SSSCE JUNE, 1993 – BIOLOGY 2 (Q&A)

SECTION B
ESSAY
[60 marks]
1¼ hours
Answer three questions only from this section. Write your answers in ink in your answer book.
Large labelled diagrams should he used where they make an answer clearer. The names given for chosen species must be
English or Scientific and not vernacular.

All questions carry equal marks.

1. (a) (i) List two diseases each of plants and animals caused by bacteria.
(ii) State three ways in which bacteria are useful.

(b) State three methods by which mosquitoes can be controlled and state the reason for each method.

(c) Describe an experiment to demonstrate the presence of bacteria under the finger nails.

SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS
(a)(i) Diseases of plants caused by bacteria are:
(i) Soft roots
(ii) fire blight, wilts, crown gall. Disease of animals caused by bacteria are tuberculosis, cholera, leprosy , gonorrhoea,
syphilis, diptheria, tetanus
(ii) Ways in which bacteria are useful are:
1. Some bacteria are used in the preparation of cheese, butter and vinegar.
2. Some are used in the production of antibiotics, enzymes, vitamins and amino acids for commercial purposes.
3. In leguminous plants, bacteria such as Rhizobium found in the root nodules convert atmospheric nitrogen to soil
nitrogen thus enhancing the nitrogen content of the soil.
4. Some bacteria help in the digestion of cellulose
5. Some bacteria help in the fermentation of alcohol and beverages.
6. Certain bacteria known as sewage bacteria assist in the decomposition of sewage into harmless substances that
could be used as manure.
(b) Mosquitoes can be controlled in the following ways:
1. Bush around the surrounding should be cleared to prevent breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
2. Mosquito net should be provided or fitted to our windows to prevent mosquitoes from coming within to suck
human blood.
3. Apply insecticides to kill mosquito or pour kerosine or oil on stagnant water around the house to prevent
breeding.
(c) Aim: To show the presence of bacteria under the finger nails.
Apparatus: Incubator, innoculating loop, nail cutter, petridish, blood agar, microscope and cover slip.
Procedure: Cut the finger nails and place them in a petridish which have the blood agar. Then incubate at 37°C for two
days.
Observation: It was discovered that colonies of bacteria were growing on the blood agar. On gram staining, one saw
clusters of cocci bacteria.
Conclusion: The growth of cocci bacteria indicates that bacteria grow on finger nails.

2. (a) Describe the process of inhalation in man.

(b) Describe briefly the process of gaseous exchange in the shoot system of flowering plants.

(c) Describe an experiment to demonstrate the effect of distilled water on mammalian red blood cell.
SUGGESTED SOLUTION
(a)(i) Inhalation involves the contraction of the outer muscles of the diaphragm which makes the diaphragm to pull
downward and the intercostal muscles to contract to raise the ribs. The two movements increase the volume of the lungs,
thereby reducing the pressure of the air inside them. This enables the air at atmospheric pressure to go into the lungs.
(b) In the shoot system of flowering plants, gaseous exchange takes place through the stomata of the leaves, the green parts
and the lenticels at the bark of stem. Stoma is a hole enclosed by two guard cells which change in volume due to osmotic
pressure in the guard cells. When the osmotic pressure in the guard cells is high, they become turgid and this makes the
stoma to open and when the pressure is low, the guard cells become flaccid and this makes the stoma to close. Generally,
exchange of gases in and out of the leaves and lenticels is controlled by the opening and closing of the stomata.
(c) Experiment to demonstrate the effect of distilled water on mammalian red blood cell:
Aim: To show that distilled water has effect on the red blood cell.
Apparatus: Beaker, distilled water, thistle funnel, ether, pig’s bladder and red blood cells.
Method: The pig’s bladder is dissolved in ether to make it soft and used to close or seal the stem end of the thistle funnel.
Then pour the red blood cells into the thistle funnel and immerse in water inside the beaker. Mark the initial level of both
solutions.
Observation and conclusion: It was observed that the level of red blood cells had risen in the thistle funnel indicating that
the distilled water moved into the thistle funnel via the pig’s bladder.

