VCE Biology Question Thread

[katiesaliba]

For Question 125 (Attached image)

for part b.) I wrote divergent evolution but the correct answer was natural selection.

Can someone please explain to me how this was not in fact divergent evolution but instead natural selection?

Thanks!

The keyword here is 'process'.  Natural selection is the process by which divergent evolution occurs. Evolution, whether it concerns convergence or divergence, is more of an outcome of natural selection. Hope that helps

[RazzMeTazz]

The keyword here is 'process'.  Natural selection is the process by which divergent evolution occurs. Evolution, whether it concerns convergence or divergence, is more of an outcome of natural selection. Hope that helps

Thankyou!

[RazzMeTazz]

What actually is the 'mitochondrial eve hypothesis' is it just the theory that all individuals evolved from few individuals in Africa and the females of these individuals provided the mtDNA for all modern humans?

[shivaji]

this maybe a stupid question but when it is asked how a virus particle infects a plant cell, could you say that a vector (mosquito) injects the virus into a plant?

[grannysmith]

What actually is the 'mitochondrial eve hypothesis' is it just the theory that all individuals evolved from few individuals in Africa and the females of these individuals provided the mtDNA for all modern humans?

Pretty much

[katiesaliba]

What actually is the 'mitochondrial eve hypothesis' is it just the theory that all individuals evolved from few individuals in Africa and the females of these individuals provided the mtDNA for all modern humans?

It's the theory that the human lineage can be traced back to one ancestral woman, or 'Eve', for mtDNA.



Is it worth doing VCAA exams that are older than 2006? because some of the questions I'm coming across in the 2003 exam seem fairly irrelevant. I can infer the answers, but I mean do we need to know specifics about blood-glucose regulation? I keep mentioning negative feedback in my answers, but the assessment reports do not and are instead just asking specifics...did systems used to be on the study design?

[Reus]

this maybe a stupid question but when it is asked how a virus particle infects a plant cell, could you say that a vector (mosquito) injects the virus into a plant?

Yes but also mention that the virus will infect the plant cell by injecting viral DNA into the nucleus of the particular and producing infected cells/proteins thus infecting more and more cells.

[shivaji]

Is it worth doing VCAA exams that are older than 2006? because some of the questions I'm coming across in the 2003 exam seem fairly irrelevant. I can infer the answers, but I mean do we need to know specifics about blood-glucose regulation? I keep mentioning negative feedback in my answers, but the assessment reports do not and are instead just asking specifics...did systems used to be on the study design?

yeh, they used to be on the study design. highly recommend to do older vcaa exams, but just skip all the irrelevant questions (such as neg.feedback etc.), because the rest of the paper is applicable (immunity, transport etc.)

[katiesaliba]

yeh, they used to be on the study design. highly recommend to do older vcaa exams, but just skip all the irrelevant questions (such as neg.feedback etc.), because the rest of the paper is applicable (immunity, transport etc.)

Wait...do we not need to know negative and positive feedback mechanisms AT ALL? 


ALSO, in the attached question, I don't understand why the answer could not also be C (the answer is A). 26% of the state got it correct, and yet VCAA didn't feel the need to explain the answer -.-

[vox nihili]

Wait...do we not need to know negative and positive feedback mechanisms AT ALL? 


ALSO, in the attached question, I don't understand why the answer could not also be C (the answer is A). 26% of the state got it correct, and yet VCAA didn't feel the need to explain the answer -.-

Because some thyroxine will still be produced. The absence of iodine doesn't stop the negative feedback mechanisms from operating, rather, it just makes them operate less per se.

As it happens, this is no longer in the study design. Negative and positive feedback are no longer on the course.

[katiesaliba]

Because some thyroxine will still be produced. The absence of iodine doesn't stop the negative feedback mechanisms from operating, rather, it just makes them operate less per se.

As it happens, this is no longer in the study design. Negative and positive feedback are no longer on the course.

Ah yes, makes sense! Thank you

When was it removed? Also, do I have to know where insulin and glucagon are produced (pancreas)...well I guess this relates back to negative feedback mechanisms. It's just that I went to lectures (TSFX) and this stuff was all covered

[Reus]

Wait...do we not need to know negative and positive feedback mechanisms AT ALL? 


ALSO, in the attached question, I don't understand why the answer could not also be C (the answer is A). 26% of the state got it correct, and yet VCAA didn't feel the need to explain the answer -.-

What exam is this on?

[katiesaliba]

What exam is this on?

2003 VCAA exam 1

[soNasty]

no negative feedback? *faints*

[shivaji]

yep no neg feedback, no  pos feedback, no homestasis, no blood/glucose, no more weird flowcharts to analyse