Biology – Form 3 Secondary – Track 2 – 2016 Page 1 of 12

DIRECTORATE FOR QUALITY AND STANDARDS IN EDUCATION

Department of Curriculum Management

Educational Assessment Unit

Annual Examinations for Secondary Schools 2016

BIOLOGY – FORM 3

TIME: 2 HOURS

NAME:___________________________________ CLASS: ___________________________

Question

No.

Section A Section B

1

2

3

4

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

Max

mark

9 9 10 9 9 9 15 15 15 15 15

Actual

mark

TOTAL

MARK

85% Theory Paper 15% Practical 100% Final Score

Track 2

Page 2 of 12 Biology – Form 3 Secondary – Track 2 – 2016

Section A

Answer ALL questions in this section.

1a. A lab scientist recorded his observations of an animal cell as seen under a light microscope. His

diagram is being reproduced below.

i. Describe the main function of the structure labelled D.

_________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________ (2)

ii. Name one molecule present in the structure labelled C.

______________________________________________________________________ (1)

iii. Explain why structure A is referred to as semi-permeable.

_________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________ (2)

iv. Give one property of the area labelled B.

______________________________________________________________________ (1)

b. Explain the importance of each step taken by the lab scientist while using the light microscope

in order to obtain a clear image as shown above.

i. changing the objective lens to the lowest power;

______________________________________________________________________ (1)

ii. adjusting the mirror;

______________________________________________________________________ (1)

iii. turning the course focusing knob very slowly.

______________________________________________________________________ (1)

Total: 9 marks

Biology – Form 3 Secondary – Track 2 – 2016 Page 3 of 12

2. The four organisms below labelled A, B, C and D possess an exoskeleton.

A B

C D

a. i. Name the classes that organisms A and B belong to.

Organism A: ___________________________________________________________ (1)

Organism B: ___________________________________________________________ (1)

ii. Mention one visible feature that helped you classify organisms A and B.

______________________________________________________________________ (1)

b. i. Give two functions of the exoskeleton.

_________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________ (2)

ii. Explain how these organisms grow in spite of the exoskeleton.

_________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________ (2)

c. Organism C undergoes complete metamorphosis. Explain.

____________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________ (2)

Total: 9 marks

Page 4 of 12 Biology – Form 3 Secondary – Track 2 – 2016

3. Many local evergreen plants show adaptations that limit water loss by transpiration.

a. Explain how transpiration is beneficial to plants.

____________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________ (2)

b. Name two environmental factors that can affect the rate of transpiration in plants.

____________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________ (2)

c. Describe two adaptations that help plants limit water loss by transpiration.

____________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________ (2)

d. The Bear’s Breeches, a plant increasingly found in Maltese valleys, has an extensive root

system that allows high water and mineral absorption from the soil.

i. Name the cells that increase the surface area in plant roots even further.

______________________________________________________________________ (1)

ii. In the space below draw a labelled diagram of the cells you named above.

(3)

Total: 10 marks

Biology – Form 3 Secondary – Track 2 – 2016 Page 5 of 12

4. Athlete's foot is a common infection caused by a microscopic fungus that lives on the dead

epidermal tissue of the skin. It reproduces asexually by fragmentation of the mycelium.

a. i. Name two other asexual methods of reproduction adopted by some fungi.

_________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________ (2)

ii. Name the fungal structures that form a mycelium.

______________________________________________________________________ (1)

iii. Not all fungi are as harmful as athlete’s foot. Name two ways fungi can be beneficial to

humans.

_________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________ (2)

b. i. Explain the importance of having dead tissue as the first layer of the skin.

_________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________ (2)

ii. Underneath the epidermis the skin has a layer with a dense capillary network. Name this

layer.

______________________________________________________________________ (1)

iii. These capillaries supply the necessary substances to the skin cells. Name one other

function of these capillaries.

______________________________________________________________________ (1)

Total: 9 marks

Page 6 of 12 Biology – Form 3 Secondary – Track 2 – 2016

5. An onion was forgotten in a dark kitchen cupboard. It was found 20 days later with a shoot

growing as shown in the image on the right.

a. Describe the growth pattern exhibited by the onion shoot.

____________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________ (2)

b. Name the biological process that drove the onion shoot to grow in this way.

__________________________________________________________________________ (1)

c. Explain in detail how this growth pattern is brought about during the biological process named

above.

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________ (3)

d. Had the onion been forgotten in a well-lit environment instead of a dark cupboard it would

have not been possible to answer ‘question b’. State whether you agree with this statement

providing a reason for your answer.

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________ (3)

Total: 9 marks

Biology – Form 3 Secondary – Track 2 – 2016 Page 7 of 12

6. Thousands of olive trees in southern Italy, are being destroyed by Xylella fastidiosa, a bacterium

that uses an insect as a vector. The rod-shaped bacterium does not have a flagellum and lives by

sucking water and minerals from the xylem of the olive trees.

a. Give the biological term that best describes a bacterium that causes disease.

__________________________________________________________________________ (1)

b. Name one other method of bacterial transmission other than by vectors.

__________________________________________________________________________ (1)

c. Explain why this bacterium is not very mobile.

__________________________________________________________________________ (1)

d. Name two ways by which a bacterial cell such as Xylella fastidiosa differs from a eukaryotic

cell.