3. (a) Give a brief description of the characteristics of the Northern Guinea savanna.
(b) Describe how you can estimate the density of a plant species using a quadrat.

SUGGESTED SOLUTION
(a). The characteristics of Northern Guinea Savanna are:
• It has bare soil with scanty trees.
• Has long twisted roots to facilitate the absorption of water and mineral salts.
• Possesses thick barks which enable it to withstand harsh weather, e.g. fire and intensive sunlight.
• Has twisted and gnarled trunks, which enable it to resist fire and excessive transpiration.
• Availability of herbivorous animals such as zebra, squirrel, antelope, grasscutter etc.
• Availability of perennial grasses that grow in tufts and resist fire.
• Presence of underground stems, e.g. spear grass which make the plants to be able to survive, after long period of
dry season or fire out break.
• Temperature is usually above 18°C throughout the year.
• Trees shed their leaves during the dry season and this enables them to conserve water.
(b) Aim: To estimate the density of a plant species using quadrat sampling technique (a method of studying plant species).
Method: A quadrat is a rectangular frame which is constructed from wire or wood of known dimension. Before usage, mark
the area where the species to be measured occurs. Then throw the quadrat to land randomly on any part of the marked off
area. Note the area covered at each landing of the quadrat. In the process, each species of plant is counted and recorded. To
determine the density, calculate the average frequency of the plant species as the number of times the plant species occurs
divided by the total number of quadrat throws made.
Formula= Number of times plant species occurs
Total number of quadrat throws made
Finally, divide the average frequency by the area of the quadrat =
Average Frequency
Area of quadrat .

4. (a) List four characters which can be transmitted from parent to offspring in man.

(b) State two differences between mitosis and meiosis.

(c) Explain briefly the importance of meiosis and fertilization in the reproduction of organisms.
(d) In a monohybrid cross between a pure breeding plant that produces blue flowers and a pure breeding plant that
produces white flowers, the F1 generation produced only blue flowers.

By means of labelled cross diagrams, state the type of flowers you would expect if the F1
generation is
(i) self-pollinated:
(ii) cross-pollinated with a pure breeding plant that produces white flowers.
Give reasons for your answers in (d)(i) and (ii).

SUGGESTED SOLUTION
(a) Characters which can be transmitted from parents to offspring in man are:
(i) Tongue rolling
(ii) Sickle cell anaemia
(iii) Colour blindness
(iv) Height (Tallness or shortness)
(v) Haemophilia
(vi) Colour of skin
(vii) Colour of hair
(viii) color of eyes
(ix) Shape (wrinkle or round).
(b) Two differences between mitosis and meiosis are:
Mitosis Meiosis

• End of mitosis results in two daughter • End of meiosis results in formation of

cells formed from one parent cell. one gamete.
• During mitosis, separation or segregation • During meiosis, separation or
of pairs of genes located on the segregation of pairs of genes located
chromosomes does not occur on, chromosomes occurs
(c)(i) Meiosis has contributed a lot in the development of quality organisms by bringing together good characters from both
parents into an offspring. Mostly used in animal husbandry and crop improvement, Meiosis also involves the exchange of
materials which bring about variation in the offspring.
(ii) Fertilization is the first stage in the formation of a new organism. Without fertilization, it would be impossible to
produce new organisms through sexual reproduction. Hence, it has erased the possibility of most organisms going into
extinction because most offspring resemble their parents.
Reasons for the answer in (d)(i):
In F1 generation, all the numbers produced are heterozygous (dominant recessive) blue. When self-pollinated, the F2
generation produced three blue offsprings which are homozygous blue, two heterozygous blue and one white.
Reason for (d)(ii):
Two of the offsprings produced are heterozygous blue and two homozygous recessive white (2:2) or (50:50). This result is
due to F1 parents which are heterozygous blue and the pure breeding white flowers which are homozygous recessive
white.