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553/1
BIOLOGY
(Theory)
Paper 1
APRIL 2023
2 ½ hours

UGANDA CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION.

COMPETENCE BASED ASSESSMENT EXAMINATIONS
BIOLOGY
(THEORY)
PAPER 1
END OF TERM ONE
SENIOR 3
SENK
2Hours: 30 minutes

INSTRUCTIONS:
• This paper consists of section A and section B, Section A consists of five questions and B four
questions.
Attempt all questions in section A and any two questions in section B.
• Answer all questions in the spaces provided.
• Illustrations in form of drawings should be made where necessary, with a sharp pencil.
For official use only Indicate question attempted in section B in table below.

Sectio Question Marks/scores Teacher’s comment

n
A 1
2
3
4
5
B

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 Section A (50 marks)

Attempt all questions in this section.

1. Ivanovsky, a Russian botanist in 1852 discovered viruses. Under his further investigation, he
discovered that viruses were very small, very infectious and possessed features for both living
and none living things. In 198, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) first appeared in
America and 2019, covid 19 appeared in china and these two diseases were proved by medics
to be pandemic diseases and they are recorded to have caused greater deaths in the whole world.
From this information, attempt the following;

(a) State two reasons why viruses are considered to be;

(i) Living things. (02marks)

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(ii) Non-living things. (02marks)

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(b) Name the virus that is responsible for causing; (01mark)

(i) Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)

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(ii) Covid 19.

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(c) Describe two ways how Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome can be transferred/spread
between members of the same family. (02marks)

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(d) World health organization together with the government of Uganda emphasized people to get
vaccinated in order to overcome covid 19. Explain how vaccination is important in overcoming
covid 19. (03marks)
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2. During a research study by a group of physiologists, it was discovered that certain materials
can enter or exit cells. The entry or exit of these materials was found to be under the control of
the cell membrane. They also discovered that these materials enter or leave the cells by certain
processes which they noted in their research report.

(a) (i) Explain how the cell membrane controls entry and exit of materials into or out of the cell.

(02marks)
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(ii) State why it’s important for movement of materials in and out of cells. (03marks)
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(b) Apart from diffusion, name any other two processes by which material enter or exit cells.

(01mark)
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(c) Describe how the following factors affect the process of diffusion.

(i) Temperature (02marks)

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(ii) concentration gradient. (02marks)
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3. During a study tour at zika forest, Nekesa identified the following organisms shown in the
pictures. Study them carefully.

(a) Giving two reasons, state the phylum and class to which the above organisms belongs.

(04marks)

Phylum
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Reasons for the phylum stated
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class

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Reasons for the class

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(b) During the study, the tour guide stated that the population of organism Q has reduced, yet
they are important to neighboring farmers.

(i) Explain how reduced population of organism Q affects harvest expectation of neighboring
tomato farmers. (02marks)

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(ii) Describe two ways that could have resulted into reduction/decline of population of organism
Q. (02marks)
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(iii) State any two other ways how organism Q is important to the people in Uganda.(02marks)
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4. (a) Botanists and zoologists claim that plants and animals depend on each other. Zoologists
noted that animals depend on food made by plants but botanists did not explain how plants
depend on animals. As a senior three student; explain briefly how;

(i) Plants obtain energy for making their own food. (02marks)
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(ii) Plants depend on animals for their survival. (02marks)

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(b) Apart from the food which animals obtain from plants, describe different ways how the
process by which plants make their own food is important in nature. (04marks)
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(c) State how animals obtain energy from plants. (02marks)

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5. During a study tour, students of senior three visited maize gardens of three farmers in the same
area and made the following observations as shown in the table below; study the observations
carefully.

Farmer Colour of leaves Maize Cocks and hens Maize yield

intercropped are in the maize
with ground nuts gardens
Q Green Yes No Average
R Green Yes Yes High
T Yellow No No low
(a) As a student of biology, explain why;

(i) Farmer R had high maize yield. (03marks)

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(ii) Farmer T had low maize yield. (03marks)

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(b) State why it’s not advisable to intercrop maize with beans in a garden close to a place with
many hens and cocks. (02marks)

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(c) How is maize farming important in ensuring balanced diet. (02marks)

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Section B. (30 marks)

Attempt any two questions form this section.

6. In Joan’s family, Joan’s father is blood group A and the mother is blood group B. Peter the
first born of the family is blood group AB while Joan the last born is blood group O .One day,
Peter’s mum was travelling, she got an accident, during which she acquired a serious injury on
her leg affecting the circulatory system, that resulted into serious bleeding, though after one
hour, bleeding of blood from her body stopped. Due to serious bleeding, Peter’s mother was
referred to Mulago for blood transfusion.
(a) Distinguish between Blood groups and Blood transfusion. (01mark)
(b) Describe any three major precautions that a doctor must have considered before successfully
transferring blood to peter’s mother. (03 marks)
(c) Give the name of the process by which blood stopped bleeding from peter’s mum body and
give its significance in life. (03marks)
(d) Explain why in Joan’s family;
(i) The father cannot donate blood to the mother. (02marks)
(ii) Peter can receive blood from all family members. (02marks)
(e) On further medical checkup by the doctor over Joan’s mother’s health, the doctor discovered
that Joan’s mother had;
 A default with the valves in the leg
 Faulty septum in the heart.
 High calcium deposition in the walls of arteries.
Describe the adverse likely problems to be faced by Joan’s mum due to; (04marks)
(i) Faulty septum in the heart.
(ii) A default with the valves in the leg
(iii) High calcium deposition in the walls of arteries.

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7. During leisure time on Sunday, students of St. Elizabeth Nkoowe watch programs on wild life
T.V channel. On day, they saw a lion chasing a giraffe and they were very much excited. The
lion took two minutes to capture the giraffe. As a student of biology; attempt the following
questions;
(a) Explain any four life processes that were expressed in the above scenario. (08marks)
(b) Giving a reason, identify which organism is a predator. (02marks)
(d) Describe the adaptations of the giraffe to survive in a zoo. (05marks)

8. Many respiratory diseases are due to difficulty in breathing. Many doctors emphasize people
in our communities to prevent diseases/ disorders that affect respiratory system, since it will
affect their breathing in and out processes.

(a) Distinguish between gaseous exchange and respiration. (02marks)

(b) Explain why doctors emphasize the people in our society to carry out efficient breathing in
and out. (05marks)

(c) During a study about surface area to volume ratio, kabogoza was claiming that an elephant
has a large surface area to volume ratio than a toad. But the whole class rejected his claim. Using
the following shapes, prove the whole class right or wrong and give the significance of your
proof in terms of gaseous exchange.

9. In dry seasons, farmer’s crops face a some problems in regard to water absorption and
transpiration. Some farmers claim that the rate of water uptake in their crops depends on the
transpiration rate. In the debate farmers had with ministry of agriculture, some clarified that
transpiration is a necessary evil and also in dry seasons, their crop yield is affected, which in turn
results into losses. As an expert in transport biology, attempt the following queries.
(a) (i) What is meant by transpiration. (01mark)

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(ii) State how water absorption rate in crops and transpiration rate depend on each other.

(03marks)
(b) (i) How does transpiration affect crop yield in farmer’s gardens in dry season. (04marks)
(ii) Describe why farmers claimed that transpiration is a necessary evil. (03marks)
(c) Describe any three ways how;
(i) Farmers can improve crop yield in dry seasons. (02marks)
(ii) Crops can overcome excessive transpiration. (02marks)

End

The struggle continues

Wish you nice holidays

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