Biology Exam: Answers and Discussion!

[vox nihili]

Have linked the SAQ to the original post too.

Maybe

Hey guys. Speaking from a too unrealistic and overly optimistic point of view, how many marks can one afford to lose if they want to get a 50?

Depends on the year. Very, very few though. Once you get into the 40s, there's really not a lot of difference between the students. Kind of sad really.

[Han123]

I'm starting to think that the question where they asked us to draw an amino acid technically shouldn't have even been allowed to be asked, VCAA haven't specified it on the study design or a Biology FAQs page, even when structures of glucose and the structures of proteins in terms of primary, secondary etc. are specified.

How likely they will pick up on this and give everybody the mark?

[vox nihili]

I'm starting to think that the question where they asked us to draw an amino acid technically shouldn't have even been allowed to be asked, VCAA haven't specified it on the study design or a Biology FAQs page, even when structures of glucose and the structures of proteins in terms of primary, secondary etc. are specified.

How likely they will pick up on this and give everybody the mark?

Well it depends on what level of detail they expect. They just wanted a general idea of the monomer I think.

[davomac]

With the karyotype question, would it be okay to say "the person only had one sex chromosome, and they should have two." Because wasn't the single chromosome in the position where the X chromosome should be?

[vox nihili]

With the karyotype question, would it be okay to say "the person only had one sex chromosome, and they should have two." Because wasn't the single chromosome in the position where the X chromosome should be?

That should be fine. It's an odd place to put X though...

[katiesaliba]

Have linked the SAQ to the original post too.

Depends on the year. Very, very few though. Once you get into the 40s, there's really not a lot of difference between the students. Kind of sad really.

That's so annoying 

I'm starting to think that the question where they asked us to draw an amino acid technically shouldn't have even been allowed to be asked, VCAA haven't specified it on the study design or a Biology FAQs page, even when structures of glucose and the structures of proteins in terms of primary, secondary etc. are specified.

How likely they will pick up on this and give everybody the mark?

I don't think that they will give everyone a mark because it's in your textbook and, although not explicitly stated in the SD, the monomers of biomacromolecules are emphasised. I think our cohort was just unlikely because it looks like VCAA are stepping up their game 

[davomac]

That should be fine. It's an odd place to put X though...

Yeah, that's where it was put in my textbook (nature of biology)?

[rosieee]

For multiple choice question 33, why is the answer A (migration) ??
I don't maybe im just thinking too deep into the question but I thought that answer would be B (natural disaster) because I interpreted that the whole arrow kinda represented the process of migration and then event x was something that prevented further gene flow??
Did anyone think the same?

[katiesaliba]

For multiple choice question 33, why is the answer A (migration) ??
I don't maybe im just thinking too deep into the question but I thought that answer would be B (natural disaster) because I interpreted that the whole arrow kinda represented the process of migration and then event x was something that prevented further gene flow??
Did anyone think the same?

It's representing the founder effect which has nothing to do with natural disasters (that's the bottleneck effect). Migration is the only viable answer essentially. 

[Han123]

I don't think that they will give everyone a mark because it's in your textbook and, although not explicitly stated in the SD, the monomers of biomacromolecules are emphasised. I think our cohort was just unlikely because it looks like VCAA are stepping up their game 

Oh bummer, I was so annoyed by that question, would never have guessed it would be something we'd be tested on

[rosieee]

It's representing the founder effect which has nothing to do with natural disasters (that's the bottleneck effect). Migration is the only viable answer essentially.

oh okay yeah I knew that it was referring to the founder effect but the way they put  in the line for event x made me misinterpret it
oh well 

[vox nihili]

That's so annoying 

It is; but it's just the nature of VCE.

For multiple choice question 33, why is the answer A (migration) ??
I don't maybe im just thinking too deep into the question but I thought that answer would be B (natural disaster) because I interpreted that the whole arrow kinda represented the process of migration and then event x was something that prevented further gene flow??
Did anyone think the same?

Just confirming, definitely migration.

[Stick]

It is; but it's just the nature of VCE.

It actually isn't so bad for Biology - if I recall correctly people lost 5 marks on the exam last year and still walked away with a 50; back in the old study design people lost 3-4 marks on each exam and got 50s. If this year's exam was harder (and it seems slightly harder than 2013) perhaps even a few more marks can be lost. This definitely isn't the case in other subjects, where 1-2 marks lost can have a relatively large impact. It's still competitive though, because the reason for "large" number of marks lost corresponding with top study scores still is that Biology has an incredibly pesky marking scheme, particularly when it comes to wording.

[vox nihili]

It actually isn't so bad for Biology - if I recall correctly people lost 5 marks on the exam last year and still walked away with a 50; back in the old study design people lost 3-4 marks on each exam and got 50s. If this year's exam was harder (and it seems slightly harder than 2013) perhaps even a few more marks can be lost. This definitely isn't the case in other subjects, where 1-2 marks lost can have a relatively large impact. It's still competitive though, because the reason for "large" number of marks lost corresponding with top study scores still is that Biology has an incredibly pesky marking scheme, particularly when it comes to wording.

It's stuck in an odd spot between the maths subjects and psychology. Maths you can't afford to lose anything, psychology is pathetically pedantic about marking.

[Teagan_18]

What were some other peoples answers for SA Question 12 Part B ii?