VCE Biology Question Thread

[cosine]

Hey everyone,
I got my SAC marks back today. Let's just say I'm not pleased (I got the average score of the class), and this is after studying all holidays and every moment I could. AND I knew what the prac was going to be about, and the EXACT prac we were going to do!!! By looking at my SAC comments I can see that I understood everything (aka I knew all the theory) but the way I structured my answers let me down. Can anyone please provide a foolproof way to answer biology questions? I know this question is broad but I can never seem to answer a question correctly (with the way I word my answer) and I really need to know how to answer questions properly before my next SAC in two weeks.
So does anyone have some tips on how to do this???
Thanks so much!

Hey AceVCE,

I remember when I got my first SAC back with an 85% I was heartbroken. I knew everything but same as you, my structures were not good and I always missed the key information. In biology, it's all about the 'key' word. For example, answer this question for me:

Q: "How does cholesterol maintain the permeability of the membrane?"

A: cholesterol maintains membrane permeability by preventing solidification at low temperatures and preventing the membrane from melting at high temperatures. 

Now the key word here is 'how'. So you have to make sure that you answer it directly, so do not include irrelevant information in your answer, like 'cholesterol is a lipid molecule that...'

If it asks how, you answer HOW. If it asks why, you answer WHY. Don't include information that will not aid your response.

That's what really helped me in biology last year, in every question there's that key word and you got to directly look for it and base your answer off of it.

[TheAspiringDoc]

Hey AceVCE,

I remember when I got my first SAC back with an 85% I was heartbroken. I knew everything but same as you, my structures were not good and I always missed the key information. In biology, it's all about the 'key' word. For example, answer this question for me:

Q: "How does cholesterol maintain the permeability of the membrane?"

A: cholesterol maintains membrane permeability by preventing solidification at low temperatures and preventing the membrane from melting at high temperatures. 

Now the key word here is 'how'. So you have to make sure that you answer it directly, so do not include irrelevant information in your answer, like 'cholesterol is a lipid molecule that...'

If it asks how, you answer HOW. If it asks why, you answer WHY. Don't include information that will not aid your response.

That's what really helped me in biology last year, in every question there's that key word and you got to directly look for it and base your answer off of it.

Off topic, but doesn't cholesterol also make it harder for water to pass through?
And btw hahaha I got 85 on my first bio test, and have got top of class for next two. Seems like an AN theme

[HasibA]

Hey guys, what are some common questions asked on the Enzymes Sac? Really need to 100% this sac to get rank 1 (rank 2 atm in an average-weak cohort , bombed my first sac), any tips? thanksss friends!

p.s anyone not get rank 1 in a weak/average cohort and still did well on the exam and got a high studyscore? Rank 1 in my cohort is really good at pracs but im afraid they wont perform as well on the exam, limiting our whole cohort :p

thanks!

[cosine]

Off topic, but doesn't cholesterol also make it harder for water to pass through?
And btw hahaha I got 85 on my first bio test, and have got top of class for next two. Seems like an AN theme

Cholesterol in the membrane can definitely prevent water from passing through, but when talking about how it affects the permeability of membranes, the answer above is correct. xD

85 isn't bad but I guess we're all aiming to achieve higher, just make sure you learn from your mistakes from that 85, I certainly did.

[TheAspiringDoc]

Cholesterol in the membrane can definitely prevent water from passing through, but when talking about how it affects the permeability of membranes, the answer above is correct. xD

85 isn't bad but I guess we're all aiming to achieve higher, just make sure you learn from your mistakes from that 85, I certainly did.

But isn't preventing water passing though affecting the membrane's permeability?

[cosine]

Hey guys, what are some common questions asked on the Enzymes Sac? Really need to 100% this sac to get rank 1 (rank 2 atm in an average-weak cohort , bombed my first sac), any tips? thanksss friends!

p.s anyone not get rank 1 in a weak/average cohort and still did well on the exam and got a high studyscore? Rank 1 in my cohort is really good at pracs but im afraid they wont perform as well on the exam, limiting our whole cohort :p

thanks!

