands and thus cannot be removed from
the body. (1)
OR
a)
i) Inability to produce a normal egg. - GIFT (Gamete Intra
Fallopian Transfer): This technique involves the transfer of
an ovum collected from a donor into the fallopian tube of
another female who cannot produce one. (1)
ii) Low Count of Sperm. - ICSI (Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm
Injection): In this technique, sperm is directly injected into
the ovum; in the laboratory. (1)
iii) Blocked Fallopian tube- ET (Embryo Transfer): it involves
transferring blastocyst into the uterus and this is called Intra-
Uterine Transfer (IUT). (1)
b) MTPS are essential in certain cases where continuation of
pregnancy could be harmful or even fatal either to mother or to
the foetus both. (1) It is also permissible in cases of rapes. (1)

32 a) 3’ RNA- AUG UUA GGG UUU UAG 5’ (1) 5

Polypeptide chain - methionine- leucine -glycine –phenylalanine
(1)
b) because introns are spliced off during the processing of HnRNA.
(1)
c) From bacteria to human a genetic code will code for same amino
acid e.g. UUU will code for Phenylalanine in all organisms. Some
exceptions to this rule have been found in mitochondrial codons
and in some protozoans. (1)
d) Glycine has two codons because the genetic code is
degenerate, that means a single amino acid can be coded by
more than one codon. (1)
e) Presence of 2’ – OH groups at every nucleotide and Uracil
instead of thymine makes RNA less stable. (1)
OR
 a) ABO blood group in humans is an example of multiple allelism
and codominance because the blood group is controlled by three
alleles IA, IB, and i. IA and IB alleles are dominant alleles and i is
a recessive allele. So when IA and IB come together in the
offspring they both are expressed co-dominantly. (2)
b) A cross is carried out between heterozygous father (for blood
group B) and heterozygous mother (of blood group A) to get four
children with different blood groups. (3)

33 a) 5
• Physical barriers- skin, mucus, digestive tract.
• Physiological barriers- sweat, saliva, tears, and acid secreted in
the stomach.
• Cellular barriers- leukocytes, monocytes, natural killer cells, and
macrophages.
• Cytokine barriers- interferons. (2)

b) Benign tumors and malignant tumors

Benign tumors- remain confined to their original location and do
not spread to other parts of the body and cause little damage.
Malignant tumor cells grow very rapidly, invading and damaging
the surrounding normal tissues of other organs.
Malignant tumors are lethal as cancer cells move from the tumor
to new sites through the blood to form secondary tumors.
This invasion of cancer cells from one part to other parts by the
body fluids is called metastasis. (3)
OR
a) The characteristics of acquired immunity are:
• Antigenic specificity - It is the ability of the host cells to
recognize an antigen specifically as a unique molecular entity
and distinguishing it from another antigen.
• Immunological memory - It is the ability of the host cells to
remember antigens or pathogens, tumor cells, tissues of
immunological self.
• It is of two types – antibody mediated and cell mediated. (3)
b) It can be acquired from
• a vaccine
• exposure to an infection or disease (2)