VCE Biology Question Thread

[solution]

Do we have to know about heterozygous advantage? If so, can someone explain the concept of it?

[vox nihili]

Do we have to know about heterozygous advantage? If so, can someone explain the concept of it?

Nope, you don't. But when you finish your exams you should look it up because it's really fucking cool.

can someone explain to me why steroid hormones and long lasting but peptide and protein hormones are temporary?

Steroid hormones tend to affect transcription, so can hang around for quite a while; whereas protein hormones activate enzymes, which are less likely to hang around.

[geminii]

I was just wondering why I got the attached question wrong:

It says the answer is B (polygenic inheritance) but I put C (discontinuous variation).
In regards to why the answer is B, is it because there are only five different levels of resistance shown and we should assume that there are only five, and nothing in between, and that is why it is not discontinuous variation?

All help is appreciated!

[Gogo14]

I was just wondering why I got the attached question wrong:

It says the answer is B (polygenic inheritance) but I put C (discontinuous variation).
In regards to why the answer is B, is it because there are only five different levels of resistance shown and we should assume that there are only five, and nothing in between, and that is why it is not discontinuous variation?

All help is appreciated!

The x axis is continuous. If it were discontinuous, you would expect to see groups represented on the x axis for eeach column rather than just an increasing line. For the purpose of exams, they basically label anything with more than 2 groups as polygentic.

[AhNeon]

If a question asks what happens to pyruvate immediately after glycolisis, do we say it enters the krebs cycle, or it releases a CO2, bonds with coenzyme A producing Acetyl CoA and THEN enters the krebs cycle?
Also, can someone explain what a booster shot is and how they work?

[The Usual Student]

If a question asks what happens to pyruvate immediately after glycolisis, do we say it enters the krebs cycle, or it releases a CO2, bonds with coenzyme A producing Acetyl CoA and THEN enters the krebs cycle?
Also, can someone explain what a booster shot is and how they work?

Mention the intermediate step in between the kreb cycle and glycolysis. i reckon go with the second one.

[hodang]

Do Homo sapiens have a short wider pelvis or a more narrow pelvis? Btw can someone please explain the angled femur?

[hodang]

Are booster shots passive or active immunity

[sweetcheeks]

Are booster shots passive or active immunity

They stimulate the production of antibodies by the person, so they are a form of active immunity.

[HasibA]

what does 'pure breeding' exactly mean in the context of vce biol? i.e for pedigree questions, and some inheritance questions . thanks

[sweetcheeks]

what does 'pure breeding' exactly mean in the context of vce biol? i.e for pedigree questions, and some inheritance questions . thanks

It refers to an individual being homozygous for a trait. For example, a question may be talking about an individual that has the dominant trait, without further information you cannot deduce if they are homozygous dominant or heterozygous. Pure breeding means that it will be homozygous dominant.

[hodang]

On the 2010 biol exam 1 (q2 (b), can my hypothesis be the opposite to the one indicated on the answers? Can i write mice that eat soft pellets will weigh more than animals that eat hard pellet foods?


In lots of multiple choice questions, when determining the age of younger fossils, and if the answers are either one of the two: radio carbon dating or the use of index fossils or anything to do with stratigraphy, which option do we use? Because both can determine the relative age of younger fossils?

[HasibA]

are disulfide bonds apart of an enzymes tertiary or secondary structure? i thought it was secondary, but maybe im confused.
thank u

[sweetcheeks]

are disulfide bonds apart of an enzymes tertiary or secondary structure? i thought it was secondary, but maybe im confused.
thank u

Tertiary. Secondary structure bonds are only hydrogen bonds. Tertiary bonds are formed by the side chains on the amino acids. Cysteine has sulfur in its side chain, allowing it to form disulfide bonds.

[HasibA]

Tertiary. Secondary structure bonds are only hydrogen bonds. Tertiary bonds are formed by the side chains on the amino acids. Cysteine has sulfur in its side chain, allowing it to form disulfide bonds.

beautiful ty.
another one (dj khaled hehe)

As DNA is an acid it is negatively charged in solution. This is the reason why it moves
through the gel away from the negative electrode.

NEAPs answer for the q asking "what property of DNA enables gel electrophoresis to separate DNA into different sizes' - i wrote due to the slightly negative charge on the phosphorus, but i didnt know DNA is an acid in solution? would i also be right? thanks!