Page 3 Mark Scheme Syllabus Paper
GCE AS/A LEVEL – October/November 2012 9700 51
1
Question Expected answer Extra guidance Mark
1 (a) (i) independent : (sodium) nitrate concentration A allow leaves ignore growth unqualified
dependent : number of (leaf-like) thalli (of flowering plant); [1]
(ii) 2 of: If more than two given, mark the first 2.
(initial) number / three thalli / three plants ; A allow thalli without any buds
time (of investigation) / ten days ;
source of plants ; e.g. from the same pond / same environment
temperature ; allow room temperature
activity / interference by microorganisms (in the water) ; ignore sterile [max 1]
(iii) 2 x 2 of: Read the whole. Identifying a variable is
free standing, method linked to the variable.
1 same volume of the sodium nitrate solution in each dish; Ignore plant species, bleach.
ref. to a suitable method of measuring ;
2 light (intensity / wave length / duration) ; 1 e.g. measuring cylinder, (graduated) pipette,
ref. to a method of giving standard intensity / wave length / burette,
time of illumination per day ; accept graduated beaker / graduated conical flask
3 aeration / oxygen concentration (of water) ; 2 e.g. lamp at fixed distance / same wattage bulb /
ref. to a method of supplying (sterile) air / oxygen ; filter of known wave length
4 nitrate concentration ; for duration, allow 12 hours / 48 hours of light OR
add fresh nitrate solution daily / regularly ; exposure to daylight hours
5 pH ; 3 e.g. pump / oxygen cylinder / bubbler / diffuser
ref. to using a buffer ; allow bubbling of air / oxygen
6 carbon dioxide (concentration) ; 4 A stated time interval up to 48 hours / 2 days
method of supplying carbon dioxide ; 5 R phosphate buffer
7 size / diameter / surface area of starting thalli ; 6 e.g. (sodium) hydrogen carbonate / sodium
ref. to suitable method of measuring bicarbonate / CO2 gas from a cylinder
7 e.g. ruler / grid /callipers ;
ignore mass [max 4]
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Page 4 Mark Scheme Syllabus Paper
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GCE AS/A LEVEL – October/November 2012 9700 51
(b) (i) 4 of: If a method other than serial dilution is used then marks
can be allowed for correct proportions of nitrate solution
and pond water
Allow marks on a labelled diagram.
1 ref. to using (sterile) pond water to make dilutions ;
2 ref. to sterile conditions to make dilutions; 2 A descriptions of sterile technique
3 ref. to serial dilution ; 3 A formula c1 /m1.v1 = c2 / m2.v2
4 ref. to 50 : 50 dilution (each time); 4 A adding different proportions of nitrate solution
and (pond) water / example of using formula
5 detail in order to make all of the solutions ; 5 correct proportions given 1:1, 1: 3, 1:7, 1:15 if
volumes are quoted, units are needed [max 4]
6 ref. to stirring / swirling solutions (between dilutions);
(ii) (a dish) containing sterilised pond water only (with same volume
of water added as the sodium nitrate solution); [1]
(c) (i) shows the spread of data from the mean ; Can allow both marks in (ii) if only 1 mark awarded in
indicates / measures the reliability of the data ; part (i)
A descriptions e.g. large deviation indicates
low reliability.
A figures from the table
if any qualification of reliability given, then it must
have both parts (large and idea of not very reliable ,
or small and idea of reliable)
(ii) idea of: (that over time) there are a larger the number of thalli / ignore difficulty on counting.
plants; R mean number of thalli.
idea of: (the longer the time for growth) the greater the difference
between the individual replicates or samples ; idea that there will be different growth rates so that
individual replicates / samples will show grow greater
variation. [max 3]
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Page 5 Mark Scheme Syllabus Paper
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GCE AS/A LEVEL – October/November 2012 9700 51
(d) 3 of: Ignore references to individual data. Answers that
have no reference to nitrogen concentration figures:
1 increase in concentration (of nitrate) causes increase in the max 1 for the idea that the growth rate increases and
number of thalli / growth compared to control / AW ; then decreases.
2 for concentrations up to 1000 mg dm-3 increase in number of 1 idea that for any increase in nitrogen will increase
thalli / growth increases ( proportional to nitrate number or growth in comparison to added
concentration) ; nitrogen / control
3 above 1000 / 2000 mg dm-3 the rate of increase in number of 3 idea that the rate of increase in thalli starts to
thalli / growth is slower ; decrease (above 1000 / 2000 mg dm-3)
4 optimum nitrate concentration is between 500 – 2000 mg
dm-3;
5 with time the standard deviations overlap / there is no
difference in the effect of nitrate for the control / 250 mg dm-3
/ 500 mg dm-3 Allow:
6 increase in nitrate allows more growth as more
protein / DNA / chlorophyll can be synthesised;
7 high levels of nitrate reduce / inhibit growth or
decrease the water potential of the solution or
causes the plants to lose water;
[max 3]
(e) idea of: using concentrations with smaller intervals within the A if repeat the whole range with smaller intervals
range 500 - 2000 mg dm-3; A answers in a table with values shown [1]
(f) graph axes with phosphate (concentration) / time on x-axis and units not needed
thalli / growth on y-axis ; A a line that increases, levels off and then
line(s) showing correlation between thalli number and phosphate decreases at high concentration
concentration / time ; R a line that start at 0 if number is on the y-axis
or starts high and then falls ; if more than 1 line drawn they should be labelled:
with time if phosphate is the x-axis
with phosphate (concentration) if time is the x-axis [2]
Total: [20]
© Cambridge International Examinations 2012
Page 6 Mark Scheme Syllabus Paper
GCE AS/A LEVEL – October/November
4 2012 9700 51
2 (a) 2 of: A ref. to systematic counting method
ref. using a counting grid / haemocytometer; max. volume 1cm3
ref. to counting cells in sample of known volume; min x 400 / high magnification A high power
ref. to using a microscope and suitable magnification; R electron microscope
ref. to multiplication of the cell count to find the actual / original Ignore resolution
number of cells ; [max 2]
(b) number of stained / living cells counted in a sample; A the idea of a viable count
divide by total number of cells counted (in same sample) and A both marks for a complete formula
multiply by 100; number of living / stained cells x 100;
total number of cells
A original cells for total cells [2]
(c) (i) idea of : there is no significant difference in the number of cells
( between the two culture systems) ; [1]
(ii) 38; A as a formula (20-1) + (20-1) / 40 -2
if use (n-1) + (n-1) must state the value of n
Ignore ref. to ‘reject the null hypothesis’ [1]
(iii) the difference in the cell number is significant / not due to chance ignore qualifications of significance [1]
(at 0.05 but not at 0.01);
(d) 3 of: Assume that answers refer to the perfusion system
1 correct ref. to population size; 1 e.g. greater number of cells in the culture / rate
2 any correct ref. to figures (from population size); of cell increase greater / cell division faster ;
3 correct ref. to cell survival; 2 e.g. max. in batch 2.2 million, perfusion
4 glucose / nutrient supply more consistent / not limiting; 32.1million
5 lactic acid increase not high enough to become toxic / reduce 3 e.g. perfusion is always higher than batch /
pH; batch falls to 80%, perfusion stays close 100%
allow any pair of figures from table 2.1
5 idea that lactic acid is not inhibiting growth rate [max 3]
[10]
Total:
© Cambridge International Examinations 2012
