VCE Biology Question Thread

[Calebark]

Can photosynthesis occur at all without light or can it just only occur for a short time because I thought it would not occur at all

The outputs of water splitting are oxygen, 2atp and loaded acceptor molecules. What does loaded acceptor molecules mean

Think about the stages of photosynthesis. What comes first, the light-dependent reaction and the light-independent reaction? That should answer your query

The light energy in the dependent stage will split water to get hydrogen ions. We don't need the oxygen, that gets released as waste. However the hydrogen ions can't travel on their own. The hydrogen ions will join to a coenzyme called NADP+ to form NADPH. So NADP+ is your acceptor molecule. NADPH is your loaded acceptor molecule.

[Chocolatepistachio]

10% solution of nacl is .... to blood plasma (containing 0.9% solute)
A isotonic
B hypotonic
C hypertonic
D neutral

Can someone please explain why this is c hypertonic.
Thank you. 

What is the function of an amyloplast in a plant cell is it essentially just to store starch. 

[PhoenixxFire]

10% solution of nacl is .... to blood plasma (containing 0.9% solute)
A isotonic
B hypotonic
C hypertonic
D neutral

Can someone please explain why this is c hypertonic.
Thank you. 

Are you able to define each of these terms? Or try to? I think that will help you understand why it's C.

[Chocolatepistachio]

How would you draw cytokinesis in a plant cell and in an animal cell

[Owlbird83]

How would you draw cytokinesis in a plant cell and in an animal cell

In animals, it's like a band is wrapped around the cell and pulling in until it cleaves it in two , so I'd draw it like an oval that's dinting in on each side.
In plants draw a rectangle with a dotted line through halfway because the cell plate forms like that.
Type into google 'cytokinesis plants animals' and there's tonnes of great images that show you how to draw it. 

[Chocolatepistachio]

Ok thanks.

What does the genotype notation AB/ ab mean

Do eukaryotic cells always have linear chromosomes present in the nucleus or are there exceptions

[Sine]

Ok thanks.

What does the genotype notation AB/ ab mean

Do eukaryotic cells always have linear chromosomes present in the nucleus or are there exceptions

That notation is to show "linked genes" i.e. genes that are on the same chromosome. So gene A and B are on the same chromosome.

For VCE biology it is probably more beneficial to think about the broad concepts rather than looking for exceptions.

[Chocolatepistachio]

For a red blood cell relating structure to function.
Would this be a sufficient answer:
-They have a bioconcave shape to maximise the surface area for oxygen absorption. Red blood cells transport oxygen for aerobic respiration.

[vox nihili]

For a red blood cell relating structure to function.
Would this be a sufficient answer:
-They have a bioconcave shape to maximise the surface area for oxygen absorption. Red blood cells transport oxygen for aerobic respiration.

Sounds great.

[Chocolatepistachio]

Is artificial insemmination likely to produce an indentical genetic copy of the parent

Does independent assortment result in new alleles at a gene locus

[Owlbird83]

Is artificial insemmination likely to produce an indentical genetic copy of the parent

Does independent assortment result in new alleles at a gene locus

No artificial insemination is still sexual reproduction so it would be a combination of the two parents.

No, you can't get new alleles. Independent assortment is just when the chromosomes move randomly to each gamete, they don't change their content. You have two copies of each chromosome, so in meiosis, one of each chromosome is put in each gamete. Independent assortment is the random placement of each in the pair going to each gamete.

[Chocolatepistachio]

For this question:
In photosynthesis if atp and NADPH were supplied externally to leaves leaf cells or isolated intact chloroplasts would you expect photosynthetic carbon fixation to continue in the dark? Explain your answer.
- Yes. Carbon fixation occurs in the light- independent stage of photosynthesis and does not require light ?

[Owlbird83]

For this question:
In photosynthesis if atp and NADPH were supplied externally to leaves leaf cells or isolated intact chloroplasts would you expect photosynthetic carbon fixation to continue in the dark? Explain your answer.
- Yes. Carbon fixation occurs in the light- independent stage of photosynthesis and does not require light ?

That's a fun question. Normally it would not happen in the dark, although it's the 'light independent' part, it only occurs when the light dependent part is also occuring because it directly relies on the products of the light dependent stage. But these products are ATP and NADPH so if they are supplied externally, I'm guessing the light independent reactions don't need to wait for the light and products from the light dependent reactions, so yes it would occur in this scenario.
(someone please correct me if I'm wrong)

[Chocolatepistachio]

For Neuron relating structure to function
Would this be a sufficient answer:
The neuron has dendrites. The dendrites are extensions of neurons that receive signals and conduct them toward the cell body. Axons conduct signals away from he cell body to other cells.

[Owlbird83]

For Neuron relating structure to function
Would this be a sufficient answer:
The neuron has dendrites. The dendrites are extensions of neurons that receive signals and conduct them toward the cell body. Axons conduct signals away from he cell body to other cells.

That sounds good. I would add something about the electrical signal travelling along the axon to the axon terminal, and then the signal being passed to the next neuron chemically, through the release of neurotransmitter across the synapse.
It depends on how many marks something is to how much info you want to write.
If it's worth a lot of marks I might add that the myelin sheath around the axon insulates the axon, and protects the signal.