You will most likely get:

- Asked to draw a diagram of an Enzyme-substrate complex
- Define an enzyme
- How do enzymes catalyse reactions
- If enzymes did not exist, how would this affect the human metabolism?
- Define coenzymes and cofactors
- Possibly something about catabolism or anabolism

If you want to answer these now and post, I'll have a look at them for you.

But isn't preventing water passing though affecting the membrane's permeability?

Yep true but remember to keep it at a VCE level, knowing that cholesterol prevents small polar molecules from passing through the porous openings of membranes is not required.

[molecular.]

Hey guys,

Does an 82% average for GA1 and GA2 give you a chance of a 40SS?

Say either B+, A or A+ on final exam?

[cosine]

Hey guys,

Does an 82% average for GA1 and GA2 give you a chance of a 40SS?

Say either B+, A or A+ on final exam?

For a 40SS you need an A+ on the exam, so whether or not you have A+ or B+ averages, you need an A+ on GA3. This is also assuming you are rank 1.

[poppingsoda]

Got my first SAC on membranes soon, I was wondering if someone could give me a few questions to help me prepare and solidify my knowledge. (You don't have to give me the answer to the questions)

[vox nihili]

Got my first SAC on membranes soon, I was wondering if someone could give me a few questions to help me prepare and solidify my knowledge. (You don't have to give me the answer to the questions)

Even better idea, try to write some of your own questions. Predict what's coming up. Post them here

[sunshine98]

You will most likely get:

- Asked to draw a diagram of an Enzyme-substrate complex
- Define an enzyme
- How do enzymes catalyse reactions
- If enzymes did not exist, how would this affect the human metabolism?
- Define coenzymes and cofactors
- Possibly something about catabolism or anabolism

Just adding , also:
-those factors that impact enzyme activity (ie.temp , pH)
-graphs tend to come up in the enzyme topic ,familiarise yourself with them beforehand ( those that show these factors, and ones that if substrate were increased that enzymes would become limiting and the rate would be constant. Pretty sure u can find all these graphs in your textbook or something  ) .
- Inhibitors/ Inhibition (competitive and non-competitive ; reversible and irreversible )
I think that's it. 
 

[cosine]

Got my first SAC on membranes soon, I was wondering if someone could give me a few questions to help me prepare and solidify my knowledge. (You don't have to give me the answer to the questions)

Beaten my Mr. T-Rav, but incase you wanted more:

Spoiler

1. What is meant by a semi-permeable membrane?
2. Do all living cells have a cellular membrane?
3. Define diffusion
4. What is the difference between osmosis and diffusion
5. What form of transport requires energy? What form of energy is used?
6. Describe the structure of the phospholipid membrane, and explain how it allows for certain molecules to pass through it.
7. What are the two types of transport proteins embedded on the membrane?
8. Define hypertonic.
9. List one difference between diffusion and facilitated diffusion
10. List two differences between simple diffusion and active transport
11. If a shell-less egg is placed in an isotonic solution, describe what observations will happen to the egg's mass over a period of time.
12. If a shell-less egg is placed in a hypertonic solution, describe what observations will happen to the egg's mass over a period of time.
13. If a shell-less egg is placed in a hypotonic solution, describe what observations will happen to the egg's mass over a period of time.
14. List 5 structures that are found on the plasma membrane
15. What are glycoproteins, and list one function.

[molecular.]

Thanks for the clarification cosine. It is just the constant query over sac scores that will be the end of me.

[cosine]

Thanks for the clarification cosine. It is just the constant query over sac scores that will be the end of me.

Don't worry yourself about it all, trust me. At the end of the day you can't control someone else's studies and their rank, but yours only, so worry and think as much as you want, but remember that worrying has never changed anything, actions have. Keep working hard!

[heids]

Haven't ventured into this thread for weeks, but will hop in with shameless promotion of my Biology Theory Revision Questions.

Also: All of us in turn have stressed about our SAC marks and ranks and blah blah, and been advised by past students not to, and still stressed about them anyway, and then gone on to advise current students not to.   It's actually absolutely worthless though - it's hard, but really do try to believe our advice.