____________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________ (2)

e. Explain why the baterium would not be able to live on a bryophyte.

____________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________ (2)

f. Not all bacteria are harmful like Xylella fastidiosa. Give two examples to support this

statement.

____________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________ (2)

Total: 9 marks

Page 8 of 12 Biology – Form 3 Secondary – Track 2 – 2016

Section B

Answer Question 1 and any two other questions.

Answer the questions of Section B on a foolscap.

1. A new flowering plant has been discovered in Malta. The table below provides information

about it.

Scientific name: Ophrys tumentia

English name: Swollen Chest Bee Orchid

Maltese name: Dubbiena ta’ sidirha kbir

Seed dispersal: Wind

Number of seeds produced: Over 1 million each time

Locations present: Mellieħa, Wardija and Nadur (information from http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20150724/local/maltese-bug-like-orchid-found.577800)

a. For this new plant discovered mentioned in the table above name the:

i. genus; (1)

ii. species. (1)

b. Explain the importance of using the scientific name rather than the English or Maltese name. (2)

c. i. Give one advantage this plant has when using wind to disperse seeds. (2)

ii. Give one advantage this plant has by generating a million seeds each time. (2)

d. This plant has a seed with one extremely small cotyledon. This keeps the seed very light.

i. Give one function of the cotyledon. (2)

ii. Explain how having a light seed helps wind dispersal. (1)

iii. State whether this plant is a monocot or a dicot giving a reason for your answer. (2)

e. Many areas of Mellieha are not all built up while almost all Hamrun is. Explain how this affects

the population of this plant in these two towns. (2)

Total: 15 marks

Biology – Form 3 Secondary – Track 2 – 2016 Page 9 of 12

2a. The Moorish Gecko (Tarentola mauritanica) has brownish-grey, dry scales. It is a carnivore, and

lays eggs with leathery shells twice a year. A harmful mite can be found living on its head.

i. Give two features mentioned above that classify the Moorish Gecko as a reptile. (4)

ii. Define the term ‘carnivore’. (2)

iii. Name the mode of nutrition used by the mite living on the Moorish Gecko’s head and give

a biological reason for your answer. (2)

b. The graph below shows how the body temperature of the Moorish Gecko and that of its

surrounding environment vary during the day.

i. Give the time of the day at which the Moorish Gecko’s body temperature is the highest. (1)

ii. Give the time of the day at which the environment’s temperature is the highest. (1)

iii. Explain how the environment’s air temperature is influencing the Moorish Gecko’s body

temperature. (2)

iv. State whether the Moorish Gecko is ectothermic or endothermic, giving a reason for your

answer. (2)

c. The Moorish Gecko competes for food with the Turkish Gecko. Name one other factor that these

organisms can compete for. (1)

Total: 15 marks

Gecko’s Body

Temperature

Environment’s Air

Temperature

Page 10 of 12 Biology – Form 3 Secondary – Track 2 – 2016

3a. An experiment showed that water moves from a beaker filled with pure water into a tube filled

with a sucrose solution. The tube material is semi-permeable.

i. Name the mode of transport by which water molecules move from the beaker into the tube.

(1)

ii. Define the term ‘semi-permeable’. (1)

iii. Name the part of a cell which is semi-permeable. (1)

iv. The sucrose solution in the tube is hypertonic. Define the term ‘hypertonic’. (2)

b. The series of diagrams below show a process that takes place in Amoeba in order to control the

amount of water inside the cell.

Stage 1 Stage 2

Stage 3 Stage 4

X

Biology – Form 3 Secondary – Track 2 – 2016 Page 11 of 12

i. Name the biological process described by the series of diagrams above. (1)

ii. Name the organelle labelled X on the cell diagram in Stage 1. (1)

iii. Refer to the series of diagrams above to explain how this organelle helps the Amoeba

control water. (4)

c. Unlike most multicellular organisms, Amoeba does not have a complex digestive system. With

the aid of diagrams explain how an Amoeba obtains its nutrients. (4)

Total: 15 marks

4a. Scientists study earthworm and parasitic nematode populations to understand how fertile the

soil is.

i. State whether a relatively high population of earthworms is positive or negative to soil

fertility. (1)

ii. Give two reasons to confirm your answer. (2)

iii. State whether a relatively high population of parasitic nematodes is positive or negative to

soil fertility. (1)

iv. Give one reason to confirm your answer. (1)

v. Earthworms are annelids. Give one characteristic feature of annelids. (1)

b. Typically, soil is composed of various components in the volume proportions shown in the pie

chart below.

i. Name the sector from the pie chart above that would include the volume of dry leaves. (1)

ii. Name the sector from the pie chart above that would include the volume of stones. (1)

iii. Name one gas present in air that is important to root cells. (1)

iv. Describe an experiment you would perform to confirm the percentage of water in a given

soil sample. Make sure you include:

Apparatus required

Method used

Expected results (6)

Total: 15 marks

Page 12 of 12 Biology – Form 3 Secondary – Track 2 – 2016

5. Using your biological knowledge explain each one of the statements below.

a. A virus is different from a bacterium. (3)

b. Diffusion is one of three possible methods by which molecules can enter cells. (3)

c. Gills are very important organ for fish. (3)

d. Gymnosperms do not produce fruit. (3)

e. The appearance of a flower can indicate which type of pollination it uses. (3)

Total: 15 marks