CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL AS & A LEVEL BIOLOGY: COURSEBOOK

Sample answers have been written by the authors.

Coursebook answers
Chapter 4
Self-assessment questions
1 Refer to Section 4.3, Roles of the molecules 7 a the pure water or dilute solution
found in membranes.
b the solution with the same concentration
2 The interior of the membrane is made up of as the red cell
the tails of phospholipid molecules which
provide a hydrophobic environment. If a 8 The animal cell does not have a cell wall.
hydrophobic molecule reaches the cell surface Plasmolysis is the pulling away of cytoplasm
membrane, it can easily cross the membrane. from the cell wall.

3 Large number of possible reasons: for 9 a The skin represents the cell surface
example, to gain nutrients, to remove waste membrane.
products such as carbon dioxide from b The balloon would burst, like an animal
respiration, to gain oxygen for respiration, cell would.
to secrete hormones, to secrete enzymes,
to maintain constant pH and ionic c The balloon would not burst. Eventually
concentration. it would be impossible to pump any
more air into the balloon if the box was
4 Cube A: SA 6, vol 1; SA : vol ratio 6 : 1 stronger than the pump. This is like trying
Cube B: SA 24, vol 8; SA : vol ratio 3 : 1 to pump up a bicycle tyre – it gets harder
Cube C: SA 54, vol 27; SA : vol ratio 2 : 1 and harder as the tyre inflates. Plant cells
are similar – the cell wall is strong enough
5 Larger organisms cannot rely on diffusion as a to prevent further expansion when the
means of transport for essential requirements pressure is high enough.
such as oxygen and nutrients. This means
that special long-distance transport systems 10 a from A to B
must be present, such as the blood system in
animals and the vascular system in plants. b Water molecules can move from A to B
This is discussed further at the beginning of and from B to A, but more move from A to
Chapter 7. B in a given time period. Overall, therefore,
A loses water and B gains water – the
6 a The water potentials are equal. overall movement is the net movement.

b i B c A has a higher water potential than B

and water always moves from regions of
ii Because the water potential in A is higher to lower water potential.
the same as in B. The pressure applied
to B prevents net movement of water
from A to B by osmosis.

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 CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL AS & A LEVEL BIOLOGY: COURSEBOOK

d i Pure water has a water potential that measurements in three planes (and, in
is higher than that of cells A and B. practice, would probably not be any more
There is therefore a net movement of accurate).
water into cells A and B by osmosis
through their partially permeable d Replication increases reliability of results.
cell surface membranes. As water e They were covered to reduce evaporation
enters, the volume of the protoplasts from the chips.
increases, exerting pressure on the
cell walls. This increases the water f Easier/quicker. To measure change in
potential of the cells. This will mass requires drying the chips before
continue until equilibrium is reached weighing. This is not only more time-
when the contents of the cells reach consuming but is difficult to standardise.
the same water potential as the water.
The cells will then be turgid. g Change in mass directly reflects the
amount of water lost or gained by
ii 1 mol dm–3 sucrose solution has a the tissue, which is the variable being
lower water potential than that of investigated. It is therefore likely to be
cells A and B. There is therefore a net more reliable and valid if the procedure is
movement of water out of cells A and carried out correctly.
B by osmosis through their partially
permeable cell surface membranes. 12 Pancreatic acinar cells carry out secretion by
As water leaves the cells, the the process of exocytosis. Exocytosis requires
protoplasts shrink and the pressure energy in the form of ATP. Mitochondria
they exert on the cell walls drops. make ATP as a result of respiration. The more
This decreases the water potential mitochondria, the more ATP is available.
of the cells. Eventually, the pressure
inside the cell drops to zero and the
cells are at incipient plasmolysis. As Reflection
shrinkage continues, the protoplasts There may be more than one suitable response for
pull away from the cell walls – this some pairs, depending on the explanation for the
is plasmolysis. The sucrose solution connection. Here are some suggested answers.
can pass freely through the permeable
cell walls and remains in contact with β-glucose – cell wall cellulose
the protoplasts. As water leaves the monomer – protein amino acid
cells, the contents of the protoplasts
get more and more concentrated Michaelis−Menten enzyme
and their water potential gets lower. constant – affinity
Equilibrium is reached when the centrosome – MTOC (microtubule
water potential of the cells equals that microtubule organising centre)
of the sucrose solution. animal storage product – glycogen
1,4 and 1,6 linkages
11 a The water potential of a tissue varies with
the external environment. If, for example, nm – mm µm
a beetroot was removed from the soil Golgi apparatus – lysosome
and left in a dry atmosphere, its water hydrolytic enzymes
potential would gradually decrease as ribosome – amino acid protein
water evaporated from the surface of the
amino acid – protein peptide bond
beetroot.
α-glucose – plant storage starch
b Once cut, the chips would begin to product
lose water by evaporation in a typical monomer – polymer condensation (or
laboratory atmosphere. This would result hydrolysis)
in a decrease in water potential.
microtubule – 9 + 2 cilium / flagellum
c Length involves one measurement induced fit – lock and key enzyme
only. Measuring volume would require

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 CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL AS & A LEVEL BIOLOGY: COURSEBOOK

peptidoglycan – cellulose cell wall water – fluid The fluid mosaic model of
pinocytosis – phagocytic endocytosis mosaic model membrane structure explains
vacuole how phospholipids can
arrange themselves to form a
fatty acid – triglyceride ester bond / ester
bilayer in water.
linkage or glycerol or
condensation fluid mosaic The fluid mosaic model
model – of membrane structure
ligand – G protein signalling receptor
facilitated includes proteins that allow
nucleolus – protein ribosome diffusion facilitated diffusion across the
synthesis membrane.
There may be more than one suitable response water – Water molecules are attracted
for some pairs in the grid, depending on the hydrogen bond to each other by hydrogen
explanation for the connection. Here are some bonding.
suggested answers. fluid mosaic In the fluid mosaic model of
model – protein membrane structure, proteins
glycolipid – Both are types of lipid.
form a mosaic pattern in the
phospholipid Glycolipid has a carbohydrate
fluid phospholipid bilayer.
chain attached; phospholipid
has phosphate attached. facilitated The fluid mosaic model
diffusion – of membrane structure
phospholipid – Phospholipid has a hydrophilic
active transport includes proteins that allow
hydrophilic phosphate group.
active transport across the
glycolipid – Glycolipid has a hydrophilic membrane.
water carbohydrate portion which
hydrogen Hydrogen bonds are
is attracted to water so it
bond – protein important in maintaining
faces the right way in the
secondary and tertiary
membrane.
structure of proteins (e.g.
phospholipid Phospholipids form bilayers alpha helix, beta-pleated
– fluid mosaic which are the basic structures sheet).
model found in the fluid mosaic
protein – active Active transport requires
model of membrane structure.
transport carrier proteins.
hydrophilic Facilitated diffusion can take
– facilitated place through channel proteins
diffusion that have hydrophilic pores to
allow the passage of water-
soluble ions.

3 Cambridge International AS & A Level Biology © Cambridge University Press 2020