2014 VCE Biology Exam Solutions by Scooby

[Scooby]

And as for the bepalism question (and the one about Otzi), as long as your answer makes sense, it'll be accepted. They definitely won't be rigid with their marking there

[Scooby]

For 12bii, do you think I'll get they marks if I said that the Asiatic elephant lived in an area which didn't have many humans hunting it and in an area with a stable climate which it was fit for while the other did not?

Yup, sounds good to me

[dankfrank420]

You'll still get some marks for a description of allopatric speciation though!

You think so? I'm doubtful... 

[Scooby]

You think so? I'm doubtful... 

What'd you include in your answer?

[shivaji]

just a question, do you guys reckon the examiners would start marking our papers already?

[dankfrank420]

What'd you include in your answer?

Pretty much a verbatim allopatric speciation answer:

- Two populations of ancestor species were geographically isolated, preventing gene flow
- They faced different selection pressures, hence developing different phenotypes to suit these pressures
- Eventually their phenotypes were so different that they were unable to interbreed and produce viable, fertile offspring
- Hence the new species (woolly mammoth) was formed

[Scooby]

just a question, do you guys reckon the examiners would start marking our papers already?

They've got their training day on the 5th, then mark from the 6th to the 22nd

[Scooby]

Pretty much a verbatim allopatric speciation answer:

- Two populations of ancestor species were geographically isolated, preventing gene flow
- They faced different selection pressures, hence developing different phenotypes to suit these pressures
- Eventually their phenotypes were so different that they were unable to interbreed and produce viable, fertile offspring
- Hence the new species (woolly mammoth) was formed

You'll still get marks for discussing selection pressures, and also for mentioning reproductive isolation

[mddd5]

hey just a quick question, im really confused as to why question 7b. is 273 codons! The question asks how many codons were involved in the coding of this polymer, 273 codons were involved in the translation process, but only 270 were involved in the coding for the actual polymer, because the stop codon doesn't code for an amino acid? Can someone please explain this in depth, really confused haha thank you!!

[dankfrank420]

hey just a quick question, im really confused as to why question 7b. is 273 codons! The question asks how many codons were involved in the coding of this polymer, 273 codons were involved in the translation process, but only 270 were involved in the coding for the actual polymer, because the stop codon doesn't code for an amino acid? Can someone please explain this in depth, really confused haha thank you!!

To be honest I expect that VCAA will accept a range of answers for this. It said **explain** your response to the question, so as long as you justify why you came to your final number (be it 270 or 273), I think VCAA will award the full 2 marks.

You'll still get marks for discussing selection pressures, and also for mentioning reproductive isolation

Hmm thats really reassuring thanks, honestly thought I'd get a 0/3 for that question.

[mddd5]

To be honest I expect that VCAA will accept a range of answers for this. It said **explain** your response to the question, so as long as you justify why you came to your final number (be it 270 or 273), I think VCAA will award the full 2 marks.

Yes hopefully haha thanks! Overall I didnt feel like I was doing a VCAA exam, the questions weren't VCAA style at all! Hopefully they lower the A+ cut off, just a quick question i know everybody hates these ones, but with rank 1 and 95/110 (considering i marked myself 0 for that question and 0 for the second last question as i put allopatric speciation but with a good explanation), is it possible to still receive a raw score of 40?

[grannysmith]

You'll still get marks for discussing selection pressures, and also for mentioning reproductive isolation

Wow really? I answered the same as dankfrank (again :p).

[Scooby]

Yes hopefully haha thanks! Overall I didnt feel like I was doing a VCAA exam, the questions weren't VCAA style at all! Hopefully they lower the A+ cut off, just a quick question i know everybody hates these ones, but with rank 1 and 95/110 (considering i marked myself 0 for that question and 0 for the second last question as i put allopatric speciation but with a good explanation), is it possible to still receive a raw score of 40?

Yup, A+ cut off last year was 93/110. This year I think it might drop to around 88-89/110, so 95/110 will definitely get you a 40+ (probably around 43-44)

[fijiankid]

If I get 85/110 or 90/110 on this bio exam, will be able to get 40? 

[dankfrank420]

If I get 85/110 or 90/110 on this bio exam, will be able to get 40? 

Depends on your SACs, but based on exam alone I predict that 90 will scrape into the low A+ zone (hence giving you a 40).