1 Some students investigated osmosis in raw potato sticks.

(a) Define the term osmosis.

Osmosis
is the transport of water molecules from a region of
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high
concentration to a region of low concentration down
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conentrationgradient through a membrane

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a partially permeable
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(b) The students measured the mass of four of the potato sticks using an electronic balance.

Fig. 4.1 shows an electronic balance.

Fig. 4.1

The students left each potato stick in one of four different liquids for 5 hours:

• distilled water
3
• 0.1 mol per dm sodium chloride solution
3
• 0.5 mol per dm sodium chloride solution
3
• 1.0 mol per dm sodium chloride solution.

After 5 hours they measured the mass again and calculated the change in mass.

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 (i) Predict which of the liquids would cause the largest decrease in mass of a potato stick.

0 5 and 1.0
................................................................................................................................ [1]

(ii) The students dried the potato sticks with paper towels before putting them on the
electronic balance.

Suggest why.

To avoid the potato having excess weight from

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

the water
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................................................................................................................................ [1]

(c) After the experiment the students noticed that the potato stick with the lowest mass was soft
and floppy.

Explain why the potato stick had become soft and floppy.

Osmosis is performed from thepotato the solutions This lauses the

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of
internal pressure thepotato decrease to making the cells
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less rigid andlose shape

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(d) The students followed the same experimental procedure with boiled potato sticks and found
no overall change in mass in any of the solutions.

Suggest why the mass of the boiled potato sticks remained the same.

The boiling damages or breaks partially permeable

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membrane osmosis cannot occur so no net

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movement of water molecules so no mass

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or loss
gain
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[Total: 10]

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 A student investigated the diffusion of substances through Visking tubing, an artificial membrane
which has some of the properties of cell membranes.

The student made a bag of Visking tubing as shown in Fig. 4.1.

top of syringe

elastic band test-tube

Visking bag bag filled with starch

starch solution solution
and placed into a
test-tube of water

knot
water iodine

Fig. 4.1

The student added some iodine solution to the water in the test-tube.

After 30 minutes at room temperature, the contents of the Visking bag were stained blue-black, but
the water outside remained a yellow colour.

(a) (i) Explain these results.

the iodine diffused from the waterinto the

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starch solutionas the

Visking is permeable It went
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from an area of high concentration to

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

an area of low concentration until they were

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balanced Iodine is a food test for starch

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and turns blue black whenmixed with starch

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solutions In this case there was starch so the

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solution turned blue black

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................................................................................................................................ [4]

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 (ii) State three factors that influence the movement of molecules through membranes.

temperature
1 .............................................................................................................................

size of concentration
2 .............................................................................................................................
gradient
distance needed to be covered
3 .............................................................................................................................

[3]

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(b) Fig. 4.2 is an electron micrograph of a red blood cell within a capillary.

muscle cell

magnification ×6500

Fig. 4.2

(i) Molecules of carbon dioxide that are produced in muscle cells are transported to the
blood.

Describe the pathway taken by these molecules of carbon dioxide.

As thereis ahigher concentration of Loe the in musclecells

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

compared to theredbloodcells the lo diffuses into the

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redbloodcells through the membranes of themuscle

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cells
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(ii) Explain how capillaries are adapted for their functions.

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 (c) Mammals have a transport system for carbon dioxide. Plants absorb carbon dioxide from their
surroundings to use in photosynthesis.

Explain how a molecule of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere reaches the site of
photosynthesis in a leaf.

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[Total: 17]

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 Some plants can be grown in water using the technique of hydroponics. The roots are in water and
supplied with the ions that they need at the concentrations that support maximum growth. Some
ions can be absorbed both by diffusion and by active transport.

(a) (i) State two features of diffusion that do not apply to active transport.

low energy requirement

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

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Highto low concentration

gradient
2 ........................................................................................................................................

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[2]

(ii) Explain how roots are adapted to absorb ions.

they containroot hair cells These cells each have a long

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extensionprotruding This increases out the surface area

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ofthecell enabling it to absorbions moreefficiently

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

A group of students investigated the effect of soaking small onion bulbs in different concentrations
of sodium chloride solution. They peeled off the outer papery leaves of the onion bulbs and divided
the onions into 6 batches, each with 10 onions.

The onions were surface dried with paper towels and weighed. The mean mass of the onions in
each batch was calculated. The onions were then left in sodium chloride solutions for three hours.

After three hours the students surface dried the onions and weighed them again. Their results are
given in Table 2.1.

Table 2.1

concentration of mean mass of onions / g

percentage
sodium chloride solution before after soaking change in mass
/ g dm–3 soaking for 3 hours
0 147 173 +17.7
25 153 165 +7.8
50 176 172 –2.3
100 154 149 –3.2
150 149 142 –4.7
200 183 175 4.3

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 (b) (i) Calculate the percentage change in mass of the onions that were in the most concentrated
solution of sodium chloride. Show your working. Write your answer in Table 2.1.

4.31
183
100

[2]

(ii) Explain why the students calculated the percentage change in mass of the onions.

They would then compare each concentration batch

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

directly would If they not have done this the masses

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of the batches wouldhave been different so it would

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have been harder to compare and recordrelevant

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

(c) The students plotted a graph of the results as shown in Fig. 2.1.

20
percentage change in mass

15

10

0
0 50 100 150 200
–5

–10
concentration of sodium chloride solution / g dm–3

Fig. 2.1

(i) Complete the graph using your answer to (b)(i). [1]

(ii) Use the graph in Fig. 2.1 to estimate the concentration of the sodium chloride solution
that has the same water potential as the onions.

45
.......................................................................................................................................[2]

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(d) Using the term water potential, explain why the onions:

gained mass when soaked in dilute solutions of sodium chloride

The dilde solutions had more water potential than the onions
...................................................................................................................................................

caused theonions to
This gainmass as thewater diffused
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from a region of high concentration to a regionof

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

lower concentration
by osmosis thus the onions gainedmass
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lost mass when soaked in concentrated solutions of sodium chloride.

The concentrated solutions had lesswater potential than the

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onionsThisledto thewater diffusing from an area ofhigh

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concentration onions to an area of low concentration solutions

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thus the onions lost mass

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[4]

[Total: 15]

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 The pressure in the lungs of a student before and during the start of a volleyball match was
recorded.

The results are shown in Fig. 2.1.

lung pressure
/ arbitrary units

Fig. 2.1

(a) (i) Use the results in Fig. 2.1 to calculate the breathing rate before the start of the match.
Express your answer to the nearest whole number.

Show your working.

..................................breaths per minute

[2]
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 (ii) Use the results in Fig. 2.1 to describe how the pattern of breathing during the match is
different from the pattern of breathing before the match starts.

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(b) Describe the process of inhalation.

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(c) Carbon dioxide is excreted from the body through the lungs.

(i) Explain why this process is termed excretion.

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(ii) Name the part of the blood in which most carbon dioxide is transported.

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

(iii) Describe the effect of increased carbon dioxide concentration on blood pH.

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

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 (d) Carbon dioxide moves from the blood capillaries into the alveoli by diffusion.

Explain why the rate of diffusion of carbon dioxide increases during exercise.

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[Total: 14]

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