VCE Biology Question Thread

[Reus]

That's slack, what question you muck up on?

Also I guess your result puts VCE Bio in perspective ahaha

Yeah.

I'm pretty sure a low A+ correlates to a 40 - top 9% of the cohort isn't it?

I think you've read the grade distribution wrong Reus. It says you need 186 marks out of 220 to get a A+ (a 40). It's out of 220 marks because its marked twice, so one examiner could give you 92/110 and the other 94/110.

You could have afforded to lose 17 marks on last years exam to get in the A+/40SS range.

The graded distribution does not relate to this year. It changes every year. So basically it's useless lol. My lecturer who's been doing his thing for 20+ years said 8-10 marks is the most you want to be losing to grab a 40 SS.

[dankfrank420]

It's not "basically useless" - it's a good indication as to where your scores should be if you want to see what your SS will roughly correlate to.

It's true in the split exams you could really only lose 8-10 marks out of 75 for that 40, but as I've said before last year you could lose up to 17 on the whole year exam.

Well, Biomedicine is completely human-based biology, so a question on photosynthesis of course :p I didn't think through NADPH properly and think I switched it with NADP⁺. I merely took photosynthesis as aerobic respiration in reverse where in many ways it's not.

Beginner mistakes 

[Reus]

It's not "basically useless" - it's a good indication as to where your scores should be if you want to see what your SS will roughly correlate to.

It's true in the split exams you could really only lose 8-10 marks out of 75 for that 40, but as I've said before last year you could lose up to 17 on the whole year exam.

Beginner mistakes 

But the graded distribution changes from year to year.

[vox nihili]

Beginner mistakes 

Cheeky bastard

[dankfrank420]

But the graded distribution changes from year to year.

I know, but it was fairly constant between years 2006-12. The 40SS mark was almost always between 60-65 for all the unit 3  and the unit 4 exams.

I know that graded distribution changes each year, but do you honestly expect that the exam will be so much easier that you can go from losing 17 marks to get a 40+ to only losing 10 marks to get a 40+?

[RazzMeTazz]

Do lethal alleles only kill individuals in the homozygous condition?

Is it always the homozygous recessive genotype which is lethal or the homozygous dominant or does it depend on the particular condition?

[shivaji]

Do lethal alleles only kill individuals in the homozygous condition?

Is it always the homozygous recessive genotype which is lethal or the homozygous dominant or does it depend on the particular condition?

think it is homozygous dominant that's lethal because if homozygous recessive were allele, then there would be know one with that trait

[shivaji]

where are mast cells created? Are they a type of white blood cell or something?

[katiesaliba]

Do lethal alleles only kill individuals in the homozygous condition?

Is it always the homozygous recessive genotype which is lethal or the homozygous dominant or does it depend on the particular condition?

It can be either homozygous recessive or homozygous dominant depending on the condition concerned (from what I've come across!)

where are mast cells created? Are they a type of white blood cell or something?

Mast cells are leukocytes, so they're created in the bone marrow. Make sure you know their role in hypersensitivity (très important) 

[katiesaliba]

But a bats wing is both homologous and analogous to a birds wing? They have homologous bones but the wings are analogous.

No, they're homologous structures (pentadactyl limb). A bird's wing would be analogous to a fly's wing.

[RazzMeTazz]

For this question I wrote "germ-line cells" but the correct answer is "gametes or sperm."

Can someone please explain why the answer germ-line cells, would be wrong?

[Scooby]

For this question I wrote "germ-line cells" but the correct answer is "gametes or sperm."

Can someone please explain why the answer germ-line cells, would be wrong?

Germline cells is fine

[shivaji]

in the VCAA 2013 paper, a question asked about how different responses could occur in different cells from same signalling molecule.

i said different signal transduction pathways - would this be considered correct? the answers said different receptors or secondary messengers.

Also, in the same question, a question asked about how a cellular response to epinephrine occurred. The answer said that a secondary messenger was synthesised - i don't quite understand what it means by "synthesizing" a secondary messenger - isn't it just activated?

thanks

[vox nihili]

in the VCAA 2013 paper, a question asked about how different responses could occur in different cells from same signalling molecule.

i said different signal transduction pathways - would this be considered correct? the answers said different receptors or secondary messengers.

Also, in the same question, a question asked about how a cellular response to epinephrine occurred. The answer said that a secondary messenger was synthesised - i don't quite understand what it means by "synthesizing" a secondary messenger - isn't it just activated?

thanks

Probably a bit vague, though perhaps not. You needed to be a little more specific I think. That said, there is a chance you would have got the marks. Just to be on the safe side though, more info.

The cell synthesises different secondary messengers.

[shivaji]

Probably a bit vague, though perhaps not. You needed to be a little more specific I think. That said, there is a chance you would have got the marks. Just to be on the safe side though, more info.

The cell synthesises different secondary messengers.

thanks! wow never knew that, and the exam is only in 4 days:O